Smile Code (Lost Laughter) 失笑 - Zhu Le 祖乐

11

Romantic nature always stays young; those without warmth do not get hurt.

Recently, the selection process at Ounce had loosened up a bit. Gu Yi had gone several times, but Liang Daiwen had not appeared. After drinking too much one night, she replied to the HR email the next morning, saying the fine could be deducted directly from her 13th-month salary and that there was no need for installments.

Better to deal with the pain quickly than to drag it out. Recently, after work, Gu Yi would go to Ounce to eat peanuts as a snack while watching others perform at the open mic. The deeper reason, however, was to see Yu Dule. He had always been regarded as a god in the comedy scene, but his popular segment, "Tonight's 80s Show," had been canceled, and since then, he had no place to submit his work. Open mics were held three times a week, and Yu Dule practiced his routines just to have an official platform to prove his skills; now, it was just for his own entertainment.

In 2017, two comedians, relying on each other, sighed together at Ounce. Both were in the late-night comedy scene—overseas programs could send performers to the theater or studio, while in China, it would likely take three to five years to get an actor from a bar to the backstage. Aside from posting short videos online, most actors had to hide in the wild bar culture—casual and slightly tipsy, an atmosphere that could not be replaced.

Gu Yi wasn't really that upset, as long as she could perform, she was happy. She threw her arm around Yu Dule's shoulder and said, "Don't be sad, worst case, you can go back to your old job. You're one of the best in post-production in Shanghai. And now, there are other comedy variety shows, so if you want to submit work, there's still a chance."

"Stop comforting me."

"Oh my god, we've been friends for so many years, who else would I care about if I don't care about you?"

After Yu Dule finished setting the table, he turned around and said, "Gu Yi, you're just radiating love recently. How sweet it must be at Liang Daiwen's place, your oxytocin levels are through the roof."

Oxytocin, aka the love hormone, had always been Yu Dule's favorite way to tease Gu Yi. It was when Gu Yi had first been criticized by an audience member for using that term during an interactive segment, as a male viewer found it offensive. Since then, whenever someone was down, Yu Dule would pull out the word and humorously repeat it. Gu Yi understood that Yu Dule was comforting himself, reminding him not to worry too much about the salary deduction.

But right now, Gu Yi couldn't smile. It was the end of the year, and she hadn't saved a penny. She was getting further away from the idea of moving out of Liang Daiwen's place. After sneezing, Yu Dule threw his coat over her head and said, "Do you remember the dorm when we went to Suzhou TV to work on the joint project? You were showering, and I had to stand guard for you."

Gu Yi laughed and said, "Of course, I remember. That kids' program, listening to Suzhou dialect for a month, staying in a hotel worse than a rural guesthouse in the old town. The door outside had a lock, but inside, we could only use a bolt. You stayed on the third floor, and I stayed on the fourth. We could only take showers with a basin, and every day we counted down the days until we finished that miserable project."

"Back then, we survived on a 1,400-yuan internship salary. Now, what's the problem? If you're really broke, I'll lend you some money."

"Forget it, the bank keeps offering me flash loans, I'm not going to ruin our friendship over that."

Although Gu Yi and Yu Dule had been friends for a long time, Gu Yi knew he wasn't someone she could rely on in times of hardship. He hated any situation that required him to take responsibility, whether it was friendship or love. Having traveled around the country with his parents and attended school everywhere, he never longed for stable relationships. In fact, he was extremely afraid of being tied down. Only relationships with no strings attached could remain stable. He would occasionally offer concern, but Gu Yi would always respond politely and return his support with light-hearted thanks. But Gu Yi also took small advantages from him, like demanding a meal after a breakup or tagging along with him to see a hip-hop show, or asking him out for drinks when she was stuck on writing a joke. They weren't flirting, but she liked having some things that made her appear vulnerable around him. That way, their friendship would last.