Chapter Two – “The AC’s Dead, Same as Me”
[Time]3:05 p.m. the next day. Nanjing is a pot someone left on high heat and walked away.
[Place]Lin Wan's living-room. AC still on strike; fan squeaks like an old man clearing his throat.
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1. Heatstroke Opener
Lin (cross-legged on the floor, talking to the fan)
…Go on, blow harder. Freeze my brain if you're that good.
Phone buzzes.
Chen Zhe: I'm downstairs. Can I come up?
She stares at the screen for five full seconds, types "o k", deletes it, sends instead:
Lin: Door's unlocked. Climb.
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2. Chen Zhe Arrives
(Door creaks; Chen Zhe walks in holding an iced Americano and a plastic bag of lychees.)
Chen: AC still broken?
Lin: They fixed it slower than a break-up heals.
Chen presses the iced cup to the back of her neck.
Lin: Fuck—trying to murder the ex?
Chen: Exes are people too. Don't jinx me.
Three seconds of nothing except the fan squeaking like it's clearing its throat.
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3. Archaeology of Old Stuff
Lin (rummaging the plastic bag)
Where'd you get the lychees? Sweet?
Chen: Old Wang's shop. He said, "For the girlfriend?" I nodded, he threw in two extra pounds.
Lin: …Don't nod so easily.
Chen (pulls a crumpled cinema stub from his pocket)
Leftover ticket from "Wandering Earth 3." You dropped it in my car.
Lin: Keeping it why?
Chen: Dunno. Maybe waiting for the day you ask for it back.
Lin: Tickets don't grow legs.
Chen: But they remember you fell asleep on my shoulder and drooled on my T-shirt.
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4. Su Qing Crashes In
Doorbell.
Su Qing (silk slip dress, bedroom slippers, two green-bean popsicles)
Su: Fridge died. Need your freezer.
Lin: …Fine. Pay the electricity later.
Chen (whispering)
She lives opposite?
Lin: Yep. Every 10 p.m., high heels, like clockwork.
Su Qing shoves popsicles into the freezer, steals a Coke on the way out.
Su: Thanks. Whiskey next time.
Lin: Next time is when?
Su: When you stop playing "Mercury Records" at 2 a.m.
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5. Three-Person Awkward Chat
(Fan still squeaks; all three sit on the rug like kindergarteners.)
Chen: So—tonight or not?
Lin: Go where?
Chen: Old Zhang's bookstore. Last day.
Su Qing: Count me in. Heard he's giving away signed Normal People.
Lin: When did you two become besties?
Su Qing: She asked for fever meds in the group chat, I delivered two ibuprofen—revolutionary bond.
Chen: My car AC works. Carpool.
Lin: Fine, but no your trap-rap playlist or my ears will secede.
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6. Bookstore Farewell
(Shopfront neon half-dead, like it's yawning.)
Old Zhang (behind the counter, reading glasses)
You're here. Fifty percent off today, feelings not included.
Lin: Save me a copy of Conversations with Friends. Write "Stop asking strangers if they love you" on the flyleaf.
Old Zhang: Too long. I'll write "Save your tears".
Xiao Wen pops up, Polaroid in hand.
Xiao: Group photo! To remember the death of this place!
Lin: Death isn't a souvenir.
Xiao: Last time we all met was graduation. Proof we're still alive.
Flash. Lin blinks too late; in the photo her eyes look like a cat that just woke up.
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7. In the Car
(Chen Zhe's dented hatchback, AC actually cold.)
Lin in passenger; Xiao Wen & Su Qing squashed in back.
Radio: Eason Chan crooning "Better Not to Meet".
Chen (elbow on the window)
Remember we used to cram in this car in college?
Lin: Back then you looped "Qi Li Xiang." Now it's vaporwave.
Chen: Progress, I guess—even if it's steam.
Red light. The car stops.
Lin suddenly:
"Ever regret not turning around that day?"
Chen:
"Every day. But I was more scared of turning and finding you gone."
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8. Elevator Home
(Only the two of them.)
Lin: Thanks for tonight.
Chen: For what?
Lin: Showing up. And for not saying 'let's get back together.'
Chen: I could.
Lin: Don't.
Doors open, Lin walks out. Chen stays inside.
Chen: Eight a.m. tomorrow. I'll drive you to set.
Lin: Don't.
Chen: Will.
Lin: Whatever.
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9. Lin's 1:11 A.M. Monologue
(Lying on couch, fan squeaking.)
AC still broken, sweat still sticky.
Phone lights up.
Chen: Night.
Lin: Night.
She stares at the ceiling and remembers the line Old Zhang pencilled on a book spine:
"Save your tears—summer's only getting hotter."