Autumn Ease lived in an apartment complex.
These high-rises housed many college students and migrant workers.
Narrow corridors and crowded staircases defined his daily routine.
His only comfort came from stray cats lingering downstairs.
Someone had placed a food bowl by the gate, always full of kibble, plus an auto water dispenser with clean water.
Residents often stopped to stroke their soft fur; friendly cats might even flop over for belly rubs.
Just petting them seemed to melt away the day’s fatigue.
Sadly, rain must have driven them off—Autumn Ease found only a half-empty food bowl, no cats in sight.
Skipping his usual cat cuddle before heading home left him feeling oddly incomplete.
A girl returning with her best friend scanned the area. Seeing no cats, she pouted, “Ugh—no kitties again today…”
Autumn Ease smiled awkwardly, pretending he hadn’t wanted to pet any, and slipped toward the stairs.
He hated petting cats in public—a grown man cooing over them, sometimes grinning like a creep? Way too weird.
He often envied girls.
They could show true feelings freely, without restraint.
Men, men… maybe “man” and “hard” sound alike because being one is just that tough.
Ceilings here were low.
Hallway lights burned day and night.
Only the far ends had windows.
To Autumn Ease, those identical doors felt less like room entrances and more like tomb gates.
With cramped spaces and packed doors, didn’t it resemble a morgue?
If he could choose, he’d take an end unit—at least it had a window, and he could stash things outside without blocking others.
But his room sat dead center.
The corridor was so tight that even shoes by the door would trip neighbors—or get stolen, or stomped on.
So he never left shoes out.
*Beep.* Card swiped, door opened—a stuffy smell hit him.
Days without airing did that.
This wasn’t downtown Hangzhou; the apartment was remote yet cost 1,600 yuan monthly.
The layout was open: bathroom right upon entry, a makeshift kitchen left. Cooking there sucked, but for frugal Autumn Ease, having a kitchen saved cash.
Sliding doors separated the kitchen-bathroom zone from the bedroom.
“Uh… switch… switch…” He toed off shoes onto the tiny rack, fumbled on the wall, and finally clicked the light on.
Bright enough to flood the room.
The square bedroom held a fridge in one corner, a washing machine beside the bed’s left side.
No other spot fit the washer—not even the bathroom, barely big enough to shower in.
Past that lay a small west-facing balcony. Afternoon sun peeked in. Not bad, he supposed.
This was Autumn Ease’s solo space.
Tiny but functional.
Rent was steep, but he was mostly content.
He chose it for peace—no landlords looming overhead like in private rentals, making you feel small even after paying up.
“Haaah—” He stretched wide. The place was tidy since he’d cleaned before leaving; just dust needed wiping.
Nights here buzzed.
Distant shouts drifted in; midnight brought roaring street racers.
Even rainy quiet meant loud gaming yells from upstairs or next door.
Luckily, folks chilled after midnight—no all-night gaming rackets. This dump’s soundproofing was trash anyway.
Soaked clothes went straight into the washer. Shower first.
The three-square-meter bathroom cramped him, but he reminded himself—at least he had one. Better than no-bathroom rentals.
“Hmm… feast time!” he muttered post-shower.
He boiled water, dumped two instant noodle packs into a bowl, added dried shrimp, seaweed, and an egg.
When ready, the half-cooked egg oozed sunset-orange yolk when poked.
He topped it with cheap sausages—five yuan for twelve sticks. Cats once refused them… yet his stomach growled.
Noodle steam filled the room.
He cracked the window, letting cold air rush in, popped a beer, and chugged half.
“Haaah—perfect!”
Autumn Ease’s imagination ran wild. This noodle bowl became a martial hero’s inn feast: “Innkeeper! Two ounces beef, one bowl wine!”
Solitude had its perks.
All in all, he stayed optimistic.
He finished slowly, sweating.
Normally bedtime, but tomorrow was free—sleeping now felt wasteful.
Rare day off deserved fun…
But his game needed gigabytes of updates. Interest vanished.
All-night gaming marathons were college memories. Work had stolen his playtime.
Months had passed since he last opened his favorite online game.
Only 9:30 PM—bed felt too soon.
No gaming? Try a single-player title or a movie. Good for office small talk.
*Ding ding ding—* QQ’s classic ping cut through the quiet.
His QQ rarely lit up—work used WeChat. Last private message? A pirated-movie spammer…
This time, a familiar name: Feng Yulan.
Not GuanPeng or Wanjianlei—his two ride-or-die buddies—but Feng Yulan.
A high school classmate who’d skipped college to chase film gigs with his girlfriend. Extra work, mostly shadows on screen.
A year or two later—how was he faring?
Probably still nobody.
Back then, Feng Yulan was the prettiest boy in class.
Handsome? Autumn Ease scoffed. Pretty, at best.
Yet girls called him “so manly,” making Autumn Ease question reality.
His natural Korean-idol looks drew admirers everywhere.
Their bond?
Friends, sure.
But distant compared to GuanPeng or Brother Lei.
「Autumn Ease, you there?」
「Loved once, broke, save the mom.」 He typed jokingly.
「How’ve you been?」
「Eh, same old.」
「Heard you draw comics. Big money?」
「Nah, just a grunt. Skills suck, pay sucks.」
「Hmm. Still at that job?」
「Yep. You visited once with your girl—still together?」
「Nah. She’s chasing crews. Dead end, I think.」
「Haha, style you up—you’d crush those K-stars.」 Autumn Ease teased, half-meaning it.
Truth was, he envied guys like this.
He admitted it bitterly—he was petty.
「Nah. You got a girlfriend?」
「Seriously? Do I look taken?」 Autumn Ease shot back, self-mocking.
「True.」
Annoyance flickered.
Classic Feng Yulan—fine dissing himself, but bristled at others’ jabs.
「What’s up? Trouble?」 Autumn Ease wrapped it up.
「Nah, just checking. GuanPeng and Brother Lei?」
「GuanPeng’s a shut-in. Brother Lei’s in Hangzhou—hit him up at the Citizen Center for cards. Smooth as silk.」
「Cool. Will do.」
「Yep.」
Chat ended.
Autumn Ease felt cold.
Beyond his two best friends, he never messaged old classmates.
No real ties anyway. Why bother? Waste of time.
He grumbled like a grumpy grandpa, scrolled movies endlessly, then fired up Ultraman…
Such a kid.
