On the third day, the fog had still not cleared, obscuring the color of the sky. Even at noon, streetlights had to be turned on to light the roads.
People's adaptability was impressive. After the initial panic, many had calmed down. Even though the haze persisted, life had to go on—people still needed to eat, work, and attend school. The haze was heavy, but with caution, travel was still possible. Some people thought the air looked dirty and wore masks without being told, but many older individuals didn't understand the need for masks, thinking that dirty air was just part of life, and one couldn't live without breathing.
Mu Nan even saw photos online of some elderly people who ignored government advice to stay home and went out early to exercise in the thick fog.
He found it hard to understand this behavior. Was the exercise for health or an act of self-destruction? Even if they were not yet aware of the disease caused by the haze, such abnormal weather should make people avoid going out if possible.
The air quality had dropped to an unprecedented low, and a rush to buy masks had begun. He saw in the alumni group that many people were reluctant to use domestic masks, feeling they were poorly made and ineffective. They preferred to spend more money to buy masks from abroad through agents.
Mu Nan wondered if these people would regret their reluctance when masks became unavailable.
The lung disease exploded online on the third day of the haze. A video posted by a mother, crying and pleading for help, showed her child suffering from a fever and cough, now experiencing breathing difficulties. The hospital was overcrowded and had no beds available, and treatment was impossible to access. Without intervention, her child was on the brink of death.
The video showed a packed hospital, with people lying on the floor receiving injections, while many couldn't even get that chance because doctors and nurses were overwhelmed. Even doctors and nurses from other departments had been temporarily reassigned, yet the influx of patients was unstoppable.
As the video spread, similar scenes appeared from various locations, not just in one city but nationwide. Even international students posted videos asking for help, expressing that they were ill and unable to receive treatment. With flights suspended, even high-priced tickets home were unavailable. The situation abroad was chaotic; people couldn't even go out for food and had no idea how long they could survive with their supplies running out. They hoped their home country would hear their pleas and bring them back.
They didn't know if the global haze was a sign of the apocalypse, but their country seemed to have become a disaster zone. They had never imagined experiencing such a war-like atmosphere in a civilized nation during their lifetimes.
The first country to initiate a repatriation operation was China. After international students and tourists stranded abroad posted distress videos, the next day, the news announced the repatriation effort.
Some people admired the country's quick action, while others criticized it, claiming that rescuing these people was a waste of national resources and that those who wanted to go abroad when things were fine but wanted to return when problems arose didn't deserve help.
The internet was abuzz with discussions on the haze, the repatriation operation, and the mysterious lung disease.
Some linked the epidemic to the strange fog and haze, but others pointed out that the disease had appeared before the fog, so the pathogen's true nature remained uncertain.
As the epidemic spread, many people were afraid to go out. They were unsure whether the disease came from the air or the earlier heavy rain. Those who were ill were desperate, while those who were healthy were in panic.
Before things got completely chaotic, the government began taking swift action, starting with the most severely affected cities. They halted all public gatherings, closed all workplaces, and enforced strict stay-at-home orders, implementing controls layer by layer from neighborhoods to communities to cities.
This wasn't just a city shutdown but nearly a nationwide standstill. This undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the economy, possibly setting it back decades. Yet, the government proceeded with this drastic measure, risking economic downturn to protect lives.
China was the quickest to act with a thunderous response, leaving no room for dissent; everyone had to comply.
Abroad, such a nationwide shutdown was nearly impossible. There were protests, rallies, and riots. People stormed supermarkets, some even blew up police stations, creating utter chaos.
On the second day of the repatriation effort, some who successfully returned home posted videos of their evacuation. Travelers and students from other countries were also featured in these videos. When people of different races and colors gathered, the red flags in the midst of their desperation became the most beautiful sight. Those who managed to board flights home felt a sense of relief for having survived.
When the news announced that the epidemic was likely related to the haze, many in Mu Nan's neighborhood had already fallen ill. Due to community restrictions, many who were sick couldn't go to the hospital themselves and had to contact the community, which then had to arrange appointments at hospitals. But hospitals weren't assigned to just one community; they were assigned to dozens or even hundreds of communities, making it impossible to handle the sheer volume of patients.
In the face of prolonged delays for treatment, some people acted out of desperation, vandalizing property and even breaking windows, adopting an extreme mindset of "if I can't live well, neither should anyone else." These individuals were eventually arrested, but the collapse of medical services meant that many did not get the opportunity to enter a hospital and never recovered.
In his previous life, Mu Nan hadn't felt this deeply about the situation. He didn't see it as an apocalypse then because the government's control maintained social order, leading many to believe that after the initial chaos, things would gradually improve. Even though he was confined at home, he wasn't anxious. His work on his thesis continued unaffected by the haze, and he didn't spend much time online.
Now, with nothing to do at home, Mu Nan saw much more online and felt the situation more acutely. Yet, compared to the later disasters, this haze was still the mildest. At least at this point, the country and human nature had not completely lost control.
When the iron gate outside was knocked, Mu Nan initially thought it might be a community survey. After the neighborhood was sealed off due to the haze, a group was established to post notifications. A few days earlier, it had been mentioned that someone would come around to register the number of people in each home.
However, when he opened the door he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face, Mu Nan was stunned.
It was Qin Huai, whom he had known since birth. Allegedly, Qin Huai was the one who fed him his first bottle of milk, holding the bottle and feeding him when he was just a baby. Qin Huai had been part of his life until he was fifteen, and now, even including his past life, Mu Nan couldn't remember how many years it had been since they had parted. Seeing Qin Huai again, he felt his mind go blank. He had thought he would never find this person again, that he might never see him in this lifetime.
Yet, as soon as he saw Qin Huai, Mu Nan's heart ached. The grown-up Qin Huai was no longer the same as he remembered. The unfamiliarity in his appearance reminded Mu Nan that, despite their past closeness, the years of separation had left a gap.
Qin Huai, seeing the stunned person at the door, bit his lip slightly, unable to suppress the pain in his chest. His Nan Nan, the person he had longed for, had become estranged due to the years apart.
Looking at Mu Nan with a longing gaze, Qin Huai's voice trembled slightly: "Now, not even letting me in?"
Snapping out of his daze, Mu Nan took a step back, hiding his trembling hands behind him and making way for Qin Huai.
Qin Huai closed the gate and was tempted to reach out and comfort him as he did when he was a child. However, when he lifted his hand, he noticed his clothes and stepped back, putting his hand down. Having just returned from outside, he wasn't sure if he carried any virus. Seeing Mu Nan lower his head in silence, Qin Huai's voice became a bit hoarse: "I'm not leaving again this time."
Mu Nan didn't respond. He wasn't sure how to face Qin Huai. When he couldn't find Qin Huai, he had desperately searched for him. Now that Qin Huai had returned, the sense of unfamiliarity brought by the time and the two lifetimes was not easily erased. So, besides remaining silent, he didn't know what to say.
Seeing Mu Nan's silence, Qin Huai felt sad and helpless. When he left years ago, Mu Nan had hated him so decisively. It was only natural for Mu Nan to harbor resentment for being left alone. After a prolonged silence, Qin Huai forced a casual smile: "I'll go take a shower first. I'm a bit dirty after coming back from outside." He looked at Mu Nan with a hint of pleading, "I'll come back to find you after I've showered."
Mu Nan finally spoke up: "The bathroom hasn't been used for years." He turned and went back into his own home, but the door was left open.
Qin Huai smiled and followed Mu Nan inside.
Once inside, Qin Huai noticed that the interior was different from his memory. There was now a bed in the living room, and the balcony they used to sit on and enjoy the view was now enclosed. Time had indeed brought many changes.
Qin Huai put down his bag and took off his shoes at the door.
Mu Nan opened the shoe cabinet and gave him a pair of slippers that fit his size.
After changing shoes, Qin Huai picked up his bag and walked toward the bathroom, asking, "Do you have any larger clothes? The ones I brought are dirty from the journey."
Mu Nan didn't reply but walked towards the balcony where the wardrobe was.
Qin Huai entered the bathroom, skillfully throwing the dirty clothes from his bag into the washing machine, followed by his own clothes. He then stepped into the shower.
Mu Nan had prepared a lot of clothes. Since he hadn't seen Qin Huai for many years, he didn't know if Qin Huai had gained or lost weight. He thought Qin Huai might have become more muscular. When Qin Huai was in high school, he was already tall and strong in his class. So, Mu Nan had bought several large-sized clothes, and although they looked slimmer than he imagined, they should still fit.
After placing the new clothes outside the bathroom, Mu Nan went to the kitchen to make a bowl of noodles. With all transportation methods shut down and private cars unable to travel without passes, he wondered how Qin Huai had managed to get back. If not for the sound of water coming from the bathroom, Mu Nan could hardly believe Qin Huai was really back. Listening to the continuous sound of water from the bathroom, Mu Nan couldn't help but feel a bit disoriented and unreal.
When Qin Huai finished his shower and came out, he saw a bowl of noodles on a small table next to the bed, while Mu Nan sat on the other side of the bed, looking at his phone. Qin Huai sat down, looking at the noodles with slightly moist eyes. Although Mu Nan's parents had passed away early, he had always lived with him. He didn't know how to cook, not even making noodles.
Now, Mu Nan had grown up alone in a life Qin Huai hadn't been a part of.