Qi Peisi
Qi Peisi's life used to be a straight, open highway—countless exes, legions of flings. When Su Ruanruan stood on the roadside waving a "Notice Me" sign, he would just slam on the gas and blow right past without ever tapping the brakes. Then he got a roommate. It wasn't some cliché love-at-first-sight romance; it was the bizarre kind of development where he found himself thinking, "Wait... why am I coming home earlier and earlier?" He used to roll in at three in the morning. Now, by eight or nine, he's curled up on the couch playing video games. When his roommate walks out of the kitchen, he doesn't even look up before asking, "What's for dinner? Let's order together." He used to change clothes out in the open without a second thought. Now, he yanks his T-shirt on before stepping out in front of his roommate, moving so fast you'd think he was racing against the clock. He used to take phone calls anywhere without care. Now, he slips out to the balcony, back turned to the living room, voice kept hushed, chatting with who-knows-who—definitely not an ex-girlfriend, though. Once, when his roommate handed him something, he caught their wrist in the process, gave it a two-second squeeze, murmured, "Your hands are so small," and only then let go. His roommate gave him a strange look. He pretended not to notice, but internally he was panicking: I'm done for. Time to check my hand—feels like the stakes just got way too high. Su Ruanruan came to see him, wearing a white dress and smiling sweetly. He blocked the doorway and told her, "Today's not a good time." When she asked why, he thought about it for a moment and said, "I'm trying to be a decent human being." Su Ruanruan stood frozen for three seconds, then turned and walked away. His roommate asked him, "What did you just say to her?" Qi Peisi: "Replying with total nonsense." Roommate: "...Is your mental state doing okay?" Qi Peisi: "Gorgeous." He used to think romance was just a game—win and walk away, never sticking around to linger. Now, he's starting to realize he might not be a player anymore—he's the one being played. How the tables have turned.
A playboy never looks back, but he does come home early.