The Home You Waited For

CHAPTER 13 - A Heart on the Line

THE sun had barely risen, and Jia, the other volunteers, and SWAT members were already busy inside the medical tent. They carefully place the medicines and supplies into backpacks and boxes that they will carry to the nearby mountain village. It has been reported that children and elderly people experience sudden respiratory symptoms. A joint medical and SWAT response was dispatched due to the remoteness and potential terrain hazards.

Jia was just exiting the tent when she heard the rumble of an approaching vehicle. She didn't need to look – she knew the sound of that vehicle. Following him was Wen Liang, the second-in-command of the SWAT team, carrying the box when he spoke from behind her.

“Thank God! Captain Lu is back!” There was joy in his voice.

CHENXI stepped out of the vehicle, still in uniform, his gear slung over one shoulder. His face was serious as he surveyed the surroundings, but his expression immediately softened when he saw Jia talking to Dr. Meng. He smiled, but it quickly faded when he noticed her attire.

Jia wasn't wearing a scrub suit as expected, but cargo shorts, a white T-shirt only covered by a medical vest with the hospital logo, and combat boots. Bathed in the morning light, the long and beautifully shaped legs of hers were exposed. Chenxi's teeth clenched and his eyes narrowed. He felt the heat of jealousy creeping into his chest as he noticed several men, especially Wen Liang, subtly glancing at Jia. In his mind, he was the only one who had the right to see those things. He was just about to gouge out their eyes so they wouldn't look at Jia.

He took a deep breath at first, and his voice was serious as he captured the attention of his men. “Good morning. Status.”

Almost simultaneously, his men stood up straight and saluted him. Before Wen Liang came over to tell him the report. Chenxi listened without breaking eye contact, the weight of his presence enough to keep everyone razor-focused.

After their reporting and debriefing, he immediately looked for Jia. He found her inside the medical tent, busy reading a document she was holding.

“JIA! You're here.” Chenxi greeted her excitedly. His excitement was evident in his voice.

She lifted her gaze from the document she was reading. "Where else would I be?" She replied. Forcibly lightening the voice.

He watched her first. It seemed he could read an emotion on her face that he couldn't quite understand. And it’s not good.

“Everything okay?”

“Of course.” She forced a small smile. "How was Lingxiao?"

“Busy. Tiring. And… I missed you,” he whispered to her, his voice heavy with feeling.

A flicker of something crossed Jia’s face—a shadow of pain or anger—but she quickly masked it, turning her attention back to the document she was reading.

“Jia…”

She looked up again.

“Did something happen while I was gone?”

Jia just stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. “There's nothing. We've been doing well here these past few days.”

Chenxi wasn't convinced by her answer. It was obvious she wanted to tell him something, but she chose to remain silent instead. He just nodded. He didn't insist on finding out anymore and instead just helped carry the belongings to be loaded into the vehicles. Yet the space between them felt different – the kind of difference you couldn't see, but only feel.

THE early sun peeked through the clouds, though the air remained cool as the SWAT and medical team convoy moved along. Two SWAT vehicles led the way, followed by the medical team’s truck, with a SWAT van bringing up the rear as escort.

Chenxi sat in the passenger seat of the first SWAT van, his eyes flicking repeatedly to the driver’s rearview mirror. He watched the scene between Jia and Wen Liang unfold. Jia stayed silent, listening to Wen Liang, occasionally smiling at a joke from her vice-captain. Chenxi clenched his jaw and fists, especially when Wen Liang handed her a water bottle and she accepted it. His ears burned despite the cold air. If it were up to him, he would have moved Jia next to him, keeping everyone else at a distance. Again, he caught her gaze in the rearview mirror. She quickly looked away, returning to her conversation with Wen Liang.

“Doc Jia,” Wen Liang called to her softly.

She looked at him, and she could see in his eyes that he wanted to say something. “Yes?”

“It’s only now that I realize—you’re the one Captain Lu called his ‘first and last love.’ The woman he always mentions when he’s drunk. He even cried several times while telling me about you—the woman he wanted to protect, yet ended up hurting.”

Jia was stunned by Wen Liang's revelation about Chenxi. She couldn't find any words. It seemed like her tongue was numb at that moment, and she looked out the car window, then looked at the man again as he continued.

“He also told me that you always cook his favorite Filipino dishes, pork sinigang and adobo, for him,” he said with a smile. “I know that when he misses you, he cooks those dishes. But he's proud that you still cook better than him because he knows you have a 'secret recipe' that makes his favorite dishes taste so good.”

Jia smiled shyly and gently brushed the side of her eyes with her finger because tears suddenly welled up. “Really?”

“Yes! And that's not all,” Wen Liang answered immediately. “You know, even though he's busy with operations, he's always keeping an eye on the news. Especially the features about medical missions here in China or anywhere else. Always hoping your name might be mentioned on TV again. I know he's happy even if he can't see you on TV. Just hearing your name is enough for him.”

Jia didn't answer right away. It felt like her throat had dried up, and even though she tried to hold back, her lips twitched slightly. She didn't expect that the things Chenxi didn't tell her were so deep. It seems Wen Liang noticed her silence, so he stopped talking as well. He nodded slightly, as if wanting to convey to her that he sympathized with the two of them, Chenxi and her.

JIA had noticed earlier that Chenxi kept glancing in the van’s mirror. He knew Chenxi was watching only her and Wen Liang. The tension was clear—his teeth were clenched, eyes narrowed. When their eyes met in the mirror, she couldn’t hold his gaze for long.

She quickly looked back at the medical kit in her hands, trying to steady herself. She couldn’t meet that gaze either—not while Lian Xue’s voice from that day still echoed in her mind: Tell him I’ll wait. Captain Lu already knows where to find me.

UPON arriving in the village, they were greeted by a cold wind and a crowd of people. Anxiety can be seen on the faces of both the elderly and the young. Some were coughing severely, while others were just lying on mats.

“We'll secure the perimeter. Keep an eye on that southern slope—it's unstable.” Chenxi said to his men in a commanding tone. They immediately took action to ensure everyone's safety.

Other SWAT and medical teams also immediately set up a temporary medical station. While Jia, along with two other doctors and nurses, began checking oxygen levels and administering nebulizer treatments. Chenxi, on the other hand, is coordinating with SWAT and helping to carry heavy equipment and supplies from the end of the trail.

But it wasn't long before a young girl was rushed by her father. She's pale, having difficulty breathing, and almost lost consciousness.

Jia acted quickly to assess the child, but the equipment on her table was insufficient.

“I need a portable oxygen tank now!” she said, almost shouting.

Chenxi didn't hesitate. From the other end of the tent, he quickly grabbed the oxygen tank and attached it himself while Jia calmed the child and adjusted the mask on her small face.

“Hold it steady,” Jia said, and naturally, Chenxi’s hand followed hers, both holding the mask. Their fingers were almost touching, and amidst the noise of the people and the gusts of wind in the tent, time seemed to stand still for them.

“Slow breaths, you can do it,” Jia whispered to the child. But she felt her voice also reached Chenxi. She glanced at him, and he was looking at her too. It seemed like there was a sparkle in his eyes as he watched her.

Only when the child's breathing began to ease did they both let go. They exchanged a quick glance, no words were spoken, but it was full of things they still didn't want to name.

Their colleagues couldn't help but notice how in sync Jia and Chenxi were—it was as if they had been working side by side for a long time, anticipating each other's movements while caring for the patients.

AS evening approached, the chaos in the village gradually subsided. Most patients have already been given medication and oxygen, and some are in good condition. The air was still cool, and the sun was peeking through, as if to indicate that everything was safe.

As they packed their things to head home, Jia noticed Chenxi sitting on a large, low rock near the trail, quietly observing the surroundings. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the mountainside. An old scaffolding at a local construction site had collapsed, and a massive wooden beam hurtled down—straight toward Chenxi, who was facing away.

“Captain Lu, watch out!” One of the SWAT members shouted.

Jia didn’t think—didn’t feel nervous or afraid—when she saw the massive wooden beam hurtling toward Chenxi. Her feet seemed to move on their own as she lunged forward and shoved him out of the way. Everything happened in an instant. Before she could even shout, both she and Chenxi had tumbled to the ground. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Then locals and SWAT team members came rushing toward them.

JIA landed on top of him, gasping for breath and with her eyes tightly closed. A sob escaped from her lips. She could feel Chenxi's rapid heartbeat along with his warm breath brushing against her cheek.

CHENXI blinked, shocked and with a mix of concern at what Jia had done, but beneath the intense adrenaline was a strange sense of relief – a confirmation that she was still willing to put herself in danger for him. Despite the chaos around them, for a moment it seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world.

“Are you out of your mind?!” He whispered almost in a shout, holding her shoulder tightly. “Jia! Are you hurt?”

“I—I'm fine,” she replied between trembling voices. “Are you hurt? And if I hadn't pushed you, maybe you would have been—,” She didn't finish what she was going to say and started sobbing again.

“You don’t need to—”

“Just shut up, Chenxi.” Jia cut him off, and only then did he notice how close their faces were – only an inch apart.

They both froze. Chenxi's hand slightly rose to caress Jia's cheek, but he stopped himself. They remained staring at each other, and between the pounding of their hearts and their rapid breathing, the feelings they were trying so hard to hide, but which had long been screaming from the depths of their hearts, were crystal clear.

FROM a distance, there was laughter, teasing and shouting from the SWAT team and medical team who had just come from the perimeter.

“Hey, Captain Lu! That's a different kind of rescue!” One person shouted, causing the others to giggle.

“Doc Jia, it looks like you've already revived someone! Revival of feelings!”

Everyone laughed even more.

IT was as if Jia suddenly came to her senses; she quickly slid off Chenxi, avoiding his gaze. Chenxi, in turn, closed his eyes for a brief moment before slowly rising to his feet. Neither spoke, but amidst the surrounding laughter and chatter, the air between them remained heavy—like a story left unfinished, one they both longed to continue, but not just yet.