After Six Years of Dating, We Broke Up

Song Wenzhou is a composed and professional architect who recently ended a six-year romantic relationship with his partner, Mu Chi. After cohabiting for four years, Song Wenzhou has moved into a new apartment, yet he struggles to adapt to waking up alone. His routine is immediately disrupted when Mu Chi appears at his workplace parking lot, looking visibly exhausted and disheveled. Mu Chi attempts to rekindle their connection by returning a set of keys Song Wenzhou had left behind, but notably keeps a basketball-shaped keychain that Song Wenzhou had gifted him years ago. Despite the awkward tension and Song Wenzhou’s cold demeanor, Mu Chi persists, bringing him favorite fish fillet porridge and insisting on caring for him, revealing his deep reluctance to let go of the relationship.

The narrative shifts to their past, beginning in their second year of high school when Song Wenzhou transferred to a new school due to his parents' relocation. He is seated next to Mu Chi, a loud, energetic, and socially dominant student known for changing deskmates frequently. Contrary to the bets placed by their classmates that their pairing would last only days, Mu Chi declares his intention to keep Song Wenzhou as his deskmate for two years. Mu Chi becomes intensely attentive, interpreting Song Wenzhou’s quiet nature as loneliness and going to great lengths to include him, such as making a spare key for the dormitory and accompanying him everywhere. Their bond deepens through shared experiences, including a spicy hot pot incident where Mu Chi carries a sick Song Wenzhou to the hospital in the middle of the night, solidifying a connection that evolves into romance.

Ten years later, the power dynamic in their relationship has shifted. Mu Chi is now a successful and wealthy businessman who openly flaunts the basketball keychain as a symbol of their love, boasting to colleagues that it represents the beginning of their partnership. However, the relationship has deteriorated, leading to the recent breakup. Song Wenzhou attempts to maintain emotional distance, refusing to accept gifts or engage in familiar banter, yet he finds himself haunted by memories of their intimacy and Mu Chi’s devoted care. The core conflict centers on Mu Chi’s inability to accept the separation; he continues to invade Song Wenzhou’s personal space, renting the parking spot next to him and monitoring his well-being, while Song Wenzhou tries to rebuild an independent life without him.

Key objects serve as emotional anchors throughout the story. The basketball keychain, originally a simple ten-yuan gift from Song Wenzhou, becomes a prized possession for Mu Chi, who replaces the charm with silver to preserve it. Conversely, Song Wenzhou keeps a small black box containing a single button pried from Mu Chi’s shirt during their teenage years, a relic he has refused to discard for a decade. These items highlight the disparity in how they process the breakup: Mu Chi clings to symbols of their union, while Song Wenzhou silently preserves fragments of their history even as he tries to move on. The story explores the lingering attachment between two men who share a decade of intertwined lives, questioning whether Mu Chi’s persistent pursuit can bridge the gap that led to their separation or if Song Wenzhou’s resolve to remain independent will ultimately prevail.

As the story progresses, Song Wenzhou faces the challenge of balancing his professional responsibilities with the emotional intrusion of his ex-partner. His colleagues notice a shift in his mood, indicating that the breakup has affected him more than he admits. Meanwhile, Mu Chi’s behavior oscillates between desperate affection and playful teasing, refusing to acknowledge the finality of the split. The narrative suggests that their history, rooted in high school innocence and forged through years of mutual support, creates a complex web of dependency that neither is ready to fully untangle. The central tension remains unresolved, leaving the future of their relationship hanging in the balance as both men navigate the aftermath of a love that has transformed from youthful passion into a complicated, enduring bond.