In the next life, I will love you again.

Author: Zhou Hao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: A novel in the style of a youth memorial, a unforgettable elegy for youth. The story takes place in a small coastal town in the south, with a mundane life and simple plot, depicting the emotional journey of a boy and two girls—full of unspoken words, starting together and ending apart. However, beneath the ordinary life lies an adventure more thrilling and breathtaking than fiction: the turbulence, hallucinations, ideals, pains, sorrows of youth, covering almost all of the protagonist's youthful years—love is so important to him, yet how can one truly articulate such a profound theme? Love is a topic that has been told and retold for millennia—there have been Zhu Wenjun and Sima Xiangru in ancient times, Xu Zhimo and Lu Xiaoman in modern times, Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu in the middle ages, and Romeo and Juliet in the West. Despite so many love stories as precedents, many writers still dare to plunge into this perilous quagmire, attempting to craft a love story that belongs uniquely to them. Zhou Hao is one such writer—so, what kind of love story does he present to us? Romantic? Heart-stirring? Tragic? Or joyful? It seems none of the above. Zhou Hao, the male protagonist in Next Life, Love You Again, works as a writer in a newspaper office in a small coastal town, living a comfortable life with a touch of talent and poetic sensibility. His yearning for love leads him to engage in a series of seemingly ordinary yet full of suspense, confusion, passion, and turbulence with two girls. They are like a "play" because they feel so unreal. Xu Ruoxue, the female protagonist's first love, separated from him due to misunderstandings. She moved to another city but was eventually abandoned by her wealthy boyfriend. Later, diagnosed with leukemia, she returns to her hometown, carrying an unbreakable bond to her first love, and leaves this world amidst the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival, taking away much of the male protagonist's longing—and yet, how could he have truly let go? The other woman—Fan Xuan, a girl Zhou Hao met by chance but grew close to quickly—is genuine and full of vitality, yearning for life. She admires the male protagonist's honesty and stability, offering her warmth and affection, yet simultaneously desires material wealth and fame. This makes the male protagonist experience both hope and disappointment many times. In the end, due to a misunderstanding and the promise of a man—a successful entrepreneur Zhou Hao once wrote about—who could help her achieve her dream of studying abroad, she chooses to break up and surrender to reality. Life mocks Zhou Hao, causing him to lose in love time and time again, utterly defeated. Love is beautiful like a play, but life is so real and cruel. The worldly fame and fortune strip pure love of its depth, cutting countless love stories in half. The pretty but mediocre writer Li Yuyu wins first prize in a writing contest and gets close to the newspaper's editor; the quiet and gentle clerk Lu Xiaoyu rejects multiple suitors and embraces the mayor of the tourism bureau; even the loving couple of classmates eventually splits—one finds the other's mouth too sharp, the other accuses of domestic violence. Hmph, love—faced with the harsh reality, how far can love truly go?
One weekend, after leaving the library, I came to Xu Ruoyun's store. This decision was made spontaneously, with no particular purpose. It was a very small store, selling "za" brand cosmetics. Though small, the variety of products was quite extensive—lipsticks, powder cakes, perfumes, and so on. There were so many things I couldn’t name off the top of my head. The cosmetics on the shelves emitted a mysterious glow, undeniably alluring. Staring at them for a while might make one dizzy, but prolonged exposure certainly left a strange feeling in one’s heart. If you don’t believe me, just take some time to visit.
However, it seems unusual for a man to be in such a place. You might think I’m definitely looking to buy cosmetics for my girlfriend, but in reality, I don’t have one. I’ve had girlfriends in the past, but that was in the past—I really don’t want to dwell on it. But here, I have to mention it because my ex-girlfriend, Xu Ruoxue, is Ruoyun’s sister. It’s been a year and a half since we broke up. After the breakup, she moved to the provincial capital and worked at some computer company. I hear she’s become close with the company’s boss—well, that’s none of my business anymore. The only thing is that my relationship with Ruoyun is still decent. We’re in the same small town, and it’s perfectly normal for me to visit her store when I’m free. But it’s probably been more than half a year since I last went.
I went on and on about this just to justify my visit to Ruoyun’s store, because if I didn’t explain it clearly, you might think I’m a weirdo. Yeah, it’s not typical for a guy to hang out in a cosmetics store, but I had a reason for going, so it didn’t seem too feminine.
I browsed around Ruoyun’s store, looking here and there. As I mentioned, the products were beautifully designed—so much so that they could be considered works of art. In this era of packaging, form often matters more than content. Ruoyun said, “We’ve just received a batch of new products. Would you like to buy some?” We’re quite familiar with each other, so she said it naturally. She had also helped me a lot when I was dating her sister, Xu Ruoxue.
I asked, “What would I use these for? I can’t put them on my face.” Ruoyun replied, “You could give them to your girlfriend.” Hearing this, I laughed. “Are you really clueless or just pretending to be?” Ruoyun asked, “What do you mean by ‘really clueless’ or ‘pretending’?”
I told her, “Honestly, I don’t have a girlfriend yet!” Oops, my tone sounded a bit pitiful. Ruoyun really picked the wrong time to bring it up.
She said, “What, you haven’t moved on from Ruoxue yet?” I replied, “Not exactly. I’m just having trouble finding someone suitable.” Ruoyun said, “There are so many girls—how could you not find someone suitable? You must have too high standards.” I gave a wry smile. “Someone like me—what standards could I possibly have?”
Seeing my response, Ruoyun asked, “What’s wrong with you, young poet?