As the National Day holiday approached, they had seven days off. Even though they would have to make up classes afterward, the thought of not having to attend school for a whole week still made them incredibly excited. Everyone was eager to leave school and rush into the freedom of vacation.

Even before classes ended that afternoon, the classroom was already noisy and chaotic. Even the students who usually had good grades couldn’t settle down to study—except for Henry Clark.

It seemed she wasn’t going home. The homeroom teacher came over especially to talk to her, reminding her to be careful while staying alone at school during the holiday, and nagged her about many things. Henry Clark agreed to everything, but didn’t seem happy about the break.

Thomas Reed was the same as her, not interested in the holiday at all. She didn’t want to go home either.

But not wanting to go home didn’t mean she could avoid it.

Her new home was still unfamiliar before she left, but when she returned with her backpack, she suddenly noticed a familiar smell—a mix of cigarette smoke, alcohol, and perfume, all blending into an unpleasant odor. Her dad had invited all his friends over to hang out, a group of men and women playing cards and chatting, making the place lively.

Her old home was like this too. The “home” created by such similar smells and scenes made her feel no warmth or comfort at all.

“Why are you back?” Her dad, holding his cards, looked up at her in surprise in the middle of his busy game.

Thomas Reed: “I’m on break.” She was long used to her parents forgetting all the school holiday schedules.

After asking, her dad didn’t say anything else. His attention was drawn back to the card table, and he slapped a few cards down with a loud laugh. Thomas Reed picked up her bag and went straight upstairs, avoiding the smoky, chaotic mess.

Her bedroom door was open, and a strange woman was lying on her bed.

Thomas Reed felt a rush of blood to her head. She cursed loudly, ran downstairs, and shouted, “Why is someone sleeping in my room!”

Her dad replied matter-of-factly, “Aunt Liu was tired and went upstairs to take a nap. You’re not home anyway, so what’s wrong with letting her sleep there?”

Thomas Reed was shaking with anger. “Why the hell do you bring all sorts of random people onto my bed? Why don’t you let them sleep in your own bed? Why do you have to disgust me? Huh?”

The noise of the card game instantly disappeared. Everyone fell silent, watching the father and daughter glare at each other in anger.

“How can you talk to your dad like that!” Her dad, furious, threw down his cards and strode toward her.

……

Thomas Reed walked along the street. Because of the rain, there were few pedestrians. She still didn’t use an umbrella, just pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt to cover her head, hiding most of her face.

She wandered the streets, sat by the railing of a bridge, and for a moment, really wanted to jump off—but she didn’t move. The fine drizzle grew heavier, soaking her shoulders and head, but she couldn’t be bothered to move.

The world was so vast, stretching out endlessly, full of people and houses everywhere, but she didn’t know where else she could go, or where she could sleep peacefully for just one night.

There were a few shops by the bridge, selling clothes, their bright lights shining in the darkness. One of them was especially small, selling underwear.

By the time Thomas Reed realized it, she had been staring blankly in that direction for a long time.

She suddenly thought of Henry Clark. Life was so hard for her—how did she manage to survive?

Chapter 6: Rainy Night

After the holiday started, the campus was silent in the darkness, the sound of rain making it feel even more empty. Thomas Reed saw the words “Nanlin No. 1 High School” and realized she had wandered here without noticing.

She was wearing a sweatshirt that was soaked by the rain, the wet hood covering her head. Even her thoughts seemed shrouded in a heavy, damp layer of earth. She felt like she was drowning.

The side gate was open, the light on in the guard room, but no one was there. Thomas Reed, as if driven by some unseen force, walked in. She first went to the bottom of the teaching building. The whole building was pitch black, with tree shadows swaying in front and behind, a little scary. Passing through the building, she reached the girls’ dormitory. Thomas Reed immediately saw the only window with a light on.

She walked toward it.

The dorm supervisor downstairs hadn’t left, sitting there watching TV. She looked surprised to see Thomas Reed, and asked, “You didn’t go home?”

Thomas Reed casually replied a couple of times and went upstairs, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the floor.

The door to 501 was closed. She knocked.

Inside, Henry Clark’s voice sounded. She asked, “Who is it?”

Thomas Reed: “It’s me.”

A chair scraped, someone stood up, click—the lock turned, and the door opened.

Thomas Reed walked in and saw a pile of test papers and a few exercise books spread out on the desk. Clearly, the person closing the door behind her was a study machine, still as diligent as ever on a holiday night when she could have been slacking off.

“Aren’t you supposed to be home? Why did you come to school now?”—Thomas Reed thought she would ask this, but she didn’t.

Henry Clark only asked her, “Do you want to take a shower? There’s no hot water at school during the holiday. The auntie downstairs has hot water; you can go get some from her.”

Throwing her bag and phone onto the bed, Thomas Reed walked into the bathroom without looking back. “I’ll use cold water.”

She was almost stubbornly thinking, if Henry Clark can shower in cold water, why can’t I?

But when the icy water hit her body, it was even colder than she’d imagined. Already soaked by the rain, now she was shivering from the cold, inside and out.

It sounded like a door closed outside, but Thomas Reed didn’t pay attention. Amid the sound of rushing water, she hugged her arms and squatted on the floor.