An obvious fact is that when you discuss a topic you enjoy with someone else, time always flies by; but when you delve into less pleasant subjects, time can feel excruciatingly slow.
Just like Einstein once said, "If a man sits with a beautiful woman for an hour, he'll feel as if only a minute had passed; but if you make him sit on a hot stove for a minute, he'd feel as though more than an hour had gone by."
Whether Ms. Pulitzer could be considered a beauty, Zheng Qing felt was up for debate, but he was certain he felt as though he was sitting on a stove right now.
He pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at the time; since he had entered the cafe, only half an hour had passed.
He hadn't even finished a cup of coffee yet.
But he felt as if he had been chatting with the lady from the "Beta Town Post" for an entire day—the sweat on his back had soaked him and dried repeatedly, giving him a sticky and uncomfortable feeling.