Xu Zechen, the first post-1970s recipient of the prestigious Mao Dun Literature Award, returns with a new collection: Collection of Stories in the Western Suburbs of Beijing. Nine interconnected stories - On the Roof, The Wheel is Round, The Six Eared Monkey, Adulthood Ceremony, The Invisible City, The Dog Barked All Day, The Prince of Morocco, If the Snow Blocks the Door, and Brothers - delve into the lives of a group young people from Flower Street adjusting to the gritty realities of Beijing’s western suburbs. Xing Jian, Mi Luo, Mu Yu, and Bao Lai are among these individuals who are navigating challenges with unwavering spirit. Though uncertainties cloud their future, they refuse to be defined by the present. When dreams of city life feel elusive, they seek solace in rooftop sunsets, gazing upon the urban jungle ablaze with neon. Under the gentle glow of streetlights, night transforms Beijing into a vast, dreamlike sprawl. In this city, isolation can echo unanswered, yet connection may unexpectedly arise. Strangers become mirrors, reflecting individual and collective experiences. The sense of alienation gradually gives way to a profound realization: “Everyone is you, and you are also everyone.”