July 2nd, Monday, 6:20 a.m.
Qiu Siliang opened his eyes and raised a hand to check the alarm clock. There was still an hour before it was due to ring.
"Why did I wake up early? I lost another hour of sleep."
Qiu Siliang felt somewhat annoyed. He had not returned until midnight after working overtime last night, and had only fallen asleep at one after running the fan. Now that he was awake, it was obvious he had not slept enough.
But that was just how the human body clock worked. If you set an alarm, nine times out of ten you would sleep through it. Yet if you set an alarm, it would often wake you up early instead.
Qiu Siliang lay back down, wanting to sleep a little longer, but he tossed and turned without being able to fall asleep. He was clearly exhausted, yet sleep simply would not come.
Left with no choice, he rubbed his face and got out of bed as quietly as possible, afraid of waking his roommates.
Beijing was already swelteringly hot in July, and early morning was one of the few cool moments. In an era without air conditioning, everyone would stay in bed for a few extra minutes to get enough sleep. If someone woke them now, they would definitely be in a foul mood.
But just as Qiu Siliang was about to leave, his roommate Su was still awakened by the noise.
Su mumbled groggily, "Old Qiu, are you going out for a run again? Scientists said excessive fatigue can cause sudden death. Don't let that woman lead you around by the nose."
Qiu Siliang froze for a moment, then said softly, "I'll never run for someone else again."
"..."
Qiu Siliang gently opened the door, left the single