Six in the evening, Upper Capital.
The carriage on Subway Line 10 was packed with people heading home from work. The air was distinctly stale, mingling perfume, sweat, and lingering food smells.
The subway rattled rhythmically through the tunnel, the darkness outside its windows torn apart again and again by platform lights.
Briefcase in hand, Li Wei leaned against the grab rail beside the doors, his shoulders slumped and his eyelids heavy as lead.
He had sat through three meetings, revised a proposal four times, and endured five rounds of abuse from the client. Now he wanted to do absolutely nothing.
Out of habit, he pulled his phone from his trouser pocket and opened Musical Note, his thumb hovering above the screen.
This hour-long subway commute was the most relaxing part of his day. No checking the client's messages, no replying to his boss. All he had to do was empty his mind and let those fifteen-second bursts of happiness wash over him.
The first video featured a young woman swaying her hips to the latest viral earworm. Her filter was just right, her lips slightly pursed, her gaze languid and alluring.
The corners of Li Wei's mouth lifted involuntarily. He chuckled, then glanced around-a prim-looking middle-aged woman stood beside him, and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit sat opposite.
He hurriedly straightened his back, cleared his throat, and swiped past the video with a blank expression.
Before swiping away, his finger deftly tapped the like button.
The second video was another beautiful woman, with a different pose and a different song.
The third was more of the same, except this time there were two of them!
Li Wei froze for three seconds, then swiped rapidly upward, finally stopping at the fourth video.
This time, it wasn't a young