Naturally, Julian didn't take that to heart.

He soon brought out two bowls of noodles, and I had also finished feeding the kittens.

"Clara, come eat."

"Coming."

After many years, two people were sitting at the same table again, eating face to face.

Julian ate very slowly, spending most of the time watching me eat.

I soon felt uncomfortable being watched, looked up, and said with a touch of indignation: "Can’t you eat properly? You keep looking at me; can your chopsticks actually find your mouth?"

Julian simply felt it was all surreal.

"Apologies." He smiled gently and lowered his head: "Eat."

Now he felt it was much more real.

Soon we finished, and Julian took the two bowls to wash them, while I ran over to the kittens to cuddle them one by one.

"So soft..."

The reason I wanted to keep Little Bad back then was that I really loved these furry little animals.

Just as I finished muttering to myself, footsteps sounded behind me: "I am very soft, too."

I froze, answering subconsciously: "What?"

The next second, I was embraced from behind, and my lips were captured once again.

In that moment of intimacy, only one thought remained in my mind—

How strange. We just finished eating, so why is Julian’s mouth still peppermint-flavored?

When did he sneak off to brush his teeth behind my back?

Wait, he is peppermint-flavored, but I still taste like egg and shredded pork noodles!

I realized this and immediately moved to push Julian away.

But Julian seemed to have anticipated this, locking his fingers with mine before I could move.

"Mmm..."

I couldn't move and had to endure Julian’s increasingly intense assault.

I don't know how long we kissed before Julian finally let me go: "Am I soft?"

His appearance truly shattered my perception of him.

"You..."

Before I could finish, Julian kissed my lips lightly once more: "Stay the night?"

The surrounding air turned sultry in an instant.

My throat went dry, and I was just about to speak.

The sudden ringing of a cell phone shattered the atmosphere.

As soon as I answered, I heard Zhan Hongling’s hurried voice: "Julian, get to the hospital immediately! There’s been an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in the neighboring city; the situation is critical!"

Chapter 42

Upon receiving the call, Julian and I didn't delay for a second, immediately grabbing our coats and heading out.

The car drove fast the whole way, arriving at the hospital in less than half an hour.

When we arrived, we saw all the doctors gathered in the first-floor lobby.

Outside the hospital were two large buses.

The hospital director looked serious: "The situation is critical. An 8.0-magnitude earthquake—many hospitals in the neighboring city haven't been spared, and they are in desperate need of doctors."

"Those willing to go, sign up. If your situation is like Dr. Li’s, whose wife is about to give birth, don't risk going!"

Julian and I looked at each other and raised our hands simultaneously: "I’ll go."

The director looked over: "Zhan Hongling has already signed up to go. You two must leave one person behind; that cardiac patient is about to have surgery."

Every patient’s life is a life.

Julian didn't hesitate: "I’ll go; you stay."

I frowned: "But you know this patient better; if anyone should stay, it should be you..."

Julian took my wrist: "Clara, you must perform a surgery as lead surgeon at Qiming Hospital. Promise me."

I was stunned.

I had been at Qiming Hospital for so many years, and indeed, I had never had a single opportunity to be the lead surgeon.

"But..."

"This is also my wish." Julian interrupted me, his tone brooking no argument: "I will wait for you over there. After you finish this surgery, you will come, won't you?"

That goes without saying.

But to let Julian go off like that alone...

I didn't know why, but I felt an uneasy restlessness in my heart.

As I hesitated, Zhan Hongling came over, draped his arm around Julian’s shoulder, and said to me: "Dr. Ke, don't worry. I will take good care of Julian. I promise that when you come, he will be in one piece, not even a single hair missing."

Having seen Zhan Hongling’s lack of seriousness, I replied uncomfortably: "Take care of yourself."

And so, it was settled.

Zhan Hongling and Julian were in the first group heading to the disaster area, while Cassius and I stayed behind to work with the other cardiac surgeons to complete the patient’s surgery.

Time was of the essence; the sooner they reached the disaster area, the sooner they could save lives.

The first group of doctors set off, boarding the buses one by one.

Julian looked at me through the bus window, and I looked back at him from the hospital entrance.

The bus started up.

He felt a tug in his heart and pulled down the window: "I will wait for you to come, or you wait for me to return."

I nodded, saying only a single, simple word: "Okay."

But that single word gave Julian a sense of peace.

Soon, the bus drove away.

Even after it had gone a long distance, Julian still hadn't pulled his gaze away.

Zhan Hongling couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up: "Alright, Mr. Statue-Waiting-for-His-Wife, you can’t possibly see her from this distance anymore."

Julian sat back properly then, but said nothing.

Zhan Hongling became interested and leaned over to ask: "So, you’ve made up? It hasn't even been a few hours since you two left the hospital; isn't that too fast?"

Julian looked at him: "Have you ever been in love?"

Zhan Hongling paused: "Of course, I..."

"One look, and I know you haven't." Julian concluded cleanly: "You must be rejected by others every day."

Zhan Hongling sat up like a cat with its fur on end: "Julian, I won't say anything about you prioritizing romance over friendship, but now you’re poking at someone’s scars—that’s going too far!"

Julian pressed him back down: "Stop being noisy. Everyone needs to get some sleep, or we won't have the energy once we get to the disaster zone."

Zhan Hongling grumbled, threatening in a low voice: "You wait until we get back; I’m going to make you tell me every detail of what happened tonight."

The journey from here to the neighboring city took a full six hours.

When they arrived, ruins were everywhere they looked.

Chapter 43

After the earthquake, most of the buildings had collapsed.

Local rescue teams and others who had rushed over from neighboring cities overnight were working desperately to save those trapped beneath the rubble.

The doctors from Qiming Hospital also immediately threw themselves into the rescue efforts for the injured.

From the moment Julian stepped off the bus, he hadn't stopped.

He even followed the rescue team into a collapsed space to help save people.

From daylight to nightfall, he was so busy that he didn't even notice his phone vibrating in his pocket.

When he finally snatched a moment to rest in the evening, he saw the message Clara Ke had sent him.

Lacking the energy to type, he called her directly.

The line was answered almost immediately: "Julian, are you okay? Why didn't you reply to my message?"

Julian leaned back against a chair, smiling with a mix of exhaustion and happiness: "I'm sorry, there really hasn't been a single moment. Don't worry, I'm fine, completely fine."

"Today was a good day; there haven't been any more aftershocks."

I let out a visible sigh of relief: "As long as you're okay... Oh, by the way, we confirmed the patient's surgical plan today. I wouldn't dare say it's a hundred percent guaranteed, but the success rate is at eighty-seven percent."

"Eighty-seven," Julian chuckled softly. "Dr. Ke is truly as cautious as ever."

He remembered back in their school days, Clara had always been the most meticulous one.

My face felt warm, and I suppressed my tone, pretending not to hear his teasing: "After the surgery tomorrow morning, I can head over with the second group in the afternoon."

"Julian, we’re going to see each other very soon."

Julian felt as though his heart had been soaked in a hot spring, warm and glowing.

He had never known before that a single sentence over the phone could make all his exhaustion vanish in an instant.

"Good. I'll be waiting for you."

No sooner had the words left his lips than the earth beneath them shook violently.

Julian froze, not yet realizing what was happening, when Zhan Hongling's voice came from behind: "Julian, run! It's an aftershock!"

The tragedy unfolded with no warning.

Julian didn't even have time to hang up the phone before he felt the ground beneath his feet give way.

He plummeted downward, losing consciousness in a split second!

Before falling into darkness, the last thing he saw was Zhan Hongling’s face filled with alarm.

He did not know how much time had passed before Julian slowly regained consciousness.