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History might not remember works that indulge “too much” in sensual pleasures. Shanghai’s avant-garde and modernity are often mistakenly confined to architecture and fashion. But true revelry is not shameful, and open-mindedness is not something to be hidden. The subjective choices of official media lead to narrowness, and excessive censorship brings repression. Once you’ve seen and experienced it, you realize it’s just a colorful part of human nature and the world.
Ou Jinghe felt that her special trip to inform her parents was a joke. Communicating with them was less useful than directly divorcing and then replacing the house Gao Yuan had paid for (and changing the property certificate to her name) to shut them up. For useless parents who still wanted to give life advice, giving them financial security was the most effective method—adults without ability are useless, and even love seems pale. She kicked stones with her high heels on the way, so angry that she thought wildly: society praises parental selflessness and only blames children for being unfilial, but selfish parents are everywhere. Children struggle and resort to any means to live a little better, requiring immense effort. You can’t blame your parents or fate; in the end, you can only blame yourself. Not everyone wants to be ordinary.
The roads in Jiading were mostly wide, with extreme noise from the adjacent national highway. The surrounding area was lined with auto parts stores. She stood at the roadside unable to hail a taxi; walking to the subway would take about two kilometers. Ou Jinghe felt like a woman who had lost her ability to live independently, spoiled and pampered. Returning to real life felt like stepping into a mud pit with every step. But she wasn’t one to give up easily. So what if she walked to the subway station? Wasn’t that something ordinary people did?
After walking halfway, Ou Jinghe heard the navigation say, “You have deviated from the route,” and the subway station was three kilometers away. Further ahead was National Highway G42. Turning around, she was only focused on looking at her phone and forgot the way she came—was it old age or the slap that had messed up her thoughts? Had her brain actually degenerated so severely?
When she finally got on the subway, the secret to maintaining a youthful appearance past thirty, besides RMB, was avoiding sun and wind. Ou Jinghe looked at herself in the window after the doors closed, her face covered in dust and her temples slightly frosted. Ten stops later, Zheng Zeyan sent a message: “Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”
When she got off the subway at Jiaotong University and saw Zheng Zeyan’s red-badged Honda in the distance, Ou Jinghe felt a pang of wanting to cry. She first went into a convenience store to buy a pack of wet wipes and carefully removed her foundation before getting into the car. Zheng Zeyan saw her flushed skin. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s a bit windy today.”
“Tell the truth.”
“Too lazy to talk about it.” The car started and returned to the city. Ou Jinghe let out a long breath, as if returning to normal life. “When my parents heard about my divorce, their first reaction was that I was crazy, and their second was to worry about their own house. Don’t you think that’s hilarious?”
“Didn’t you used to scold me in Day Mode for ‘people who live a stable life lack imagination’? You can’t expect your parents to hear about your divorce and fully support you without even asking for the reasons.”
“I wasn’t complaining about their incompetence, those are two different things.” Ou Jinghe opened the window and took a breath. “I just can’t stand that all the love in this world is tainted with selfishness.”
“You can’t force your parents like that. They have no obligation to give you unconditional love just because they gave birth to you. They have their own lives.”
“I understand. But can they be a little clearer about the separation between their own lives and their love for me? Don’t complain about how hard life is while raising me, and then constantly hold back when loving me. If they can’t do either, they just vaguely think it’s all my fault.” Ou Jinghe closed the window tightly and reclined her seat. “How could a good-for-nothing hoodlum from the alley and a gambler from the mahjong parlor expect to give birth to a well-bred wealthy wife?”
“Have you said enough angry words?”
Ou Jinghe didn’t speak, only turned her head towards the window. Zheng Zeyan had seen plenty of Ou Jinghe’s unattractive angry rants in the anonymous chat of Night Mode and didn’t find her malicious. He only spoke about himself: “My mother is the kind of person you described, someone who keeps everything neatly separated.”
“Don’t provoke me at a time like this. You just want to make me jealous.”
“I swear I don’t. She found out she was pregnant before going abroad to study for her doctorate. My dad didn’t want children at that time either. After careful consideration, she didn’t go abroad and gave birth to me, then pursued her doctorate in China. Her emotions were particularly... stable. When I was being unreasonable, she calmly told me that she didn’t love children as much as other mothers and not to test her patience. Too much willfulness would mean staying home alone to watch TV. She would also be happy when I got first place in exams, but her reaction was... very cold, feeling that it was only natural for her son to do well. So, keeping things separate doesn’t solve everything; you have to accept that love is selfish.”
Ou Jinghe leaned back in her seat. “So you were once a ‘scumbag’ with no moral bottom line?”
“That feeling of not being loved drove me crazy. Everyone envied me for living in a family with a democratic atmosphere, living in a great house, having an enviable job, but I couldn’t feel love.”
“What a distorted human nature, having everything and still being unsatisfied.”
“Carelessly developing the inertia of living is terrifying. After meeting you, I finally understood that not everyone lives like stagnant, lifeless water. Some people comprehend life through hatred and pain, and then appreciate the blessing of ordinariness. You really don’t seem like a girl from the alley anymore. The way you used to hold onto money tightly was more like it.”
“Try living a life with nothing but money, it will really drive people crazy. Do you regret being with me?”
“I regret it all the time, but—” Zheng Zeyan sighed. “What would you do without me?”
While waiting for the traffic light, Ou Jinghe kissed Zheng Zeyan’s ear. The phone rang. Little Ma’s voice pierced through the receiver: “Sister He, the apartment is cleared out for you. Ready to sign the contract?”
Although Ou Jinghe had been friends with Jian Zhaowen and Yu Zhimei for a long time, this was her first time entering their old apartment. From the moment she entered the door with the combination lock, Ou Jinghe liked it. It felt like a Shangri-La belonging only to them young people. The friends on the second floor and above in the building shared the joy of finishing a cake together. When they reached the second floor, Little Ma was still chattering away: “Sister He, I specially kicked out the previous tenants for you. Shouldn’t you give me a little extra rent? I even added flooring. Shi Rui lived on a cement floor. Six thousand isn’t much, right?”
“You kicked out the tenants for me? Be honest.”
“They were too dirty, putting a bunch of stuff in the hallway, damn it. But even if you’re getting a divorce, you wouldn’t come here to reminisce about the hard times. Sister He can definitely rent a penthouse.”
It seemed she was just looking for this little bit of happiness where they could bake a cake and share it. The divorce battle line was so long, and her partner wasn’t that trustworthy. The first people she wanted to rely on were friends who lived nearby.
Little Ma’s train of thought hadn’t stopped. He said to Zheng Zeyan, “Or you could let her live with you. Mengye Apartment is so big. Or are you still attracting bees and butterflies?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. She’s not divorced yet, moving in with me isn’t a joke. A few days ago, she hired someone to do a thorough cleaning at my place, but she still refuses to stay there. Isn’t that a weird boundary?”
Ou Jinghe always felt they were too familiar. “Did you two know each other before?”
Little Ma coughed and went to the kitchen, avoiding Ou Jinghe’s gaze. Zheng Zeyan was a little embarrassed. “We have a rule not to easily greet each other even if we run into each other.”
“Huh? Do you have some shady deal going on?”
“Not really. Remember ‘rope art’?”
“I remember. What about it?”
“I took a class before. Brother Ma was our main instructor, at a hidden club on Puming Road. His nickname is ‘Master Ma’.”
Ou Jinghe exclaimed, “Holy crap, Ma Minmin! I didn’t see that coming! How were the classes?”
Zheng Zeyan was a little shy. “Well, there would be a girl, and we would gather around to watch him tie... but nothing would happen. Purely technical discussion. Master Ma is really amazing. Hey, I told you, we don’t easily greet each other. Can you give us a little privacy...”
“Ma Minmin! Come out! How can you be so good at that and still not have a girlfriend?”
Little Ma quickly opened his door and darted back into his room. “Don’t call me! My stomach hurts! Going to the bathroom!”
Lei Zheng, the cunning fox, had not only avoided bankruptcy but had also invited everyone to a private party at a new bar he had co-founded. The bar was across from the Shanghai Exhibition Center on Yan’an West Road, adjacent to the Moller Villa, surrounded by lush greenery and then enclosed by elevated roads and residential buildings. If Jian Zhaowen hadn’t carefully checked the address, he would have thought it was an art center. Jian Zhaowen and Yu Zhimei stood hand in hand at the bar entrance, watching the swirling smoke and lights emanate from within. Yu Zhimei said, “This decoration is too postmodern. What style is it called again? Bauhaus?”
“This is probably ‘Lei Zheng’s style.’ He would never go for internet celebrity style or hotel style.”
“Mainly, I don’t really understand... can you dance here?”
As soon as they crossed the threshold, the two were stunned by the bizarre design. The lobby branched into four paths: convenience store, cinema, hotel bedroom, and museum. According to the staff, the four areas corresponded to four different halls. Because the renovation wasn’t completely finished, only the museum area was open for the private party. Jian Zhaowen squeezed out a disdainful remark between his teeth, “Museum? Is Lei Zheng, that sanctimonious guy, displaying artwork and sculptures in the rooms? This bar is bound to lose money.” Pushing open a door and walking down a long corridor, Jian Zhaowen was shocked by the room full of erotic graffiti, candles, feathers, ball gags, and handcuffs. “Holy shit, this kind of museum?”
“This is a limited-time exhibition. It will be renovated again after three days. These are all the boss’s private collections.”
Yu Zhimei looked at the vending machine full of vibrators in the corner, pressed a button, and it buzzed. “I can’t look Xiaoxi in the eye anymore.”
Jian Zhaowen felt a strange sensation in his body, walking around the room hunched over and with his hips tucked in, glad he wore a long shirt today. Sure enough, as others gradually entered, Jian Zhaowen saw quite a few silently erected tents.
Lei Zheng’s message popped up in the WeChat group: “Welcome to tonight’s theme—Adult Night.”
Just seeing these words gave Jian Zhaowen a headache—contrived. Qiu Nuo entered wearing a short-front, long-back white dress and a pair of Prada boots. Her legs and neck were slender and long, like a white swan. Seeing Jian Zhaowen and Yu Zhimei, she turned her head away with a huff and walked out. Jian Zhaowen quietly sized up Yu Zhimei. She wore a deconstructed black suspender top with detachable sleeves, connected by an elastic band across her chest. Yu Zhimei had tied the suspender straps around her neck as a choker. She and Qiu Nuo were wearing the same Korean designer brand, but when it came to wearing clothes with personality, Yu Zhimei always won. Not long after, Jian Zhaowen saw Qiu Nuo come back in a different dress. The willful princess had probably gone out to buy a more expensive outfit to change into, all to win.
Out of politeness, Jian Zhaowen had invited Sister He to come out and have fun together. Having not seen her properly at Miao Lin for several months, he had no idea about Sister He’s relationship progress. Just as he was about to ask Yu Zhimei, Sister He appeared at the door. She had permed her hair and wore a black satin dress. Even bolder, Zheng Zeyan, dressed in all black, followed her in. He squinted slightly upon entering the hall, then smiled, quietly squeezing Sister He’s butt. Jian Zhaowen frowned and asked Yu Zhimei, “When did those two get together?”
“It should have been the day you went to BMW to pick me up. I don’t know what exactly happened, but Sister He sent me a message afterwards saying she had decided to get a divorce.”
“Seriously?”
“She’s made up her mind many times before. Maybe Zheng Zeyan really loves her.”
Jian Zhaowen said “Oh” and then added, “If that’s really the case, I’ll look at Zheng Zeyan in a new light.”
On this rare gathering day, Shi Rui also came. She waved from afar and went to the vending machine. Yu Zhimei looked at her phone. “Sister Mei, pretend you don’t know me. I gave the tickets to my husband, saying I had something to do today. I suspect he’s having an affair behind my back. I’ll hide in the dark later and see. Keep it a secret.”
Yu Zhimei looked at Shi Rui, who was standing in front of the vending machine, looking around conspicuously—still standing in such an obvious place.
The main characters, Lei Zheng and Xiaoxi, finally appeared. Xiaoxi wore a patent leather bodycon dress with stockings and high heels, her lipstick also glittering gold. Seeing Yu Zhimei, she greeted her, “Oh, sister, you’re here?”
“Did you know they got 20 million in funding?”
“Oh my, that goes without saying, no suspense at all.” Xiaoxi’s signature move came again, two fingers gesturing in front of her chest like conducting an orchestra. “I don’t doubt these two at all, sister. Trust your taste in men. Tonight, we’re the boss’s wives.” Although Xiaoxi liked to wear sexy dresses, she wouldn’t overdo it with artificiality. Her appearance was natural, and her short hair was also refreshing. “Have fun tonight.”
“Are all these things your private collection?” Jian Zhaowen took a breath. “I always thought ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ was fake.”
Xiaoxi’s face turned red. “Oh my, what are you talking about? These are products he made when he was running a sex toy startup in Hangzhou. Some were exported to Japan. He’s taking the opportunity to show them off. They’re very expensive!”
Jian Zhaowen said in surprise, “He used to do this?”
“He’s very proud of that experience. He even said that Hangzhou’s environment is very open, and internet companies are also very tolerant. Lei Zheng often says that people nowadays hide their sexual desires, get their sex education from small films, and learn how to behave from social news. All personality aspects related to this are distorted. He has always wanted to do an exhibition like this, and the successful funding is his opportunity.”
“Won’t this get him arrested?” Yu Zhimei was vaguely worried.
“It’s only for acquaintances, and the lights are so dim you can’t see anything. Would you dare to use flash? On the last day of the exhibition, there will also be a vaporwave no bra night, organized by my sisters.”
Never underestimate the imagination of urban men and women when it comes to entertainment; sex is such a wonderful part of human life. Think about the lives of Fitzgerald and Zhang Ailing, the Gatsby and Ge Weilong left behind by wartime, and then look at the banned book “Shanghai Baby,” which wasn’t that long ago. History might not remember works that indulge “too much” in sensual pleasures. Shanghai’s avant-garde and modernity are often mistakenly confined to architecture and fashion. But true revelry is not shameful, and open-mindedness is not something to be hidden. The subjective choices of official media lead to narrowness, and excessive censorship brings repression. Once you’ve seen and experienced it, you realize it’s just a colorful part of human nature and the world. Yu Zhimei occasionally liked Shanghai especially at moments like this, it was “eye-opening” in another sense.
Jian Zhaowen was already chatting with a friend who was also a startup founder under the full wall of paintings. He looked up at the wall with the changing lights, and that wall was... all kinds of... organs. Different lengths and shapes, and the label in the bottom right corner was “Celebrity Guess,” with the names of male celebrities marked on each one. Yu Zhimei stared wide-eyed for a long time, feeling a bit awkward squeezed in among a group of men and women. Turning around to greet Sister He, she saw a figure flash by at the door, using their phone to take pictures of Sister He and Zheng Zeyan. Yu Zhimei squeezed Jian Zhaowen’s fingers. “Oh my god.”
Gao Yuan.
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