Cai Kun worked overtime again, just like any other day, leaving the office at 10 p.m. The glow of the city lights outside was faint through the dusty office windows, casting long shadows over the cluttered desks. His shoulders ached from the relentless pressure, but he forced himself to stand and pack his things slowly, as if trying to delay the inevitable return to his small, cramped apartment.
Today had been especially grueling. He had failed to close a deal—a deal that could have saved him from yet another month of financial strain. His manager had been ruthless, berating him in front of colleagues, making sure everyone knew his failure. Not only was he forced to stay late and redo the entire proposal, but his monthly salary was also deducted as punishment. The bitterness of humiliation settled deep within his chest, like a stone sinking slowly in his gut.
Still, despite all the setbacks, Cai Kun wasn't ready to give up. What kept him going was the fragile hope that flickered inside him—the thought of his girlfriend, Ding Xiang, waiting for him at home. Her smile was his only comfort after the endless stress and exhaustion. It was enough to wash away the grime of the day, even if only for a moment. After all, life was full of hardship—he had long learned to grit his teeth and push forward.
Coincidentally, today was Ding Xiang's birthday. Cai Kun had managed to save the last 500 yuan he had left after paying rent and bills, and with trembling hands, he bought her a large birthday cake from the bakery near his apartment. It wasn't much, but he wanted to surprise her, to show that he cared despite their struggles. He clutched the cake box tightly on the way home, his heart beating with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.
But the moment he opened the front door, his world shattered.
In the dimly lit living room, the scene that greeted him was like a cruel nightmare. Ding Xiang was stark naked, her body straddling a pot-bellied middle-aged man. The man's face was flushed red as he moved beneath her, panting heavily, lost in the moment. The faint sound of their moans filled the room, mingling with the quiet hum of the refrigerator.
Cai Kun's breath caught in his throat. He rubbed his eyes hard, desperate to convince himself it was just a hallucination caused by the relentless overtime and exhaustion. But no matter how many times he blinked, the scene remained—brutally clear and painfully real.
"President Zhang… Ah… faster…" Ding Xiang moaned, lost in pleasure, calling out to the man beneath her with a voice that had once whispered his name in tender moments. She hadn't even noticed that Cai Kun had returned.
Frozen in the doorway, Cai Kun felt his soul hollow out, a cold void swallowing every ounce of warmth he had left. Five agonizing minutes passed before Ding Xiang finally turned her head toward the door—and saw him.
But instead of stopping, she continued, indifferent to his presence, to his pain. She didn't cover herself. She didn't flinch.
Instead, breathless and unapologetic, she said, "Cai Kun, it's not what you think… I had no choice…"
Those words were like a slap across his face. That excuse—empty and hollow—snapped something inside him.
The betrayal twisted deep in his chest like a cruel blade, tearing apart the fragile hope he had clung to for so long. The carefully held warmth and memories of the past shattered along with the birthday cake he had so lovingly brought. He threw it onto the floor, the sound of the box breaking echoing like a gunshot in the silent room.
Consumed by a blinding fury, Cai Kun stormed into the kitchen and grabbed the sharpest knife he could find, his hands trembling not with fear but with rage.
He charged back into the living room, eyes blazing with a terrible fire, and slashed wildly at the cheating pair. Blood sprayed across the worn carpet and stained the walls. Screams—both theirs and his own—echoed within the small apartment.
When the rage finally cooled and his breath steadied, he stood there, knife in hand, surrounded by an eerie silence broken only by the ragged sound of his own breathing. A cold, broken laugh escaped his lips, echoing the emptiness inside him.
He looked down at the lifeless bodies sprawled on the floor, then at his own shaking hands.
What was the point of his life?
No parents. He had been orphaned at a young age, taken in by foster parents who had themselves passed away when he was just in middle school. Since then, he had survived alone, battling the indifferent world with nothing but sheer determination. He had scraped through school, earned a college degree, found a job, and fought tooth and nail for every inch of dignity in this cold, uncaring society.
He didn't ask for much. Just a little respect. A little love.
But all the world gave him was pain.
At work, he was a punching bag—blamed for others' mistakes, underpaid, overworked. And now, even the one person he thought would stand by him—the woman he loved—had betrayed him in the worst possible way.
What was left for him now?
Cai Kun lifted his head to the ceiling, tears streaming down his face like a river of grief and despair. In that moment, he realized… he had nothing. Nothing at all.
His hands tightened around the blood-soaked knife. Without a second thought, he raised it to his own throat.
The cold steel pressed against his skin, a terrifying promise of finality.
The world went dark.