Chapter 154 The Strange Next-Door Neighbor

Qu He's high fever came on suddenly and only gradually subsided on the second day.

She couldn't remember what time she arrived at Yujia Ferry last night; she only remembered that after Director Lian helped her to her room, everything suddenly went black.

Before losing consciousness, she vaguely seemed to hear Zhuang Bieyan's voice again.

Urgent yet vague.

I can't tell if it's reality or an illusion.

During this fever, she felt like she had turned into a roast duck, being roasted in an oven.

From head to toe, even my breath felt hot; it was as if I was bound by something, unable to breathe.

But strangely, I could always feel a cool sensation brushing across my forehead and slowly landing on my arm.

Half-asleep, I could hear the intermittent conversation between Director Lian and Teacher Qu.

"Why hasn't it gone down yet? Her temperature is so high. Could it be... like that time when she was a child?" Lian Juping's voice was filled with unconcealed worry.

"Don't scare yourself. The doctor said that you'll be fine after resting well after the IV drip. You watch over Ahe, I'll go cook."

Although Qu Jiafeng said this, one could still hear the anxiety he was suppressing.

Once the high fever finally subsided, the heavy restraints on my body also disappeared.

Qu He slowly opened her eyes and saw Director Lian sitting by the bed, his head against the wall, dozing off little by little.

Her hand was held tightly by Director Lian.

Qu Hedong slightly moved her finger, and Director Lian immediately woke up.

Her eyes showed signs of fatigue and bloodshotness from lack of rest, but those signs of fatigue vanished instantly when she saw Qu He's eyes gradually clearing.

Seeing the undisguised fatigue on her face, Qu He felt a lump in her throat, grabbed her hand tightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "Director Lian, you seem to have aged a little."

Lian Juping was stunned, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She gently patted Qu He's hand, deliberately putting on a stern face and scolding with a smile, "Nonsense, I think you're delirious from the fever, you haven't woken up yet! Your mother is forever eighteen."

Qu He looked at her trying to keep up her spirits and couldn't help but smile. Her throat was dry from the high fever, and she laughed softly.

Even Ju Ping laughed along.

I had barely chuckled twice when hurried footsteps came from the doorway.

Qu Jiafeng, wearing an apron covered in flour and holding a spatula, asked in a flustered manner, "What's wrong? What's wrong? Is Ahe feeling unwell again?"

He rushed in and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the mother and daughter smiling at each other.

My shoulders, which had been tense for a day and a night, finally relaxed, and I started to laugh.

The flour on the spatula gradually fell to the floor and was blown away by the wind.

Qu He's illness came and went so suddenly.

The first typhoon of the year gradually weakened after its furious outburst.

As the sky gradually brightened, everything returned to calm.

The golden autumn of September is filled with the fragrance of osmanthus.

In the courtyard, the osmanthus tree that Teacher Qu planted had petals scattered all over the ground after being battered by the typhoon.

Director Lian was heartbroken.

These past two days, I've been carrying a small winnowing basket, collecting the "stubborn" osmanthus blossoms from the tree, saying I'm going to make osmanthus jam.

Qu He leaned against the window of her room, lazily looking down.

Watching the elderly couple in the yard, one complaining that the other's flower-collecting movements were too rough, and the other grumbling about the other getting in the way, Qu He felt a long-lost sense of peace and warmth from their mutual dislike yet tacit understanding.

The panic caused by public opinion and the grievances of being deceived seemed to be quietly soothed by the sense of life and warmth of this courtyard.

She turned her gaze to the neighboring yard.

Two unfamiliar cars were parked in front of the long-abandoned courtyard, and several people in work clothes were moving things, making quite a commotion.

Qu He wanted to take a closer look, but then Director Lian's voice came through.

"Stop looking, it's windy, go back to your room."

Forced by Director Lian's stern authority, Qu He stuck out her tongue and obediently closed the window.

The fever has subsided, I feel much better, and I'm much more alert.

My mind is at peace now.

She deliberately avoided touching her bloody wounds, savoring this hard-won peace.

During this time, Si Yue called her.

She was told that Zhuang Bieyan had posted several clarification posts on Weibo, stating that he had never dated Yan Shu and presented evidence to prove that his relationship with Yan Shu was always that of a sponsor and a sponsored individual.

All related trending topics on Weibo disappeared overnight.

Those marketing accounts that had previously spread rumors and insulted her all received lawyer's letters from the legal department of the Zhuang Group.

Qu He listened quietly, her heart completely unmoved.

After waking up, she uninstalled Weibo and also deactivated the SIM card that had been bombarded with harassing phone calls.

Now, besides Si Yue, only Director Lian, Teacher Qu, and Teacher Qi Mo have her new contact information.

Since she woke up, neither Director Lian nor Teacher Qu mentioned Zhuang Bieyan in front of her.

But Quhe had already made up her mind: this marriage, which began with deception, should end.

Since Zhuang Bieyan treated her as a substitute for Yan Shu, he wove a seemingly affectionate dream with lies.

She doesn't want this man anymore.

The day I fully recovered, the sun was shining brightly.

Qu He went downstairs for breakfast, and then she heard clanging noises from next door again.

"What's going on next door? There's been so much noise these past few days."

She asked casually, but Director Lian's hand holding the plate trembled slightly. His tone was normal, "Oh, the new neighbors are moving. Never mind them, hurry up and take your medicine after you finish eating."

"Okay," Qu He replied obediently, holding the porridge bowl, and said sweetly, "Thank you, my beautiful eighteen-year-old mother."

"You're such a chatterbox," Director Lian scolded playfully, but his eyes held a smile.

After breakfast, Qu He helped clear the dishes when Zhou Shi'an arrived.

He was wearing a simple white short-sleeved shirt and khaki overalls, with a straw hat hanging on his back, clearly having just come from a vineyard.

“Teacher Lian,” he said with a smile as he walked in, handing over two gift boxes, “the grapes at home are ripe, and my mom asked me to bring over two boxes for you to try.”

Lian Juping couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to take out two jars of freshly made osmanthus jam from the refrigerator as a return gift.

"This is freshly made osmanthus jam. Take it back for your mom to try. It's perfect for mixing with water."

"Thank you, Teacher Lian."

Even though Lian Juping wanted him to stay longer, Zhou Shi'an politely declined with a smile.

"Qu He, go and see Shi An off quickly."

"Oh, okay."

Qu He agreed, picked up the two jars of osmanthus jam, and led Zhou Shi'an outside.

At home, she dressed casually in a simple white polka-dot dress with a square neckline, the fitted waist perfectly accentuating her figure.

She walked ahead, her steps light and quick, her skirt swaying slightly with her movements.

A breeze blew, causing her skirt to flutter slightly, and osmanthus blossoms fell softly in the courtyard.

The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafts gently through the air.

It transformed into an invisible sweet thread between the two.

Zhou Shi'an silently followed half a step behind her.

The sunlight stretched her shadow long.

He looked at the two shadows on the ground, quietly took a small step to the side, and curled his right hand slightly.

The two shadows on the ground were intertwined, their fingers clasped together.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his ears burned because of this childish yet bold move.

"Bang! Crack! Bang!"

A loud bang suddenly exploded.

Qu He shuddered in fright.

Zhou Shi'an was instantly jolted awake from his previous reverie.

He instinctively stepped forward to protect her and looked toward the source of the sound.

A flowerpot fell from the balcony on the second floor next door, scattering soil and broken porcelain shards all over the ground. The balcony window was tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn tightly shut, so there wasn't a single person in sight.

“Ahe, this house next to yours has been empty for a long time, hasn’t it? Has someone moved in again?” Zhou Shi’an frowned.

Qu He looked at the window with a puzzled expression and shook her head. "I'm not sure. This old house is quite old, and I don't know who lives here."

Zhou Shi'an stepped forward, naturally took the osmanthus jam from her hand, and changed the subject, "Are you alright? I heard from Teacher Lian that you had a fever a few days ago."

"It's just seasonal flu, I'm almost completely recovered now," Qu He said dismissively.

"That's good. My mom heard you had a fever again and she was very worried at home, talking about it for days."

"again?"

Zhou Shi'an laughed, "You must have forgotten. My mom told me that when you were five, you also had a high fever and slept for several days. It really scared Teacher Lian and Teacher Qu."

Qu He frowned and thought for a long time.

My memories of being five years old are completely blank.

"How come I have absolutely no recollection of this?"

"It's normal not to remember something that happened so long ago; you were only this small back then."

Zhou Shi'an reached out and measured his thigh.

Qu He nodded.

Just then, a gust of wind rose.

A rich, fragrant osmanthus scent wafts through the air.

A small osmanthus flower was lifted up, twirled in the air, and gently landed on Qu He's hair.

Zhou Shi'an's gaze was drawn to that golden hue.

He looked at the osmanthus flower perched in her hair, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the glass jar.

My heart felt like it had been tickled by a feather, a tingling, numbing sensation.

The wind ruffled Qu He's hair. She raised her hand to tuck the stray hairs behind her ear, but didn't notice the osmanthus flower.

That touch of yellow was reflected in Zhou Shi'an's pupils and etched into his heart.

His throat felt dry, and an impulse compelled him to raise his hand, wanting to brush the flower away for her.

But just as he raised his hand, another cracking sound came from the side.

Clang! Smash!