50 Friends1

Changan had never been one to indulge in pretense, and as his friend, I considered myself well acquainted with his personality.

He possessed a stubborn—or rather, a contrarian—streak. If I directly asked him to do something, he might comply; but if I outright forbade him from doing something, he might just develop an oppositional attitude, insisting on doing exactly what was forbidden and announcing it loud and clear, as if afraid no one would notice.

Therefore, I was acutely aware that if I suddenly distanced myself without saying anything or bluntly told him we were done, he would never accept it. Worse, he might even hound me daily. That was the last thing I wanted to see. I had no wish to pass on the misfortune Mazao had inflicted on me to him.

Deep down, I already had a detailed plan to distance myself from Changan and other normal inter-personal relationships. This distancing wasn't going to be abrupt, but rather, gradual and progressive.