A hazy rain night draped over the city. Pedestrians on the street moved behind a thin veil of mist. Their steps quickened, as if fleeing the building pressure.

Mu Yueran silently watched the yellow flower by the window. Drizzling raindrops bent its stem. It struggled to straighten up, only to be knocked down again and again. Finally, it drooped limply into the mud. Dirty water, thick with soil, swallowed it whole.

Mu Yueran wearily withdrew his gaze. He turned to the girl across from him—his girlfriend. Her once-lovely face was twisted now. Frustration knotted her brows. The impatience in her eyes had replaced the innocence Mu Yueran remembered.

He faintly recalled their first meeting in college. She’d tugged his shoulder, laughing brightly. Her youthful ponytail bounced as she ran, catching his eye completely.

When had things changed?

Probably when he confessed. If he hadn’t acted on his friends’ urging, hadn’t blurted it out in a heatwave of courage… maybe he’d still hold that pure feeling inside.

“Mu Yueran! I’m talking to you!”

A sharp shout yanked him from memory. He shook his head, clearing the clutter. His face blank, he met her eyes. “Sorry. I zoned out.”

“Zoned out? You were just making excuses!”

She slammed the table. The loud crack startled other cafe patrons. They shot annoyed glances their way. Mu Yueran offered apologetic looks, slightly lowering his head.

He turned back to her. “This is public. Calm down.”

“Calm down? How can I stay calm!”

Her voice boomed, ignoring the stares. Mu Yueran wondered how such a delicate mouth produced such harsh sounds. Rubbing his temples, he repeated the explanation he’d given countless times.

“I told you. I don’t know her. I just helped her once. She returned the favor. That’s all.”

“I don’t even know her name. Let alone her contact.”

He’d lost count of their fights over this. All because she’d seen a stranger give him a gift. She’d accused him of cheating ever since.

No matter his words, she trusted only her eyes. Insisting that girl was his lover.

“Why help her and not others? You liked her, didn’t you? How did I miss you were a scumbag?”

A sneer curled her lips. Mu Yueran sipped his black coffee. Its bitter taste numbed his tongue, then seeped into his eyes. Being doubted by the one he loved exhausted him.

“Will you believe nothing I say?”

“Then prove it! Show me something trustworthy!”

She glared, neck stiff with defiance. Mu Yueran looked away. He couldn’t bear comparing her now to the girl in his memories.

“Then… let’s break up.”

Her silence after those words felt like a weight lifting. His body relaxed. He leaned back lazily against the sofa. The gloom in his chest vanished.

But a whooshing sound and muffled sobs rushed toward him. His eyelid twitched. He raised his arm, catching her furious slap mid-air.

“Scumbag! Breaking up just to be with her, huh?”

Tears streamed down her face. Her red-rimmed eyes burned into him. She yanked her arm back, trying to free it.

Mu Yueran released her. His other hand shot out, pinning the teacup she’d grabbed—full of hot water—flat on the table. “Stop. Leave us some dignity.”

Her rage, denied an outlet, turned inward. She collapsed onto the table, sobbing loudly. Ignoring the curious stares around her.

Mu Yueran had no urge to comfort her. No need. He drained his coffee. Stood up. Walked toward the exit. Passing her, he hesitated. “Be more confident in yourself. From now on.”

He didn’t wait. Stepped out quickly. Behind him, a teacup shattered on the floor. A faint smile touched his lips as he opened his umbrella, stepping into the rain.

Waiting for a taxi, he glanced back at the cafe. Through the window, she still sat crying. People crowded around her, murmuring comfort. A staff member held a bill for the broken cup, looking lost.

He knew their words by heart. He wondered: if he sat there, slapped and soaked in tea, would anyone gather to soothe him?

Sometimes, being a girl really is easier…

One careless “scumbag” erases years of love and effort. His own explanations felt hollow.

“The rain’s getting heavier.”

Mu Yueran lit a cigarette. Smoke curled from under his umbrella, vanishing instantly into the damp air. Cars on the road slowed in the downpour.

He waved at taxis. Countless passed with “occupied” signs lit. Finally, one stopped.

He closed his umbrella, slid into the back seat. Entered his address. Leaned against the window, watching raindrops race across the glass.

The radio crackled to life. A host’s passionate voice filled the car: “Today, a listener wrote in. She’s stuck with a scumbag who won’t leave her alone. How do you escape him?”

“I say all scumbags should die! Ruining girls’ youth, then shamelessly claiming innocence. It’s just—”

The host’s fury made Mu Yueran suspect his own past. Just hearing “scumbag” gave him a headache. He opened his mouth to ask the driver to turn it off.

A blinding white light flooded his vision. He squinted. Only a truck’s grille grew larger, filling his sight.

“Boom!!”

Rain kept falling. The sky showed no mercy for tiny humans below. It simply did its job—pooling dirty water, washing away bloodstains.

Mu Yueran crawled from under the wreckage. One arm hung twisted behind him, fingers flattened to the same length. He dragged his working legs forward. After a few steps, he heard it—a weak breath mixed with the engine’s roar.

He froze. Gritting his teeth, he turned back. Pulled the barely alive driver from the cab. Flames roared before him. Heat seared his skin.

Mu Yueran dragged the driver toward safety. He knew cars often explode after—

Too slow. A blast hurled them both backward. The driver landed in soft grass. Mu Yueran crashed into a solid tree trunk.

He lay slumped like mud on the ground. Stared up at the sky. Raindrops hit his eyes. Lightning flashed through the clouds, hinting at something.

“Did that old vow come true…?”

He remembered swearing early in his relationship: if he became a scumbag, he’d die in a car crash.

She’d laughed, covering his mouth. “Don’t invite bad luck.”

But… he wasn’t a scumbag!!

His fury couldn’t revive his broken body. Life drained fast. His entire life flashed before him.

Mu Yueran examined every detail. Still, he could raise his arm and shout: pure love reigns supreme!

His vision grayed. Though the sky had always been this color.

[...I’m dying?]

[If... there’s a next life, I’ll be a girl.]

[I want to see what scumbags look like through a girl’s eyes.]

...............

...............

Beep—beep—

The noisy doorbell woke the girl in bed. She stretched, rubbing sleepy eyes. Dragged herself toward the door. Passing a floor mirror, she glimpsed her reflection.

A terrified scream shattered the morning silence.