It was as if, overnight, the temperature simply surged.

In the dead of night, Yu Heng had a nightmare. He dreamed he was swimming in magma; it was thick, humid, and so heavy he could barely move. He jerked awake, drenched in sweat, his cotton pajamas damp against his skin. He yanked the shirt off and ran a hand through his wet hair. “It’s only March—what kind of ghost weather is this?”

Even the air felt scorched. Every breath felt like tiny flames flickering in his lungs.

Something was wrong.

Yu Heng leaped up and headed for his parents’ room. The old couple never locked their door at night. When he entered, sure enough, he found them both soaked in sweat in their sleep. His mother was even letting out low, pained moans. Terrified, Yu Heng rushed to wake them.

“Dad! How do you feel?” Yu Aiguo opened his eyes just a crack. Through sweat-clumped lashes, he saw his son’s enlarged face through a haze. Yu Heng’s mouth seemed to be moving, but a buzzing in his ears drowned out every word.

“Dad!” Seeing his father slip back into unconsciousness and his mother remaining unresponsive, Yu Heng reached out to touch them. Their foreheads were scalding. He made a snap decision and called for an ambulance.

“All our ambulances are out! If the situation is urgent, please drive the patients here yourself!” The voice on the other end was chaotic.

Yu Heng didn’t dare delay. He nimbly gathered his wallet, keys, and medical cards, shoved some clothes into a bag, and carried his parents downstairs one by one.

As he was carrying his mother out, his neighbor, Cui Nan, opened his door. “Need a hand?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached out with his long arms, took Mrs. Yu, and headed straight for the stairs.

“Hey, thanks, Brother Cui! Why are you awake at this hour? The heat got to you too, right? This weather is just sinister!” Yu Heng wiped the sweat from his brow and followed him down, rambling incessantly. It was a habit of his—he talked more when he was nervous. He was only twenty-two and hadn’t seen much of the world; he had been truly scared just moments ago. Now that Cui Nan had appeared, the realization of his stress hit him, and his mouth wouldn’t stop.

“Mm.” Cui Nan slid into the driver’s seat. “Hold on to your parents.”

Without being told, Yu Heng braced his father with his left arm and his mother with his right, holding them steady to keep them from bumping around. “What’s happening? Why are they so hot? My mom, fine, she’s a bit lazy about moving around, but my dad exercises all the time. He’s usually solid as a rock. How did he get sick too?”

Cui Nan glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing Yu Heng press his own forehead against his parents’ to check their temperatures. “This heat… you and I can barely stand it, let alone them. Alright, hold on, I’m turning.”

…

Within five minutes, they reached the nearest district hospital.

The place was packed, despite it being two in the morning. After a flurry of activity, the two elders were finally stabilized. Yu Heng let out a long breath and sat by the bed, watching the IV drips.

“Brother Cui, what are you looking at?”

Cui Nan was sitting on the other side. Yu Heng leaned over to peek at his phone. “Gah, that’s just tragic.” He felt a pang of dread and turned back to touch his parents’ foreheads again. They weren’t scalding anymore. Only then did he feel a sense of peace.

The screen showed a local forum. A thread was growing at an incredible speed, everyone talking about tonight’s extreme temperatures. One post mentioned an elderly woman next door who had passed away in the night. Her children hadn’t paid enough attention; they’d woken up from the heat but didn’t think to check on her. It wasn’t until morning, when no one was making breakfast, that they realized she hadn’t gotten up. When they opened the door, the heat had already caused the body to start smelling.

It was heartbreaking news.

Cui Nan scrolled through other sites; the situation was the same across the country. By 9:00 AM, the authorities released an announcement stating this was a massive environmental pollution event. Health agencies nationwide were instructed to activate emergency protocols to handle the medical crisis caused by the heatwave. Finally, they urged residents to take precautions and keep a close eye on the elderly and children.

“Global warming takes years; this rose twenty degrees overnight!” Yu Heng looked at the news, unconvinced. He’d been watching the thermometer all day—the outdoor high hit 40℃! Yesterday’s high had been only 19℃. When he went out to grab lunch, he nearly felt roasted alive.

“Yu Heng, look at the sun today. It’s not even bright. The weather report said it would be overcast,” Cui Nan added. “I’m heading home now. I have things to take care of.”

“Oh! Right, right. Go ahead, Brother Cui. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Give me a call if you need anything.”

Watching Cui Nan’s retreating back, Yu Heng turned back to the bedside. He suddenly realized he hadn’t called in sick to work and hurried to make the call.

By evening, Yu Heng’s father was able to sit up and have some porridge. “Is your mom okay? Why isn’t she awake?” He reached out to touch his wife, tugging at his IV line.

“Don’t move! Dad, stay still, I’ll do it!” Yu Heng moved the chairs and dragged his father’s bed closer so it was side-by-side with his mother’s.

“Why is she still so warm?”

“The doctor said Mom’s constitution is a bit weak, so it’s fluctuating. But it’s fine; it should be completely down by tomorrow morning at the latest.”

Yu Aiguo nodded and patted his wife’s hand. He turned to Yu Heng. “Aren’t you going to work?”

“How could I be in the mood for that? I’ll go back once you two are discharged.”

“Go! I’ll look after your mother.”

“I’m not going. Don’t glare at me—look at your hand, it’s still shaking. How can I be at ease? Hurry up and finish your porridge before it gets cold.” After finishing the meal, sleepiness washed over his father, and he drifted off again.

By nightfall, Mrs. Yu finally woke up, though she remained very weak. Yu Aiguo’s constitution was indeed robust; after a good sleep, he felt much better.

“The recovery is going well. Their health is quite sturdy for their age. No more IVs are needed, but it’s best to go to our Traditional Chinese Medicine department and get some tonics to brew. This event likely drained their vital energy.”

Hearing the doctor’s words, Yu Heng nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, doctor. I’ll head to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department shortly.”

“You’re welcome. By the way, beds are tight and the hospital is chaotic right now. It’s not the best environment for recovery. Perhaps you should take your father home first?”

Yu Heng knew the doctor was being polite. “Chaotic” was an understatement. That evening, a new wave of patients had flooded in suffering from skin diseases. He’d caught a glimpse on his way back with food—it was truly frightening. Besides, his father was constantly worried about his mother and couldn’t rest properly here.

He thought it over and called Cui Nan, hoping he could look in on his father at home.

“…You don’t have to do much, just make sure someone’s there in case he needs something. My dad can go to the bathroom himself, and I’ll bring food back at mealtimes, so you don’t need to cook… Yes! Thank you, Brother Cui!”

He’d heard from his mother that Cui Nan was a jewelry designer affiliated with a studio and usually worked from home. Yu Heng knew this might disrupt his creative flow, but it would only be for a day at most. If his mother’s condition improved, she could be discharged the day after tomorrow. He’d treat the man to a nice meal later as a proper thank you.

Predictably, Yu Aiguo didn’t want to leave. Yu Heng coaxed him: “The doctor said beds are tight. We have to clear out space for people who need it more, right? Isn’t that what you taught me? To be helpful?” Seeing his father waver, he added, “I’ll take you home tomorrow. You get some good sleep, and I’ll bring your food and medicine on time. Mom comes home the day after, and you’ll need your strength to take care of her then, won’t you? I still have to work, so we’re counting on you, Comrade Yu Aiguo. You have to get healthy first.”

“You little brat, you think you can take care of people?”

“Underestimating me, are we? Don’t worry, Dad!”

…

After seeing his father home, half the weight on Yu Heng’s heart lifted. As an average citizen, he’d always felt a bit uneasy in hospitals. With his father home, he felt the man was “healthy” again, and his mind was at ease.

A child with a skin condition had been moved into the ward. Yu Heng saw him the moment he walked in and was startled. Seeing his mother still asleep, he quickly and quietly pulled the curtain shut so she wouldn’t see and be frightened.

“Is my boy back?” Mrs. Yu opened her eyes.

“Yep! Mom, are you hungry? I bought lean meat porridge today. Want to eat now?” His mother nodded.

Yu Heng hurried to get warm water to wipe her face and help her rinse her mouth.

“You did well. Sending your father home was the right move. How can a hospital compare to home?”

“It’s just that I’m bothering Brother Cui. Mom, we really have to thank him later. He’s so kind; he agreed to help without a second thought.”

Mrs. Yu smiled. “He’s a good boy. I’ll thank him myself later.”

“I was thinking of treating him to dinner. How about the Junle Hotel?”

Mrs. Yu gently patted his hand. “With that measly salary of yours? Is it even enough for one meal there?”

Yu Heng leaned in and wheedled, “If it’s not enough, doesn’t my mom have some? Mom~”

After a bit of playful pestering, Mrs. Yu finished her breakfast with a chuckle.

“Let’s go for a walk. My back hurts from lying down.”

Yu Heng agreed and, shielding her line of sight, helped her out for a short stroll.

When they returned, the child in the next bed was covered in medicine, looking quite green. Still, covering those gruesome lumps with green paste was an improvement.

“What happened to him?”

“Oh, they say it’s an allergy! Lumps all over his body. Luckily, the child isn’t saying it hurts or itches,” Mrs. Yu said, having already chatted with the child’s mother.

“What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said he probably brushed against some kind of bug. The child is weak, so he had a strong reaction and broke out in lumps. But they said it’s nothing serious; it’ll go away once the swelling subsides.”

“That’s good. Once he’s better, you must watch him closely so he doesn’t run around. Bugs these days are poisonous,” Mrs. Yu said, glancing worriedly at Yu Heng. Yu Heng grinned. “Mom, I’m not a kid. I won’t go running through the bushes. Don’t worry.”

“Who would dare go out to play? At these temperatures, you’d get heatstroke!”

At noon, Yu Heng went to deliver lunch to his father, bringing along the TCM herbal soup brewed by the hospital.

“I just grabbed whatever was available. Please have some, Brother Cui.”

Cui Nan canceled his delivery order. “Thanks. Don’t worry about dinner.”

“It’s the least I can do… Where’s my dad?”

“In your room watching a movie. I set it up for him.”

Yu Heng wandered in to greet his father. “Dad, time to eat. You have medicine to drink, too.”

“Coming. How’s your mother?”

“Doing great, chatting with the auntie in the next bed. Didn’t you talk on the phone this morning? Don’t worry, I’ll bring her home tomorrow.”

Author’s Note:

Mainly plot-driven. There is a system, but it doesn’t have much screen time yet. There is a female lead, but she is far away. A slow burn; the plot is not strictly historical/scientific, and there may be errors in common sense, corrections are welcome. Thank you for your support. (Bows)