"Let not my heart yearn for what is gone, for alone I stand at four score years."

• For those wondering (since there's no synopsis), in 'Two or Three Things about Mr. and Mr.' Lu Tang, a young reporter, goes to interview an old opera master aged 80; after a misunderstanding which is immediately cleared by the old master -- we get to know about his beloved husband, their first meeting, and the affection they had for each other, everything is recounted by the old master himself.

• Throughout the oneshot, although we aren't shown their entire story, we get to read about their moments together, including those the old master holds dear to his heart and... those that pains him.

Honestly, I went to read it with zero expectations, and by the time I... more>> was done, I realised it might've just become one of my favourite oneshots of all time! If I were to describe it with only one word, I'd say it was 'bittersweet' -- neither too sweet nor too bitter, painful to a normal degree, reading this felt like there's a cat scratching at my heart.

Also, I must admit: the author's writing style and the translator's hardwork that went into translating this, is equally amazing. It's a beautiful read whether you're reading it raw or translated. <<less

Incredible translation!

I only wish something of this quality can be seen in longer novels, but I understand that it takes a lot of time and effort to produce translations of this quality.

But bravo, my hats off to the translator. Truly did the author's writing justice.

I was very moved by the story itself as well. Very unexpected and despite its short length, had a beautiful emotional impact. Felt like one of those things that could have been a true story.

beautiful, short, and concise.

The story is peaceful. The old gentleman is kind, and his words are gentle; this radiates through texts. To be honest, I was sad for a while. The part where the old gentleman is reminiscing about his husband is really emotional, but fortunately, they are not painful.

A great and detailed translation. I had a good time reading this.

A special thanks to the translator who added spectacularly detailed notes. While not necessary to understanding the story, it’s great for those interested in the details, differences in grammar, more literal meanings, etc.

Overall, a nice short story about an old Chinese Opera master and his dead husband as told through the lens of a reporter covering the Operatic arts. Written as an essay for an exam which gave a number of word prompts to choose from for a specific theme (described by translator).

Short but sweet.

This is a perfect gem of a story. There is so much deep meaning about love that lasts a lifetime, growing old together, the changing world, and how people and societies grow and change. There's so much emotional impact in a small space, and it's a beautiful story.

The original author is a master of the craft, and the translator is fantastic at conveying the emotion and thought behind the story. The writing reminds me of the best of Ray Bradbury or Neil Gaiman, that ability to take a snapshot of... more>> a place in time and make you FEEL it. It's amazing, and I'm blown away by how wonderful this story is. It hit HARD. <<less

How I wished I could write this well in exams. This was very short and had few feelings, but the words and expressions were beautiful. I would love to hear more about the central pairing, their past life sounds so interesting.

Who said that oneshot/short story can't be of good quality??? This one is a really good example, although very short it will definitely tug your heartstrings! Just read it, it's worth every second of your time!

How the story was told by the old opera master about him and his husband to the reporter, is poignant and yet beautiful. My heart hurts at the same time it evokes a different emotion of love, longing and beautiful memories altogether. There's so much love from his recollection of him and his husband's first... more>> meeting to their life together. I don't know how to explain it, but you will know once you read this one. This definitely hands down better than those some 120 chapters long novels out there!

That said, I highly recommend this nove!!! 5 stars!!!! ℒℴѵℯ*¨*• ♡ Also thank you to the translator! <<less

High quality work that is very rare to find. The story gave the nostalgic vibe and I loved the way the story is written. The way the translator explained the story in the beginning made a lot of sense to me. Story was really well written.

Thank you for your hard work!

Highly recommend!

Story was okay. It would've been better if it was longer since there wasn't much time between the reader becoming emotionally invested and the ending of the novel... the feelings didn't have enough time to grow.