ATLAS TRANSLATES

In that instant, my mind went blank. With strength from an unknown source, I almost frantically dragged Fu Junyan, stumbling towards the village.

A fear worse than death enveloped me. For some reason, after a moment of blankness, my mind kept replaying the scene of our first meeting.

He reached out his hand to me, he smiled at me charmingly, and in the gentlest voice in the world, he said to me: “It looks heavy, let me carry it for you…”

Then, he took on all my sadness and pain, until now, when he collapsed so miserably in front of me.

I was so afraid, afraid that I would never hear that voice again, the one that directly and gently turned my world upside down…

When I finally saw the police cars with flashing lights and the ambulance blocking the village entrance, I desperately dragged Fu Junyan forward.

Then, my cousin’s familiar almond-shaped eyes appeared before me. His eyes were panicked yet joyful, his clothes wrinkled as he ran towards me, anxiously and loudly shouting: “Baobei! Baobei!”

And Daddy jumped out of the nearby ambulance, pushing aside the medical staff following him. He limped as he rushed to my side, staring at me intently.

But the first thing he did when he saw me was to hit me hard on the back twice, scolding me with tears in his eyes: “You reckless child! How could you encounter such a thing! No one else would encounter such a thing, how did you? Why are you, child, so unlucky?”

I smiled as I listened, looking at the medical staff running towards us with a stretcher behind Daddy. The tension in my heart broke, and I let out a sigh of relief.

I collapsed to the ground, still holding Fu Junyan. The military canteen I had been gripping fell from my hand, hitting the ground with a thud, slowly spilling yellow sand once again.

I held Fu Junyan, looking at his pale face, then at everything around my feet, once again clearly realizing something, but not knowing whether my heart felt warm or painful…

On the ambulance, I saw my disheveled appearance clearly for the first time. My whole body was black with dirt, only my eyes were blue.

Due to the sandstorm, helicopters couldn’t take off, and vehicle teams entering the desert for rescue weren’t very effective.

Daddy and cousin could only ask people to watch in each village at the edge of the desert, and they rotated through the villages every day.

Today, they had just moved here when they encountered Fu Junyan and me in our miserable state.

Daddy’s leg was also injured a few days ago when he fell down the stairs in his haste. I saw him looking at me so deeply, standing with one leg suspended, his temples showing many white hairs in just a few days. In my heart, I couldn’t help but feel sad and distressed.

I said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.” But Daddy shook his head, patted my hair, and looked at Fu Junyan, who was still unconscious and receiving an IV. He said, as if to himself: “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back…”

Daddy told me to lie down and rest well, but I refused, just shaking my head. Unable to care about much else, after repeatedly asking the nurse to move aside but being ignored, I rudely pushed away the one guarding Fu Junyan’s stretcher and approached him myself.

I didn’t dare sleep, no matter how tired I was. I just wanted to stay by Fu Junyan’s side, make sure he was alright, and wait for him to wake up.

So I stubbornly held his cold hand with the IV, using a cotton swab to give him water over and over, moistening his dry lips. Then, I carefully wiped his face with a damp towel.

There was too much unnamed sorrow and pain in my heart, but I couldn’t express it. My cousin just sat there with a solemn face, feeding me thin porridge from a thermos cup, spoonful by spoonful, not stopping my actions.

I silently opened my mouth to eat, just watching Fu Junyan, too worried to speak.

Daddy got on the ambulance for a while, then sat in the corner making phone calls with a serious expression. The ambulance was already cramped, so I could hear everything he said clearly.

He asked when the helicopter could take off? Had the doctors been called? And what did the police say…

Then he frowned, turned his face with the phone in hand, and put his hand on my shoulder, carefully asking me: “Baobei, where’s your assistant director?”

I shook my head and closed my eyes silently when I heard this. Daddy understood, just sighing heavily, his deep eyes moving past me to land on Fu Junyan, with a warmth I had never seen before.

After a while, Daddy hung up the phone and said to me: “You go to the hospital for a check-up first. Before we leave here, we need to go to the police station to make a statement.”

I nodded, stroking Fu Junyan’s tightly closed eyes, looking at the transparent IV tube connected to his pulse, and asked Daddy softly: “Where’s An’an?”

Daddy patted my back comfortingly and answered: “I temporarily asked a reliable auntie to take care of An’an at home. With such a thing happening, it’s not convenient for the child to come.”

I nodded and didn’t say anything more. Daddy didn’t say much more to me either, just turned around and whispered a few words to my cousin.

When the ambulance arrived at the county hospital, he left in another small car.

Perhaps the world is too small. When I was in that old hospital corridor, watching helplessly as Fu Junyan was carried into the ward, and being forcibly dragged by my cousin to receive a physical examination, a serious-looking but cute baby-faced man in a white coat brushed past us.

I instinctively turned my head, watching him walk down the corridor with a group of medical staff holding folders behind him.

Suddenly I remembered that I had seen this man before. He should be the baby-faced man in a blue checkered shirt who was in Brother Dingyue’s room that day, saying “I” all the time. And I clearly remembered Brother Dingyue saying that his medical skills were very good.

Although my cousin said to let the best attending physician at the county hospital examine Fu Junyan for now, and we would go back for better treatment when the helicopter came, I didn’t want to waste a minute for Fu Junyan.

Since there was a good doctor now, why not find him? Without much thought, ignoring my messy appearance, I pushed away my cousin’s supporting hand and ran forward eagerly to stop him.

Not knowing the baby-faced doctor’s name, I could only shout: “Excuse me, wait! Blue checkered shirt, you’re Fang Dingyue’s friend, right? Last time in Brother Dingyue’s room, you were wearing a blue checkered shirt!”

The baby-faced doctor was forcibly stopped by me. The indifference and hidden impatience in his eyes disappeared due to my words. He looked up at my blue eyes and carefully examined me from top to bottom.

After a while, he finally asked me with a trembling finger, almost losing his composure: “Damn! Are you that Xiao’ai? That mermaid princess?”

I quickly nodded, holding onto the baby-faced doctor’s sleeve tightly, not caring about politeness. I said urgently: “Brother Dingyue said your medical skills are very good! Could you help me, help me look at Fu Junyan? Help me see if he’s okay? He’s unconscious, I don’t know how he is…”

The baby-faced doctor stiffened, looking at me and then around, bending down and saying quietly with impatience: “I’m here to work! Not to play! You actors come to this poor place to shoot some hidden camera show, don’t waste my time! I won’t nag at you for Dingyue’s sake, mermaid. If you want to go for a weird route and play a beggar, find someone else!”

My face stiffened but I didn’t withdraw my hand. Remembering my dirty appearance, I looked at him embarrassedly and said: “We were really trapped in the desert and just rescued, we’re not playing with you…”

The baby-faced doctor’s words stopped when he heard this. He looked at me for a moment, then glanced at my cousin behind me, and eyed me suspiciously for a while.

He finally regained his original calm and steady expression, greeted the medical staff behind him, nodded to me, and said with some embarrassment as he waved his hand: “Which ward is he in, I’ll go with you.”

He didn’t waste words, walking quickly while seriously asking me: “What happened? You’re saying that the Jun Yan prince who’s more beautiful than a woman is in trouble?”

I nodded, about to answer, when my cousin came up from behind, pulled me comfortingly, and took over: “Hello, my name is Mo Nuoyun, I’m Xiao’ai’s cousin. I’ll tell you the general situation, my sister is too tired.”

Then, my cousin supported me and briefly stated all the facts he knew.

The baby-faced doctor lowered his eyes and nodded, looking at me with some apology in his eyes. When we reached the ward, he looked at Fu Junyan lying unconscious on the bed, then at me standing behind him, with some undiscernible waves in his eyes.

He said a few words to the medical staff who were checking, took the stethoscope, and while starting to do a basic check on Fu Junyan, he said with his back to me and my cousin: “You all go out, don’t affect the patient’s examination. Mr. Mo, you also take her to do some basic checks, don’t neglect it.”

Although I was reluctant, I obediently nodded and followed my cousin to withdraw. As I was about to leave, I stopped and gave a deep bow to the baby-faced doctor, saying: “Thank you for your trouble, thank you.”

My cousin took me to receive a series of basic examinations. I was always obedient, just wanting to go back to take care of Fu Junyan as soon as possible.

However, while waiting for the examination results, my cousin took me to a temporary borrowed staff dormitory behind the county hospital. He told me to take a shower and change clothes before going back. But I shook my head, quickly saying I wanted to go back to see Fu Junyan immediately.

My cousin frowned unhappily when he heard this. His beautiful almond-shaped eyes glared at me discontentedly, and he asked with his hands on his chest in a rascally manner: “Baobei, are you going to be stubborn? Do you want to make Fu Junyan worry about you? He protected you unharmed all the way, don’t you want him to see you well when he wakes up? I’m not just saying this! Look at what you look like now? People who don’t know might think you’re playing a Beggar Sect disciple in your new drama! No wonder that doctor thought you were fooling him just now!”

I paused, knowing in my heart that my cousin was right. Finally, I quietly lowered my face, reaching out to pull my tangled, smelly hair, and couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose in disgust.

It was then, in my cousin’s light laughter, that I quickly reached out to take the bag of pre-prepared clothes for me to change into from his hand, and ran into the bathroom like I was escaping.

After showering, I looked at myself naked in the foggy mirror of the bathroom due to the steam, with a thousand thoughts in my heart…

Nine whole days in the desert, Fu Junyan protected me so well. I only lost some weight, my legs hurt a bit from long-term walking, but I didn’t faint, didn’t have more pain, and even my skin didn’t tan much.

But… but Fu Junyan, who was still in a coma now, was so haggard. Such a beautiful Jun Yan prince, in visible places, he had become thinner and darker. In invisible places, when the nurse took off his shoes, I clearly saw that the soles of his feet were swollen and red from the cold, and pus and blood had flowed out from the heat, forming distinct scabs…

When my cousin went to get my examination results for me, I stood in the empty ward waiting for Fu Junyan to return from his CT scan.

My heart was constantly torn by inexplicable fear. It didn’t hurt, it was just dull, but uncomfortable. I wanted to cry, but couldn’t cry.

When the blue checkered shirt doctor and the nurse pushed Fu Junyan back to the ward, Fu Junyan’s neck was unusually red. He had an IV in his hand, his feet were wrapped in white gauze, and his dirty clothes had been changed.

He was still so clean and handsome. Due to weight loss, his features became even more three-dimensional. His pale lips gave his complexion a few more hints of coldness, making him look more outstanding, like an immortal.

But he hadn’t woken up yet, wasn’t looking at me, wasn’t smiling warmly at me, wasn’t coming to hold my hand. He was just lying there like he was asleep, so pale and clean.

But I knew, really knew, that if he woke up, the first thing he would ask would be if I was okay…

I reached out to touch Fu Junyan’s reddened neck. It was a bit hot, he was running a low fever. I sighed uncontrollably and turned to ask the blue checkered shirt doctor worriedly: “Excuse me, how is he?”

The blue checkered shirt doctor turned his head, checked the IV, signaled the nurse to leave, and closed the door. Then he turned around and sat casually on the corner of Fu Junyan’s bed, looking at me. He tapped the medical record in his hand lightly, just looking back and forth between me and Fu Junyan, but with a serious expression, he pressed his lips without speaking.

His silence made my heart even more panicked. I had to ask again: “I want to know, did the thirst affect Fu Junyan? When will he wake up? Later, to comfort me not to give up, he put sand in the water bottle that was clearly empty… I don’t know how long he hasn’t had water, how is his body? Can you tell me?”

The blue checkered shirt doctor was stunned when he heard my words. He turned his head to look out the window for a while, then threw the medical record aside, just supporting his leg with one hand and pointing at himself: “I’ve contacted Dingyue, he ordered me to help you two no matter what. So, mermaid, remember this, I’m not called blue checkered shirt, I’m called Xiao Yichen.”

He already had a baby face, looking so gentle and cute, but with such vulgar and unbearable language, it was really funny. But I couldn’t laugh. I just nodded and stubbornly asked again: “Then, Dr. Xiao, how is Fu Junyan?”

He shrugged, nodded carelessly when he heard I was no longer calling him blue checkered shirt, paused for a moment, then asked me with a serious face: “Mermaid, have you slept with him?”

I was helpless, not knowing why he asked such an embarrassing question. I just looked up at Xiao Yichen without speaking, my eyes full of confusion.

Seeing my attitude, he didn’t say anything definitive. He suddenly patted his pants and stood up, took a few steps forward and pointed at Fu Junyan’s chest, asking me directly: “Do you know he has a gunshot wound on his chest?”

“What?” I was stunned when I met his inquiring eyes, and asked almost dully as I looked up.

“The bullet entered through the left back and exited through the left chest, the position is 2 centimeters from the right atrium, almost fatal. The wound shows signs of reopening more than twice.” After Xiao Yichen finished speaking, he looked at me and asked with a face full of confusion: “The whole world knows that you and Fu Junyan are engaged, you’re so close, yet you know nothing about this?”

I almost thought I was hearing things. I reached out to rub my ears, looking at Fu Junyan’s chest in a daze, trying to hold back.

But I heard Xiao Yichen continue: “I was just thinking, the man is in this state, but the woman is fine. Either you’re very skilled, or he loves you too deeply. But I see you’re not pretending, so I might as well tell you straight. About the water, your Jun Yan prince probably hasn’t drunk for more than a day or two. Your cousin said you were trapped in the Taklamakan Desert for nine days. So, judging by the degree of Fu Junyan’s gastric injury, I guess he didn’t drink water from the beginning, and later ate food that was not easy to digest, which put a great burden on his stomach.”

“No! At first, he had water in his bottle, our water bottles were almost the same weight…” I murmured, my mind sensitively grasping the three words ‘gastric injury’.

“Are you calculating or really stupid, mermaid?” Xiao Yichen spread his hands and sneered, but in the next second, he looked at me almost pityingly and said: “If you’re really stupid, then I’ll tell you, maybe from the beginning, what he was holding was an empty water bottle, just to fool you.

With the current degree of gastric injury I can understand from Fu Junyan, it’s absolutely impossible for him to have gone without food or water for just the few days you mentioned.”

“So?” I looked up at Xiao Yichen dully, tears falling uncontrollably, unable to stop.

“So I admire him as a true man, Jun Yan prince, the title ‘prince’ is well-deserved for him. Even if Dingyue didn’t say so, I would help Fu Junyan to the end. I didn’t write about the gunshot wound in the medical record, you just be careful not to let others take off his upper clothes, I’ll come for the examinations.” As he said this, he shrugged at me.

Hearing this, I fell silent briefly, trying hard to calm my emotions. Many thoughts flashed through my mind. Finally, I reached out to touch Fu Junyan’s chest, truly feeling the weak vibration of his body due to breathing, only then did I feel I was alive. After a while, I looked up at Xiao Yichen, straightened my back and spoke almost calmly: “Everyone knows that Fu Junyan went to Somalia to film recently. There’s been years of war there, he was accidentally hit by a stray bullet, that’s how he got this wound. But, Dr. Xiao, I believe you can also understand that as an actor who takes his work seriously, he would absolutely not want to use other things to distract from or hype up his earnest work. So, thank you, Dr. Xiao. What you’re doing for us really reduces a lot of trouble for us.” Saying this, I bit my lip and carefully asked: “So, Dr. Xiao, you mentioned gastric injury, is Fu Junyan’s condition serious?”

Xiao Yichen lowered his face, I couldn’t see his expression clearly, nor did I know if he would believe my words. But I knew that smart people would never tear apart the surface explanation. Sure enough, he thought for a moment, then looked up and said to me: “It depends on the specific situation. Mr. Xiao said that as soon as the weather turns good, the helicopter can take off. Once at the big hospital, after determining the specific degree of Fu Junyan’s gastric injury, I can tell you clearly whether he should undergo perforation repair surgery or major gastric resection and anastomosis surgery. But don’t worry, the success rate of such surgeries is quite high, there will absolutely be no danger to life.”

“Resection?” I repeated uncontrollably, tightly pinching my trembling palm and asked: “Does it hurt? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”

“Generally, gastric injury would have symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, peritonitis, pneumoperitoneum, etc. As for when Fu Junyan will wake up, it depends on his own physical condition. On one hand, his blood sugar is very low now, and various body functions are quite weak. On the other hand, if a person’s spirit has been in an alert state for a long time, when suddenly relaxed, fatigue will become more apparent. So, it’s possible for him to sleep for a week, you don’t need to worry about this.”

“Mm.” I nodded, still holding up, but my heart had already collapsed. I said: “Dr. Xiao, thank you. Can I trouble you to go out for a while? I want to be alone for a moment.” Hearing this, Xiao Yichen didn’t say much, just asked: “Mermaid, are you okay?” Then he pushed open the door and walked out.

When only Fu Junyan and I were left in the ward, I looked at his chest for a long time, then finally mustered the courage to tremblingly open his upper clothes. When I clearly saw his wound at that moment, my heart hurt so much, as if someone was stabbing my heart again and again. Because I saw so clearly, on his jade-like chest, two centimeters from his heart, there really was a small patch of pink new flesh, so abrupt, so hideous… A gunshot wound! It really was a gunshot wound! Two centimeters from the heart? A fatal distance? Who could be so cruel as to try to kill such a good person?

I could no longer hold back my surging tears, and collapsed on him, covering my mouth and sobbing painfully.

I remembered the nightmare I had that night. I remembered that night when Fu Junyan called me in the middle of the night, comforting me saying: ‘Dreams are reversed.’ He said: ‘I’m fine, it’s safe here.’ I remembered how he made an exception to accept interviews from reporters daily at that time. I remembered the cry of pain he let out during the screen test. And, every night he repeatedly guided me, pulling my hand to wrap around his neck. Repeatedly pulling down my hand when I mischievously reached inside his shirt. And how he always wore a t-shirt when sleeping…

I also remembered his moment of hesitation when he picked up the water bottle in the car. I remembered that in my panic and confusion, I didn’t see clearly how he picked up the water bottle. I remembered how he so confidently told me: “Look, the water in the military water bottles is almost the same amount, we each take one, that’s fair, right?”

I remembered when I was almost ready to give up on survival, he shook the water bottle to comfort me, saying: “There’s still water in my bottle. Let’s pretend it’s there to quench our thirst, we’ll walk out together, and then, we’ll drink the remaining water in the bottle together as our wedding toast, okay?”

I remembered him telling me over and over again: “Hold on a little longer, just hold on a little longer…”

But he lied to me, Fu Junyan lied to me, he had a gunshot wound, there was no water in his bottle from beginning to end. But I didn’t know, I was like an idiot who knew nothing. Fu Junyan lied to me, he lied to me, he was clearly not well at all, but he still insisted he was fine…

At that moment, I could no longer control myself, and holding him in his coma, I burst into tears…