Heavy rain poured from the grey sky, blotting out any trace of sunlight. The air was damp and chilly, clinging uncomfortably to skin and clothes alike. It was far from an ideal morning for an important interview.
Song Yuqing was on her way to a job interview—her first in two years.
Her one-year-old son was still asleep when she left him in the care of her neighbor, a kind housewife who looked after her own child at home. Song Yuqing wore her old bodyguard uniform: a tailored three-piece suit with a simple tie and sturdy black shoes. The fabric felt tighter than she remembered, a reminder of the weight she hadn't fully shed after pregnancy.
Despite her umbrella, rain soaked the hems of her trousers as she hurried alongside students and office workers toward the subway station.
The train was packed, and she barely squeezed inside, pressed between strangers as water dripped from her sleeves. Her thoughts drifted back to the phone call she received the night before.
