Fever Break - Chapter 1

Early February.

In Lanjing City, a light rain was falling, and the temperature hovered between 5°C and 10°C.

Today is Lu Mother’s memorial day.

Lu Wuke spent the day at the temple on the mountain.

As she descended, the mundane world was already illuminated with the first lights of the evening, the scent of fireworks wafting through the air. The entire city, with its vibrant nightlife, was shrouded in rain and mist, leaving only blurred shadows of light.

It was yet another bizarre night filled with chaotic revelry. Lu Wuke walked on the muddy path, holding a black umbrella, with a river separating her from the sleepless city across, where countless lights twinkled.

It was at this moment that Ah Shi’s call came in. The phone had been silent all day, and those close to her knew what day it was. The empty path echoed with the sudden ring of the phone. She stopped by the roadside, answered the call, and held the phone to her ear.

Ah Shi’s voice came through: “Have you come down?”

It was very cold; Lu Wuke exhaled, and a puff of white mist formed in front of her.

She replied, “I’ve come down.”

“Perfect timing, I’m almost there. Just wait for me a moment.”

Lu Wuke asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be at a class reunion tonight?”

“They found another place to go, and I didn’t follow,” Ah Shi said. “We had enough time to catch up over dinner, and there’s no point in sitting there awkwardly if we can’t chat anymore.”

However, after standing there for a while, the chill had seeped into her collar.

Lu Wuke asked, “Where are you now?”

Ah Shi glanced at the navigation and pondered for a moment before saying, “Almost there. Just wait for me down there. There aren’t many people around here, so if you see a car coming, it should be mine.”

Ah Shi’s estimation was correct; the black Toyota appeared at the end of the road, and during this time, there were no other cars in sight.

She stood still, silently watching as the two beams of light drew closer. The fine rain drizzled through the headlights.

Ah Shi had already spotted her.

Through the windshield, the woman under the black umbrella had pale knuckles. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her black hair and black dress, like a white rose blooming in the night.

The car sped over the puddles on the asphalt road, splAh Shing water everywhere. As it neared, the car slowed down and then came to a stop in front of her.

Lu Wuke held the umbrella handle and closed the umbrella.

Ah Shi leaned over the passenger seat and opened the car door for her. “Hurry up and get in; this rain will eat your bones away.”

The weather in Lanjing had been like this for over ten days, with endless fine rain that wasn’t fierce but left one feeling achy to the bones, impossible to shake off. Staying outside in such weather was just asking for trouble.

Lu Wuke got into the car.
Ah Shi handed her a cup.

Lu Wuke caught it, feeling the warmth. “What is it?”

Ah Shi restarted the car, looking pleased with herself: “I grabbed you a milk tea on the way. You haven’t eaten since you went up the mountain this morning, right? Warm up your stomach with some milk tea first. I’m taking you to eat something delicious now.”

Ah Shi and Lu Wuke were college roommates. Strictly speaking, they weren’t in the same major; One was a mechanical engineering major, and the other studied English. They only got to know each other because they happened to be assigned to the same dorm during their university years.

Once they were out of the suburbs, Ah Shi asked her, “What do you want for dinner?”

Lu Wuke leaned back in her seat, turning her head to look out the window.The distant mountains seemed to rise and fall in the twilight. She was silent, so quiet that Ah Shi thought she was indifferent to what they would eat, until she finally spoke.

“How about barbecue?”

Ah Shi turned to look at her: “Since when did you like this stuff?”

Lu Wuke pulled her gaze from the window and said, “I haven’t smelled it in years.”

“I thought you would have gotten used to eating Western food these past few years.”

A red talisman hung from the rearview mirror, swaying as the car moved.

Lu Wuke’s gaze drifted to the road as the amulet swayed once more. “I want something authentic,” she said.

Ah Shi glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

In the south, people enjoy sweet flavors while in the north, they prefer savory. The southern city of Lanjing, surrounded by mountains and water, is no exception, with its light and sweet cuisine. This place is filled with sweet snacks, and barbecues are not considered authentic here.

Moreover, Lu Wuke herself has a light palate and doesn’t like heavy flavors.

Why would she suddenly want to eat barbecue?

In the end, Ah Shi said nothing.

After all, having shared a room for four years, no one knew Lu Wuke better than her, especially considering how often she was taken to barbecue places during her university days.

Boys loved to gather in such places, bringing along a few girls and ordering several rounds of beer, indulging in food and lively conversation.

Back then, Lu Wuke was often seen with someone by her side.

Time had flown by, and it had already been four years.

Ah Shi, being a local, was familiar with the area where she had grown up. She knew all the good places to eat and have fun. After a few turns in the city center, she quickly stopped in front of an outdoor barbecue stall.

On this rainy day, a few blue tents were set up outside, and there were no customers inside.

A bald man in a leather jacket sat at the door, chewing on a cigarette.

Seeing the two of them get out of the car, the man flicked away the cigarette butt and shooed them away: “This place isn’t open for business, find somewhere else.”

From the accent, He was clearly from up north.

Ah Shi, who was busy checking messages on her phone, looked up. Although the man appeared unfriendly, his tone was flat, and his attitude wasn’t particularly bad.

The atmosphere felt a bit stagnant until a sudden scream from inside shattered the silence.

Strange and unsettling.

The man at the door, however, seemed indifferent, as if he were listening to a dog bark, took a drag from his cigarette, and looked at them calmly.

“Just teaching a disobedient dog a lesson.”

The calmness was the most frightening part.

Ah Shi tightened her grip on her phone, glancing at the ever-composed Lu Wuke beside her.

A fine mist veiled the world,, hazily obscuring their view. Lu Wuke had long eyelashes, with a few tiny, glistening droplets resting on them.

“Oh,” she said, looking at the man at the door, her tone casual, “then excuse us, please continue.”

Indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with her. She had a harmless and pretty little face.

She said to Ah Shi, “Let’s go.” After saying that, she turned and opened the car door.

As Lu Wuke sat in the car, it was only then that Ah Shi realized what was happening. After casting a glance at the man, she followed suit and got in.

Inside the car, Lu Wuke was leaning against the front seat, one hand propping up her chin while the other fiddled with the red talisman on the rearview mirror.

Ah Shi asked her, “Do you think we should call the police? That doesn’t sound like a joke.”

Lu Wuke stopped fiddling and leaned back against the seat.

She turned her head slightly and glanced out the window, “No need.”

“It’s Shen Yixi’s people.”

Calling the police wouldn’t help anyway.

Ah Shi was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words.

But Lu Wuke didn’t say anything more, lowering his head. her eyes fixed on the phone. It was as if she’d just commented on the weather.

They hadn’t spoken about him in so long that Ah Shi didn’t know what to respond.

After a while, she could only awkwardly say, “Alright, let’s find another barbecue place.”

Lu Wuke replied, “How about going to the classmates gathering?”

“You don’t want barbecue anymore?”

“The place is not important*,” Lu Wuke said, “and by the way, from just now until now, you’ve checked your phone fifteen times on the way.”

Ah Shi: “……”

“Lu Wuke, did you install a surveillance device on me?”

“You keep staring at your phone, how is that my fault?”

“Of course not, I’d spoil you like a deity if I could,” Ah Shi said, slightly turning her body and waving her phone in front of her, “but you’re right, I did manage to get a handsome guy’s contact info while we were eating, and I think we hit it off.”

Lu Wuke glanced over in support. The chat box was filled with dense messages, and Ah Shi had noted the guy as a bookworm. Ah Shi leaned back against her seat and said, “Isn’t it said that men tend to gain weight in middle age? This bookworm seems to be getting more and more handsome.”

After saying that, it seemed like someone sent her a message, and she looked down to reply.

The air fell into a brief silence.

Through the car window, the sounds of sizzling from a nearby barbecue shop could be heard from time to time.

Lu Wuke listened expressionlessly.

Ah Shi lifted her head from her phone and asked, “Are we really going?”

Lu Wuke turned her head and nodded, “Yes.”

The night wasn’t suitable for being alone.

Ah Shi tossed her phone back onto the center console: “Alright.”

She fastened her seatbelt and pressed the gas, leaving the small alley. The sound of the engine quickly faded around the corner, and a man outside the barbecue shop withdrew his gaze, took out his phone, and made a call.

=

This gathering is for Ah Shi’s class in University.

A large group of people finished their meal and headed to the club, where they reserved a private room.

After handing the car keys to the waiter, A Shi went upstairs with Lu Wu Ke.

A Shi major was mechanical engineering, so there are many boys in the class, but only a few girls. Although this is a reunion of old classmates, many brought their families, making it lively and fun.

In the fourth floor, west hall.

On the way, the two brushed past several groups of people, the smell of alcohol and whispers mingling together.

The late night was thick with the possibility of drunkenness for couples**.

A Shi pushed open the door to the private room, it was filled with colorful lights and lively crowd. People were gathered in small groups, toasting and catching up, accompanied by the sound of billiard balls clashing. As the light from the corridor suddenly poured in, someone quickly noticed them, and waved over. Ah Shi smiled at the person and led Lu Wuke inside.

Perhaps too much time had passed; Lu Wuke glanced around and saw only unfamiliar faces.

The person was a woman wavy hair, who asked Ah Shi, “Didn’t you just say something came up earlier?”

“Didn’t you all want more people to come?” Ah Shi put her arm around Lu Wuke’s shoulder. “Look, I brought someone back for you.”

The woman had noticed Lu Wuke who had just entered; her demeanor and looks were too striking.

She hadn’t recognized her at first, but now that they were closer, and coupled with her memory of Lu Wuke’s past interactions with a prominent figure in their class, she quickly realized who it was. “Lu Wuke?” she exclaimed.

Lu Wuke shifted her gaze to the woman’s face.

Seeing unfamiliar look on her face, the woman asked, “Don’t you remember us? We were in Automation Class 4 together.”

There were only a few girls in the mechanical engineering major, and they were all gathered here. But Lu Wuke truly had no recollection; she couldn’t recall any impressions related to these girls.

Not recognizing them didn’t mean she couldn’t pretend; she smiled back, “Long time no see.”

Someone asked, “Didn’t we hear you went abroad after graduation and just returned recently?”

Seeing that someone wanted to gossip further, Ah Shi laughed and interrupted, “Yeah, I guess she missed me too much and couldn’t stay abroad for so long.”

After saying that, she hooked her arm around Lu Wuke’s shoulder and led her toward the bar. “I’m a bit thirsty after coming up; let’s grab a drink.”

Halfway there, Ah Shi leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I bet that…”

“What?”

“There must be someone here who liked—” Suddenly, A Shi realized something.

She had intended to say that there were definitely people here from their university days who had feelings for Shen Yixi. After all, it wouldn’t be surprising, even they still remembered their exes so clearly; women understand women best.

Usually, whenever there’s gossip, she loves to bring it up to Lu Wuke, almost without a filter. This time, however, she felt bold enough to bring Lu Wuke here because Shen Yixi never attended these kinds of reunions.

She abruptly ended the topic: “It’s nothing.”

Even though she knew someone as smart as Lu Wuke wouldn’t be oblivious to what she was about to say.

Lu Wuke said nothing, acting as if she truly didn’t understand.

At the bar, there was a bartender in a black vest, and the two of them each ordered a drink. Ah Shi took the drink and said, “I’m going over there for a bit.”

Lu Wuke, without a doubt, could tell who she was going to flirt with and simply nodded.

The liquid slid against the glass, cold and monotonous, as the bartender poured the drink and pushed the glass in front of Lu Wuke. She picked it up and headed towards the sofa.

The woman draped a loose, dark suit jacket over her shoulders, underneath she wore a black spaghetti strap long dress, with the thin straps hanging loosely off her shoulders. Her shoulders are slender and pale, yet her chest is not small; that line is faintly visible in the darkness.

In the private room, the crowd is scattered, each engrossed in lively conversation.

On this smooth path, she feels not a hint of loneliness, and no one notices her sitting here.

A person sat on a high stool, holding a guitar, and under everyone’s encouragement, began to sing “Red Beans.”

The woman’s voice was clean yet full of charm, as if she were telling a story.

Passionate, lingering.

Lu Wuke slowly sipped her drink while listening.

“Gatherings and farewells come in time,
Nothing lasts forever,
But sometimes I’d rather choose to hold on—”

Cheers erupted.

Amidst the singing, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Bright light flooded in, and Lu Wuke instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes.

A gust of wind carried an excited male voice through the doorway: “Look who I’ve brought!”

Immediately, the room buzzed with excitement.

Lu Wuke lowered her hand, half the light falling on her face, and she squinted slightly. When she opened her eyes again, she was taken aback by the person at the door.

With a backlight, a man stood in the doorway with hands in his pockets. He had a carefree expression***. With a crew cut, smooth features, and double eyelids that created deep folds on his eyelids. His skin was fair, and under the light, the high bridge of his nose cast a shadow. His thin lips curled slightly, a cigarette perched between his fingers.

Lu Wuke was frozen in place.

Some men laughed boisterously, saying that some wind had finally blown someone in, and tonight they wouldn’t leave until they were drunk.

The man in the center chuckled and said, “Alright, tonight, whoever can’t hold their drink is a grandson****.”

After saying that, as if sensing an overly intense gaze in the room, he lazily lifted his eyelids.

Lu Wuke didn’t look away; their eyes met without surprise.

Time seemed to slow down.

He looked at her.

In those eyes, there was no longer the indulgence and teasing of the past.

Only a sharp-edged coldness remained.

In the next moment, Shen Yixi coldly averted his gaze.

1. 去哪兒喝酒不是喝酒
   Literally, this translates to “Going to where to drink is not drinking.”
   It implies that the act of drinking itself is not as important as the experience and the environment surrounding it.
2. 今晚的夜色又不知要醉幾雙人。
   Literal translation: “Tonight’s night color again does not know to intoxicate how many pairs of eyes.”
   Meaning: “Tonight’s night is perfect for romance, and many couples will likely fall in love.”
3. 頂著一張遊戲人間的臉。
   Literal translation: “He wore the face of a man who played with life.”
4. 誰孫子
   Literal translation: “Whoever is a grandson”
   Calling someone a “孫子” (sun zi) in this context is a very insulting and derogatory term, roughly equivalent to calling someone a “pussy” or a “weakling” in English.