Time Travel: The Queen's Coronation

We went home like every year and prepared for the Lunar New Year like every year. But just before the New Year, a bombshell broke out, all over television and the internet. An unidentified virus had been discovered in Wujiang City. It caused high fevers, persistent coughs, and even lung problems. It was highly contagious, and the first patient hadn't been identified yet.

The night before I was about to go home, I remember Liu Xiu or someone else mentioned the news, but then the subject changed. Looking back, it's like a scene from a doomsday movie: someone initially dismissed a minor incident, but when it escalated into something major, people realized the crisis was imminent, but it was too late. I harbored a glimmer of hope. Lingyuan Province was a province or two away from Chubei Province, and Wujiang City and Qingzhou City were even further apart, not to mention Qingzhou was a small, 18th-tier city. But this hope was ultimately shattered by reality just before New Year's Eve. Wujiang City declared a citywide lockdown, and a nationwide investigation was launched into anyone returning from Wujiang or who had contact with the virus while traveling through it. Even the Spring Festival Gala included a rare impromptu program, and medical workers from across the country were flocking to Wujiang to provide support. What was supposed to be a joyous New Year's Eve was overshadowed by the virus, leaving everyone shrouded in fear and anxiety. The rising death toll intensified the fear—a combination of fear of the virus and panic about the unknown.

On New Year's Eve, restrictions were put in place in Gyeongju, including in the countryside where my family lived. Rong Zixuan, who celebrated the Lunar New Year with us, was also trapped in the countryside, unable to return home to the city. But for him, this wasn't a big deal. He was alone in that home, so it didn't matter whether he could go back or not; the electricity and gas had already been turned on. On New Year's Eve, the village committee urged residents to stay home and watch the Spring Festival Gala, refraining from visiting friends and family for drinks and card games. This request was a bolt from the blue for Rong Zixuan, who loved going out. His most anticipated social life was gone, and he felt completely depressed. His only joy now was playing games with my sister, who was a gamer and could play with him.

Fireworks are indispensable on New Year's Eve. Watching them, I prayed that these fleeting displays would carry the virus along with them, so that by dawn we could return to a clean world and return to our normal lives. However, things went against my wishes. By daybreak, controls had tightened, and the news reported that the number of infections had doubled from yesterday, with the death toll also exceeding it. Behind these cold, stark figures were people who, just a few days ago, were looking forward to Spring Festival reunions, only to become mere statistics. Life is truly fragile, and my fear of this virus has deepened.

"Zixuan, I'm so scared of this virus," I leaned my head on his shoulder.

He raised his hand and hugged me in his arms, but his eyes did not leave the phone screen. "Don't be afraid, I'm here, and we are in the countryside. Everyone in the countryside knows everyone well, and they know where we come from. There will be no concealment of the truth. We are still safe for now."

"Why are you so optimistic?" I pinched his nose.

"The most important thing in life is to be happy," he couldn't help laughing halfway through, which made me laugh too. "You look beautiful when you smile, please don't frown," he said, and I deliberately made a fake smile to tease him.

"Now this smile is uglier than crying"

"You actually said I was ugly!"

"Ah, I lost," he said in frustration.

"You are still playing games. You don't love me at all." I broke free from his arms and said angrily with my arms crossed over my chest.

He quickly put down his phone, hugged me and kissed me, and said with a smile, "Does this count?"

But when I turned my eyes, I found that my father was coming down the stairs. I quickly got out of Rong Zixuan's arms and sat down. My father walked out of the living room, and Rong Zixuan hugged me in his arms again, but this time my grandmother came in, and Rong Zixuan was so scared that he let me go.

"Forget it, just play your game," I said and turned away.

"You also register an account and I will teach you how to play, so that we can also play in a team."

"I don't know how to play. Aren't you afraid that I'll be a bad teammate and hold you back?"

"Who cares if it's a pig or not? We don't have enough people to start a group fight! Come on!"

I stopped, put my hands on my hips and walked back, patting his head. "You asked me to help you with the kills so you can start a team fight. I won't help you with the kills."

Rong Zixuan took my hand and said, "Wife, dear wife, please play with us! We can't go out now, I can't play any outdoor games, and the only way to socialize is to send voice messages, how boring! We finally have a chance to start a group game, but there are not enough people! Just make up the number and let us start a group!"

"Go find my sister. She can find other kids nearby to play with."

"Kids are so boring. I've played with them and they're pretty bad at it."

"Really? Then I'm a newbie, so I'm not bad?"

"You just need to be a member, you don't need to be very powerful"

"You don't have enough people? That's impossible, you have so many brothers."

“We have many good friends, but there is no internet in the countryside.”

"Hahahaha, so that's how it is. Then you can play stand-alone."

"It's so boring to play alone, it's more fun to play in a group"

"I don't care, I don't like to play!" After saying that, I went upstairs, leaving him looking at me aggrievedly on the sofa.

The situation became increasingly tense. Masks were sold out in pharmacies and were extremely difficult to come by. Wearing a mask was mandatory when leaving home to protect ourselves and those around us. By the time we heard the news in the countryside, the masks were already sold out. However, since the countryside was relatively uninhabited, no cases had been reported.

But every night before bed, I dreaded the thought that I'd be diagnosed the next morning and taken away by ambulance for quarantine. My family would also be quarantined for exposure to me, as would my neighbors. It could even spread to the entire village, town, or even the entire city... The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. The more I thought about it, the harder it became to breathe. And then, when I thought about it, I thought about having the same symptoms if I had the virus, which only made me more afraid. It became a cycle. Later, with Rong Zixuan's comfort, my symptoms eased. The so-called breathing difficulty was just a psychological implication of my anxiety. Thinking about my own behavior, I couldn't help but smile.

As the school year approached, the pandemic situation remained severe. The school postponed the start of the semester, then postponed it again and again before finally announcing a switch to online classes. Thus began the era of online learning. During the pandemic, I also faced a major life decision: family on one hand, and academics on the other. What should I do?