Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Blocking all contact methods is tantamount to complete disconnection. If one decides not to see each other anymore, the moment of blocking is no different from attending the other person’s funeral—after all, both are acts of mourning over time.
“Can we meet? I’m begging you.”
“It’s meaningless. If it weren’t for anonymity, I wouldn’t have kept chatting with you this long. You know too many of my secrets. If you really saw me, you wouldn’t be so infatuated.”
“How do you know? Anything is possible.”
“People have been meeting up and regretting it since over a decade ago. Why are there still people like you who remain deluded?”
“Because I deeply believe in this algorithm. Only soulmates end up together. The fact that you refuse to see me just proves that you like me—or rather, you’ve fallen in love with me.”
“Stop joking around. Do you really believe in this algorithm?”
“If you won’t see me, I’ll keep finding ways until you finally agree.”
“Then let’s say goodbye. It’s impossible between us.”
Ou Jinghe was waiting at the dessert shop for Yu Zhimei to come borrow her car. Yu Zhimei seemed to have run out of creative ideas and had started filming a motorcycle series. The first thing she did was ask Ou Jinghe to borrow her beloved BMW motorcycle. As she put it, videos featuring BMW motorcycles garnered millions of views.
Meanwhile, Ou Jinghe couldn’t stop replaying Zheng Zeye’s expression when he picked up her phone at the wedding. It was unlike any version of him she’d ever seen before—his mouth opened but no words came out, his eyes heavy with countless thoughts. Stubborn yet naive, he eventually erased all emotion, gently placing the phone in her palm. The usual forcefulness she was accustomed to had disappeared; instead, he softly folded her hand around the phone.
Yu Zhimei gestured in front of her, but the scene refused to fade. Ou Jinghe handed over the keys mimicking Zheng Zeye’s manner, and Yu Zhimei rubbed her arms vigorously. “I’ve got goosebumps. What are you trying to do?”
Ou Jinghe replied evasively. “I’ve recently developed feelings for someone, but they make me uncomfortable. I can’t quite explain it, so I broke things off. But…” She bit her lipstick, chewing away the center. “I’m heartbroken.”
It was the first time Yu Zhimei had seen Ou Jinghe so downcast. “Is it because the other person found out you’re married?”
“He knew.”
“Then why?”
Before Ou Jinghe could respond, a tall man walked in. Yu Zhimei looked closely—it was Zheng Zeye. Ou Jinghe quickly plastered on an awkward smile, pretending to be tough and intimidating, radiating hostility. By noon, the waiter had already set up umbrellas outside. One umbrella accidentally hit Zheng Zeye on the head. “Yu Zhimei, go ahead and leave if you need to work overtime. I’ve got plenty of time to eat dessert and chat with Boss Ou.”
The dispirited Ou Jinghe trembled visibly in front of Zheng Zeye, her words laced with feigned indifference. Zheng Zeye quietly sipped his dessert, his gaze fixed on her. Yu Zhimei recalled Jian Zhaowen’s analogy—the Lenz Law. Zheng Zeye seemed fascinated by Ou Jinghe at the dessert shop, repeatedly calling her name while Ou teetered on the edge of anger. From ordering to serving, Zheng Zeye casually chatted with Yu Zhimei. “Have you seen Jian Zhaowen’s latest update to Day & Night?”
“Not yet. I don’t use social apps much.”
“True, you two are neighbors. He does have a lot of original ideas. This clever design—black and white dual modes—is practically a perfect embodiment of human nature. Big data steals users’ privacy and creates models and algorithms that are scarily accurate.”
Yu Zhimei was confused. Zheng Zeye’s oppressive aura had vanished, and he now seemed like an ordinary friend—surprisingly relaxed. He slowly wiped his spoon with a wet wipe, the way his fingers wrapped around it carrying a hint of sensuality. “I really want to ask users this: which side of their black-and-white persona is real?” Ou Jinghe suddenly laughed. “Relationships on social apps are so fragile. Why take them seriously? Blocking all contact means total disconnection. If you truly never intend to meet again, blocking is essentially the same as attending the other person’s funeral. Either way, it’s about reminiscing over time, right?”
An enigmatic tension flowed between the two. Yu Zhimei pushed the motorcycle out the door. “I’ll go shoot the episode now. Thanks, Ou. I’ll bring your bike back tonight.”
Once the sound of the revving engine faded and the waiter went upstairs, Ou Jinghe’s face darkened. “What exactly do you want?”
“I just want to see you.”
“Are you trying to humiliate me? If you like Yu Zhimei, there’s no need to come find me anymore.”
Zheng Zeye didn’t want to lose. “We’re both here for pleasure. I don’t need to hide it. Yes, I once liked her, but that was before.”
Ou Jinghe gave a bitter laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re about to say you like me now.”
Silence. Ou Jinghe stood frozen. That unsettled feeling she couldn’t explain to Yu Zhimei—that’s exactly how she felt now. Every time she saw Zheng Zeye, she felt suffocated, her chest aching, yet unable to take a single step away from him.
“I play rougher on Day & Night than what you’ve seen. Oh, I forgot—you’re not scared, considering our first meeting was at my place.” Zheng Zeye, seeing no one around, squeezed Ou Jinghe’s waist firmly. “Want to come over again?”
At the intersection of passion and abandonment, love to the bone and discarding like trash are separated by a mere thought. Ou Jinghe didn’t speak. She felt drained, yet an inexplicable heat surged within her. After Zheng Zeye left, she slowly stood up. On the glass of water filled with ice, he had written “3 o’clock” with condensation.
From noon until the afternoon, Ou Jinghe waited anxiously. At 2:55 PM, she stood by the door, ready to meet him. Through the peephole, Zheng Zeye didn’t open the door. He simply stared at the woman outside, not touching her phone, lost in thought. When Ou Jinghe entered the room, the door that had never opened for her finally did. Hanging from the ceiling was… a rope. Not only that, but on the floor lay a brand-new bag containing two neatly coiled ropes, labeled “Rope Language.” Zheng Zeye closed the door behind him and removed his shirt. “Cotton or hemp rope?”
She had always known he had no moral底线 (底线 = bottom line), but now Ou Jinghe felt herself descending step by step on the staircase of her own principles. Frustrated and angry, she didn’t refuse. “It’s your house. Do as you please.”
“Of course, we’re going out.” Zheng Zeye draped his shirt over Ou Jinghe. “Wear my clothes when we leave.”
“You’re going too far.”
“Let’s go big or go home. What’s there to fear?”
Ou Jinghe had dated her fair share of boyfriends and met plenty of men in secret rendezvous, but this was the most overwhelming surge she’d ever felt. She had once thought herself a dried-up lake, but now she was nothing short of a tsunami. Zheng Zeye stripped her, threading the rope along her neck and tying three knots down her chest. He then looped it between her legs, around her back, through her neck, and back to the front, threading it through the three knots before pulling it tight around her abdomen, aligning the final knot with her navel. For the last knot, he threaded it through a hidden corner, pushing her onto the couch—turning her into luggage ready to be discarded. Zheng Zeye buttoned up his shirt over her and placed his hat on her head. “How about a trip to the convenience store?”
Her palms were sweaty. With every step, she felt her body tremble, excited yet ashamed. The rope acted like the best-fitting lingerie from a high-end store, or a tonic rejuvenating her dry skin. She crossed her arms over her chest to conceal herself. Though reluctant to admit it, she felt the desert within her had completely disappeared, replaced by a rolling tide of seawater. What made her shiver most was that from leaving the neighborhood to entering the convenience store and walking back with a bag of groceries, Zheng Zeye never let go of her hand. His gentle touch gave her the final illusion: “Where are we going next?”
“Home.”
If it weren’t for those two words, she wouldn’t have realized how unbearable she felt.
When Zheng Zeye closed the door, Ou Jinghe suddenly began stripping, naked and struggling to untie the knot in front of her navel. “What the hell are you playing at? Taking me out for thrills and then telling me to go home? This isn’t my home—it’s just another one of your tricks, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s just a hookup—a one-night stand. I’ve had enough. Starting today, I don’t want to see you anymore. Get this rope off me. I’m putting on my own clothes and going home.”
“I said I’m sorry. I couldn’t help but hurt you. How dare you stop replying to my messages and refuse to meet me? Did you really think attending my funeral would be enough?”
“…”
“I’m the person you’ve been anonymously chatting with on Day & Night. It’s been fifteen days since you last replied. If Yu Zhimei hadn’t taken me to the dessert shop, I would’ve mistaken you for an AI…”
Ou Jinghe didn’t speak, only staring at the kitten playing with a ball, its expression innocent. Zheng Zeye suddenly realized she had known all along that he was the one she’d been chatting with on Day & Night. Overwhelmed with emotion, he gazed at her profile, his heart turbulent. She spoke as if it were nothing: “You’re getting revenge on me.”
“Yes. But I love you.”
“Don’t joke around. Someone like you knows nothing about love. You don’t deserve it.”
“Because I only know how to play these thrilling games? Ou Jinghe, I’ve tested you so many times, and you never realized. I’ve told you repeatedly on Day & Night that I wanted to meet you. Ever since I realized you’re the person I’ve been searching for, do you know how happy I was? I truly love you. I saw you clearly that day on the street, clutching your books, looking so helpless. Stop wearing a mask around me. Show me your true self—I’ve missed you so much I’m going crazy…”
All the extra words were sealed shut. When Zheng Zeye tightly embraced Ou Jinghe, she forgot she had just freed herself from the ropes. His warm, strong arms encircled her, his hands supporting her back. Ou Jinghe suddenly stopped resisting, biting his lips hard until they bled. If you claim to love me, then you’ll experience all of me. Vengeful Ou Jinghe certainly wasn’t going to let him off easily. She grabbed the rope from the ground, tied a knot around Zheng Zeye’s neck, and pulled it tight. Watching his face turn red, his breath grow hoarse, his eyes cold and fearless, ready to face death. Ou Jinghe released her grip, and Zheng Zeye lifted her horizontally, throwing her onto the couch. He strangled her neck and kissed her forcefully… Ou Jinghe laughed. The world was full of wonders. A violent man like Zheng Zeye turned out to be her kindred spirit. Jian Zhaowen truly was a master of algorithms.
Their eyes locked. Zheng Zeye’s lips suddenly relaxed, while Ou Jinghe’s eyes bore into him, piercing through his flesh and drilling deep into his heart. Ou Jinghe smiled. “If only I had met you sooner—before I married Gao Yuan. I might have arrogantly considered myself a master’s graduate in literature, thinking you weren’t good enough for me. Now I’m just an ordinary woman who’s been toyed with by you. If I disappear one day, consider it my graceful retreat.”
Zheng Zeye suddenly grabbed her hand. “Divorce your current husband, and then be with me.”
“What?”
“Am I not being clear enough?”
“Say it again.”
“If you don’t care about money and status, and aren’t afraid of criticism, divorce and be with me.”
Ou Jinghe’s hands went cold, as if she had surfaced from an icy abyss. “You’re joking, right?”
“What, are you afraid?”
“I thought you were just playing around.” Ou Jinghe’s face turned pale as she hastily dressed, trying to return to her normal self. “I never imagined you’d want something serious with me.”
“After seeing your phone at the wedding… I’ve always treated the person I chat with on Day & Night as my lover, without any guilt.” Zheng Zeye stood up, watching Ou Jinghe’s panicked state. Anger suddenly surged within him. “What do you think of me? A hookup? A kept man?”
“You’re the type who falls in love but wouldn’t want someone like me.” Ou Jinghe had never dressed so quickly. “You’re such a dreamer. Why would you dream about someone like me?”
“Why do you belittle yourself so much? I’ve hinted at this for so long. Can’t you feel it?”
“Oh my god.” Ou Jinghe’s hair was disheveled. “You’re insane.”
“Once you walk out that door, don’t come back. Since you’ve said all this, I’ll stay farther away in my dreams next time. And you’d better not go provoking others. Giving love without giving results is no different from devaluing yourself.”
The moment she ran out the door, Ou Jinghe blocked Zheng Zeye.
Google Sites
Report abuse