It was many years ago. They were in the heat of a passionate romance. On the very first day after buying their mobile phones, they sat on buses heading in opposite directions, when he received a text message from her: "I miss you." This was their first time communicating via text message. For a long time, he couldn't bear to delete these three words.
At that time, they stood at opposite ends of the city, seeing each other infrequently. Text messages became their primary way of expressing affection. One evening, which was their agreed-upon chat time, he sent numerous messages but received no reply; his calls went unanswered as well. He became anxious and immediately got up, rushing to her place in the middle of the night. It turned out she was washing clothes, and the sound of water had drowned out the call of love. He felt relieved, while she was so moved that she couldn’t speak.
Soon, they got married. They continued to send text messages to each other, but most were brief and straightforward.
"Where are you?" "Waiting for the bus." "When will you be home?" "Ten minutes."
In fact, there were more and more various text messages on his phone, and his wife's messages were often the first to be deleted. After marriage, she didn't buy fancy or luxurious clothes, but his wardrobe was filled with neatly ironed suits and white shirts. After having a child, she was troubled by some mysterious stretch marks, but she didn't splurge on expensive skincare products recommended by her colleagues, opting instead for more physical exercise. Whether at work or at home, she was more meticulous than before. They had been living together for eight years, and their love had faded to the point where it seemed intangible—
At least, that’s what he thought. A woman named Ru entered his life at this moment, appropriately enough. They naturally developed a close relationship.
One evening, he and Ru checked into a hotel room. Ru was very compliant, and he achieved his goal almost effortlessly. Late at night, feeling satisfied, he drove away from the hotel. At that moment, he suddenly wanted to test whether Ru really loved him, so he sent her a text message: "My car has collided with someone else's, Cao Yang Road, Zhongshan North Intersection, come quickly!"
After a long wait with no response, he sent another message, still receiving no answer. Irritated, he started the car to leave, just as a taxi screeched to a halt in front of his car, brakes squealing. Out jumped a disheveled woman—his wife. He quickly picked up his phone, realizing that the second message had been mistakenly sent to his wife, while the first one was correct.
She pounded furiously on his car door: "Are you okay?" "I'm fine, just a minor accident," he said, pulling his worried wife tightly into his arms.
As the car drove through the dimly lit streets, he suddenly remembered a phrase: "Close yet far apart." Yes, the person who loves you is always the closest, even if they are miles away; the person who doesn't love you is the farthest, even if they are right next to you. Thinking about this, tears streamed down his face, while she had already fallen asleep leaning on his shoulder...