A Wandering Youth

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(over)

Story Two: Castle in the Sky (The End)

<I> Empty City

Across the street, a song drifted from the Alphabet Sound System: If this isn't love.

Yu Fu walked onto the icy road, reached the middle of the road, then turned around, looked at the oncoming car, and smiled.

The No. 7 bus hurtled down the hillside, the screeching of brakes accompanied by the desperate screams of its passengers. It tumbled around the bend, crashing into a mail truck parked on the roadside, before continuing its slide. In the blink of an eye, it crushed the smiling Yu Fu into the hard, icy pavement.

It left a long, red, and startling mark. When it stopped, only one shoe remained under the overturned bus, deformed, flat and twisted, lying in the snow like an utterly exhausted traveler.

Everything stopped, and there was no sound. The passengers had vanished, along with the people walking in the streets, the people in the shops, everyone in the world at that moment. The music froze in the air, sparrows on branches poised to take flight, broken icicles fell and remained frozen ten centimeters above the ground, and the air, like a solidified, transparent block of ice, became visible. In the distant depths of the sky, green lights moved, surging and rapidly spreading, obscuring the still-visible sunlight, turning the world a dark green, yet devoid of warmth, neither cold nor warm.

The world stopped for a moment. The green light fell on the earth, shattering into countless points of light that flowed and scattered, then spread and filled every corner.

In fragments of time, there is no difference between here and there; both are empty cities.

Countless green ghosts sprouted from the ground, like blades of grass. First, they were tender buds, then stems, and finally they grew into a patch, making a popping sound as they grew. They absorbed the green light and grew, their faces showing joy. They looked at each other innocently and smiled.

Ghosts have nothing to fear; they play, frolic, talk incessantly, and try to fly.

"I've walked here before!"

"I laughed here!"

"I cried here too!"

"I, I also proposed to the one I love right here!"

"And me, I was here too, right here, under this big tree, waiting for the happiness of my childhood."

"Don't forget me. I once existed here, waiting for my mom to pick me up from school."

"Then this is where I will finally disappear in my life."

The ghosts chattered and laughed, a chaotic but joyful merriment. How harmonious, like one big family, without conflict, every face beaming with smiles, every eye brimming with happiness, their overflowing tears shimmering like light, drifting towards the sky. They searched every corner, every fragment of memory, every reason for joy, forward, forward, never stopping.

How can one find happiness?

"Saving lives brings happiness!"

"How can we save them?"

"No, you should ask: How can people be saved?"

"Yes, yes, how can people be saved?"

"People cannot be saved, only oneself can be saved."

"Then what's the point of saving people?"

"Those who have no one to save them do not know how to save themselves."

"Let's save them! Let's save them!"

...

The overturned No. 7 bus lay motionless at the foot of the hill, bathed in the swirling green light, its glow fading softly in the haze, vanishing like a shadow in an instant. The pool of blood on the ground also transformed into countless green specks, swirling as if blown by the wind, floating towards the sky. As the shadow and the aura dissipated, Yu Fu appeared in the middle of the road, a look of bewilderment on his face. He bent down to pick up his tattered shoes, put them on his feet that were mostly exposed, then turned and looked around. The bus was gone, the pedestrians were gone, even his own shadow had vanished.

"What's going on?"

Yu Fu stood by the roadside. At that moment, something strange happened. He saw a mother and child walking towards him, passing right through him and disappearing behind him. Yu Fu cried out in surprise, jumped back, and turned around, but the mother and child had vanished.

"Oh my god? What's going on?"

Yu Fu trembled as he looked up at the sky, which was shrouded in dark clouds. Suddenly, a voice rang out: "Buy a greeting card, it's Christmas Eve." Yu Fu was startled by the timid voice, but instead of jumping away, he turned around. A little girl in a red dress stood before him, about seven or eight years old, looking pitiful, her face blue from the cold.

Who are you? Why are you here?

Yu Fu asked, but the little girl repeated the same thing: "Buy a greeting card. It's Christmas Eve, everyone should be happy." As she said this, large tears almost welled up in her eyes. Yu Fu's heart ached. He thought of his own daughter, the same age, who would never grow up again, gone to a distant heaven where his wife, parents, and all his family were. Thinking of this, Yu Fu's pain became even more unbearable.

"Child, go home. Today is Christmas, and every good child should be happy."

Yu Fu said, but the little girl kept repeating the same thing: "Buy a greeting card. It's Christmas Eve, everyone should be happy, Uncle, buy a greeting card." The little girl held out a card between her fingers, making Yu Fu feel utterly ashamed, because he didn't have a single penny on him. Yu Fu had been laid off for a year and a half, and in that time he had tried many things, but all had failed. His neighbors always looked at him with disdain, and even the children mocked him, their contempt written all over their faces. Even when his daughter was seriously ill and passed away, those cold gazes never left him. This deep pain kept Yu Fu in a state of despair and resentment. But today, when this little girl looked at him with those tear-filled eyes, the ice in Yu Fu's heart began to melt.

"Child, Uncle didn't bring any money today, so I can't buy them. If Uncle had money, I would definitely buy all your greeting cards. You should go home; it's so cold outside!"

Yu Fu reached out to hold the little girl's hand, but grasped only air. Large tears welled in the little girl's eyes, falling into Yu Fu's palm and vanishing instantly. Yu Fu stared at the little girl in astonishment, speechless. The little girl repeated her words: "Buy a greeting card. Today is Christmas Eve; everyone should be happy." But her voice and her form, like fine powder in the wind, dissipated without a trace.

"ah?!!"

Yu Fu yelled and backed away, only to find himself passing through the bodies of several pedestrians. They turned around in surprise to look at Yu Fu, looked down at themselves, and then disappeared.

In one place, someone walks out of the void; in another place, someone enters the void. Here and there, pedestrians appear and disappear, each with their own thoughts, walking independently on their own paths, moving towards their own destinations.

What kind of city is this?

Yu Fu leaned against a large tree in shock, staring at the strange pedestrians as if trapped in a nightmare.

All the ghosts and demons are hiding in the clouds, secretly smiling.

<Part Two> The Lonely Audience

Just as Yu Fu was at a loss, he heard another sound behind him: a long, drawn-out screech of brakes followed by a woman's scream. Turning around, Yu Fu saw a beautifully dressed woman lying in a pool of blood. Seven or eight meters away, the driver of a red taxi got out; he was a young man, his face filled with panic. A crowd gradually gathered, forming two circles, their faces expressionless.

"Help me, help me."

The woman pleaded for help with difficulty, her eyes already somewhat unfocused.

But the onlookers were all waiting, unsure whether they should be the first to do so.

"Help me, help me."

The woman's voice was weak, and she could no longer lift her head.

Yu Fu observed from the edge; the people there were restless, their eyes gleaming with complex emotions. The taxi driver squeezed into the circle, his expression growing even more panicked upon seeing the woman lying on the ground. Perhaps he had just received his ticket, perhaps he had just bought the car, perhaps he was the breadwinner of his family, perhaps this accident would end his job. He hesitated, his gaze shifting between the woman and the distance, before finally pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

But at this moment, the onlookers began to stir like insects awakening.

How do you drive?

"You hit someone and then act all innocent? Are you kidding me?"

"I think he did it on purpose."

"That's so cruel!"

The young driver panicked and tried to escape, but was pushed to the center of the circle. The woman was still weakly calling for help, struggling to hold onto her last shred of consciousness. The overly young driver was on the verge of tears, arguing loudly and shouting for help, but no one answered. The onlookers wore only numb curiosity on their faces, or perhaps even disdainful smiles on their lips.

Yu Fu stood outside the circle that was gradually forming into a huge ring, trembling as he watched this human tragedy. He felt an overwhelming sorrow; these people didn't know the meaning of life, merely wasting it away. This reminded him of his wife, five years ago, on a snowy day, on a road similar to this one, she was hit by a car. So many people gathered, hundreds of them, jostling and pushing, yet not a single one stepped forward to help. Yu Fu's wife died of hemorrhagic shock in full view of everyone. What a cruel reality! What cold-hearted humanity!

The young driver was still trying to lift the woman into his car when he was stopped by shrewd citizens and met with a cold rebuke: "What are you trying to do? To cover up the crime? Let me tell you, we will never allow such a thing to happen here!" Tears streamed down the young driver's pale face, and he shouted hoarsely, "Help! Help!" But the answer he received was still cold: "Let me tell you, you're not going anywhere until the traffic police arrive!"

The flames burning within Yu Fu's chest were about to explode. He could no longer contain himself, and he charged forward, roaring furiously, "Why didn't you save people? Why?!" Yu Fu pierced through so many filthy bodies and appeared within the circle. The people behind him stared in shock, then vanished instantly. It was as if this had triggered some kind of chain reaction; one by one, they disappeared into thin air, leaving only the young driver in the center of the circle. He was still in tears, carrying the woman into the car, starting it, and driving forward on the snow-covered road, then suddenly disappeared, along with the bloodstains on the ground.

Yu Fu had considered all of this. He stood by the roadside, panting, his tears gradually drying and freezing on his face. He was so lonely that he had lost his way.

<Part Three> Warmth

You should be happy!

A voice came from across the street. Yu Fu looked up and saw a woman. Despite the cold weather, her clothing was still quite revealing. She was a woman who lived off her body.

"No one will miss you anymore, just as no one remembers me. We have been forgotten by the world, that's true."

The woman crossed the street and walked over. Yu Fu wiped away the tears on his face, straightened his back, and looked at the woman as if he still had self-respect. The woman smiled, her eyes showing that she clearly knew what Yu Fu was thinking, but she still walked over indifferently, also straightening her back, like a woman with dignity.

"Who are you?"

"Wu Huan".

Wu Huan said she was called Wu Huan because her life lacked joy. Yu Fu then realized this was just a pseudonym. Everyone has many pseudonyms; they live behind them, hiding their soft hearts, preventing others from seeing them. But is there a difference between the real and the fake? This is just a masquerade ball, everyone must take the stage, no one can see anyone else's true heart, and even if they did, they wouldn't know. So many pseudonyms, fake faces, wigs, fake breasts… Oh, the world of truth and falsehood.

Do you need a woman?

"Um?"

I mean, do you need a woman?

"Why?"

"Because that's what I do."

Where is your dignity? Where is your sense of shame?

"Ha, don't give me that. If it weren't for you men, would I be like this now?! Take off that mask and let me see what's underneath!"

Yu Fu stared at Wu Huan in astonishment, his heart trembling. This woman had lost all sense of shame; how could such a woman exist in the world? She willingly wallowed in self-pity and then offered plausible excuses, as if all her misfortunes were caused by others. Yes, perhaps the first time was unfortunate, but afterwards it could no longer be called unfortunate; it was her own choice. Yu Fu didn't know how to refute Wu Huan, because he didn't know whether to pity her or discriminate against her, or perhaps neither was necessary.

"Yes, I need women."

"Haha, I knew it! Men are all the same!"

Yu Fu took Wu Huan's hand and led her across the street back to his home. He closed the door and then embraced her. Wu Huan smiled coldly, letting Yu Fu do whatever he wanted. But Yu Fu simply held her, his heartbeat calm.

"Don't you want to take off my shirt? Don't you want to strip me naked? Don't you want to ride on top of me like an emperor? Don't you have even the slightest desire?"

"No, please don't move. Just embrace like this, without lust, just two lonely people warming each other's souls with their bodies."

"Ha, stop pretending! I know this farce will end with sex in the end, so don't waste time, come on, get on!"

Under Wu Huan's provocative gaze, Yu Fu looked at her with pity, until Wu Huan began to tremble. Then he pulled her into his arms again, deeply, speechlessly. The two of them embraced in silence. Wu Huan cried, saying she was alone again, and that was truly happiness. Because not all prostitutes have the chance to turn back, not all of them.

Yu Fu wept bitterly, speechless.

Outside the window, shimmering snowflakes danced in the air, like creatures awakening from the city's dark corners and gradually transforming into light.

This light from heaven awakens all things, returning them to the warm shore!

(IV) Urban Poor

Yu Fu told Wu Huan about his younger sister, a relative who worked as a masseuse in a hair salon. Every day, she endured humiliation, forcing a smile under discriminatory or lewd gazes, being groped by men she knew or didn't know. She said her left breast cost five yuan and fifty cents, her right breast also cost five yuan and fifty cents, and her lower body cost sixty yuan—some change, some whole numbers—but her soul was lost, making her worthless.

Wu Huan burst into tears, pounding her fists on Yu Fu's body, shouting in a hoarse voice, "We have souls! Our souls are priceless too! Why do you discriminate against us? Don't we want to live a good life? But we have no way out! No way out!"

"We've found a way out!"

Yu Fu let her beat him wildly, the long-suppressed emotions erupting, the pain of his soul awakening.

How pathetic are humans!

The snow outside the window continued to fall, shimmering sprites, silently settling on the earth as if returning home, lying down peacefully, huddled together, sharing their warmth. Their unity was so great that it blanketed the earth, concealing all the filth.

Behind every unfortunate person is an unfortunate story, and Wu Huan is no exception.

This will be a heartbreaking story, one that will ruthlessly expose countless realities: helplessness, bloodshed, and despair, all happening every moment, in sync with the pulse of the times. Yu Fu was already in tears, even though this tragic story had not yet begun.