At dawn, a sliver of pale light appeared on the horizon. The city was still fast asleep.
Breakfast stalls were already bustling with activity. City sanitation workers hurried to finish cleaning the streets before sunrise. Soon, office workers would begin to trickle out of their homes, and the streets would fill with the to and fro of traffic. Only then, with the blaring of car horns, would the city truly awaken.
Liu He and Mr. Chen were early risers. People their age rarely slept in; they were always up before six. Back home, they would go out for a walk together to breathe in the fresh morning air.
Here in Lanjing, Liu He hesitated for a moment but decided not to break the habit.
She decided to go downstairs with Mr. Chen and buy some breakfast along the way.
