You'd Better Call Off the Engagement ASAP

Shi Zhi is a reclusive architectural draftsman who has spent the last two months isolated in his home, struggling with the aftermath of his fiancé Xu Yining’s infidelity. The conflict begins when Yu Chongyao, Xu Yining’s lover, confronts Shi Zhi in person. Rather than reacting with anger or hysteria as Yu Chongyao expects, Shi Zhi remains detached and agreeable, promising to call off the engagement. This passive response unsettles Yu Chongyao, who had prepared for a dramatic confrontation. After the meeting, Shi Zhi wanders into a bar, unaware that it is a gay establishment. He is subsequently cornered in an alley by two men who attempt to assault him after drugging his drink.

Fu Yuchu, a sharp-tongued and cold lawyer, intervenes to save Shi Zhi. He drives the disoriented Shi Zhi to a hotel, where he discovers that the drug is causing Shi Zhi physical distress. Despite his initial reluctance and moral reservations about becoming involved with a man who is still technically engaged, Fu Yuchu succumbs to the situation. The two engage in a sexual encounter, after which Shi Zhi leaves early the next morning without saying goodbye, leaving behind eight hundred yuan which Fu Yuchu interprets as payment for services rather than a genuine gesture of connection. Shi Zhi returns to his empty apartment, attempting to normalize his life while hiding the physical marks of the previous night.

Seeking legal counsel to recover assets his parents left him, which Xu Yining’s family has appropriated, Shi Zhi visits the Zheng Jue law firm. He is initially received by Lawyer Xiang Jing but expresses a desire to consult with the firm’s specialist in emotional disputes, Fu Yuchu. When Fu Yuchu enters the room, he recognizes Shi Zhi as the man he slept with. Fu Yuchu is visibly irritated, not only by the lack of closure from the previous night but also by the revelation that Shi Zhi had already decided to break up with Xu Yining two months prior, meaning Fu Yuchu was not the cause of the breakup but merely a stranger Shi Zhi turned to after the fact. Fu Yuchu subjects Shi Zhi to sarcastic and biting commentary throughout the consultation, questioning his principles and mocking his situation, yet ultimately agrees to take the case.

After the consultation, Fu Yuchu offers Shi Zhi a ride home. During the drive, tensions rise when Fu Yuchu makes a derogatory comment about Shi Zhi’s sexual history and health, causing Shi Zhi to become visibly upset. Fu Yuchu apologizes and takes him to dinner to make amends. During the meal, Shi Zhi reflects on the nature of his relationship with Xu Yining, realizing that while Xu Yining claimed to love him, he failed to remember basic preferences and prioritized his affair over their commitment. Shi Zhi questions Fu Yuchu about the definition of love, a question that lingers between them. The story concludes with Shi Zhi returning home to face Xu Yining’s return, while Fu Yuchu is left with a memento Shi Zhi forgot, signaling a deepening, albeit complicated, connection between the two men as they navigate the legal and emotional fallout of the broken engagement.