Chen Hao had developed a habit at some point without realizing it.
Whenever the night grew quiet, he liked to lean over the balcony railing and light a cigarette, savoring the sting of nicotine in his throat as he gazed up at the moon and silently muttered, Fuck you.
Perhaps the crowdfunding plan from a while back had dealt him too heavy a blow. It had nearly driven him into depression.
He was contemplating life when his phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and saw that it was his mother.
"Mom!"
Chen Hao was naturally delighted to hear from her. For someone living far from home, there was no one he missed more than his parents.
Hearing his voice, she was equally happy. "Haohao, the end of the year is almost here. When are you planning to come home this year?"
Chen Hao's mother was named Li Xia. Since graduating, he had been living away from home and rarely returned, generally visiting only once a year for the New Year. That was why she was so eager to ask ahead of time.
Chen Hao joked, "I'm not coming home this year."
Li Xia clearly froze at that. Several seconds passed before she gave a little laugh. "That's all right. It's fine if you can't come home. I know you're busy with work. Won't your boss give you time off?"
Hearing his mother's earnest question, Chen Hao laughed. "I was kidding. I should be home a little earlier this year. And I'll bring a pretty wife for you to meet."
"A pretty wife?" Li Xia sounded puzzled. To her, that sounded even less believable than his claim that he wasn't coming home. She scolded him affectionately, "You little rascal, you're teasing your mother again, aren't you? If you aren't working