IJLHTW - 68

The thick curtains completely blocked the windows, allowing not a single ray of light to penetrate, even with a sky full of stars. In the middle of the night, Yi Zechen was awakened by Huo Ci beside him; she was having a nightmare.

“Huo Ci,” he gently stroked her back, softly calling her name.

After a long while, Huo Ci slowly opened her eyes, her back drenched in sweat.

Her eyes, still wide with lingering terror from the nightmare, were trembling. Yi Zechen saw how scared she was, pulled her into his arms, and softly asked, “Had a nightmare?”

“Mm,” she answered softly, her voice a little hoarse.

Yi Zechen threw back the covers, got out of bed, and reached to turn on the bedside lamp. He went out in his slippers and returned shortly with a glass of warm water, handing it to Huo Ci. “Drink some water.”

“Did I wake you?” Huo Ci touched her forehead, a thin layer of sweat.

Yi Zechen shook his head, sat by the bed, and pressed her shoulders, asking with some concern, “Is work stress too much?”

“No,” Huo Ci shook her head. She didn’t know why, she just suddenly had a nightmare, and even now, her heart was still fluttering wildly with panic.

Seeing that she had finished the water in the glass, Yi Zechen took the cup. He reached over and glanced at the phone on the bedside table: 1:51 AM.

Seeing her rub her eyes, Yi Zechen said softly, “It’s still early, sleep a little more.”

It wasn’t until she lay down again that Yi Zechen turned off the bedside lamp and lay back down beside her. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Huo Ci was tall but had a slender build, and holding her felt heartbreakingly thin. Thinking of her waking up in a sweat just now, he sighed slightly. It seemed he needed to find some time to take her out to relax.

Thousands of miles away in South Sudan, war and artillery fire raged.

________________________________________

The sudden airstrike instantly turned what should have been a hospital, a place for saving lives and helping the injured, into a living hell. Everyone inside the hospital building was desperately rushing out, because no one knew when another bomb would fall.

Screams, wails, accompanied by the constant roar of planes overhead.

“What do we do? Teacher Huo is still inside!” a Chinese nurse, who had been helping to rescue patients, burst into tears.

Qiao Lang didn’t know how she managed to pull out her radio, but when she heard the chaotic sounds from inside, she slowly said, “Report, this is Juba Peace Hospital. The hospital was hit by an airstrike two minutes ago. Requesting reinforcements, requesting reinforcements.”

At this moment, soldiers wearing blue helmets were helping to carry out patients.

Qiao Lang looked at the soldiers behind her and directly ordered, “You all go help. Transfer the immobile patients as quickly as possible. I’m going to the operating room to check.”

“Squad leader!” the deputy squad leader called out to her, saying anxiously, “I’ll go with you!”

“No need. You focus on the radio. If I confirm the situation, I’ll inform you,” Qiao Lang’s eyes were fixed on the gaping hole blown out of the far side of the building.

She had to go.

Just as she rushed to the entrance of the hospital building, she was caught from behind by Sun Yu, the company commander of the Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion’s First Company. He looked at Qiao Lang with a composed expression and said, “Qiao Lang, you’re too reckless. How can you go in alone?”

“Our Chinese doctor is inside performing surgery. His life is now uncertain. Don’t stop me,” Qiao Lang glared fiercely at Sun Yu, her hand tightly gripping her gun, knuckles white.

Sun Yu looked at her. “Who said I’m stopping you?”

He waved his hand, and the heavily armed soldiers behind him followed. He shouted, “This is Juba Peace Hospital. Our country’s medical aid team to South Sudan is stationed in this hospital. I now order you to find all Chinese doctors and ensure their safety.”

He turned his head to look at Qiao Lang. “Wherever Chinese people go, Chinese protection will follow. Do you think I would abandon the people of my own country?”

With that, he led the charge into the chaotic hospital building.

At this moment, the building’s power supply had been completely destroyed, and the elevators were naturally unusable. Everyone ascended the stairs directly through the emergency exits. Because they had to be wary of another airstrike, even fully armed, no one dared to pause their steps.

When they reached the operating room door, they saw it had been blown off its hinges. They quickly rushed inside.

The interior was a mess. With the dim light and the building being without power, they couldn’t even clearly see the situation inside. It wasn’t until someone turned on a flashlight that a person shouted, “Over here! Over here!”

Everyone crowded around and saw two people pinned under the collapsed corner of a wall.

A weak voice called out, “Save us, save someone!”

“We are Chinese, from the peacekeeping force,” Sun Yu said calmly.

But Qiao Lang’s heart sank. She was happy to find a Chinese person, but the voice was a woman’s.

“There’s another doctor with me; he’s buried,” the woman’s voice was tinged with a cry.

Because the shell penetrated from above, the operating room was filled with concrete debris. Qiao Lang could almost hear her own trembling voice as she asked, “Is Dr. Huo Mingzhou buried?”

“Yes!” the woman said excitedly.

“Rescue them!” Company Commander Sun Yu shouted. Almost everyone immediately put down their guns and started rescuing the people.

Fearing that light would attract planes overhead, no one dared to use a flashlight, but everyone worked together to save lives. Because buried beneath the rubble were their compatriots, the very people they had sworn to protect with their guns.

________________________________________

Mornings are always busy, and Huo Ci got up a little late. Yi Zechen had already showered and was changing. She complained, “You should have woken me up earlier; I’m going to be late.”

“Who would dare dock your pay?” Yi Zechen scoffed, buttoning his shirt.

From the bathroom came her muffled voice: “Mr. Yi, that attitude isn’t good. You’re a boss yourself; you should know that a boss needs to lead by example.”

Yi Zechen felt bad that she hadn’t slept well last night, so he deliberately woke her up half an hour later this morning. He didn’t expect to get a complaint for it.

He looked at the hurrying figure inside and said, “I’ll make breakfast. Take your time, no rush.”

While frying an egg in the kitchen, his phone rang in his pocket. He took it out with one hand, still holding the spatula. It was a call from Liu Ruhan.

So early?

He pressed the answer button, and the other person spoke first, “Zechen, hello, I’m Shen Fangtang, Huo Ci’s stepfather.”

“Hello,” he was a little taken aback that the call was from Shen Fangtang. The pan sizzled.

The other side must have heard it too, so Shen Fangtang asked him, “Is it convenient for you to talk right now? Also, please find a quiet place, preferably where Huo Ci can’t hear.”

Yi Zechen turned off the gas and said deeply, “I’m very available right now, and Huo Ci isn’t beside me. Please feel free to speak.”

But when Shen Fangtang finished speaking, he thought he had mentally prepared himself, but in that instant, he still felt dizzy.

Because he said, “Huo Ci’s father had an accident in South Sudan. Yesterday, an internal conflict broke out in South Sudan, and the hospital where he was located was hit by an airstrike. He sustained extremely severe injuries trying to save the doctor who was with him. This should have been immediately reported to the family, but I thought I should tell you first.”

“Thank you,” Yi Zechen said after taking a deep breath, and it was a long while before he slowly spoke those words.

Beside Shen Fangtang, Liu Ruhan was sobbing. Although she had divorced Huo Mingzhou, they had been married for twenty years. Even if love was gone, kinship remained. Moreover, if something happened to him, what about Huo Ci, what would happen to her daughter?

Shen Fangtang held Liu Ruhan’s hand with one hand and spoke into the phone with the other, “Huo Ci and her father have a very good relationship. We were afraid she wouldn’t be able to accept it immediately. So, we wanted to call and tell you first, at least so you can be by her side when she receives the news.”

“I want to go see Xiao Ci,” Liu Ruhan looked at Shen Fangtang with teary eyes.

Shen Fangtang squeezed her hand, signaling her to calm down. In this situation, her presence would only make Huo Ci more upset.

“The hospital will definitely notify Huo Ci, so you...” Just as Shen Fangtang was giving him instructions, a loud crash suddenly came from the bathroom, as if something had shattered.

Even Yi Zechen, calm as he was, felt his heart suddenly stop in that instant.

He disregarded formalities, hung up the phone, threw it onto the table, and rushed back to the bedroom. When he opened the bathroom door, he saw the glass above the sink, directly opposite the door, shattered into pieces. Huo Ci stood there barefoot. Yi Zechen walked over and saw a cut on her cheek, caused by a piece of flying glass.

His heart pounded wildly. In that moment, he felt his legs weaken.

If the glass hadn’t cut her cheek, but had flown into her eyes...

“Huo Ci, what’s wrong?” In such a moment, even his voice carried a hint of panic.

As soon as he asked, Huo Ci turned and left.

As she walked out of the bathroom, Yi Zechen followed, reaching out to press her shoulders, and called out, “Huo Ci.”

“They called and said Dad might be in trouble. I need to go see,” her face was calm, as if she could truly bear it, and even her eyes were undisturbed.

But this only made him more afraid, because her eyes were too calm.

Moreover, she said she wanted to go see—go where? Huo Mingzhou was far away in South Sudan, and she was in Beijing. Her attitude was so calm, as if Huo Mingzhou was in a nearby hospital, and she could go any time.

“Huo Ci, things haven’t reached the worst point yet. Dad is injured, but the hospital there is doing its best to save him. Calm down,” Yi Zechen reached out, wanting to hug her.

But she pushed him away suddenly, and he heard her yell, “Am I not calm enough? Am I not calm enough now? That’s my dad, my dad!”

That shout seemed to tear apart her carefully constructed calm, and her whole body trembled.

She was angry because she was so scared, angry at her own weakness.

But how could she not be afraid? That was her father, her god since childhood. Her first “Dad,” her dignified appearance riding on his neck, her first time on ice, he carefully reached out in front, fearing she would fall.

She was his precious jewel.

But now, was the jewel about to lose the god who had always protected her?

“Huo Ci, don’t be afraid. It’ll be alright, it will. He loves you so much; he hasn’t even personally handed you over to me yet,” Yi Zechen stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.

Even his voice was trembling. His Huo Ci was so scared, so sad.

________________________________________

The sudden internal conflict in South Sudan resulted in the deaths of over 300 civilians, the sacrifice of two peacekeeping officers, and severe injuries to several aid workers.

Yet, even at such a time, some people refused to show compassion.

Someone sarcastically remarked, “Some people in mountainous regions don’t even have doctors, but these people are good, they even ran off to Africa. Now they’re going to spend taxpayers’ money, might as well just die there.”

Mo Xingchen woke up early and scrolled through Weibo, seeing such disheartening comments that immediately infuriated her.

She didn’t even bother switching to her alternate account, directly retweeting the post and coldly replying, “Let me show you what an imbecile looks like.”

Her Weibo had always been quiet and peaceful, mostly about fashion-related topics. Her followers didn’t expect such explosive content so early in the morning.

Unexpectedly, some people even followed her to her Weibo to curse her.

Someone told her that as a public figure, she shouldn’t speak like that.

She replied impolitely: “Excuse me, I have never considered myself a public figure; I’m just doing what I love. Moreover, I simply cannot stand to see such remarks. Do you know how great aid doctors are? Do you know what they have to go through? If you know nothing, please shut up.”

No sooner had she posted that, than Bai Yu called her.

He said, “Can you contact Huo Ci now?”

“What’s wrong? Did she not go to work?” Mo Xingchen was already at the hospital; she was a doctor in the physical examination department, so her work was relatively relaxed.

Bai Yu: “Haven’t you read the news?”

“What news? There’s so much news every day,” Mo Xingchen said irritably. She had just gotten angry over a piece of news.

“It’s the news about the civil war in South Sudan. It says a hospital was hit by an airstrike. I remember Huo Ci’s dad is in South Sudan, right?” Bai Yu had been anxious all morning because he couldn’t reach Huo Ci. He just heard the young people in the studio discussing it, everyone sighing about how good it was to live in a peaceful country.

Mo Xingchen froze, stood up abruptly, and stammered nervously, “No, it couldn’t be such a coincidence.”

“I can’t reach Huo Ci now, and I called Mr. Yi’s assistant too, who said Mr. Yi didn’t go to the company today. Do you think something really happened?” Bai Yu also wanted to slap himself and curse himself for being a jinx.

But today was too unusual. Huo Ci never broke appointments, and she knew there was an advertisement shoot today.

Mo Xingchen immediately said, “I’ll go to her place to check.”

Her hospital was only fifteen minutes’ drive from Huo Ci’s home, closer than Bai Yu coming from the studio. This was why Bai Yu called her.

After taking leave, she drove directly there.

When she arrived downstairs at Huo Ci’s place, she coincidentally ran into the two of them who had just come downstairs. Mo Xingchen looked at them, relieved, and was about to complain why Huo Ci wasn’t answering her phone, when she noticed the suitcase Yi Zechen was carrying.

“You two are going out? Huo Ci, don’t you have a shoot today?” Mo Xingchen asked nervously.

Huo Ci glanced at her, her expression indifferent, and said nothing.

It was Yi Zechen beside her who nodded, “Sorry, we have to go to the airport immediately. I’ll have to trouble you to tell Bai Yu that Huo Ci’s work for the next few days will probably have to be postponed.”

“Are you going to South Sudan?” Mo Xingchen asked nervously.

Although Yi Zechen didn’t speak, she knew she wasn’t wrong. She immediately gasped, staring at Yi Zechen: “Yi Zechen, are you crazy? Do you know how chaotic South Sudan is? So many people died yesterday, and you still dare to take her there?”

“Mo Xingchen, move aside,” Huo Ci said coldly, looking at her.

Mo Xingchen’s tears were about to fall. She said, “Huo Ci, I know you’re worried about your dad, but it’s really dangerous there.”

“But he must be waiting for me,” Huo Ci’s expression softened slightly. She said, “He’s waiting for me, waiting for me to take him home.”

Yi Zechen reached out and held her shoulder, saying softly, “We’ll go pick up Dad and take him home.”

When they arrived at the airport, Yi Zechen’s phone rang again. This time, it was Yi Huaize calling him. He answered the call and said in a low voice, “Dad, thank you.”

“You and Huo Ci, both be careful,” Yi Huaize’s voice remained calm, but in the end, he sighed and said, “Comfort Huo Ci more. This is something none of us want to see.”

The sudden internal conflict in South Sudan not only caused heavy casualties among the Chinese medical team but also claimed the lives of two Chinese peacekeeping officers. He received the news as soon as he arrived at the office—two more martyrs.

Young soldiers, carrying the hopes of their motherland and families, traveled far from home, only to never return.

As a soldier, he was proud of them, yet also grieved for them and for their families.

An hour later, a private jet flew to Entebbe, Uganda.

After Huo Mingzhou was injured, the Chinese embassy immediately dispatched personnel to transfer him, along with several other injured peacekeeping officers, to a hospital in Entebbe, the capital of Uganda. There, doctors who had quickly arrived from China held a consultation for the injured.

Huo Ci arrived six hours later than the domestic medical team. By the time she reached Entebbe, it was already evening.

Although she was a family member, she came in a private capacity. At the hospital, she was stopped by heavily armed soldiers. Yi Zechen called back to China, who then contacted the local authorities, and it was an hour later before they were allowed in.

During that hour, Huo Ci stood at the hospital entrance. If Yi Zechen hadn’t forced her to drink a bottle of water, she probably wouldn’t have moved at all.

Huo Mingzhou was still in the ICU. The hospital allowed them to enter, but only to look through the glass.

Just as they were about to change, she suddenly turned and looked at Yi Zechen beside her.

In this moment, she needed him more than ever.

He reached out and hugged her, softly saying, “Go change, then we’ll go see Dad together. You haven’t told him I proposed to you yet, have you?”

“I told him! The day after you proposed, I told him!” her voice trembled. In such a moment, it seemed that ordinary conversation could make her less nervous.

Then Yi Zechen chuckled and said softly, “This clumsy son-in-law of mine should meet his father-in-law.”

Just as they finished changing, someone walked out of the ICU. Huo Ci hadn’t expected to see Qiao Lang there. Qiao Lang’s arm was in a white sling, clearly injured.

“You’re here?” Qiao Lang’s eyes widened. She hadn’t expected Huo Ci to arrive within two days.

Huo Ci looked at her. “Take care of yourself.”

After speaking, she was about to go inside, but Qiao Lang called out to her again: “Huo Ci.”

“Teacher Huo was still conscious before he completely lost consciousness,” Qiao Lang turned to look at her and said after a long pause, “He was calling your name.”

Although the voice was very soft and weak, she heard it clearly.

She thought she would never be able to tell Huo Ci how much her father loved her, but at this moment, at least she didn’t want Huo Ci to have any regrets.

God knows how much she wished, at that moment, he could have called her name too.

Inside the glass window, the tall middle-aged man lay quietly, his chest rising and falling so faintly it was barely visible. Only the instruments beside him told her that he was still alive.

On the way there, she had thought of countless possibilities. When she saw him, would she resent him, be afraid, or try to forcefully wake him up?

But at this moment, her heart was only filled with relief.

At least, he was still alive.