Early in the morning, the sharp ring of the alarm clock shattered the silence. Lin Mei wriggled a few times under the blanket before springing out of bed like a coiled spring. After a quick wash, she hurried to the shared kitchen and got busy. The steamed rolls spun a few rounds in the microwave, eggs bubbled away in the pot, and powdered milk dissolved in a cup, giving off a faint creamy aroma.
Once she had eaten and drunk her fill, she grabbed the little crossbody bag she had snagged on Pinduoduo for 19.9 yuan and energetically headed off to work.
Her apartment was not far from the company—a brisk twenty-minute walk would get her there. So every day Lin Mei chose to walk. It gave her exercise and also saved on commuting costs.
Walking through the alley, Lin Mei kept her head lowered, her fingertips absentmindedly rubbing the strap of her canvas bag as she mentally reviewed the day’s to-do list: the department meeting at 9:30 where she had to report project progress, entering customer information into the system before lunch break, and accompanying the manager to meet a new client in the afternoon.
Just then, a harsh screech of tires suddenly came from around the corner, like a rusty saw dragging across concrete, making her eyelashes tremble in shock.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a yellow figure rushing toward her with a gust of wind pressure. The instant the metal handlebar scraped against her arm, she instinctively twisted sideways. Her canvas bag flew out and slammed against the brick wall with a dull thud. Lin Mei was jerked backward by the impact, then used the momentum to spin and absorb the force. Her palm scraped against the rough brick wall, sending tiny flakes of lime dust fluttering down.
“Hiss—”
Lin Mei sucked in a sharp breath and looked down to see two inch-long cuts scraped across her left palm. Beads of blood snaked along the lines of her hand and gathered into a dark red droplet on the silver ring at the base of her ring finger. The vine pattern carved along the edge of the ring was stained with blood. Unnoticed by anyone, the ring flashed briefly with an eerie amber glow in the morning light.
With a squeak, the electric scooter toppled over beneath a plane tree three meters away. The delivery driver hurriedly jumped off, rushing over to Lin Mei in a few quick strides. His face had gone pale, his hands trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with anxiety and guilt.
“I’m so sorry, so sorry! Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked repeatedly.
Lin Mei looked up and saw the delivery driver’s face twisted with nervousness. His lips were tightly pressed together, his brows furrowed deeply, and endless worry showed in his eyes. She gently shook her head and forced a faint smile, trying to appear unharmed.
“It’s okay, really. I dodged it in time. I just scraped my hand a little—it’s nothing serious.”
As she spoke, Lin Mei brushed the dust off her clothes. Her gaze accidentally swept over the watch on her wrist, and anxiety rose in her heart—she was about to be late for work. Taking a deep breath, she tried to make her voice sound firmer.
“You should hurry and finish your deliveries. Don’t let me delay you.”
The delivery driver hesitated for a moment, but seeing the determination in Lin Mei’s eyes, he could only nod. He kept apologizing as he said, “I’m really sorry. If anything feels wrong, you must go to the hospital.”
As he spoke, he ran over to pick up Lin Mei’s canvas bag, dusted it off, and handed it back to her.
Lin Mei smiled and waved her hand before quickly continuing toward the company. Secretly, she felt relieved that the little accident hadn’t caused any bigger trouble.
Looks like the self-defense skills she had picked up while working part-time at a boxing gym during college were actually pretty useful after all. If her reactions hadn’t been quick, she definitely would have been seriously hurt today. Whenever she thought about it, she still felt that the gym owner’s wife had truly been a kind and beautiful person.
Back then, Lin Mei had worked all kinds of part-time jobs to earn extra money. One day she happened to see a flyer advertising for sparring assistants at a boxing gym. The salary listed on it immediately caught her attention, so she went to apply without hesitation. The gym owner had taken one look at her thin frame and repeatedly shaken his head in refusal. Fortunately, the owner’s wife happened to visit the gym that day. Seeing the disappointed expression on Lin Mei’s face, she took pity on her and insisted that the owner let her stay for a one-day trial.
Although Lin Mei looked skinny, she had grown up helping Grandma Lin with farm work in the fields, so her body was actually quite sturdy. That was how she successfully stayed on at the gym. Those years had been hard, but she had gained a lot from them, and her body had become stronger and healthier as well.
Lin Mei always remembered something the owner’s wife had once told her:
“You’re at a boxing gym now, so when you have time, practice a little. A girl should have at least some ability to protect herself. It gives you more confidence when dealing with trouble.”
Although work had become busy and she had slacked off on training lately, the instinctive reactions were still there.
The thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Racing against the final five minutes before work, she hurried into the company and clocked in. At her desk, she took out the small first-aid kit she kept in her drawer, quickly cleaned and treated the wound on her hand, and then began another busy day.