The rain over Hangzhou finally stopped after a full day and night.
It was a crisp morning—one of those rare urban moments filled with the clear chirping of birds.
In a narrow, cluttered room, cardboard boxes surrounded Autumn Ease’s bed. His bed was the only place to lie down in the entire space—perhaps the only “pure land” here.
*Ding-ding-ding—Sevven… Sevven… SEVVEN! SEVVEN SEVVEN SEVVEN!* An embarrassingly childish alarm blared from his phone—a new ringtone he’d set yesterday. He’d stayed up all night binge-watching Ultraman shows, utterly hooked.
Truthfully, the plots weren’t that great to his adult eyes. He’d just been nostalgic.
After a day of total indulgence, Autumn Ease had no choice but to go to work.
No one *wants* to work if they can help it. But… people have to live.
The annoying ringtone had lost all its nostalgic charm. Autumn Ease swiped it off, then forced himself up from bed.
7 a.m.
His shift started before 8:30.
He had to leave early—just in case no shared bikes were available.
Hangzhou’s sky, washed clean by the rain, glowed with rare clarity. Warm sunlight bathed the city, finally bringing a true taste of autumn.
*“Haaah—huh…”* Autumn Ease yawned widely, still half-asleep.
He had a peculiar talent: before stepping outside, he could move through his morning routine like a sleepwalker.
But every time, the icy splash of wash water jolted him fully awake.
Hangzhou was a fascinating city.
Scorching summers. Snowy winters.
Guangzhou matched its summer heat but rarely saw snow. Cities buried in winter snow seldom baked like Hangzhou in summer.
Yet it was precisely this sharp division of seasons that let you feel the unique rhythm of spring, summer, autumn, and winter here.
*Click. Click. Click.* Autumn Ease flicked the bathroom light switch repeatedly. Nothing. Probably broken again.
The tiny bathroom had no window. Without light, it was pitch-black even at noon.
He fumbled through his routine in the dark, grumbling, “Gotta replace the bulb again… damn it…”
His first workday after vacation was starting off rough.
But Autumn Ease quickly shook off the annoyance. After checking his backpack, he headed out.
Inside were only his trusted peripherals: a mechanical keyboard, a mouse, and a graphics tablet—all plugged into his work computer daily.
Outside his apartment building, an orange tabby cat lounged lazily on an e-bike seat, soaking up the sun. Seeing Autumn Ease approach, it let out a soft *mew* and slowly swished its tail.
“Morning,” Autumn Ease murmured, scratching the cat’s head. It purred, eyes half-closed—clearly used to this.
This stray was a regular downstairs. It spent eighteen hours a day here, treating the e-bike’s leather seat like its personal sofa.
*“Meeow~”*
Autumn Ease wanted to linger, but work waited. He left with a sigh. “Must be nice… just basking in the sun all day…” He borrowed a red shared bike and pedaled toward his office building.
Hangzhou’s streets weren’t lined with many evergreens. Most trees shed their leaves—a choice, perhaps, for those who loved watching seasons change.
Even this early, a sanitation truck overflowed with fallen leaves. The ground remained carpeted thickly in yellow. Riding over them made a crisp *crunch*, like stepping on potato chips.
Office workers clustered around breakfast stalls, grabbing quick bites to eat on the go.
“Ah… the baked sesame cake shop’s open again.” Autumn Ease’s throat tightened as he eyed the stall.
The owner had closed for six months to travel. Now back, business boomed—the cakes were simply that good. Crispy outside, tender inside, perfectly filled.
Just a bit pricey. Ten yuan for one.
Autumn Ease patted his thin wallet. After buying train tickets, his savings were low. He bought two plain steamed buns instead, sipping water from his bottle as he rode.
Autumn Ease had always been poor.
As a junior assistant, his monthly salary after mandatory social insurance was just 3,000 yuan. Rent took 1,600. Utilities, clothes, emergency savings—what remained for food was barely enough.
This was a big city, after all. Even a simple bowl of scallion oil noodles cost at least three or four yuan.
A chilly autumn breeze brushed his face. Riding always made his thoughts drift. He wondered about the girl he’d met in the rain two days ago—had she gotten over her heartbreak?
Then he remembered: he only had one umbrella now. He’d need to buy another soon, or he’d be stranded next downpour.
“Ugh… that was a *Paradise* umbrella too. Genuine one… cost a hundred yuan…” He muttered, a flicker of regret surfacing.
No follow-up. Just pure waste…
“Being too sentimental… isn’t always smart,” he chuckled bitterly to himself.
A maple leaf drifted down, landing on his head. Several more already filled his bike basket.
Perhaps because of autumn, the clouds held a cool tint—not pure white, but edged with pale blue.
October 13th. Monday.
Autumn flowers seemed to be blooming.
A faint fragrance filled the air.
…Osmanthus, probably.
Hangzhou always had so many osmanthus trees. Short trees bearing rice-grain-sized blossoms, yet their scent traveled far.
Suddenly, Autumn Ease’s mood lifted. He pedaled the last stretch to his company.
It was a small studio, really—though about thirty people worked there, handling different tasks.
The moment Autumn Ease stepped in, his coworkers burst into laughter.
“What’s up?” he asked, confused.
“Haha! Autumn Ease! Right on time—we were just talking about you!”
“Huh?” He scratched his head.
“We found the manga you drew in your drawer! Romantic stuff! The protagonist’s a girl… who knew a rugged guy like you had such a girly heart?”
“You… why were you going through my drawer?!”
“Oh, we saw it while cleaning. Heh. You’re full of surprises, Autumn Ease.”
“Hahaha! Drawing yourself as a tall, rich, handsome CEO? Classic.” Another colleague mimicked a character’s voice in an exaggerated, sugary tone: *“Autumn Ease~ but I loooove you~”*
*“…!”* Autumn Ease clenched his fists.
In this studio, he was nobody.
Humans were social creatures. Groups formed cliques.
Quiet, perpetually broke Autumn Ease was the easiest target.
“Haha… yeah, I know it’s cringey,” he forced a dry laugh.
The only way to avoid fights here was self-deprecation.
It made you seem magnanimous—or so he told himself.
“Hah! So you admit it?”
“Well… just doodling. I wanted to see what’s so fun about ‘CEO falls for me’ stories.”
“Nice! Respect.”
The awkwardness seemed to fade. Colleagues glanced at him with newfound approval.
Not everyone was rigid. Those who took jokes well felt more approachable.
Maybe Autumn Ease should’ve done this months ago. But for half a year, he’d never tried to fit in.
But… was it really over?
Beneath his strained smile, what fury simmered?
Autumn Ease turned back to his desk. The fake grin vanished. He silently stuffed his drawings into the drawer.
His mistake—he should’ve taken them home.
As work began, the noisy office quieted down.
The team leader returned from a meeting with assignments.
“Autumn Ease—you’ll color Tang Ye’s hand-drawn sketches.”
“Ah… got it.”
Tang Ye was the studio’s top artist. Around forty, he refused graphics tablets, working only on paper. Coloring his sketches was far harder than digital work. One wrong stroke on paper couldn’t be undone like on a screen…
It was the most tedious job—and the easiest to blame.
Reluctantly, Autumn Ease nodded with a tight smile.
…
Coloring demanded patience. By the time Autumn Ease’s eyes ached, he’d finished.
He checked the clock—nearly time to leave.
No one had called him for lunch.
The company didn’t provide meals, but still…
*Whatever.*
Staying invisible was safer.
5:30 p.m. Time to go.
Dusk fell. The setting sun gilded the treetops’ yellow leaves with orange light.
Autumn Ease stretched, joints *crackling*.
He swiped his card to clock out.
Just like every day.
No boss stopped him—relief washed over him.
The worst fear here was unpaid overtime. “For the dream,” they called it.
*Damn leaders and their bullshit.*
What wolf culture? What "striving for dreams" nonsense.
Call it dog culture instead—busting your ass for the boss's cash.
Autumn Ease grumbled as he slipped out of the company gates.
Linger after work, and you'll almost certainly get roped into overtime.
Autumn's best perk was the crisp, refreshing air—even in a big city.
Autumn Ease took a deep breath of the flower-scented breeze, feeling his whole body relax.
If only his girlfriend were here too, it'd be absolutely perfect.
Sadly, Autumn Ease had never dated a real girl—not once in his life, except in dreams...
But no matter—he had a vivid imagination.
In his mind, the dream girl appeared in reality, waiting downstairs after his shift.
Spotting him, she'd lift her shoulder bag with both hands and flash a radiant smile.
That feeling...
Even if it was all in his head, it still brimmed with pure happiness.
Suddenly, a cool sensation covered Autumn Ease's eyes, blocking his view.
Slender hands.
His heart jolted.
Or rather, leaped with hope.
Could it be? Had his dream girl truly appeared?
His body stiffened, disbelief flooding him at this sudden "bliss."
"Ahem... w-who... who is it?" he stammered.
But no reply came.
