After leaving the park, he returned the exquisitely crafted golden feather—the one that could grant its wielder the power of flight—to Su Yue. Instead of going back to her place, he headed straight home.
He had won a prize from a popsicle he ate at home earlier. He'd placed the winning stick on the Mysterious Small Island, planning to redeem it at a convenience store the next time he went out.
On his way home, Lin Li stopped by a roadside convenience store and used the winning stick to redeem a new popsicle.
As he entered his residential complex and headed home, he finished the last of his popsicle. He glanced at the stick; it didn't say "Winner." Lin Li tossed the non-winning stick into a trash can on the side of the road.
The streetlights in the complex cast a dim, yellow glow. Moths fluttered around the lamps, and occasionally, one or two would drop to the ground.
As Lin Li passed a greenbelt, he noticed a small figure squatting on the grass within it.
