For Liu Lixin, Hao Yunyang quit his previous job as a supervisor at a Western restaurant earning eighteen hundred yuan a month, and instead became an ordinary order-taker at the hotel where Liu Lixin worked, earning eleven hundred yuan monthly plus an average of two hundred yuan in order commissions. He would wait until nine or ten to return to their rented room with Liu Lixin, always massaging her back and tidying up, without a single complaint.
He had hoped to bring his beautiful girlfriend home for the New Year and show off in the village, but unexpectedly, a week ago, Liu Lixin quit her job without a word. When Hao Yunyang rushed back to their rented room after hearing the news, all her clothes, shoes, underwear had vanished, leaving only a note on the desk where he usually slept.
The handwriting was delicate, typical of a soft-spoken girl from southern China. The content was simple, too simple for Hao Yunyang to believe: Let’s break up.
Just those five words! Five words without reason, process, or even a hint of reluctance – and Hao Yunyang’s first love was officially over.
Liu Lixin was three years older than Hao Yunyang and had seemingly been a virgin when they were together, even bleeding during their first intimate encounter. But one day, after living together for over a month, Liu Lixin accidentally left her usually locked cabinet unlocked. Hao Yunyang, as if possessed, opened it and found a medical record. Despite the doctor’s messy handwriting, he clearly saw the words: Hymen reconstruction.
Fortunately, Hao Yunyang was broad-minded to the point of being heartless. He rationalized it as an accident, returned the record, and never mentioned it, unwilling to shatter his last remaining illusion.
Now, Hao Yunyang suddenly found the words Liu Lixin often used to make him feel good were now so harsh and hurtful: “I gave you my first time, what more do you want!”
This was Liu Lixin’s trump card, especially effective when dealing with Hao Yunyang’s occasional male chauvinistic reluctance to do things like laundry or cleaning.
Liu Lixin was gone, and Hao Yunyang’s heart felt somewhat empty. The hotel was located by the roadside, with the owner purchasing a three-star rating. Apart from the luxurious exterior decoration, Hao Yunyang didn’t find the hotel particularly impressive.
