Chapter 13
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The smooth meeting between their parents was like a shot in the arm for Qiu Yayu and Lü Xiaoyan's relationship, making even the tense atmosphere of final exam review seem less unbearable. They spent most of their time in the library; he studied his photography theory, and she memorized her introduction to communication studies. Occasionally, they would look up, their eyes meeting above the table piled with books, exchanging a tacit, encouraging smile.
However, the changing of the seasons is always accompanied by unpredictability. A strong cold front swept in, causing the temperature to plummet. The melted snow re-frozen overnight, making the campus roads slippery and difficult to walk on in the early morning.
That morning, Lü Xiaoyan waited for Qiu Yayu at their usual spot in the library. Ten minutes passed the agreed time, and she still hadn't appeared. This was unusual. Although Qiu Yayu sometimes overslept, she was never late for their study sessions. He took out his phone; there were no messages from her.
A slight sense of unease began to grow in his heart. He dialed her number, and it rang several times before being answered.
"Hello... Senior..." Qiu Yayu's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a heavy nasal tone and obvious weakness, like a feather wet by rain, soft and powerless.
Lu Xiaoyan's heart clenched instantly. "What's wrong?" His voice involuntarily tightened.
"I... I think I have a bit of a fever," Qiu Yayu sniffed, her voice tinged with grievance. "My head is so dizzy, and my throat hurts too... I almost slipped and fell at the dormitory entrance this morning, but luckily I managed to grab the wall..."
Fever. Slipping. These words stung Lü Xiaoyan like icicles. He jumped up from his seat, the movement so forceful that it rattled the chair, drawing disapproving glances from several classmates studying nearby. But he couldn't care less.
"Are you in your dorm?" he asked quickly, already tidying up his books on the table while answering the phone.
"Hmm..." Qiu Yayu's voice was even softer, tinged with the dependence of someone ill, "My roommates have all gone to the library..."
"Wait." Lü Xiaoyan only said these two words before hanging up the phone, shoving the books haphazardly into her backpack, and quickly leaving the library. The cold wind outside felt like knives on his face, but he didn't feel the cold; all he could think about was her weak and powerless voice on the phone.
He first went to the school clinic, registered, briefly described his symptoms to the doctor, and got some common cold and fever medication. Then he went to the cafeteria, bought a light pumpkin porridge and a few vegetarian buns, and carefully packed them in a thermos. After doing all this, he hurried towards Qiu Yayu's girls' dormitory building.
Downstairs, he sent a message to Qiu Yayu. Not long after, Qiu Yayu, wearing thick coral fleece pajamas and a down jacket over them, with an abnormally flushed face, was slowly helped downstairs by Shen Yuqi, who had also received the message and rushed back.
When she saw Lü Xiaoyan standing in the cold wind, carrying a thermos and a bag of medicine, her brows furrowed, her nose tingled and her eyes immediately reddened.
"Senior..." she called out, her voice hoarse and choked with sobs.
Lu Xiaoyan stepped forward, ignoring Shen Yuqi's curious yet knowing eyes blinking beside him, and reached out to touch Qiu Yayu's forehead. His palm touched something burning hot, and his brows furrowed even more.
"It's so hot." His voice was low, carrying suppressed worry and a hint of barely perceptible anger, angry that she didn't know how to take care of herself.
Qiu Yayu felt a little more comfortable from the cool touch of his palm, and rubbed against him affectionately, like a kitten seeking comfort.
"Let me help her upstairs first, it's cold outside," Shen Yuqi said at the right moment, breaking the somewhat tense atmosphere.
Lü Xiaoyan nodded and handed the thermos and medicine bag to Shen Yuqi: "Thank you for your help. The porridge is hot, so let her eat some while it's hot before taking her medicine."
"Don't worry, don't worry, leave it to me!" Shen Yuqi patted her chest to assure her, took the things, and helped Qiu Yayu, who kept looking back, upstairs.
Lu Xiaoyan stood downstairs at the dormitory building, watching their figures disappear behind the door, but he didn't leave. The cold wind swirled the remaining snow on the ground, blowing the wisps of hair on his forehead. He leaned against a bare tree trunk by the roadside, took out his phone, and began searching for "precautions for high fever" and "physical cooling methods," his brow still furrowed.
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In the dormitory, Qiu Yayu was pushed back onto the bed by Shen Yuqi and wrapped tightly in the quilt.
"Wow, Yuyu," Shen Yuqi said, winking as she opened the thermos for her. "Your Lu Dashen is so proactive! He bought medicine, delivered porridge, and even personally checked her temperature. His boyfriend power is off the charts!"
Qiu Yayu was delirious with fever, but upon hearing these words, a hint of shyness and sweetness appeared on her pale face. She sipped the warm pumpkin porridge, feeling a little warmer in her stomach, and her body seemed to feel less uncomfortable as a result. The porridge was cooked until very soft, with a natural sweetness; had he specifically asked the cafeteria lady to make it lighter?
After finishing her porridge and taking her medicine, a wave of drowsiness washed over her, and she drifted off to sleep again.
She didn't sleep well, feeling hot and cold intermittently, her dreams bizarre and fantastical. She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt a cool hand gently touch her forehead again. She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and through her blurry vision, she saw Lü Xiaoyan's figure, returned. He had come back sometime earlier, standing by her bed, looking down at her, his eyes overflowing with worry. Beside him stood the dormitory supervisor, a look of utter helplessness on her face.
"She still has a slight fever." He withdrew his hand and whispered to the dormitory supervisor next to him, "Auntie, thank you for your help. I'm downstairs. If her condition worsens, please call me immediately." He handed a note to the dormitory supervisor.
The dormitory supervisor looked at Qiu Yayu, who was lying on the bed looking sickly, and then at the earnest-looking boy with a cool demeanor. She sighed, took the note, and said, "Alright, I understand. You can go now. Boys shouldn't stay too long."
Lü Xiaoyan gave Qiu Yayu another deep look, his gaze complex, filled with concern, heartache, and a hidden fear that she couldn't decipher. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he simply pursed his lips, turned, and left with the dormitory supervisor.
Qiu Yayu watched his departing figure, a bittersweet feeling welling up inside her, mixed with an indescribable sense of relief. Had he been downstairs the whole time? In this cold weather?
The medication took effect, and she fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, it was already dark outside the window. The warm light of the desk lamp shone in the dormitory, and Lin Xue and Su Xiaoxiao had returned, quietly packing their things. She felt much more relaxed, and her forehead was no longer so hot.
"You're awake?" Su Xiaoxiao was the first to notice, and came over to touch her forehead. "Yeah, it seems like your fever has gone down. Your husband is really... amazing."
"What's wrong?" Qiu Yayu asked, her voice still a little hoarse.
Lin Xue pushed up her glasses, her tone calm but tinged with emotion: "Senior Lü Xiaoyan stood downstairs for the entire afternoon. When I came back and saw him, he was almost covered in snow, standing there motionless, staring at our dormitory window."
Qiu Xiaoxiao chimed in, "That's right! I saw it too! Later, the dorm supervisor couldn't stand it anymore and went out to tell him that your fever had gone down and you were sleeping soundly before he was willing to leave. When he left, he asked us to bring you some clear soup noodles in a thermal container because you might be hungry at night. It's on the table."
Qiu Yayu looked in the direction Su Xiaoxiao pointed and sure enough, there was a familiar insulated food container with the cafeteria logo on the desk. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears again. That idiot... stood there in the freezing cold for a whole afternoon?
She took out her phone and saw the message he had sent her a few hours earlier:
"Take your medicine on time."
"Drink the porridge while it's hot."
"Tell me what you need."
"I'm downstairs."
The few words, without any fancy language, felt like heavy weights pressing on her heart, both warm and painful.
She dialed his number, and it was answered almost instantly.
"Awake?" His voice came through the receiver, slightly hoarse with fatigue, but also clearly relaxed. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better..." Qiu Yayu sniffed, holding back a sob, "You... why were you standing downstairs for so long? It was so cold!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then his deep voice came through: "I'm worried."
Just three words, yet they contained a thousand unspoken feelings. He was worried about her being sick alone, worried about whether her fever had subsided, worried about whether she needed him. So, in the most clumsy way, he stayed by her side, braving the cold winter and his inner unease.
"Idiot..." Qiu Yayu finally couldn't hold back anymore and scolded in a tearful voice, "Go back and drink some hot water, or you'll catch a cold!"
"Okay," he replied. "Remember to eat the noodles."
"Okay," she obediently replied.
After hanging up the phone, Qiu Yayu, blushing, climbed out of bed amidst her roommates' teasing comments like "This is so sweet!" and "It's so touching!" She opened the insulated food container. Inside was a steaming bowl of plain noodles, the broth clear and bright, garnished only with a few scallions and a touch of sesame oil—exactly what she had craved most while she was sick.
She ate her noodles in small bites, the warmth of the food dispelling the last trace of chill from her body. She remembered him standing by her bedside that afternoon, his hesitant gaze, the deep-seated fear within… Suddenly, she understood. Had he lost something? Or was he afraid of losing it?
This illness, like a sudden test, revealed to her the passionate yet clumsy heart beneath Lü Xiaoyan's calm exterior. He may not be good at sweet talk, but his actions and his steadfastness made her feel safer and more valued than any vow.
The night outside the window was dark, and the cold wind still howled. But Qiu Yayu felt that this winter had become warmer than ever before because of this "idiot".
She knew she liked him even more than she had imagined. And his silent yet profound love had been clearly conveyed to the deepest part of her heart during this illness.
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