Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 65. Lunar New Year's Eve in Shaoguan

January 25, 1998, Sunday.

Guan Xuchen went to Shaoguan with his parents to visit his uncle's family.

After lunch, the adults were chatting idly. Jianjian, his cousin, invited Guan Xuchen to play video games in the study, but he politely declined. He simply sat in the living room, watching TV distractedly while occasionally glancing at the telephone in the corner of the room.

Guan Xuchen's uncle, Kuang Zhengnan, noticed something was off with his nephew and asked with a smile, "Xuchen, what's on your mind? Do you want to make a call?"

Guan Xuchen looked at his mother, mustered his courage, and stammered, "Uncle, um... could you let me make a call with your phone?"

"Why not? Go ahead," Kuang Zhengnan agreed promptly.

"Making a long-distance call back to Guangzhou from here will be very expensive..." Guan's mother pulled Guan Xuchen back, who was about to dash toward the phone, and chided softly, "Can't you wait until we get back to Guangzhou?"

"No problem. I'll cover the long-distance charges." Kuang Zhengnan said with a smile, then teased, "Xuchen, are you calling your little girlfriend?"

"No, just a classmate..." Guan Xuchen's face flushed.

"Don't say that to your nephew—he's still a student." Guan's mother complained to her brother, then explained, "His best friend didn't answer the phone even at ten last night. Xuchen is just worried about him."

"Oh, then this call is all the more necessary." Kuang Zhengnan suddenly became serious, "As the saying goes, 'It's easier to become a millionaire than to have a bosom friend'."

"So, Mom, can I call Gao Xinglang?" Guan Xuchen asked tentatively.

Seeing that her brother had agreed, Guan's mother smiled at her son and said, "Go ahead. But don't chat too long. If Mom can't afford the long-distance bill, you'll have to help your uncle clean the house to pay him back."

"Got it. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Uncle!" With that, Guan Xuchen happily made his way to the telephone.

He picked up the receiver and dialed the familiar number 81709268, only to hear, "Sorry, the number you have dialed does not exist..."

A sudden wave of panic hit him, and he murmured to himself, "Has Lang moved? Why is his number disconnected?"

"Xuchen, did you forget to dial the area code for Guangzhou?" Kuang Zhengnan reminded him.

"Oh, right! How silly of me. Thank you, Uncle." Guan Xuchen added 020 before the number and redialed, but there was still no answer at Gao Xinglang's home.

He set down the receiver, picked it up again, and dialed once more—still no luck. He reluctantly hung up, his heart filled with unease.

That afternoon, Guan Xuchen's maternal aunt, her husband and her son Lin Jiehao (see Chapter 14) also arrived in Shaoguan. The three families had a joyful dinner together. The next day, they visited Danxia Mountain, a major tourist attraction in the city. Though Guan Xuchen was having a good time, he couldn't stop thinking about Gao Xinglang. Over the past two days, he had called Gao Xinglang several more times, but the line remained unanswered. Guan Xuchen grew increasingly anxious, desperate to return to Guangzhou and check on Gao Xinglang in person.

January 27, 1998, Tuesday. It was Lunar New Year's Eve. After breakfast, Kuang Zhengnan drove the three families to Maba Town, under Shaoguan's jurisdiction, intending to take them to Nanhua Temple to pray for blessings.

"What's the fun in praying at a temple?" Lin Jiehao grumbled from the backseat. "I'd rather play basketball."

"Yeah. It's freezing outside. We might as well stay home and sleep," Jianjian zipped his coat to the top and chimed in, then turned to Kuang Zhengnan with a whine, "Dad, can't we go to an amusement park instead?"