Chapter 72: Unexpected Events

It had been over a month since Qin Lang had left. During this month, Lin You received an interview notice from the Third Municipal Hospital, and just yesterday, she found out she had passed the interview. They even asked her when she could start working.

Since Qin Lang hadn’t returned, she could only say to wait a little longer, but she had no idea how long that would be.

Throughout the month, sometimes she thought about what Lu Li had said that day, it made sense. Recently, she always felt empty inside, as if something was about to happen. She wasn’t as eager about the job at the Third Municipal Hospital as she had been. All she wanted was for Qin Lang to come back soon.

After lunch, she heard the sound of a helicopter overhead.

Lin You’s heart raced, and she hurried outside.

Sure enough, she saw Dan Ye, Lu Li, Li Yang, and the others disembarking from the helicopter. It was obvious that they were in low spirits, each looking quite unhappy.

What puzzled Lin You even more was that she didn’t see Qin Lang or Yang Pan.

Her heart sank, and her pulse quickened. Even as the helicopter flew away, she still hadn’t seen either of them, and a wave of fear washed over her, making her feel unsteady.

The head nurse approached her, supporting her and comforting her. “Don’t worry, they must have other matters to attend to and didn’t come back.”

Lin You nodded, but her heart continued to pound uncontrollably.

Just as she managed to regain her composure, she saw Li Yang and Lu Li quickly entering. They hadn’t even changed out of their combat uniforms, which were covered in dust and stained with splotches of blood, sending a chill down her spine.

Lin You’s heart, which had just calmed down, began to race again. She stood up, but before she could speak, the two had already come before her.

“Lin Doctor, the team leader is coming to get you. There are some things he needs to discuss with you,” Li Yang’s voice was deep and serious, filling Lin You with a sense of foreboding.

She instinctively bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, her breath hitching. Still, she nodded resolutely and followed the two of them out of the medical station.

The head nurse and Team Leader Song watched this scene, their hearts heavy with concern as they silently regarded Lin You’s brave facade.

As they walked, Lin You stumbled slightly, and Lu Li tightly supported her trembling body. He wanted to offer her some words of comfort, but found himself at a loss for words. He knew that at this moment, anything he said would be inadequate, so he silently stayed by her side to provide what little comfort he could.

They arrived at the team leader’s office.

Team Leader Zhou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before turning to Lin You. “Doctor Lin, Qin Lang told me you have always been a very strong person. During your time at the station, your relationship has been very good, so I know this news may be difficult for you to accept.”

Lin You listened quietly, her heart already anticipating what was coming, but she still hoped to hear definitive news from the team leader.

Her voice trembled as she asked, “What happened to Qin Lang? Please, just tell me.”

Team Leader Zhou sighed heavily, his expression grave as he looked at Lin You. “Qin Lang is missing.”

Lin You’s eyes widened in disbelief, completely taken aback by the answer.

She immediately pressed, “What do you mean he’s missing?”

After all, they were teammates on a mission together. How could he suddenly go missing? What did “missing” truly mean? Was it merely that he had vanished, or did it imply something more serious like uncertainty about life and death?

Team Leader Zhou glanced at Li Yang and Lu Li before telling Li Yang, “You can go ahead and handle your business. Lu Li can stay with her.”

Li Yang left.

Lu Li looked at Lin You and gently rested a hand on her shoulder, urging her to sit down. His voice was calm yet somber as he began to explain.

“This mission was exceptionally challenging. The enemies we faced were more ruthless than ever. They were a group of desperate criminals, fighting us without any regard for their lives.” Lu Li’s eyes hardened as he recalled that moment.

“The battle was intense, we were surrounded by the enemy. Fortunately, we managed to break through their encirclement. However, due to the difficult terrain and severe signal interference, along with inadequate equipment, our team was forced to split up.”

Lu Li’s tone turned heavy as he continued, “Qin Lang and Yang Pan formed a small group and were cornered at the edge of a cliff by the enemy. Unfortunately, both were shot and wounded. To avoid being captured, they had no choice but to jump off the cliff. Below was the raging sea…”

He paused, taking a deep breath before proceeding, “After securing victory, we immediately initiated a search operation. But we searched for three whole days without any sign of them.”

Lu Li shook his head slightly, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes. “Sister, I know this is hard to accept, but it seems brother in law has sacrificed himself.”

After hearing Lu Li’s account, Lin You felt as if her soul had been drained. She sat there, motionless, her face devoid of color, her eyes staring blankly ahead, as if she had lost all perception of the world around her.

The only voice echoing in her mind was, “Qin Lang has sacrificed himself… he is gone… he won’t come back.”

Reality crashed down on her like ice, and despite being in the heat of summer, she felt an overwhelming chill deep within.

Lu Li looked at her with concern, cautiously reaching out to touch the back of her hand, only to discover her body was terrifyingly cold.

He couldn’t help but shiver, his voice trembling as he tried to reassure her, “Sister, don’t be like this, maybe after a while, brother in law will come back.”

Lin You slowly turned her head, her gaze vacant as she looked at Lu Li, her lips trembling as she managed to whisper, “Will he?”

Lu Li quickly nodded but couldn’t bring himself to offer any certainty.

He gently urged her again, “Sister, I know you’re hurting inside. Let it out, crying will make you feel better.”

But Lin You remained silent.

She slowly stood up from the chair and walked towards the door.

Team Leader Zhou and Lu Li quickly moved to stop her. Lu Li anxiously asked, “Sister, where are you going?”

“I’m going home to wait for Qin Lang.”

“He said he would come back safe.”

“He wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Lu Li steadied her wavering body, speaking softly, “I’ll take you home.”

Team Leader Zhou watched the two of them and decided to step outside as well. He needed to inform Qin Lang’s parents immediately, Lin You’s current condition was concerning.

She hadn’t cried, but her body and spirit felt aimless, like a drifting mayfly without direction.

At this moment, only Qin Lang’s mother could help her.