A wrinkly old man scrolled through Android apps to download Tantan, the popular Chinese dating app everyone had been talking about.
After it was downloaded, he used a face-changer app to create a profile picture. Hours passed, and he sorted out everything; he was single and ready to mingle.
"I'm too old for this, but I don't care," he said softly as he swiped left and right, trying to find the right woman for him—his new love and partner. Then he stumbled upon a mysterious woman. "What a beautiful woman; I want to know more about her," he said with a hint of excitement.
He was hoping the woman would be his new partner after his wife's death just one day prior. He was surprisingly relieved that his wife had passed away, allowing him to explore new relationships.
Hours later, the woman accepted him and sent a message: "Hello, let's get to know each other more."
"Okay, what's your name, sweetheart?"
"My name is Yun Xiang," she lied.
"What a beautiful name, Yun Xiang."
"And you?"
"My name is Li Wei, dear."
After hours of texting, they had to bid farewell as day turned to night. Li Wei, satisfied with his new love interest, lay back on the couch with his phone on his belly while watching short videos on Douyin.
He then realized that tomorrow was Chinese New Year, and his entire family would be coming over to celebrate with him. He got up and started decorating his house, thinking about Yun Xiang and how he wanted to meet and marry her.
The next day, half of his family arrived with various types of food, such as dumplings, braised pork, and glutinous rice cakes. He welcomed each one of them with a great smile.
His son and daughter-in-law, Xiao Chen and Jia Li, arrived late, hand in hand, with a wrapped gift. Li Wei disliked their relationship and thought Jia Li was a gold digger, but he greeted them with a forced smile. As the entire family gathered to celebrate Chinese New Year, everyone sat down around a large table decorated with a red tablecloth and lanterns.
"Are we opening gifts, Dad?" Jia Li asked.
"Yeah, I guess," he replied uncertainly.
"Oh, wow, I was hoping to get the model of the Tiangong Space Station," Jia Li added.
The whole family opened their gifts one by one, revealing various presents such as red envelopes, silk scarves, and car keys. Jia Li then unwrapped her gift, which was a model of a Chang'e lunar rover. She was disappointed because she had wanted the Tiangong Space Station, not a lunar rover. She smiled and thanked Li Wei for her gift but secretly resented it.
After the New Year celebration ended and everyone went back to their homes, leaving Li Wei alone, his phone notification went off. He immediately checked and saw that Yun Xiang had texted him about receiving a Chang'e lunar rover from her "pop" and how she hated it. Li Wei realized with shock that Yun Xiang was actually Jia Li.
Dazed and upset, he walked outside his house without noticing a speeding changan car, which hit him and left him dead, like a squirrel.
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