The Nonstandard Realm

In 2063, beneath the neon lights of the city, people with special abilities became a new social class. From then on, there were only two kinds of people: NTs, and those who looked up to NTs.

Qi Mo, a misanthropic genius, was forced to partner with the proud and dazzling Gu Lingxin. They went from awkwardly sharing an apartment to fighting side by side at the national championships. On missions, they did everything they could to protect each other. He taught her to weave metal into deadly formations; she introduced him to the warmth of everyday life.

He planned tactics for her in the morning light at Qiandao Lake. She won him a half-sized teddy bear at a balloon stall in a Beijing hutong. Together, they saw Hangzhou’s lakes, Tokyo’s snow, and the blood and fire of Russia. Their days together would last forever.

The skyscrapers collapsed, and the smoke of war cleared.

Later, people in various places would occasionally glimpse a slender figure clutching a faded stuffed toy, in a convenience store late at night or on an empty street at dawn. He said nothing, simply standing there for a long time, as if listening to a voice from the past that only he could hear.

Later still, even these sightings grew rare and faded away. Only a legend remained: a shadow that would never grow old wandered the world, appearing unexpectedly in anyone’s line of sight. Men and women of every kind asked him what he was waiting for. He would stop and softly reply:

“Waiting for someone… to give me chocolate.”

“Qi Mo, Qi Mo, Xiao Mo, Momo… Which do you like?”

“…Whatever.”

“Then ‘my Qi Mo.’”

“If becoming a god means forgetting you, I would rather fall.”

“The sunset is beautiful today, Lingxin.”

“Mm.”

“…Lingxin, don’t walk so fast. I can’t keep up.”

“Good night, Mo.”

“You too.”