Fever Break - Chapter 3

The weather in Lanjing that year was abnormally humid.

Even though it was September and autumn had arrived, the temperature remained stubbornly high, and the lingering heat of summer refused to dissipate.

It wasn’t until a torrential downpour flooded an old neighborhood with a terrible drainage system that Lanjing’s heat finally came to a hasty end. In the days that followed, a gloomy sky hung over the city.

Even the professor’s lecture in the classroom felt like a hypnotic lullaby.

Lu Wuke sat in the back row by the window, her textbook spread open on the desk with a few key points hastily marked.

In this English elective class, the teacher at the podium was analyzing verses in fluent English. Every sentence seemed to be forcefully justifying something. The human heart is the most difficult thing to understand; one can only make wild guesses.

Lu Wuke turned her gaze. It wasn’t raining outside; the sky was overcast. In her peripheral vision, her phone on the desk lit up for a moment, and she glanced at it.

Ah Shi had sent her a message. Lu Wuke tapped her fingers on the phone to pull it closer. Ah Shi said they should grab lunch together after class. Lu Wuke moved her fingers to reply.

[Is the sun rising from the west today?]

While others had three meals a day, Ah Shi barely managed two, and usually at this hour, she would still be in bed. Today, not only was she up, but she also invited her to lunch.

How unusual.

On the podium, the professor had everyone discuss the poem they had just read in their small group. A few nearby group members had already huddled together to discuss it.

Lu Wuke finished reading the message and tossed her phone aside, dragging over her textbook to listen to their differing opinions. In the end, she pieced together a draft. There were hardly any boys in this group; it was all girls, and none of them were particularly eager to take the lead, so no one volunteered to speak.

A girl with a ponytail and no makeup asked Lu Wuke, “Wuke, your English is good. Why don’t you go up and say something?”

They were all English majors, so their English wasn’t that different.

Lu Wuke was too lazy to protest. Just then, Ah Shi sent her a message. She picked up her phone to reply and casually said, “Got it.”

This professor was known for dragging out classes, and by the time several groups had finished speaking, it was already past mealtime. The campus path under the dense shade was mottled with rain, half wet and half dry, with the grass and trees on either side soaked. With the peak mealtime passed, the number of people on the road has decreased by more than half, and Lu Wuke walks against the flow towards the girls’ dormitory.

Lanjing University has a history of nearly a hundred years. The school’s buildings were renovated over a decade ago and have not been maintained since. Both the teaching buildings and the dormitory areas still retain the style from more than ten years ago.

The old brick wall and the old iron window exude a sense of antiquity everywhere.

Lu Wuke arrived at dormitory number 202, she pushed open the door and called out a full name.

“Xu Wanrou.”

Ah Shi had already put on her shoes and was sitting with her legs crossed on the chair, playing with her phone. Hearing the words, she looked up.

“Lu Wuke, I Iet everyone not to call me by my full name, are you deliberately trying to go against me?”

Ah Shi had a name that was seriously mismatched with her personality and temperament: Xu Wanrou. That name just didn’t fit a girl with dyed red hair and a mouth full of foul language. This was something Ah Shi had said herself when she first met everyone in the dorm during her freshman year; her first sentence was to ask everyone not to call her by her full name. Ah Shi’s nickname was given by her grandmother, and she had liked using it since she was little.

As time went on, fewer and fewer people called her by her full name.

Except for Lu Wuke.

“Such a nice name, not anyone would have a name as nice as yours.”

“Whatever,” Ah Shi couldn’t be bothered to correct her, waving her hand, “I need to tell you something.”

Lu Wuke put her bag back on the table and turned to look at her: “What?”

Just after she asked, a loud sound of basin came from the balcony.

Lu Wuke glanced over. Yu Xier was shaking her long, freshly washed hair, water dripping down into the room. Lu Wuke withdrew her gaze. Just in time to catch Ah Shi rolling her eyes silently.

“Did you two have a fight?” Lu Wuke casually asked as she put her books back on the table.

“Of course not,” Ah Shi sat indifferently in her chair, legs crossed, shrugging her shoulders. “The little princess gets upset outside and has nowhere to vent, so she comes back to the dorm and throws a tantrum. She makes such a racket that it feels like the dorm is about to fall apart. I was still lying in bed at that time; I had no energy to argue with her.”

This dormitory housed four people, and besides the two of them, there was Yu Xi’er and another student from Ah Shi’s major.

In a communal living situation, there are bound to be some frictions. Yu Xi’er was spoiled by her family since childhood and couldn’t stand losing even a bit, clinging to her princess-like ways no matter what.

Ah Shi was quick-tempered; if something displeased her, she would snap at Yu Xi’er. Among the dormmates, it was Ah Shi and Yu Xi’er who clashed the most, often getting into big fights every few days.

They had grown accustomed to the little princess throwing a tantrum was nothing new to them.

Lu Wuke said, “No wonder you were able to wake up at this time today.”

After saying that, she called out to Ah Shi, “Let’s go, it’s time to eat.”

Ah Shi patted her clothes and stood up from the chair, “Let’s go.”

After that, she grabbed an umbrella and headed out the door with her.

=

Ah Shi wanted something spicy, dragging Lu Wuke to a hot pot restaurant outside the school.

“What were you about to say just now?”

Only then did Ah Shi remember that matter and said, “It’s about the big news that’s been buzzing in all the school groups this noon.”

After saying that, she looked at Lu Wuke, “You definitely didn’t check the group chat, did you?”

Lu Wuke was busy fiddling with her lollipop, glancing at her for a moment. Finally, she turned her gaze away and quietly unwrapped the lollipop, putting it in her mouth.

Ah Shi clicked his tongue and said, “impossible if I still don’t understand you, Lu Wuke; I can guess everything about you.”

Lu Wuke bit into the lollipop and replied, “That’s right, you’re just the worm in my belly.”

Ah Shi looked blankly at her and said, “Don’t think I don’t know you’re cursing me.”

Lu Wuke smiled.

Lu Wuke is someone who takes advantage of her pure and well-behaved appearance, always giving off a harmless vibe. When she scolds someone, people only notice her face, which has no threat at all. In reality, she is more stubborn than anyone else. However, Ah Shi likes her personality; otherwise, the two wouldn’t have become friends.

Ah Shi’s mouth just won’t stop once she starts talking. She always has some gossip to share with Lu Wuke.

“Did you see Yu Xier washing her hair in the dorm earlier?”

“What about it?”

“This morning, Yu Xier got a good scolding from someone from her department.”

Lu Wuke glanced at her: “A girl?”

Ah Shi nodded: “What else? How many guys can there be in her college? That whole mess was made by those girls.”

After Yu Xier returned to the dormitory at noon, she was throwing bowls and throwing a tantrum, waking up Ah Shi, who was on the bed, just in time for a hot bite of melon*.

“Didn’t someone post a video in the school group this morning? No face was shown, but many people recognized her just by the voice—it’s Yu Xier and the beauty of their department.”

Lu Wuke was generally uninterested in other people’s affairs; she usually let things go in one ear and out the other. Now, she was just listening to Ah Shi’s story for amusement.

She absentmindedly bit into her lollipop and casually asked, “What happened?”

“Oh, it’s the age-old topic among women,” Ah Shi replied, “men.”

Yu Xier is from the music department, and the art school is never short of beautiful girls. You can randomly pick one out, and she would look good, and Yu Xier is no exception.

“These people have similar tastes; they all flock to like that one guy. Didn’t the music department’s beauty say she was interested in my department heartthrob? Yet just a few days later, Yu Xier was already asking for his contact information.”

The beauty from the music department is quite flamboyant, and with her assortment of friends from all walks of life, her reputation precedes. Yu Xier’s actions this time seemed no different from a provocation. They weren’t even in the same small circle, and this provocative gesture stirred things up.

The weather was a bit muggy, and Ah Shi fanned herself by pulling open her collar. “I told you so, right? With Yu Xier’s personality, she’s bound to offend someone sooner or later. This time, nothing major happened, which is just right for her to learn a lesson.”

Lu Wuke chuckled at her words but didn’t say anything. If it were a serious issue, Ah Shi would have been the first to rush out. This person is all talk but soft-hearted.

“But you can’t deny,” Ah Shi continued, clicking her tongue in amazement, “their taste is quite sharp. Just look at Shen Yixi’s face; even just looking at him is a treat, let alone dating someone like him.”

Shen Yixi.

Lu Wuke had heard these three words countless times since she entered Lanjing University; that name has not left her ears for a single day.

Shen Yixi is a senior in her college.

When it comes to this person, aside from that face and the rumors of a strong backing that seem to come from nowhere, the other impression is probably that he changes girlfriends like changing clothes, usually not lasting more than half a month.

Ah Shi said, “But people like this are nice to look at; if you go any further, even a veteran in relationship would get devoured.”

Lu Wuke remained silent, slowly enjoying her lollipop, not knowing what she was thinking.

The two passed by the campus convenience store, and Ah Shi stopped Lu Wuke: “I’m going in to buy some water; if this weather gets any hotter, I might as well think I’m back in summer.”

Lu Wuke waited outside for her, and Ah Shi brought her a bottle of water when she came out. She took it, the plastic bottle cool to the touch.

A black sports car sped by, creating a gust of wind. Ah Shi gulped down some water, her gaze following the car. Lu Wuke glanced over as well. The car stopped at the school gate.

After taking a few sips, Ah Shi capped the bottle and nodded in that direction: “Look, Shen Yixi is here to pick up his girlfriend.”

She tossed the bottle into the trash can: “I’ve heard that the girl he’s with is from your department.”

The person in the car didn’t get out. He just lowered the side window, lazily resting his hand with a cigarette on the edge of the window.

Lu Wukee only glanced at it, but quickly withdrew her gaze and walked in another direction.

“Let’s go.”

=
The classes in the second year are particularly crowded. The afternoon classes are full of people. The weather is gloomy and humid, and many dozed off during the afternoon class.

The teacher on stage spoke in a professional yet dry manner. Lu Wuke listened for the key points of knowledge while listlessly counting the heads of those slumped in front of her. By the time she counted to the fifth head, her phone vibrated under the desk. She put down her pen and reached under the desk to pull out her phone.

There was a missed call from her dad.

Lu Wuke’s expression remained unchanged as she was about to shove the phone back under the desk.

A message popped up.

[Why didn’t you answer Dad’s call? Can’t you see that your dad, a living person, is calling you?]

Lu Wuke had become quite adept at playing dead. Just as she was about to turn off the screen, her dad sent another message.

[Your grandma choked on a hawthorn seed this morning and refuses to go to the hospital for fear of worrying you.]

Her grandma had undergone surgery for stomach cancer a couple of years ago, and her health and appetite were nowhere near what they used to be. It was common for her to choke on food if she wasn’t careful.

She frowned slightly. With a dad like hers, if the old lady didn’t want to go to the hospital, he might very well leave her alone.

Her mother had passed away, leaving just her dad and grandma at home.

She stopped pretending and replied to the message.

[Have you taken her to the hospital? If she refuses, tell her I know.]

Lu Zhiyuan replied quickly.

[How could you not get it? After all, this is your dad’s mom. I even skipped lunch just to take her to the hospital for the test.]

Shortly after, another message came through.

[Just for a check up, it costs over a thousand back and forth. Dad still needs to use that money for business. Can you cover it for now?]

What kind of business can a thousand yuan do? It’s just a way to ask her for money.

Lu Wuke clearly knew that the money that went into Lu Zhiyuan’s pocket would never come back, even if he was her dad. She couldn’t be bothered to say much to him and transferred the money into his account. As soon as Lu Zhiyuan received the money, he disappeared and didn’t send any more messages.

Lu Wuke threw her phone back on the table.

She had several hours of classes in the afternoon and only finished in the evening.

The sun, which had been lingering and reluctant to show itself at Lanjing, finally revealed its face in the evening. The sunset, mixed with shades of gray and white, cast an orange-red glow over the entire teaching building.

The teacher had assigned some homework in the last class, and since Lu Wuke had things to do later that night, she decided to stay in the classroom to finish it.

By the time she completed her homework, most of the people in the lecture hall had already left. Lu Wuke packed her books into her bag, preparing to head back to her dorm.

The classroom was on the fourth floor, and the stairwell door was closed. In the corridor, the sunset stretched her shadow long and thin.

Lu Wuke pushed open the door to the stairwell without a second thought.

Unfortunately, someone rushed out just at that moment.

She hadn’t expected anyone to come out, and her shoulder was bumped hard.

The girl who collided with her quickly apologized, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know someone was outside. Are you okay?”

After shaking her head, Lu Wuke looked up.

The girl in front of her had flushed cheeks, a small cut on her lip, and was tugging at her jacket that had slipped off one shoulder.

When the girl met her gaze, her hand paused for a moment.

What happened inside was conveyed in a glance that spoke volumes.

Her face turned even redder as she shyly smiled at her. There were two small dimples, quite lovely. The girl quickly left, and Lu Wuke’s gaze returned from her back. After standing for a few seconds, she still pushed open the door to the stairwell.

The sunset poured in through the crack of the door.

The wind brought with it a whiff of smoke.

She paused for a moment.

The dark, cramped stairwell slowly revealed the things hidden within.

Ambiguous, reckless.

Lu Wuke saw the boy leaning against the wall. He had a crew cut, and his features were strikingly aggressive. He was quite tall, and his short t-shirt outlined the sharp yet powerful lines unique to this era.

The sunset cast half its glow on his face. He slightly lowered his head, bringing the cigarette to his lips for a deep drag. His cheeks followed suit, inhaling slightly.

It was a rather unrefined action, yet Lu Wuke’s hand paused at the door.

At that moment, the boy also squinted over. His deep-set eyes were filled with weariness, casual and unrestrained.

Lu Wuke had never seen Shen Yixi.

But strangely, at that moment, she had a strong intuition.

This person in front of her was Shen Yixi.