Fever

Was it a dream? Chen Mengchuan's entire body went rigid.

But how could the infinitely gentle sensation in his hands feel so real?

"Mm..." Zhao Wanyu let out a soft moan. Chen Mengchuan felt his heart racing as a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. This was not a dream...

He swallowed. Under the light diffused through the wall between them, Zhao Wanyu's face looked as though it had been cast in dim, soft lighting, breathtakingly beautiful through the haze.

Chen Mengchuan swallowed again, his breathing gradually growing heavier. What was going on...

The next day.

After waking up, Chen Mengchuan felt around beside him. It was empty. Looking up at the half-height partition wall, he could not help recalling that tenderness in the darkness. He shook his head, got up, and dressed.

When he stepped outside, Zhao Wanyu's door was tightly shut. He stretched in the courtyard and loosened up his body. The Xu family's eldest sister-in-law called out to him. She had prepared breakfast for the two of them and asked him to wake Zhao Wanyu.

Feeling somewhat awkward, he walked to her door and knocked. There was no response. He called out, but Zhao Wanyu still did not answer. Chen Mengchuan frowned, returned to his own room, lifted the bedding, stepped onto a plastic square stool, and peered over the wall.

Zhao Wanyu lay still beneath the thick quilt, her brows slightly furrowed and her face visibly flushed.

He immediately climbed over the wall and landed in her room. Reaching out to touch Zhao Wanyu's forehead, he found it scorching hot. She had a fever!

After opening the door, he immediately ran toward the school. There was no village doctor in Balagetu Village, and the nearest hospital was in the city, at least 130 kilometers away. The only person with a medical kit and some medical knowledge was Miss Sonoko. Whenever many of the village children fell ill, Miss Sonoko was the one who treated them.

After rushing into the elementary school, he found Miss Sonoko in the middle of class. Once he explained the situation, Miss Sonoko settled the students and brought her medical kit to the Xu family home with Chen Mengchuan.

Miss Sonoko felt Zhao Wanyu's neck and instructed Chen Mengchuan to fetch hot water. She took out an electronic thermometer and measured her temperature: 40.2°C. Her expression changed. She quickly pulled back some of Zhao Wanyu's quilt just as Chen Mengchuan entered carrying hot water, with the Xu family's eldest sister-in-law arriving after hearing the news.

With the Xu family's eldest sister-in-law helping, Miss Sonoko gave Zhao Wanyu fever medicine.

Seeing Miss Sonoko's serious expression, Chen Mengchuan knew Zhao Wanyu's fever was clearly severe.

"Mengchuan-kun, please help us wipe Miss Wanyu's body," Miss Sonoko instructed. As she spoke, she removed Zhao Wanyu's outer clothes and pajama pants, and the three of them continuously wiped her armpits, neck, and inner thighs with warm water.

After nearly an hour of work, Miss Sonoko took Zhao Wanyu's temperature again.

"39°C... whew." Miss Sonoko let out a sigh of relief.

They then gave Zhao Wanyu plenty of warm water and placed a cold wet towel on her forehead. By noon, her fever had finally gone down.

"Mengchuan-kun, Miss Wanyu's fever has only just subsided. You still need to give her plenty of warm water and make sure she does not get chilled again. Once she sweats, she should recover..." Miss Sonoko gave Chen Mengchuan a few more precautions before returning to the school.

"Thank you, Miss Sonoko..." Chen Mengchuan looked at her seriously. In the memories from that strange dream, Miss Sonoko had usually been independent and strong. No matter what happened, she was always able to analyze and handle it calmly. Yet perhaps because of that, the two of them had often clashed head-on, and before their divorce, they had never truly gotten along harmoniously.

Every argument would lead directly into a cold war. Once, unable to endure it any longer, he had angrily overturned a tea tray and cut the knuckle of his little finger, requiring several stitches. After that fight, he often lost control during arguments and smashed things. He had become the person he once hated most.

Chen Mengchuan tucked away his emotions and memories, then nodded. "All right. I'll take good care of her."

After eating some food brought over by the Xu family's eldest sister-in-law, Chen Mengchuan moved his computer into Zhao Wanyu's room and stayed by her side. He worked while keeping an eye on her condition. Zhao Wanyu woke once in the meantime. After he fed her some plain congee and cornbread, she weakly fell back into a deep sleep.

After evening fell, Zhao Wanyu developed a fever again. The Xu family's eldest sister-in-law called Miss Sonoko over. After another dose of fever medicine, they once again worked to bring down her temperature. Looking at the frail Zhao Wanyu and Miss Sonoko beside her, Chen Mengchuan felt a complicated mix of emotions.

After the fever subsided again, Miss Sonoko told Chen Mengchuan that if Zhao Wanyu developed another fever in the middle of the night, he should first give her fever medicine and wipe down her body. If the fever still did not go down, he should come find her again. Chen Mengchuan nodded, his gaze toward her filled with complicated emotions.

Though she did not understand what his look meant, Miss Sonoko still smiled, said goodbye, and returned to the school.

At a little past nine that night, Sun Zhongyong called.

"Brother Sun."

"Mengchuan, I quoted Xia Science Academy 6.1 million, but Guo Siming is only willing to offer 3 million. We've discussed it several times, but he won't budge. What do you think?" Sun Zhongyong asked.

Chen Mengchuan took a deep breath, glanced at Zhao Wanyu on the bed, and said to Sun Zhongyong, "Brother Sun, I'll call Guo Siming. Wait for my news."

"All right." Sun Zhongyong hung up after saying that.

Chen Mengchuan removed the number Guo Siming had used to call him last from the blacklist and dialed it.

Over in Xi'an City, the Nokia in Guo Siming's assistant's hand suddenly rang.

The moment he saw the number, he immediately handed the phone to Guo Siming. "Brother Guo, it's Chen Mengchuan."

Guo Siming answered with a grim expression.

"Guo Siming, 6.1 million Huaxia Yuan. One yuan less, and don't even think about having me repair the core structure inside Xuan Yuan for you. Think it over before calling me back." Chen Mengchuan's cold voice came through the phone.

Guo Siming froze, and then there was only the busy signal left on the phone...

"Chen Mengchuan, you fucking bully! Ahhh!" Guo Siming completely lost it in rage, roaring as he viciously smashed the phone to the floor. The Nokia shattered into pieces once again.

A faint smile flashed across the assistant's face as he adjusted his glasses.

After hanging up, Chen Mengchuan heard Zhao Wanyu's sickly voice from the bed.

"You were pretty fierce."

Chen Mengchuan looked at her, a trace of embarrassment flashing across his face.

"If you're still polite to your enemies, then you're just stupid." In that strange dream, he had had a huge fight with his father over going to Xia Science Academy to fix that bug. After he fixed it, that old bastard Guo Zhidong had even called his father personally. Chen Mengchuan did not know what he said, but it had angered Father Chen so badly that his high blood pressure sent him to the hospital.

"So the rumors about Xia Science Academy are true?" Zhao Wanyu asked as she struggled to sit up.

Chen Mengchuan set down the phone, walked over, and helped her up.

"What rumors?" Chen Mengchuan poured a cup of warm water and held it to Zhao Wanyu's lips.

"I can do it myself..." Zhao Wanyu weakly stretched out both hands and took hold of the cup.

Chen Mengchuan tucked her hands back under the quilt. "Forget it. If you catch a chill again, I'll have to look after you in the middle of the night."

"Sorry for the trouble." Zhao Wanyu nodded drowsily and obediently took small sips of water.

After finishing the water, Zhao Wanyu continued, "You don't know? Everyone in the circle has been saying that the Guo Family stole your credit, that you made a huge scene at Xia Science Academy, then slapped a resignation letter right onto Vice President Guo's face at the academy."

"It's true that they stole my credit, but I didn't make a scene at Xia Science Academy, and I didn't slap anyone in the face. I'm a cultured man." Chen Mengchuan shook his head dismissively. Twenty years later, once the aliens arrived, humanity would be wiped out. How could he have the mood to care about any of this?

"Haha." Zhao Wanyu was amused by his claim to be a cultured man and started coughing.

"You should lie down."

Zhao Wanyu gave an affirmative hum and obediently lay back down, wrapping herself tightly in the quilt.

Chen Mengchuan stepped forward and touched her forehead. It was still a little hot, so he changed the towel on her forehead.

"Brother Chuan."

"Mm?" Chen Mengchuan glanced at her.

"Do I have a girlfriend?" Zhao Wanyu looked at him seriously.

"Ahem, no." Chen Mengchuan shook his head. In this timeline, he had been a single man for twenty-eight years.

Zhao Wanyu said softly, "You like Miss Sonoko, don't you? The first day you met her, your eyes gave you away."

Chen Mengchuan looked at her in surprise. Was it a woman's miraculous sixth sense?

"It's not what you think." Chen Mengchuan shook his head. The countless pains in that strange dream had made him clearly realize that he and Miss Sonoko were not suited for each other. There were too many complicated factors entangled between them.

Seeing Chen Mengchuan shake his head, Zhao Wanyu felt an inexplicable burst of joy in her heart.

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