Early the next morning, the air was humid and oppressively warm.
At ten o’clock, the sky was grey and overcast. Heavy clouds hung low over the sea, as though a torrential downpour could begin at any moment.
Zhou Wu was doing his morning run on the treadmill when a WeChat message arrived.
**Qin Yun: Brother, I heard a typhoon is coming. Dou Yiqing and I might not be able to take the boat back until the day after tomorrow.**
**Zhou Wu: All right.**
**Qin Yun: ?**
**Zhou Wu: ?**
Qin Yun sent a voice message.
“No, I thought I’d sent the message to the wrong person and accidentally messaged Wen Ci. What’s with that tone? ‘All right’?”
He deliberately imitated the final two words in an affected, irritating voice.
Zhou Wu scoffed and held down the voice-message button.
“Get lost.”
**Qin Yun: Ah. That sounds right.**
After Zhou Wu finished showering, the bedroom door happened to open.
Wen Ci came out wearing his jacket.
Her eyelids drooped listlessly, and her lips were pale. When she saw him, she was about to greet him, but the moment she opened her mouth, she abruptly turned her head, covered her face and sneezed twice.
“Sorry.”
Wen Ci’s voice was slightly hoarse.
“Maybe because I drank yesterday, I feel a little unwell…”
Before she could finish, Zhou Wu suddenly moved closer.
Wen Ci had not yet reacted when their foreheads touched.
Zhou Wu had just showered, so his skin was cool.
Wen Ci had felt dizzy and sluggish from the moment she woke. Smelling the fresh, cold mint scent of his body wash somehow made her feel slightly better.
“It isn’t because of the alcohol,” Zhou Wu said. “You have a slight fever, Ms Wen.”
“…”
Wen Ci instinctively covered her mouth, attempting to prevent the virus from spreading.
Their faces were so close that the back of her hand brushed Zhou Wu’s nose.
She quickly stepped backwards.
“My fault. We won’t do it outside again.”
Zhou Wu did not seem concerned.
He pressed a hand against her cheek. It was even hotter than her forehead.
“There’s breakfast on the table. Eat something. I’ll have medicine delivered.”
“There’s no need,” Wen Ci hurriedly said. “I brought a medical kit. There’s medicine inside.”
Zhou Wu nodded.
“Is it in your room? I’ll get it.”
“I can go myself.”
Wen Ci kept her hand over her mouth, making her voice muffled.
“I’ll take breakfast back with me too, so I don’t infect you.”
“If you were going to infect me, you would have done it already.”
Zhou Wu rejected her suggestion, pulled her hand down and gestured towards the dining table with his chin.
“Go and eat breakfast.”
Because of the fever, Wen Ci had little appetite.
Just as she put down her chopsticks, Zhou Wu returned with the medical kit.
He told her to lie down again, took out a brand-new thermometer supplied by the hotel, disinfected it and said, “Open your mouth.”
Half lying beneath the covers, Wen Ci obediently opened her mouth and held it beneath her tongue.
Her medical kit was small but fully stocked.
Zhou Wu took out several boxes of medicine.
While telling her that Dou Yiqing would not be able to return until the day after tomorrow, he read the indications and precautions printed on the boxes.
“Mngh.”
Wen Ci made an indistinct sound that appeared to be his name.
Zhou Wu raised his head.
Burning-hot fingers brushed his ear, and a disposable mask appeared over his face.
“…”
Zhou Wu laughed.
“Did you put it on the wrong person?”
Wen Ci pointed towards the thermometer in her mouth, indicating that speaking was currently inconvenient.
When enough time had passed, Zhou Wu removed it and checked.
38.9 degrees Celsius.
A high fever.
“It isn’t because we… did that outside yesterday.”
Wen Ci was slightly muddled from the fever and explained sluggishly, “I’ve always fallen ill easily. Maybe changing locations so suddenly gave me trouble adjusting.”
“I’ll be fine after taking medicine and sleeping for a while.”
Zhou Wu selected several medicines and handed them to her with warm water.
“If the fever hasn’t gone down in two hours, we’re going to the hospital.”
Wen Ci swallowed the medicine without much care.
She picked up another mask and was about to unwrap it when Zhou Wu took it away.
“It’ll be uncomfortable to breathe while wearing one. I’ll wear it instead.”
Zhou Wu’s tone was casual.
“Same effect.”
Wen Ci’s mind was working slowly at that moment.
Strangely, his reasoning sounded almost sensible.
She began rummaging through the medical kit again.
Zhou Wu was about to ask what she wanted when a packet of Banlangen granules was pushed into his palm.
“Zhou Wu, can you dissolve this and drink it? It might prevent you from catching it.”
Wen Ci sniffed.
Her congested voice made her words unclear.
Both she and her voice sounded pitiful.
Zhou Wu disliked taking medicine and had intended to refuse.
After hearing her, he decided he might as well drink it.
“All right, teacher.”
…
Wen Ci had not been lying.
She genuinely had a constitution that made her prone to illness. Whenever influenza spread, she was almost guaranteed to catch it.
Fortunately, the effect was rarely serious.
At worst, she would develop a fever, and she usually recovered after sleeping for half a day.
Not wanting to trouble Zhou Wu by going to the hospital, Wen Ci endured her headache and forced herself to sleep.
But she had not been lying down long when her mother’s video call appeared.
After seeing who was calling, Wen Ci instinctively declined it.
A message arrived immediately.
**Mother: Isn’t today a rest day for the training course?**
Wen Ci endured her headache and tried to remember.
It seemed that it was.
She stared at the lie she had just typed in the chat box and felt incredibly grateful that being ill had slowed her typing enough to prevent her from sending it.
Her mother called again.
Since she was lying in bed, there should not be anything suspicious in the background.
After hesitating, Wen Ci answered.
“Why are you still sleeping at this time?”
When Mother Wen saw the background on Wen Ci’s side, she sounded surprised.
“Why does your complexion look so poor? Are you ill?”
Wen Ci had intended to hide it, but her mother noticed immediately.
She could only nod.
“I have a slight cold. I’ve already taken medicine, so I should recover soon.”
“How did you catch a cold? I checked the weather where you are, and it looked perfectly fine—”
The moment Mother Wen finished speaking, a dull clap of thunder sounded outside.
Mother and daughter fell silent.
“Is it raining over there?” Mother Wen asked suspiciously.
Wen Ci’s heart pounded.
She did not know whether it was from the fever or her guilty conscience.
“Mm. It’s a sunshower.”
“Mum, let’s stop talking for now. I want to sleep for a while.”
“…All right. It’s only a training course, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
“If you’re still ill tomorrow, ask the instructor for leave.”
“All right.”
After ending the video call, Wen Ci released a long breath.
“Lying again.”
Zhou Wu’s lazy voice sounded from nearby.
Wen Ci froze.
Only then did she realise that he was still in the room.
He sat at the desk beside the window with a laptop in front of him.
It appeared that he had never left.
He looked at her with an amused expression.
“Ms Wen, whenever you behave like this, you make us seem as though we’re having an affair.”
“Aren’t we?” Wen Ci asked in return.
Zhou Wu had not expected her to say that.
He remained silent for a moment before the corner of his mouth lifted subtly.
“I suppose it is somewhat similar.”
Only after ending the call did Wen Ci notice that Dou Yiqing had sent her a voice message, also explaining that the typhoon meant she could not return.
Wen Ci coughed lightly twice and tried to make her voice sound normal.
“Zhou Wu already told me. Be careful on the island and stay away from the sea.”
When she put down her phone, Zhou Wu asked, “You aren’t telling her?”
Wen Ci shook her head.
“There’s no need to worry her. By the time she returns, my fever should already be gone.”
Zhou Wu nodded.
He walked over, picked up the thermometer and lazily instructed, “Open your mouth. Let’s check again.”
…
“Why does Wen Ci’s voice sound strange?”
On the boat, Dou Yiqing lifted the voice message and played it beside her ear again.
“That’s enough. Stop acting like an anxious mother.”
Qin Yun sat lazily beside her with his arms folded.
It was raining outside, and the wind and waves were strong enough to make them sway back and forth.
“You’re going to see her soon. Was it really necessary to put on an entire performance beforehand?”
“It’s called laying the groundwork. Do you understand? Otherwise, how can it be a surprise?”
They had originally planned to wait until the typhoon passed before returning.
Unexpectedly, an employee had approached them an hour earlier and explained that two passengers had cancelled their tickets on the final boat before the typhoon, leaving exactly two places available.
There was little point staying when the typhoon meant they could not enjoy any water activities.
Dou Yiqing had immediately decided to return.
“Are you sure it’ll be a surprise and not a shock?” Qin Yun asked. “What if Wen Ci has other plans tonight?”
“What plans could Wen Ci possibly have when I’m not there?”
Dou Yiqing knew her friend extremely well.
She bumped Qin Yun’s leg with her knee.
“Hold my fish properly. Don’t let them die. Do you have any idea how difficult they were to catch?”
Fish, fish, fish.
Apart from those two stupid fish, did she remember anything else?
After remaining speechless for a while, Qin Yun turned and asked for what felt like the hundredth time, “Dou Yiqing, do you genuinely not remember what happened the night before last?”
“I remember now.”
Qin Yun froze and immediately sat upright.
“Really?”
Dou Yiqing hummed and turned to meet his eyes.
“I got drunk and beat you up that night, right? Just tell me how much you want for medical expenses.”
“…”
Dou Yiqing looked him up and down.
“You don’t appear injured. If you dare demand an outrageous amount, we’ll go to the hospital and get an official injury assessment.”
“…”
“This is your final opportunity. Give me a number before we get off the boat.”
Dou Yiqing spoke mercilessly.
“Once we disembark, I won’t acknowledge any medical-expense claims you make afterwards.”
Qin Yun’s tone was sincere.
“Dou Yiqing, you really are brain-dead.”
Dou Yiqing immediately began throwing punches.
Qin Yun protected his arm and shouted, “Hitting me won’t change anything! Dou Yiqing! You’re a shameless scoundrel! A coward! You dare to do it but won’t admit it—don’t f*cking hit my face!”
The two returned to the resort before the typhoon arrived.
Dou Yiqing forcefully pushed open the villa door and raised the large bag of lively fish in her hand.
“Ta-da! Wen Ci! Look at everything I caught—”
The living room was empty and silent.
Dou Yiqing went upstairs, pushed open Wen Ci’s bedroom door and tried again.
“Surprise—”
Still no one.
Even the bedding was neatly arranged.
Confused, Dou Yiqing lowered her head and messaged Wen Ci.
There was no reply.
She called, but no one answered.
So she messaged Zhou Wu and asked whether he knew where Wen Ci was.
He did not reply either.
Dou Yiqing circled the villa twice without finding anyone.
After hesitating, she decided to check Zhou Wu’s villa.
…
After taking the fever medicine, Wen Ci slept extremely deeply.
Her phone kept vibrating beside her pillow, gradually pulling her back towards consciousness.
She remained on the edge between waking and sleeping.
In her daze, she heard the bedroom door open and footsteps approach.
Fingers gently touched her cheek.
Throughout the afternoon, Zhou Wu had frequently checked her temperature this way.
His touch was very light—too light to wake her—but Wen Ci could vaguely sense it.
So Wen Ci reached out and caught the other person’s hand.
She pressed her cheek into their palm as proof.
“I think my fever is gone, Zhou Wu.”
After sleeping all afternoon, her voice was barely more than a murmur.
The next second, she sniffed and quietly asked, “…Can you smell fish?”
And was she still half asleep?
Zhou Wu’s hand seemed to have become smaller.
Wen Ci waited, but received no answer.
The hand she held remained completely still.
So she opened her eyes—
And met Dou Yiqing’s stunned, disbelieving gaze.
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