When I met Han Dong, I was already 26 years old, and he was just 21.
We met at a bar through the "People Nearby" feature on social media. I often played this game when I felt lonely, picking someone to bring home.
That night, I chose Han Dong because he used an ID photo as his WeChat profile picture, with a blue background and a white T-shirt. He looked like a clean-cut fool.
Not long after I added him, a guy walked up to me, shaking his phone. "Did you just add me?"
I nodded, immediately feeling a bit disappointed. "Why are you so much darker than in your picture?"
He smiled sheepishly.
"Want to come home with me?" I eyed him up and down.
His smile grew wider. "To do math homework?"
"Sure, bring your 'Three Years of High School Exams, Five Years of Simulations'." I took a sip of my whiskey.
He took a sip of my drink as well, then said, "Oh, stop it! I'm studying advanced math now."
That night, we drank a lot together, and he did come back to my place, but in the end, nothing happened.
Because this guy couldn't handle his alcohol. He kept talking and even started singing when he was drunk.
"You're too noisy, the old lady can't take it," I complained, sitting on the bed.
"Who's the old lady? You?"
"Yes, yes, it's me. You're going to talk me to death."
"You're not old at all, sis... Sis, you're so pretty..." he mumbled.
I smiled, pulled him close by the neck, and planted a kiss on his face.
His drunken eyes struggled to focus on me. "I miss you so much, A Mao, I miss you so much..."
What the hell! I yelled, then kicked him off the bed.
The next morning, as I was getting ready for work, he woke up.
As soon as he woke up, he started saying he was hungry.
I rolled my eyes. "There's nothing to eat at home. Go freshen up and buy something for yourself."
"What are you putting on?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as he got up from the floor.
"Sunscreen."
"Then give me some too. Didn't you say I was dark yesterday?" He moved closer as he spoke.
"Get lost, my sunscreen is expensive."
He made a face behind my back and then headed to the bathroom.
When we were going downstairs together, he said, "Sis, let's have breakfast together. We didn't make love, but we can still have breakfast, right?"
"Oh, so you know we didn't make love."
He chuckled. "You were on the bed, and I was on the floor. How could I not know?"
"Good that you know. I bring people home for one thing, and I'm not in the mood to have breakfast with you." I said as I reached my car, unlocked it, and was about to get in when he grabbed me.
"You're mad," he said seriously.
I forced a smile. "It's just that we didn't make love. I'm not that petty."
We stood there for a moment, and I added, "Besides, I don't want to mess with someone who has a girlfriend."
"I don't have a girlfriend."
"Then who is A Mao? Don't tell me it's really a cat."
"Um..." He let go of my hand and scratched his head. "Did I mention her yesterday? She's just an ex-girlfriend..."
"Stop, no need to explain. It was just a one-night stand, and nothing even happened. I'll delete you from WeChat. If we bump into each other in the future, we'll just pretend we don't know each other." I finished and got into the car.
He patted the car window. "Hey, don't do that... I didn't mean to spoil your mood..."
I started the car and drove about a meter before I heard him shout from behind, "Sis, are you jealous?"
"Idiot." I slammed on the gas and drove out of the neighborhood.
I really did delete him from WeChat.
But that weekend after we first met, he showed up again, standing outside my building with a bouquet of flowers.
He seemed a bit nervous, and the way he held the flowers looked a little awkward.
As I walked toward him, his eyes suddenly lit up the moment he saw me, and he waved at me energetically.
Suddenly, my mood lifted—maybe because it had been a long time since someone had given me flowers.
I walked up to him, took the flowers, sniffed them, and then looked at him. "One-night stands don't work like this, you know."
He smiled, showing his white teeth. "We didn't do anything that night, so now I'm trying a different approach."
I raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you trying to chase me?"
He responded with a proud yet playful "Hmm," and said, "I want to be with you."
"I'm raising my standards now. One bouquet isn't enough to get me," I said as I started walking upstairs.
He followed me up. "Fine, I'll take my time."
When I opened the door, he was about to step in, but I blocked him. "Hey, I said one bouquet isn't enough."
He stopped at the door, quietly trying to push his way in. Realizing I was serious, he finally said, "Then how about exchanging this bouquet for you accepting my friend request again? That should be fair, right?"
I smiled slightly and nodded.
He smiled back and waved at me as he backed away.
"You're still young; go after those young girls," I said, then slammed the door shut with a bang.
He knocked twice, but I ignored it. Instead, I found a long-unused vase and placed the flowers in it.
Hmm, flowers are cuter than people.
Later, through his repeated friend requests, he shared his story with me.
His name is Han Dong, a junior in college. "A Mao" is his ex-girlfriend.
They started dating soon after they began college. A Mao had a very boyish personality and got along well with his friends, which he initially thought was great.
But then A Mao and his roommate became close—so close that they ended up in bed together. It went on for three months before they finally confessed to him.
Han Dong said it hurt like his heart had been stomped on by a dog.
I mean, what kind of analogy is that?
His roommate moved out, and A Mao deleted all his contact information. Even though he was the one betrayed, he had no outlet for his anger and ended up feeling lonelier than ever.
So he started spending more time in bars, and that's when he met me.
He sent me a friend request every day, gradually telling me his story bit by bit.
On the 27th day, I softened and finally accepted.
He sent over a flood of ecstatic emojis, followed by a voice message: "Jie jie! There's a basketball game between the colleges at my school this afternoon. Will you come and cheer for me?"
I thought about the story he had told me and sent two words back: "Wait for me."
I didn't just go; I went all out, fully dressed up.
The girls at the school, no matter how glamorous, still had a touch of innocence in their eyes, a hollowness that lacked the worldly experience I carried, the kind of experience that comes with stories etched into one's gaze.
I channeled *Malèna* from *Malèna*, curling my hair, donning black stockings, and stepping into sky-high stilettos. I stood by the court, turning heads.
No exaggeration—many who had originally come to watch the game were now watching me.
My confidence soared as I kept my eyes fixed on Han Dong, drawing even more curious glances his way.
Han Dong clearly picked up on my intentions, playing with extra flair, his moves oozing with bravado, filling the entire court with an air of testosterone.
During halftime, he ran over to me, dripping with sweat, and I, ever so attentive, wiped it off with a wet towel.
He held my hand, "Thank you for coming."
"Is she here?"
"Huh?"
"That cat. Isn't she dumb?"
"Oh, yeah. A Bin, her current boyfriend, is also on our college team."
"Where is she? Let me see."
"Hey, don't look around. You know she's probably watching you right now, right?"
I got anxious. "No way, I have to see her. I didn't go through all this trouble dressing up just to win over her. How can I enjoy this if you don't let me see her?"
He burst out laughing. "You've already won; even if you combined all the girls in the school, they still wouldn't be as beautiful as you."
His words made my heart flutter. I pinched his cheek, "Really?"
"Really, you're the best."
His sincerity disarmed me, and I placed both hands on his face before leaning in to kiss him.
There were faint cheers around us. My heart pounded, and I felt a little ridiculous—a grown woman, acting out a high school drama on campus.
After the kiss, he looked at me. "You're blushing."
I lowered my head slightly, staying silent.
He suddenly lifted me up in excitement, spinning me around as he loudly repeated, "You're blushing!"
I felt a wave of dizziness as the trees by the court flashed past my eyes, a blissful, lightheaded confusion swirling around me.
Everything was perfect, except for one slightly embarrassing moment—while he was spinning me, one of my high heels flew off...
Just as I was about to playfully scold him, he walked straight over to the shoe, picked it up, and then returned to my side, naturally kneeling down.
The screams from the girls around us left me momentarily stunned.
He looked up at me and gently said, "Lift your foot."
In that moment, I genuinely, truly wanted to fall in love.
After that, we started dating.
He didn't have any extra income and mostly relied on his family for support, so when we went out at the end of the month, I paid for everything.
I didn't mind; it didn't seem like a big deal to me. But occasionally, he would get upset, feeling like it was a hit to his pride.
He suggested that at the end of the month, instead of doing anything fancy, we could just walk around his campus, eat at the cafeteria, and reminisce about the good old days.
I loudly scoffed at him, shaking my head firmly in refusal.
He asked why.
I said, "What if those people from last time see me again? How embarrassing!"
He laughed at me, "You really think you're some kind of celebrity, huh? Who would even remember you? I'm not famous either."
His words made me blush, so I playfully hit him.
He didn't get angry; instead, he pouted cutely and said, "Your humble servant accepts the punishment."
Because of this, I often felt like I didn't just have a boyfriend—I had a boy toy.
After we got together, he didn't like calling me "姐姐" anymore and asked for my real name.
I told him my name was Elena.
He covered his mouth in mock horror, "You're using an English name to brush off your dear boyfriend!"
I laughed at his antics. "My Chinese name is too plain. Just call me by my English name."
He frowned. "Calling you by an English name feels so distant."
"How could it? I came up with it during college while watching *The Vampire Diaries*. Every time Damon called Elena's name, it made my heart flutter."
His eyes suddenly gleamed with mischief, and he smirked wickedly, "*The Vampire Diaries*, huh? Oh—I see, you like being bitten."
I caught on to his teasing, and started unbuttoning my shirt, my tone softening, "Mmm, yes."
Then, he pounced on me with playful ferocity, and we indulged in some midday delight.
When two people are truly in love, they should be together morning and night, right?
So, Han Dong and I ended up seeing each other pretty much seven days a week.
If he didn't have classes, he'd come over to my place. If he had classes, I'd go pick him up, and we'd grab a meal together.
We spent most weekends together, not doing much—just watching movies and making love.
And so, the two of us, lost in love, gradually gained weight, blissfully unaware of the world around us, and sunk into a lazy indulgence.
By the end of that semester, Han Dong had failed three courses.
He was really upset and asked me what he should do.
With a wave of my hand, I said, "You need to pay for the retakes, right? Don't worry, I'll cover it."
He looked at me incredulously, "How could you think this is just about money?"
"What else could it be?"
"Don't you have a heart? You don't care about me at all."
His sudden anger caught me off guard, but I tried to calm him down. "It's just a retake, isn't it? Work hard and you'll pass, there's nothing to worry about."
"No, you don't care about my studies, whether I'm good enough, or whether I have a future."
"What the hell? You failed a few courses, and now you're making a big deal out of it?" My temper flared.
"Deep down, you know the truth. You don't care about these things because you've never thought about a future with me." His tone grew colder with each word.
"How can you be so paranoid?"
"Am I? Tell me then, why do you never let me pick you up from work? Because you're afraid your colleagues will see me. You won't even let me meet them, and you still won't tell me your real name. You must've had other guys over before you met me, right?"
"I'm just like some boy toy to you. When you're done with me, you'll just toss me aside."
He didn't stop until he had let everything out. My chest tightened with a sharp pain.
For a long time, neither of us spoke, and the room was so quiet that we could hear each other's breathing.
I was the first to give in, saying, "My name is Li Qi."
He was stunned for a few seconds, then responded, "Then I'll call you Qiqi from now on."
"Gross."
As soon as I said it, we both burst out laughing.
"Yeah, it does feel a bit off. Let's stick with Elena. If someone asks, they might even think I have a foreign girlfriend," he joked.
"Not mad anymore? My boy toy?"
"Hey, can you stop that? I'm genuinely hurt." I looked at him seriously, and sure enough, his eyes were slightly red.
"Why are you so innocent? We met through a one-night stand, and now you're pulling this, I'm not used to it." Despite my words, I walked over and wrapped him in my arms.
"But I want to be serious. I've never taken anyone home before." He looked at me directly, his eyes wide and innocent.
Trying to get me to open up.
I stroked his hair, soft and black, just like him.
"I have brought people home before. I'm 26; it's normal to do things like that. But I've never been in a relationship with them. Now that I'm in a relationship with you, it feels like something is wrong."
He said earnestly, "There's nothing wrong with it. If you like someone, that's all that matters. Don't overthink it. I don't mind that you're older, so don't mind that I'm younger."
"You're quite open-minded. I never minded that you were younger," I replied, glancing mischievously at his lower body.
Realizing his slip, he rolled his eyes helplessly, "Can you not start with the jokes? Don't tease me."
"Ahem, okay, I'll say it. I really don't mind that you're younger than me."
"That's not enough. You need to love me."
His words hit me right in the heart, and I responded obediently, "I do love you."
He nodded in satisfaction, but within seconds, his brows furrowed again.
"Is that true? Don't play with me. You can love me less than I love you, but you need to take our relationship seriously."
"If you're not serious, you need to tell me. You can't be unserious and make me think you are."
His sincerity and the rhythm of his words made me laugh again.
"Oh, stop laughing. Be serious. Can you give me a promise?"
My serious little boyfriend's request for a commitment suddenly triggered my maternal instincts. I lovingly stroked his face and said:
"How about this—next week, you come to pick me up from work, wearing your school uniform. The more childish, the better."
"Just like when you first started pursuing me—bring a bouquet of flowers, stand awkwardly outside my office building, and when you see me, wave frantically and call me 'darling.' That way, the whole building will know I have a ridiculously young boyfriend."
After I finished speaking, he finally smiled, grinning from ear to ear, and dove into my arms, "Darling, darling, I love you."
A year later, he turned 22 and was about to graduate.
Miraculously, we still hadn't broken up.
Sadly, we had each gained ten pounds, and I could no longer pull off the *Malèna* look.
On his graduation day, I went to his school and took many pictures with him.
The whole time, I was nervous.
He noticed. "Why are you nervous? You're not still worried someone might recognize you, are you?"
"No…" I hesitated. "I'm afraid you'll suddenly propose."
"Hahahahaha." The entire campus echoed with Han Dong's shameless laughter.
My face flushed with embarrassment, and I kicked him.
He kept laughing, clutching his foot. "I thought you were fearless. Turns out you're afraid of me proposing."
"There are just too many people here…"
He finally stopped laughing and looked at me seriously. "I won't propose now. I want to make a lot of money before I marry you."
I felt even worse, sighing, "Oh my God, when will that be? I'll be old and gray by then."
"Oh, so eager to marry me, huh?"
How could he miss the point? I was obviously mocking him for not being able to make money.
Confused, I asked, "Isn't it typical for guys to feel a lack of dignity when their girlfriend has more money? Why are you so shameless and comfortable with it?"
He looked equally puzzled. "Isn't it typical for girls to feel insecure when they're older than their boyfriend by quite a few years? Why are you so carefree and indifferent?"
We both burst out laughing together.
A perfect match, made for each other.
The reason we've been able to stay together for so long and even think about marriage, besides the mutual admiration and love we share, is that we're both very confident.
Han Dong isn't bothered that I have more money because he believes that in time, he can make a lot of money too.
I'm not worried that he's younger because I believe in my own charm.
My confidence doesn't lie in how long I can keep his attention. Instead, it's in knowing that if he ever stops loving me, I can still accept it gracefully and calmly.
After all, no relationship can guarantee forever, so why not choose a handsome young man while I can?
From the day Han Dong graduated, Elena began patiently waiting for her adorable "boy toy" to make enough money to come back and marry her.
She's not in a rush to push for marriage, but… she really wants to take those wedding photos before her figure completely goes out of shape!