The reason Wu Man didn’t refuse Zhui Ye’s “night roaming” was because she thought of herself as the thirty-five-year-old Deng Lizhi. When young Chen Nan held her hand and ran away, she would definitely follow him without hesitation.

Even though in the script, she ultimately couldn’t.

Zhui Ye pulled her to a bus stop and said we’ll just take the next bus that comes.

“Even though we have no idea what route it takes?”

“Right. Otherwise how could it be called night roaming? Wandering wherever, guided by fate.”

Wandering wherever, guided by fate.

Wu Man murmured these eight words in her heart, a vaguely familiar anticipation welling up.

About ten minutes later, an empty Night Route 2 bus stopped in front of them. The two jumped on. Wu Man picked a single window seat. Zhui Ye grabbed the handrail and stood beside her like a lush tree.

She looked up at him. “You should sit too.”

“I want to sit.” He glanced meaningfully at her single seat. “But there’s no seat beside you.”

Wu Man froze. A moment later she stood up and moved to the inner seat of a double seat in the back row.

She deliberately turned her head to look out the window. The car window faintly reflected the interior. Her gaze followed that shadow inside the car as it settled into the seat beside her.

She quickly shifted her gaze to the racing neon lights, her eyes losing focus.

No one spoke the entire way—just the roar of the engine, the sound of doors opening and closing, and his breathing.

“Let’s get off at this stop,” he suddenly said.

The announcement inside the bus said Guozi Market—nearby was Houhai.

Even though it was already late at night, there were no signs of sleep here. Bars were densely packed, and from far away you could hear singing performances tinged with worldly flavor.

Wu Man instinctively pulled up her mask. “This isn’t good—there are too many people here.”

“Will there be?” Zhui Ye took her hand. “No one will pay attention to Chen Nan and Deng Lizhi. Unless Xu Long sees us. But Xu Long isn’t in this world.”

Wu Man felt a bit annoyed with herself—she was still instinctively pulling away. Yet Zhui Ye could one hundred percent completely forget who he was.

She didn’t know whether to call it envy, admiration, or a slightly strange sourness.

She let Zhui Ye lead her casually into a bar and sat in the most secluded corner.

“What does Sister want to drink?”

“I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Oh right, you said you’ve never been drunk before.”

“What about you? When have you been drunk?”

“If you’re asking about Chen Nan, he’s never been drunk.” Zhui Ye thought for a moment. “But if you mean me… actually just once.”

Wu Man didn’t interject, quietly waiting for him to continue.

“It was when I was sixteen. A big brother drove me into the desert in a Jeep, then taught me how to drink. That was my first time drinking—I got drunk after just one small can.” Zhui Ye smiled, propping his chin. “That brother got drunk too. He drank and drove, the car got stuck in the sand, and we almost didn’t make it back.”

“…Who was this big brother? Not only drunk driving but also getting a minor to drink.”

“Don’t know him. I asked if I could hitch a ride into the desert and he agreed.”

Wu Man was utterly shocked. “You were alone?”

He nodded. “Traveling alone at sixteen isn’t that strange, right?”

“It’s a miracle you survived safely to now… Just hearing about it, I can tell you were very easy to abduct back then.”

Zhui Ye lazily sprawled on the table, looking up at her. “I’m still pretty easy to abduct now.”

Wu Man froze, then lowered her eyes to fiddle with the drink menu. “Who would dare abduct a Cannes Best Actor? Your fans would chase them down.”

The server noticed the two people skulking in the corner chatting without ordering drinks and came over to prompt them. “Have you two decided?”

Wu Man pulled up her mask. “This is our first time here. Do you have any recommendations?”

“I personally recommend ‘Falling.’ The first sip gives you an irresistible, dreamlike dizzying sensation.”

“Sounds like it has a high alcohol content.” Wu Man shook her head and pointed to the seasonal special on the menu. “What about this ‘Spring Equinox’? Sounds quite mild.”

“Yes, this one isn’t high in alcohol content. Very suitable for ladies.”

“Then I’ll have this one.”

Zhui Ye said, “Give me a ‘Falling.'”

The two drinks were quickly brought over, their colors strikingly different. “Spring Equinox” looked like chopped cherry blossoms dissolved in water, shimmering under the neon lights. “Falling” was a cup of scooped-up deep sea.

Wu Man said warily, “You won’t get drunk, will you? If you get drunk, I won’t take care of you.”

Zhui Ye took a sip and raised an eyebrow. “The server wasn’t lying—this really isn’t bad. Do you want to try it?”

She shook her head without hesitation.

“Just one sip won’t hurt.” Zhui Ye pushed the glass in front of her, like Satan tempting an angel to fall. “I’m not like Sister. Even if you really do get drunk, I’ll carry you back.”

Images of those gossip reports flashed through Wu Man’s mind, and her mouth was quick to say, “True, you’re well-practiced.”

Zhui Ye’s hand paused as he looked up to scrutinize Wu Man’s face.

Wu Man snatched his glass, blocking his view as she took a sip.

So strong.

An irrepressible kick of alcohol rushed straight to her head like fireworks exploding in her brain, sparks scattering everywhere.

“You drank too fast…” Zhui Ye sighed helplessly and handed her the lemon water by his hand. After watching her gulp down the water, he smiled and said, “The spot where you just drank from—that’s where I just drank from.”

The water Wu Man had swallowed nearly flowed back up.

*

They didn’t stay at the bar very long. Taking off their masks always made them feel insecure. After finishing one drink, Wu Man suggested leaving.

The two walked one after the other from Houhai toward Yandai Xiejie. The shops on both sides had closed their doors, and it grew quieter as they walked. The narrow street led out to a not-very-wide road, and continuing forward along it led to the Drum Tower.

It was already late at night. The wind still carried late spring’s chill. Zhui Ye wore only a thin T-shirt and sneezed, saying, “Sister, let’s sit in a bookstore for a bit. It’s cold outside.”

“You read books?”

“Don’t I look like I do?”

“No.”

“I don’t love reading books.” Zhui Ye laughed. “But I quite love reading poetry.”

The two casually found a 24-hour bookstore that was still open. There weren’t many people inside, but not few either—scattered individuals crouching or sitting in corners. She and Zhui Ye separated, each wandering among the bookshelves.

She came to the arts section and found a new book about performance. The fluorescent lights in the store were very bright. Wu Man turned her head and through the gaps in the bookshelves saw Zhui Ye’s face wearing a black mask, sharply divided—from afar it looked like a black and white sketch.

He held a poetry collection in his hand and casually looked up, staring at her through the gap.

Time briefly froze for one second.

Wu Man immediately lowered her head, concentrating on her book.

The light was dazzling—she didn’t absorb a single word from the book.

*

While Zhui Ye was looking at books, Wu Man quietly slipped out. She pulled out a cigarette box from her pocket—not many left inside.

She picked out one and put it between her lips, urgently craving a lighter. But ultimately she held back.

The night was cold with heavy dew—it really was quite cold. Even wearing a jade green crew-neck sweater, she felt a bit cold. She was about to throw away the cigarette and go back when she glimpsed a small book stall set up several yards from the bookstore.

The stall owner was an elderly grandmother, hunched over, wearing a quite thick coat—clearly she set up night stalls often and had complete equipment.

Wu Man searched out all the money she had on her, keeping only a little for essentials, and walked to the book stall.

“Grandma, how much per book?”

“Not expensive, just a few yuan. They’re all used books.”

She piled the money in front of the grandmother. “I didn’t bring my phone, this is all the cash I have. It might not be enough to buy all of them. But it can buy most of them. I don’t need the books—you should go home early.”

The old grandmother waved her hands. “How can that work? If you give me money, I have to give you books.”

“I can’t carry so many back anyway.” Wu Man negotiated. “How about this—I’ll just pick one to take. You can take the rest back home.”

“Alright… thank you, young lady.”

Wu Man was amused hearing herself called “young lady.” Women, after all, still feel happy being called young.

She glanced at all the books—so many, she really didn’t know how to choose just one. Her gaze swept around in a circle before Wu Man locked onto a poetry collection in the furthest corner.

…Didn’t that someone just say he liked poetry?

Wu Man involuntarily picked up that poetry collection. “Then this one. Thank you, Grandma.”

After taking the book, she watched the old grandmother pack up her books and push them away. When she turned around, Zhui Ye was standing where she had just been standing, watching them from afar.

Wu Man didn’t explain anything. As they passed each other, she casually tossed the poetry collection into his arms.

“Sister?”

Wu Man didn’t look back. “I don’t like poetry, so I’ll give it to someone who does.”

*

They stayed in the bookstore until dawn. Wu Man read most of the book on performance theory while Zhui Ye kept reading the poetry collection she’d given him.

Wu Man looked at the brightening sky. “Is the night roaming over?”

“Yes.” Zhui Ye closed the poetry collection and stretched. “Let’s eat breakfast before going back. Otherwise sleeping on an empty stomach is uncomfortable.”

Wu Man had no objection, thinking vaguely in her heart—so this was the so-called night roaming.

There weren’t the miraculous encounters of a movie night, no heart-stopping bizarre incidents—just drinking and reading books, no different from any other night.

Yet this was the most uninhibited, back-to-basics night she’d had in all her years since debuting.

They returned to the hutong where breakfast stalls had opened their doors, bubbling with steaming heat. Zhui Ye ordered buns and soy milk to share with Wu Man since she couldn’t eat too much.

But Zhui Ye ate with great relish. Watching him eat gave one a sense of happiness from delicious food. This made her eat one more bun than usual.

While eating, Zhui Ye was still flipping through that poetry collection. She sighed with feeling, “You really do quite like poetry.”

Wu Man had thought he was just saying it casually.

Zhui Ye tore off the bun skin and said indistinctly, “I’m almost finished reading it. There’s one poem I really liked from before.”

“Which one?”

“I’ll recite it for you.”

He finished swallowing and took a sip of soy milk, clearing his throat.

“Sister, tonight I’m in Delingha, night covers all

Sister, tonight all I have is the Gobi

At the edge of the grassland, my hands are empty

In my grief I cannot hold a single tear

Sister, tonight I’m in Delingha

This is a desolate city in the rain.”

The daylight gradually brightened. The hutong entrance grew busy. The tinkling of bicycle bells scattered past Wu Man’s ears, yet all she heard was his clear voice reciting poetry.

“I return stones to stones

Let victory be victory’s

Tonight the highland barley belongs only to herself

Everything is growing

Tonight all I have is the beautiful Gobi, empty.”

Zhui Ye had been reciting somewhat casually, but at the end his tone paused as he looked directly at Wu Man.

“Sister, tonight I don’t care about humanity.”

“I only think of you.”

Without their phones, the two didn’t yet know what enormous waves their impromptu night roaming had stirred up on the internet.