Chapter 25 Help Me Collect the Body
Wu Yihan's wedding was like a storm that hit Ran Yian and made him feel defeated. The invitation card was heavy in his hand. At this moment, what he held in his hand was not a piece of paper but a dagger, which made him feel the pain of being pierced through his body and mind.
Xu Nuoyan was sitting next to him, and he felt bad seeing him like this, that his lover was so sad for another person in front of him.
"Sorry," perhaps he himself noticed that he was in front of Xu Nuoyan, so he adjusted his mood and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. Xu Nuoyan didn't say anything, but just looked at him quietly, with an emotion in his eyes that Ran Yian couldn't understand.
The two of them sat very close to each other, but they were too far apart in their hearts. Xu Nuoyan's heart, which wanted to get closer, was broken, and he was locked outside by Ran Yian.
"The wedding will be next month, and it's written on it that it's Xu Nuoyan and his family." Xu Nuoyan felt that he was completely despicable. He wanted to use the word "family" to divert Ran Yian's attention to him.
Ran Yian was also stunned after hearing his words. He thought that if Xu Nuoyan saw through it, he would at least quarrel with him, instead of being as calm as stagnant water as he was now. Xu Nuoyan's love was too embarrassing. Ran Yian felt that his reaction was wrong. He really didn't deserve Xu Nuoyan to do this.
He wouldn't collapse, but Ran Yian would. He threw down the invitation in his hand, took a few deep breaths, and forced himself to wake up a little. "Xu Nuoyan, can't you be a little tougher? How can your pride allow you to say such a thing?"
After Ran Yian finished speaking, the air fell silent again. Xu Nuoyan was like a program with the pause button pressed, motionless and not saying a word. It wasn't that he didn't want to say anything, but he was afraid to say it. He was afraid that if he got emotional and said something bad, his relationship with Ran Yian would be completely over.
"I don't want any pride. Those unreal things that exist in the state of consciousness are not important to me. You exist by my side, and I only want you. I don't want backbone or pride." He raised his head and looked into Ran Yian's eyes. Those beautiful fox eyes were now filled with tears.
His words shocked Ran Yian again. Many times since they started dating, Xu Nuoyan's persistence suffocated him and made him feel loved. At this moment, Ran Yian was in the most collapsed state, but he expressed it calmly again.
Ran Yian first took the cup on the coffee table and splashed water on his face. He wanted Xu Nuoyan to sober up a little instead of deceiving himself with a calm appearance.
But he still underestimated Xu Nuoyan's persistence, "Brother An, this water is cold. It's very comfortable to splash it on my body in summer." He didn't even wipe the water off his face and looked at him quietly.
At this moment, Ran Yian doubted his mental state, then reacted and threw the pillow in his face and yelled: "Get out of here, you are not a normal person." Even after he said that, Xu Nuoyan still didn't move, but there was a flash of hurt in his eyes.
Suddenly Ran Yian thought of something, got up and went to the bedroom. Not knowing what he wanted to do, Xu Nuoyan followed him and saw Ran Yian packing his luggage.
Xu Nuoyan's face changed slightly, and he rushed in and snatched the clothes from his hand with disbelief on his face. They could quarrel but Ran Yian couldn't leave. He had worked so hard for so long, what did it matter if Ran Yian left? "Get out of here, this is your house, I was wrong, it's me who should leave."
Xu Nuoyan grabbed Ran Yian's wrist tightly and lowered his head to look at the mess on the ground. His mind was very confused now, but his brain and mind had the same command, he could not let Ran Yian leave, he could not be separated from Ran Yian.
"Brother An, if you don't want to see me, I'll leave to give you some time to calm down, but please don't abandon me and our relationship, okay?" He loved Ran Yian so much that he was willing to put aside his dignity again and again and beg him with his head down.
Ran Yian had no way to deal with him anymore, he was really hopeless. He lay on the bed and buried himself in the quilt. Xu Nuoyan bent down, kissed his head and left. Ran Yian was so angry that he almost vomited blood because of his actions. When she raised her head to scold Xu Nuoyan, he had already left.
Xu Nuoyan was in a bad mood, but he didn't go to find Liao Feng and Song Xuexi. After all, everyone except the two of them was happy now, and he didn't want to disturb them with his emotions. Getting married itself was something to be happy about. He also thought that after Wu Yihan got married, Ran Yian might feel relieved, but the result was the opposite.
Xu Nuoyan was about to go to the bar to drown his sorrows in alcohol, but just as he arrived at the door, he received a message from the hospital group that a major earthquake had occurred in the neighboring city, and there were not enough local personnel, so they were needed to provide support. The situation was urgent and every department director held an emergency meeting.
Xu Nuoyan instantly recovered from his sad state and returned to his usual serious appearance as Director Xu. After receiving the reply, he rushed to the hospital as quickly as possible.
Ran Yian had already arrived in the conference room. He was discussing something with the vice president. Xu Nuoyan sat in his seat and listened quietly to their arrangements. He must go to the local support, no matter how dangerous it was, and Ran Yian would do the same.
Soon they set off with hundreds of people, and soon the convoy had arrived in City F. The huge medical convoy trudged along the rugged and deformed road.
Outside the window, the once lush mountains were torn open with hideous wounds, huge landslides swallowed up the road, and the exposed rock walls were like weeping scars.
Collapsed houses can be seen everywhere, like toys crushed by giant hands, and twisted steel bars piercing the gray sky.
The air was filled with dust, dampness, and an indescribable smell of death and despair. The closer you got to the core disaster area, the more shocking the scene became.
Xu Nuoyan sat in the shaking ambulance, his face pressed against the cold window glass. The ruins passing by outside the window were like blunt knives cutting into his already broken heart.
In the face of such a massive disaster, personal suffering seems insignificant and selfish, yet it cannot be completely removed, weighing heavily on the depths of the chest.
He forced himself to take a deep breath and suppress Ran Yian's collapsed face, his humble plea, and the kiss when he left.
Now, he is Director Xu, and he is here to save people.
It was already night when they arrived at the place. Ran Yian jumped out of the car and began to distribute relief supplies, while Xu Nuoyan was on the other side urgently treating the seriously injured people.
His face still had the same calm expression as always, as if nothing mattered to him, but his hands were gentle when he touched the injured, and his tone was also gentle. He only looked cold on the outside, but he was always very patient with patients.
The first batch of seriously injured people were out of danger, and all the medical staff breathed a sigh of relief. Looking outside the tent, it was already dawn. Soon, new injured people were sent in. With Xu Nuoyan and Ran Yian, the two directors of the orthopedics department, there, everyone felt relieved. They lived up to everyone's expectations.
"Director Xu, Director Ran," they just breathed a sigh of relief when a policeman ran in and called their names. They both looked at him at the same time, "What's wrong? Is there not enough relief supplies?" Ran Yian ran over and asked first, his eyes fixed on the scene outside the tent, a mess of ruins.
"No, a small hillside collapsed, crushing many families. Medical personnel are needed to rescue them personally, and firefighters are needed to rescue them." Before he finished speaking, Ran Yian and Xu Nuoyan ran out as fast as a bow and arrow.
No matter how heavy the medical kits were, it couldn't slow them down. Anyone could slow down, but they couldn't. They said that doctors have a heavy mission on their shoulders.
"How many people are trapped?" Ran Yian ran to the fire captain and asked. The fire captain was very busy and was relieved when he saw the medical staff coming: "The number of trapped people we can test is 10." If that is the only number that can be tested, then this is still an unknown number.
Ran Yian nodded, put down the medical kit, and entered the ruins with the fire brigade. Xu Nuoyan followed closely behind. After several hours of rescue, all the trapped people were rescued. Ran Yian was the last one in the team, which was his habit as a wolf.
When he was about to leave, Ran Yian's sharp wolf ears moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.
An extremely faint, almost whimpering sob, a sound unique to a baby animal, penetrated the cracks and dust of the ruins and reached his ears.
The sound was too faint for human ears to detect, but to him, it was as clear as a firefly in the dark night! This was a distress signal from a fellow cub!
"Wait!" Ran Yian stopped suddenly, his low and urgent voice piercing through the noise at the scene, "There's someone inside! Judging from the sound... it's a little wolf cub!" He immediately turned towards the source of the sound, which was deeper in the ruins with a more unstable structure.
The firefighters and Xu Nuoyan, who was about to leave, were both shocked. The team immediately stopped, and the fire captain, along with two other firefighters, quickly returned with Ran Yian to investigate.
With the help of a powerful flashlight, they discovered a narrow triangular space beneath a pile of collapsed furniture and wall debris. A little girl, about five or six years old, with furry gray wolf ears, was pinned down by a heavy wooden desk. Her face was covered in tears and dust, and she whimpered faintly, terrified.
"It's a child from the wolf tribe!" The fire chief's face was solemn. "It's crushed too hard! The space is too small, and large tools can't get in! We can only manually clear the heavy objects on top, and then find a way to move the table to save people!" This takes time, and the structure above looks very unstable.
Ran Yian immediately squatted down and used a flashlight to assess the little girl's condition. Her legs were crushed and the situation was urgent. She needed to be calmed down immediately and the crush syndrome prevented from worsening.
He raised his head and glanced sharply at Xu Nuoyan: "Do you have any candy on you?"
Xu Nuoyan was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood Ran Yian's intention. Without hesitation, he pulled out a few well-packaged fruit candies from the pocket of his dusty white coat. He was used to carrying candies with him, just to coax children.
Ran Yian took the candy, peeled one, and spoke to the frightened little girl in his gentlest voice, "Don't be afraid, dear. Uncle is a doctor and a member of the wolf tribe. Look, this sweet candy will make the pain less severe. Uncle will rescue you right away." He carefully passed the candy to the little girl's lips. The sweetness of the candy and Ran Yian's scent of fellow wolf relaxed the little girl's tense mood a little. Holding the candy in her mouth, she looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Captain, take the other rescued people and Director Xu and evacuate first." Ran Yian's tone was unusually calm, yet filled with unquestionable determination. "The space here is too narrow. Too many people would be dangerous. Moreover, the structure above is unstable and could collapse at any time. This child's legs are completely trapped. I need to perform immediate decompression on the scene to prevent necrosis. After you get out, quickly arrange for small support equipment and a stretcher to meet them outside."
"Director Ran! It's too dangerous for you to stay alone!" The fire chief was anxious.
"I understand the risks!" Ran Yian interrupted him with a firm look, "But I am a doctor, and the only one here who can comfort her quickly and perform necessary treatment. There are more wounded outside who need you to rescue! Don't waste time here with me! Believe me, I will handle it!" He showed a soothing and confident smile, although the smile looked a little tired on his dusty face.
The fire chief looked at Ran Yian's resolute eyes, then at the wolf cub in critical condition, and knew he was telling the truth. He gritted his teeth and patted Ran Yian's shoulder firmly: "Chief Ran, be careful! We're right outside, ready to respond at any time! Retreat!"
Although Xu Nuoyan also wanted to stay with him, he also knew his mission. He could not give up his responsibility because of his love. He was a doctor and his job was to save people, not to stay here to accompany his lover.
Half an hour had passed when Ran Yian rescued the child. The situation outside had stabilized, and Xu Nuoyan came back without being stopped.
Seeing him come back, Ran Yian was stunned for a moment, his wolf eyes rolled and then he instinctively felt the danger, but he didn't have time to run, he just subconsciously protected the little wolf cub in his arms. This aftershock came very unexpectedly.
"Good boy, don't be afraid, your uncles will protect you." After coming to his senses, he began to comfort the little wolf cub in his arms, raised his eyes to look at Xu Nuoyan and asked him to take the child out.
Xu Nuoyan took the child out without hesitation, but after handing the child to the firefighters, he was about to go back into the ruins again. The fire chief just breathed a sigh of relief and was about to organize people to try to clear the new entrance, but he saw Xu Nuoyan suddenly turn around and rush towards the collapsed area that was still falling rubble and looked like a huge mouth of hell without hesitation!
"Director Xu! What are you doing?! Come back!" The fire chief was so frightened that he rushed forward and grabbed Xu Nuoyan's arm tightly. "The structure inside has completely collapsed! Director Ran... he might have... You can't go in! Going in is suicide! New aftershocks are coming at any time!"
Xu Nuoyan was pulled to a halt. He slowly turned his head and looked at the fire chief. His beautiful fox eyes were now as deep as a cold pond, without any fear, sadness or anger in them.
There was only a kind of almost dead calmness and unquestionable determination. He forcefully pried open the captain's fingers that were holding his arm one by one. His movements were slow but carried tremendous force.
"I know." His voice was soft, yet it clearly pierced through the clamor of the scene and the distant groans of the wounded. It fell on everyone's ears, cold and without a trace of warmth. "My mission is to save lives. Now, I have rescued the last wounded person."
He paused, his eyes sweeping across the stunned firefighters and medical staff around him before finally settling on the fire chief's face. His tone was as calm as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him: "So, my mission is accomplished."
He pulled his phone from the pocket of his dusty white coat. The screen was still on, frozen in the address book. He flipped directly to the name "Liao Feng" and thrust the phone into the fire chief's hand without a second thought.
"Please, please call 'Mr. Liao'—Liao Feng—for me." Xu Nuoyan's lips curled up in a faint, cold arc, as if mocking fate, and also mocking himself. "Tell him that Xu Nuoyan died in the line of duty. The location is right here. Please ask him... to come and collect the bodies of me and my beloved Ran Yian."
"Director Xu! You..." The fire chief was completely stunned, gripping the cold phone as if it were two soldering irons. He had never seen anyone so calmly lay out their final wishes, much less someone so determined to face death!
The second aftershock came, but Xu Nuoyan seemed to feel nothing. He changed back into orc form and ran to Ran Yian.
Ran Yian was ready to die, but when he saw Xu Nuoyan coming in, he became afraid of death, not for his own death, but for Xu Nuoyan's death.
Why did this madman come back? He was speechless and could only curse him in his heart.
"Brother An, I know you are very angry, but I don't want to leave you. I have been chasing you for more than ten years. I don't want to give up. Even if I die, I want to die with you."
He returned to his human form and pulled Xu Nuoyan out. The exit was blocked, and it was inevitable that they would die.
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