A Truly Short Story, But One That Gets More Terrifying the More You Think About It 真的是篇幅短小，但是细思极恐的短篇故事。

1. 201 外 All These Years Working Away from Home 外出打工这些年 Fu Family Seventeen1傅家十七1Urban123k WordsCompleted Ever since Yu Xiaobai married Wu Jiajia, who loved wealth and despised poverty, he hasn’t had a single peaceful day... She turned their home upside down, then teamed up with her first boyfriend to make off with all the money he had worked so hard to earn. He indulged and cherished her in every way, but still couldn’t change Wu Jiajia’s determination to divorce him... After Wu Jiajia asked for a divorce for the umpteenth time, Yu Xiaobai finally chose to leave this absurd marriage and let them bo 179Reads—Score—Shelves
2. 202 男 My Boyfriend Has a Female Best Friend, and I Have a Male Best Friend 男朋友有女兄弟，我有男闺蜜 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭16k WordsCompleted My boyfriend has a girl best friend, so I have a guy best friend. 1.9kReads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   High-quality short stories

3. 203 要 Good Grief, Mr. Cen! 要命呢！岑先生 Fu Family Seventeen1傅家十七16k WordsCompleted Oh, Mr. Cen! 28Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 204 被 After My Childhood Friend Forced Me to Drink Poisoned Wine, I Became the Enemy Kingdom's Crown Princess 被竹马灌下毒酒后，我成了敌国太子妃 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Ancient Romance6k WordsCompleted After My Childhood Friend Forced Me to Drink Poisoned Wine, I Became the Crown Prince's Consort in the Enemy Kingdom 28Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 205 裁 You Laid Off Your Top Salesperson? After I Poached the Entire Core Team, My Former Boss Went Mad with Regret 裁员裁销冠？我把整个核心团队挖走后，前老板悔疯了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭14k WordsCompleted You Fired Your Top Salesperson? After I Poached the Entire Core Team, My Former Boss Regretted It Like Crazy 11Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 206 爸 Only After Dad Brought His Illegitimate Daughter Home Did I Understand Why a Mother's Love Can Disappear 爸爸把私生女接回家后，我才明白母爱为何会消失 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭15k WordsCompleted Only after Dad brought his illegitimate daughter home did I understand why a mother's love can disappear 12Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 207 我 I'm the Unwanted Child in My Family 我是家里多余的孩子 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭10k WordsCompleted I'm the Unwanted Child in My Family 23Reads—Score—Shelves
8. 208 我 I'm Not the Grim Reaper of Obstetrics and Gynecology 我不是妇产科死神 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭12k WordsCompleted I'm Not the Grim Reaper of Obstetrics and Gynecology 233Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 209 你 Have You Ever Heard a Child Running Around Upstairs in the Middle of the Night? 你半夜听过楼上小孩跑步吗 Yu Points to Yu Ma喻指喻马7k WordsCompleted Have you ever heard a child running around upstairs in the middle of the night? —Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   It's chilling to think about, a highly recommended short horror story. The ending twist was particularly interesting, with many foreshadowing elements in the beginning, and I was surprised to find myself guessing wrong.

10. 210 百 After the Million-Yuan Year-End Bonus Was Canceled, the Whole Company Regretted It 百万年终奖取消后，全公司都后悔了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted The Million-Yuan Year-End Bonus Was Canceled, and the Whole Company Regretted It 2.1kReads—Score—Shelves
11. 211 猛 The Bride of the Vengeful Ghost 猛鬼新娘 Lampwick灯草Mystery417k WordsCompleted When I was sixteen, I rescued a woman who had been tricked into coming to our village, simply because I wanted to help. I never imagined that my actions would not only get the poor woman killed, but also lead to the deaths of more than a hundred villagers. And so my strange life began. 4.7kReads9.0Score333Shelves

    Reader note

    This has over 100 chapters.

12. 212 欢 Delightfully Terrifying 欢悚 Twilight Bird暮乐鸟Urban8k WordsCompleted On his way home late at night, Wang Ming receives what looks like an ordinary questionnaire. Every question on it seems strange and unsettling. As he answers, he tries to make sense of it, until he finally uncovers the murderous intent hidden beneath the questions: the questionnaire is clearly leading him to his death. Wang Ming desperately searches for a way to survive, only to discover in the end that this is an earth-shattering scam. 71Reads9.0Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I've watched them all, they're all really great!

13. 213 自 Surrender 自首 Glazed Luanhua琉璃栾华Mystery691k WordsCompleted (Now streaming on iQIYI. Starring Xu Weizhou, Guo Junchen, and Xiao Yan. A criminal police captain, played by Xu Weizhou, teams up with a psychologist, played by Guo Junchen, to solve cases and capture the monsters of the human heart. Mystery + deduction + psychologist + episodic cases + serial murders + high-IQ crimes + revenge plots + strange tales and records + best partners + light horror + suitable for the faint-hearted) “I killed someone.” A girl turns herself in, claiming that she killed 19.8kReads9.4Score2.7kShelves

    Reader note

    The content is fantastic!

14. 214 十EN Ten Days to the End 十日终焉 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Mystery3.2M WordsCompleted 2024 Tomato Novel Annual Peak Rankings TOP 1 | 2024 China Online Literature Influence List | 2024 China Good Novel Award | Over 2 million copies sold (No harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincibility, no System, no mindless antics, no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if these bother you.) Just when I thought it was an ordinary day, I discovered I had been captured and taken to the End. Just when I thought I could escape by continually taking part in death games, people began awakening supernat 1.7MReads9.9Score209.2kShelves
15. 215 茶 Strange Tales from the Tea Pavilion 茶榭诡谈 Xin Shuiju辛水桔Mystery258k WordsOngoing Chilling events that may have happened right beside you and me. Perhaps you and I could become the protagonists, too. These are accounts of things that happened to people around us, as told by those who experienced them. True and false, false and true, right and wrong, wrong and right. Think it over, then think it over carefully!! —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    These are all things you'll encounter in real life, but some people experience them differently.

16. 216 三 365 Nights of Strange Tales 三百六十五夜诡故事 CC Tells StoriesCC讲故事Mystery626k WordsCompleted I’m just an ordinary person. I can’t tell tales of ghosts and strange happenings, of exorcising demons and subduing monsters, and I don’t know much about the astonishing secrets of occult arts and mysterious sects. I can only tell you some stories from my own life. Because these stories are so trivial, I may ramble a little and keep things plain. But they’re all about the joys and sorrows, the warmth and coldness of a glittering, bustling world. Most stories don’t have a clear ending, so readers 100Reads8.4Score—Shelves
17. 217 我 I Kissed the Top-Tier Star on Set from Morning Till Night, and My Ex, the Movie Emperor, Went Mad with Regret 我和顶流在剧组从早亲到晚，前任影帝悔疯了 Eighty-Eight八拾捌8k WordsCompleted I Kissed the Top-Tier Star from Morning till Night on Set, and My Ex, the Best Actor, Went Crazy with Regret 329Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Short story recommendations

18. 218 侦 Detective Mystery Casebook 侦探推理事件簿 Vanished Scenery消失的风景Mystery194k WordsCompleted (No supernatural elements. Detective fiction and pure deduction, with a familiar mystery device featured in its own standalone story each time. Lighthearted and never oppressive.) This is the story of Detective A from a parallel world! Each installment in the “Detective A Series” features Detective A and tells how he seeks help solving cases from the many mystery fans active on the A Forum. (A heartfelt tribute to Keigo Higashino’s The Detective’s Guide to Staying Alive!) 3Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The second book consists of various short stories! Suspenseful crime-solving, chilling upon closer inspection! Both are highly recommended; the writing is excellent! Quite enjoyable! Pure mystery and crime-solving!! The first book is a long, continuous series! The same protagonist, episodic crime-solving! The writing style is light and humorous! The second book features different protagonists, each volume a new story! Each story has a different core theme! The content and writing style are a bit more somber and depressing!

19. 219 为 I Hid in a Cabinet with the CEO to Catch the Other Woman 为了抓小三我和总裁躲进柜子里 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Marriage & Romance12k WordsCompleted I Hid in a Closet with the CEO to Catch My Husband Cheating 499Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 220 不 I Won't Be Your Mortal Concubine; I'll Be a Celestial Goddess 不做你凡间妃，要做我九天仙 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Ancient Romance13k WordsCompleted I Won't Be Your Mortal Concubine; I'll Be a Celestial Maiden in the Ninth Heaven 268Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 221 推 The Detective's Notebook 推理笔记 Vanished Scenery消失的风景Mystery217k WordsOngoing A collection of original short mystery stories! A collection of original short mystery stories! A collection of original short mystery stories! (Important things are said three times.) Each volume is a standalone short story, so feel free to skip around! Hope you enjoy! —Reads—Score—Shelves
22. 222 亲 My Relative Took Me to Rent a Haunted House 亲戚带我租凶宅 Eighty-Eight八拾捌10k WordsCompleted A Relative Took Me to Rent a Haunted House 86Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 223 未 My Fiancé Made Me Take the Fall for My Best Friend, Never Knowing I Was the Real Heiress 未婚夫让我替闺蜜顶罪，没想到我才是真千金 Eighty-Eight八拾捌9k WordsCompleted My Fiancé Asked Me to Take the Fall for My Best Friend, Never Expecting That I Was the Real Heiress 293Reads—Score—Shelves
24. 224 我 My Mom Is the Real Heiress Who Ran Away Pregnant from a Powerful Family. Reborn, I'll Protect My Parents' Love 我妈是豪门带球跑的真千金，重生后由我来守护父母爱情 Eighty-Eight八拾捌14k WordsCompleted My mom is the true heiress who ran away from her wealthy family while pregnant. After being reborn, I’ll protect my parents’ love story. 101Reads—Score—Shelves
25. 225 妹 My Sister Is Boy-Crazy, So Why Is Everything My Fault? 妹妹恋爱脑，怎么都是我这个姐姐的错？ Eighty-Eight八拾捌11k WordsCompleted My sister is hopelessly lovesick. How is everything somehow my fault as her older sister? 89Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 226 感 Thanks to My Mother-in-Law's Washbasin, I Saw This Family for What It Really Is 感谢婆婆的洗菜盆，让我看清这个家的真面目 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Marriage & Romance8k WordsCompleted Thanks to my mother-in-law’s vegetable-washing basin, I finally saw this family for what it really is 276Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Recommended short stories

27. 227 老 My Boss Asked Me to Be His Mistress’s Assistant, So I Added His Wife to the Group Chat 老板要我给小三做助理，我把老板娘拉入了群聊 Eighty-Eight八拾捌12k WordsCompleted My boss asked me to be his mistress's assistant, so I added his wife to the group chat 4.9kReads—Score—Shelves
28. 228 赎 Atonement: After Plastic Surgery, I Wiped Out My Boyfriend’s Entire Family 赎罪：整容之后，我团灭男友全家 Wang Xiaogun王小滚Two Male Leads95k WordsCompleted My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 7Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a novel I recently read. It's very short and concise, full of twists and turns. The ending is chilling. Fans of Keigo Higashino's suspense novels should definitely check it out.

29. 229 被 After Being Cast Out of the Sect, the Demon King Asked Me to Be His Wife 被逐出宗门后，妖王喊我做娘子 Eighty-Eight八拾捌11k WordsCompleted After Being Cast Out of the Sect, the Demon King Asked Me to Be His Wife 271Reads—Score—Shelves
30. 230 长 Sweetness in the Long Night 长夜逢甜 Eighty-Eight八拾捌19k WordsCompleted Sweetness in the Long Night 837Reads—Score—Shelves
31. 231 虫 The Immortal Insect Herbalist 虫草仙人 Wang Xiaogun王小滚20k WordsCompleted The Insect-and-Herb Immortal —Reads—Score—Shelves
32. 232 王 The Prince Regretted It After He Pushed Me Down the Mountain 王爷推我下山后，他后悔疯了 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted After the Prince Pushed Me Off the Mountain, He Went Mad with Regret 593Reads—Score—Shelves
33. 233 民 Tales of Folk Ghosts 民间鬼故事说 My Name Is Xiaobai我名字叫小白Mystery564k WordsCompleted Each story stands on its own. Leave a comment about what you'd like to read, then pick whichever ones you like. There's no need to read them in order. Some parts are bound to be less well-written, but others may catch your interest, so browse around. 81Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    On the restless souls in folk ghost stories, on moonlit nights, old people sit around the fire, their voices rising and falling, telling tales that "shouldn't exist, yet truly do." Children listen intently, both yearning and fearful, wanting to escape yet drawn closer. This is the mysterious scene of folk ghost stories passed down for millennia—a collective unconscious nighttime ritual, where the living and the dead reach a tacit agreement, jointly maintaining the darkest yet most real corner of this nation's spiritual world. The wandering souls in Chinese folk ghost stories never follow a simple dichotomy of good and evil. The ghosts and foxes in Pu Songling's *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* are often more sentimental than humans, and the unjustly killed souls in Ji Xiaolan's *Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation* only seek the most basic justice. These stories constitute an inverted worldview: the world of the living is hypocritical and mercenary, while the souls of the dead retain pure humanity. In the legends of "drowning ghosts" circulating along the Zhejiang coast, the water ghost's three-year search for a substitute is a rule permitted by heaven. However, its ultimate decision to forgo the opportunity to save a drowning child demonstrates a moral choice that transcends life and death. This complexity elevates ghost stories beyond mere scare tactics, transforming them into thought experiments exploring the limits of human nature. The lingering spirits in folk ghost stories are essentially unfinished narratives. The recurring theme of "vengeful spirits appearing in dreams" in *Taiping Guangji* is, in fact, a projection of social injustice onto the collective psyche. When the existing judicial system fails, people create a mechanism for justice and compensation in the underworld. Behind the legend of "corpse driving" in western Hunan lies a poetic expression of the desire for those who die far from home to return to their roots; the "ghost wedding" stories of North China contain a gentle compensation for the unfinished lives of those who died young. The ghosts in these stories "make trouble" not because they are inherently evil, but because they have unfulfilled wishes, unaddressed grievances, and unexpressed emotions. Folk narratives give these spirits a chance to complete their stories. When justice is served and wishes are fulfilled, the spirits depart peacefully, transforming from vengeful ghosts into ancestors. Even in today's scientifically advanced world, we still need ghost stories. Not because we believe in ghosts, but because these stories carry marginalized memories that mainstream history is unwilling to record. A folklorist recorded in a Guizhou village that local legends about "starving ghosts" precisely preserve the traumatic memories of the three years of hardship, which official documents make no mention of. Ghost stories become unofficial historical archives; the wandering spirits are unacknowledged victims, and their "haunting" behavior is actually a revival of memory. In the ghost stories of Taiwanese aboriginal people, slaughtered ancestors return to their homeland year after year as "bird spirits"; in the accounts of old miners in Northeast China, victims of gas explosions continue to patrol the tunnels as "blue fireballs." These stories allow the obscured historical truths to continue to speak out in a supernatural form. Contemporary urban legends are variations of ancient ghost stories. The "elevator ghosts" in Shanghai's high-rises continue the structure of traditional ghost stories, only the setting has changed from an old courtyard house to a modern apartment; the "last bus ghosts" told by Beijing taxi drivers are simply an urban variation of the ancient "ghost hitchhiking" story. These new ghost stories also follow ancient narrative logic: suddenly disappearing passengers, extra seats, inexplicable surveillance footage... They constitute the mental defense mechanism of modern people—using supernatural explanations to digest the randomness and unpredictability of urban life. The legend of the ghost of an employee who died from overwork at an internet company "appearing precisely at his former workstation" is nothing less than a silent indictment of the culture of overwork. The charm of folk ghost stories lies precisely in this ambiguity—it is neither entirely true nor purely fictional. When we tell these stories, we are actually conducting a philosophical discussion about the essence of existence: What is reality? Do those unseen things not exist? Where is the dividing line between memory and imagination? In a village in Gansu, people have passed down the story of "ghost walls" in the mountains behind the village, and geological exploration has indeed found a strong magnetic field anomaly that causes disorientation. Scientific explanations and folk tales achieve a remarkable reconciliation here—the ancients used ghost stories to explain natural phenomena they couldn't comprehend, and this explanation itself contains an affirmation of the phenomena' existence. Those who ridicule ghost stories as absurd may not realize that each nation's attitude towards the dead reflects its civilization's attitude towards history, memory, and death. Chinese folk tales rarely feature purely evil ghosts; most can be appeased through sacrifices, rituals, or the redress of grievances. This concept of "negotiable supernatural beings" embodies a unique secular spirit—even death cannot sever the ethical responsibilities between people. Burning paper money during Qingming Festival and releasing river lanterns during the Ghost Festival are essentially dialogues between the living and the dead, a continued writing of unfinished stories. When the night is still and quiet, when you walk alone through a dimly lit stairwell and suddenly feel a chill, when you hear a soft knock on the door even when you're home alone... In that delicate moment between rational explanation and ancient memory, folk ghost stories gain their eternal vitality. They are the code words of our collective unconscious, the embodiment of repressed memories, the faint echoes of countless nameless figures in history. Next time you hear a bizarre ghost story, perhaps set aside your scientistic arrogance and consider what kind of memory the story is trying to preserve, what warning it is conveying, and what kind of narrative it is trying to complete. Because those souls wandering in the story may be an unacknowledged part of ourselves. Although the story has just begun, I'm following these principles (. O‿o.)✎

34. 234 末 Reborn at the End of the World: I Stockpile Supplies and Take Revenge 末日重生，我家囤货手刃仇人 Eighty-Eight八拾捌9k WordsCompleted Reborn at the End of the World: I Stockpile Supplies and Take Revenge on My Enemies 333Reads—Score—Shelves
35. 235 买 After I Bought a House, My Aunts Ruined My Family and Left Me with Nothing 买房后，我被姑姑们害得家破人亡 Eighty-Eight八拾捌9k WordsCompleted After I Bought a House, My Aunts Destroyed My Family and Left Me with Nothing 228Reads—Score—Shelves
36. 236 到 So, Who's the Prey? 到底谁是猎物？ Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士13k WordsCompleted So, Who's the Prey? 5Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The reality is chilling upon closer examination; only the sun and the human heart are truly unbearable to look at directly.

37. 237 中 Born Seven Days Before the Ghost Festival, I Saw a Ribbon Bird at Dusk on My Eighteenth Birthday 中元前七日生，我十八岁黄昏看见绶带鸟 Ruo He Xiao Yu若何萧语6k WordsCompleted Born seven days before the Ghost Festival, I saw a ribbon bird at dusk on my eighteenth birthday —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's short, but leaves a lasting impression.

38. 238 姑 My Sister-in-Law Borrowed Money to Help Her Lover Get an Abortion 姑姐回娘家借钱给小三打胎 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Marriage & Romance9k WordsCompleted My Sister-in-Law Returned to Her Parents’ Home to Borrow Money for Her Lover’s Abortion 315Reads—Score—Shelves
39. 239 恶 A Rich Bully Demanded 1.4 Million from Me, Leaving Me No Way Out 恶少要我赔140万，我被逼上绝路 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士Modern Romance17k WordsCompleted A Bully Demands 1.4 Million in Compensation, Driving Me to the Edge 16Reads—Score—Shelves
40. 240 瞎 The Blind Young Master Wants to Marry Me 瞎子少爷要娶我 Eighty-Eight八拾捌14k WordsCompleted The Blind Young Master Wants to Marry Me 365Reads—Score—Shelves
41. 241 夜 Walking the Night Road, Looking Back on Half a Life 夜路行，半生望 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士17k WordsCompleted Walking the Night Road, Looking Ahead Through Half a Life 25Reads—Score—Shelves
42. 242 哥 Brother, My Blind Date Is Better Than You 哥哥，我的相亲对象比你好 Eighty-Eight八拾捌11k WordsCompleted Big brother, my blind date is better than you 287Reads—Score—Shelves
43. 243 丁 The DINK Hunter 丁克猎人 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士14k WordsCompleted The Childfree Hunter 5Reads—Score—Shelves
44. 244 大 The Song Dynasty’s Bugs: A Programmer’s Fixes and Refactoring 大宋的BUG：码农的修复与重构 Logic God Usurper逻辑篡神Historical884k WordsCompleted A modern architect transmigrates to the Northern Song, bringing along an AI connected to the civilization of the future. He sparks a Renaissance and sets off the Industrial Revolution ahead of schedule, turning a dynasty into the engine of human civilization. In this world, there is no sea of blood from colonialism, no devastation from the two world wars, and no shadow of nuclear weapons. Shaped by the benevolence of the East and the finest technology, human civilization sets out early toward th 30Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Why read novels if you don't enjoy blockbuster movies costing hundreds of millions? Because novels are the catalyst that activates the magnificent world within your brain, a world that belongs only to you. They don't think for you, they just push that door open a little.

45. 245 他 After He Took the Throne, He Gave Me to Someone Else as a Concubine 他登基后把我赐给别人做妾 Eighty-Eight八拾捌Ancient Romance14k WordsCompleted After he ascended the throne, he bestowed me upon someone else as a concubine 2.4kReads—Score—Shelves
46. 246 伥 Changguai 伥怪 Thousand-Year Pea Pod千年豌豆荚Fantastical Romance63k WordsOngoing (Villains, madmen, extreme content, horror, male ghosts) [A lovesick, sensitive, affection-starved lunatic × a refined, gentle psychologist who is secretly depraved] “Drip.” “Drip.” My dead boyfriend grabs me by the ankle. He wants to drag me down into the abyss. My fear is swallowed whole. Who is snickering in the dark? And who is sobbing with their eyes covered? 1.9kReads6.1Score189Shelves

    Reader note

    This book is truly a short story, with the main text less than 10,000 words, but it includes a side story that is chilling and terrifying upon closer examination, especially after reading the side story, which contains many plot twists.

47. 247 绝 Thirty Days to Live: With Brain-Computer Tech, I’ll Ascend with 1.4 Billion Chinese People 绝命三十天：我用脑机，让十四亿华夏集体飞升 Logic God Usurper逻辑篡神44k WordsCompleted Thirty Days to Live: I Use Brain-Computer Interfaces to Ascend with 1.4 Billion Chinese People —Reads—Score—Shelves
48. 248 嫡 The Crippled Prince My Elder Sister Refused to Marry, I Helped Him to the Throne 嫡姐不愿嫁的残废王爷，被我扶上了龙椅 Singing at Dusk Among the Pines松间唱晚Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted My Elder Sister Refused to Marry the Disabled Prince, So I Helped Him Take the Throne 23Reads—Score—Shelves
49. 249 逆 Defying Fate: I Used a Billion-Dollar Lever to Hostile-Takeover the Heavenly Dao 逆转天命：我用百亿杠杆恶意收购了天道 Logic God Usurper逻辑篡神88k WordsCompleted Defying Fate: I Used a Ten-Billion-Yuan Lever to Hostilely Acquire the Heavenly Dao 1Reads—Score—Shelves
50. 250 哥 After My Siblings Came Out, I Became My Family’s Only Hope 哥哥姐姐出柜后，我成了家里唯一的希望 Singing at Dusk Among the Pines松间唱晚Marriage & Romance6k WordsCompleted After My Older Brother and Sister Came Out, I Became the Family's Only Hope 26Reads—Score—Shelves

Other lists with All These Years Working Away from Home