Chapter Two: The Rules of Three Hundred Thousand

“You should look behind me.” Shen Yanci wore a charcoal coat and held a black umbrella. Instead of taking the bag, he pulled Jibai inside. The lock fell just as the motorcycle roared past. In the dark, they stood too close. Jibai's shoulder pressed against Yanci's chest. The apparently composed body was tense as a drawn wire, and Yanci's hand remained at Jibai's waist, its heat penetrating wet fabric. “Finished holding me?” Jibai asked. “You lost your balance.” Yanci released him without changing expression, though emergency lighting colored the skin behind his ears faintly red. The aquarium had been drained, leaving pale fish bones behind enormous panes. Yanci opened the package and overlaid the receipt on an antique menu card.