MQSP - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

"Xinran, we're back." Lu Qing and Jiang Boyan walked over quickly, breaking the silence. Everyone instinctively looked at Gu Xinran, their gazes filled with pleasant surprise and relief.

"How is it?"

"Don't even ask. The other villages were hit even harder than this one. We got off light. Those villages have no food or water, and no one's organizing a rescue effort. It's complete chaos. The biggest problem is there's no signal here, so we can't contact the outside world. Rescue teams are arriving one by one, but the road into the mountains is half-blocked. Supply trucks can't get in. They're clearing the road now."

Gu Xinran nodded.

"Xinran, what do we do now?"

"Everyone's exhausted. Let's rest for a bit. It's getting dark, and without lighting, search and rescue will be difficult. Besides, we can't be sure if there will be aftershocks. Safety first. Let's focus on comforting the families for now."

"Okay."

Gu Baiye leaned against Lin Yuqing, resting her cheek in her hand as she watched Gu Xinran calmly giving orders. She couldn't help but swoon. Mm, my Mother Xinran is so cool~ So much better than Auntie Lin! No wonder all these aunties like Mother Xinran so much. She's really charismatic.

With that thought, the little one glanced up at Lin Yuqing. She was so tired she had already closed her eyes to rest. Baiye quickly sat up straight, letting Lin Yuqing lean on her shoulder.

Everyone else was also physically and mentally exhausted. They huddled together for warmth, closing their eyes to nap.

The wind was cold and bleak, but with their best friends by their side, warming each other, it didn't feel so cold.

Baiye drowsily held on until midnight, but she was just too sleepy. She closed her eyes, about to drift off, when Lin Yuqing's head, which had been resting on her shoulder, suddenly slipped off. It startled her awake. She opened her eyes to see Lin Yuqing slumped over, sleeping uncomfortably, yet she hadn't even woken up. She must have been utterly exhausted.

The little one scooted over, took the clothes draped over her, and spread them out under Lin Yuqing. She helped her lie down with her head on her lap, crossing her legs and raising them slightly so Lin Yuqing could rest more comfortably.

When she looked up, her eyes met Gu Xinran's gentle gaze. Mother and daughter shared a smile.

"Mother, you should rest too. I'll watch the fire." Seeing that everyone else was sound asleep, Baiye forced herself to stay awake.

Gu Xinran got up and sat down beside her. She pulled her own robe around Baiye, holding her close. She had come to a realization. Since the King of Hell wouldn't take her, she should cherish what she had right in front of her. How could she bear to push such a wonderful daughter away?

Baiye was pleasantly surprised by Xinran's sudden affectionate gesture. She rested her little head on her shoulder, closed her eyes in contentment, and savored her mother's embrace.

Xinran wrapped an arm around her waist, patting her gently. She hadn't been there for her much when she was little and had missed out on so many beautiful moments. Now, all she could do was try her best to make up for it.

Lin Yuqing was woken by the sound of wailing. When she opened her eyes, the sky was just beginning to lighten. Some of the family members were already eagerly searching for their loved ones in the ruins.

Lin Yuqing sat up and realized she had been sleeping on the little one's lap all night. Her legs must be completely numb. Just as she was about to massage them for her, she saw Baiye leaning against Xinran, sleeping especially soundly. Wisely, she decided not to disturb the mother and daughter.

The morning wind was particularly cold. Lin Yuqing added more firewood to the pile, making the fire burn brighter.

"Achoo—"

Fang Yi sneezed several times in a row.

"Caught a chill?"

Fang Yi opened her eyes and stretched, still a bit disoriented. She looked around at the grieving villagers and it all came back to her; she remembered what she had been through.

Just as she was about to sigh with emotion, she saw Xinran and Xiao Ye sleeping in each other's arms.

"Look, the mother and daughter… their eyes and brows are so similar."

Xinran was still wearing a scarf covering her face, revealing only her eyes and brows. When you compared the two of them, they were practically identical!

"Yeah," Lin Yuqing replied. She took the clothes she had been lying on, warmed them by the fire for a moment, and then draped them over the two of them.

Just as she finished, she heard the familiar click of a camera shutter nearby. Lin Yuqing froze. Who would have the mind to take pictures at a time like this? She turned her head and saw someone not far away, snapping photos of her group nonstop.

Lin Yuqing frowned slightly, looking at the girl with the camera slung over her shoulder and glasses. She looked a little familiar.

After a moment of thought, she remembered. She and Xiao Ye had run into this person when they went down the mountain to the market. She had said she was also a lesbian and wanted to photograph their lives for a story. Her name was… Qiao Zhen, she thought.

"Why are you still here?" The last time she saw her was over a month ago, right? She hadn't left?

Seeing she'd been spotted by Lin Yuqing, the young reporter quickly snapped a few more photos, then turned and ran, not even giving her a chance to speak.

Lin Yuqing was furious. What was this all about! She and Xiao Ye were still in their wedding dresses. Though they were dirty and torn, you could still tell what they were. If these photos got online, wouldn't the two of them be cursed out by everyone?

The thought was deeply frustrating.

"What is wrong with people? She has no public decency! No, she doesn't even have any professional ethics. If she dares to make a story out of those photos, I'll sue her into oblivion!" Fang Yi also frowned.

"We'll see. Anyway, I stopped caring about those voices a long time ago." Lin Yuqing had come to terms with it. After yesterday, she felt that besides life and death, nothing else mattered.

As the two were talking, they heard the roar of engines. They turned to see several military trucks driving in one after another.

"The rescue team is here."

Watching the soldiers jump down from the trucks, both of their hearts stirred. They had never found the color of army green so comforting.

As the trucks entered, a commotion went through the villagers. The soldiers methodically organized the distribution of water, food, and supplies. Lin Yuqing's heart could finally, completely, rest easy.

She glanced down at Xinran. After all these years, whenever something happened, she would still be the first to step up, becoming everyone's backbone. Just having her there was incredibly reassuring, even in the face of life and death.

---

Under the soldiers' comforting guidance, the injured were sent off for medical treatment first. Most people, however, chose to stay behind to help the victims' families search for survivors.

Baiye and the others also helped with the search.

"Auntie Lin, now that this has happened, the Manor is gone, and Mother has nowhere to live. Shouldn't we take this chance to convince her to come back with us?"

Hearing this, Lin Yuqing thought for a moment. It was a good idea. This place was actually on a fault line. Leaving Xinran here alone… if another earthquake happened, it would be terrifying.

"Alright, I'll go talk to her in a bit."

"Okay."

Fortunately, there were no tall buildings here, and most of the houses were built with wood, which made the search and rescue work easier to carry out. Aside from the houses at the foot of the mountain that were hit by falling rocks, the other residences had mostly been searched. The survivors had largely been rescued, and the soldiers were now using equipment to conduct a final sweep.

Baiye stood to the side, watching the busy crowd at the foot of the mountain. She looked up at the mountain itself. That was where she and Auntie Lin had lived for months. It held their love nest, their memories. The warmest, most peaceful days of her life had been spent there.

There had been another aftershock this morning, triggering a small landslide. She didn't know if it would have affected the wooden house.

As Baiye was worrying, her heart suddenly lurched. Oh no, she'd forgotten Meow Meow! The cat her mother had given her was still in the wooden house!

Panic seized Baiye's heart. She started running toward the foot of the mountain but was stopped by Lin Yuqing before she got there.

"It's dangerous over there. You can't go."

"Auntie Lin, Meow Meow! Meow Meow is still on the mountain!"

Lin Yuqing froze as well. How could she have forgotten that little thing!

"I'll go look for it. You wait here for me."

"No! Auntie Lin!" Baiye was torn. If there was another landslide, it would be too dangerous. But Little Meow…

"It's fine. I know what I'm doing." Lin Yuqing patted her hand, then called Fang Yi over to watch her before running toward the mountainside alone.

Lin Yuqing had just reached the foot of the mountain when the ground suddenly trembled violently. The crowd cried out in alarm. Lin Yuqing was startled too. She looked up and saw countless rocks tumbling down. The hair on her arms stood on end, and she turned and ran without a second's hesitation.

Baiye's eyes had been fixed on her. Seeing her move quickly and safely avoid the falling rocks, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to pull her to a safe spot.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Lin Yuqing shook her head, exclaiming how close that was. The timing was terrible. But it was a good thing she hadn't gone up yet. If she had, she probably wouldn't have had anywhere to hide.

"Someone's been hit by a rock!"

A sudden panic erupted in the crowd.

When Baiye heard that, her heart seized. She had a very bad feeling and quickly looked toward the crowd.

"Xinran!!" A cry of alarm erupted from the crowd. Hearing it, Baiye's vision blurred, and she immediately ran toward them.

She saw Gu Xinran lying face down on the rubble. The back of her head had been struck by a fist-sized rock and was bleeding. She had already fallen unconscious.

"Mo… Mother!" Baiye's legs went weak. She scrambled over and dropped to her knees beside Gu Xinran. "Mother… Mother, don't scare me!"

Baiye reached out to shake Gu Xinran's body when she suddenly saw her arm move. A look of joy appeared on her face, but then she saw the arm being pushed aside. A small head poked out from underneath it. It was a little girl, covered in dust and grime, who looked to be only five or six years old and seemed completely oblivious.

"Quick, get her back to the Manor! The hospital's aid team is still there!"

"Mother… you have to be okay!" Baiye helped the others carry Xinran back to the Manor. Tears streamed down her face the entire way, her heart caught in her throat.

There were still so, so many things she hadn't done with her mother. She hadn't had a chance to properly show her filial piety. They had only just reunited, not even formally acknowledging each other. She still wanted to hear her mother tell her the enviable love story between her and Mother Yilan. She couldn't let anything happen to her. Nothing could happen to her!

Previous Table of Contents Next