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Jian Zhaowen could never understand why the once-simple girl who loved drifting had become increasingly unpredictable over time, each of her actions captivating him. Watching her attempt to wedge butter into a pineapple bun, only for it to slip and fall to the floor, her expressions of joy and disappointment were all genuine.
Too busy to tend to the flowers on his balcony, Yu Zhimei trimmed the branches late at night, earphones in as she spoke with Xiaoxi on the phone. The pitch competition was just three days away, and Yu Zhimei was orchestrating everything from behind the scenes. The sound of the scissors was crisp. Suddenly, Jian appeared on the adjacent balcony, stretching lazily in the cold breeze. Seeing Yu Zhimei on her balcony, he angrily prepared to retreat but heard her say unexpectedly: “Getting upset over something so trivial is quite unbecoming.” Jian snapped back: “What did you say?”
“You should just move out and stay away from him. At your age, why are you still causing yourself trouble?”
He glared at her back, half-wishing he could step across the air conditioner unit to confront her. Yu Zhimei turned around, earphones still in: “Both of you dating is amusing—childish tempers, talking about moving out after every argument, yet acting all lovey-dovey. Who are you trying to fool?” Noticing Jian’s slightly flushed face, she added: “Xiaoxi, I have something to take care of. I’ll call you back later.”
Removing her earphones, Yu Zhimei spoke first: “Sorry, I wasn’t talking about you earlier. A friend’s relationship has run into some trouble.”
Jian forced a bitter smile, not planning to retreat indoors: “Can you keep me company for a bit? My mind’s a mess, and I need to talk to someone.”
“Too tired? You can go upstairs and sleep.”
“No time. Sleeping would be a waste. I’ve failed so miserably—I’ve never felt this humiliated before. Even after being rejected, here I am begging you to talk to me.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Forget it. Let’s not dwell on it.”
“Alright. What have you been up to recently?”
“I’ve been calculating how many people I’d need if I were to start a business—Android developers, product managers, designers, copywriters… Every single one costs money. My mind’s too chaotic; I can’t handle it all alone.”
Yu Zhimei leaned against the doorframe: “Seems like ‘Day & Night’ is performing well in the market.”
“Do you really think I’m someone who gives up easily? I’m Jian Zhaowen, remember?”
His voice was clear and confident. Yu Zhimei watched as he dragged out a bottle of wine from inside, deftly opening the cork with a lighter. She recalled how arrogantly he had acted when they ate pork intestine noodles together—it had only been three seasons ago. Jian looked at her, his words seemingly pointed: “Why hasn’t your boyfriend been coming around lately?”
“He’s been busy. It’s the end of the year.”
“You don’t seem to be in great shape either.”
“Do I?”
“You seem much less confident than before.”
Yu Zhimei said nothing, quietly pinching off wilted flower petals and dead grass. She heard Jian clear his throat: “Let me tell you something interesting about ‘Day & Night.’ Do you remember when I told you that many people send nude photos while chatting?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Some use it to hook up and alleviate loneliness, while others get harassed and report them. Lately, every night before bed, I’ve been reviewing hundreds of genitals—it’s made me question life.”
“An algorithm engineer looking at nude photos?”
“Don’t even get me started. I’m a jack-of-all-trades. I still have to work during the day—feel the power of my unstoppable energy.” Jian took a deep swig, grimacing as he swallowed. “I can barely keep going.”
Yu Zhimei reached out across the air conditioner unit, mimicking a handshake with Jian. He always loved interlocking fingers, and her heart raced as she remembered how he had held her hand on the rooftop. Jian’s topic wasn’t over yet: “People are complex. During the day, they’re ordinary office workers, but at night, they put on a different face.”
“After seeing all this, haven’t you lost interest in love?”
Jian placed the white wine bottle on the air conditioner unit, offering it to her as if inviting her to drink: “No, most people are still normal. Social apps aren’t just for dating—they’re outlets for emotions. Anonymous spaces are where people vent, where no one knows who you are but you can find closure. With an ID, you become an independent individual, make friends, release another side of your personality, and experience companionship and interaction. It’s like humans gazing at stars thousands of light-years away.”
Yu Zhimei watched Jian, unwilling to interrupt his train of thought, letting him continue. Holding the wine bottle, he spoke with fervor: “You know, when people truly discuss love, they use their most beautiful language.”
“What about… the content of their chats? Can you see those too?”
“Of course. Let me tell you something: anything you post online, even if you delete it afterward, isn’t truly gone. As developers, we can still see it. I didn’t mean to pry into anyone’s privacy, but maintaining community stability is important. When lonely people act out, you wouldn’t believe how terrifying it can get. Like I said earlier.” Jian shook his head.
“So you just let harassers roam free?”
“No, especially when people close to me get hurt, I feel responsible.” Jian seemed earnest: “I created this social app—I can’t pretend there’s no casual sex happening on it. I don’t have the resources to monitor every post, but I carefully review reports. Repeat offenders and pedophiles must be dealt with harshly.”
Yu Zhimei’s grip on her wine glass cooled as she stared at Jian, momentarily speechless. Gifted and destined for greatness, Jian had blazed through top schools and emerged as a rare breed of algorithm engineer among thousands. If not for being neighbors, she might never have become someone Jian considered a friend, let alone someone he drunkenly chased up the stairs to talk about the past. Yu Zhimei believed some people were born to save the world, and she understood why she had chosen Dou Yu. Sitting together in the dessert shop made it clearer—Dou Yu was someone you could date, while Jian, though a neighbor, wasn’t her “boy next door.”
“I’m drunk tonight—I wouldn’t normally say these things. Once spoken aloud, they lose their coolness. And… I genuinely want you to be happy.” Jian closed his eyes, pondering for a few seconds: “Some things shouldn’t come from me, but, Yu Zhimei, open your eyes and look at the people around you.”
“Huh?”
“Do you trust me? If you do, check Dou Yu’s phone. He’s your boyfriend, so anything I say now might sound like I’m sowing discord. But if he plans to marry you, it’s better to wake up sooner.” Jian sighed: “Maybe nothing I say matters now—he’s your boyfriend, and I’m just your friend.”
“I never planned to stay just friends with you.” Yu Zhimei reached for the wine bottle from Jian: “Before I finish my own tasks, I’ll start by getting to know you through ‘Day & Night.’ Tonight, I’m downloading the app too. I want to see how different the Day and Night sides really are.”
It had been half a month since the rooftop incident, and Yu Zhimei hadn’t let Dou Yu come over. Dou Yu’s pitch competition seemed to be going poorly, and Yu Zhimei consoled him tenderly, every word dripping with affection. Meanwhile, she diligently explored ‘Day & Night.’ The Night section was filled with exposés about workplace secrets and sexual harassment. Yu Zhimei meticulously read every post and added many users to chat. Jian’s app was indeed fascinating—you could choose different usernames for the Day and Night sides, and the Night side allowed anonymity. She saved numerous photos and even bought a printer to print them all. For several nights in a row, she worked late. One evening, Dou Yu posted a selfie at the office with friends leaving birthday wishes in the comments. Yu Zhimei messaged these friends, pretending she had forgotten Dou Yu’s birthday and wanted to throw him a surprise party. After some coordination, eight mutual friends agreed to join, including colleagues who had been working overtime with Dou Yu and buddies from previous drinking sessions. They planned to meet at 4 p.m. to decorate the venue. Yu Zhimei would bring decorations and drinks in her car, repeatedly reminding everyone not to spoil the surprise for Dou Yu. One friend replied cryptically: “None of Dou Yu’s ex-girlfriends were as thoughtful as you. Meeting a soulmate-like girl in the big city isn’t easy. How I wish you were my girlfriend.”
Yu Zhimei was busy replying to strangers on ‘Day & Night’: “4 p.m., Renaissance 1009. I’ve booked the room and will arrive early. Will your girlfriend find out?”
The user with the cross-tattooed hand icon replied quickly: “She’s busy preparing my birthday surprise. I’m free until 7 p.m. Baby, I can’t wait to see you.”
Just as she hung up, Xiao Ma Ge called: “Yu Zhimei, I specially got a girl to book the room for you. How much are you treating me to dinner? Also, what’s your plan here? Rejecting Jian Zhaowen and booking a room for Dou Yu’s party—are you insane?”
On Saturday, Yu Zhimei arrived early at the rental car company to avoid being late, but the reserved car had been canceled. After arguing fruitlessly for a while, she stood by the roadside with an IKEA woven bag, hailing a taxi in the biting wind. After ten minutes, a car stopped in front of her—it was Jian Zhaowen.
“Get in.”
The car departed from downtown, rain drizzling as the sky grew darker, like a premeditated conspiracy. The car moved stop-and-go, both silent until they reached the café at exactly 4 p.m. Yu Zhimei pressed Jian’s hand: “Don’t get out.” Jian replied firmly: “Impossible. I’d be crazy to leave you alone.” Yu Zhimei couldn’t muster a smile: “Let me handle this myself. We dated, but fundamentally, this has nothing to do with you.”
Jian locked the car doors, stepped on the gas, parked, and fixed his gaze on Yu Zhimei: “Starting today, I’ll stay by your side. Whether you see me as a boyfriend or not doesn’t matter—I’ll always be here. Stop treating me like just a neighbor.”
“Stay back for now. I won’t be in danger.” Yu Zhimei opened the car door: “Evil-doers need to know the consequences of angering a woman.”
Carrying a large bag, Yu Zhimei entered the café. Inside were half a bag of confetti and handheld signs, along with a thick stack of printed photos. Seven or eight friends had already arrived. Xiao Ma Ge sat in the café, finishing a blind date, and patted the camera in his bag as he approached. Yu Zhimei introduced him earnestly: “This is my friend. He’s an excellent photographer. It’s okay to bring him along, right?”
“Of course. But Yu Zhimei, where exactly is this mysterious venue you arranged? Did you rent out an entire banquet hall?”
“A good place is necessary for a party.” Yu Zhimei opened ‘Day & Night.’ An anonymous user had already retrieved the room key hidden under the fire hydrant in the parking lot, showered, and was lying in bed. She tucked her phone into her jeans: “Let’s go.”
As the elevator doors were about to close, Jian squeezed in. After everyone exited, he politely followed behind. Eleven people marched down the narrow corridor, which grew noisy. Someone wore confetti around their neck and a hat, thinking about picking up the cake at 6 p.m. Yu Zhimei pulled out the room card: “Don’t rush. Let’s decorate first—who knows if we’ll still need the cake later.”
“Sis, that’s not right. Cake is essential—how else will we smash it on his face?”
Yu Zhimei smiled: “There’s more than just cake to smear.”
The group poured into the room. Dou Yu, completely naked, suddenly sat bolt upright in bed: “Shit! What’s going on?”
The friends who entered were also confused: “Sis, don’t involve us in your affairs!”
“Don’t rush to leave. Today, I’ve brought you all here for a birthday party—don’t ruin the mood.” Yu Zhimei placed the bag down firmly and tipped it over, spilling its contents onto the pristine white sheets. Photos scattered across the bed instantly. They were filled with screenshots of Dou Yu’s interactions on ‘Day & Night,’ along with explicit images he had sent to harass random women: “Do you like this?” “Is it big enough for you?” “Will this satisfy you?” Each message was paired with Dou Yu’s obscene selfies—every single one undeniable evidence. The friends stood frozen, no one daring to step forward. Yu Zhimei tossed the bag onto the floor: “Care to explain?”
“How did you find out about this place?”
“Because the person who messaged you… was me.”
“What? You’re telling me you use ‘Day & Night’ too? I thought you were an innocent girl—I can’t believe this…”
“I downloaded it because of you. No one can escape their boyfriend’s phone—and turns out, neither can computers. I just borrowed your laptop to transfer some videos, only to discover countless flirtatious chats in your WeChat, not to mention that group of 500 people swapping intimate messages and short clips.”
Dou Yu’s face twisted in shock and shame. His first instinct was to lash out: “Damn it, so you brought my friends here to catch me cheating?!” He scrambled out of bed, dragging the blanket around his waist to cover himself, frantically searching for his pants on the couch. A kind colleague handed him his underwear, then discreetly turned to wash his hands at the sink.
“If it were just seeking thrills between consenting adults, fine—it’d be honest enough to remain as friends. But you once told me you loved me, showering me with romance. I spent sleepless nights trying to understand how someone who made such promises could lie so brazenly. And sending these kinds of photos unsolicited is harassment—it’s criminal behavior. Do you even understand that?”
Dou Yu grabbed the photos and flung them onto the bed like throwing playing cards: “Fake, all fake. Your Photoshop skills are impressive.”
“You think I wouldn’t know about the explicit photos you posted on ‘Day & Night’ that got reported? I recognized your profile picture in the anonymous section immediately.”
“Are you lying? Even if I used this app, I only added people on WeChat and deleted them afterward.”
“This app was created by me,” Jian Zhaowen stepped forward from the crowd. “First, you know exactly what you’ve done on the app. Second, your ignorance shows—deleting images doesn’t erase them from the backend. Third, you wronged Yu Zhimei first. Can’t you just apologize sincerely?”
A hush fell over the room. Someone whispered behind their back: “This is ruthless.” True to urban norms, friends quickly distanced themselves when morality came into question. Even those close to Dou Yu quietly pulled out their phones, stepping back to avoid being filmed while coldly observing the scene—no one wanted to miss the drama.
Dou Yu grabbed his pants and hastily put them on under the blanket: “You two plotted this together? Creating an app and leaking my information to Yu Zhimei—I could sue you for this, you know!”
“Forget it,” Yu Zhimei raised her head. “You left so many traces openly; I didn’t need anyone’s help. I considered letting it go, but thinking about how many girls must have been deceived like me kept me awake at night. Swallowing my pain in silence—I couldn’t do it anymore.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Dou Yu, now fully dressed, leaped off the bed and slapped Yu Zhimei across the face. Jian lunged forward, grabbing Dou Yu by the collar and slamming him against the wall. Xiao Ma Ge rushed out, pointing his phone at Dou Yu: “Dou Yu, I suggest you calm down. This livestream is rolling.”
But Jian didn’t stop there. He threw a punch, then slammed Dou Yu to the ground, smashing his head against the carpeted floor—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to intimidate. Hitting a woman was something Jian Zhaowen couldn’t stand. Friends dragged Dou Yu out of the room by the arms, leaving the space suddenly empty and breathable again. On the way back, Xiao Ma Ge excitedly saved the replay of the livestream: “I’m ready to upload this video online, though it seems unnecessary since netizens are already spreading it. Yu Zhimei, what were you thinking? All this time enduring silently just to ruin him publicly?”
“I once thought about confronting him directly, breaking up under the same roof and never seeing each other again—but that wouldn’t solve anything. He wouldn’t face consequences and would keep getting away with it. Seeing the photos of him harassing others on ‘Day & Night,’ I couldn’t let it go. Someone had to stop him from ever bouncing back. For every girl’s dignity, I had to take back what was ours.”
“Pity everyone will forget soon, and after a while, he’ll crawl back out to make money again.”
“Not this time. I’ve already forwarded all the screenshots and evidence of his infidelity to his coworkers and everyone in his phone contacts. For now, I’ll probably have to lay low for a bit.”
“Holy crap… Yu Zhimei, you’re absolutely ruthless. Don’t worry—I’ll pay for new locks downstairs. Let me handle booking a restaurant.”
The car radio happened to play ‘First Be a Woman’ as Jian parked. Yu Zhimei gazed out the window, her shadow reflected on the glass. Under the night sky, she quietly shed tears. Jian softly took her hand, intertwining their fingers: “I never imagined you’d go this far.”
“Do you admire me?”
“Yes.”
“No. Maybe… I’ve already betrayed my original intentions. Jian Zhaowen, when I first met you, I knew you were a star in the sky. I once dreamed of climbing the ladder of success through my own efforts, reaching your level and standing eye-to-eye with you.”
“You’re already standing at my level.”
“Maybe. But I arrived here in a way I never expected—the dragon-slayer eventually becomes the dragon. Now, I only have one wish—that I won’t encounter something like this ever again.”
Jian reached out and held her hand tightly: “I’ll always be by your side.”
Her phone rang, and Yu Zhimei smiled at the screen, exhaling deeply. Jian still didn’t know why she looked so content—the designer handbag Dou Yu bought her remained untouched, returned to the finance department. The eighty-thousand-yuan debt that had been delayed for months finally landed in the company’s account before the Lunar New Year. Xiaoxi messaged her: the pitch was successful, securing Volvo’s social media campaign and fulfilling half of her KPI for the year. She reminded Yu Zhimei to prepare for the spring campaign TVC after the holiday.
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