The next morning, Xin Mu was woken by firecrackers, only to discover that Meownei was already gone.
Beep, beep!
Two short honks sounded. The car delivered just yesterday had already been driven out of the garage.
It was an SUV. The driver's window was down, and Meownei was leaning halfway out, waving at Xin Mu.
She had gotten up early for one reason alone: to try out the new car.
"Meow~ (Hey, kid, want to go for a spin?)"
Meownei produced a pair of sunglasses from somewhere, put them on, and beckoned to Xin Mu.
Since getting her license, Meownei had barely driven at all apart from their survey trip to the Gobi Desert. Now that she finally had a car, her hands were itching to take it out for a few laps.
"Hang on. I'll be right down."
Sensing how much Meownei wanted to go for a drive, Xin Mu quickly washed up, threw on some clothes, and headed out the door.
The sulfurous smell of firecrackers still lingered in the air, and the cold wind made him shiver. The moment he climbed into the car, though, the heater chased the chill away.
It seemed Meownei had been warming up the car for a while.
"Meow~ (Seat belt on. Let's go!)"
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the city was still drowsing.
The usually bustling streets were deserted, with none of the usual rush-hour congestion. After last night's clamor,
the city enjoyed a brief spell of peace.
Meownei sat in the driver's seat, tapping her fingertips against the steering wheel and occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.
The broad streets seemed to have become her private racetrack. She did not even have to worry about keeping her distance from other cars.
"Where are