Several of the older married women helped take care of the baby. They stayed inside the car, while the men moved to squeeze into the tent with the other children. Those who could not fit in the tent had to sleep outside.
This was their second day trapped by the mudslide.
Yan Huan knew they would have to wait for another three days to be rescued. It was just three days; the time would pass quickly enough.
Yan Huan looked at the stars above her, but could only make out a few of them as the moon was very bright. The weather was good, but it was still very cold.
“Will we get back in time for Chinese New Year?”
Yi Ling’s fingers tightened on the blanket around her. It was so cold now she felt like crying.
Thankfully, the massive bear of a man sitting next to her shielded her from most of the biting wind. Yi Ling’s impression of him had improved considerably during their ordeal; he had previously mistaken her for a man and inadvertently implied that she was flat-chested, true, but he was also the first man to have regained her respect after such a horrendous first impression.
“Yes.” Yan Huan turned to look at Yi Ling with an encouraging smile. “We’ll get back to the city, safe and sound. Let’s go eat hot pot once we’re back.”
Yi Ling pouted. “I want to eat ice cream.”
“Ice cream? It’s still winter!” Lei Qingyi said incredulously.
He did not understand the strange, whimsical desires of women. He practiced the ancient martial arts, which taught him to follow the changes of the season and to live according to the demands of his natural surroundings.
Lei Qingyi followed the teachings faithfully. He was most definitely not the type to eat hot pot during the summer, or order cold drinks during the winter.
“I want to eat ice cream, and it’s none of your business,” snapped Yi Ling. She turned her back on him and got ready to go to sleep. She pulled the blanket over herself, leaving only a tiny corner for Lei Qingyi. But Lei Qingyi did not engage in a tug-of-war over the blanket; if Yi Ling wanted the blanket to herself, so be it. He was happy enough with the tiny piece of fabric left for him.
Yan Huan closed her eyes as she mentally reviewed how long they had been trapped. It was only three more days; they would be rescued soon enough.
She leaned back against the car and waited calmly for sleep to take her. A moment later, she drifted off to sleep, her head nodding until finally, it came to rest upon Lu Yi’s shoulder. Lu Yi carefully tucked the blanket around her, and then remained seated in the exact same position for the rest of the night. He did not move a muscle, for fear of waking Yan Huan.
The third day came and went. Everyone—even the tiny baby—got by relatively comfortably. The gas in the car was running low now, however; soon they would not be able to use the heater.
But the loss of the car heater did not affect them too much. It was easy enough to keep warm, as long as they huddled together at night.
On the fifth day, Yan Huan kept her eyes glued to the sky. She knew a helicopter would be rescuing them that day, but she did not know the exact time it would be flying by. She did not want to miss it.
“What are you looking for?” Lu Yi asked as he handed her a pack of biscuits. “Here, you should eat.”
Yan Huan opened the packet and shoved a biscuit into her mouth before answering his question.
“I’m looking for a helicopter. I hope one will spot us and come to our rescue.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll come for us,” Lu Yi said comfortingly. But he was not as confident as he sounded; there was still a lot of food left, but they were a large group. The food would not last long. He hoped someone would find them soon, before they succumbed to despair.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling filled the air…
Something was heading towards them.
What was that sound?
Yi Ling shoved one of the biscuits in her hands into her mouth. She lifted her head to look at the sky as she tried to locate the source of the unfamiliar sound.
What was that sound coming from the sky? Was she hearing things?
The sound became increasingly loud as it approached them. Suddenly, Yi Ling tossed the remaining biscuits in her hands at Lei Qingyi, who deftly caught them, despite having been caught off-guard by her strange behavior.
“Hey, don’t throw your food!” Lei Qingyi was now extremely sensitive when it came to food. He knew their supply of food could not last forever; at the rate they were going, they would have to start eating roots and tree bark soon.
Yi Ling placed a hand over her eyes, shielding it from the glare of the sun as she stared at the sky. She spotted a helicopter, and almost burst into tears.
She waved at the helicopter like a maniac.
“Hey! We’re down here! Over here! Look, we’re here…”
The other survivors heard her shouts, and hurried over to join in on the waving and shouting. “We’re here! We’re down here!”
Yan Huan was not as ecstatic or moved by the sight of the helicopter. She already knew that they would only be trapped for a few days, and that nobody from this small group of survivors would die.
The helicopter circled overhead, indicating that the pilot had spotted them. A moment later, it had found a place to land.
Lu Yi walked over to the helicopter and spoke with the pilot, who nodded every now and then. After that, he used the helicopter’s walkie-talkie to contact someone. Once he was finished, he divided the survivors into two groups as the helicopter would only be able to carry six passengers at any one time. Fortunately, there were only about a dozen of them, which meant that the helicopter would only have to make two trips.
“Don’t worry.” Lu Yi helped Yan Huan rearrange her messy hair. “I’ve already instructed them to send another helicopter to take you and Yi Ling back to your apartment. He Yibin will visit you to give you a check-up later.”
“Thanks.” Yan Huan knew what Lu Yi was worried about: she was a celebrity, a public figure, which meant that it would be best for her to lie low and stay under the radar as the press jostled to cover the aftermath of the mudslide.
At that moment, Yi Ling was plastered over the Hummer’s hood, weeping noisily. It was a pitiful sight.
“What about the car?” Yan Huan asked Lu Yi. “Do we leave it here?”
“Unless they repair the roads, I don’t see how we can take it with us. It’ll have to stay here.”
Lu Yi looked at his car. It was his favorite, but now it looked like it would have to spend the rest of its days here. It would take a long time to repair the roads leading to this specific spot; perhaps the roads would never be fully restored. Lu Yi’s car would be exposed to the elements for as long as the area remained inaccessible. He felt a twinge of regret at the thought; he fully understood why Yi Ling was crying as though someone had died. It was not her car, but she had doomed it by driving it here.
Yi Ling had been smitten with Lu Yi’s car. Driving it had seemed like second nature to her. And now, the beautiful car would have to rust in this desolate place. Her heart ached terribly. How could she not cry over its tragic fate?
“Don’t cry!”
Lei Qingyi scratched his head. “If you really like this car, I’ll fix one up for you when we get back.”
“How much will it cost?” Yi Ling wiped the tears from her eyes. She had a lot of money in the bank now, thanks to her generous, multimillionaire Huanhuan, but she was not going to spend the money recklessly. She had to hang on to it.
Lei Qingyi put up his hands. “You don’t have to pay me. I’ll give it to you, free of charge. How could I possibly ask you to pay me for it?”
Yi Ling’s eyes narrowed with undisguised skepticism. She stared at Lei Qingyi as though he were an alien with three heads. Why would anyone give a car away for free, for no reason? There had to be a catch somewhere.
