“After alerting his landlord of his impending trip to Dalian, Bao visits his older brother. There’s no real need to, but Bao dutifully updates him. These little check-ins, brief yet cordial, perpetuate the illusion that they’re close. Bao learned long ago that frequency is a good substitute for intimacy.”

“After alerting his landlord of his impending trip to Dalian, Bao visits his older brother. There’s no real need to, but Bao dutifully updates him. These little check-ins, brief yet cordial, perpetuate the illusion that they’re close. Bao learned long ago that frequency is a good substitute for intimacy.”

— Yangsze Choo