‘I have a question for you: who exactly do you think you are? You’re a mathematician, you are an intellectual singled out for special attention by the Party and the leaders of our country, and you still seem to find it appropriate to get together with a degenerate. What the hell do you think you’re doing? This is wrong!’

‘There are lots of things that are wrong in this world, and more of them apply to you than they do to me!’ I knew she was alluding to Xiaoyu, and the fact that I had set up a spirit altar to my wife when she was still alive. But that was a revolutionary necessity, and when I explained that, she said, ‘Well, as far as I’m concerned, this is a revolutionary necessity too. I need someone to love – that’s how I get my inspiration.’

‘That’s not love – he’s going to ruin your life!’

She glared at me. ‘If anyone has ruined my life, it’s you.’

I was silent for a moment, and then said earnestly: ‘Huang Yiyi, let me say this again: I want you to leave him.’

She didn’t even think about it, but said stubbornly, ‘No!’

My whole body was shaking, and I fumbled for a cigarette. She wouldn’t let me smoke in her room, but I ignored that and lit it anyway. She grabbed the cigarette out of my mouth, threw it on the floor and stamped on it. I jumped up, glaring angrily at her, and shouted, ‘Huang Yiyi, what the hell are you thinking of?’

She glared right back. ‘What do you think?’

‘Don’t you want to crack RECOVERY?’

‘Of course I do. In fact, I want to crack it more now than ever before. Do you know why? I want to be, to use your words, a heroine who can do anything. I want to be able to save other people.’