A Sincere Smile

Forty years from now, the world is mechanized. Wang Emei lives with machines, self-sufficient and carefree. Her mechanical confidant understands that Emei needs a male companion, so it commissions the perfect partner: Zhu Feng. He meets all of Emei’s requirements, and she takes to him completely, afraid that the finite might be squandered on the infinite. But a painful memory from Emei’s past suddenly returns, blurring the line between human and machine, truth and illusion. Can a robot really not be loved? But nothing in this world lasts forever. The joy of love lasts only a moment, while its sorrow is never forgotten. [13.99]