SYLM Chapter 20
by VolareChapter 20 “Do you have a fever?”
When she heard the knock on the door, Chen Lu thought she was hallucinating from a fever.
After all, it was late at night, so how could anyone be knocking on her door?
Probably because she caught a cold today, Chen Lu had been feeling a headache ever since she came back.
At first, Chen Lu thought she might be too tired. She didn’t even do her homework. She took off her school uniform, lay on the bed, wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, and fell asleep in a daze.
However, after who knows how long, Chen Lu realized that things were not that simple. She clearly felt her body starting to feel cold and shiver. Even though she was wrapped tightly in the quilt, she felt as if she had been thrown into a snowy field with howling winds.
Her forehead and cheeks gradually became as hot as a burning stove. Rapid, heavy, and scorching breaths landed on her cold hands and feet, the contrasting temperatures of ice and fire forming a sharp contrast.
Crap, it seems like I have a fever.
Chen Lu touched her steaming forehead, her brows furrowed. She knew that the most important thing she should do at the moment was to get up and find some antipyretic medicine to take, but illness comes like a landslide. Her cold body wrapped in the quilt seemed to have been drained of all its strength, and she simply couldn’t get up.
Just then, the persistent knocking on the door became more and more urgent, shaking Chen Lu awake a bit.
Accompanied by a familiar gentle female voice, Chen Lu tried hard to open her heavy eyelids, realizing that she was not hallucinating.
…
Outside the door of 301.
In the dozen or so seconds of knocking on the door, Gu Wan Jun’s brows were tightly locked, her face was pale, and the rapid knocking and the buzzing sound in her ears caused by excessive tension resonated, repeatedly tormenting her nerves.
She didn’t know how many times she knocked on the door, her hand was numb from the vibration, but no one came to open the door.
It was so late, she shouldn’t have gone out again, but if Chen Lu was at home, why hadn’t anyone come to open the door?
Could it be that something had happened to that child?
Thinking of what happened during the day and Chen Lu’s condition at night, fear and coldness instantly climbed up her limbs. Gu Wan Jun’s temples throbbed, and a strong sense of unease surged into her heart.
“Chen Lu, Chen Lu, are you home? It’s Gu Wan Jun, Chen Lu?”
While persistently knocking on the door, Gu Wan Jun pressed the 110 alarm call with her other slightly trembling hand.
Just as the call was about to be dialed, the door of 301 flashed open a crack.
A furry little head poked out. Gu Wan Jun saw Chen Lu, who was only wearing a thin nightgown, with red eyes, a red face, and a sickly look.
…
“Teacher? Why are you here?” As soon as Chen Lu opened her mouth, her hoarse and weak voice startled herself.
Seeing that the person outside the door was really Gu Wan Jun, Chen Lu was stunned for a moment, then unloaded the pretense of defense and vigilance, and opened the door completely.
Seeing Chen Lu in this state, Gu Wan Jun’s heart suddenly contracted, feeling both astringent and painful. She quickly reached out and touched Chen Lu’s forehead, feeling a burning heat.
“Do you have a fever? Is there any medicine at home? Have you taken medicine? How can you wear so little when you have a fever?”
“Um…”
Chen Lu, whose head was muddled with fever, hummed dully, not knowing which question she was answering.
What does “um” mean? Isn’t this child quite capable of taking care of others? Why is she starting to mess around when it comes to herself? This won’t do!
Gu Wan Jun frowned. She simply stopped asking and directly embraced Chen Lu, who was burning all over, and entered the door of 301.
…
One o’clock in the morning, Beijing time.
In the bedroom.
Perhaps a fever makes one’s brain work slowly, Chen Lu’s reaction ability had almost dropped to zero. By the time she realized that Gu Wan Jun seemed to have come to her house, she had already been pressed on the bed by Gu Wan Jun and wrapped tightly in a quilt.
After finding the medicine box, Gu Wan Jun warmed the cold mercury thermometer in her palm, then came to the bedside, lifted the corner of the quilt, and helped Chen Lu clip it under her armpit.
39.4 degrees, high fever.
The mercury thermometer showing the result made Gu Wan Jun frown tightly. The best way to deal with it would have been to take Chen Lu to the hospital or clinic, but it had started snowing again outside, and besides, it was the middle of the night, who knew which clinic was open?
Looking at Chen Lu lying on the sickbed, Gu Wan Jun felt worried and anxious.
The most urgent task at the moment was to help Chen Lu bring down the fever first.
Gu Wan Jun first fed Chen Lu two antipyretic pills, then put a fever-reducing patch on Chen Lu’s head, and repeatedly wiped Chen Lu’s chest and back with a wet towel, as well as her cold hands and feet.
Under the combined effect of fever and medicine, Chen Lu fell asleep in a daze. Before losing the last trace of consciousness, she felt for a long time that it was really good to be cared for and cared about.
Seeing Chen Lu fall asleep, Gu Wan Jun slowed down the movement of wiping her hands and feet.
After taking the antipyretic medicine, she was afraid that it would not work. Every half an hour, Gu Wan Jun would use a thermometer to help Chen Lu measure her temperature.
It wasn’t until two thirty in the middle of the night that the thermometer showed 37.2 degrees. Gu Wan Jun leaned over and touched Chen Lu’s forehead in her sleep with her own forehead, and then confirmed that the little girl’s fever had subsided.
The previously wet hair that was dripping water had naturally dried in a burst of busy work. Looking at Chen Lu’s quiet sleeping face wrapped in the quilt, Gu Wan Jun breathed a long sigh of relief, and the heart that had been hanging all night finally came down.
Either because she was afraid that the high fever would recur, or because she knew that sick people were physically and mentally vulnerable, Gu Wan Jun rested her head on her hand and sat by the bed, guarding Chen Lu all night like this.
…
——
After the blizzard came a sunny day.
At eight o’clock in the morning, the gloomy weather of yesterday changed. Warm sunshine poured into the bedroom through the windows, and the warm light caressed the soft quilt on the bed. The long eyelashes of the person on the bed trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.
This was one of the few days that Chen Lu had slept until she woke up naturally.
Wait, woke up naturally? Isn’t today Tuesday?
Chen Lu’s face suddenly changed as her reaction ability came back online, and she sat up from the quilt in a flash.
The violent getting up movement, coupled with the cold and fever just subsiding, made Chen Lu’s head feel as if it had been filled with paste. She felt a darkness in front of her eyes when she sat up.
While rubbing her temples, Chen Lu raised her hand to see what time it was, only to find that the small round watch on her wrist had been taken off at some point and placed on the bedside table next to her. A note was pressed under the watch –
[Your condition is not very stable. I’ll ask for a day off for you. Your health is important. Rest and adjust well at home.]
Is this the benefit of having a homeroom teacher living next door?
This was also the first time Chen Lu had experienced a high school homeroom teacher taking the initiative to ask for leave for her.
Chen Lu pursed her lips and continued to read –
[Measure your temperature once after you get up, and then tell me on WeChat. Be sure to wear thick clothes when you get out of bed, and don’t catch a cold again.]
WeChat.
Chen Lu remembered that after adding each other as friends, she and Gu Wan Jun had not sent WeChat messages.
[There is porridge and eggs cooked in the pot in the kitchen. I put too little water when cooking the porridge, it’s a bit thick. Make do with it and eat a little first, so that you can take the medicine after eating.]
In this way, the porridge and eggs were all cooked by Gu Wan Jun herself? Then didn’t this person not sleep all night?
Chen Lu’s eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.
[After you get better, I’ll treat you to something delicious. I’m going to school. Contact me anytime if you need anything. Gu Wan Jun.]
The delicate and handsome handwriting seemed to still retain Gu Wan Jun’s warmth. Although only words met her eyes, Chen Lu could feel Gu Wan Jun’s gentle and concerned voice and smile throughout the whole message, as if that person was right next to her.
Looking at the cold medicine and thermometer placed on the bedside table, and thinking of everything that happened last night, Chen Lu’s eyes curved slightly, and emotions surged in her eyes. She felt as if something in her heart had broken through flesh and blood and was quietly growing.
It was an emotion that even Chen Lu herself did not understand and could not control.
She hated her eyes being wet.
This time doesn’t count.
——
Ningcheng No. 1 High School.
Second Grade (12) Class.
The countdown to the college entrance examination is updated on the upper left corner of the blackboard every day, and the names of students who are absent due to leave are recorded on the upper right corner of the blackboard every day.
This morning, Gu Wan Jun didn’t even bother to buy breakfast. She jogged all the way, and as soon as she stepped into the classroom door, the morning self-study bell rang.
Gu Wan Jun picked up the chalk and wrote Chen Lu’s name in the “Today’s Absent Students” column in the upper right corner of the blackboard, then asked the students to close their books and clear the desks, and started the small quizzes for each subject.
…
After the morning self-study, Gu Wan Jun asked the subject representatives to send the small quizzes for each subject to the subject office.
When Fu Yi Wen came to get the politics quiz, she was obviously hesitant and twisted, looking like she wanted to say something but didn’t.
When their eyes met, Gu Wan Jun could probably guess that Fu Yi Wen might want to ask why Chen Lu was absent.
But after waiting for a long time, seeing that Fu Yi Wen was about to bite her lip, Gu Wan Jun still didn’t wait for the other party to ask a question.
It’s probably because of the argument yesterday.
Gu Wan Jun sighed in her heart. Just as she was hesitating whether she should take the initiative to say something, Jiang Zhen Zhen, who came over to get the math quiz on the other side, asked in a low voice, with concern in her tone:
“Teacher, is Chen Lu on leave today?”
“Um.”
Gu Wan Jun nodded. She noticed that Fu Yi Wen, who had taken the politics quiz, did not leave and was listening to her conversation with Jiang Zhen Zhen.
“Teacher, can I ask why Chen Lu is on leave?”
The reason why Jiang Zhen Zhen asked Gu Wan Jun was because students would explain the situation to the homeroom teacher when they asked for leave, and also because she heard Chen Lu say yesterday that Gu Wan Jun had also moved into Rose Garden, and the two were neighbors across the street. Therefore, Gu Wan Jun should know more or less about Chen Lu’s situation, both publicly and privately.
…
Since Jiang Zhen Zhen asked, Gu Wan Jun didn’t need to hide it, she told the truth: “She is on sick leave.”
“Sick leave?” Jiang Zhen Zhen widened her eyes, her voice trembled obviously.
“Um, probably because she caught a cold yesterday during the day. Chen Lu had a high fever in the second half of last night, burning up to 39.4 degrees. She is resting at home today.”
“Ah…then she—”
“Then how is she now? Has the fever subsided? Is she still uncomfortable? It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?”
Fu Yi Wen, who had been listening without saying a word, finally couldn’t sit still. She interjected anxiously, asking the same question that Jiang Zhen Zhen also wanted to ask.
“The fever subsided in the second half of last night. When I came to school this morning, she didn’t have a fever anymore, but her whole body was still very weak.”
Hearing this, Fu Yi Wen and Jiang Zhen Zhen almost breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
At the same time, Gu Wan Jun also heard Fu Yi Wen muttering in a low voice several times that it was good that the fever had subsided.
…
The first class in Class 12 was the Chinese class.
Forty-five minutes later, the first class ended, and Gu Wan Jun returned to the office.
Although she didn’t sleep much all night, Gu Wan Jun didn’t feel too sleepy at the moment except for a few more red blood streaks in her eyes. On the contrary, she was still concerned about the sick little girl at home.
Just as she sat down at her desk, Gu Wan Jun’s cell phone vibrated several times in a row.
It was a message from Chen Lu.
She was just thinking about her, and her message came over.
Gu Wan Jun curved her eyebrows and unlocked to check the message as soon as possible.
…
Chen Lu: [I’m up, I just measured my temperature, 36.8 degrees, no fever.]
Chen Lu: [I’m wearing thick clothes, look.]
Following this message was a photo of a white lamb wool cuff.
Chen Lu: [The porridge is fragrant and delicious, I like to drink it a little thicker, it’s filling.]
Chen Lu: [I’ve also taken the medicine. The anti-inflammatory medicine was taken before meals, and the cold medicine was taken after meals.]
Chen Lu: [Thank you teacher for taking leave for me today, and thank you teacher for taking care of me last night, you worked hard.]
Chen Lu: [Teacher, you are busy, I won’t disturb you.]
Finally, Chen Lu sent a little rabbit comparing heart emoticon to end the message, which made Gu Wan Jun’s mouth rise unconsciously, and her eyes were full of smiles that she couldn’t hide at all, so that she didn’t even notice Li Bing who was sharing chocolate to her desk.
“Yo, this smile, there’s something going on, are you chatting with your boyfriend?”
“…”
The sudden teasing startled Gu Wan Jun. When she looked up and met Li Bing’s gossiping smile, Gu Wan Jun subconsciously pressed the lock screen and put the phone upside down on the table, smiling and shaking her head to deny:
“Not a boyfriend.”
“It is, just say it is. If you don’t want people to know, I can keep it a secret for you, can’t I?”
“Really not.” Gu Wan Jun’s expression added more helplessness.
“Is that a pursuer or an ambiguous object?”
“Neither.” Gu Wan Jun shook her head.
“Tsk, if it’s neither, what are you so nervous about? You just put down your phone when you saw me, I thought you had something going on!”
“…”
Gu Wan Jun was speechless for a moment.
Yes, she was clearly just chatting with Chen Lu, why was she acting so nervous…
…
There were only two chocolates to give to others, but when it came to Gu Wan Jun, Li Bing secretly gave four.
“Oh, it’s too cold today, let’s also replenish our calories. Oh, I say Wan Jun, didn’t you sleep last night or what? Why are these dark circles so obvious today?”
“Really, is it that obvious?”
Gu Wan Jun was a little worried. She usually wears light makeup. She was late for cooking porridge this morning, and she came directly after washing up without even putting on face cream.
If the dark circles are heavy, will Chen Lu see it? She definitely will, that child is so careful, should I cover it with a cushion?
…
Seeing that Gu Wan Jun said that and then took out the cushion and mirror from her bag, Li Bing, who seemed to have smelled the taste of gossip, narrowed her eyes and changed her words with a smile:
“Okay, okay, stop looking, I’m just kidding. Actually, it’s not that obvious. You are beautiful, and your skin is white and delicate. The mere dark circles can’t affect anything.”
Li Bing said this, but she was more certain in her heart that Gu Wan Jun had a boyfriend.
Women dress for those who please them, does she not know this principle?
Seeing that Gu Wan Jun cares so much about her image, she is probably in love.
However, in fact, Li Bing only guessed half of it right. It is true that Gu Wan Jun cares about her dark circles for someone else, but Li Bing would never have imagined that that person would be Chen Lu.
…
The two chatted for a while later. When Li Bing said that she missed the days when Chen Lu was the class representative, Gu Wan Jun’s thoughts directly drifted back to Rose Garden with the cold wind whistling outside the window.
The second class bell rang, and the teachers who had classes went to class.
Seeing that Li Bing had returned to her seat to prepare for class, Gu Wan Jun finally had the opportunity to pick up her phone again, intending to reply to Chen Lu’s message just now.
However, in the next second, two knocks suddenly came from outside the Chinese office door again.
As soon as the door opened, a leopard-print tight-fitting dress that was very eye-catching wherever she went attracted the attention of most of the teachers in the office.
“Teacher Gu, is it convenient to chat alone?”
“…”
The typing action stopped abruptly, and Gu Wan Jun raised her head when she heard the sound, and met Tang Ying’s sharp and beautiful eyes.
——
A vacant conference room on the third floor.
“Teacher Tang, what can I do for you?” Gu Wan Jun’s tone was gentle.
“Since yesterday after you talked to Fu Yi Wen, the number of times she came to the liberal arts office has decreased significantly.” Tang Ying’s tone was cold, and it was impossible to hear what kind of emotion she had.
“Well…after I talked to her yesterday, she agreed to follow my requirements, which is a good thing.”
Gu Wan Jun smiled and met Tang Ying’s big eyes, which were sharp and revealing a trace of indifference. She couldn’t figure out what the other party’s purpose was in talking to her.
“You are not bad.”
“Huh?”
Tang Ying folded her arms and repeated in a cold tone: “I said you are a good teacher.”
“Ah…”
Gu Wan Jun was stunned by the sudden compliment, and her expression became even more dazed. When their eyes met, she chose to get straight to the point:
“Teacher Tang, you can say what you want to say directly.”
“I’m done.”
“Done?”
“Well, I just said you are a good teacher, didn’t you hear?”
“…You came to me just to say this?”
“What, did I waste your time?”
“…”
Although she felt that Tang Ying had no malice, Gu Wan Jun was still caught off guard by her.
Seeming to realize that her tone might be a little rushed, Tang Ying’s expression softened, and she took the initiative to explain:
“Yesterday’s incident involved certain people, and once it is dealt with, it will inevitably offend certain people, but you are willing to wade into this muddy water.”
The certain people in Tang Ying’s mouth refer to Sun Li Xia, Gu Wan Jun knew this without saying it clearly.
“It is the duty of a teacher to help and guide students to take the right path, and besides, I am also Fu Yi Wen’s homeroom teacher, these are what I should do.”
Gu Wan Jun’s tone was calm. She shouldn’t have said anything else here, but recalling everything yesterday, she hesitated for a while, and finally kindly reminded:
“As for offending people, Teacher Tang, I admire your straightforward and frank personality, but I still hope Teacher Tang will pay attention to protecting yourself.”
As soon as Gu Wan Jun’s voice fell, a hint of a smile flashed in the sharp eyes in front of her. Tang Ying raised her eyebrows and started another topic:
“Looking at the information, you are twenty-eight this year, only four years younger than me.”
“…”
The topic changed too quickly, which made Gu Wan Jun completely unable to figure out what kind of person Tang Ying was. She could only nod with a smile.
“You are a bit interesting, just call me Tang Ying directly in the future.”
“Huh? That’s not good, we are not familiar enough.” Gu Wan Jun smiled and declined.
Although she is gentle, Gu Wan Jun is also a person with a temper and a certain sense of boundaries.
Hearing the rejection and resistance in Gu Wan Jun’s tone, Tang Ying hooked the corners of her mouth without mind, and insisted on her own opinion: “Aren’t all strangers coming from before becoming friends? We’ll be familiar after chatting today.”
“But Teacher Tang—”
“Okay, go back and grade homework, let’s chat next time, Gu Wan Jun.”
“…”
Outside the conference room door, the sound of high heels tapping the ground gradually faded away, until Gu Wan Jun couldn’t hear it.
This conversation came inexplicably whether it started or ended.
But Gu Wan Jun could feel that Tang Ying should have no malice.
…
After returning to the Chinese office, Li Bing came over to ask Gu Wan Jun what Tang Ying was looking for her for, and she enthusiastically shared with Gu Wan Jun some gossip she had heard about Tang Ying –
“I heard that that Teacher Tang is a rich second generation with a mine at home. Her clothes and bags are never the same every day, and they are all brand names. But I heard that she has an arrogant and domineering personality, and she doesn’t have a good face to anyone. Her mouth is so poisonous when she mocks people. She has only been here for a few days, and I heard that she has already offended a large number of people. Few of the teachers in the liberal arts office like her. If you want to have contact with her, you can carefully weigh it beforehand, don’t let her involve you!”
“…”
Knowing that Li Bing’s words were also for her sake, Gu Wan Jun just smiled and said she knew, and did not refute.
Gu Wan Jun did not understand Tang Ying, but from the Fu Yi Wen and Sun Li Xia incidents yesterday, she felt that Tang Ying was a good teacher.
…
——
Rose Garden, 301.
In the morning when she didn’t have to go to school, Chen Lu spent her time conceiving novels.
Twelve o’clock Beijing time.
Until the set cell phone alarm vibrated and rang, reminding someone to take cold medicine in half an hour, Chen Lu pulled herself out of the flying reasoning thoughts, and considered what to eat for lunch.
You can’t taste anything when you have a cold. There is still some porridge and eggs left from the morning, which should be enough for one meal.
Adhering to the principle of not being extravagant and wasting food, Chen Lu decided to heat up the remaining porridge from the morning for lunch. She had just walked into the kitchen to prepare to heat the food when a burst of footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, followed by a knock on the door.
Who would come to knock on her door, could it be…
Chen Lu heard her gradually accelerating thumping heartbeat and the pounding knocking on the door resonated as one. She subconsciously gathered the broken hair that was not messy at all around her ears and walked towards the door.
After opening the door, warm sunshine shone on the stairwell through the windows of the stairwell. Gu Wan Jun was standing at the door, carrying big bags and small packages, her eyebrows and eyes gentle.