Mr. Wrong

Mr. Wrong is a collection of short stories by the Hong Kong author Yi Shu, published in 1997 by Cosmos Books as the 185th title in the Cosmos Yi Shu Series. The title comes from a saying among urban women: a man you hit it off with is called "Mr. Right," and the opposite is naturally "Mr. Wrong." Girls are all looking for "Mr. Right" — academic and career success matters, but an ideal partner is also indispensable, and so arise all kinds of calculations, tests, and disappointments. The title story, "Mr. Wrong," portrays just such an urban romance: the protagonist Nai Xiang works at an advertising agency and has a gentle, reliable suitor who is "too ordinary in qualifications," while also meeting the striking, well-established architect Wen Lie. She is almost certain he is her "Mr. Right," yet in getting to know him gradually discovers his poor saving habits, his absorption in personal hobbies, and the gap in age and family background. Through the voice of her cousin Ting Ru, the story conveys Yi Shu's characteristic clear-headedness: expectations set too high are unfair to others and to oneself, and a woman's confidence ultimately comes from her own abilities — "Once you have honed your skills to a high level, then anyone can be Mr. Right." The book continues the hallmark style of Yi Shu's short fiction: one or two sentences to a paragraph, a fast pace, abundant dialogue, and sharp, witty exchanges, with Hong Kong urban career women as protagonists, writing about their trade-offs among love, money, and self-respect, and endings that often carry a touch of irony and lingering resonance. For readers who want to understand the face of Yi Shu's 1990s short stories and prefer not to start with her full-length novels, this is a light yet flavorful anthology.