At dusk, the sun was about to set, half of it already sinking below the horizon.
Half the sky overhead was dark purple, while the other half was golden, tinged with red. Tiny stars hung in the sky, twinkling.
Ke Meng stood outside the convenience store downstairs, looking at the mother and daughter before him.
"After everything that happened, are you still going to run the store?"
"That's all in the past. Life has to go on." Mother Chen had her hair pinned up. She looked into the convenience store with mixed emotions; a layer of dust had settled on every shelf.
"I don't mind. We'll keep the rent at the old rate. Just transfer it to my account." Ke Meng didn't quibble over such a small sum.
He didn't waive the rent because he didn't want it to seem like charity.
People needed their dignity. Keeping the rent unchanged preserved that dignity while giving them time to recover. If they couldn't afford it, they could borrow from a bank. With Ke Meng backing them, no bank would dare refuse them a loan.
"Thank you, Mr. Ke," Mrs. Chen said gratefully. She sincerely appreciated Ke Meng's help.
Ke Meng looked at Chen Momo. He hadn't seen her in over two years, and she had grown a few centimeters taller-but only a few. He was still taller than her.
Chen Momo wore her hair in a neat ponytail, with a yellow short-sleeved shirt and a long black robe. She looked plain, yet had a distinctive air about her.
She had spent many days with the Investigation Bureau's psychological treatment team recently, and her vitality had slowly returned to normal. But the Door Organization's teachings had worn away her former airheaded nature, leaving her much more mature.
"A Meng, I'll study on