Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

5

"You're not wrong. My yearly income from stand-up barely counts as a thirteenth-month salary."

So what kind of person was he, to be completely unshaken by imminent danger at close range? An action star? A martial arts coach? A serial killer?

Gu Yi sat on her bed, staring ahead at her wardrobe. Seven handles on the cabinet doors hung clothes that would never dry properly. Why am I thinking about others? I should think about why I can't afford a room with a balcony and proper sunlight.

Her male roommate was on the phone next door. "Mom, did the royal jelly I sent you arrive? Remember, you have to go to the delivery station yourself-it's too far for home delivery in our neighborhood. Everything's fine here. Don't worry about me. My girlfriend's fine too. We'll talk about marriage later. I've got to go."

Gu Yi sat by the bed, searching her male roommate's name. Despite living together, she only remembered his screen name. They interacted little, and he always dressed plainly. There was no sign of a girlfriend (after all, he was the kind of guy who slept on a mattress on the floor to save rent).

Following clues from Weibo, she found two accounts. He was a typical Hupu keyboard warrior, calling actresses like Cecilia Cheung and Joey Wong goddesses, bashing young idols and internet celebrities, and even getting called out by fan clubs. A few days later, he issued an apology.

The most amusing thing was his agreement with a post on Hupu that read: "There's no need to chase women. Just kiss and sleep with them. If she submits, she's yours. Isn't that how it works in dramas? None of them refuse after being forcefully kissed; it's straight to bed."

Gu Yi found her roommate somewhat pitiful. He wasn't truly lustful or dangerous-more like he believed he was "chasing" her. He thought suppressing and coaxing her would eventually lead to success, as though it were a surefire formula for making her his girlfriend.

Such people were hard to reason with. They wouldn't be scared off but would instead seek advice from others, only to be encouraged to continue harassing. Liang Daiwen's words came to mind: "The ones who laugh aren't necessarily genuinely happy."

Stupid and bad people need education, but they're not unforgivable.

Gu Yi had a habit of cutting away unbearable ugliness and absurdity, trying to face others with a smile whenever possible.

Offense-put it in the jokes.

Sitting in her office, mulling over Jacqueline's relentless pitch ideas, Gu Yi kept thinking of Liang Daiwen. He seemed different from other men, with unique traits completely lacking the urgency to "get on the right track" that most men had.

She could even recall the scent of the air during their encounter by the soccer field-damp, grassy, and mingled with the bright white light of the stadium.

That night, she didn't get a chance to perform at the open mic, relegated to the audience instead. She had plans to meet with Yu Dule, her insider connection who often had paid stand-up gigs. She needed to earn money to afford a better place to live.

Afternoon tea was her stolen moment of laziness. Shrinking into her workstation, she finished reading Liang Daiwen's interview.

The interview with a smart home designer described Devin as someone who gave cold responses but warm insights. The writer concluded that Devin might be a contradictory person whose personality was faithfully captured in their unedited answers.

Q: "How did you, as a designer, come to explore the topic of virtual spaces?"

Devin: "Because you wanted to interview me and insisted I needed something novel."