The middle-aged man slowly woke up and rubbed his aching head.
When he was young, he could stay up all night without a problem. Now, staying up just a little later made him feel as though his body had been hollowed out.
With an apologetic nod to the "strange friend" who had stayed by his side all night, he took out his electronic screen to check the time.
His haggard face reflected on the still-dark electronic screen. At some point, lines of wrinkles had appeared on his face, and distinct streaks of white had emerged amid his hairline.
The middle-aged man stared at the unfamiliar self on the screen for a long time.
In the end, he sighed and lit up the electronic screen.
The instant he opened it, countless chaotic messages popped up.
Some were from his boss, some from coworkers, some from family, some from friends...
As the sum of his social relationships, he had become a node trapped at the center of a web, unable to move.
Ignoring his headache, the middle-aged man replied to the messages one by one.
To his boss, he was flattering.
To his coworkers, he was friendly.
To his family, he was affectionate.
To his friends, he was amusing.
The light from the electronic screen shone across his face, constantly shifting. It was as if he had put on one mask after another. Every mask was the real him, and every one was part of him.
After replying to the messages, he turned and smiled at Mo Ling.
He no longer remembered what he had said after drinking too much last night, but he still remembered the warm companionship. This "strange friend" was odd and never said anything, yet he was an excellent listener.
He solemnly bid farewell to his newly made