Xia Lihua rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the drowsiness. She felt a persistent scratching sensation crawling along her arm. "Michelle, stop scratching me, ugh!" she grumbled, swatting at her cat. "Mimi, go away!"
When her eyes were on the brink of closing again, the alarm clock at her bedside blared to life. "Goddamnit! I wanted to sleep some more," she groaned.
Turning off the alarm, Xia Lihua saw it was 7 AM. She had to get ready to return to the training camp, so she couldn't afford to sleep in. Missing her flight was not an option.
Dragging herself out of bed, she shuffled to the bathroom to freshen up. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she was taken aback by how worn-out she looked. Her complexion was sallow, and her eyes were rimmed with redness from the tears she shed the night before. She couldn't even pinpoint the reason why she had cried; the tears just came.
