Chapter 363

A piercing infant's cry shattered the silence of the bamboo house.

Dr. Green's scalpel continued its swift movements—the mother's abdominal wound required immediate suturing. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, yet she had no time to wipe them away.

"Hand me the baby!" The head nurse deftly severed the umbilical cord and swaddled the newborn in prepared cotton cloth.

The young father's hands trembled as he took the child, tears streaming down his sun-darkened face. He dropped to his knees with a thud, forehead pressing heavily against the bamboo floor.

"Junsheng! We'll name him Junsheng!" The man choked out between sobs, "It's the Liberation Army doctor who gave my boy this life!"

Beside the operating table, Luna White's face had gone deathly pale, her fingertips quivering uncontrollably. She bit down hard on her lower lip, yet the silver acupuncture needle remained steady in the mother's pressure point.

"Hold on for ten more minutes." Dr. Green glanced at Luna's blue-tinged lips, never pausing her suturing.

"No... problem..." Luna forced the words through clenched teeth.

Lily Collins frantically rummaged through the medical kit, only to freeze in shock at its contents—chocolate bars, brown sugar, cocoa powder... Since when were these standard medical supplies?

"Brown sugar water! Now!" Luna's voice had begun to shake.

Clattering sounds erupted from the kitchen as the panicked father stoked the fire to boil water, too distracted to even glance at his child. When the steaming bowl of sugar water reached Luna's lips, droplets still dripped from its chipped rim.

Luna's teeth chattered violently as the scalding liquid slid down her throat. Suddenly, warmth exploded from her chest, miraculously dispelling the bone-deep chill.

Her mind drifted to that rainy night—Andrew Smith's embrace, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear. That residual warmth seemed to linger within her now, propping up her faltering strength.

"Final stitch!" Dr. Green snipped the suture thread, looking up to find Luna smiling faintly.

The mother beneath the silver needle breathed evenly, while the stubborn young doctor mustered her last ounce of energy to flash a victory sign.