When she woke up, the sky had already turned pitch black.
Feeling a bit of pain in her stomach, Shen Qingqing had a bad premonition.
Sure enough, a trip to the bathroom confirmed her period had arrived.
During her four years abroad, perhaps due to acclimation issues or other reasons, her periods had been irregular.
This time it came nearly a week early.
She had just landed in Beijing the day before, unprepared for it, and had to use tissues as a makeshift solution.
After tidying up quickly, Shen Qingqing headed out to buy sanitary pads and dinner.
The place she stayed was conveniently located in the city center, only a few minutes' walk to the mall.
After not returning for four years, Beijing had changed greatly—calling it "ever-changing" wasn't an exaggeration.
Shen Qingqing walked along, observing her surroundings.
Though it was dark, with pedestrians and streetlights around, it didn't feel particularly frightening.
