Welcome to The China Code, where every two weeks we break down a trending Chinese internet buzzword.

Today's phrase: 祛魅 （qū mèi） – stripping away the "filter" and seeing the truth underneath.

Have you ever finally gotten something you deeply wanted – only to realize it felt… more ordinary than you imagined?

In China, more and more young people are using the word 祛魅 to describe that moment when the filter comes off and reality comes into focus.

Let's talk about why people are "demystifying" the modern dream, and what happens when we stop chasing the fantasy and start seeing things as they really are.

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