When the signal flare rose into the sky, Xia Xiaolan felt her heart ease.

She unconsciously glanced at her watch – nine-thirty in the evening.

In two and a half hours, the New Year’s bells would ring. Finding them at this time was truly a reunion.

“Aunt Cheng, they’ve found them!”

Cheng Qurong still couldn’t believe it.

Xia Xiaolan also had someone fire a signal flare. They weren’t in an aircraft but in a jeep, and needed a helicopter to pick them up.

“They found Yujun?”

Cheng Qurong murmured, and Xia Xiaolan nodded firmly: “I think it will be good news. Senior Dan must want to spend New Year with us too.”

Xia Xiaolan typically didn’t place her hopes in others or believe in divine intervention, but at this moment, she truly wanted to pray to the heavens – since they’d found traces of Dan Yujun and the others, it had to be good news.

What constituted good news?

She didn’t ask for them to be uninjured, only alive!

Two hours later, Xia Xiaolan, Cheng Qurong, and Gu Zhengqing arrived at the city hospital.

Dan Yujun and the two Gao children had already been transported there.

With just over ten minutes until the New Year’s bells, Dan Yujun was in surgery.

“Xiao Dan injured her arm, the doctors say she needs surgery. They’re unconscious from hunger and cold exposure, but the two students aren’t seriously hurt.”

Kang Wei was exhausted but joyful.

This was the best possible outcome – Dan Yujun was only injured, but alive.

The two Gao students were also alive. Kang Wei spared some attention for them too, since Xiao Dan had protected them – his concern extended to them through his care for her.

Cheng Qurong repeated “good” several times.

Everyone was emotional.

Xia Xiaolan was also happy to see the operating room light on.

She quietly went downstairs to call Qiong Island from the medical office. She wasn’t sure if Zhou Cheng would answer, but she wanted to call him.

To share this joy with Zhou Cheng, or perhaps something else… how fortunate it was when two people who loved each other could be safely together.

Ring, ring, ring-

“Xiaolan?”

Zhou Cheng answered.

His voice through the receiver instantly filled Xia Xiaolan’s heart:

“How did you know it was me?”

“I just knew.”

Xia Xiaolan smiled, “They found Dan Yujun. She’s in the hospital, with no life-threatening injuries, and the students are fine too. I’m happy for her and for Kang Wei. Zhou Cheng, I’m so happy right now!”

She was happy for Dan Yujun, not just because no one had died in the ‘Young Eagles Take Flight’ program. Xia Xiaolan couldn’t achieve that kind of dedication herself, but Dan Yujun could, and Xia Xiaolan admired such people.

If the world had more people like Dan Yujun, even if it didn’t become better, it certainly wouldn’t get worse!

Dan Yujun’s rescue made Xia Xiaolan happy – good people deserved to live.

She was also happy for Kang Wei, not because she hoped he and Dan Yujun would reconcile, but because Kang Wei had only ever loved Dan Yujun, truly loved her, and still did. If anything had happened to Dan Yujun, Kang Wei would likely have been devastated.

And then there was the Dan family.

Dan Yujun was an only child – if anything happened to her, her family couldn’t bear it.

“I know, I know everything.”

Zhou Cheng desperately wanted to hug his wife, but it wasn’t possible now – just a few more days!

Xia Xiaolan heard someone calling “Captain Zhou” through the phone.

“Zhou Cheng, go attend to your duties… Happy New Year!”

“Wife, Happy New Year.”

After hanging up, Xia Xiaolan called the Zhou family and then Pengcheng. Both Liu Fen and Guan Hui’e told her to stay in the Northwest, not rush back, and not feel troubled. They wanted her to stay and accompany Dan Yujun after her ordeal, completing the aftermath of this incident.

After finishing her calls, Cheng Qurong also came downstairs.

Having composed herself, Cheng Qurong said: “I should call Old Dan too, tell him Yujun’s been rescued.”

Xia Xiaolan left the medical office to Cheng Qurong.

This would certainly be an unforgettable New Year.

…

Dan Yujun woke up on the afternoon of New Year’s Day.

Her arm was immobilized in a cast, unable to move.

Kang Wei and Cheng Qurong were by her bedside, and her awakening immediately alerted Kang Wei.

Dan Yujun blinked, and Kang Wei was still there – she wasn’t seeing things.

“I heard your voice, but I thought it was an illusion…”

In the cave, she had been counting time.

While encouraging the two students, she had also been encouraging herself – someone would come to rescue them if she just held on a little longer. But as days passed, hope of rescue grew dimmer.

She had become light-headed and weak, her mind foggy, when she heard someone calling “Xiao Dan.”

Local people called her “Teacher Dan,” rarely “Xiao Dan.”

Only one person liked to call her that, Xiao Dan, Xiao Dan… each time calling her name sweet as White Rabbit candy.

It was Kang Wei!

But she and Kang Wei had been separated for two years.

She didn’t know who to ask about Kang Wei’s situation, guessing he probably had a new girlfriend, since Kang Wei was such a good person – other girls would surely like him even without her.

So Kang Wei couldn’t suddenly appear in the Northwest Gobi Desert.

But what if he had come?

Dan Yujun remembered struggling to open her eyes, catching a fleeting glimpse between consciousness and unconsciousness. Someone had grabbed her hand, but she couldn’t make out their face, and couldn’t confirm if it was Kang Wei.

So she hadn’t been hallucinating – it was Kang Wei.

Kang Wei had come to the Gobi Desert to rescue her!

“It was me. You didn’t hear wrong – it was me calling you, but you wouldn’t respond. You scared me terribly.”

Though Kang Wei spoke of being scared, his voice was gentle and carried a smile.

Cheng Qurong called out “Yujun,” her joy mixed with concern.

“If anything’s uncomfortable, tell Mother. I’ll call the doctor.”

Dan Yujun shook her head, “Just a bit tired.”

Her arm actually hurt badly, but saying so wouldn’t reduce the pain and would only worry her mother and Kang Wei, so she kept it to herself. She was exhausted and just wanted to close her eyes for a good sleep when she suddenly remembered the students:

“The Gao brothers-“

Kang Wei held her shoulder, “The Gao brothers are safe. They were rescued with you. They only have scratches, not as serious as your injury.”

Dan Yujun finally relaxed completely.

Kang Wei smiled at her, “Really, everything’s fine. Just focus on recovery. Even the two sheep that fell in with you were rescued. Captain Xing from the rescue team said the sheep helped you all survive the low temperatures. I’ll take good care of the sheep too, so don’t worry about anything. When you wake up and feel stronger, you can tell us what happened these past few days, okay?”

Dan Yujun found herself nodding unconsciously.

The hospital room had Cheng Qurong and Kang Wei, warm and comfortable. This wasn’t the desert – she was far from the cold and hunger, far from the lingering wolf pack. She was safe here.

Dan Yujun quickly fell asleep again.

“Aunt Cheng, you should rest too.”

When Cheng Qurong asked what about him, Kang Wei pointed to another bed in the room: “I’ll lie down right here. I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly if I were too far from Xiao Dan right now.”

Cheng Qurong sighed silently but ultimately said nothing.