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Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Going Back
The couple embraced, comforting each other for a long while before Si Chen noticed Gu Hongwei asleep inside the tent. Gu Hongwei had taken a fall earlier, so Si Chen bent down to check on him. Tong Yao quietly commented from the side.
"The guy fell and then didn’t move. I thought he had passed out. I carried him for quite a distance. It turned out that he was so tired that he had fainted. He hasn’t slept much over the past few days. We’ve saved a large number of people together."
Remembering carrying him, Tong Yao couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
"Indeed, he did faint." After conducting a brief examination of Gu Hongwei, Si Chen stood up, ascertaining that he was alright.
Observing severe dark circles under Tong Yao’s eyes, he led her to another tent. Because most people had left, there were plenty of vacant tents. Si Chen found a clean wooden board to place on the ground, then had Tong Yao rest leaning on his shoulder.
The couple clung to each other like children after being apart for so long, with her lying in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.
Everyone had been exhausted for close to ten days. By nightfall, everyone fell into deep sleep, dreamless, and woke up at dawn.
When she woke up the next day, still partially asleep, she found that it was already broad daylight outside. Si Chen had maintained the same posture all night. His complexion was slightly better than the day before, suggesting that he had a good night’s sleep.
Seeing her wake up, Si Chen helped her stand up, "Let’s eat something first. Once we reach Matou Town, you should head back first. I’ll follow suit in a couple of days."
Upon hearing about their separation, Tong Yao felt a sense of reluctance, yet she nodded obediently. As the couple emerged from the tent, they saw Gu Hongwei standing shamefacedly at the entrance, waiting for them. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated.
Noticing his predicament, Si Chen softly said, "Have something to eat, we need to evacuate soon."
"Okay."
Gu Hongwei nodded, leaving his unsaid words unspoken.
After having a quick meal and drinking some water, everyone returned to Matou Town. The residents from two nearby towns had mostly relocated here. Many critically injured victims, after initial medical treatment, had been transferred to larger hospitals. However, many patients with mild to moderate symptoms remained.
Alongside them were many elderly folks and children who had lost their family members. Instead of joy from a second lease on life, faces conveyed an ashen, overwhelming panic about the future.
The wailing of infants, the cries of the injured, the despair of old men outliving their children were all heart-wrenching.
Such scenes were distressing, causing Tong Yao to feel stifled and uncomfortable from the moment they entered the base. Noticing her pallor, Si Chen quietly led her and Gu Hongwei to a tent set aside for medical staff. The base was short of medical personnel. No sooner had Si Chen seen to Tong Yao’s comfort than he was called away.
Tong Yao glanced at Gu Hongwei to see him even paler than herself and sighed softly.
The two stayed in the tent for a while, then decided to leave and volunteer at the other tents, taking care of the elderly, children, and those who were injured and immobilized.
Si Chen had wanted to arrange for Tong Yao to leave, but there were no vehicles available for departure. He was also too occupied to conversate with Tong Yao. Throughout the busyness, he could only manage quick glances at her.
Tong Yao stayed at the disaster relief base for three days. One day, while feeding a baby formula, Gu Hongwei introduced two individuals to her. Recognizing them, she exclaimed with joy, "Brother Niu, Mr. Zhou, haven’t you returned to Li City yet?"
"No, we’ve been helping out here these days." Seeing Tong Yao, Niu Gang was truly relieved. He had indeed misplaced her, an outcome that would leave him guilt-ridden. But at least she was found.
Zhou Shi’an also spoke, "We’re planning to return to Li City tomorrow. Do you want to come with us?"
When he heard that Tong Yao had gone to look for her husband that day, Zhou Shi’an was somewhat upset, considering her ill-mannered. They had brought her here and she left without even giving a heads-up. What if something happened?
When Gu Hongwei left to find her, they got separated as well. Losing two people at once frustrated Zhou Shi’an. It was only when they ran into Gu Hongwei that they learned Tong Yao had not left. Rather, she had gone to rescue people.
It was a good thing that Gu Hongwei had gone back to look for Tong Yao. Otherwise, no one could predict what might have happened to this young woman left alone there.
Considering Tong Yao’s beauty, their current environment could have been quite dangerous.
During their rescue operations, some of the men were eyeing her and it made Zhou Shi’an uncomfortable.
"I came with you, of course, I’ll return with you." Tong Yao said crisply.
Hearing her response, Zhou Shi’an nodded and asked, "Did you see your husband?"
Mentioning Si Chen, Tong Yao responded with a smiling squint, "I did see him. He’s busy here too. He’ll be relieved when I go back to Li City."
"Doctors indeed are busy now." Zhou Shi’an sighed, "This earthquake has broken so many families and separated so many loved ones. It’s devastating."
These words plunged everyone into a profound silence. The many deaths and partings they had witnessed these days reminded them of the need to treasure their loved ones.
People who you thought would be with you forever could suddenly vanish. Anything you want to do, you should do it promptly, lest regret arrives too late.
The four chatted a while before all returning to their respective tasks. After feeding the baby, Tong Yao found an opportunity to tell Si Chen about her encounter with Zhou Shi’an. She was planning to return to Li City with him the next day. Si Chen acknowledged it without comment. Later that night, when everyone was resting, he found time to visit Zhou Shi’an and thank him. They chatted a bit before each returned to their tents to rest. 𝔫𝖔𝖛𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝖈𝖔𝔪
The next morning, Tong Yao wanted to say goodbye to Si Chen before leaving. However, she was unable to locate him after checking several tents. In order not to delay the journey, she had to leave first.
She bumped into Yu Shiya before leaving but pretended not to see her and did not greet her.
On the way back, they all naturally sat in the same places as on the journey here. After several days of exhaustion, they fell asleep as soon as they got on the vehicle. Gu Hongwei tried several times to say something but eventually held back each time.
It felt so awkward for Tong Yao that she finally said directly, "Just say what you want to say! It’s really awkward to want to say something but not say it."
Through their mutual experiences over the past ten-plus days, they had gotten to know each other quite well. Tong Yao was straightforward and frank; compared to Gu Hongwei’s shy demeanor, her personality was more like that of a male’s.
Gu Hongwei cleared his throat, his face flushing before he managed to say, "Thank you for that day."
When he woke up that day, he had heard others mention about him fainting. He felt both apologetic and awkward. He wanted to thank Tong Yao on several occasions, but there was never the right opportunity or the right words to express his feelings.
