This stuff of love

Author: Chengdu Xiaobao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: This society is filled with desires, greed, and evil intentions. So, in the eyes of modern urbanites, what exactly is love? Perhaps many touching and moving stories unfold on those nights when neon lights flicker. Maybe the protagonist of the story is you. True love should be sweet without being cloying, beautiful without dazzling, and exquisite without being hollow. It should involve mutual understanding, mutual care, and mutual reliance, natural and sincere, an irreproachable, pure, heartfelt emotion. However, based on my 20-plus years of experiences, observations, feelings, and sufferings, it’s completely different. Love has been corrupted by trivialities, even becoming grotesque. Can it be that in this society, we can only helplessly add those vulgar three words to the celebration of love: damn it?! What exactly is love? It has driven people to such a state of despair! Su Wancun, such a clever and talented person, was also trapped by love, becoming utterly despondent. At the same time, I sighed at the unpredictable and ever-changing nature of life. A few days ago, I was in immense pain, and now it’s Su Wancun’s turn. Can no one escape the fate of being tormented by love? Subconsciously, I thought of Long Xiaofei, that woman who still haunts me to this day. On such nights, who is she lying in the arms of, lost in the sweet words of whom? Will she still remember this person who once hurt her? Suddenly, I felt that love is like a bone, and a dog is just a dog—it has an insatiable interest and desire for the bone, but it doesn’t know that even if it gnaws on the bone, it can’t be satisfied. Moreover, many times, that bone might even get stuck in your throat, even costing you your life. When love encounters reality, what is left? In this materialistic society, where one-night stands are rampant, is there still true love? What exactly is love in the eyes of modern people? Love: This Kind of Thing explores the themes of critique and self-deprecation, following the transformation of Hang Wenyu, a "playboy," from a playfully indifferent attitude toward love to a deep yearning for it. The novel tells the emotional entanglements between him and several women, including Long Xiaofei, Xiao Yun, Jiang Qiutao, and others. It focuses on Hang Wenyu’s inner journey, portraying his cunning, arrogance, and his weakness, helplessness, and sorrow in reality. Thus, it peels away the glamorous facade of modern "love," revealing the confusion and uncertainty that modern urbanites feel about love. Hang Wenyu and Wang Fengyun’s scheming and deceitful struggles for power, adding more tension and excitement to the story. After being posted online, the novel garnered significant attention from netizens, achieving millions of clicks and sparking numerous intense discussions among readers.