ITCH, ITCH, ITCH

Zhao Ziqiang and Qian Wang have lived together for seven years in a small apartment. Zhao Ziqiang works at an insurance company and handles all domestic duties, including cooking and cleaning, while Qian Wang is a university professor. Their relationship appears stable on the surface, with Zhao Ziqiang expressing love every night before sleep. However, the dynamic is strained by Qian Wang’s emotional distance and lack of physical affection. The tension escalates when Lao Wang, a mutual friend, discovers Qian Wang being intimate with Sun Kan, a young student, in his office. Instead of confronting Qian Wang directly, Lao Wang informs Zhao Ziqiang, who then visits Sun Kan’s home to warn the boy’s parents, causing a public scene.

Following this confrontation, Zhao Ziqiang drinks heavily at a gay bar and returns home drunk but composed. The next day, during the Lunar New Year holiday, he discovers Qian Wang’s infidelity is ongoing. When Zhao Ziqiang asks Qian Wang about Sun Kan, Qian Wang becomes aggressive and punches him. Zhao Ziqiang does not retaliate but retreats to the bedroom. Qian Wang, feeling guilty yet drawn to the excitement of the affair, chooses to comfort Sun Kan instead of apologizing to Zhao Ziqiang. He spends New Year’s Eve with Sun Kan, leaving Zhao Ziqiang alone. Zhao Ziqiang eventually realizes that Qian Wang no longer loves him and decides to end the relationship. He packs his belongings and moves out, returning to his parents’ home.

After the breakup, Zhao Ziqiang resigns from his insurance job and seeks a new direction. He finds employment as a kitchen helper at a small restaurant owned by a couple named Sun and Wang. The environment is vastly different from his previous life; he lives in a small room above the shop and shares meals with the family. Among them is Sun Wanjue, the teenage son of the owners, who initially appears aloof and rude but gradually reveals a softer side. Zhao Ziqiang forms a tentative bond with Sun Wanjue, helping him with homework and accompanying him to the bathroom due to the boy’s fear. This new routine provides Zhao Ziqiang with a sense of purpose and belonging he lacked in his relationship with Qian Wang.

Meanwhile, Qian Wang struggles with regret and loneliness. Sun Kan moves into Qian Wang’s apartment, but the relationship lacks the depth Qian Wang expected. Sun Kan’s attempts to please Qian Wang, such as cooking breakfast, only highlight the absence of Zhao Ziqiang’s care. Qian Wang realizes too late that he took Zhao Ziqiang for granted. He attempts to contact Zhao Ziqiang, who has changed his number and ignores his calls. Qian Wang’s family and Sun Kan’s family both disapprove of the affair, adding to his isolation. He reflects on his mistakes, acknowledging that he treated Zhao Ziqiang as a placeholder while pursuing fleeting excitement with Sun Kan.

The story contrasts the two men’s post-breakup lives. Zhao Ziqiang finds peace in the simple, honest interactions at the restaurant. He watches Sun Wanjue grow more comfortable around him and feels a sense of familial warmth. In contrast, Qian Wang is haunted by memories of Zhao Ziqiang and the emptiness of his current situation. He visits the restaurant one day and sees Zhao Ziqiang laughing with the Sun family, realizing how much he has lost. The narrative concludes with Zhao Ziqiang beginning to heal and rebuild his life, while Qian Wang is left to confront the consequences of his actions without the person who once supported him unconditionally.