C442

Ann Xiaomin stood among the mourners, observing the parents of Xia Chuyi. They looked like they had lived a hard life, their skin weathered and dark, hair completely white, eyes swollen from crying. They spoke in heavily accented English, thanking everyone who had come to pay their last respects to their daughter.

Reflecting on the past, Ann realized she had only met Xia Chuyi a handful of times