IJLHTW - 37

When Huo Ci saw Huo Mingzhou truly appear, at that instant, her eyes, which were almost losing their luster, erupted with dazzling brilliance. What she had been waiting for had finally arrived.

“Huo Ci, don’t be afraid, Dad’s here,” Huo Mingzhou set down the medical kit he carried with him and reached out to hold her hand.

At that moment, her tears finally fell.

Even though her body had convulsed with pain just moments before, she had clenched her teeth and endured it.

“There are blood bags in the medical kit, quickly get them out,” Huo Mingzhou gripped her hand tightly, instructing in a low voice.

Yi Zecheng immediately opened the medical kit beside them. Compared to what he had found in the hotel earlier, this kit contained much more comprehensive medical supplies, including the blood bags Huo Ci needed most right now.

“Don’t cry, Dad is here,” Huo Mingzhou reached out and wiped her cheek, a doting smile on his face, but his eyes were red.

Huo Ci held his hand, her whole being seemingly re-energized.

She whispered, “I missed you so much.”

She had always missed him, which was why even after traveling across the continents of this world, she had never set foot on the African continent. She was afraid that if she saw him, she would cry uncontrollably, losing her composure.

No matter how much I change, deep down, I’m still that little girl who idolizes her father.

At this moment, Yi Zecheng had already begun preparing to give her a blood transfusion. He held the needle, his face still steady and calm, but his fingers were trembling slightly. Huo Mingzhou held Huo Ci’s hand, glancing at his movements from the corner of his eye, and whispered, “Don’t be nervous. The car is already waiting outside. Let’s give her the blood and take her to the hospital.”

Yi Zecheng inserted the needle into the back of her hand, his back glistening with sweat.

“Stretcher!” he let out a sigh of relief and immediately shouted.

________________________________________

When Huo Ci was carried on a stretcher by two soldiers into the car, Yi Zecheng and Huo Mingzhou also got in. Sporadic gunshots continued to ring out along the way, and Huo Ci’s consciousness had become blurry.

Yi Zecheng reached out and brushed aside the slightly messy long hair from her forehead.

Huo Mingzhou sat opposite them, looking at the young couple. He sighed softly in his heart, yet felt a sense of relief.

But no sooner had he sighed than Yi Zecheng looked up, his eyes still bloodshot, but his expression calm and composed. He was originally a man of great forbearance. From childhood to adulthood, although he didn’t cause trouble, he was often pulled into mischief with Han Jingyang, Xiao Cheng, and their group.

His father was a soldier and disciplined his son more harshly than his subordinates; a thumb-thick rattan cane would be used to strike him. He never cried. Even later, when he injured his hand and couldn’t hold a scalpel, he didn’t cry. At most, he would sit alone at home, staring blankly into space in the dead of night.

Today was his first time like this. While saving someone, tears truly flowed uncontrollably.

He never understood what loneliness was before. He spent all his time in the laboratory, earning a full scholarship, and was the youngest and most outstanding graduate of the medical school. He worked tirelessly and, when he came home, either fell asleep immediately or reviewed medical资料.

His friends would often ask him, “What are you so busy for, you bastard? Why don’t you even find a girlfriend?”

He loved his job. Although he was always calm and restrained when facing patients, privately he would blame himself for not being able to save people. He hadn’t met anyone who made his heart flutter, and he didn’t feel lonely. He’d rather read a newly published medical article than spend time being sentimental.

But after experiencing the excitement of two people and learning what it meant to love someone, he thought about his past life.

It was truly lonely.

He reached out and clasped Huo Ci’s hand. Fortunately, they still had a long, long time ahead of them.

“Huo Ci wanted me to tell you,” Yi Zecheng looked down at the person quietly closing her eyes at that moment, then he looked up at Huo Mingzhou and said, “She forgives you.”

“I’ll never forgive you. You abandoned me, you abandoned me.”

That year, the bitter and painful voice from the other end of the phone echoed once again towards the gray-haired man in front of him. Huo Mingzhou had also asked himself countless times whether his choice was right. His daughter had been in a car accident then, at her most vulnerable, when she needed her father the most, but he couldn’t return to the country.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; it was that he couldn’t.

When Huo Mingzhou heard these words, he covered his face with his hands, hands that had saved countless lives.

________________________________________

**

Sunlight streamed through the window. The white hospital room was exceptionally quiet.

Until the person on the bed moved her eyelids slightly, followed by a twitch of her fingers. After a long wait, she finally slowly lifted her eyelids.

When Huo Ci woke up, she turned her head slightly and saw the man curled up on a tiny sofa beside her. His hair was a bit disheveled, he was wearing only a simple T-shirt, and there was a faint bluish shadow on his chin, giving him an indescribable sexiness. Huo Ci watched him intently, not even daring to blink.

She really thought she would never see him again.

For a moment, she wanted to tell him to be sure to find her in their next life.

How wonderful it was that she wouldn’t need a next life; she could continue to cling to him in this one.

She didn’t know how much time had passed until a girl in a light blue nurse’s uniform walked in. Seeing her eyes open, the nurse exclaimed in surprise, “Miss Huo, you’re finally awake!”

Huo Ci didn’t have time to stop her. The person lying on the small sofa opened his eyes.

When he looked over, his amber eyes immediately gleamed with an indescribable brilliance. He stood up, but rose so quickly he almost fell.

“Mr. Yi, be careful,” the little nurse cried out, quickly adding.

Yi Zecheng walked over in three strides, looking down at her, silent for a long time.

It was Huo Ci who spoke first. She asked, “How long have I been asleep?”

But the next second, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. The sun was just right, and so were they.

When he let her go, the little nurse at the door had already left. Huo Ci blinked and looked at him again, asking, “How long have I been asleep?”

Sleeping Beauty had finally awakened.

“Three days,” Yi Zecheng said blandly, looking at her.

A mischievous glint appeared in Huo Ci’s eyes. She curled the corners of her mouth: “So I haven’t brushed my teeth in three days, have I?”

Yi Zecheng: “...” Is this the time to discuss that?

He gently patted her head, helplessly saying, “Naughty.”

“You can’t just casually pat my head. I once read a book where the male lead got into a car accident, and after surgery, he died just because the female lead patted his head,” Huo Ci looked at him playfully, unable to suppress a mischievous grin.

Yi Zecheng’s face stiffened when he heard that.

Huo Ci saw his expression change and felt a bit helpless. It seemed her joke wasn’t very funny.

________________________________________

Fortunately, at this moment, the door to the ward was pushed open, and Huo Mingzhou entered with two black doctors. When Huo Ci saw him, her expression was a bit awkward. She remembered that before she lost consciousness, she had cried uncontrollably upon seeing him.

“You’re awake,” Huo Mingzhou said, smiling gently at her.

He then stepped forward and cranked up the bed. The young girl pouted her lips, not speaking. She just looked at him so eagerly, her bright black almond eyes darting around.

She was like this when she was little, always looking at him so eagerly after doing something wrong.

“Come, let Dad hug you,” Huo Mingzhou bent down and embraced his little girl.

His Huo Ci, from childhood to adulthood, had always been the smartest and most beautiful.

Huo Ci leaned into his embrace, whining pitifully, “Dad.”

“It’s all right now, you’re safe,” Huo Mingzhou stroked her long hair, his warm, thick voice giving her infinite security.

The little nurse who had followed them in watched with tear-filled eyes.

After a while, Huo Mingzhou gave her a full body examination; her recovery was good.

“You’ve been asleep for a day, are you hungry?” Huo Mingzhou asked her.

Huo Ci paused, then turned to Yi Zecheng, letting out a soft hum, and asked, “Wasn’t it three days?”

Huo Mingzhou raised an eyebrow slightly, chuckling, “Who said three days?”

To his surprise, the girl rolled her eyes and said, “I thought I had slept for so long. This sleep was really sweet.”

Huo Mingzhou looked at her; girls always favor their husbands.

Huo Mingzhou had to go see other patients, saying he would personally cook porridge for her at noon. Huo Ci hummed and hawed, but her eyes were a bit sharp. She pointed to the hem of his shirt, “Dad, your shirt button is back.”

He was wearing the same shirt he had worn when he first met Huo Ci, and the missing button, which had been lost, was now perfectly in place.

Huo Mingzhou froze for a moment, looking down at the button on his shirt, and for a long, long time, he couldn’t speak.

After he left, Huo Ci’s face was calm, but Yi Zecheng frowned. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Huo Ci smiled.

Because Huo Mingzhou promised to make her porridge at noon, Huo Ci only drank some water and lay down to rest. After a while, Yang Ming came over, and Yi Zecheng got up and went out.

She searched around but couldn’t find her phone.

She had carried a clutch that day with her phone inside, but it was too chaotic at the time, so she probably didn’t know where it was lost.

The door creaked open, and a tall woman walked in.

She looked at the woman blandly, not speaking. The other person spoke first: “Hello, Huo Ci.”

“And you are?” she sized up the woman, who looked under thirty, wearing a light blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to her forearms, carrying a thermal container.

“I am Qiao Lang, squad leader of the Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion’s female squad,” her voice was clear and crisp, speaking with a straightforward and decisive manner. Her every move exuded heroism. “You seem to be recovering well.”

Huo Ci looked at her for a long moment before speaking faintly, “Hello, Squad Leader Qiao.”

“I asked the doctors, and they said you can have some liquid food now. I happened to make some porridge and brought it over,” Qiao Lang had already walked over and placed the white thermal container on the small table by her bedside.

Huo Ci raised an eyebrow, her expression indifferent and distant.

She was never a warm person, so she naturally didn’t understand why Squad Leader Qiao was so enthusiastic towards her.

“Eat,” Qiao Lang had already served the porridge and handed it to her.

Huo Ci, though surprised, remained calm. She softly said, “Squad Leader Qiao, have we met before?”

“No, this is our first time meeting. I was on another mission when you were injured the day before yesterday,” Qiao Lang said gently. The exposed skin on her neck and chest showed clear tan lines, indicating she had been sun-tanned here.

Huo Ci asked her, “Do you know my father?”

This time, Qiao Lang didn’t speak. After a long silence, she softly said, “Doctor Huo is a good person.”

Huo Ci took the bowl from her hand and said thank you, then heard Qiao Lang say, “But you’re right, I do like Doctor Huo.”

She was startled, holding the bowl somewhat awkwardly.

“But it’s unrequited love, Doctor Huo doesn’t like me. He is wholeheartedly dedicated to treating and saving people. Here, everyone respects him very much,” Qiao Lang, though a bit dark-skinned, had a grand and bright appearance, and even her speech was straightforward and unpretentious.

Huo Ci was a slow-to-warm-up person, but at this moment, she almost liked this Chinese female soldier in front of her.

She softly hummed in acknowledgment and then buried her head, finishing the porridge.

After she finished, Qiao Lang asked if she wanted more, but Huo Ci shook her head. She smiled, packed up her things, and prepared to leave.

“Squad Leader Qiao, why don’t you stay a bit longer?” Huo Ci kept her for the first time.

Qiao Lang shook her head, “No, I came here for a reason and need to rush back.”

“Huo Ci, I hope you recover soon,” she said with a smile to Huo Ci, then picked up her thermal container and left.

________________________________________

But in the following days, Qiao Lang never appeared again. Yi Zecheng was already contacting a private jet to return to China. Although Huo Ci could receive treatment here, he ultimately wasn’t at ease. Huo Mingzhou also felt the same way; he could stay in this dangerous place himself, but when it came to Huo Ci, he couldn’t bear it.

“I don’t want to leave,” Huo Ci leaned by the bed, looking at him.

Huo Mingzhou had finally resolved the misunderstanding with her and naturally wanted to stay by her side, but now returning to China was the best option.

He reached out and stroked her cheek, softly saying, “Dad will wash your hair for you. You’ve been fussing about washing your hair these past few days.”

When Huo Ci was little, she loved it when Huo Mingzhou washed her hair. As soon as Liu Ruhan touched her, she would cry loudly. She always said that Dad’s hands were hands that saved lives and were simply more skillful than Mom’s. Even washing her hair felt more comfortable when Dad did it.

“You go back to China first. In another half a year, Dad will also come home,” Huo Mingzhou splashed warm water onto her long hair. The little girl’s hair was black and shiny. When she was in school, he would even braid her hair.

He was indeed skillful, braiding more elaborate styles than Liu Ruhan.

Staying in a foreign country, his heart felt like it was wandering. Now, more than any moment in the past few years, he wanted to return to that land.

Huo Ci quietly hummed until she asked, “Have you been well?”

This was what she had always wanted to ask but hadn’t.

Huo Mingzhou said in a deep voice, “Very well, always very well.”

“Then...” Huo Ci wanted to ask about Qiao Lang, but the words caught in her throat. She didn’t know how to ask.

Finally, she softly said, “Dad, I’ve always hoped you could be happy.”

Huo Mingzhou’s hand paused, and after a long moment, he said, “Dad is happy as long as I have you. As long as you and Grandma are safe and healthy, Dad is very happy.”

When Huo Mingzhou returned to his dorm, he saw the freshly washed clothes on his bed, with that shirt on top.

He walked over and looked at the neatly sewn button on the shirt for a very long time.

________________________________________

**

When they arrived at Juba Airport, almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Huo Ci being shot was a huge blow to everyone on the team. They had thought about the dangers here, but they hadn’t expected it to be this dangerous.

The private jet was already parked at the airport.

After everyone boarded, the flight attendant came over and asked them to fasten their seatbelts. The plane was about to take off in five minutes.

“I never thought I’d get to ride on a private jet in this lifetime,” someone sighed.

Tang Xu immediately hummed, “It’s all thanks to my goddess. Remember this favor, all of you.”

A burst of laughter erupted in the cabin.

Huo Ci sat by the window, looking out. Huo Mingzhou was performing surgery today, and she had said goodbye to him when she left the hospital.

He stood at the door, watching her car drive away.

Although she had only been here for a few short months, Huo Ci felt as if she had lived a lifetime.

She had met too many people here, some just a fleeting encounter, some she hadn’t even met but who had saved her life. Like the black man in the hotel who gave Yi Zecheng the medicine box.

Beside her, Yi Zecheng sat quietly. On the small table in front of him was a thermal container.

It was porridge made by Huo Mingzhou for her to eat on the plane, as it would be a long journey back to China.

Suddenly, the plane began to rumble. Huo Ci whispered, “Do you have an eye mask? I want to sleep.”

Yi Zecheng pressed the call button, and the flight attendant brought an eye mask. Huo Ci took it, and before putting it on, she took one last look out the window, then put on the eye mask.

Tears streamed down her face.

Thankfully, soon, they would reunite in China.

...

Yi Zecheng tilted his head slightly, looking at the person sitting beside him, her head leaning towards the window. He watched quietly.

Before boarding the plane, Han Jingyang called, his voice genuinely anxious. He asked, “Did you contact the Military General Hospital’s ambulance to pick someone up at the airport? Are you okay?”

“How did you know?” Yi Zecheng frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

Han Jingyang scoffed, “Cui’er from our neighboring compound is at the Military General Hospital right now. As soon as he heard you made the arrangements, he called me. What exactly happened?”

He was genuinely worried. The last time Yi Zecheng returned from Africa, he had lost the use of one hand and couldn’t even hold a scalpel.

This time, something happened again. You’d think he’s cursed in that place, but he still insists on going.

“It wasn’t me,” Yi Zecheng said blandly. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

Just as Han Jingyang’s heart began to settle, he suddenly heard a deep, resonant call from the other end: “Jingyang.”

“Hmm,” Han Jingyang listened quietly, waiting for his words.

Then a cool, deep voice slowly spoke: “I’ve found someone I like.”

...

Yi Zecheng tilted his head to look at the girl beside him and smiled.

It was someone he truly liked.