The Lost Lamb's Trap - Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32.1: The Moon

A Crippling Injury and a Twisted Family

Lin Ke’s injuries from that rainy night were severe. She was in so much pain she couldn’t walk, and the doctor said if they had brought her in any later, her leg would have been permanently damaged.

After returning from the hospital, her mother, Lin Wan, called her. She offered comfort and said, “You wait. Once this baby is stable, I’ll take you for your surgery. This is a boy; Duan Litian treasures him.” She spat out her words, ranting about another setback she had in Hong Kong or America and cursing men for their lack of self-control.

As Lin Ke listened to her mother’s complaints, her gaze fell upon Duan Jiayang and Lan Yao, who were playing with a cat. The sunlight on them was dazzling and unbearable. “When will someone come to take care of us?” Lin Ke asked, hoping to avoid seeing Jiayang go to Lan Yao’s house for meals.

Lin Wan replied with a malicious, triumphant tone, “Isn’t Duan Jiayang taking care of you?” To her, Jiayang looking after her daughter was a form of revenge. She didn’t care about Lin Ke’s own suffering. Lin Ke’s leg was always in pain, and while Jiayang helped, she wasn’t a professional. Lin Wan ended the call with a perfunctory “Mommy loves you.”

Lin Ke’s personality grew strange. She had always been cold and quiet, but now her eyes were fixated on Duan Jiayang. With just the two of them in the house, Jiayang, wanting no part of this, went to Lan Yao’s house every day for dinner. Lin Ke, in turn, refused to eat, choosing to go hungry.

Jiayang was both angry and helpless. She sensed Lin Ke was being serious, though she couldn’t understand why, so she simply dismissed her as “dramatic.” The weirdest part was that Lin Ke had become incredibly clingy. Jiayang found it irritating but also secretly enjoyed the intense attachment. When she said something hurtful, Lin Ke never talked back, but her deep, abyss-like gaze was terrifying to meet.

Lin Ke was always sullen and frustrated by her own powerlessness. One day, she saw Jiayang come downstairs and asked, “Aren’t you tired of eating their food?”

“Lan Yao-jie’s cooking is great,” Jiayang said, eating a snack she had bought herself but claiming it was from Lan Yao.

Lin Ke didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, she muttered, “She doesn’t teach you how to study.”

“She teaches me how to do a lot of practice problems. I’ll definitely improve my grades.”

After speaking, Jiayang watched Lin Ke hobble to the sofa with her crutches. Lin Ke put a book over her face, but a moment later, Jiayang tapped on it and took it away. “I thought you died,” Jiayang said. Lin Ke remained silent, a cloud of gloom hanging over her.

Lin Ke began to hope for things: for school to start, for rain. As long as it rained, Jiayang would have to stay with her.

The Cat and the Qixi Festival

“I’m going to go see the cats!” Jiayang announced.

Lin Ke’s monotone voice started giving advice: “You can’t raise cats like that. They get stressed. They’re wild and timid. If you keep picking them up, they’ll run away and never come back… If you want to, you could build a little house outside for them with an air conditioner. People in other countries do that…” She added, “Lan Yao’s family has a dog. Have you ever watched Tom and Jerry? What breed is the dog?”

Jiayang frowned. “A bulldog, I think.”

“Bulldogs are friends with mice, they’ll bully your cats.”

Lin Ke was just talking nonsense, but to her surprise, Jiayang brought the cats back home the next day. With no one else around, the two of them, along with the cats, lived in a quiet and comfortable space. Jiayang would hold the cats high in her arms, laughing. “You know how to raise cats, so why are they so afraid of you?” she asked.

Lin Ke thought, Because all creatures have a spirit. They know I’m jealous of how close they can be to you.

She kept an eye on the weather forecast, hoping the temperature would drop and it would rain, or that it would be so hot the forecast would break down and predict rain for the next day. She dreamed of Jiayang carrying her on her back, of Jiayang riding her on a bike. But the brutal 40-degree heat lasted for a full week, and not a single downpour came.

Once, she dreamed aliens invaded and it rained constantly. She and Jiayang were huddled under an eave, sharing warmth. She savored the dream for days, a bittersweet feeling in her heart.

On August 13th, the Qixi Festival, Lan Yao’s family was taking a trip and had invited Jiayang to join them. Jiayang packed her bags. Lin Wan had even mentioned it to Lin Ke, but Lin Ke didn’t pack anything, and Jiayang didn’t bother to ask her to.

On the day of the trip, Lan Yao’s car came to pick up Jiayang. Jiayang sat in the back, but Lan Yao opened the passenger door and said, “Put your things in the back and sit here.” Jiayang, in a pink floral dress, got into the passenger seat. Lin Ke and Lan Yao exchanged a glance. Lan Yao’s expression was indifferent, while her tenderness towards Jiayang was almost intrusive.

Lin Ke was frozen in her chair, her heart clenching. She knew she had made a terrible mistake. She should have gone with them; she had no right to be sulking. Her legs felt heavy as she pounded her fist in frustration.

Jiayang left. Lin Ke wasn’t completely abandoned; Lin Wan, now having more of a say in the household, hired a nurse and a nutritionist. The moment they started their jobs, Lin Ke felt like she heard a glass ball shatter against glass. Her hopes were dashed. She broke down that night, clenching her fists so hard they bled. Jiayang was gone, and her world fell apart. She heard nothing but the ticking of the clock, feeling only sadness and despair.

A Desperate Attempt to Connect

The most painful part was that she had no way to contact Jiayang. She didn’t know what she was doing or where she was. Lin Ke had no friends from school; she didn’t have anyone’s QQ or WeChat. She had never cared before, but now she realized she had to infiltrate other people’s lives to get to Jiayang. Stiffly, she got her phone, created WeChat and QQ accounts, found the homeroom teacher’s number, and asked to join the class group chat.

The teacher added her. Everyone in the group was surprised, teasing her: “Yo, the ice queen has finally come down to earth.” “Why did you suddenly join?” “Have you finished your assignments?”

Lin Ke replied: Hello everyone.

That night, Lin Ke scrolled through every classmate’s QQ space, finally finding a post from a girl at 3 a.m. that read: Sharing this means I was there too. So jealous +10086. There were nine pictures. Lin Ke saw a photo of Jiayang drinking milk tea, smiling at the camera, her hair in pigtails, giving a peace sign to the sky. Lan Yao was always beside her, holding her hand, putting her arm on her shoulder, with lush mountains and a waterfall in the background. Jiayang looked so happy.

Lin Ke couldn’t stop. She saved the pictures, learning how to cut and paste so she could have solo pictures of Jiayang. She felt a sharp, hollow pain.

She sent a friend request to Jiayang on QQ, but Jiayang didn’t accept. Her username was “LK,” too obvious.

“Are you that desperate to play with Lan Yao?” Lin Ke said to the empty room. “I don’t want you to play with her.” Her world turned gray; the little sprite had flown away.

Jiayang was gone for three days, and Lin Ke felt herself falling, plummeting. She was losing herself. She had waited all of August for rain, but it only rained in her heart, drop by drop, destroying every budding hope that had told her the world was a wonderful place.

The Concert: A Sweet Interlude

When Jiayang returned, she couldn’t find Lin Ke. She searched the house, knocked on her door, but got no reply. Lin Ke only came back very late that night. Jiayang was upstairs unpacking, and Lin Ke went to the kitchen, carrying a large pot. She asked carefully, “Do you want to try some?” The pot contained a strange concoction.

Jiayang didn’t even look at her. “Can’t you tell? It doesn’t look like something a person made.” Jiayang didn’t eat it, instead busying herself with souvenirs she had brought back, each one with a name on it—everyone’s but Lin Ke’s. She had even brought a gift for Lan Yao.

Lin Ke stood there silently until Jiayang finally turned and said, “At least you finally know to cook the vegetables and rice separately.”

“Xiaoyang, you’re so smart,” Lin Ke said, “Everyone else told me to separate them too.” Lin Ke had a chef at home taste the food. The chef looked hesitant. “It’s… okay,” she said.

“How does it compare to Lan Yao’s?” Lin Ke asked. Jiayang, hearing from upstairs, let out a cold snort. Lin Ke stared at her pot. “Is it still very bad?” The chef nodded. “…Yes.”

Jiayang, from upstairs, asked, “What have you been doing these past few days?”

Lin Ke suddenly realized something. Oh. She was curious about her. Lin Ke didn’t tell her that she had been secretly learning to cook. She wanted to surprise Jiayang, hoping to see a different look in her eyes.

After her trip, Jiayang left no time for Lin Ke. A ten-day school break was extended for another ten days due to the weather. Even though they were in their final year of high school, everyone was excited. Jiayang didn’t have many friends, but her friend He Xiao did, so Jiayang was suddenly busy with group activities: karaoke, murder mystery games, group dinners.

The time they spent together grew shorter. After a karaoke session, the group was deciding where to eat. Jiayang bought everyone milk tea. Lin Ke was a constant topic of conversation. Someone mentioned how Lin Ke had added everyone on social media during the trip. Jiayang, calculating the dates, realized this was when she was away. She didn’t want Lin Ke to steal the spotlight and was about to interject.

Then a classmate said, “Do you guys know that super popular place, Sweet Love? Someone said Lin Ke might be working there during the summer.”

“Wow, she’s got a job? I thought she was so aloof and rich. Let’s go there for dinner. My treat!” The words were disgusting and familiar, coming from Zhou Maosheng, a boy who used to pursue Lin Ke. Jiayang, who disliked him, said, “Then let’s order the most expensive meal. A dinner for us will probably be three or four thousand. I’ll ask my dad if he knows anyone there, so we can skip the reservation.”

Zhou Maosheng gritted his teeth. “Duan Jiayang, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

“I’m just being honest,” Jiayang said. “My dinners are always that expensive.”

Zhou Maosheng looked humiliated. Jiayang hadn’t even bought him milk tea. He pointed at her and walked away. The other friends looked uncomfortable. To them, friendship was more important than money. They felt Jiayang hadn’t respected his pride. Jiayang offered to treat everyone to an expensive French meal. “I have a membership. It’s great. It’ll only cost us ten thousand.” No one responded. He Xiao told her it was too expensive. One by one, everyone made an excuse and left. Jiayang, finally realizing what had happened, grew angry. “Unbelievable! They’re taking his side! It’s so tacky to make fun of someone for a summer job!”

He Xiao tugged her sleeve. “Let’s not hang out with them anymore. But you’re so weird, Jiayang. You act like you hate Lin Ke, but you always defend her.”

Jiayang leaned on a railing, annoyed, and drank her milk tea. “I do hate her. There are reasons… but spreading rumors about her is even more disgusting.” How could Lin Ke have a summer job? They’re always together. Lin Ke’s here to steal my family’s fortune! It’s ridiculous!

Down below, Lin Ke, carrying a small backpack with cat ears, was watching her. She smiled at Jiayang. Lin Ke didn’t come closer. She sat on a stool, drinking water, alone and with no friends.

Jiayang watched her, and He Xiao suddenly said, “…Jiayang, could she be in love with you?”

“I’ve noticed that no matter where we go, we always run into her. It’s like in a novel… all those ‘chance encounters’ are planned.”

Jiayang immediately pulled her eyes away. “That’s not true.” In a way, Lin Ke is my sister. It would be perverted for a sister to love her stepsister. Jiayang was disgusted. “Don’t ever say that again.”

The Concert: A Sweet Interlude

Because of her careless words, Jiayang’s few friends stopped inviting her out. A singer was holding a concert, and Jiayang got two tickets through her dad’s secretary, hoping to go with He Xiao. But He Xiao’s mom wouldn’t let her go alone with Jiayang and made her stay home to study. Jiayang couldn’t find anyone else to go with.

She wasn’t a huge fan of the singer, but she was a teenager craving adventure. What kind of youth was it if she never took a spontaneous trip or went to a concert? She threw the tickets on the table, debating whether to ask Lan Yao. As she went to get yogurt, she saw Lin Ke pick them up.

Lin Ke sighed softly. “Jing Jiu’s concert.”

Jiayang, peeling the lid off her yogurt, asked, “You know who they are?”

Lin Ke sang: “I confuse you with lies, please let me be close to you, I will hide you like a star.”

Jiayang, who only understood chemistry, got the middle line. “Are you begging me to give them to you?”

Lin Ke nodded, her eyes on Jiayang. “Xiaoyang, I’m begging you.” Jiayang choked on her yogurt. How shameless.

Lin Ke carefully straightened the tickets and tucked them inside a book.

“Why are you putting them away?” Jiayang asked.

Lin Ke shook her head. “I… I’m afraid to go alone.” She whispered, “Will you go with me?” She looked so frail and thin, as if a strong wind could knock her over.

Jiayang had never been to a concert before. She tried on many outfits, finally settling on a black sleeveless top, fringe-hemmed jeans, a black baseball cap, and a silver hoop earring with a large white diamond. Lin Ke stared at her. Jiayang had never dressed like this before.

Jiayang frowned. “If you keep staring at me, I’m not going.”

Lin Ke immediately looked away. Jiayang glanced at Lin Ke’s legs. At home, Lin Ke wore loose, shapeless clothes, covering herself from head to toe. If not for her beautiful face, Jiayang would have kept her distance. Lin Ke went to change, putting on a t-shirt and long pants. Jiayang made her roll up the pant legs, then change again and again, until she was wearing a properly fitted tank top and pants, looking more like an adult.

They took a taxi. Jiayang had her MP3 player with her, wearing headphones to review the songs. The summer air was hot outside the car. Lin Ke didn’t tell her that her headphones were off; she had no sound. She could only see Jiayang humming along. On stage, the singer was brilliant and captivating, and they waved their lightsticks along with the crowd. Jiayang held up her phone, waving her arm high. Lin Ke’s eyes were fixed on Jiayang’s face. She took many pictures of Jiayang on her phone, with the singer far in the background.

Both of them were buzzing with excitement. After the concert ended, Jiayang, using her father’s connections, managed to get an autograph backstage. On the way back, Jiayang’s phone died, and Lin Ke’s was at 3%. Jiayang rented a small scooter, cursing Lin Ke for not bringing cash. She nearly crashed into a tree. Shaken, they walked with the scooter, pushing it along the road like two thieves in the moonlight. As they crossed a crosswalk, it felt like they were traveling through time and space. Lin Ke held on to the edge of Jiayang’s jacket as it was blown by the wind.

Later, the wind blew year after year, but Jiayang never again felt that same thrill or caught the sweet, cool scent of that late summer wind. Lin Ke, her face pressed against Jiayang’s back, held tightly to her jacket, afraid she would be blown away.

“Lin Ke! Get off, we’re home!”

“Okay.” It’s over already?

Jiayang bought many things and had Lin Ke carry them all. Lin Ke accepted without complaint. They had also gotten matching keychains of the singer. Since their home used a keyless entry system, Jiayang found the keychain useless, but Lin Ke suggested, “You can put it on your phone case.”

As Jiayang clipped it on, she suddenly remembered something. “Why didn’t that singer sing their English songs?”

“It wasn’t their turn. They have so many songs.” Because those were the words I wanted to say to you.

Jiayang looked at the keychain. “I’ll give this one to Lan Yao-jie.”

Lin Ke’s heart, which had been soaked in sweetness, was pulled out. “We went to the concert together. She’s not a fan, so it wouldn’t be meaningful. You should give it to me instead.” Jiayang ended up keeping the keychain on her phone.

After her shower, Jiayang sat on the couch, took out her new things, and started painting her toenails. She was planning to go to Lan Yao’s house again later. She looked up and saw Lin Ke staring at her like a resentful wife. Jiayang stuck out her foot and asked, “Do you want to paint them too?”

She was ready to tell Lin Ke that she wasn’t worthy, but when Lin Ke came over and grabbed her foot, Jiayang was startled. Lin Ke took a step back, then slowly came closer and held her ankle. Jiayang was trembling. “What are you doing?” she demanded.

Lin Ke simply said, “Painting your toenails.” Jiayang’s body was shaking, and she forgot to pull her leg away. She had to admit, the moment Lin Ke touched her leg, she shivered. As she watched Lin Ke from this position, she felt a strange happiness. She even kicked Lin Ke playfully. Lin Ke half-squatted, leaning backward as the hot air from the air conditioner blew on her face.

Jiayang was covered in a cold sweat in the air-conditioned room as Lin Ke’s cool fingers applied the polish, a tingling sensation. “You have to use a base coat first! It won’t look good otherwise!”

“I’m sorry,” Lin Ke said.

“Don’t sulk. You were the one who wanted to do this. Wipe it off and start over.”

Lin Ke agreed and carefully wiped off the green polish to start again.

That night, when Lan Yao called, Jiayang didn’t go. She walked around the house barefoot. Lin Ke held her foot and painted her toenails, making her feel like a queen. She bossed Lin Ke around, pointing out every tiny mistake, but Lin Ke wasn’t bothered. She worked slowly and meticulously, her fingers touching Jiayang’s ankle and toes. Jiayang, playing on her phone, felt a blush creep up her face. Lin Ke even put medicine on a large blister that Jiayang hadn’t noticed. Jiayang’s feet had been killing her all day.

Jiayang scoffed, “You’re actually useful sometimes.”

Lin Ke told her, “You shouldn’t run around tonight. Rest, or it will be too painful to walk for ten days.” Jiayang was afraid of pain, so she agreed and didn’t go to Lan Yao’s house.

The Breaking Point: A New Sibling

Their relationship had softened a little. Lin Ke had found a way to be close to Jiayang: painting her nails, listening to Jing Jiu’s music on the sofa, buying postcards, and carefully putting away everything Jiayang gave her. “You’re a fanatic fan,” Jiayang would say.

But this peace didn’t last long. Fate dealt them a cruel, sudden blow. It twisted the thread that was finally unraveling, and everything turned upside down. Lin Wan and Duan Litian came back.

Jiayang was still wearing her slippers, her unpolished toes tucked inside. The car door opened, and she ran into the yard first, yelling, “Dad!” She complained about everything, from the temporary housekeeper’s bad cooking to this and that.

A car was parked in the yard, and workers were moving things inside. Lin Ke watched, her steps normal at first. But when her eyes caught a glimpse of something, she knew something was wrong. She reached out to stop Jiayang, but Jiayang had already darted into the living room.

Everything was in plain sight: Lin Wan was nestled in Duan Litian’s arms, and he was gently stroking her swollen belly. The once-slender woman was pregnant. Lin Ke had known, but it hadn’t mattered. Now, something felt terribly wrong.

She looked at Jiayang, whose smile vanished instantly. Her face went deathly pale. She screamed, running forward and grabbing anything she could to throw. Her rage was violent and helpless. Her eyes met Lin Wan’s, and she grabbed a cup, ready to throw it at her.

Duan Litian stepped in front of Lin Wan. “Duan Jiayang, you calm down!” he yelled.

Jiayang kept throwing things, turning to the baby supplies the workers were bringing in and tossing them all back outside. Lin Wan didn’t give her a moment to process. “I have good news for you,” she said. “I’m pregnant. Lin Ke, Jiayang, you’re going to have a little brother.”

Jiayang stood there, her hands trembling. “I won’t allow it! I won’t allow it!”

Duan Litian sounded annoyed. “What are you talking about?”

They both knew Jiayang would be angry, but they didn’t care. Jiayang looked up, her lips tightly pressed. “You’re having a new child.”

Duan Litian frowned. “It was going to happen sooner or later.”

“Why? Why?” Jiayang’s tears streamed down her face. “You have a new wife, and now you’re having a new child? What about me? What about my mom? You’re living in her house, raising another woman, and having a child with her!”

“Duan Jiayang, don’t go too far!”

“Too far?! It’s always me who goes too far! Aren’t you going too far?!” Jiayang sobbed, grabbing things and smashing them. She threw herself at Duan Litian. “Kill me! Kill me! If I’m dead, all of this is yours!”

Duan Litian let her rage, knowing a child’s struggle was ultimately powerless. Lin Ke understood this too. She wanted to pull Jiayang back, but then she saw the smile on Lin Wan’s face. It wasn’t joy for a new life; it was the satisfaction of having a new weapon.

Jiayang was seventeen. Her numb mind was starting to stir. She knew she couldn’t stop this. Her father would never make Lin Wan get an abortion, especially since Lin Wan was so sure it was a boy. Her resistance was futile. For three days, she cried and screamed. She came downstairs, disheveled, and ran to the back of the house. A moment later, she ran back, screaming.

Lin Ke heard her from upstairs and came out. “My cats are gone! My cats don’t want me anymore? Where are my cats?!” Jiayang couldn’t find them. Her eyes were red, and she ran to the tree, seeing that the little wooden house she had built for them was gone. She ran back inside. “Who threw away my cats?! Where are my cats?!”

Duan Litian, a cigarette unlit in his mouth, acted as if he didn’t hear her. Jiayang ran to him. “Duan Litian, where are my cats?!” She grabbed at him. He didn’t answer. Jiayang’s lips tightened, and she rubbed her eyes, her voice trembling.

She ran back outside, losing a slipper. She searched desperately, even running out of the gated community. By evening, she dragged herself back. The family was eating dinner. She walked step by step to her father, her body trembling more violently than before. Her clothes were stained, and dead leaves were in her hair. She looked like autumn itself, walking shakily.

Jiayang stood by her father, her shoulders shaking. A deep scratch on her wrist was bleeding. “Dad, please give me my cats back. I’ve had them for so long. How could you throw them away?”

Duan Litian picked a fishbone from his mouth and dropped it in the trash. “Duan Jiayang, didn’t I tell you not to raise cats in the house? We have a new child now. Cats aren’t suitable for this home.”

“I wasn’t raising them in the house! I was keeping them outside. They’re good cats; they don’t run away.”

Duan Litian didn’t reply, and Jiayang’s heart sank. She was powerless. She lowered her head. “I’ll listen to you from now on. I won’t cause trouble. I’ll study hard.”

Duan Litian continued to eat, ignoring her. Jiayang tugged at his clothes, her proud expression gone. When he went to his study, she followed, and he shut the door in her face.

“Please, please give me my cats back…”

Jiayang begged, something she had never done since her mother left and Lin Wan, the mistress, moved in. Her defenses were crumbling. She hated him, but she had to beg him. She held on to the door. “Dad, my cats, please.”

Lin Ke looked up, meeting Jiayang’s cold gaze. Jiayang looked at her, and her mother, with a look of utter despair and coldness. “Why did you have to come back? Everything was fine when you weren’t here!” Jiayang screamed.

Lin Ke watched her. She was a mix of numb clarity and emotional turmoil. Yes. Jiayang was right. Everything would have been fine if they hadn’t come back. They would have been okay. She truly believed that.

Caught in the Middle

That night, Lin Ke opened her mother’s door. Lin Wan was applying moisturizer, patting it into her skin, the essence quickly being absorbed like a demoness repairing her new skin in a painting.

“Where are Duan Jiayang’s cats?” Lin Ke asked, her hand on the doorknob.

“I threw them out.”

“Where?”

Lin Wan paused and looked at her. “Are you going to go find them?”

“They’re the cats she summoned. She loves them so much,” Lin Ke said. “Mom…” She wanted to say, “Give them back to her.” But she just pursed her lips, looking into Lin Wan’s dark eyes. “I’m not going to look for them. I’m going to go kill them. Where did you throw them?”

Lin Wan’s face grew cold. “A few days ago, I saw you bought cat treats and hid them under your bed. Are you trying to help her?” The lie was exposed instantly.

Lin Ke looked at her mother. She didn’t say yes, but those were her cats, too.

Lin Wan’s expression hardened, and she put a hand on her stomach. “Lin Ke, you’re not listening. You painted her nails, you let her run off, you even helped her raise those cats for three days. Why are you so pathetic?”

Lin Ke’s body went stiff as she looked at her mother.

“There are security cameras in the house,” Lin Wan said coldly. “You’re very disobedient.” This was the most obvious parental warning: if you’re not obedient, I will have another child and stop loving you.

Lin Ke whispered, “Mom, they were actually my cats…” I lied. They were the cats Duan Jiayang summoned. Our cats.

Lin Wan now had a child, and she believed she was tied to the Duan family. To her, Jiayang was redundant. She didn’t care what Lin Ke had to say about the cats. “Don’t play with her anymore.”

Lin Ke asked, “…Mom, if I play with her, will you stop loving me?” At seventeen, she was acting childishly, holding on to a fragile thread. Lin Wan had raised her for seventeen years and knew how to handle her. If a child showed fear, she would give them a little sweetness, and they would hold on tight, becoming a compliant puppet.

Lin Wan grabbed her by the neck and said sternly, “If you’re disobedient and you go back to her, I will stop loving you.” Then she added, “You’ll sleep here tonight.”

“My leg hurts again lately.”

Lin Wan stroked her own belly. “Fine. Go back to your room.”

“The cats… they might have been thrown on some street. They’re probably dead. Lin Ke, I’ll have a camera installed in your room soon.”

“Okay,” Lin Ke said, submissively. Lin Wan looked satisfied.

Lin Ke went to her room, showered, and lay in bed in her pajamas. Her body was trembling. She had always clung to Lin Wan to survive. She had to obey her, or she would be abandoned, have no food, and be beaten. All she could see was Jiayang’s tear-streaked face. Her eyes stayed wide open. She counted the seconds, and once she was sure Lin Wan was asleep, she went to the balcony to see if Jiayang’s light was on.

She crept down the stairs, quietly searching among the roses, imitating the cat’s meow from before. The night was silent.