Chapter 1 Moon Above the Clouds (Two chapters combined)
The fine snow, like salt, fell softly.
The snow in the south is not significant. Even though this snow fell intermittently from early morning until noon, it only left a thin and weak layer of white on the ground.
However, the weather was really cold, a bone-chilling cold.
At the First People's Hospital in Southeast Base No. 1, the main outpatient and inpatient buildings all had central air conditioning running at the very least, but many of the doctors and patients coming and going still shrugged and stomped their feet.
The electrophysiology lab was cold, and the doctors were dressed too warmly, their white coats puffing up like balls.
But he was staring intently at the screen, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
"Now keep your right hand still, completely still and without exerting any force... Yes," the doctor said to the patient lying on the examination bed.
The patient's right hand and forearm were covered with electrode needles. He relaxed his muscles as instructed, and after a moment, he gently moved his fingers as instructed, then gripped firmly.
After the entire procedure, the patient's forehead was sweating, and he looked at the doctor nervously: "Doctor, what was the result?"
The doctor gently tapped the table, startling the patient.
But the doctor was full of amazement and smiles: "Completely recovered! Needless to say, the ulnar nerve has recovered, and the middle fasciculus nerve, which was in a semi-necrotic state, has also recovered at least 90%!"
You will be able to exert force just like a normal person and do fine crafts!
The patient was stunned at first, and then he started to laugh.
His face was beaming with joy. He first thanked the doctor, then said to the young woman at the door:
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
A woman stood by the door of the electrophysiology room, watching the patient's test results.
The woman wore a short ponytail and a short apricot-colored windbreaker, looking neat and stylish.
But beneath her half-open windbreaker was a completely fitted black cashmere sweater, paired with skinny jeans and ankle boots, revealing the woman's soft and beautiful figure.
The patient was a young man the same age as the woman, but his gaze towards her lacked any hint of romantic attraction; instead, it was filled with a cautious reverence.
"My right hand, all the doctors in the base said it was completely beyond saving, necrotic, but you healed it completely! I... I'll offer you a sacrifice!"
Qi An raised his eyebrows and quickly said, "No! I'm not a bodhisattva in a temple, why would you make offerings to me?"
She paused for a moment, then asked seriously, "Why did you have the idea of 'offering' money to me? After I 'treated' you, did you develop any religious feelings for me?"
Do you have the urge to obey my every command and dedicate everything to me?
The patient hesitated, "Well... I don't think so..."
This patient has a connection with Qi An. He was Qi An's childhood playmate at the Southeast Base No. 4 Nursery, named Liu Cheng.
After the fall of Southeast Base 4, he fled with his parents to Southeast Base 1 and settled down.
He is now a junior electromechanical engineer. He injured his hand while repairing a generator once.
Because the best treatment time was missed and his self-healing ability was low, Liu Cheng suffered partial necrosis of the middle fasciculus nerve in his right hand, and irreversible damage to the ulnar nerve and multiple nerve groups in his forearm.
His hand is essentially useless.
But two weeks ago, the hospital suddenly notified him that a special treatment had emerged that might be able to restore his nerves, and asked if he was willing to accept it.
Since it was free, Liu Cheng accepted it, thinking he was getting a good deal and that things couldn't get any worse than they were now.
Then he met Qi An again.
Qi An's treatment involved using a few tentacles... Qi An could actually grow tentacles!
Qi An used several tentacles to pierce into his right hand and forearm.
Liu Cheng was in immense pain! He felt as if he were undergoing a transformation.
The flesh and nerves in his arm did indeed change drastically, just as they had during the mutation! But his mind was fine.
The treatment room was crowded with people, mostly hospital directors and scientists.
Everyone stared at his arm or at the screens of various monitoring instruments, their expressions a mixture of doubt, surprise, and anticipation, all holding their breath in anticipation!
Ten minutes later, the tentacles retracted, and Liu Cheng's stiff, deformed right hand, which resembled a chicken claw, was able to move again.
Liu Cheng vividly remembers the silence in the treatment room, and the unexpected, joyful howl that broke the silence!
He was so happy then, as happy as if he had been reborn!
He was truly grateful, looking at Qi An as if he were a god.
The phrase "offering sacrifices" came out off the cuff; he didn't actually know how to make offerings, he just wanted to express his excitement and worship.
But he didn't really worship to the point of "obeying orders and sacrificing everything"...
Liu Cheng was terrified, and the doctor, who also felt it was a bit outrageous, was equally terrified. Both of them stole glances at Qi An, their hearts filled with unease.
But Qi An was pleased to hear Liu Cheng's denial. "That's good. Stay true to yourself, and don't bother with any tributes. Just focus on making a recovery. Congratulations!"
She left as soon as she finished speaking, her steps light and quick, her ponytail swaying back and forth, showing that she was genuinely happy.
The doctor was truly moved, marveling not only at the medical miracle but also at the existence of someone like Qi An, who, from many perspectives, was a miracle.
Liu Cheng kept staring in the direction where the figure disappeared. After a long while, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Now I really want to dedicate myself!"
......
As Qi An stepped out of the gate, he looked up and saw two familiar figures—Wu Han and Zhao Lang.
Both of them were carrying two huge packages, but they were dressed very differently.
Zhao Lang was casually dressed in his military uniform, while Wu Han wore a light-colored cashmere coat, looking tall, handsome, and captivating everyone's attention.
Qi An was a little surprised and quickly took two steps to meet the two people. "Why are you the ones delivering supplies? Where are the logistics department personnel?"
She, her mother, and Uncle Xu now live on a small island in the East China Sea.
Xu Zhuoxing used to live on an island, but it was in the far sea, and he lived a completely primitive life.
Aside from going ashore to beat up the Ash Priests attacking human bases, or simply reminiscing about the past and enjoying the scenery, he had no contact with the mainland.
But Qi An didn't want to be a savage, and neither did Ye Xiao. The North 1 Base also hoped to maintain contact with Qi An.
So Qi An chose a small island near the sea.
Southeast Base No. 1, which faces the small island in the distance, was ordered to build a signal base station and also sent a construction team to the island to build houses for them.
All consumable supplies on the island are provided by Southeast Base No. 1.
Wu Han walked up to Qi An first, but it was Zhao Lang who spoke: "Shouldn't we be asking Dr. Qi this question?"
You came to the base without even calling us! We had to intercept Hu from the logistics department and work as porters just to see you.
Some of his former comrades-in-arms have now begun to fear, fawn over, or view Qi An with a sense of curiosity, but there are still those who are able to maintain a normal attitude.
Qi An immediately laughed and said, "My bad, my bad. I was in a hurry today. My mom was urging me to go home for dinner. Next time I come, I will definitely contact you first."
She tried to take the package, but both of them dodged it.
“We’ll take you to the dock,” Wu Han said.
Qi An didn't insist, keeping his hands empty in his pockets, and walked and talked with the two of them:
"I didn't say hello because I was thinking that my captain and vice-captain are getting married on the 29th, and everyone will be gathered together then, so I can see you all."
Zhao Lang said dejectedly, "Hey! Don't even mention it! We have a mission, we're leaving tomorrow, so we won't be able to get to the new base on the 29th."
“But we prepared gifts and asked the transport team to send them over. They should arrive on the 29th. Could you please apologize to Captain Yu and Captain Zhao for us?” Wu Han said apologetically.
Qi An quickly said, "There's no need to apologize. The mission is important; they'll understand."
The three of them were chatting and laughing, in a great atmosphere, but when they passed a small square, a loud shout of "Wu Han!" stopped them all.
Qi An stopped, and Wu Han paused for a second, frowned, and turned to try to take another route.
But the people who called him came rushing over like a gust of wind; they were two young women in their early twenties.
The two women looked alike but had different temperaments. One was wearing a coat and was tall and radiant, while the other wore a white fleece jacket and had a sparkly hair clip in her long hair.
The tall woman's boot heels struck the ground with a rapid drumbeat. She stood directly in front of Wu Han, her bright eyes fixed on him intently.
"You don't reply to our messages, and you go out before dawn. Are you trying to avoid us?"
"We just want to have a meal with you and go shopping together. Unlike Liu Rong and the others, we don't want to sleep with you. Why are you hiding like this?"
Wu Han's beautiful brows were furrowed, and his eyes were filled with dark clouds.
Qi An was shocked.
She knew that Wu Han looked like this and seemed to have a passive ability like "charm," so he would definitely be popular, but she didn't expect him to be this popular!
Wu said coldly, "I don't want to go shopping or eat with you. I have something to do, please move aside."
"What's up? Is there a mission? Your brigade said you're on leave today."
The girl with the hair clip spoke softly, her gaze sweeping over the large packages Wu Han and Qi An were carrying before turning to Qi An: "Who is this? Is your business related to this young lady?"
The tall woman also looked at Qi An, seemingly surprised, but then immediately revealed a wary and critical expression.
"Aside from female teammates or superiors, I've never seen you walk with any other woman on your own initiative... Who is this?" she asked as well.
Taking advantage of her height, she was looking down at Qi An.
Wu Han's handsome eyes narrowed slightly, and a murderous intent seemed to appear in them!
Zhao Lang was also very annoyed.
There are always women behind the captain... and occasionally men too, chasing after him.
When they returned to base after their mission, they were supposed to relax and recharge, but the captain was facing a torment that was even more frustrating than the mission itself!
Zhao Lang said coldly, "This is Colonel Qi from Base 1 in the North. Get out of the way! Don't obstruct official business!"
He introduced Qi An as a "colonel", but Qi An's actual military rank was "major general".
After all, she protected the new base, and the North 1 Base awarded her a higher military rank according to regulations.
Zhao Lang was afraid that the title of "Major General" was too far-fetched and that the other side wouldn't believe it.
But the colonel seemed to be beyond the two girls' imagination.
They were all stunned for a moment. The girl with the hair clip pouted and said, "Where can you find a colonel this young? Captain Wu doesn't even take our perfunctory answers seriously."
The tall woman scoffed, "Since you're not my girlfriend, get out of my way and don't waste our time!"
Qi An frowned.
To her, those words were a bit too much.
She said to Zhao Lang and the other person, "It's you who's wasting our time."
The tall woman chuckled and asked, "What important matter do you have to do?" She didn't have much free time to chase after Wu Han all over the world.
She took another step closer, intending to push Qi An away.
Qi An's gleaming white tentacle coiled from her fingers all the way to the side of her neck, its bone blade pressing against her carotid artery.
“If any human being is so foolish as to repeatedly provoke me, I can kill them; it’s not illegal,” she said softly.
The tall woman froze, and the girl next to her with the hair clip stared blankly for a long time before opening her mouth to scream!
But before she could scream, another tentacle wrapped tightly around the lower half of her face, making it impossible for her to breathe.
"My name is Qi An. If you've heard this name before, try to recall it. If you haven't, try searching it on your phone."
A thin tentacle emerged, pulled a cell phone from the tall woman's coat pocket, and dangled it in front of her.
The tall woman was still terrified, staring blankly at Qi An.
Qi An simply let go, allowing the phone to fall high into the air and crash onto the brick floor.
"If he rejects you, then stop bothering him. It's like he can't understand human language." She glanced indifferently at the two girls and then at the horrified onlookers, before withdrawing her tentacles and walking away.
Wu Han and the other person quickly followed.
A commotion erupted behind them.
Once Qi An reached the dock, he asked Wu Han, "You really did reject them, right? I didn't ruin your chances of finding a partner or anything?"
Wu Han, who had been somewhat stunned, blurted out, "No! I have no destiny for marriage!"
He frowned, his handsome long eyebrows furrowed, looking at Qi An with a hint of... reproach? accusation? In any case, he was not happy.
Qi Anxin thought to himself, "It seems that Wu Han really dislikes those two girls."
If this entanglement isn't an isolated case, and as that girl said, there were other people who had previously harassed Wu Han... to sleep with him, then he's really in a terrible situation.
Qi An stopped mentioning marriage, but after taking a few steps, Zhao Lang, who was behind him, looked like he had been holding his pee for too long. He glanced at Qi An and then at the silent Wu Han, and called out:
"I'm truly impressed! Dr. Qi, the captain likes you. He's been thinking about you day and night ever since he came back from South China! The marriage he desires is with you!"
He added a guy from the logistics department who was specifically responsible for allocating supplies for you, and he would wait around every day to see if you had come to the base.
He also keeps an eye on your 'Red Conch' account and fan site every day.
He wore this outfit especially for you today! Otherwise, he usually goes out in a thick cotton-padded coat that's hard to tell if he's male or female, and the Lu sisters would never have caught him so easily!
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings became even quieter, and even the cries of the seagulls seemed to have subsided.
Wu Han's fair face flushed crimson! He looked as if he wished he could crawl into a piece of raised steel plate.
But he looked up at Qi An again, and although he looked down after a glance, there was a clear light in his eyes, a strong sense of expectation!
After revealing the information, Zhao Lang put the package on the ground and disappeared in the blink of an eye: "Well, you guys chat, I'm going to check if the Lu sisters have completely disappeared."
The sea breeze gently lifted the hem of Wu Hanping's neatly trimmed clothes and ruffled his jet-black hair.
Even with his hair a complete mess, this man was still handsome, so handsome that it was impossible to look away without effort.
Qi An picked up the package that Zhao Lang had put down and walked to the deck of a dilapidated cruise ship, which was filled with water and overgrown with vines. He found a relatively clean spot to sit down.
Wu Han thought she was leaving, his face blank, but seeing her sit down, he hesitated for a second, then ran after her.
"Why do you like me? You know my current... state, right?" Qi An asked.
The man lowered his eyes. "You're very good, brave, intelligent, and loyal... beautiful. You're completely unaffected by my 'bewitching' influence, you don't covet my face, and you don't want to possess or gain anything from me."
You are in a state where you lack nothing.
Qi An was stunned for a long time before asking, "So you like me because I'm not interested in you?"
Wu Han's tone became more serious: "I said, first of all, you are a very good person! I like, admire, and respect you, and I am attracted to you!"
The fact that you see me with the same equanimity as you see others is truly precious to me.
I feel happy and comfortable under your gaze... and I can't help but turn around and look at you.
Seeing you makes me happy, extremely happy...
In short, I really like you, I can't help liking you!
After Wu Han finished speaking, he turned his head away, as if he had used all his strength to control himself from running away.
Qi An also lowered her eyes. She raised her hand to her chest and felt her heart beating faster, thumping like a drum.
She rested her chin on her knees, stared at the azure sea for a moment, and seemed to murmur to herself, "I... need to think about love between men and women."
"Think about what?" Wu Han suddenly looked up and asked.
"Think about what I like, what I can accept, and what I can give," Qi An replied after a moment of silence.
She looked at Wu Han, and after a long while, tugged at his sleeve, "I want to touch the seagulls, can you call them down for me!"
Wu Han paused slightly, then smiled and nodded at her, "Okay."
He whistled, and the whistle was melodious and loud.
Seagulls that had been flying around the pier and the sea all gathered here as if on command.
It's as if a painter has applied snow-white paint stroke by stroke to a bright blue canvas, and the two people in the center of the canvas are sprinkling out golden laughter!
As the surging tides subsided, Qi An spread his wings and flew away, gradually becoming a white dot and disappearing from sight.
A handsome man, as beautiful as jade, stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance for a long time.
Zhao Lang, who had been missing for a long time, appeared beside Wu Han and asked excitedly, "Is there a lot of progress? I could hear you laughing from far away."
Wu Han's smile remained, but there was a hint of melancholy in it. He said, "I suppose so."
But she is still like the flowers on the other shore, the bright moon in the clouds; all he can touch is the moonlight.
"Captain, today has been very fruitful!" Zhao Lang patted Wu Han on the shoulder and said with a smile:
"At least Dr. Qi stood up for you! If anyone bothers you again, we'll spread the word that you, Wu Han, are now Qi An's man!"
If they dare to make a move on you, let them think twice!
With Dr. Qi's current influence, even the Lu sisters, who have a father who is the base commander, wouldn't dare to hang around in front of you anymore.
"Captain, give it your all!" Zhao Lang laughed and pumped his fist. "Once you truly become Dr. Qi, you're not far from the stable life you've always dreamed of!"
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