Xu Ping wipes Wang's tears. (Photo/People's Daily Online)

"Some people do not understand, and some say it was not worth the risk, but they don’t know our story," says Xu Ping. Back in 2011, when Xu and Wang had just started dating, the factory where Xu Ping was working sprung a gas leak. While everyone else was running for their lives, Wang Zhigang stayed back to look for for Xu. "He did not desert me then, and I’m not leaving him now," Xu Ping smiles.

After the surgery, the couple were placed in different rooms to recuperate. Even though he was in pain, the first thing Wang wanted when he woke up after surgery was to see his wife. "Is the wound still sore?" was the question they asked each other every day.