Romance story

Author: Zhong Kun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-01-01
Features: [Introduction] Today, he called her. He said, "I saw your novel. Congratulations." His voice was exactly the same as before. She sighed and said, "Thank you." After a moment of silence, he said, "How did your phone number change?" She replied, "Yes, I just changed it. The phone company did." He said, "Oh, goodbye," She said, "Goodbye." Hanging up the phone, she looked at today's calendar. Another calendar turned involuntarily._________________________________Preface to Romance I don’t know how to express myself. In the face of language, I have always been powerless, so I write novels. I always feel an inexplicable sense of urgency, plunging me into unbearable anxiety without words. In this era of indulgence in sensual pleasures, behind the superficial prosperity of the city lies an unprecedented spiritual desolation. I cannot choose, nor am I willing to sink, so I can only strive to escape, searching for a spiritual lifebuoy in this materialistic world filled with confused ideologies; yet, Chinese culture is at its waning point, while Western culture has the opposite effect. At the end of the century, we are bound to be bewildered. In the hopelessness, I finally saw a word—the word "emotion," at least it gives life a reason. In this sense, there is only one novel about romance in China—Dream of the Red Chamber. And for this reason, I bravely wanted to speak of romance completely, just to save myself.July 17, 1996, Beijing. (This preface was deleted by the editor before publication and only exists online.)