Chapter 43
Vacation time is always short. On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Xia Wan boarded the high-speed train to Jinzhou with her mother's nagging and a suitcase full of delicious food.
After a brief period of hesitation, spring in Jinzhou finally took hold. The tender green leaves of the trees along the roadside unfurled, and the warm sunlight dispelled the last chill of late winter. Life in late summer, like this season, also entered a new trajectory.
The Gold Award brought with it both opportunities and responsibilities. The design institute entrusted her team with the preservation and renovation of several important historic districts. These projects varied in scale, but all involved a complex fusion of cultural heritage and modern functionality, presenting a significant challenge. Xia Wan threw herself into the work, leading her team on site visits, surveying, and communicating with experts during the day. At night, she immersed herself in drawings and documentation, often working late into the night. Busy, yet driven.
Jiang Yu's work was equally intense. A large-scale urban complex project he was leading had entered a critical phase, involving complex multi-party coordination and technical challenges. Both of them were working at a high-intensity pace.
Their relationship naturally developed a new kind of tacit understanding. They were both busy on weekdays, so texts weren't frequent, but they would exchange good mornings and good nights. Jiang Yu would monitor Jinzhou's weather. Before a drop in temperature or rain, Xia Wan's phone would always receive a succinct reminder from him: "Temperature dropping, dress warmer," or "Raining, bring an umbrella." When he worked overtime for a long time, Xia Wan would have a familiar restaurant deliver a warming soup to his office, accompanied by a sticky note: "Mr. Jiang, refueling." Signed with a small smiley face.
Lin Wei was still the most active "intelligence officer" and "atmosphere group." She keenly noticed that although Xia Wan was busy, the quiet sweetness between her brows could not be shaken off, so she would "touch" her from time to time.
"Wanwan, your relationship is too old-fashioned, isn't it? It's all work, no dates? No romance?" Lin Wei bit her straw, feeling disappointed. "Jiang Yu is the same way. He was a workaholic before, and he's still a workaholic now? Are you two planning to communicate through telepathy? The New Year is over, let me, your couple, celebrate the New Year too!"
Xia Wan chuckled, arranging the blueprints on her desk. "That's not so exaggerated. We'll have dinner together on the weekends, or... well, go to an architecture exhibition or something." She recalled the last weekend they'd been at the art museum viewing a special exhibition on ancient bridge structures. In the quiet hall, they'd stood side by side in front of a massive structural analysis diagram of the Rainbow Bridge from "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," and their lips curled up unconsciously. For them, that kind of exchange, rooted in shared interests and professional understanding, was a deeply romantic experience.
"Architecture exhibition?!" Lin Wei held her forehead exaggeratedly, "Okay, okay, I can't understand the realm of you two. But," she leaned closer and lowered her voice, "there should be... um? Progress can't be left behind! What about after that earth-shattering kiss in the Night Garden? Is there... hehehe..." She winked.
Xia Wan's face flushed instantly, and she pushed her in an angry tone, "Lin Weiwei! Can you think of something healthy?"
"Very healthy!" Lin Wei said confidently, "Caring about my sisters' happiness is my top priority! Tell me now!"
Xia Wan couldn't resist her, her face flushed, her voice as thin as a mosquito's: "It's... pretty good. He's... very respectful." She couldn't describe the restrained kisses they shared at the foot of the apartment building, the warmth of their quiet embrace in the car, or the heavy look of cherishment and patience in his eyes. She knew Lin Wei understood.
Lin Wei looked at her blushing yet happy face, finally feeling relieved, and patted her shoulder: "Alright, respect is a good thing, it means I really care about you. However, you should also take the initiative when it is necessary, and don't always wait for Mr. Jiang to 'procedure' to push things forward!"
"I know, I know!"
The two sisters joked and spent a relaxing weekend together.
On that Friday afternoon, Xia Wan, along with her partner Xiao Zhao and intern Xiao Chen, conducted a final on-site survey of a laneway area in the old city awaiting renovation. This area, with its long history, dense building density, and complex conditions, was one of the most challenging new projects Xia Wan's team had taken on.
The sunlight was a bit blinding. They walked along the narrow alley. Xia Wan carefully recorded the current state of the buildings, their structural problems, and the residents' shelters, while discussing preliminary conservation ideas with Xiao Zhao. The alley was tangled like a spiderweb of electrical wires, the ground slippery, and cluttered with debris.
"Xia Gong, look at that building," Xiao Zhao pointed to a two-story brick-and-wood building in front of him. It was obviously tilted and had severely weathered exterior walls. "The main beams seem to be seriously decayed, and there are cracks in the load-bearing walls. I'm afraid the renovation of this one will be difficult..."
Xia Wan looked up in the direction she pointed, squinting her eyes to examine it carefully. At this moment, a teeth-grinding "crunch" sound came from above her head!
"Be careful!" Xiao Chen, an intern standing behind, shouted in horror.
Xia Wan and Xiao Zhao looked up suddenly, and saw a huge, long-lost carved wooden component on the edge of a dilapidated wooden cantilevered balcony on the second floor of the dangerous building. Under the influence of gravity and weathering, it finally couldn't bear the weight, and fell straight down to where Xia Wan was standing below, bringing with it dust and wood chips!
Something unexpected happened! It happened too fast!
Xia Wan's pupils suddenly constricted, her mind went blank, and her body instinctively made her want to step back and avoid it. But the slippery bluestone slabs under her feet and the piled debris tripped her! She stumbled, lost her balance, and fell backwards!
"Mr. Xia——!" Xiao Zhao and Xiao Chen's screams broke the silence of the alley.
It seemed that the heavy wooden structure was about to fall on Xia Wan!
At the critical moment, a figure sprinted in from the alley entrance like a cheetah! So fast that only a shadow remained! As Xia Wan fell backward, the wooden structure less than half a meter from her head, the figure had already rushed in. Without hesitation, he spread his arms, using his entire body as a shield, and slammed Xia Wan to the ground, simultaneously using his back and shoulders to meet the falling weight!
"Bang--!!!"
A dull and loud crash sounded!
The heavy wooden structure slammed down hard on the back of the man who had tackled Xia Wan, making a heart-pounding sound and sending wood chips flying. The immense force of the impact sent both of them crashing to the ground.
"Hmm..." A suppressed groan escaped from the mouth of the person who was protecting Xia Wan.
Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
"Engineer Xia! President Jiang!" Xiao Zhao and Xiao Chen were terrified and rushed over screaming.
Dust filled the air. Xia Wan, securely embraced in a firm, warm embrace, felt dizzy from the fall, but the expected excruciating pain didn't come. She opened her eyes, startled, and her nose was instantly filled with his familiar, crisp fir scent, mixed with the thick smell of dust and... a faint hint of blood.
"Jiang... Jiang Yu?!" Xia Wan's voice trembled with disbelief, and she struggled to look up at him.
"Don't move..." Jiang Yu's voice rang out above her head, unusually hoarse and tense, filled with suppressed pain. His arms still tightly wrapped around her, protecting her beneath him, his broad back bearing all the impact.
Xiao Zhao and Xiao Chen had already rushed over and were frantically trying to move the heavy wooden structure that was pressing on Jiang Yu's back, but it was stuck in the corner and wouldn't move at all.
"Hurry! Call 120! And 119!" Xia Wan woke up instantly, her voice tinged with tears, but she forced herself to remain calm and yelled at the frightened intern Xiao Chen.
"Oh! Okay!" Xiao Chen took out his cell phone in a hurry.
Xia Wan struggled to turn her head in Jiang Yu's arms, trying to get a better look at him. His face was as pale as paper, a fine layer of sweat oozing from his forehead. His lips were tightly pursed, and his jawline was twitching slightly from the intense pain. His eyes were closed, and his thick eyelashes trembled, clearly in great pain. The back of his light gray suit jacket had been scratched by the sharp wooden splinter, revealing a glaring dark red.
"Jiang Yu! How are you? Where are you hurt?" Xia Wan's heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand. The pain was so severe that she couldn't breathe. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to reach out and touch him, but she was afraid of hurting him.
"It's alright..." Jiang Yu struggled to open his eyes. His gaze was a little unfocused, but it landed precisely on her tear-stained face. He forced a soothing smile and said weakly, "I'm glad you're not hurt..."
"You're talking nonsense!" Xia Wan's tears fell even harder, "So much blood was shed...how could you be so stupid! Who told you to rush over here!" The huge fear and heartache made her incoherent.
"I..." Jiang Yu looked at her with deep eyes, with an almost paranoid concentration and relief, "Fortunately... I caught up..." After saying this, he seemed to have exhausted all his strength, frowned, and closed his eyes again.
"Jiang Yu! Jiang Yu, don't sleep! Look at me!" Xia Wan's heart instantly sank to the bottom, panic overwhelming her like a cold tide. She clutched his clothes tightly, her voice hoarse with tears.
The piercing sirens blared from afar, and firefighters and medical personnel quickly arrived at the scene. Specialized tools quickly removed the heavy wooden structures. Medical personnel carefully placed Jiang Yu on a stretcher.
"There are multiple soft tissue contusions and open wounds on the shoulders and back. The preliminary diagnosis is that there may be a scapula fracture or rib injury. You need to be sent to the hospital for a detailed examination immediately!" The doctor made a judgment after a quick examination.
The moment the stretcher was lifted, Jiang Yu seemed to regain some consciousness. He turned his head with difficulty and searched among the crowd until he saw Xia Wan, whose face was covered in tears and who was being supported by Xiao Zhao.
"Xia Wan..." He called her weakly.
Xia Wan immediately rushed to the stretcher and held his cold hand tightly: "I'm here! Jiang Yu, I'm here!"
"Don't be afraid..." He looked at her, his eyes trying to focus, conveying soothing words, "Follow... the car..."
The ambulance door slammed shut and sped away. Xia Wan, supported by Xiao Zhao, got into another car that arrived shortly afterward and followed closely behind the ambulance. Her hands were cold, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. She replayed in her mind the moment Jiang Yu threw himself at her, blocking the heavy object with his body, and the glaring bloodstain on his back.
Why is he so stupid?
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