Chapter 54 High Fever in the Middle of the Night
At night, excruciating pain struck.
Lu Nange suddenly arched her body in her sleep, feeling as if thousands of steel needles were churning inside her skull, and her temples were throbbing.
She instinctively put her hand to her forehead, and the skin she touched was frighteningly hot.
Her consciousness gradually faded in the high temperature, but her survival instinct forced her to pull out fever-reducing medicine from her system inventory and swallow it.
The rustling sound of plastic packaging woke Gu Wan up.
"Nan Nan? Nan Nan!" Gu Wan called softly.
Lu Nange managed a weak "hmm," her voice barely audible.
The flashlight shone coldly, and Gu Wan could see Lu Nange's flushed face in the light.
She reached out and touched him; the warmth from his palm made her heart tighten.
"How could it have burned like this..."
Gu Wan suddenly flung open the door and rushed out.
At the stairwell, Lu Xici and Chi Yanzhou, who were on night watch, looked up at the same time, their flashlight beams clashing and focusing on Gu Wan's staggering figure.
"Gu Wan? What happened?" Chi Yanzhou's voice was tense.
"Nannan...Nannan is burning hot!" Gu Wan's voice trembled.
The two men's expressions changed drastically, and without saying a word, they ran wildly toward the classroom where the girls were resting.
The commotion woke up the others.
As Gu Qi and the others pushed open the door to the lounge, they were knocked off their feet by Lu Beiye, who was swept away by the night wind—his figure had already rushed towards the next room.
When everyone rushed into the classroom, Lu Xici and Lu Beiye were already kneeling beside the mat.
Beneath the floating dust in the beam of light, Lu Nange's porcelain-white skin was flushed with an unnatural redness.
“Nan Nan has clearly awakened her superpowers…” Gu Wan’s voice was cut off by the rustling sound of Chi Yanzhou rummaging through supplies.
Lu Xici's fingertips brushed against the empty medicine tray next to the cushion: "Nan Nan took fever-reducing medicine."
Chi Yanzhou straightened up: "I'm going to find Wen Qing!"
Gu Wan immediately followed: "Brother Yanzhou, my brother and I will go with you."
Lu Xici's Adam's apple bobbed: "...Thank you!"
Lu Beiye held Lu Nange's hand tightly, his eyes reddening, and his lips murmured "Sister" silently.
Lu Xici looked up at He Zhuo and the others, her voice trembling with exhaustion: "Old He, you guys go and rest first. Aye and I will take care of Nannan."
He Zhuo nodded silently and led his men out.
Chi Yi stood in the shadows of the corridor and said in a low voice, "Young Master He, Young Master Ji, I'll go and keep watch at the stairwell first! You two go and rest."
"How can I possibly sleep!" He Zhuo rubbed his face, his voice deep. "Let's wait until Brother Yan takes Wen Qing to see how my sister is doing!"
Before long, Chi Yanzhou and the other two hurriedly led Wen Qing upstairs.
A faint green light emanated from Wen Qing's palm, enveloping Lu Nange's forehead.
A moment later, her lips turned pale as she withdrew her powers.
"Miss Lu seems to have awakened some kind of superpower, and her body is exhibiting a stress response. My healing methods didn't work; she can only rely on herself!"
Lu Xici closed her eyes briefly and said in a very soft voice, "...Thank you."
Gu Wan stepped forward and said softly, "Sister Wen Qing, it's almost dawn. Why don't you rest here with us?"
After everyone left, only the three Lu siblings remained in the classroom.
Lu Xici reached out and ruffled Lu Beiye's hair, her voice softening, "Want to sleep a little longer?"
"Stay with my sister." The child stubbornly shook his head, his eyes fixed on Lu Nange.
"Would you like to lie down with your sister for a while?" Lu Xici gently patted the cushion. "Your brother will stay with you."
Lu Beiye didn't move, but silently moved a little further to the edge of the mat. His thin back looked particularly stubborn in the dim light.
As the morning light climbed onto the windowpane, the rooftop remained shrouded in a stifling silence.
Lu Beiye and Lu Xici stayed by Lu Nange's side, and except for going to the toilet, the two brothers hardly moved for the entire day.
As dusk settled, Lu Beiye suddenly froze—his sister's fingers curled slightly.
"...Sister?" Lu Beiye's voice was hoarse.
Lu Xici suddenly looked up.
Under two burning gazes, Lu Nange's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Her blurry vision gradually focused, and what came into view were her older and younger brothers with reddened eyes. Her heart suddenly ached.
"Sister is awake!" Lu Beiye leaned into her arms, burying his head in the crook of her neck.
Lu Nange gently patted his back: "It's alright..."
Lu Xici: "Nan Nan, is there anywhere else that hurts? Have you awakened another superpower?"
Lu Nange blinked blankly, feeling two unfamiliar energies flowing through her body.
She tentatively opened her palm—
"Whoosh!"
The stool in the corner snapped in two.
"Wind Blade, wind-based superpower!" Lu Beiye.
The loud noise attracted Chi Yanzhou and his group in the corridor.
He Zhuo clung to the door frame, his voice plaintive: "Little sister, you have dual-elemental abilities?"
Lu Nange: "Yes, wind element."
She closed her eyes and felt another energy, and a clear three-dimensional picture of the entire kindergarten appeared in her mind—every corner was clearly visible.
She thought to herself, "Psychic-based? I'll have to find a chance to try and see!"
She opened her eyes and met He Zhuo's mournful gaze.
"I don't have any superpowers, but I already have two little sisters..." He Zhuo squatted in the corner and drew circles.
Lu Xici, Chi Yanzhou, and Gu Wan: "Who's your little sister!"
He Zhuo: "Isn't the point that I don't have any special abilities?"
***
Because they were worried about Lu Nange's condition, the group had little appetite all day.
Lu Nange woke up and also awakened a new superpower.
The tense atmosphere finally relaxed.
Wen Qing and Gu Wan were busy at the makeshift stove, the sound of spatulas clattering and the aroma of food wafting through the air.
"Come on!" He Zhuo held up a canned drink. "Sister Wen Qing, let's get to know each other formally. I'm He Zhuo! Welcome to our little team!"
Wen Qing smiled slightly, pursing her lips: "Thank you for being willing to take me along!"
"Come, come, let me introduce you—" He Zhu stretched out his arm and pointed to each of them one by one: "Chi Yanzhou, the three siblings of the Lu family: Xi Ci, Nan Ge, and Bei Ye."
Those are the Gu siblings: Gu Qi and Gu Wan. Ji Xian and Chi Yi.
Wen Qing: "Greetings, young masters and young ladies!"
"Don't be so polite, Sister Wenqing." Gu Wan placed a piece of meat in her bowl. "Just call me by my name. By the way, how old are you, Sister Wenqing?"
"Twenty-eight."
Gu Wan: "Then Sister Wen Qing is a bit older."
I'm twenty, and my brothers and the others are all twenty-two or twenty-three.
The youngest are Nan Nan and A Ye. Nan Nan is eighteen years old this year, and A Ye is only eight—yes, the little one who clings to his older sister.
She pointed to Lu Beiye, who was being fed by Lu Nange.
He Zhuo suddenly raised his glass, the can clicking crisply on the table: "To us who are alive, cheers."
The clinking of cups startled the crows roosting outside the window.
***
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com