At the company's year-end party, the lights were dim, and the air was filled with the scent of cheap perfume and the subtle aroma of alcohol. The host, a greasy middle-aged man, was announcing the winner of the "Annual Best Creative Award" in his high-pitched voice.
"She is the pride of our company! She is the epitome of innovative thinking! She is our administrative assistant, Li Wei!"
Old John, a retired firefighter, habitually sat on the porch of his small cabin at the foot of the mountains in the evening, gazing at the distant peaks. Today, the sky was an unusually deep red; it wasn't the sunset glow, but a wildfire. Since that "redirected" fire, he had been watching like this every day, a nameless feeling always weighing on his heart.
Old Wang paced back and forth in front of the express station, constantly rubbing his hands together, sweat beading on his forehead. This was the third time this week he had come here, all for two boxes of yogurt.
Two weeks ago, his wife, Xiao Li, a housewife who was keen on making friends online, suddenly told him that she needed to send two boxes of yogurt to a "friend from afar." "He's been very caring to me," Xiao Li explained, "He even taught me how to post food videos on short-video platforms last time."
Zhang Yi's husband, Li Ming, was definitely the "perfect husband" in her social circle. He woke up at six o'clock sharp every morning, prepared a balanced breakfast for her, took her to work, and then picked her up in the evening. His schedule was as strict as a precise timetable. Even their conversations always followed a fixed routine.
"How was work today?" he would ask gently, while helping her take off her coat.
Old Wang was once again sitting on an empty waiting chair in the hospital, he was used to it. Ever since the notice "Imported drugs withdrawn from public hospitals" was posted, the place had become eerily quiet. In the past, it was crowded with anxious patients and their families, the air thick with the smell of disinfectant and unease, but now, only the cold wind whistling in the corners and Old Wang's heavy breathing could be heard.
On the wall hung a huge ink painting, depicting a pair of mandarin ducks, but rendered with sharp, knife-like strokes, full of a sense of severance. This was the "Underground Divorce Company," a mysterious establishment hidden in an old office building in the city center.
After retiring, Old Li's most important daily task was feeding the koi at Guanyin Bridge. Those brightly colored creatures were not just fish to him; they were symbols of good fortune in his old age. He firmly believed that as long as he fed them on time every day, they would bring him health, longevity, and even a lottery win.