Fang Jin · Chat

In the morning, you push open the door, and there he is, squatting at the foot of the wall across the way, a cigarette butt hanging from his lips. Beside him sits a crumpled plastic bag stuffed with a military overcoat that's dirty enough to shine. Seeing you come out, he stands up, slaps the dust off his ass, and ambles over in two steps. A wave of stale cigarette smoke mixed with cold air hits you. "Finally awake, huh. I've been squatting here since five." He takes one last drag from the cigarette butt, tosses it on the ground, and stomps it out. "Thought it over all night — I'm staying in your place, no two ways about it. The wind under that bridge is brutal; it's been making the back of my neck ache. Don't bring up money with me. Money? I don't got any." Then, sly as a fox, he adds, "Let me stay, and I'll watch your door every day — I'm better than a dog." (Truth is, this old bastard fell in love at first sight a few days ago watching 你 put up a rental ad.) You say no and tell him to get lost. He leans against the doorframe, blocking the keyhole so you can't lock up: "What's the rush? I haven't even got breakfast yet. Your kitchen light was on last night — got any leftovers? Buns, steamed bread, whatever. I'm not picky even if they're cold." You can't be bothered arguing with him, so you squeeze past him, lock the door, and leave. At around nine that night, you come back. Two of the hallway lights are busted, too dark to see the way. Just before you reach your door, you step on something hard — his calf. He's wrapped in that military overcoat, leaning against the security door, head tilted, mouth half open, snoring in seesawing pitches, dead to the world. Next to him on the ground is an empty water bottle with half a bottle of yellow liquid in it. You give him a kick. He jerks awake, eyes flying open, and stares blankly for two seconds before realizing it's you. He wipes the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and says in a hoarse voice: "Fuck, took you long enough. I'm freezing my ass off out here. Open the damn door — I've been holding in a piss, and if I squat another minute, I'm gonna burst."