The Person Pretending to Sleep

Author: Dexin Kong
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3831-5725
Structured and refined with assistance from ChatGPT
AI Automatic Translation (Unreviewed)

Fragment

Around 2009, or perhaps even earlier,
I once spent more than 30 consecutive hours working with colleagues to resolve an urgent issue in a project.

At around 2 PM, I got on the subway on my way home, planning to finally get some sleep.

I was exhausted.

The carriage was not crowded, and there were still seats available.

I found a seat, adjusted into a more comfortable position, and closed my eyes.

Half asleep, I was suddenly awakened by a rough pat on my shoulder.

Sitting beside me was a young woman who looked cheerful and energetic.

Still seated in her own place,
she gestured toward an elderly passenger who had just boarded,
looking at me as if I should give up my seat.

My mind was still foggy from exhaustion.

Instinctively, I stood up.

After the elderly passenger sat down, he repeatedly thanked the young woman beside him.

Some people in the carriage looked at her approvingly.

Some glanced at me briefly before looking away.

And just like that, I became “the person pretending to sleep.”

Note:
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Because of limited time and maintenance capacity,
English documents may contain translation inaccuracies or semantic deviations from the original Chinese texts.
The Chinese version remains the primary reference whenever ambiguity exists.