15 years before... (2)

Out of pity and a growing fondness for Lin Xue, Chen Meili became more involved in the brothel's management, a role that would have been long abandoned if left solely to Lin Xue's interests.

Lin Xue's disinterest extended far beyond the management of the brothel; she appeared disengaged from life itself.

Secluded in the back of her room, she consumed sustenance and drink like a person devoid of any desire to live.

It was a numbing existence, and the long shadows of her mother's habits loomed large, including the bad habit of smoking, which she had picked up following Qian Li's death.

But the arrival of a certain naive young man in the early months of the present year disrupted the desolation.

The news was unexpected and bewildering, and Chen Meili entered Lin Xue's room with a helpless expression, delivering this astonishing update.