Fever Break - Chasing Someone

The solo performance of Lu Wuke was placed in a position neither at the beginning nor at the end of the program list. While the Principal on stage was still speaking, they had already been called by the staff to wait backstage.

Lu Wuke was in a hurry to leave in the morning, and since her phone was never important to her, she forgot to bring it. Everyone else waiting with her was fiddling with their phones, but she didn’t have one.

The further along the program, the more serious it became; it was either recitation or choir singing.

Most of the performances had no fewer than four or five people, and everyone was in groups, making Lu Wuke seem a bit lonely. However, she didn’t seem like someone who wanted to talk to anyone. In the middle of waiting, she went to the bathroom and unexpectedly ran into Yu Xier, who was smoking by the window inside.

Yu Xier heard the sound of water and turned her head to look over. She had her hair styled in a messy braid and wore exaggerated smoky makeup. Fortunately, she was good-looking and wasn’t dragged down by this deathly appearance.

Yu Xier is majoring in music, and with this setup, it looks like she’s going to perform rock.

In her impression, Ah Shi once told her that Yu Xier was the best at playing the piano.

The last time the two met was when Yu Xier’s phone was knocked out of her hand on the balcony. These past few days, Yu Xier hasn’t been staying in the dorm much, and even Jiang Qing doesn’t know where she went. Don’t know what had happened to this little princess, but recently she seemed like a different person.

The two of them had no grievances or grudges, so they naturally nodded to each other as a form of greeting.

Lu Wuke was at the sink, turning on the faucet to wash her hands. This is the third floor, and the bathroom seems to be drafty. The wind blows against Lu Wuke’s skirt, a thin layer of gauze and a petticoat clinging to her delicate white ankles. She wore a small anklet on her ankle, silver and delicate.

Yu Xier shifted her gaze from her foot and asked her, “Did you bring painkillers?”

Lu Wuke never expected her to ask this. She looked at her through the mirror. She then realized that Yu Xier looked unusually pale.

After asking, Yu Xier felt she had asked a pointless question. Who carries painkillers around for no reason? Unlike her, who has been going crazy every day lately.

She said to Lu Wuke, “Forget it, pretend I didn’t ask.” After saying that, she looked out the window.

Looking at it, it was clear she was still that little princess.

Lu Wuke didn’t ask her what was wrong, but instead asked her, “Can I borrow your phone?”

Yu Xier withdrew her gaze from the window: “You didn’t bring your phone?”

She nodded.

Although Yu Xier had a difficult temper, her personality was quite straightforward. She took her phone out of her pocket and said, “Sure, go ahead and use it.”

Lu Wuke walked over and took her phone: “Thank you.”

Although Yu Xier was wearing heavy makeup, her voice was still quite arrogant, just like usual.

“No need”

Lu Wuke turned on the phone to make a call. On the screen was a photo of Yu Xier and a man. The photo was probably taken by Yu Xier; in it, she is smiling like a blooming flower, while the man, who seems somewhat reluctant to take the picture, has an expression that can’t quite be described as impatient, but he doesn’t look happy either.

Lu Wuke did not know this man, but when he looked up, he saw Yu Xier staring at the photo. She remembered the incident about Yu Xier that had been spread around before.

The conflict between her and her friend was caused by the Mechanical Engineering Department heartthrob, Shen Yixi, whom both of them liked.

It’s obvious that Yu Xier likes the guy in this photo.

It’s not the kind of liking that is just for fun; it’s something that has accumulated over time and is ingrained in her bones.

Lu Wuke saw her lost in thought but didn’t say anything.

Instead, Yu Xier herself had been lost in thought, took her phone, and said, “I forgot to change it, wait a moment.”

She changed the screen to the system wallpaper and then handed it back to Lu Wuke.

Lu Wuke didn’t go outside to make the call; instead, she directly dialed Ah Shi’s number.

On the other end, Ah Shi quickly answered, “Hello.”

Lu Wuke didn’t introduce herself and asked her, “Are you awake?”

On the other end, Ah Shi said “Eh,” probably moving the phone away to see the caller ID, then putting it back to her ear: “Lu Wuke, did you change your number?”

“No,” Lu Wuke said, “I used Yu Xier’s phone to call.”

Ah Shi and Yu Xier don’t get along well; they used to bicker every day whenever they met in the dorm.

People say you can’t get to know someone without fighting, but for Ah Shi and Yu Xier, it’s more like you can’t get to know someone without cursing. She might be the person Yu Xier most familiar with in the dormitory.

Ah Shi’s mouth probably couldn’t stand not criticizing Yu Xier for a few minutes: “How unusual, the little princess with her obsession with cleanliness is actually willing to lend her phone to someone today. It’s like the sun rising in the west.”

There was an echo in the bathroom, and Yu Xier heard Ashi’s words loud and clear. They could argue no matter where they were, including now.

Yu Xier said, “Xu Wanrou, are you afraid I can’t hear you? Shout a little louder.”

Lu Wuke was very speechless towards the two of them. After listening to the two of them exchange a few barbs without any real impact, Lu Wuke forcefully interrupted the conflict between the two women.

She asked Ah Shi, “Are you coming over?”

“Just a moment, we’re leaving as soon as Jiang Qing puts on her shoes.”

Lu Wuke said, “Later, when you pass by the infirmary, help me buy some medicine.”

The campus infirmary is over there by the Orchid Garden, and the way to the auditorium just happens to pass by there. As soon as Ah Shi heard this, she got anxious: “What’s wrong, Lu Wuke? Are you okay?”

By the window, Yu Xier raised an eyebrow when she heard Lu Wuke asking to buy medicine.

She thought Lu Wuke was going to help.

However, the next second, when Lu Wuke spoke, it proved that she was overthinking.

She told Ah Shi that she had a bit of a headache and asked her to help buy some medicine for it.

After finishing, she didn’t hang up the phone and directly handed it to Yu Xier.

Yu Xier was puzzled.

Lu Wuke said, “Aren’t you looking for painkillers? You tell her.”

Yu Xier found it amusing.

Lu Wuke looked so innocent and well-behaved, but it turns out she was so good at setting traps for people.

Ah Shi is over there asking who needs painkillers.

Lu Wuke just handed over the phone for her to take.

Yu Xier clicked her tongue, took the phone, and said to Ah Shi on the other end, “It’s me.”

On the other end, Ah Shi was silent for a while, probably not realizing what was happening.

Yu Xier said, “What’s wrong? If you don’t want to, don’t buy it.”

“No,” Ah Shi said, “why do you need to take painkillers? These might even be prescription meds; the school doctor won’t give them to you without a reason.”

This question seemed difficult for Yu Xier to answer. She lowered her eyes and, after a long pause, finally spoke up, “Just say a tattoo wound got infected.”

Ah Shi said, “Okay, Jiang Qing and I are out now, I’ll hang up.”

“Okay.”

It’s rare for the two of them to be so calm and peaceful, thanks to Lu Wuke.

Thinking of Lu Wuke, Yu Xier then realized she was gone, not knowing when she had left. She threw the cigarette butt into the trash can and got up to leave the restroom.

=

The school auditorium is on the third floor. On their way there, Shen Yixi and Qi Siming encountered a group of people. After a few of them went up, they chose a spot in the middle and sat down.

They arrived a bit late, and by then, most of the principal’s pointless speech on stage had already passed.

People like Qi Siming never get bored no matter what they do. Sitting cross-legged, he would retort to every word the principal said, having a great time by himself.

Shen Yixi was so annoyed by him that he kicked his leg and laughed, “Are you f**king sick?”

Qi Siming dodged with a grin, “Isn’t this just finding a bit of fun for myself? You know, if a beautiful woman comes up right now, I wouldn’t need to find fun with my mouth. My eyes could find it on their own, even find the big one.”

In broad daylight, this guy is making dirty jokes.

Shen Yixi just smiled upon hearing it, and the words that came out of his mouth were not very serious.

“How big?”

Qi Siming spread his hand to show him, made a grabbing motion in the air, and raised an eyebrow at Shen Yixi: “How is it, is it big?”

This aisle seat isn’t wide, and the two men, both over 1.8 meters tall, have nowhere to place their long legs. Shen Yixi leaned back in the soft chair, his long legs spread out comfortably, glanced at his hand, and said, “Not bad, that feels good.”

After saying that, the two of them laughed so hard that the chair shook, and the girl sitting in front of them turned red from listening.

Boys at this age are not much different from their high school days, loving to cause trouble and being quite cheeky. When the principal finished his speech, Qi Siming shouted hoarsely amidst the applause, “Principal, I love you!”

The entire auditorium burst into laughter in an instant.

After the principal finished the speech then the student representative, afterward the program started with those recitations and choir performances.

Qi Siming kept yawning next to him, almost falling asleep.

As early as the student representative came up, Shen Yixi put on his headphones and started playing games.

The art performance is basically a stage for singing and dancing, and for a while, there are several consecutive acts of dancing and singing.

There are many pretty young girls here. Qi Siming and the other guys sat, watching and chatting aimlessly. Whenever they saw a pretty girl, they would ask around which department she was from.

Before long, the Dance Department came up, and Qi Siming immediately spotted Yan Yingying standing at the front.

This woman truly stands out from the crowd.

No wonder she’s the ex-girlfriend of that guy surnamed Shen next to him.

Qi Siming glanced at Shen Yixi, who was playing a game with his arms resting on the armrests beside him, and nudged him with his elbow.

“Hey, Yi Ge.”

Shen Yixi was working quickly with his hands, but his tone was lazy: “Spit it out if you have something to say.”

Qi Siming teasingly said, “Look at that person on stage.”

Shen Yixi only lifted his eyelids upon hearing this.

On stage, those female dancers were wearing crop tops that exposed their navels and short shorts, and in the middle stood Yan Yingying.

Shen Yixi, however, seemed disinterested, glancing at them briefly before lowering his gaze back to the game in his hands.

Qi Siming was deeply shocked: “Fu*k, Brother Yi, when did you become so indifferent to worldly desires?”

Shen Yixi didn’t even lift an eyelid, snorting with a laugh, “Which eye of yours sees that I’m indifferent?”

The man leaned in and started making lewd jokes in no time. Qi Siming laughed and said, “I’ll try to get under your bed someday.”

Shen Yixi laughed and kicked him away, saying, “Get lost.”

Qi Siming, kicked in the leg, laughed so hard his body shook and then asked him, “Didn’t you say you were here to catch someone? I haven’t seen you talking to any woman lately, I thought you were still thinking of Yan Yingying.”

Shen Yixi just chuckled and didn’t say anything.

“Ge, spill it,” Qi Siming said with a look of eager curiosity, “Who did you set your sights on this time? Is she prettier than Yan Yingying?”

Shen Yixi looked like he didn’t want to say anything: “Guess?”

“I don’t give a damn about guessing. I haven’t seen you flirting with any woman lately.”

Shen Yixi smiled, noncommittal.

On stage, the dance reached its climax, with colorful lasers and music loud enough to almost shatter eardrums.

Yan Yingying’s seductive move elicited a round of cheers, so loud it almost lifted the ceiling.

Shen Yixi, however, propped his legs up as if he hadn’t heard anything and continued playing his game.

Qi Siming shook his head and clicked his tongue twice, “So fu*king heartless.”

He looked like he came here just to play games, winning one round after another, at most just glancing at the beginning of each game. After finishing the game at hand, he rested his hand on the back of his neck and turned his head, reaching for his cigarette pack only to remember that this was indoors. He simply leaned back, resting the back of his neck on the soft chair, and looked up at the stage.

On the stage a skit performed by two unknown departments, with their awkward jokes, amused the audience below.

Shen Yixi seemed to have just started watching the show at this point, or rather, he was waiting for something, having no time to bother with anyone.

There are only about twenty or thirty performances, and by now at least a dozen have already aired. At the beginning, the audience was still interested, but as the show progressed, their enthusiasm waned, and the applause diminished a few notches.

In the middle, a magic show came on stage, instantly reviving the excitement in the auditorium. When the magic show ended and various props were cleared off the stage, everyone below was clearly still captivated, whispering and chatting excitedly.

When the host announced the next program, Qi Siming and the others were still there discussing how the red heart King card had disappeared, and no one paid attention to what the person on stage was saying. Only Shen Yixi seemed to have heard something interesting and lifted his eyelids.

After the host finished announcing, the stage lights suddenly went out.

In the center of the stage, a figure could be faintly seen.

Shen Yixi stared at her back.

She stood quietly there with her back to the crowd, wearing a white gown that reached her ankles.

A sense of vulnerability that crawls out from deep within.

So beautiful it makes people want to destroy it.

Shen Yixi chuckled, no longer paying attention to what the people around him were saying. He leaned back in the soft chair, staring straight at her.

The guzheng and pipa duet slowly flowed out, but the sound was too faint; even Qi Siming and his friends’ voices were louder than this.

Shen Yixi clicked his tongue, sat there, and kicked Qi Siming’s foot: “Stop fucking around.”

Qi Siming looked bewildered, not knowing where he had offended him: “Yo, bro, where did I get in your way?”

Shen Yixi glanced at him, a smile in his voice, and said.

“It’s bothering me from watching a woman.”

“Fu*k?”

Qi Siming finally came to his senses and looked towards the stage, “That one on stage?”

He hissed, “Let me see what kind of celestial being it takes to enchant you like this, to the point where you can sit here so obediently watching this lousy performance.”

Shen Yixi was speaking to him, but his eyes were fixed on the stage, his tone lazy and indifferent: “Keep quiet of your own mouth.”

Lu Wuke wore a fitted white gauze dress, adorned with delicate floral patterns. A few strands of hair adorned with small silver chains are woven into a braid, mixed with black hair. She stepped on the stage barefoot, her whole body seeming weightless. Under the stage lights, her skin was as white as if it had been drenched in milk.

Qi Siming watched the movements that seemed boneless and said, “It seems she studied this before.”

He asked Shen Yixi, “Is this one from the dance department again?”

Shen Yixi stared at the shadow cast by the interplay of light and darkness.

“Not, just a good student.”

Qi Siming listened to this and was puzzled: “No?”

From their position, it was a bit difficult to see the person’s face clearly. He leaned forward, squinting to get a better look: “But she must have trained for this, right? Damn, her waist is so flexible.”

Shen Yixi looked at her waist upon hearing this.

It’s quite soft.

Some places, however, are not small.

He tilted his head and chuckled.

No one doesn’t love looking at beautiful women; many people below were staring intently.

By the time the song was almost over, Qi Siming increasingly felt something wrong and hissed, “That face looks a bit familiar.”

As Lu Wuke stepped off the stage at the last moment, he stared incredulously with wide eyes amidst the applause: “Fu*k, the Milk Tea girl?”

Beside him, Shen Yixi had already stood up from his chair. He looked at Shen Yixi and asked, “Where are you going?”

Shen Yixi lifted his eyelids to watch the person disappear behind the curtain, as if he were stalking prey.

He chuckled, turned around, and casually walked outside.

“Chasing someone.”