Chapter 6: The Relentless Fever

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Meng Ran took out her phone and glanced at the property management group chat. Someone had posted again, but this time it was a plea for medicine.

It was already eleven at night. Other residents in different buildings also had children running high fevers. Earlier today, everyone had only thought about buying food and had forgotten to get medicine, so the sudden high fevers caught them unprepared.

Apartment 59-303: "Does anyone have fever medicine? My child’s fever is severe. I called the hospital, but they said the ambulance can’t get through the heavy snow on the roads. They won’t be able to help until tomorrow. If this fever lasts all night, my child might end up brain damaged."

59-303: "Please, I beg you. We can come pick up the medicine."

59-303: "@Property Management, can you help us?"

There were more children with fevers. Meng Ran looked at Nian Nian lying in bed. The child shifted uncomfortably, sweat beading at the tip of her nose, her expression pained.

“Water…” Nian Nian whispered.

Meng Ran got up, poured a glass of water, and held her, feeding her little by little.

Nian Nian’s body was burning hot. After taking the fever medicine, her temperature seemed to rise even higher.

“What’s going on?”

Nian Nian drank down the entire glass of water. Meng Ran gently patted her cheek. “Nian Nian, can you still hear me?”

“Mom, I feel so bad.”

Nian Nian snuggled into Meng Ran’s arms, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes.

She was truly suffering—alternating between chills and heat, restless and unable to sleep, yet still conscious.

Meng Ran felt her heart tighten. Thankfully, she was still aware.

“It’s okay, it’ll get better after some sleep.”

Nian Nian had no strength left to speak and lay back down.

Watching her breathing gradually steady, Meng Ran took her temperature again.

Thirty-nine degrees Celsius.

She opened the group chat and saw replies to 303’s message.

Apartment 59-924: "I have some, send me a private message."

The property management seemed to have fallen asleep; they hadn’t responded to 303. Instead, a neighbor from the same building, 924, replied and was even willing to deliver the precious medicine at this hour.

Meng Ran switched off her phone. Honestly, she couldn’t do that, which was why she hadn’t responded when she saw the messages.

Knowing how long and dangerous this winter would be, Meng Ran had to take care of herself and Nian Nian first.

The night passed. Nian Nian’s temperature hovered between thirty-eight and thirty-nine degrees, showing no sign of lowering.

Meng Ran hadn’t slept all night either. She frowned at the thermometer and gave her a second dose of fever medicine.

“What’s going on?”

Outside, dawn was breaking. Meng Ran held the medicine, feeding it into Nian Nian’s mouth.

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“Nian Nian, how do you feel?”

Nian Nian shivered. “Mom, I feel like I’ve been buried in snow. It’s so cold.”

Meng Ran didn’t understand what she meant.

“Maybe the fever is making you delirious.”

She pulled back a corner of the curtain. The snow on the ground was thick and heavy, drifting steadily. No one was outside shoveling.

Meng Ran felt a surge of anxiety, but Nian Nian still answered clearly, unlike before when she was delirious.

She checked the news on her phone, searched for updates on their city. The snow on the roads was just as bad as in their neighborhood. The snow clearing crews hadn’t come out, and the city news advised residents not to travel today.

That meant no cars could get out either.

Meng Ran’s worry deepened. Just then, Nian Nian called softly.

“Mom.”

Meng Ran hurried over. “What is it?”

“Mom, I’m hungry.”

Nian Nian opened her eyes; her skin was still burning hot but her mind clearer.

“I’ll make you something. What do you want to eat?”

Meng Ran hadn’t felt like eating this morning, but since Nian Nian was hungry, she had to prepare something.

“I want sweet soy milk with rice porridge, and something a little spicy.”

Nian Nian said a few words, then grew drowsy and closed her eyes.

“Okay, I’ll get it ready.”

Meng Ran made soy milk from yellow soybeans, added some sugar, and poured water into the rice cooker to cook the porridge.

She steamed two baskets of buns, stir-fried some dried tofu with green and red peppers, and made a plate of spicy stir-fried pork—foods that would taste good even when sick.

After finishing, Meng Ran checked on Nian Nian and called softly. Nian Nian slowly sat up.

“Are you feeling weak?”

Nian Nian nodded.

“I’ll set up a small table on the bed for you to eat. Just don’t move around.”

Meng Ran helped her brush her teeth and freshen up, then brought the warm food over.

Nian Nian sipped the porridge and squinted her eyes.

Meng Ran ate a little alongside her. Despite being ill, Nian Nian managed to eat a steamed bun, accompanied by the mildly spicy dishes.

“I feel so much better,” she said.

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After the meal, Nian Nian spoke with more strength.

Meng Ran felt her forehead—indeed, much improved since before the meal.

“Get some more rest now.”

Once Nian Nian was settled, Meng Ran sat beside her. The heavy snow had been falling for two days now. Earlier, she had scrolled through several emotional comments on the news.

From today onward, no one could go outside—just stay in their rooms, or if necessary, hide in the space.

The situation was far more severe than she had imagined.

Meng Ran checked the temperature—minus twenty-six degrees Celsius. She turned the heater up and checked the faucet.

She adjusted the faucet to drip slowly. With the temperature dropping so fast, she wasn’t sure how long the plumbing could hold.

By noon, Nian Nian woke up, sitting up drenched in sweat but feeling much better.

“I think I’m better now.”

Meng Ran took her temperature—it was normal.

“That’s a relief. You scared me.”

Nian Nian bounced lightly, and Meng Ran brought her slippers.

“Hmm, I think I heard Grandma Liu scolding Qi Guangyao.”

Meng Ran was startled. Qi Guangyao was Grandma Liu’s grandson, but their apartments were separated by many walls. How could Nian Nian have heard?

“Seems like Qi Guangyao was scolded for wasting food.”

Nian Nian only said those two sentences and didn’t mention it again, but Meng Ran pondered on it for a while.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her thoughts. She had kept notifications on for the neighborhood group chat.

Someone was complaining in the property management chat about a burst water pipe, urging them to fix it quickly. It was from the same building she lived in.

The property management tried to calm the residents, saying the heavy snow made it difficult to find someone to repair it.

Apartment 23-517: “What do you mean you can’t do anything? Without water, how am I supposed to cook or do laundry? You have so many people in property management, not a single one can fix a water pipe?”

The resident’s tone was irritable, tagging property management repeatedly. But after the initial reply, no further responses came despite the continued complaints.

23-517: “What’s going on? Do you think I won’t come down to find you? I’m going to smash your property office right now!”

Meng Ran frowned at the tone—it sounded just like Fang Weiwen. She knew he lived on the fifth floor but didn’t know the exact apartment. Judging by the tone, it was almost certainly him.