The elevator stopped at my floor, pulling my thoughts from my memories. I hadn't realized I'd already smoked three cigarettes. I bent down and picked them up.

The elevator doors opened, and I saw the neighbor across the hall walking out, carrying several bags. I smiled at him.

"Long time no see," he said, surprised to see me.

"I went out of town for a few years," I lied, feeling a bit awkward.

Walking inside, there was a musty smell. The clothes I'd changed out of three years ago were still on the sofa, and there was a thick layer of dust on the coffee table glass and the floor.

I grabbed the clothes and casually wiped the sofa before sitting down. Then I looked around at the overall structure of the apartment. The renovation was actually quite good.

I remembered that the money to buy this apartment was the first big sum I'd ever earned. I'd snatched the business from Chen Biao, and that's how I'd made an enemy of him.

I sat quietly for more than half an hour before I started cleaning the apartment. I cleaned it inside and out, finding Xiao Wu's clothes and a woman's underwear in the bedroom. It seemed he'd been here with a woman, enjoying some *fengliu* (romantic interludes).

I simply changed all the bedding. Being a bit of a clean freak, I didn't want to sleep on a bed that smelled of someone else.

By nightfall, I'd cleaned the house until it was spick-and-span. There was a group photo in the room, my first serious girlfriend. We'd eventually broken up.

I smiled bitterly. It was because of that failed relationship that I'd started playing the field and became addicted to the nightlife. Over time, I made a lot of friends, Xiao Wu being one of them.

I stood on the balcony, watching the cars coming and going below. Looking down from the high-rise, there were few people passing by on the road at this hour.

Then I took a long, hot shower, letting the water run down my face. I stood there foolishly, letting it wash over me, soaking my whole body and running into my eyes. I wiped my eyes and raised my head, facing the showerhead.

...

Inside the mall.

First, I found a restaurant and ordered five or six dishes for myself, seemingly trying to make up for the nutrition I'd missed in the last three years. I hadn't had a good meal today, and the aroma of the dishes whetted my appetite instantly.

I used to frequent this mall, as it had everything.

After eating, I sat in the restaurant for a while longer, observing the atmosphere. There were a lot of students eating here, probably because it was the weekend. Watching the constant flow of people, I left my seat.

Because of the mall's open design, I could see the men's clothing section from the seventh floor. I made a big circle before arriving at the store, standing in front of the window, carefully looking at the styles of the clothes. Immediately, a saleswoman came out and said, "Come inside and try some on."

I smiled in response, gesturing grandly to several outfits, asking her to bring them all for me to try on.

The whole process, from trying on the clothes to packing them up, took less than thirty minutes. As I walked out of the store, carrying the bags, I saw a flamboyantly dressed woman, arm-in-arm with a middle-aged man. Looking closely, I recognized her from the nightclub. I'd even taken her out a few times.

I immediately felt awkward. After three years of reform through labor, I wanted to completely break away from that kind of life, except that my determination to hate Lin Hai hadn't changed.

I quickly turned to the side, trying to avoid an encounter.

Just as I turned, I heard her shrill voice: "Brother Lin!"

I slowly turned around, pretending to be calm, and greeted her: "You're buying clothes too?"

"Yes, it's been a long time! Why haven't you come to see me?"

Being asked so directly in front of the man she was with made me feel a bit uncomfortable. I had to brush her off: "You guys take your time shopping. I have something to do and have to go."

"Give me your phone number, and we can get in touch another day."

Looking at her face covered in rouge, the heavy makeup, and the pungent perfume, I suddenly felt disgusted. So I made an excuse to fob her off: "I don't have my phone with me today."

"Then tell me your number."

"I'm thinking of changing my number. How about you give me your number, and I'll contact you when I get a new one?"

The woman frankly told me her number, constantly reminding me to remember it.

It took a lot of talking to get away from her. Although time had passed, it seemed her profession hadn't changed. She was still sticking to that kind of life.

I went to the top floor, where they sold bedding. I didn't go in right away, but sat down on a resting chair near the entrance. The lights inside were very bright, making the colors of the bed sheets look very vivid.

Just then, I heard the sound of a toy gun from the right, "Da-da-da," right in my ear. I turned to look at the source of the sound. It was a little boy. I couldn't tell how old he was, but he was very young, clean, wearing a fashionable down jacket, with soft, fine hair plastered on his forehead.

He was very bold, not shy at all. Seeing me looking at him, he shot at me directly and laughed happily.

I continued to maintain a serious expression. Thinking that I was already thirty, if things were normal, I should be married, but that kind of life didn't seem suitable for me.

Seeing that I didn't react, he walked up to me, as if wanting to get my attention. This time, his mouth synchronized with the sound of the gun. In my opinion, this child was a little too presumptuous.

I gave him a stern look and said loudly: "Turn off the sound. Who told you to be so rude in a public place!"

His face, which had been full of smiles a moment ago, immediately crumpled, and he started to cry loudly. I continued to stare at him, scolding: "Didn't you hear that you shouldn't make loud noises?"

Instead of stopping his crying, he amplified it. I saw a middle-aged woman running quickly from around the corner...

"Oh, Xiaolong, we've been looking everywhere for you. How did you sneak out of the office?"

At the same time, I heard hurried footsteps. I looked up, and a sense of hatred immediately surged up. This vicious woman was none other than Pei Shi Yu, who had colluded with Lin Hai to frame me.

The child seemed to want to complain. I immediately stood up and said to him in a very rude tone: "Get away from me. Don't shoot people with your gun. You have no manners at all."

Regardless of their reaction, I quickly walked into the store. The previous grudges made me particularly disgusted by the woman in front of me, but in comparison, my hatred for Lin Hai ran even deeper, after all, one was an outsider and the other was my father.