Wang Xiaoliang said nothing.
He pulled closer to the curb without turning off the engine, leaving the air conditioning running, then turned sideways and rested a hand on Luo Bisheng's shoulder.
"Cry if it hurts."
Luo Bisheng bit his lower lip, his Adam's apple bobbing as tears covered his face.
"Go ahead. It's okay. Nobody's going to laugh at you. It's just us here."
The string that had stayed taut the whole way finally snapped. Luo Bisheng's mouth twisted, and sounds squeezed out of his throat, broken and halting. After holding them in for so long, he finally let out a long howl.
The windows were closed. No one outside could hear.
Wang Xiaoliang pulled a few tissues from the center console and pushed them into his hand.
Clutching the tissues, Luo Bisheng wiped haphazardly at his face, snot mixing with tears. He curled up in the passenger seat, his shoulders shaking.
"I... I swore..."
He caught his breath.
"I'd never cry over a woman again."
Another wave of sobs surged up. He clenched his fist and struck his chest.
"I'm fucking useless."
Wang Xiaoliang raised his hand and patted his shoulder.
Luo Bisheng cried for seven or eight minutes. Gradually, his sobs quieted into harsh breaths trapped in his throat, punctuated by an occasional sniff.
Wang Xiaoliang handed him a few more tissues.
Luo Bisheng took them, scrubbed his face, then crumpled them into a ball in his palm.
Silence settled over the car for a while.
"What would make you feel better?"
Luo Bisheng sniffed, his voice terribly hoarse. "How about... coming for a drink with me?"
Wang Xiaoliang didn't answer.
Last time, he hadn't drunk much before throwing up so badly that the world spun. He'd woken the next day with his head splitting, and none of