Annie Wang - The People’s Republic of Desire

"I asked her how she got my phone number. She said her name was Liu Hong, that Ximu was not there. She was looking after his mobile phone for him, and she saw my number on his phone. I knew this woman. She was the Japanese woman who had grown up in China, who lived with Ximu. Ximu had told me that there was nothing special about her, but she had a good body and she could do accounting. His math was terrible, and Ximu needed a woman to keep his books, so he lived with her.

"Liu Hong said she was Ximu's wife. Then she asked me if I was Lulu. I said, 'How do you know my name?' She said, 'My husband often mentions you to me, praises you. Your name has long resounded in my ears.' I said, 'You two are married? Why hasn't Ximu told me? Isn't he still married to his French wife?' She said, 'They divorced two years ago. We've been married for almost a year. We were married in my hometown of Nikko. The mayor of Nikko even came to the wedding; he said our wedding was a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship. Did Ximu really not tell you? At the moment, he's gone to Hong Kong specifically to buy me a big diamond ring for our first anniversary. Wait until he gets back, I'll be sure to ask him how he could forget his friend Lulu like that!' Then she asked me if I had any message to pass on to Ximu. I didn't say anything, just hung up the phone.

"I thought she must be lying, to try to get at me. She was angry because Ximu loved me more than her. Because Ximu loved freedom so much he didn't want to remarry. Even if he did get married, it wouldn't be to this common woman, always flaunting that Japanese thing of hers. What's more, why would Ximu be so kitschy as to buy a diamond ring? Ximu never liked to give women gifts. He has never given me any gifts. He said that was all so vulgar.

"A couple of days later, the elusive Ximu came looking for me. We made love wildly. That night, I had eight orgasms, that feeling like you are floating with the angels, like you're going to die. Later, we listened to Yo-Yo Ma's cello solos, lit candles, drank French wine, had a bubble bath. We were exhausted. Before that we were wild, we totally didn't even have the ch ance to talk. Then, when we were quiet and I was nestled in his arms, I asked him, 'Where did you go? I missed you so much!' He said Hong Kong. As soon as I heard that, I thought, Liu Hong wasn't lying to me about the place.

"Then I asked Ximu why he went to Hong Kong? He said he had to buy something. When I heard that, my heart jumped. Liu Hong said he had gone to buy a diamond ring – could it be true? 'Are you remarried?' I asked him, my tone very casual. I thought the answer would be no, but his face changed instantly. 'Who told you?' he asked me very seriously.

"I was dumbfounded. My head swam. Because, it was too simple, his expression and reaction had answered everything. He really was remarried. But why? Wasn't he a free spirit? Didn't he hate those common women? Why did he secretly get divorced and then remarried? Why did he have to deceive me? I raised my head, looked at him through the steam of the bathroom. I couldn't say a word. 'Listen to me,' he said. In the steam and candlelight, his face was still so impossibly vivid. This man who had just joined his spirit and flesh with mine was nothing more than a despicable cheat. I threw my glass of wine in his face, leaped dripping out of the bath, and ran to the bed crying.

"He chased after me naked, he begged me, knelt down, and made me listen to his explanation. He said even though he was remarried it wouldn't affect our relationship. He had told Liu Hong about his love for me. He said Liu Hong understood him. He also said that the three of us could live together."

"He wants to have a wife and make you his lover?" I scream. "In his dreams! Who does he think he is? He makes me sick."

Lulu snorts, "Does he think he's an emperor, that he can keep an imperial harem? Fuck! There are men on this earth who are so full of themselves."

"He became so outrageous because you spoiled him. After he thought you were his, he started to take you for granted. He didn't take you seriously. So, you have to leave him," I say as I slam my fist on the table.

"He finally showed me his true face. I can finally be rid of him because I have already begun to despise him. But I just don't understand, even though he always said I was the one he loved, why did he marry Liu Hong? He said that woman was common. He said he loved me. Are men's words so unreliable?"

Lulu is exhausted from anger. She closes her eyes and rests in my arms, her face tear-stained. I use a tissue to gently wipe her face.

"Niuniu, tell me, are American girls taken advantage of just as much by guys?" Lulu whispers.

I sigh. "To be honest, American girls don't spoil men like you did. They wouldn't put up with men messing around. 'If you don't treat me well, then let's get divorced. Half of your property belongs to me!' American women are like that."

"So much self-respect! I wish I had been born in America."

"But I think American women would be devastated and have a hard time facing the truth too," I add out of sympathy.

Lulu's five-year love affair with the self-professed free spirit Ximu finally ends. But what can be done to bring the neurotic Lulu back down to earth?

I tell Lulu about myself. After I was dumped by Len, my shrink told me to regain my self-confidence by developing my potential and focusing on my career. Probably this is also what Lulu needs the most.

Beibei and I have formulated a Saving-Our-Comrade-in-Arms-Lulu plan. First, we buy Lulu a new computer. We hope she will start writing. Everyone who knows Lulu agrees that she is a talented writer. She is sexy, works in the fashion world, knows how to pose for the camera, and relates heartbreaking love stories: she has all the makings of a meinu zuojia, a pretty woman author. All she lacks is the most important part, a published book. Beibei invites Lulu to write song lyrics for her singers. Five thousand yuan per song. Not bad pay in the primary stages of socialism. I contact RedSkirt.com, which agrees to let Lulu be the part-time editor of their fashion channel over the weekend. Lulu will be so busy she won't have time to dwell on Ximu.

After everything is arranged, Beibei and I invite Lulu to dinner at Shun Feng on East Third Ring Road. I wanted to bring along a shrink, Dr. B, but Beibei believes that a fortune-teller and a feng shui master might be more appropriate. She brings along Master Bright Moon.

Bright Moon is from the ancient capital Xi'an and specializes in Taoist metaphysics and mysticism. He left his family at a young age to become a Taoist priest. It is said that he tells the fortunes of government leaders and celebrities. The most famous story is about an Olympic gold medalist named Wendy.

Before Wendy left for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, she was depressed because she suffered from back pains But Bright Moon told her that she would definitely win if she slept on her left side instead of her right side after arriving in Sydney. Wendy followed Bright Moon's advice and her back pain disappeared. She won the gold.

Just as off-beat spiritual movements such as kabbalah are popular among the Hollywood crowd, it's fashionable these days for Chinese pop stars to have fortune-tellers and monks around them. Rumor has it that the reason certain Cantonese pop singers can stay at the top of the charts for many years continually is because they always have Taoist masters following them.

Celebrities respect Bright Moon. He charges one thousand yuan per hour, more than a psychologist, yet demand still exceeds supply. One has to wait at least one month to get an appointment with him. Plus, he accepts clients only through referral. One of Beibei's pop stars, Lan Huahua, gives up her own appointment with Bright Moon to Beibei, in order to suck up to Beibei.