pixelated edges flickered as she stared at the neon-lit street signs, the smell of fried squid and cheap perfume thick in the air. She'd been wandering these streets for three days, ever since the streetlights pushed her out of the fancy apartment building where she'd lived with her 'family'. The memory made her stomach clench. Before, she'd thought she was the master of her fate. Now? She was nothing but an unwanted弃婴, cast aside like last season's magazines.

"Hey, you!" A voice from behind made her spin around. A burly man with a missing tooth grinned, revealing a yellowed tooth. "Lucky to have you, kid. The boss wants you to deliver these." He held out a stained envelope stuffed with crumpled bills.

Lan Xi bit back a curse. Her third day on the streets, and she was already dealing with lowlife thugs. She tucked the envelope into her tattered pocket.至少, it was something. Maybe she could grab a bowl of congee with those coins. Her stomach growled, a traitorous sound in the cold night air.