The sky had darkened when Wen Ran got off work. She bought oden from a convenience store near her neighborhood and immediately retreated into her small studio upon arriving home.
With no urgent projects at hand, creating jewelry designs within seven days wasn't particularly challenging for her. Yet Wen Ran had never been one to procrastinate—she preferred the security of holding everything firmly under control.
Immersion in her work lasted until past 11 PM when a phone call interrupted her. It was Avi.
"Wen Ran, what are you doing?" Avi's voice blared through the receiver."Working on sketches," Wen Ran replied, glancing at her desk."Sketches?" Avi's irritation deflated. "Fine. Li Wan and I have been discussing plans for tomorrow in the group chat. We tagged you multiple times, but you didn't respond.""I'll go along with whatever you decide. No objections here.""You're not a robot—show some involvement!" Avi huffed."…Alright, I'll check now."
After hanging up, Wen Ran scrolled through the chat history. Avi had suggested visiting the viral "Museum of Broken Relationships," followed by dinner at a trendy restaurant in a nearby mall. Wen Ran typed:
Wen Ran: [Sounds good.]
Avi: [Such enthusiastic participation. thumbs-up]
Li Wan: [So it's settled?]
Avi: [Meet at the plaza at 2:30 PM tomorrow?]
Li Wan: [OK]
Wen Ran: [Agreed.]
Saturday arrived. Wen Ran woke early to refine her designs, but a new idea struck her. As she reached for her tools, an alarm rang. She promptly set everything aside to get ready.
When her taxi reached the meeting point, neither Avi nor Li Wan had arrived. Soon, Li Wan emerged from the subway station. Avi, true to form, arrived exactly on time.
With pre-purchased tickets, the trio entered the museum—a compact space amplified by mirrors, crowded with weekend visitors shuffling in a slow-moving stream. Though uninterested, Wen ran found herself trapped in the flow.
Each exhibit told poignant love stories:
Stacks of flight tickets between two cities, whispering of love's futility;
Pregnancy test sticks and ultrasound reports, accusations of love's cruelty;
A wedding dress and shoes, narrating love's regrets...
Some visitors wept, moved by shared pain. Wen Ran remained unmoved. To her, love was merely life's embellishment—if it caused sorrow, it should be discarded. Survival mattered more.
Avi abruptly asked, "Do either of you have boyfriends?" Both shook their heads.Li Wan admitted she'd never seriously dated, only sharing a college-era ambiguity that dissolved before graduation.
"People should be selfish—seize the moment!" Avi argued. "Love is about passion, not overthinking!"Li Wan countered, "Starting a relationship requires careful consideration. Otherwise…" She gestured at the exhibits. "…this happens."
When both turned to Wen Ran, she diplomatically said, "You both make valid points."
Li Wan hesitated, then confessed: "A relative set me up with someone. We've texted for six months. Now he wants to meet… I'm nervous. Could you both come?"
Avi instantly agreed, looping her arm through Wen Ran's. "We'll break the ice!"Li Wan looked at Wen Ran. "Is that okay?""Of course," Wen Ran nodded.
Li Wan smiled shyly and pulled out her phone. "I'll confirm a time with him." Wen Ran sensed Li Wan genuinely liked this man.
Avi had bought combo tickets, granting access to the "Stress Relief Museum" and "Starry Sky Art Museum" after the Broken Relationships exhibit.
After exiting the Breakup Museum, the Stress Relief Museum stood right next door.Inside, there were plush toys meant to be squeezed, foam pits to stomp on, and an entire wall of screaming chickens for people to crash into.Many visitors sprinted from afar to collide with the wall, triggering ear-piercing shrieks from both the chickens and the humans. While the participants laughed hysterically as they scrambled back up, Wen Ran felt her heart tremble uncomfortably at the cacophony.
Li Wan and Avi, however, were visibly excited, even tugging Wen Ran's arm to hurry toward the attractions.Wen Ran scrunched her face, retracting her arm apologetically. "I don't want to join. I'll wait for you at the Starry Sky Art Museum nearby."Avi coaxed, "Come on, you're already here—give it a try!"Wen Ran shook her head, her round eyes brimming with refusal.Avi relented.
Entering the Starry Sky Art Museum, the space dazzled with glittering hues amplified by hexagonal mirrored reflections, creating an illusion of floating among cosmic galaxies.Though beautiful, Wen Ran grew dizzy after focusing for a moment. She retreated to another exhibit.The next room bathed in monochromatic lighting that shifted colors every ten seconds. Few visitors lingered here—only a handful taking photos.
As Wen Ran glanced around, her gaze froze on a familiar silhouette.The man wore an oversized casual shirt, towering like a male model, his Western-leaning eyes visible above a black mask.Wen Ran hesitated—was this really Yan Wangshu?Why would he be here?And why was he patiently photographing a young girl?
The girl sported a fitted white blouse, a pink plaid miniskirt, and a matching bowtie. Her slightly golden hair held a butterfly clip, giving her an anime-like appearance.After striking a playful pose, she skipped to Yan Wangshu to review the photos. Dissatisfied, she stomped in撒娇, shooting him a reproachful look.Could this truly be Yan Wangshu?
Puzzled, Wen Ran slipped back to the entrance to wait for Avi and Li Wan.When they arrived minutes later, she mentioned, "I think I just saw Mr. Yan.""Which Mr. Yan?" Avi frowned. "Impossible! Are you sure?"Though masked... his height and eyes...Wen Ran recounted the incident.
Avi dismissed it: "Yan Wangshu taking orders from a girlfriend? Must be a lookalike."Li Wan agreed: "Besides, isn't he dating that actress Yan Ran?"Wen Ran blinked, doubt creeping in. "Maybe it was just someone similar."
The trio explored exhibit after exhibit, snapping countless photos until reaching the disorienting Mirror Maze.Mirrors multiplied endlessly, collisions inevitable. They soon got separated.Wen Ran inched forward, arms outstretched to avoid walls. Her palm met cool glass, and she awkwardly tested directions—left foot sweeping a semicircle, body crouching.
Confirming an open path left, she stiffly turned—only to freeze.Reflected in infinite mirrors stood Yan Wangshu, hands in pockets, posture relaxed, observing her.Wen Ran: !!!
Two seconds later, she whirled around—her skirt flaring—and collided headfirst with a mirror.The crack echoed as she staggered back, clutching her throbbing forehead.
Yan Wangshu approached, amusement tinting his voice. "Am I that terrifying? You fled so fast you crashed."Wen Ran flushed, aware of her absurdity. In flat shoes, she barely reached his chest.Peering up with deer-like wariness, she pressed a hand to her reddening forehead and leaned against the wall. "Mr. Yan."
His masked face tilted. "Seems I really did startle you."Realizing this implied recognition, she hurriedly denied: "No!"Yan Wangshu turned. "Let's go."Together? Reluctant but obedient, she followed.
Remarkably, he navigated the maze effortlessly. At the exit, he instructed, "Go ahead.""Where are you going?" she blurted, immediately regretting it."Need to find someone," he replied—likely the girl.
Outside, Li Wan noticed Wen Ran's reddened forehead and stifled laughter. "How'd you bump so badly moving that slowly?"Wen Ran pouted.Mistaking her expression for pain, Li Wan sobered. "Does it hurt much?""I really saw Mr. Yan," Wen Ran whispered.
"Seriously?" Li Wan's eyes widened.Before Wen Ran could confirm, Yan Wangshu emerged with the young girl trailing behind. Li Wan stiffened. "What a coincidence, Mr. Yan!"He nodded curtly, gaze settling on Wen Ran.
She sat hunched on a bench, green sundress contrasting pale skin, hair veiling her face as she cradled her forehead."Wen Ran."Can I vanish now??? She forced a smile. "Mr. Yan."
"Hurting badly?""Better now," she lied, lowering her hand to reveal a faint red mark.He studied it. "See a doctor if needed.""Thank you."
The girl tugged his sleeve impatiently: "Uncle, hurry up!"Uncle?