After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

At 5:30 a.m., the sky was still dark at Beicheng Railway Station. Thick fog, mixed with the acrid smell of coal smoke, lingered at the entrance. The dim streetlights in the distance swayed in the wind, casting long, thin shadows of people hurrying along the station square with their necks hunched over.

Lin Wan stood on the leeward side of the exit, her legs shivering from the cold. Today, she had specially chosen what she considered her most presentable lake-blue wool coat, over which she wore a snow-white turtleneck sweater, and on her feet were her signature high-heeled leather shoes. This outfit certainly looked stylish in the Lin family's living room, but in the zero-degree Celsius Beicheng Railway Station, it was practically made of paper.

The cold wind seeped in through the seams of her coat, feeling like countless steel needles piercing her bones. Lin Wan clutched her collar tightly, curling herself into a ball, and stomped her feet incessantly. With each jump, her slender heels struck the blue brick ground with a crisp sound, particularly jarring in the empty, desolate square.

What's even more eye-catching is the piece of cardboard in her hand.

It was leftover from unpacking in the logistics warehouse. The edges were rough, one corner was chipped, and a small piece of brown paper was peeling off. She held it between two fingers as if she were picking something up from the ground. She held it to her chest, but then thought it was too low. She held it above her head, but then thought it was too silly. In the end, she just held it to her chest with her arm straight.

A number of travelers carrying luggage gradually arrived at the square. Some walked past her, glanced at the cardboard sign, and then turned and walked away.

An old man selling roasted sweet potatoes called out as he walked past her, the steam rising onto her face and bringing a fragrant aroma. Lin Wan's stomach rumbled; she hadn't had time to eat anything that morning, and being cold and hungry, her stomach felt painfully empty.

"Hey girl, what kind of medicine are you selling?"

An elderly woman pushing a 28-inch bicycle with two bundles of scallions on the back stopped and curiously came over to look at the sign. The woman was wearing a patched blue cotton-padded jacket and a faded green headscarf. Her old face was weathered by the wind, looking like dry tree bark.

Lin Wan took a half-step back in disgust, hid the playing card in her bosom, and glared at the other person irritably: "Not selling medicine, picking someone up!"

"Picking up people? Heart of China... That's a rather strange name. I thought you were selling rat poison outside the station." The old lady curled her lip, pushed her cart away, and muttered to herself, "She's quite a pretty girl, why is she doing this kind of work? Is she out of her mind?"

Lin Wan was so angry she almost tore the cardboard in her hand. She gritted her teeth, tears welling in her eyes. Ye Zhen—it was that brat Ye Zhen who deliberately humiliated her!

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away from the train station is the expert building of the General Hospital of the Military Region.

The heating in the house was on full blast, and a layer of white condensation covered the windowpanes. The aluminum kettle made a cheerful squeal on the gas stove before being steadily lifted up by a large hand.

Gu Zheng was wearing a faded work apron, the sleeves rolled up high at his forearms, revealing muscles that shone with power under the light. He was carefully ladling freshly cooked red date and millet porridge from an earthenware pot into a large, delicate porcelain bowl.

The rice porridge was cooked until thick and sticky, with a few red dates rolling around in the soup, emitting a sweet aroma.

When Ye Zhen pushed open the bedroom door and came out, she saw Gu Zheng placing a rice bowl on the table, next to which was a plate of neatly cut pickled radish strips and two plump, warm hand-kneaded steamed buns.

She was clearly not fully awake yet; her usually meticulously combed long hair was slightly disheveled and draped over her shoulders. She walked to the dining table, looking at Gu Zheng bustling around, a hint of warmth appearing in her usually cool eyes.

"What time is it?" Ye Zhen picked up the warm water on the table and took a sip, her voice hoarse from just waking up.

"It's just past 5:30." Gu Zheng untied the apron belt around his waist, walked over and took the glass from her hand, and with his other hand he naturally pulled her into his arms.

He lowered his head, rested his chin on Ye Zhen's shoulder, and took a deep breath of the fragrance in her hair.

"Didn't I tell you last night to get some more sleep? I've got people keeping an eye on things at the train station, it shouldn't be a problem." Gu Zheng's voice was deep, with a hint of self-satisfaction.

Ye Zhen chuckled and tapped Gu Zheng's nose with her finger, which was wet with cool water: "You, you just want to see the Lin family make a fool of themselves, don't you?"

"Watching the spectacle is secondary. The key is that train stations are chaotic places, full of all sorts of people." Gu Zheng released her, pressed her into a chair, and shoved a spoon into her hand. "I sent Xiao Wang to keep an eye on things there. He's in plainclothes, and as soon as those family members from northern Shaanxi show up, Xiao Wang will confirm they've been taken to the hospital before leaving. Even if Lin Wan abandons her responsibilities, they won't get lost."

Outside the window, the sky was slowly brightening. The loudspeaker in the train station square blared, its static echoing in the morning air: "Train 124 from Fengtian to Beicheng has arrived at the station. Those picking us up, please prepare..."

Hearing the broadcast, Lin Wan jumped to her feet. She felt her feet were so cold they had lost all feeling; every movement felt like walking on a knife's edge.

Afraid of running into acquaintances, she kept covering her face with the tattered cardboard, leaving only her eyes peeking around warily in the cold wind. This furtive behavior, observed by Xiao Wang standing on the curb some distance away, almost made him burst out laughing.

Xiao Wang, wrapped in a large military overcoat and carrying an aluminum water bottle, was squatting behind a sweet potato stall. He was chewing on a meat bun while watching the lake-blue figure in the distance.

"Why is Vice President Lin's daughter acting like she's doing something clandestine when she's picking someone up?" Xiao Wang shook his head, stuffed the last bite of his steamed bun into his mouth, patted the crumbs off his hands, and fixed his gaze on the crowd surging out of the station exit.

At 6:20, the gate at the exit was opened.

A large group of passengers carrying snakeskin bags and blanket rolls came out noisily.

In the crowded throng, a couple dressed in tattered sheepskin coats stood out conspicuously.

The man carried a huge woven bag, half his height, on his back, with a straw rope tied around his waist. The woman tightly hugged a child wrapped in an old cotton quilt; the child's face was purplish-red, and even in his sleep, his breathing was so loud it sounded like a bellows.

They stood timidly in the crowd, looking around nervously, their calloused hands gripping the straps of their crossbody bags tightly.

Lin Wan forced herself to suppress her nausea and held the sign in her hand a little higher.

When the Shaanxi couple saw the words "Heart of China," the man's eyes lit up. He nudged his wife, and the two of them quickly ran towards Lin Wan.

"Comrade... are you a doctor from the main hospital?" the man asked, panting heavily and speaking in a thick Northwestern accent.

Lin Wan didn't speak, but nodded coldly. She looked at the woven bag on the man's back, which was covered with mud and some unknown grime, and subconsciously took two steps back, afraid that the bag would dirty her wool coat.

"Come with me, let's take the bus." Lin Wan squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, turned around and left, not even giving the poor parents a second glance.