Xiao Wanqing had always been a light sleeper. Back in university, even the faintest noise from a roommate getting up at night would wake her.

  In the middle of the night, at some unknown hour, she was startled awake by the violent howling of wind and rain outside the window. She opened her eyes and looked out — the night was pitch-black, moonless. She could only vaguely see streaks of glimmering rainwater slamming relentlessly against the glass, wave after wave crashing down.

  Something crossed her mind. Her delicate brows knitted slightly as she reached out to switch on the bedside lamp. Sitting up slowly, she turned to the window again.

  Sure enough, wild splashes of rain danced along the edges of the frame, and streams of water were already trickling down the wall beneath the windowsill.

  Xiao Wanqing’s home was styled in a modern, fresh aesthetic. The floors were covered with hardwood — beautiful, but high maintenance, and most importantly, absolutely intolerant to water.

  She let out a quiet sigh, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear before tiptoeing out of bed. She left the bedroom to fetch a mop and some absorbent cloths she kept on hand. Returning to the room, she pressed a cloth into the window seam to block the water at its source, then used the mop to absorb the pooled moisture. After tidying her own bedroom, she made the rounds to check all the windows in the house, mop and cloth in hand.

  At last, she arrived at Lin Xian’s bedroom door.

  She stood there for a moment, her fingers gently rubbing the doorknob in hesitation. To knock might wake Lin Xian — but entering without permission would be impolite.

  After wavering for a while, her concern for the hardwood floor won out.

  Xiao Wanqing unconsciously held her breath, slowly turned the doorknob, and carefully pushed the door open just enough to slip inside. She crept in on tiptoe.

  She tried so hard not to disturb Lin Xian — every movement cautious and quiet — but despite all that, Lin Xian still woke up.

  Just as Xiao Wanqing finished drying the floor below the windowsill and was about to sneak out, she heard Lin Xian’s groggy, hoarse voice from the bed — uncertain and drowsy:

  “Aunt… Xiao?”

  Defeated, Xiao Wanqing sighed softly and turned around apologetically. “Sorry, I woke you. There’s probably a typhoon. The wind and rain are strong — I came in to check your window.”

  Lin Xian opened her mouth, wanting to say “It’s okay,” but as soon as she did, a burning pain flared in her throat, dry and unbearable. She coughed twice, harsh and raw, struggling to suppress the discomfort.

  Hearing this, Xiao Wanqing's heart tightened. She dropped the mop immediately and strode to the side of Lin Xian’s bed, asking with concern, “What’s wrong? Does your throat hurt?” As she spoke, she reached out and touched Lin Xian’s forehead.

  Lin Xian’s head felt foggy and heavy. She swallowed several times to ease the pain before she managed to whisper back, “My throat… really hurts…”

  She didn’t need to say more. The heat against Xiao Wanqing’s hand told her everything — Lin Xian had a fever. The realization made her heart sink, a mix of worry and guilt blooming instantly.

  She hadn’t taken good enough care of Lin Xian. It had only been a few days… and she was already sick.

  But this wasn’t the time to dwell on regrets. With a dimmed gaze, Xiao Wanqing turned on the light and picked up the remote to switch off the air conditioning. She gently brushed her hand against Lin Xian’s flushed face and said tenderly, “Don’t talk if your throat hurts. You’ve got a fever. I’ll get you some water and a thermometer.”

  At those words, Lin Xian’s heart gave a little jolt. In her haze, she thought, No way… My body’s really that weak now? I just got caught in the rain, and I ended up with a fever?

  In less than a minute, Xiao Wanqing returned with a cup of warm water. She helped Lin Xian sit up, pulled the blanket higher to keep her warm, and then carefully brought the cup to Lin Xian’s lips to help her drink.

  Lin Xian took small sips, her gaze drifting up to sneak glances at Xiao Wanqing. Seeing the deep concern and weight in her expression, Lin Xian felt a twinge of guilt. She had hidden the fact that she got caught in the rain precisely because she didn’t want to trouble or worry her — yet in the end, she’d made it worse. In the middle of the night, she had dragged Xiao Wanqing into this too.

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  Of course, Xiao Wanqing had no idea what was going through the girl's mind. She only felt a deep well of worry and tenderness. “Is it too hot?” she asked gently.

  Lin Xian shook her head — the temperature was just right.

  After the water, Xiao Wanqing helped Lin Xian lie back down and handed her a mercury thermometer to tuck under her arm. She carefully tucked the blanket around her and then sat quietly at the bedside.

  Looking at Xiao Wanqing’s tired yet quietly worried face, Lin Xian bit her lip and said, “Aunt Xiao, I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep a bit. You should go rest.”

  Xiao Wanqing lightly patted the blanket over her and forced a small smile. “I’m fine. I’m already awake — I won’t be able to fall back asleep. If you’re tired, just close your eyes and rest. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”

  Lin Xian was in fact very tired, her head foggy and heavy. But she didn’t want to close her eyes and leave Xiao Wanqing alone in silence, so she stubbornly said, “I’m not sleepy either.”

  As soon as the words left her mouth, her jaw slackened, and a yawn slipped out before she could stop it.

  Xiao Wanqing witnessed the whole thing and finally couldn’t hold back a genuine smile, her eyes soft as water. She got up, went to the switch, and turned off the light. In an instant, the room was enveloped in darkness again.

  From the quiet shadow came Xiao Wanqing’s gentle, lilting voice:

  “Sleep for a while. I’ll stay here with you.”

  Lin Xian tried to make out her face in the dark, but all she could see was a faint glimmer in her eyes. Everything else was hidden.

  Outside, the storm still raged. Inside, it was silent. And slowly, Lin Xian drifted into a hazy sleep…

  Four minutes later, Xiao Wanqing gently slid the thermometer from under Lin Xian’s arm and stepped out into the living room to check the reading.

  38.5°C.

  A high fever.

  Xiao Wanqing frowned deeply, momentarily at a loss. She had checked the medicine cabinet earlier — and to her dismay, all the basic meds had expired. And with the storm raging, there was no way to get to a hospital.

  Clutching the thermometer, her heart raced in panic.

  No medicine. No way out. What should she do?

  She had never cared for a sick person under these circumstances. She had no experience. Taking a deep breath, she tried to recall how her own mother had looked after her when she was young and sick.

  After a moment of quiet, she composed herself and went to the bathroom to soak two towels in hot water. She wrung them out, filled a glass of warm water, and returned to Lin Xian’s room.

  One towel she folded and placed gently on Lin Xian’s forehead; the other she used to wipe her face and hands.

  Lin Xian opened her eyes again, dazed and hazy, like a startled deer. Her eyes locked onto Xiao Wanqing.

  Xiao Wanqing touched her cheek, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached under Lin Xian’s shoulders to lift her gently, letting the girl rest against her chest. She brought the cup of water to Lin Xian’s lips.

  Weak and docile, Lin Xian leaned into her, sipping the water while sneaking glances at her up close. It was the first time she’d seen Xiao Wanqing this clearly — delicate brows, long lashes, elegant nose, soft pink lips, and beautifully sculpted features…

  Gazing at her luminous face, Lin Xian suddenly felt a strange and wild desire — She wanted to… bite her.

  “Hm? What did you say?” Xiao Wanqing asked softly.

  Lin Xian blinked hard, finally snapping back to clarity. Had she said that out loud?

  With a raspy voice, she tried to cover it up. “Nothing… I think I’m just really out of it. I don’t even know what I’m saying.”

  Xiao Wanqing’s heart ached more at that. She didn’t press, only smoothed the girl back down into bed and said gently, “It’s okay. Just sleep, you’ll feel better. I’m sorry — I don’t have any fever medicine at home. All I can do is keep giving you water. You might not sleep soundly.”

  Lin Xian, despite her weakness, smiled with her usual playfulness. “Aunt Xiao, you’re so silly. Why are you apologizing? I’m the one who kept you from sleeping.”

  Xiao Wanqing smiled softly, reached out, and gave Lin Xian’s nose a playful tap. “Such cheek. Calling me silly?”

  Lin Xian’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, sleepy and sweet.

  That night, Xiao Wanqing didn’t sleep at all. She moved a small chair to Lin Xian’s bedside, waking her every half hour to give her water. She checked her temperature twice more — thankfully, it didn’t rise. It slowly began to drop.

  In the darkness, she quietly watched Lin Xian’s peaceful sleeping face, and her heart swelled with a strange ache.

  Since her parents passed, she had lived alone for many years. She had almost forgotten what it felt like to truly worry about someone — to feel so anxious, tender, guilty, and overwhelmed, all at once.

  That night, it felt like something inside her, long dormant, had quietly come back to life…

  Finally, at 5:30 a.m., when she took Lin Xian’s temperature again, it had dropped to 36.9°C — back to normal.

  Xiao Wanqing let out a long breath of relief, and the exhaustion she’d been forcing away finally caught up to her. She set an alarm for 6:30 a.m., then rested her head on the edge of Lin Xian’s bed and fell asleep, heavy and drained.

  At 6:00 a.m., Lin Xian stirred slightly, half-awake. She heard the rain still pouring outside, the sky dim and stormy. As she tilted her head, she saw Xiao Wanqing curled up at her bedside — her soft, graceful face turned toward her. The lips that usually held a gentle smile now parted slightly in sleep, looking unexpectedly… cute.

  Lin Xian stared at her, unmoving. As if possessed, she reached out, wanting to trace the contours of Xiao Wanqing’s face, to smooth the slight frown between her brows. But just as her fingers were about to touch her, she suddenly pulled back.

  She didn’t know why she reached out… or why she stopped.

  She gazed at Xiao Wanqing for a long while, then whispered softly, warmly:

  “Good morning. I’m sorry for worrying you… Xiao Wanqing.”