People's republic of desire

There are all kinds of pain and unhappiness in our lives. Self-denial, being unable to reach our goals, and poor health are just a few of the myriad ways we suffer. For the 30-something Beibei, the most unbearable pain is when she can't find a man to say he loves her. Despite more than 10 years of marriage, Beibei and her husband, Hua, don't get along. But only their closest friends know they both have their own lovers. The only difference is that, for years, Hua has been with the same woman, while Beibei continually seeks temporary comfort and escape with different men.

For Beibei and Hua, adultery is an obsolete word. They call their union 'an expanded marriage'; the most apt description of their lifestyle is 'married with extra-marital affairs'. Beibei and Hua belong to the huge group who claim they are too lazy to get a divorce. 'What's the point?' asks Hua. 'Men are all the same,' claims Beibei echoing the familiar mantra of women with unfaithful husbands.

Beibei not only doesn't believe in fidelity within marriage, she is also among the rising population of white-collar, young Chinese who embrace the idea of the one-night stand. To them, traditional Confucian moral values, which the Chinese have clung to for thousands of years, have lost their validity and make little sense in a world of instant gratification. The new precept is: 'If you see something you like, go for it.'

According to a recent survey, 37 per cent of all one-night stands take place after meeting a partner on the internet. Beibei doesn't like the uncertainty of the information superhighway. She sticks with the traditional method, picking up guys or waiting for guys to pick her up in bars, dance clubs or even on the street. This way you won't be surprised or disappointed on the initial meeting.

Beibei tells her friends, Niuniu and Lulu, about her rendezvous with men on the street. 'It's so easy. Sometimes, I just wear some makeup and revealing clothes. As I walk on the street, men would come to me and ask me if I'd be interested in being their girlfriend for one day or two. It's all upfront - there's no need to wonder if he will call you the day after.'

Beibei is daring, but she also sets a rule for herself: no repetitions. For her, the most embarrassing moment is accidentally meeting her man-toy in the same bar where they first met. Normally, she pretends she doesn't know the man and looks for new faces.

One night, Beibei brings Niuniu and Lulu to a place called The Bananas. As the girls order cocktails, Beibei spots Luyi, her passionate fling from just yesterday. As usual, she ignores his existence. But Luyi walks towards her. Beibei starts to complain, 'That guy walking towards us was with me last night. It looks like he wants to bother me again. Let's get out.'

Before the three girls can make their move, Luyi turns to a girl sitting alone near them. He works as if he is wired into some ultra-sensory network to locate an available and accommodating miss. But his neurons may have misfired, as the young woman waves him off with hardly a glance.

He walks in Beibei's direction. Beibei says to him: 'Sorry, I won't have the same item on the menu on consecutive nights.'

'I was going to say hello to your lovely friends to see if they have some free time tonight,' Luyi says politely.

'Why not that young woman over there?' Beibei points to the woman who rejected him. As he turns to see who she is pointing at, Beibei and her friends vanish. Like they were signing off from an internet chat, a click and they are gone.