Writer sheds light on lives of urban women

The lack of self-confidence and paranoia drive her to secretly check Yang's phone, fearing that he's having an affair despite his unwavering support over the years, such as helping her to tackle her teenage sister's accidental pregnancy, supporting her when she is abruptly laid off and letting her move in with him after she is evicted by her landlord. Still, she questions his motives, even asking whether he married her just because his mother is severely ill. An interesting thing about the novel is all of the readers' knowledge about Yang comes from Huang's perspective and her speculation, which reflect the real differentiation in the way people of different genders think. Despite some questionable working practices, Ling leads a life many modern city women wish they could have but don't have access to, whereas many readers might find it difficult to understand Huang's personality and sensitivity at all. The comparison also exists in reality, Ji says, adding that the final question the novel poses is whether it is wiser to keep trying to shine a light into people's darker side and uncover truths that one might not want to face, or to just turn a blind eye to maintain a peaceful life. One reader comments on Chinese review site Douban: "The author depicts the tiny life details and ordinary, but shady, thoughts so vividly.