short series

First Itch in Marriage

share time: 2026-02-26 12:30:15

Chen Siche and Wang Xuan have been married for three years—she’s a designer worn down by demanding clients, he’s a programmer who uses “overtime” as his catchphrase. Their life is a well-oiled routine: the soy milk is always the perfect temperature in the morning, and Wang Xuan’s tie is always navy. Until an intern in the elevator says, “Sis, the spark in your eyes is dimmer than my mom’s,” shattering Chen’s numbness. Wang Xuan finds an unsent ticket for *Rhino in Love*—the play Chen mentioned three times—in the drawer, only to realize he’d lied about working overtime last Saturday (he’d covered a colleague’s trivial night shift instead). Tonight, Chen applies and wipes off her new lipstick, while Wang Xuan stands at the doorway holding the crumpled ticket. The clock strikes 7:30, and both stare at their unsent messages: “Shall we talk?” Just then, Chen gets a text from her college senior inviting her to the play, and Wang Xuan’s WeChat pings with an urgent overtime request. Is this first “itch” in their marriage the start of a rift, or a chance to reconnect?

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