extra ko-fi chapter for Snow (2/2) 
Thank you again! Much love~ ❤️
It was past midnight when Xu Ze came out of the lab. The graduate student dormitory was off-campus in a separate building resembling a studio apartment complex. It would take about twenty minutes to walk there.
It was raining again. The capital had been experiencing heavy rainfall from time to time. Xu Ze’s umbrella was left at the military hospital, so he grabbed a communal umbrella from the rack in the lobby of the laboratory building and walked out.
A message popped up in the department group chat. The deputy director said he had received a notice from the city government that landslides and mudslides were occurring in some mountainous areas around the capital. They were in the process of organizing the evacuation personnel, and the 195th Hospital might need to send additional medical teams to support the outskirts of the city. Everyone was instructed to keep their phones on and be ready at all times.
As the most comprehensive military hospital among the 26 Union countries, the 195th Hospital was originally established as a medical base during wartime. As a result, its regulations were unique—it was open only to war-wounded, government officials, military officers and soldiers, and their families; it rarely accepted civilian patients. With a decrease in active conflict in recent years, the 195th Hospital’s workload has relatively eased. In addition to supporting the front lines, it had also taken on other medical needs.
After replying to the message, Xu Ze turned off his phone and quickened his pace. Being on standby meant that he could depart at any moment. He slept less than five hours yesterday. Now he could get some extra sleep if he returned to the dorm quickly.
After showering, Xu Ze reviewed the test data again before putting down his phone and turning off the light.
Considering how exhausted he was, he should have fallen asleep fast. But as his work-filled brain gradually emptied, it was like closing background apps on his phone one by one, leaving just the unchanged background image on the screen.
The background in Xu Ze’s mind was Lu Heyang.
With his eyes open in the dark, he felt dazed and confused. Xu Ze still hadn’t fully processed it and suspected he might be dreaming. How else could he explain such good fortune of meeting someone he hadn’t met in so many years twice in one day?
For a long time, all he could think about was the last time he saw Lu Heyang outside the private hospital that year. Xu Ze had been worried about Lu Heyang’s glands and pheromones. He had shamelessly contacted He Wei for a while after that to inquire about Lu Heyang’s situation—but he didn’t dare to do it too often and would wait about a month before asking again.
It wasn’t until eight months later that He Wei told him that Lu Heyang received acceptance into the Union Air Force Aviation Academy after passing seven extensive health examinations and four physical fitness tests.
Xu Ze forgot what his exact feelings were at the time, he only remembered that he accidentally broke an empty test tube when he received the message. The classmate beside him asked why he looked so happy despite breaking the test tube.
After that, Xu Ze stopped bothering He Wei, because He Wei was also busy, and more importantly, Lu Heyang’s life was no longer connected to his life—perhaps it never was in the first place.
Xu Ze raised his right hand and sniffed it. There was no smell of pheromones, just the scent of shower gel.
At 6 am, the phone rang, waking Xu Ze ahead of the alarm. It was a nurse from the department.
“Dr. Xu, we just received a notice that the situation is urgent. We need to leave right away.”
Xu Ze got up immediately, “Okay.”
Xu Ze washed and dressed in five minutes, then headed to the intersection to wait. The rescue vehicle arrived ten minutes later. Xu Ze joined the surgeon and two nurses, making a team of four.
“All the helicopters from the hospital have been dispatched.” The nurse said, “It has been raining in the mountains, causing large-scale landslides in several places. Nine rescue teams left early this morning.”
Xu Ze put on his white coat, secured his phone in a waterproof bag, and asked, “What’s the situation for our team?”
“The number of injured is still uncertain. We won’t know until we get there.”
Nearly an hour later, the car entered the mountains. The situation was worse than expected. There was scattered debris and mud everywhere. Police and firefighters were clearing the roads. The rescue vehicle advanced slowly for over ten minutes. Xu Ze said, “I’ll get out of the car.”
“The car can’t go any further, let’s go together,” the surgeon said.
Wearing transparent raincoats and carrying first aid kits and two simple stretchers, the four got out of the car and followed a police officer toward the village.
“What about the helicopters from the police headquarters?” the surgeon shouted in the rain, trudging through the muddy terrain.
“They’ve all been deployed. Over there—” the police officer pointed southeast, “The situation is even worse as the villages are so spread out. Most of the helicopters have been sent there. The progress will be slower since flying helicopters in the rain is limited.”
The narrow path was wet and muddy, almost causing them to slip and stumble as they walked. The weathered bridge at the village entrance was submerged in the murky floodwaters coursing downstream. Most of the houses had already collapsed due to mudslides and mountain torrents. Rescuers evacuated injured villagers and placed them on the flat land outside the village.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The medical team split into two groups. The surgeon and one nurse stayed outside the village to treat the rescued people. Meanwhile, Xu Ze and the other nurse entered the village to assist in the rescue.
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—
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Lu Heyang glanced at the helicopter pilots on the support list and took out a pen to sign, “The weather is bad, everyone should pay attention to safety during the mission.”
“Understood.” Song Yuke said, “The army command meeting will start in another half an hour. A landslide has blocked part of the highway. We’ll have to use a helicopter to get there because we can’t pass through.”
Lu Heyang nodded as he checked the supply data, “We’ll leave in half an hour.”
—
“Give me your hand!”
A rescuer lifted the beam, and Xu Ze crawled on the debris, calling out to the little boy trapped under the wall.
As the boy struggled to extend his hand, Xu Ze grabbed him and dragged him out. The boy was holding a brown puppy in his arms and appeared to have a broken leg as well as wounds covered in blood and mud.
Xu Ze knelt beside the stretcher and quickly cleaned and bandaged the boy’s wounds. The rain hadn’t stopped, and Xu Ze wasn’t sure what time it was. The sky was frighteningly dark as if it was night.
“You guys go first, I’ll search again,” the rescuer shouted to Xu Ze as he ran toward another pile of rubble.
“Don’t be afraid, we’re heading to the hospital right away,” Xu Ze reassured the boy, placing the puppy beside him on the stretcher.
The boy nodded obediently as Xu Ze and the nurse lifted the stretcher and moved toward the bridge. After walking a few steps, Xu Ze heard a strange sound, like a train passing through a tunnel. When he turned around, he saw that part of the massive mountain behind them was moving, approaching them like a dark mass. After a brief shock, the nearby rescuer quickly took off running and shouted, “Hurry! Run!”
With no time to spare, Xu Ze set down the stretcher and hoisted the boy onto his back. The rescuers on the other side of the river also prepared to rush over, but within seconds, the water level in the river rose, sweeping away the stone bridge and cutting off the only escape route.
“Go over there,” Xu Ze made a quick decision after surveying the surroundings.
The few people gathered on a higher pile of debris. The voice of a colleague from the opposite bank came through the rescuer’s walkie-talkie, “We’ve contacted a helicopter to come over. Stay safe!”
The nurse was holding the puppy next to Xu Ze. The raincoats had been torn and thrown away somewhere. The rain had soaked through everyone’s clothes and hair. It was chilly when the wind blew through.
The pile of debris resembled a deserted island that was gradually being surrounded by mudslides and floods, getting smaller and smaller.
—
When the meeting was over, Lu Heyang instructed the pilot to take a detour to the mountains.
“It’s been raining all day, and there’s no suitable place to land in the mountains. Helicopter rescue is difficult.” Song Yuke looked down, “Visibility is low.”
Lu Heyang listened through his headphones as the pilot from the base reported on the rescue situation.
“What are the exact coordinates?” Lu Heyang asked.
The pilot reported a series of numbers. Lu Heyang compared them with the current location displayed on the cockpit screen and said, “It’s close, you don’t need to go, we’ll make the trip.”
“What’s the situation?” Song Yuke asked.
“Two doctors, a rescue worker, and a little boy are trapped in the village,” Lu Heyang paused, “There is also a puppy.”
He entered the coordinates, switched the destination on the navigation, and told Song Yuke, “Report the action plan and route to the base.”
“OK.”
—
Xu Ze sat on the rubble and held the boy, trying to keep his legs as stable as possible. The mudslide seemed to have temporarily stopped after advancing another ten meters, but the tide in front of them was still rising. It would probably flood the area beneath their feet soon, and the debris wouldn’t hold much longer.
“Will someone come to rescue us?” The little boy with a muddy face suddenly asked Xu Ze, who was equally dirty.
“They will,” Xu Ze assured him.
A few seconds later, a faint whirring sound came from the sky. Xu Ze looked up and saw a gray-black helicopter flying over the distant mountains, flashing its navigation lights as it approached. The rescuer quickly turned on the signal light and raised it to indicate the exact location.
“There’s no place to land,” the pilot said.
“Hold steady and try to lower the altitude as low as possible.” Lu Heyang unbuckled his seatbelt and said to Song Yuke, “Open the cockpit door.”
“Copy that.”
The helicopter’s rotor blades stirred an intense air current, spraying steam into Xu Ze’s face. Xu Ze vaguely saw an alpha open the cockpit door, and another alpha jumped out. Through the blurry vision, he handed the boy to the alpha and shouted over the deafening noise of the helicopter, “His leg is broken, be careful.”
The other party glanced at him, nodded, and took the boy. Now that his hands were free, Xu Ze wiped his eyes to get a better look at the alpha’s profile as he turned around.
Song Yuke stood in the cockpit and took the boy from Lu Heyang. Then Lu Heyang entered the cabin and bent down to help the nurse and rescuer up.
Finally, he extended his hand to the doctor standing in the rain, who was covered in sludge and completely lacked his original appearance, “Dr. Xu, give me your hand.”
The rainwater choked Xu Ze’s nose and he coughed a few times. He wiped his eyes again, and his initially calm expression began to look a little dazed. Nevertheless, he reached out his hand to Lu Heyang without hesitation and was effortlessly pulled into the helicopter.
As Xu Ze got up, he suddenly fell forward onto Lu Heyang. Lu Heyang was knocked back by the impact. Just as he was about to support Xu Ze’s shoulders, his waist was suddenly clasped.
It was evident that Xu Ze wasn’t seeking support because he was unsteady. His arms were tightly wrapped around him more like in a hug. It conveyed an inability to control his emotions, even his breath was trembling, as if there were a thousand words he wanted to say but was unable to.
But it was only for a moment, and Xu Ze soon released his grip. Lu Heyang raised his right hand and held it in the air momentarily before patting Xu Ze’s back, “It’s okay.”
Xu Ze stepped back from him. He lowered his head, nodded, and turned to shut the cabin door.
Song Yuke had returned to the cockpit, the rescuer was reporting the situation over the walkie-talkie, and the nurse was examining the boy’s injuries. Xu Ze walked over and crouched down to remove the wet bandage from the boy’s leg and clean the wound again.
“Does it hurt?” he asked softly.
The boy nodded and said, “It doesn’t hurt if I don’t move.”
“We’re going to the hospital now, hold on a little longer.” Xu Ze took the wet wipes handed by the nurse and gently wiped the boy’s face.
The wet puppy gave a few little whimpers and curled up against the boy.
Xu Ze also sat on the floor, leaning against the cabin wall, and used wet wipes to clean his hands and face. Compared to the outside, the cabin was particularly bright, illuminating Xu Ze’s face, neck, collarbone, and fingers, which were gradually cleared of mud, revealing a fair complexion.
After wiping mechanically for a long time while lost in thought, Xu Ze stopped and looked up. Lu Heyang was standing by the cockpit door and locked eyes with him.
It was an intense gaze that lasted only a few seconds before Xu Ze looked away first.
The helicopter landed on the helipad atop 195th Hospital. The rain had just stopped in the city center, and the sky was visibly brightening. The orthopedic doctor was already waiting. As the helicopter touched down, the boy was transferred to a stretcher. He grabbed Xu Ze’s sleeve, and as Xu Ze bent down, he heard the boy say, “Thank you, doctor.”
Xu Ze smiled and shook his hand.
Lu Heyang was talking to the pilot when the stretcher passed by. The boy on it looked at Lu Heyang and saluted him.
There were a lot of people on the helipad, and the scene was slightly chaotic. Lu Heyang wasn’t looking to the side but noticed it anyway. He stopped talking, turned to the side, and responded to the boy with a standard and natural military salute.
The boy probably didn’t expect the colonel to notice him and respond. He looked surprised at first and then laughed.
Xu Ze stood not far away, watching the scene through the moving crowd. After the heavy rain, the sky turned a deep blue which made the whole city appear blue, almost like in a dream. However, Xu Ze felt that he had never dreamed of such a beautiful scene.
“Dr. Xu, go take a quick shower and change your clothes, and then eat and rest.”
“Okay,” Xu Ze snapped back to reality and nodded.
Before he left, he glanced at Lu Heyang once more. Unexpectedly, Lu Heyang was also looking at him. Xu Ze was surprised, and before he could turn his head to avoid him, Lu Heyang walked toward him.
After a few steps, Lu Heyang was intercepted by Song Yuke, who handed him a communicator—there was a call.
Xu Ze continued to stand there for a while. He realized that Lu Heyang was probably just coming in his direction but not looking for him. The nurse told him again to go change and rest, so Xu Ze wiped off the raindrops on his chin with the back of his hand and quietly left from the side.
After taking a shower, Xu Ze prepared to check in at the nurses’ station before eating. As he passed the special ward area, he saw Lu Heyang and the director talking in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass wall as they walked down the hall. Eventually, Lu Heyang shook hands with the director and walked through the automatic door.
Lu Heyang took out his communicator to check for messages. After a moment, he seemed to sense something and raised his eyes to look to the side. His guarded expression relaxed when he discovered it was Xu Ze. Lu Heyang smiled and asked, “Dr. Xu, are you waiting for someone?”
“No,” Xu Ze shook his head. He was aware that he shouldn’t have stopped and stood there looking suspicious, but pretending in front of Lu Heyang was a difficult task, something he could never do well.
As Lu Heyang approached, Xu Ze remembered that he had forgotten to wear his wristband after taking a shower. He took it out of his pocket and put it on, uncertain if Lu Heyang had smelled his pheromones. The wristband was provided by the 195th Hospital. Lu Heyang lowered his eyes and looked at the inside of Xu Ze’s wrist. The skin was pale, making the old scars stand out, likely from cigarette burns.
Lu Heyang instinctively frowned but didn’t notice the action himself.
The two of them walked forward side by side. Lu Heyang said, “Dr. Xu, were you close to He Wei before?”
“Fairly.” Xu Ze’s neck and back stiffened as he replied, “But we haven’t been in touch for a long time.”
“He Wei will return to the capital after a while,” Lu Heyang said, “He was injured on a mission and was transferred to the central headquarters to recuperate.”
“Is the injury serious?” Xu Ze asked.
“Not too bad, but he hasn’t been back for a long time. His parents are worried, so they told him to rest in the capital for a while.”
Xu Ze nodded and said, “That’s good.”
“He Wei will be happy to know you care about him.” Lu Heyang glanced at Xu Ze, “Are you going to eat, Dr. Xu?”
“I’ll go… sign in first.”
“Then I’ll be leaving.” Lu Heyang stopped at the entrance of the corridor.
Xu Ze prepared to say “goodbye” the same way he said goodbye to other people, but his throat tightened and he just said, “Okay.”
When Lu Heyang went to take the elevator, Xu Ze signed in at the nurses’ station. Following that, he proceeded into a side corridor and sat on a bench. Leaning forward, he covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath.
He almost counted how many words Lu Heyang had just said to him.
His phone buzzed. Xu Ze stared at it for a few seconds before opening the message from the head nurse: Dr. Xu, in a few days, we’ll be organizing medical examinations for the military. You worked hard today. If the projects at school aren’t urgent, would you like me to arrange for you to go to the Westside Air Force or Navy? It will be easier than doing the checkup in the hospital.
Xu Ze stared at the message for a long time and finally replied: It doesn’t matter, stick to the original schedule.
Author’s note:
Okay, then I’ll assign you to the air base.
[This novel is neither interstellar nor futuristic. It is based on an alternate reality of the present. There are no mecha spaceships, no space travel, and no flying around between planets.]
Thanks for the chapter!! 😭😭
Thank you for the chapter 😭