Screen Partner

Chapter 28

After his screen partner Ruka left, it seemed like everything was going to be different.

In the beginning Xu Zheyi could not say exactly where it was different. When he thought carefully, it seemed to be just some insignificant matters.

For example, if he was thirsty, he had to go and pour some water himself. His clothes were no longer left clean and folded on his bed, smelling of fabric softener. It now felt as if he had too much unused furniture; like his house was empty.

One day, when Xu Zheyi was in the supermarket to buy food, he filled up his whole basket. He did not come to his senses until he went to pay and realized that not only had he taken too much food, he had actually grabbed all of Ruka’s favourites.

Ruka had left his life, but all along he never left his world.

Even now, Xu Zheyi did not know Ruka’s real name. He knew that he liked spicy fried beef and hated all kinds of vegetables. He knew that after dinner Ruka had a habit of drinking a bowl of soup, when he slept he always held his partner very tightly, and that his mobile phone number was 0932XXXXXX.

Xu Zheyi stared at Ruka’s number on his phone once more, and felt like all the blood in his body rushed to his left hand that gripped his phone. He desperately wanted to hit call, and then talk with Ruka under the pretense of dialing the wrong number.

Once his rationality returned a few seconds later, he would always withdraw his finger. He felt that such a move was meaningless.

He wanted to hear the sound of Ruka’s voice.

He must not hear Ruka’s voice.

He tormented himself constantly with the conflict between emotional sentimentality and rationality. It was especially bad at night, to the point that he began to suffer from insomnia.

At such times, he always remembered that morning when Ruka embraced him from behind and whispered gently, I will wait for you to think clearly.

He did not even know what that meant, ‘to think clearly’.

****

Ah Li was tortured for several days before he finally came to an epiphany: his old wounds could only be cured by new love.

Xu Zheyi was summoned by him via phone, and decided to go out in an attempt to improve his mood. He even went so far as to adopt a new hairstyle. When he looked at himself in the mirror, it made him feel like a brand new person.

When Ah Li saw him, he whistled in appreciation and joked, “It looks like someone is killing it today.” Xu Zheyi answered his words with a punch to the shoulder.

Ah Li seemed to be in good spirits, indicating that he probably had the determination to start a new life.

Xu Zheyi asked him, “What kind of partner are you looking for this time?”

Ah Li thought about it and then replied, “Someone who can live together with me.”

Xu Zheyi smiled at his response, “Then will you go to group dates, or attend marriage meetings1?”

Ah Li answered, “I have a multi-pronged approach.” Ah Li then listed his criteria for choosing a significant other, “They should have a good face, an excellent body, keep a good house, and be a whiz in the kitchen. All this is regardless of gender.”