Ruan Yuxia trembled as she drew her hand back to her chest. She suppressed her shivering, bit her lip, and slowly crouched down, curling in on herself.
I could feel her pain.
The thing in her hand was furry and soft to the touch, but the aura coming from it was terrifying.
Ruan Yuxia opened her mouth and silently breathed out, trying to calm herself.
Gradually, she grew accustomed to the curse emanating from the thing. She got to her feet, swayed twice, then steadied herself and turned to look at the roadside stall.
Tong Shuai was still selling things. Plenty of people stopped to look, but few bought anything.
Still, after half an hour or so, another girl pulled out her wallet.
Ruan Yuxia's clenched fist had relaxed. Her hand was empty.
She did as before and stole the trinket from the girl who had bought it.
It was another ordeal.
Only after Tong Shuai packed up and left did she let out a long breath. Dragging her heavy body, she headed toward the school.
Past the school's back gate was a garbage shed. Ruan Yuxia seemed to know the place. She crouched beside it for a long time, hugging herself until, sometime around three or four in the morning, she heard a car and lifted her head.
A garbage truck pulled up, and someone got out to open the shed's doors.
Ruan Yuxia went to the back of the truck and held out her hand. Several furry trinkets lay in her palm. Just as she was about to throw them away, she stopped.
She looked at the sanitation workers and drew her hand back.
She watched them work without minding the filth. After they had emptied several large garbage bins and closed the shed again, she watched the