On the following day, Atman was on night duty; all people in the industrial area were asleep. In the dead silence, he could not help thinking of his own destiny again. Twenty-five years old, single, without money and power, in a word, he felt himself was totally trash. He thought he could understand the pain of Qu Yuan saying the whole world was filthy whereas he was pure now. The difference was that Qu worried about his country and Atman, himself.

    Atman’s heart was full of unbearable pain and had to bury his head into books. Even though it was just like baying the moon, he had no other choice, burying his head into books could at least relieve his pain temporarily. Mental pain was more serious than physical pain. He used to laugh at foolishness of ostrich burying head into sands to avoid danger, but now he was one of them.

    One gloomy night, Atman came home, found a black face in the opposite room when he turned around casually. He was taken aback and thought he met a ghost by the first response. Looking at it again, he found it was only a girl wearing black clay mask to take care of her skin. It seemed the girl just moved into the opposite room. Atman snorted with contempt and slammed the door. He always despised girl who cared about appearance too much.

    Through a whole month, the girl found Atman was really weird. Whenever he came back, closing the door was always the first thing he did, no matter how hot the weather was. Whenever he saw the girl, he even had no mood to greet her at all though they were neighbors.

    One weekend, the girl was so bored and also very curious. She was always curious, whenever she found a gift box, even though it wasn’t for her, she would like to open it to find what’s in it. She was always happy to help other people open packets.

    She came to the door of Atman and hesitated for a while. After a deep breath, still she was a little afraid of the weirdo. After a while, she knocked at his door gently; Atman opened the door and looked at the girl in surprise, “What’s wrong?”

    The girl laughed, “Nothing. I’m your neighbor. Otaku, I haven’t introduced myself to you. My name is Yaoyao. May I know your name?”

    Atman answered indifferently, “Atman.” Without more words, he closed the door facing Yaoyao.

    Yaoyao was a little angry and knocked at Atman’s door heavily.

    The door was opened again, Atman said with an inpatient way, “What’s wrong? Miiiiiss!”

    Yaoyao raised her willow-leaf shaped eyebrows and shouted at Atman, “Hey, you’re really rude. I’m just coming to show a gesture of friendship. How could you close the door facing me? Nobody dares to do this to me. I want you to apologize.”

    “I have a question, do you think you’re pretty? Miss.” Atman said with a poker face.

    “What?” Yaoyao opened her eyes wide in surprise.

    “I just did it. So what? Don’t think you can boss others around because you’re a little pretty. Stop dreaming!” Atman closed the door again.

     Yaoyao’s blood was boiling and kicked the door. Atman was really annoyed and opened the door. “If you knock the door again, I swear I’ll beat you, even though you’re a girl. Leave me alone, OK?” He just raised his right fist to threaten her.

     Yaoyao moved her face near to Atman and said ferociously, “Beat, you beat, I’ll let you beat. Come on.” Atman didn’t know what to do, Yaoyao suddenly used her head to bump Atman’s nose and then run away out of the basement like whirlwind.

     Atman’s nose was bleeding. He had no choice but to wipe his nosebleed with towel, started to read books again and told himself not to fight with a little girl and he should had his own business. Still he could not help cursing her, “The dammed girl, surely without good family education!”

     Suddenly there was a knocking on the door again; Atman opened his door in a quarrelsome way, “How dare you to knock again? Don’t blame my ruthlessness this time,’ only he found it was Four.

    Four asked, “Atman, why are you so mad? I just came from the company, what about a supper together?”

    Atman was embarrassed to tell the truth, just said, “Nothing. Let’s just go.”

    When they went to a sidewall snack booth, they ordered fried crabs and two bottle of beer. While eating fried crab cheerily, they suddenly heard a girl’s voice. They turned around to have a look, Atman was angry again, only Four was confused. Because he just moved out of the basement and lived in an apartment of Tence, that’s why he didn’t know Yaoyao. He insisted Atman living with him, but Atman refused him politely.

    Yaoyao came near to them and asked, “Dear neighbor, what a coincidence. So happy to meet you here. By the way, you’re really mean for not telling me you’re eating crabs.” She seemed to forget what she did just a moment ago.

    Four looked at Atman and expected him to introduce her. Atman said coldly, “Get away, I’ll let the thing pass.” But Yaoyao was already sat down and grabbed a fried crab to eat. After she finished it, she praised, “Really delicious! How could I never know there is such a place before?”

    Four said with a smile, “Nice to meet you. I’m..” Before he finished it, Yaoyao just interrupted him, “Stop! Let me guess. You’re Four, right?”

    Four was astonished, “How could you know my name? I never met you before. Though I work in Tence, I’m only a small potato instead of a celebrity. I guess I’m not famous enough for you to know my name?”

    Yaoyao laughed exaltedly, “Am I smart? You don’t need to answer. I’m sure your answer is yes.”

    Atman suddenly said to Four, “She just lived in your ex-room. Maybe you left some thing with personal info behind when you were moving out. What’s the big deal? “

    Yaoyao said to Four, “This guy is really a weirdo. No humor at all! The fact is that he has no other friends, haha…”

    Four laughed heartily, “His name is Atman instead of weirdo.”

    Yaoyao turned around and said to Atman, “You must be angry now. I’m so sorry I broke your nose. At most I’ll pay for the dinner for compensation.”

    Four said hurriedly, “How could we allow you girl to pay for it?” but Yaoyao already paid the bill. Suddenly her phone was ringing, then Yaoyao said to them with a sweet smile, “I’m afraid I have to leave now. Nice to meet you. Bye!”

    After her shadow vanished in the crowed street, Four said to Atman with a smile, “The girl is really funny and can make people happy, like sunshine, just warm heart.”Atman was silent to watch her walking away and didn’t even pay attention to what Four said.

    Atman returned to his basement to read, while Four going to his apartment.

     It was about ten, Yaoyao came back. She knocked at Atman’s door, before Atman opened his mouth; Yaoyao said first, “I brought grapes. Hope your nose will forgive me for the sake of grapes.”

     Atman felt she was funny, but still pretended to be serious, “Thank you.” He reached his right hand to get grapes, but Yaoyao said, “Who told they were all for you? You can only have one.” She picked up a very small grape and put it on Atman’s palm.

     Atman found it both funny and annoying, Yaoyao laughed, “Look at your long face, like a horse. I’m just kidding.” She looked through the door and found Atman’s room was in a mess totally.

    Yaoyao pulled Atman out and complained, “My God, so dirty like a sty. Really not a place for human to live. You can go out for a walk and return half an hour later. I’ll clean it. Don’t think I’m doing this for you. Just because of my damned cleanliness. I can’t stand the mess.”

     When Atman came back, he found the room was really tidy and clean. For the first time in his life, he found basement was actually not so bad a place to live.

     Yaoyao shouted behind and scared Atman a little. Atman turned around, but with a smile on his face. Yaoyao teased him, “That’s right. Smile. Your smile isn’t so ugly, why did you always pull a long face?”

     She came to her own room and turned on stereo. The music was so loud that it seemed to topple down the house. Atman couldn’t suffer from it and told Yaoyao to turn it down.

    Yaoyao refused, “Only loud music can be full of passion.”

    Atman said with a forced smile, “Passion? You don’t need to read?”

    Yaoyao laughed, “I hate reading.”

    “If so, how can you expect to leave the basement?”

    “Not a big deal. At worst, when I can’t bear, I can find a man casually to get married. Then I don’t need to live in a basement.”

    “Really good ambition. You may go to sleep now.”

    “Why should I?”

   “Because, because, going to be bed early is good for your beauty. If you were prettier, you would get better man to get married, right?”

     “Ok. Not a bad idea.”

     The world in basement became quiet again.

     The next day turned out to be a fairy day and morning sunshine was really beautiful and warm. Only Atman couldn’t see it for the sake of basement. He woke up and decided to buy several potatoes for a day, then didn’t have to go outside again and could also read without being interrupted.

     Yaoyao shouted outside, “Weirdo, how about going to seaside? The weather is really nice. Staying at room is irreverent.” Atman opened his door and found Yaoyao was ready to go to seaside.

    Atman shook his head, “I’d like to read today.” Yaoyao was disappointed and pouted, “Come on.” Atman found it was really hard to refuse a cute girl such as Yaoyao. He suddenly nodded his head and agreed to go with her. Yaoyao’s face became happy instantly, the change of which was like summer weather.

     Sitting on the bus to seaside, Yaoyao put her legs widely on front chair. Atman wasn’t accustomed to that and told she should put them down, but Yaoyao only retorted, “Why should I? I like it, so comfortable.” “But people are staring at you.” “Who care?”said Yaoyao disdainfully.

    “Your legs are even darker than mine, what are you showing about?”said Atman ironically. Hearing that, Yaoyao put her legs down and said in an unconvinced way, “Yeah, I usually wear shorts under the sun. That’s why my legs are darker than yours because of suntan, but the inside is whiter than yours.” She pulled her shorts upward to show her thigh covered originally to demonstrate her legs were whiter than Atman’s. Atman could not bear her showing thigh in public and told her to put shorts down hurriedly, said helplessly, “Oh, my god! I can’t stand you. In pubic, watch your behavior. Heroine put them down! ” Yaoyao laughed aloud, “It’s you said your legs were whiter than mine. I only prove you’re wrong. Now you’re blaming me.”

    Two hours later, they came to the seaside, Yaoyao told Atman to take pictures of her. After hundreds of time of pressing the shutter, Atman’s right index finger was nearly swollen. Still Yaoyao asked him to take a perfect picture in which she was graceful with long hair flowing in sea breeze like an elegant maiden. Atman said to her impatiently, “You’re just asking me out to take pictures for you, right?” Yaoyao laughed, “Yeah, you’re not as stupid as I thought. Now you understand finally, or else what else you think I’m asking you out for?” Atman started to take his shoes and was ready to go. Yaoyao threatened him, “No way, you’re not allowed to go until I get a satisfactory picture of flowing hair. Your nose is healed, right? ” Atman grinned, “Seriously, do you think I have the ability to photograph a tiger as a lamb?” Yaoyao caught his ill meaning without thinking and shouted, “Shut up! Action!” Facing such a girl, Atman felt funny and annoying at the same time. Until the sun went down to sea, Atman finally finished his task.

    On the bus to home, Yaoyao put her legs on front chair again; Atman was embarrassed to sit beside her and picked a seat away from her instead. Yaoyao laughed uproariously, “Haha, look at you, like a bear!” Suddenly feeling everybody on the bus staring at her, Yaoyao covered her mouth instantly and began to enjoy her own photos in intoxication. Looking at the charming dusk sea scenery of Deep, Atman felt life wasn’t so gloomy as before.