Xiao Lian tightened the rope around her small trunk and stood staring at the narrow room that had been her refuge for days. It was a dingy box with a window, the kind of place where plaster peeled off in corners and pipes rattled all night.
Yet, she'd had this place only because Gu Xuelan had arranged it. Now that the tie was cut, it no longer felt like shelter. It felt like a reminder of her shame.
She lifted her trunk and staggered into the hallway, her steps echoing off the walls.
Each creak of the boards seemed to whisper "traitor" in her ear. She shook her head hard and kept moving.
The streets of Beijing greeted her with noise, dust, and the savory smell of frying dumplings. Hawkers shouted about their wares, buses roared past, and bicycles weaved through the crowds. Once, this chaos had filled her with excitement, it was so alive.
Now, it only pressed on her chest, reminding her how small she was in this vast city, how quickly it could swallow people whole.
