Cen Ye woke up to the bright daylight, his head throbbing with a subtle pain and his throat so dry it felt like it was on the verge of going hoarse. He stared at the ceiling for a while, then stretched out a finger to touch the icy white wall beside him. He zoned out for quite some time, feeling utterly hollowed out. He didn't even know how he managed to get out of bed, wash up, and change his clothes. Then he sat by the window, facing the vast expanse of mountains and the endless sky.
He lit a cigarette and smoked ceaselessly. Oddly enough, despite years of smoking since high school, today he choked on the smoke several times. After a bout of violent coughing, all that remained was irritation. He tossed the cigarette butt away, picked up his phone, and turned it on.