Hai Long is a lively young man who leads an active life surrounded by family, friends, girlfriends, games, Novels and sports. While his life may not be extraordinary, it is certainly far from boring. He comes from a typical middle-class background. Excelling academically and having a strong passion for football, he served as the captain of his school football team. For 27 years, his life has been quite uneventful. Currently single after a breakup a year ago, his mother is keen for him to settle down, prompting him to search for a partner over the past six months. Now, he finds himself in a park, enjoying a lemon juice as he scrolls through messages on his phone, contemplating his next steps.
As he was focused on his phone, someone took a seat on the bench next to him, but he didn't glance up to identify the person. He kept playing on his device. Then, out of the blue, the individual beside him said his name, "Hai Long." Recognizing the voice he knew well, he turned to see who it was and conform his doubt.
Next to him sat a woman, watching him intently. She was attractive, yet her eyes conveyed a sense of sorrow and yearning. Hai Long greeted her, "Mei Wei."
The woman quietly hum-ed in reply.
Hai Long looked at her and said, "It's been a long time. How have you been, Mei Wei?"
She offered a faint smile and responded, "I've been all right. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yes," Hai Long nodded. "Almost a year. What have you been up to during this time?"
Mei Wei met his gaze, her expression bittersweet as she replied, "Just the usual. Life goes on. And you?"
"I'm doing well," Hai Long said. "It's nice to see you again."
"Good to see you too," she replied softly, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions.
"So, what brings you here?" Hai Long inquired.
He noticed the handbag she was carrying, along with a shopping bag, indicating she had just been shopping.
"I went shopping," she explained, "and then I thought I would come here to unwind. When I sat down and saw you, well... here we are."
Hai Long nodded in understanding.
This time, she asked, "And what are you doing here?"
"I came to clear my head," Hai Long answered. "I'm working on a novel and needed a clearer mindset to figure out what to include in my next chapter. That's been on my mind."
She nodded with thoughtful consideration.
"Do you have a new girlfriend?" she asked suddenly, her voice tinged with sadness and a slight tremor.
He paused for a moment before responding, "No, but I'm trying to sort that out."
Upon hearing his "no," her heart felt a quiet joy, though his next words brought a slight ache to her chest.
He added, "Mom keeps bringing up marriage, so....,
What about you? Where's he? Don't tell me you two broke up."
She looked down at her feet, a sad expression on her face, before slowly saying, "Yes, we... we broke up."
This left him a bit taken aback. "Why?" he asked. "You mentioned a year ago that your feelings for me were fading, that you wanted to move on, and that you'd found a new boyfriend. I thought you were doing well together. What went wrong?"
"It only lasted four months," she replied softly. "He's in Europe now and comes from a prominent family. It turns out he already had a fiancée—she's more attractive than I am."
She paused, her voice quivering slightly. "He came to me looking for love. Life was always strict for him due to his parents, and he's likely to take over the family business. He never got to experience friendships, or even a genuine relationship. That's why he turned to me."
She looked down, her hands shaking. "He didn't even realize he had a fiancée at first. When his parents discovered us, they informed him about her. Then they sent him to Europe and ended our relationship. They even gave me money as compensation for the breakup."
Her words hung in the air, laden with pain and resignation.
He nodded slightly and asked, "So, that's how it ended? All right. What are you doing now?"
His tone was composed, neither angry nor sad about her situation. He expressed no frustration regarding the breakup between them from a year ago, as if he had already come to terms with it and moved on.
She looked at him and said, "I'm working at an AI company, and... and the money I get from them , I gave to my sister for her operation." She paused, her voice trembling. "She had an accident on her way to the exam."
When he heard this, he was slightly stunned, but he didn't ask about the money. Instead, he asked, "Was the operation successful?"
She met his gaze and nodded. "Yes, she's fine now."
He nodded in response, a sense of relief in his eyes.
A heavy silence hung in the air, and then suddenly, in a trembling voice, she said, "I'm sorry, I... I..."
He interrupted gently, saying, "It's okay, it's in the past now. There's no need to go back to that."
She sobbed softly at his words, and once again, silence filled the space between them. Suddenly, she leaned her head on his shoulder, still sobbing. He flinched slightly at the unexpected gesture but didn't say anything.
After a few minutes, she asked in a quiet voice, "Can I put my head on your lap, like before?"
He didn't respond, but his silence gave her permission. Gently, she rested her head on his lap. Somehow, his lap seemed to calm her down.
He didn't hate her anymore—he had moved on from the pain of the past. However, he didn't like her to now. Yet, seeing her cry stirred something soft within him, which is why he allowed it.
Time passed, and eventually, she fell asleep on his lap. He didn't move or disturb her, letting her rest peacefully.
More than 30 minutes later, her phone suddenly rang, waking him from his light sleep. "Mei Wei, wake up. Your phone is ringing. Mei Wei, hey..."
Hearing someone call her name, she opened her eyes and looked up to see his face. When she realized she had been sleeping on his lap, she jolted upright, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Sorry..." she mumbled, embarrassed.
Then she noticed her phone still ringing. Turning around, she quickly grabbed it from her handbag and answered, "Hello? Mom, yes, I finished shopping. Yes, I'll come back soon. Okay, goodbye."
She put her phone away and looked at him. "Today is my day off, so Mom called, asking me to join the family for dinner. So..."
He just nodded. As she got up, he asked, "How are you going home?"
"By bus or taxi," she replied casually.
When he heard this, he said, "I have my car. Come with me, I'll drop you off."
She shook her head. "No, there's no need."
Seeing her hesitation, he spoke with a slightly authoritative tone, "Mei Wei, come with me."
Hearing the familiar dominant tone in his voice, she instinctively nodded. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward his car. She followed him silently, her heart skipping a beat as she glanced at their hands intertwined.
They reached his blck modified car. He opened the door for her, and she got into the passenger seat while he settled in the driver's seat.
As he drove, they talked about their families and exchanged news about mutual friends. The conversation was light, almost as if the tension from earlier had faded
They reached a junction, and the signal on their side was green, so he drove the car straight through. As the car reached the center of the intersection, a truck suddenly came speeding from the left side, where the red signal was lit.
And then—BAAM.
The car was violently pushed to the left side as the truck skidded and toppled ver. Inside the car, the airbags deployed, but the impact was devastating. Hai Long's face was severely injured from the truck's crushing force, and his head smashed against the door window, leaving him bleeding profusely. Mei Wei fared no better-her face collided with the door's glass, causing deep cuts and heavy bleeding. Both of them lost consciousness.
Onlookers rushed to the scene, pulling the two out of the wreckage and calling for an ambulance. When the ambulance arrived, it took all three-Hai Long, Me Wei, and the truck driver-to the hospital.
Inside the ambulance, Hai Long and Mei Wei were on ventilators, their faces pale and lifeless. The truck driver, although injured, was not in critical condition and had an oxygen mask over his face.
Suddenly, the heart monitor attached to Hai Long displayed a flat line. The nurse in the ambulance quickly began resuscitation efforts, but it was in vain. The ventilator's beeping ceased, replaced by a single, continuous tone.
Hai Long's soul rose from his lifeless body, drifting upward toward the heavens. Just as it began to ascend, a radiant light appeared, enveloping his soul and taking it away.
This marked the end of Hai Long's journey in the modern world-and as a man.
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