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Perhaps I truly can’t suppress my pursuit of glowing souls. Thinking about the qualities in you that make me want to love you unconditionally, and the desire to possess you exclusively, makes me want to draw closer to you. Living recklessly and wildly for so many years, it’s you who made me realize there’s still so much more I can do. There needs to be a Promethean passion to ignite fervor, making emotions too hard to express precious. After all, only by striving and loving fiercely can one become someone cherished by love.
While Yu Zhimei was busy running around the suburbs to film car videos, and Jian Zhaowen met with various young entrepreneurs, the weather gradually turned colder. Street trees and shopping malls were adorned with festive lights, and giant Christmas decorations stood along the streets, reminding everyone of the approaching new year.
Neighbors too busy to celebrate Christmas were woken early by Ma Minmin—the reason being an unexpected group chat message from Shi Rui, showing off photos of her son. The three of them passed the pictures around indifferently before Shi Rui initiated a video call, appearing on screen cradling her son, laughing until her double chin showed. Refusing to be outdone, Ma hastily posed Yu Zhimei and Jian Zhaowen, who were still eating breakfast, and confidently sent the photo back to Shi Rui: “Having a son doesn’t elevate your status—maids giving birth to princes don’t automatically become empresses or Empress Dowager Cixi. Yu Zhimei, show her your big diamond ring!”
What kind of analogy was that? Jian kept his head down, focused on handling emails. Yu Zhimei calmly replied, “You mean that once battle-damaged 86 parked in the lot?”
Ma covered the microphone and camera: “Damn it, Yu Zhimei, how can you not extort a big diamond ring from this rich boyfriend of yours? Are you brain-dead?”
Yu Zhimei, finishing her bowl of cereal, licked her lips nonchalantly in protest. Surprisingly, Shi Rui asked, “Is He Jie there? I miss her. Can she take the call?”
Just as Ou Jinghe entered apartment 301, she heard Shi Rui’s coquettish voice over the phone: “He Jie, let me tell you, my son is really interesting! His head has always been firm since he was little, and he’s bigger than other kids. My mother-in-law says my milk is good, so the kid is well-nourished—he’s already ahead at the starting line.”
“Oh.” Ou Jinghe held the phone between her shoulder and ear, frowning at the French toast on the table. “Why are you telling me this? Bragging? Worried I can’t have kids?”
“No, no, He Jie, don’t misunderstand me. In Shanghai, you’re the person I worry about the most. Yu Zhimei is resilient, Brother Zhaowen is excellent, and Ma Minmin owns property. But you—I can’t stop worrying about you. When I was pregnant in Shanghai, you were the only person I could rely on…”
At least she said something human. Ou Jinghe glanced at Yu Zhimei: “Does your husband still cheat?”
“Shh!” Shi Rui ducked into an empty room during the video call: “Marriage is like this. My husband went out to sing karaoke with others just days before I gave birth, coming back early in the morning. All I can do is turn a blind eye. Earning 8,000 yuan a month in a provincial city isn’t bad. We just make do… At least he gives me his salary now, and with a son, he’s more family-oriented…”
Ou Jinghe abruptly hung up the phone. Handing it back to Ma Minmin, she looked refreshed: “What’s the plan for today?”
“We’re meeting a few small car bloggers to sign contracts. Tonight, Ma Minmin booked Chongqing hot pot.”
“Then I’ll go to the company and see you tonight.” Ou Jinghe popped a betel nut Ma brought into her mouth: “Damn it, has the air quality been bad lately? I’ve been feeling nauseous every morning.”
In front of Yu Zhimei sat a laptop, occupying one of the few large tables in the café. She was having one-on-one conversations with young bloggers about collaborations. The clients and connections she’d built over the years weren’t enough to create a massive MCN agency, but they could help some young bloggers land ads. She planned to select three from ten promising candidates, shaping their personas into car-focused video creators, and taking a cut from ad revenue. Ambitious young people were plentiful, and listening to the wild imaginations of those across the table made the morning fly by. In the afternoon, she needed to film content for her own account. Her recent drift videos hadn’t garnered much attention, and growing her audience without Xing Ge and Xiao Wu’s influence was proving far more challenging than expected.
Looking at the hurried figures outside the window, Yu Zhimei couldn’t help but reflect on how extraordinary ordinary people in big cities truly were. In a city teeming with hidden talents, each success served only as a temporary pass; the new year demanded new achievements. How many people, like herself, refused to stop moving forward? Young people surged in like tides, but only a few survived the city’s high costs and exorbitant housing prices. The waves of replacements never ended. She would soon return to a 9-to-5 grind, perhaps even working year-round without breaks, but Yu Zhimei felt that working for herself might give her more motivation than before.
She missed Jian Zhaowen, who was running around elsewhere for a new startup project. Her boyfriend, whose current net worth remained undisclosed, had yet to reveal the details of his new venture, only smugly saying that his new algorithm inspiration still stemmed from her. Before meeting him, Yu Zhimei secretly posted a status update on Day & Night: “Perhaps I truly can’t suppress my pursuit of glowing souls. Thinking about the qualities in you that make me want to love you unconditionally, and the desire to possess you exclusively, makes me want to draw closer to you. Living recklessly and wildly for so many years, it’s you who made me realize there’s still so much more I can do. There needs to be a Promethean passion to ignite fervor, making emotions too hard to express precious. After all, only by striving and loving fiercely can one become someone cherished by love.”
Within a minute of posting, a like appeared—Jian Zhaowen. Yu Zhimei blushed from her face to her ears. Hadn’t he already divested from Day & Night? Why was he still secretly following her updates? So shameless!
When she picked up Jian Zhaowen, Yu Zhimei wasn’t surprised to see his smug expression.
They often encountered Day & Night ads on short video platforms. Now under the umbrella of a major company, Day & Night was thriving, becoming a popular social app among young people. Jian didn’t care much, only remarking that the user base seemed disproportionately filled with attractive men and women, possibly because young people were obsessed with plastic surgery and photo editing. Xiao Wu’s success had given Yu Zhimei some recognition in the car community, and her 86 was frequently photographed and shared online. Some criticized its appearance as impure—not boxy enough, lacking pop-up headlights—while others accused her of deliberately crashing the car to generate buzz. Yu Zhimei didn’t care about these comments, but Jian became visibly upset reading the harsh remarks, feeling she was being unfairly treated.
“You’re spoiled by Day & Night’s comment section. Car enthusiasts always talk like this, probably forgetting their words after posting.”
“There should be moderation. Platforms like Weibo and WeChat review comments, and short video platforms should let creators pre-screen theirs too. These days, chasing data makes everyone look desperate.”
“Don’t get angry. Isn’t it strange for someone at your life stage to be so worked up?”
“What life stage?” Jian grumbled from the passenger seat. “I’m still a startup founder starting from scratch. I’ve targeted a new field, and my algorithm will make a comeback soon. Can I borrow your car for a spin?”
After switching seats and fastening their seatbelts, Jian immediately floored the gas pedal, tailgating others by just a car length. Yu Zhimei screamed from the passenger seat: “Jian Zhaowen, how many times do I have to tell you not to drive so close to other cars? If you’re not skilled, why act tough?”
“I didn’t hear you complain this much when I drove an Audi.”
“Annoyed by my chatter? Stop the car!”
“What, mad? Want to jump out?”
The car pulled over, and Yu Zhimei circled to the driver’s side: “Out. You’re not allowed to drive this car anymore.”
The moment Jian stepped out, his first move was to pull Yu Zhimei into a passionate kiss. She stood on tiptoe, pedestrians sidestepping, while drivers in nearby cars stared in bewilderment. Jian kissed her deeply, calmly, and with purpose. Above them, the billboard displayed Day & Night’s promotional video, still using Jian’s original tagline despite the founder’s departure.
By the time they realized people were watching, it was too late. A traffic officer’s fluorescent yellow vest caught Yu Zhimei’s eye: “Look around—is anyone else parking here? Show me your license and ID.”
After the ticket was issued, Yu Zhimei tossed it into the car and forcefully grabbed Jian’s collar, pulling him close for another kiss. Startled by her sudden enthusiasm, Jian’s eyes nearly popped out, unable to break away: “What… are you crazy…”
“Even after getting a ticket, you still won’t let me kiss you? Isn’t one ticket enough!”
You… Jian Zhaowen dodged Yu Zhimei’s lips, chuckling as he pushed her back into the car: “Not here. Ma Minmin is waiting for us at the café—it’s almost time.”
Meanwhile, Ou Jinghe, who had also driven out, felt today might not be an auspicious day to travel. She stopped by a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test and placed it in her bag before parking and walking across the street to a café. The newly opened shop was bustling, its small tables cramped with four people squeezed around each. Squeezing into a seat, she listened as Ma Minmin lamented over Xu Xu’er’s story, pounding his chest dramatically: “In this world full of people experiencing true love, why can’t I be one of them? I’m so lonely!”
“Stop being melancholic. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t date until you’re thirty?”
“I’m lonely!”
“Not everyone gets lucky with perfect timing in love. Even if everything aligns, the future is unpredictable.”
Ma rested his chin on his hand: “He Jie, you don’t seem pessimistic about romance.”
“Me?” Ou smiled. The old her would have rambled confidently, but now, after much thought, she had no fitting response. She simply sipped her coffee in silence. Remembering the item in her bag, she stood up with her purse: “I’m going to the restroom.”
In the narrow space, she awkwardly stood, muttering under her breath: Please, please, not this. That man wasn’t terrible, but I feel nothing for him, and I certainly don’t want marriage. Two lines appeared on the pregnancy test—her intuition was right. She was pregnant.
Still frozen in an awkward stance, Ou Jinghe stared blankly ahead. A primal force violently tugged at her stomach, making her heart race late at night—it was all real. As she realized her once-fantasized scenario had come true, her heart pounded wildly, filled with an indescribable force. Yellow-hatted children ran and leapt straight into her heart. Returning to her seat, she listened as Yu Zhimei scolded Jian Zhaowen for reckless driving while Jian questioned Yu’s teaching methods. Ou sat motionless, letting the yellow-hatted kids run through her mind again. Amid their escalating argument, she softly said: “Stop fighting. There’s a child at the next table.”
The words didn’t sound like they came from her mouth—they seemed to emanate from deep within her body. Jian was startled by her expression: “He Jie, are you okay?”
Ou looked at them. The small café table brought them close enough to feel each other’s breaths. Back at Miaolin Dessert Shop, Yu Zhimei had been her accomplice, and Jian’s app had once hidden her deepest secrets. Memories dripped like rain onto the ground, filling her heart with a desolate mist. She answered vaguely: “Can we always live together? I mean, me downstairs, where we can see each other anytime?”
“Who knows, but we probably won’t move for another year or two,” Jian replied, misunderstanding her meaning.
“True.” The mist in her heart subtly dispersed. Ou thought, Living off each other isn’t something that depends on them anymore.
“It’s time for hot pot. Let’s go,” Yu Zhimei stretched lazily: “I haven’t had a proper nine-grid hot pot in ages.”
“I suddenly want a yin-yang pot. Is that a mood killer?” Ou laughed as she put on her earphones, worried the noise might drown out her colleagues’ voice messages: “Oh no, they’re walking so fast.”
As she stood, she spotted Zheng Zeyan waiting in line for coffee.
Lovers’ eyes inevitably chase each other. Though she had intended to leave, she found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move. Young girls passed by, blocking her view, and she anxiously turned her head. Across from her, he remained motionless, staring deeply into her eyes. Finally reaching the door, incoming customers let in a gust of cold wind, and she thought, Damn it, this is crazy. If there’s ever a turning point that makes someone believe in fate, then fate just sighed deeply at me.
At that moment, Zheng Zeyan took a step forward. The distance between them wasn’t easier for either side to bridge. And in her ears, a song played: Who made my life so bitter, opening the gates of paradise, I persistently pursue my destined half, stubborn to the point of arrogance…
Ou walked over, embracing Zheng Zeyan and cradling his face reverently. She kissed him fiercely on the lips. She could feel him trembling, as if she were aboard a plane piercing through the troposphere, the pressure change muffling all sound. Her body burned recklessly amidst thick clouds, falling freely. Some experience smooth romantic journeys on planes, while others endure the violent disintegration and fiery descent back to earth. The scenery from the plane may be monotonous, but the grandeur of combustion fills the eyes with beauty—yes, she had witnessed the indestructible immortality of love.
Escaping from his warm, almost suffocating embrace wasn’t easy. Ignoring the stares of others, Ou pushed Zheng Zeyan away, turned, and fled quickly out the door. The cold wind whipped past her ears, restoring her hearing. She knew the way to the parking lot well. In thirty seconds of green light, she followed the crowd across the road, climbed the overpass, crossed the street, and entered the mall. As she ascended the overpass, a song played: Fly across the sky, walk to the horizon, reclaim happiness; grope with hands, search with eyes—I still feel alive.
In the biting wind, tears streamed down Ou Jinghe’s face. She knew there was a kind of love suited for her—a cruel tenderness of devouring flesh, spitting out bones, and burning ashes to clutch beside her pillow.
Yu Zhimei and Jian Zhaowen, who had left earlier, waited at a red light, deliberately bypassing congestion near Dapu Bridge. Their black-and-white panda-colored 86 with “Fujiwara Tofu Shop” written on it drew attention. Fans of Initial D rolled down their windows to admire it, some even asking where they bought it and its market price. Jian grew jealous as Yu accepted their greetings and rolled down his own window. With four lanes ahead, if a car approached from the right, he’d initiate a chat too. Suddenly, a dark green F-Type pulled up beside them. The driver’s gaze was initially cold but froze upon locking eyes with Jian—
Lei Zheng.
Xiaoxi, sitting in the passenger seat, excitedly greeted Yu Zhimei across two car seats, oblivious to Lei Zheng’s deer-like flickering eyes. Likewise, Yu missed the deep, stormy pupils of Jian Zhaowen. Jian’s previously smiling face suddenly fell—he had countless things to say to the driver opposite him. Similarly tense, Lei Zheng scanned Jian deeply for a few seconds, as if uncovering unspoken secrets shared between them, and finally smiled silently. When the green light lit up, Lei hit the gas, shooting ahead first.
This sudden acceleration thrilled Yu Zhimei, who loved racing games. She shouted into Jian’s ear: “Jian Zhaowen, hold tight! I’m going to catch up to him! It’s time for my 86 to go to battle!”
Jian’s heart still raced as the car’s intense thrust reminded him of when he first met Yu Zhimei—she had chased him relentlessly, leaving him nowhere to hide. She darted between lanes, forgetting all the cautious rules she had taught Jian, until she finally caught sight of the F-Type’s taillights. The map alerted them of a route deviation, but Jian’s heartbeat quickened, emotions swirling chaotically. The only certainty was that they were truly people born for love.
Finally overtaking Lei Zheng’s F-Type, Yu glimpsed him smiling in the rearview mirror during the last second. At the fork in the road, the two cars turned in different directions, departing onto separate paths.
(The End)
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