Day Three.
Changkong City was peaceful as ever.
Su Qing'an put on a black baseball cap, found a bag in the cabinet, and prepared to go to the supermarket.
The food and drinks in the refrigerator were nearly gone, so he planned to replenish his supplies.
Through the floor-to-ceiling window, he saw the steady drizzle outside and the gloomy sky. Su Qing'an took a long black umbrella and stepped out.
The scenery along the way was the same as always.
The drizzle pattered against the umbrella, its scattered sounds reaching his ears, while the boy's eyes took in the myriad forms of life.
A woman carrying a bag held up an umbrella as she squatted down to soothe a crying child. The child seemed to have fallen, scraping the skin off their knee until it bled.
A man with a briefcase tucked under his arm hurried past, his expression numb and exhausted.
A man wearing a mascot costume handed out flyers in front of a bubble tea shop. Rain struck the mascot's unchanging eyes, making it impossible to tell what expression the person inside wore.
Several high school students in raincoats and rain boots laughed and played around, their conversation filled with lively laughter.
The boy moved through the crowd, brushing shoulders with a deliveryman.
Department store supermarket.
After turning down several girls who asked for his email address, Su Qing'an tugged his baseball cap lower.
The shopping cart was filled with products featuring Hoom. Although the taste of the cola would not change because of the design on the can, Su Qing'an, ever attentive, had started buying such packaging more often after discovering that most girls nowadays liked those designs.
After choosing the ingredients and paying, Su Qing'an, carrying the heavy bags, stopped beneath the awning outside the supermarket