She'd meant to wander around endlessly for a while, but after she buys a pack of beer, it's hard to stay away, and before she knows it, she's taking the metro to the other side of the city, tramping her way down to a too familiar football field. The grass's died back, muted and crunching understep, and it's empty this time of year—too cold for anyone with any sense to be using it. There's a line of benches on the sidelines, and she takes one of them, dropping the beer onto the cold, packed ground; stretches her legs out and leans back, gripping the bench beneath her fingers for support. Waiting. It doesn't take long—for all the protestations of busy-ness, within twenty minutes, she hears footsteps behind her, and then a voice scoffs, "That shit?" She turns, and finds Hao-jie slouching comfortably in a slightly over-large leather jacket, hair slicked back and the hint of an arrogant sneer curling her lips. But her eyes are the same—mirror-dark, betraying her the fact this ease isn't as natural as it seems. Li Cu offers up a crooked smile. "Su Wan said that's the kind she buys you."
— i heard a bird sing (in the dark of december), 19k, e, fem xiaosanjiao (yangli focus)
