yǎng wū
to lie looking at the ceiling (in despair)
yǎng wū zhù shū
lit. to stare at the ceiling while writing a book (idiom); to put one's whole body and soul into a book
yǎng wū xīng tàn
to stare at the ceiling in despair
to find no way out
nothing you can do about it
at the end of one's wits