Dynamics of a Breakup - Part 1

Calm Waters:

Evenings are the best time of day. Unlike mornings, you don't have to worry about getting ready for work. You no longer have to endure the burning glare of the afternoon sun. And you can laze around like you do at night while still pretending to be productive.

That is how we find the famous novelist, An Mei, who was currently sitting on a soft leather couch in her husband Li Wei's home office, pretending to work on her romantic hero's tragic backstory. Despite her artistic efforts, at the moment her attention was completely captured by her own very real romantic hero, who was standing only a few feet from her. The fictional one did not really stand a chance.

Unlike his wife, Li Wei was actually working. He would write a series of equations on the whiteboard, erase them, gaze into oblivion for a little while, and furiously scribble another batch as new inspiration struck. The process would then repeat. Even though he had been at it for some time now, Li Wei did not seem to be making much progress.

An Mei did not understand even the tiniest bit of what he wrote, but she immensely enjoyed watching him do it. By the way he stood and the direction in which he tilted his head, she could tell if he was stuck or on the verge of a breakthrough. She could sense the tension in his frame and the joy he felt upon successfully accomplishing his goal. And she could share in his frustration if the problem remained untamed.

An Mei, unwilling to fulfill herself with mere eye candy, decided to top off this perfect evening by feeling her husband's warmth against her skin. She stood up and gravitated towards Li Wei, and after a soft impact, gently embraced him from behind.

The tension in Li Wei's posture suddenly subsided as he eased himself into her touch. An Mei kissed him on the neck and buried her face in his back, taking in his familiar scent and the comfortable warmth of his presence.

"What are you working on, Weiwei?" she asked, without lifting her head off of its resting place.

Li Wei thought for a little while about how to explain it in terms his wife could understand.

"Well, I am trying to show that if you have some water that is flowing nicely, then there is a way to keep it flowing nicely."

"That doesn't seem so hard."

"You would think, but proving it seems to be much harder. And, strange things might happen."

"What kind of strange things?"

"There might be turbulence, which could cause velocities to become infinite."

"That could happen?"

"You never know. It is definitely a possibility. But hopefully, everything will always return to normal."

"Ummm... I like normal."

Li Wei slowly turned around to face his wife, who was now almost dozing off. He wrapped his arms around her and gently started stroking her head.

"Are you planning on sleeping right here?" he asked.

"It's comfortable."

"Should we go to the bedroom?"

"I would like that, but you will have to carry me."

"It would be my pleasure."

Just as Li Wei was about to lift An Mei into his arms, her phone rang.

An Mei groaned and reluctantly extricated herself from her husband's embrace. But when she picked up the phone, her lethargic demeanor vanished completely and was replaced by guarded enthusiasm. Li Jing, her fourth sister-in-law, was calling.

"Hello?! Jing-jie. Yeah, I am free." ... "He is right here." ... "He was trying to solve some math problem." ... An Mei chuckled softly. "Yeah. Why?"

Li Wei, unexpectedly finding himself having to compete with his sister for his wife's attention, was not willing to go down without a fight. He cuddled up to his wife and started placing soft kisses on the nape of her neck. The conversation between the sisters-in-law continued, with An Mei now being happily distracted by the gentle caress of her husband's lips.

"Really? That's wonderful, jie." ... "Yeah... yeah. I know." ... "I am really happy for you."

Even though he was enjoying teasing his wife, Li Wei started feeling a growing sense of apprehension at this seemingly sudden joyous news. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything new going on with Li Jing's work. But that meant...

"We can do that." ... "Definitely." ... "Yes. I would love to meet him."

Him?!

Li Wei's brain did a backward flip, unwilling to admit the reality that was descending upon him.

Surely not, he thought. Not another one.

"Yes, jie."... "Yeah. I will see you then."

With that, the call ended, and An Mei turned her full attention back to her clinging husband.

"So..." Li Wei began with caution. "You both seemed excited. What is the good news?"

"Well. It is wonderful news, actually. Your fourth sister has found herself a new boyfriend. Apparently he is 'The One'."

Li Wei groaned like a man who had become a veteran at enduring this particular torment.

"'The One'?! Is this the same 'The One' from three months ago?"

"Be nice, Weiwei. You know that was just for the media and wasn't real."

"Or perhaps 'The One' from six months ago?"

"Well, that was... a bad choice, I admit."

"Or maybe it's 'The One' from last year. You know, the guy who tried to get me to buy into a pyramid scheme disguised as an investment strategy."

"I see what you are saying. There might have been some missteps along the way."

"Missteps?" Li Wei snorted. "Honey, I know you are being considerate. But we both know that Jing-jie has a tendency to choose the worst boyfriends with an almost mathematical precision."

"That's a very cynical way of looking at things, Weiwei. Maybe this time it really is 'The One'; you never know."

"Mei, you are a newcomer at this. I have seen this dance play out over and over again. Forgive me if I don't share your enthusiasm."

"By the way she described him, he seems like a really nice guy, and he doesn't seem to have the bad habits of the others," An Mei offered. "He is also an investment banker with a prestigious firm. That's a good thing, right? He has a respectable profession, seems nice, and she likes him. What more do you need?"

"You have a way of making even the most terrible things sound nice. But I won't believe it until I see it."

"If you do want to see it, you can come with me tomorrow to meet him."

"You are going to meet him?"

"Of course. Since none of her siblings are interested, I have to go and represent the family."

"Well, good luck with that. I will be staying here working on my problem and being right."

An Mei knew a losing battle when she saw one. So, she decided to pivot the direction of the conversation.

"Enough about Jing-jie's boyfriend. I seem to remember my own wonderful husband promising to carry me to the bedroom."

"Really? And what might this husband of yours do in the bedroom?" Li Wei asked mischievously.

"Well, he will just have to try and find out, won't he?" An Mei replied coyly.

Li Wei quickly lifted his wife off the ground and started carrying her towards their bedroom while being kissed by a giggling An Mei.

*     *     *

Glossary:

If you have some water... = Here Li Wei is talking about the Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem. One of the seven Millennium Prize problems.