Eight o'clock in the evening.
Starlight dotted the sky, and moonlight spilled across the earth.
Watching Yun Xuan's silver Mercedes disappear into the distance, Dong Xuebin turned around with a smile, lit a cigarette, and headed back into the compound, humming a little tune under his breath.
First floor...
Second floor...
Third floor...
Just as Dong Xuebin was about to use his key to open Aunt Xuan's door, he suddenly let out a startled "Huh?" He suspiciously turned his head toward the apartment where he and Mom had lived for four or five years. There was actually light shining through the crack beneath the door, as though someone had turned on the lights inside. Dong Xuebin immediately became alert. His first thought was that there was a burglar. He quickly searched through his keys, gripped the key to his own home, shoved it into the lock, and twisted hard. He opened the security door, quickly unlocked the wooden door inside, pushed it open, and strode in.
"Who's there?" A woman's voice came from inside.
Dong Xuebin broke out in a sweat when he heard it. He had heard that voice his entire life, so of course it was familiar. "Mom? Why are you back in Beijing?"
"Xiao Bin?" Luan Xiaoping came out of the kitchen holding a broom, looking surprised. "Why are you back?"
"I got here yesterday. I'm on a business trip, here in Beijing to take care of something."
"You didn't even call Mom to tell me." Luan Xiaoping glanced at him reproachfully. "You scared Mom half to death. I thought a burglar had broken in."
"You gave me a scare too. I was wondering why the lights were on."
"Sit down and don't move around. Mom just mopped the floor. Look at all those shoeprints you made."