In an environment like this, sleep was bound to be restless.
Feng Ling, who had not dreamed in a long time, dreamed of the couple who had adopted her long ago.
She had only lived with that family for three months. Her adoptive father's face had become a blur, but she still remembered her adoptive mother's clearly.
She remembered it as a very wealthy family. The house was huge and spotless. Every day, her adoptive mother dressed her like a doll and took her shopping, to exhibitions, and to operas—
She could barely understand any of it, but whenever she saw her adoptive mother gazing at the stage with tears in her eyes, she would diligently sit through the entire performance.
Sometimes, when her adoptive mother was in the mood, she would take Feng Ling to child-appropriate activities such as swimming, horseback riding, tennis, chess, pottery, or art. They usually attended those classes only once or twice before her adoptive mother forgot all about them.
Of course, affection was not all there was to life.
Whenever Feng Ling spilled milk, fastened a button incorrectly, or failed to put a toy back where it belonged, her adoptive mother would fly into a rage, screaming hysterically through the house and smashing everything in sight—including young Feng Ling.
Feng Ling had been clever as a child. After going through that twice, she almost never made mistakes again. She was obedient and cautious, and even if she accidentally slipped up, she could cover it up before her adoptive mother noticed.
At last, her adoptive mother had no reason to lose her temper with her, and Feng Ling had felt pleased with herself for several days.
But she soon discovered that the atmosphere at home grew tenser by the day, while the smile on her