I am not Ximen Qing.

Ugly love stories often share similarities. For example, the love story in Hamlet is not between Ophelia and the prince, but between the prince's mother and his uncle, the Sword King. This is because King Hamlet of Ambrosium was cuckolded by his queen, and because his brother loved his sister-in-law too much. Therefore, the protagonist of this ugly love story, the Sword King, poisoned his brother. Since ancient times, adultery has led to death, which is only to prove that love is unique, passionate, and mad.

But no love story is uglier than that of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian. Wu Dalang also died from poison; both were killed by poison. At least Pan Jinlian's love for Ximen Qing was a pursuit of a happy life, which has some human rationality. Wu Dalang and Pan Jinlian's love is truly ugly, isn't it? Wu Dalang and Ximen Qing's love was that of a perfect match. What if Wu Song seduced Pan Jinlian and poisoned Wu Dalang? And then Ximen Qing, for Pan Jinlian's love, became like Hamlet—that would be absurd enough.

Yang Yulei was racking his brains over a mind-bending script, pondering the theme of "Ugly Love." Of course, it involved Wu Dalang, a dwarf, and Hamlet, a towering, heroic figure. In his search for humanity, Yang Yulei no longer dared to mock Wu Dalang; at least he had the ability to get Pan Jinlian into his grasp—nothing is more poisonous than a woman's heart. Suddenly, an idea struck Yang Yulei: ugly love has one thing in common—it always involves murder. This was terrifying. Yang Yulei couldn't imagine having to use all his resources to make his girlfriend, who loved him madly, abort the life in her womb. He hadn't slept a wink all night, rushing with his girlfriend to the Haidian Maternal and Child Health Hospital, the closest to Zhongguancun, just to get an appointment as soon as possible. Places that aren't crowded are bars and hospitals. Bars usually only get crowded after 9 PM, while hospitals are always packed, 24 hours a day. Humanity seems to be sick.

Haidian Hospital and Haidian Maternal and Child Health Hospital are on the same street, separated only by a few symbolic buildings. One of these buildings is somewhat reminiscent of the Great Wall Hotel, a kind of "heaven on earth"—perhaps Adam's Paradise? Did the serpent tempt Eve? That remains a mystery. At least Snake, Sword King, and Ximen Qing were all similar third-party figures. God was fair, so He simply sent Snake to Hell and banished Adam and Eve to Earth. Yang Yulei suddenly had a flash of insight, his mind opening up. It turns out that the love between Adam and Eve was also an ugly love.

Whether it's the devil, the angel, or the snake, the three of them are actually a trinity. Suddenly, I thought of Hamlet's ghost, and Wu Dalang's ghost. Of course, Yang Yulei thought of the ghost—the ghost of the new life his girlfriend loved so desperately. Yang Yulei dared not think any deeper. Is all love in the world ugly? Is it the love between Dong Xiaowan and Emperor Shunzhi? Or the love between Mao Pijiang and Dong Xiaowan? It's like the love between Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian in *Water Margin*, but there's a difference between their love in *Jin Ping Mei* and the love between Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian in *Jin Ping Mei*.

Behind the fall of nations and the destruction of families lie ugly love stories: Hou Fangyu and General Li, Wu Sangui, Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi and Qian Qianyi—what lies behind these ugly love stories? I almost forgot the ugly love story of Zhao Ji and Li Sisi. I wonder what my own love with my girlfriend is like? We've become so despicable that even in the hospital, my mind wanders. I can see a high-end club not far away, right next to the Haidian Maternal and Child Health Hospital. Every now and then, young women in dark-colored work suits rush off in Bentleys, BMWs, and Mercedes-Benzes, puffing out exhaust fumes.

The Maternal and Child Health Hospital is located not far from Zhongguancun Street in Haidian District. In fact, if you walk from the Zhongguancun hypermarket, past Dinghao Science and Technology Mall (including E-World and Carrefour), and reach an intersection, turn right; the Maternal and Child Health Hospital and Haidian Hospital are on the same straight line. From the outside, the Maternal and Child Health Hospital appears quite understated and unassuming, a rather ordinary building, not at all grand or imposing, unlike the towering buildings of Haidian Hospital. However, once inside, it's a completely different world. The corridors are bustling with people, and strangely, only in the Maternal and Child Health Hospital does one suddenly lose sight of the beauty of women. No matter how fashionable, beautiful, or elegant they are, here, one can recall Confucius's enlightenment that wealth and status are fleeting, and perhaps feel a sense of life's critical juncture, of life and death.

The whole process is quite complicated, involving urine tests, waiting for results, and making a life-or-death decision. However, the decisions made by most young men and women are often cruel. Perhaps the girlfriend was terrified by the scene and atmosphere, and she was unwilling to lose this new life no matter what.

"Think about it, you just got such a good job, if you get pregnant it will affect your work."

"I don't care, I don't care, I just want to be a mother."

"We have nothing right now, no house, so we can't get married."

"Who said that, Yu Lei? I have a house. Let's get married."

"I'm fine with it, I'm mainly worried about your job."

"You don't need to worry about my job either. Rest assured, you don't need to worry about anything."

"I can't be a live-in son-in-law."

"How did buying my own house make me a live-in son-in-law? It has nothing to do with my parents, so don't overthink it."

"How can it not be related? You need a household registration to buy a house, that's unavoidable. You bought the house yourself, so it's hard to explain."

"Then hurry up and finish the project. Once you have the down payment and all the formalities are done, the house will be ready in a few months. Add in the renovations and furniture, and by the time our child is born, the three of us can move in. That way, you'll have face and dignity. As for me, I'll rent out that house and pay off this one's mortgage. My colleagues at work, even though they're young, all have two or three houses. And even though they don't earn much, they all drive Mercedes and BMWs. Yu Lei, isn't it infuriating to compare yourself to others? Someone as outstanding as you should own more houses than them. My parents only have me as their daughter, so if possible, we can take out another loan to buy a house. Of course, it'll be in my name. I'll also buy you a car; you'll be just as well-off as those guys at work. Yu Lei, don't be angry. You're too excellent; why should you be worse off than others?"

"Stay calm and rational, but remember this: keep this a secret. Only heaven, earth, you, and I will know."

"Don't worry, I understand. How about we get married now?"

"Where should we get married? You'd better think this through. We already have a child, how can you not think it through? I'm so happy right now. How about we get married at your place? Let's get the marriage certificate first. Quietly and secretly, I won't make things difficult for you. As long as I can be with you, as long as I can make you happy, as long as I can make you comfortable, as long as I can make things easy for you, I'll listen to whatever you say. Everything I have belongs to you, Yu Lei. As long as you don't abandon me, as long as you love me, as long as you marry me, I'll be your slave."

"Alright, alright, let's get married first, and we can deal with the children later."

"But you need to find a witness to your marriage right away and witness our great love."

"Where am I supposed to find a witness? It can't just be the two of us as witnesses; we also have to keep it a secret from everyone, right?"

"Don't treat me like a fool. Do you think I'm a fool? A girl who gave you her virginity is only making a humble request as a witness at a wedding."

"Can my partner handle it? He's the only one I can do."

"I already told you I'm your slave. Fine, of course you can. You still have feelings for me, don't you? Don't worry, if you don't love me anymore, you can leave me anytime. Don't be afraid. A woman isn't even afraid of childbirth, what else could she be afraid of?"

The business environment in Zhongguancun is quite flexible. Companies, enterprises, and individual businesses can all handle check-related transactions with ease. Previously, checks could only be used for settlement payments. Now, the rural credit cooperative has launched a new service: by depositing 50,000 yuan in cash, one can open an account and withdraw a certain amount of cash daily. Generally, all merchants deposit their checks in the morning to prevent them from being returned or bounced. If checks are transferred around and problems arise, replacing them is troublesome. Seeing the busy staff at the counters, with stacks of cash ready for merchants to withdraw, one can truly appreciate the sheer volume of cash in the world. The sheer volume of cash flow is something you'd see in a movie. The cash flow in Zhongguancun is undeniably enormous, with merchants withdrawing cash at the counters.

Last night was disco, drinking, dancing, and it reminded me of that old Shanghai man who could dance. The ASUS Shanghai motherboard head, the Lenovo R&D center... the world changes so fast. We're all interconnected, like the internet, and even more so in the computer field. I feel lost, like a wandering Dutchman, seeking salvation only through love. Last night I think I said something really hurtful to her. Remembering her as his half-naked Venus, he suggested we go swimming on the beach together.

"You rascal, do you want to see me emerge from the sea? But we do have a sea where we live."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"You naughty boy, do you think I have a boyfriend? You're going to exhaust me."

"I drank too much alcohol; this alcohol is like an aphrodisiac."

Why drink so much alcohol?

"I feel empty, so I go to disco and drink, and all I can think about is you."

"He's just like a child. Do men never grow up?"

"I've been thinking, aren't you too beautiful? Like Venus emerging from the bath, how wonderful it would be if you could belong to me forever."

"Don't scare me, you're being a pervert again. With so much energy, your stomach must be hurting. Can you rub it for me?"

She lay on her back, and Zhang Sheng followed her technique, massaging her flat, firm abdomen. Her stomach gurgled, and the man's palms were warm. After about half an hour, the coldness in her stomach finally dissipated, and she was very moved.

"I'm going to Qinhuangdao tomorrow, leaving this place."

"Why go to Qinhuangdao? Beijing is so much better. What will I do if you leave?"

"Have you really fallen in love with me?"

What should I do if I fall in love with you?

"I'll give you my home phone number."

"Aren't you afraid I'll call your home after I finish disco?"

"Whatever, whatever. I've written down my phone number. Do you dare to call?"

"I have no idea how many times I called you yesterday."

Women are truly addictive to men. What magic do they possess? Men are hopelessly captivated by their alluring bodies. Women can change men, and men can change women—it's an inexplicable phenomenon.

At the crossroads of Silicon Valley, I bumped into Lin Xiaoqing. It was an awkward situation I couldn't help but feel. Her expression was completely different from usual. I really wanted to hold her and breathe in her fragrance. She always wore only a light touch of makeup, and that faint, delicate scent of perfume was soothing. Women, you know, each has their own unique body odor. She stood there motionless, letting him do as he pleased. "Okay, okay."

This was the closest physical contact I'd ever made; I felt the heaving of her breasts, the trembling of her mature body.

I lost control.

"Don't overthink it, I'm going back to the exhibition hall."

"Oh, I'm going to the Zhongguancun Bookstore to buy books."

Do you like reading? What kind of books do you like to read?

"Buy a set of '100,000 Whys' for Baoyu's child."

"Baoyu, did I hear that right?"

"Yes, it's Baoyu. It has Yingchun and Yuanchun in its name. It's a fairly common name in the family."

"I wanted to go together... but could we..."

“Go buy a book. I really don’t have any time at all. Can you understand? That’s how it is at the company. They always fill up all the time. The boss often says that it’s dangerous for the girls in the company to be out there. They’re all at a dangerous age. He brought us from the mountains and rivers of Sichuan and Chongqing, so he says he has to be responsible for our parents. Others also say that the boss is strange. He doesn’t even give the girls time to date.”