The one-child policy, the social engineering carried out by the Chinese government to contain the birth rate, is taking its toll. China's population is declining and aging while the number of people living alone is increasing. and socially isolated. In 2025, China lost approximately 3.39 million inhabitants, and the birth rate fell by 17%, to its lowest level since records began. Efforts to stimulate birth rates and marriage are proving ineffective, and it is estimated that by 2030 there will be more than 200 million single-person households.

A few years ago, I had a creative writing professor who, on the first day of class, solemnly declared, "I won't accept romance or fantasy novels in my course. You can change your project if you come with these ideas." This statement, unbecoming of someone who should be guiding the development of new voices, goes beyond a mere literary preference and encapsulates an old legacy: the idea that there are serious and lesser literatures. It's no coincidence that this disdain tends to fall from the corner of genres traditionally considered feminine: romance, fantasy, and autofiction; while thought, culturally associated with the masculine sphere, has been considered the emblem of serious literature.

When I separated a few years ago, I began to truly value the time alone I had regained. I was able to read a lot again and, above all, write. One thing I've been clear about ever since is that I wouldn't live with a partner again, since my time alone is one of the things I value most and need to have a good quality of life.