Love Me in Another Universe

Chapter 112. Lang and Soupy in the Time of SARS (1)

April 20, 2003, Sunday. Yixian University, Guangzhou. Just after 6:00 p.m., Guan Xuchen returned to campus, exhausted, after finishing his translation work for the first phase of the Canton Fair. He planned to have a good rest that night. Then next week he would revise his graduation thesis during break between the first and second phases of the Canton Fair.

On his way back to the dorm, Guan Xuchen saw many classmates heading toward the main gate, some of them dragging suitcases. He found this rather strange. Just then, he ran into Wen Yuwei.

"William, going out to have some fun?" Guan Xuchen asked with a smile.

"Tommy, why are you coming back?" Wen Yuwei asked in surprise, a hint of tension visible on his face.

"I... I just finished up with the Canton Fair. Why... why can't I come back?" Seeing Wen Yuwei like this, and watching students pass by one after another, Guan Xuchen felt a sense of foreboding.

"I just sent you a text telling you not to come back for now. Didn't you see it?" Wen Yuwei asked.

"I was busy just now and haven't checked my messages yet. What's going on?" Seeing his roommate acting so jumpy, Guan Xuchen couldn't help but feel nervous himself.

"You don't know? Someone in Dormitory Building 175 has tested positive for SARS, and the building is already under lockdown. I heard the whole campus will be closed off starting tomorrow, and no one will be allowed in or out without permission," Wen Yuwei said in an alarmed tone.

"What? No way!" Although rumors about SARS had been circulating for a while, Guan Xuchen still panicked a little when he heard someone in a nearby dorm building had been infected.

"Everyone else in our dorm has already left. You should leave quickly too." After saying that, Wen Yuwei hurried toward the school gate.

Guan Xuchen watched his roommate's retreating figure and suddenly remembered something. He pulled out his phone and saw an unread text message—it was from Wen Yuwei telling him not to return to the dorm for the time being. He skimmed through the message, then dialed Gao Xinglang's number, but all he heard was, "Sorry, the number you have dialed is power off."

Guan Xuchen muttered anxiously to himself, "Lang, why did you turn off your phone?"

He hurried toward the dormitory zone while dialing Gao Xinglang's number again, but the line remained disconnected. He then sent Gao Xinglang a text message that read, "Lang, someone in Building 175 has been infected with SARS, and the campus is going to be quarantined. If you're still at home, don't come back."

Guan Xuchen arrived at Dormitory Building 170 and, sure enough, saw a cordon set up around Building 175 not far away, with several medical workers in protective suits going in and out.

He returned to Room 608, which was completely empty. The beds and desks of his other roommates were a bit messy, suggesting they had left in a hurry.

Guan Xuchen turned on his computer, copied the draft of his graduation thesis onto a floppy disk, and put it in his shoulder bag. After shutting down the computer, he grabbed a dictionary, a few reference books, and some materials, ready to leave the room.

As he walked to the door, he remembered something. He turned back to his desk, opened the drawer, took out the virtual pet egg Gao Xinglang had given him earlier, and hung it on his shoulder bag. Then he checked his phone; Gao Xinglang still hadn't replied. So he dialed Gao's number again. It was still turned off.

"Lang, where on earth are you? Why would you turn your phone off at a time like this?" Guan Xuchen was frantic with worry. After thinking for a moment, he set down the books and materials, slung his bag over his shoulder, and went to Room 806 in the adjacent Building 171. He saw the door was tightly locked. He knocked and called out, "Lang, Lang, Lang!"