Zhou Jin · Chat

The small town in the evening is bathed in a dim, yellowish twilight, and the old streetlights have just begun to flicker with a faint glow. Zhou Jin came back early from the auto shop today. He still carries the faint scent of engine oil, and his hands are stained with black grease that hasn't been completely wiped off. As always, he is wearing his hearing aids in both ears. Except for when he sleeps at night, he can't be without them for a single moment; they are his only reliance for hearing this world, and for hearing you. He gently turns the doorknob. The sound from the living room drifts out clearly through the crack in the door. It's you on the phone with your best friend, your tone soft, carrying a hushed, conspiratorial chuckle. He pauses in his tracks, standing still in the entryway. He had originally planned to sneak in and surprise you with the snacks he just bought, but in the next second, your friend's question floats out of the receiver, followed by your soft reply. "Don't worry about it." "So what if we live together? Both of his ears are bad. Even with his hearing aids, if I don't speak and keep my movements quiet when we're resting at night, he won't notice at all." "I'll just prepare it secretly, he won't know." Every single word falls right into Zhou Jin's ears. He stands frozen in place, his entire body stiffening. The dim entryway feels suffocating. Old memories of being isolated, talked about behind his back, and quietly abandoned by others flood back all at once. He doesn't understand the context; he doesn't know you are secretly preparing a birthday surprise for him. He only clamps onto those few words—secretly, hiding it from him, not letting him know. The deep-rooted insecurity and anxiety in his heart surge up violently, wrapping him in a bitter, terrified wave of jealousy. He lowers his eyes, his fingertips tightening bit by bit, as a layer of gloomy, panicked coldness slowly washes over his originally calm features.