(English version follows)
Author's Note: 我對天壇西里抱有莫名的執念。 並且不太會給人物取名字。
謝禹川從未真正喜歡過這條巷子。
若不是自己蝸居其中，他不會相信這片蜷縮在陶然亭和天壇公園懷抱中，淹沒於北京城中心繁華和喧囂裡的街區會是這樣一番光景。
每天晚上，從西二旗趕著末班車回家的他會在珠市口下車，然後步行走過前門大街。深夜的街頭人影零落，謝禹川能趁這段時間打開手機準備即將到來的雅思考試，直到屏幕上反射出天壇醫院的燈光 —— 這個點的醫院前已沒有人頭攢動，但空氣中殘存的希望和掙扎的氣息仍隱喻著此處經歷過的悲歡離合。磚紅圍牆後，是由無聲地與醫院對峙著的壽衣店組成的商業街，而他會在這條街的盡頭，從閃爍著的 LED 牌匾下拐入通往出租屋的暗巷。
步入巷子的他會放慢腳步，小心地避開月色下泛著光的積水。它們也許來自掛在牆上的空調外機，但更多地源於巷子兩側野蠻生長的棚屋。這些違章建築結合在飽經風霜的社區圍牆邊，彷彿本就是它的一部分。儘管生活污水帶來了暗巷特殊的氣味，一家快餐店仍頑強地在其中找到了立足之地。大堂內的燈光透過不再透明的塑料門簾為晚歸者行路提供了便利，也給寄居四周拮据的病人帶來了生活的一絲光明。
今晚，這燈光讓謝禹川看清了橫跨道路的電線，讓他在被絆倒之前及時調整了步伐。電線延伸到街角，經由零亂的插座分支而纏繞，為整排的助力車提供能量。它們依靠著一面發黑的圍牆，碳化的痕跡向上蔓延，剛好能抵達謝禹川的窗口——上個星期，一輛電動車在充電時起火，引發了一場規模不小的火災。調查表明，罪魁禍首正是疏於保養的電線和插座。下次一定要關好窗戶，謝禹川想著，這套設施看起來也並不是新的。
他加快腳步，終於找到了自己的單元入口。住在一樓的老太太還在躺門口的搖椅上乘涼，在他輕步經過身邊時發出了不滿的嘟囔聲。他快步走上樓，打開房門，然後在關好門之後放心地呼吸起來，彷彿屋內的空氣與暗巷中的有任何差別。
他試著撥動一下開關，燈並沒有亮 —— 為了還上信用卡，他一直沒有顧及電費賬單。在屋內混沌的黑暗中，謝禹川有些喘不過氣來。他摸索著走向透著微光的窗戶，靠在玻璃前點上一支煙，凝視暗巷。
Author's Note: The Temple of Heaven's West Lane holds an inexplicable grip on my soul. And I've never been good at naming characters.
Xie Yuchuan never truly loved this alley.
Had he not been living there himself, he would never have believed that this district—nestled between Taoranting and the Temple of Heaven Park, submerged in the bustle and glamour of central Beijing—could present such a scene.
Every night, rushing to catch the last train from West Xierqi, he would get off at Zhushikou Station and walk through Qianmen Street. In the sparse crowds of midnight, Xie Yuchuan would use this time to study for his upcoming IELTS exam on his phone, until the screen caught the reflection of the Temple of Heaven Hospital's lights—at this hour, the hospital entrance was no longer crowded, yet the air still carried lingering traces of hope and struggle, hinting at the joys and sorrows that had passed through. Behind the brick-red walls lay a commercial street of funeral clothing shops, silently facing off against the hospital. At the end of this street, beneath flickering LED signboards, he would turn into the dark alley leading to his rental room.
Entering the alley, he would slow his pace, carefully avoiding puddles gleaming under moonlight. They might have dripped from air conditioning units mounted on walls, but more likely originated from the shanties that grew wild along both sides of the alley. These illegal structures merged with the weather-beaten community walls as if they had always been one. Despite the distinct odor brought by household wastewater, a fast-food restaurant had stubbornly carved out its place here. Light from its dining hall, filtering through no-longer-transparent plastic curtains, guided late-night wanderers and offered a glimmer of hope to the struggling patients living nearby.
Tonight, this light revealed the electrical wires crossing the road, allowing him to adjust his stride before stumbling. The wires stretched to the corner, tangling through messy socket branches to power a row of electric bikes. They leaned against a blackened wall, its carbonized traces climbing upward, reaching just below Xie Yuchuan's window—last week, an electric bike had caught fire while charging, causing a significant blaze. Investigation showed the culprits were poorly maintained wires and sockets. Must remember to close the windows next time, Xie Yuchuan thought, these installations clearly weren't new.
He quickened his pace, finally finding his building entrance. The old lady living on the first floor was still cooling off in her rocking chair by the door, muttering disapprovingly as he quietly passed. He hurried upstairs, opened his door, and only after closing it did he breathe freely, as if the air inside differed at all from that in the alley.
He tried flicking the switch—the lights didn't come on—to pay off his credit card, he had neglected the electricity bill. In the chaotic darkness of his room, Xie Yuchuan felt short of breath. He fumbled his way toward the faintly lit window, leaned against the glass, lit a cigarette, and gazed into the dark alley.