Before Sunset

王眠天津博集新媒科技有限公司Apr 2026

3.2

Word count: 94K words
Chapters: 31

Summary

A collection of bedtime stories, 23 pieces in all—about love, family, and disappointment, along with some scattered thoughts.

I haven't written chicken soup for the soul. I could, but I don't want to deceive anyone. Life doesn't gradually get better; most lives follow the rules, stay the same, and slowly settle into ordinariness. When everything is settled, it seems one can say to others, I'm doing pretty well.

When you're bored with nothing to do, hiding in the bathroom, it can help pass the time.

I don't write well, and I tell it slowly. The slower things are, the more deeply they're remembered.

I hope you enjoy it.

Editor's review

Before Sunset is an honest collection of bedtime stories. In 23 short pieces, Wang Mian writes about love, family, and disappointment, offering no cheap comfort and no manufactured drama. Its value lies in acknowledging the ordinariness and routine of life, and in placing those scattered thoughts that are hard to voice into short stories one by one. The pace is slow, exactly as the author says: "the slower things are, the more deeply they're remembered." Suitable for dipping into a piece or two before sleep, on the commute, or in a brief moment alone—no need to read continuously, and no need to expect plot progression. It is more like a friend who doesn't rush to persuade you, helping you put the day's emotions away. If you're tired of being encouraged and instructed, and just want someone to calmly tell a few fragments about ordinary people, this book will feel just right.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want short pieces before sleep and don't want to be pulled along by plot
General readers who resonate with themes of love, family, and disappointment
Those who like a slow, restrained, non-chicken-soup narrative style
People who need light reading on the commute or in fragmented time

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting strong plot, twists, or a complete storyline
Those hoping to gain clear methods or motivation from reading
Readers who prefer fast-paced, high-density texts

Reading tips

Read one or two pieces each night, in no particular order; put the book down when done.
Jot down sentences that move you; no need for a full reading response.
Skip any piece that doesn't resonate—short story collections allow browsing.
When feeling low, prioritize the family or disappointment pieces and avoid reading overly long ones before sleep.

About the publisher

天津博集新媒科技有限公司

Tianjin Boji Xinmei Technology Co., Ltd. is a publisher focused mainly on literature and general reading. Public information about the company is limited, but its catalog of nearly one thousand titles indicates publishing directions that include mystery and detective fiction, foreign literature, classic works, health, and Eastern philosophy. Representative publications include The Complete Dark Stories of Edgar Allan Poe, the works of Jo Nesbø, Nobel laureates John Steinbeck and Yasunari Kawabata, the collected works of Shi Tiesheng, and the healing books of neurologist Oliver Sacks. Its author resources combine foreign classics such as Poe, Steinbeck, and Kawabata with contemporary mystery writers like Nesbø, supported by translators including Cao Minglun and Lin Liren, reflecting a publishing profile that balances retranslated classics with genre reading.

版权信息
序章
故事一
1、一条围巾
2、我想和你永远在一起
3、没有很苦
4、写给未来女儿的一封信
故事二
1、不舍得丢掉的东西
2、无法遇见的适合
3、要去的地方
4、在过去留下足迹的人
故事三
1、那时那梦那旧人
2、记三次与异性同桌的经历
3、世间一切美好都值得珍藏
4、永不坠落
5、做理想的事情
故事四
1、外公外婆
2、给主编的故事
3、8000公里之外的天使
4、我们会踏踏实实地活
5、少点遗憾
故事五
1、钱不要花在女人身上
2、冬子
3、在二十六岁死去
4、有些见不到的面
5、写在2020的尾声
后记

FAQ

Is this a chicken-soup inspirational story collection?

No. In the introduction, the author explicitly says she doesn't write chicken soup and doesn't promise life will automatically improve. The book is about ordinary people's love, family, and disappointment—closer to calm narration than encouragement or instruction.

Are the 23 stories connected?

From the introduction, each piece revolves around different themes; it's a short story collection with no stated continuous plot. You can pick and choose by interest without worrying about missing earlier parts.

When is it suitable to read?

Suitable for reading a piece or two before sleep, on the commute, or in brief free moments. The pace is slow and the pieces are short, requiring no continuous attention, and it's not meant to be read in one sitting.

Will it feel depressing after reading?

The book touches on disappointment and ordinary life, with a restrained rather than intense tone. Whether it feels depressing varies by reader, but the author doesn't deliberately play up sadness—it's better suited to those seeking quiet companionship rather than uplift.

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About the author

王眠 Author

Wang Mian is a Chinese book author about whom little public information is available. Only one work by this author is known, Before Sunset. According to the existing classification, the book falls under prose and miscellaneous writings, suggesting that Wang Mian's writing centers on essays or informal prose and on the expression of everyday life and personal feeling. The title Before Sunset carries a sense of time and shifting light, evoking dusk, ordinary moments and inner reflection, and its style may tend toward the delicate and understated. Because reliable information on the author's life, creative career and reception is lacking, no further judgment can be made about Wang Mian's literary path or influence. On the available evidence, Wang Mian appears to be a low-profile writer whose main direction is prose and miscellaneous writing, and whose work awaits further reading and discussion by readers and researchers.