Friday arrived with a mix of excitement and nervousness for Jiang Meilin. She double-checked her small backpack, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything essential. The burner phone Zhao Jingshen had insisted they use for the week buzzed with a message: "Meet me at Longtang Alley in 30 minutes. -Z"
Meilin's heart raced as she made her way to the meeting point. The narrow alley was bustling with morning activity – street vendors setting up their carts, the aroma of fresh baozi filling the air. She spotted Zhao Jingshen leaning against a wall, almost unrecognizable in worn jeans and a faded hoodie.
"Jingshen?" she called softly, approaching him.
He turned, a smile breaking across his face. "Meilin. Ready for our adventure?"
As they walked, Zhao Jingshen explained their first task, finding a place to stay for the night. "We need to experience this fully," he said, his eyes gleaming with determination. "No shortcuts."
Their search led them to a small, rundown hostel. The owner, a gruff older woman named Auntie Zhang, eyed them suspiciously. "You two don't look like our usual guests," she remarked.
Meilin, thinking quickly, spun a story. "We're art students, Auntie. Doing a project on urban life. Can you help us out?"
Auntie Zhang's expression softened slightly. "Art students, eh? Reminds me of my granddaughter. Alright, I have one room left, But no funny business, you hear?"
As they settled into their cramped, shared room, reality began to sink in. Zhao Jingshen looked around, a mix of fascination and discomfort on his face. "This is... quite different from what I'm used to," he admitted.
Jiang Meilin couldn't help but laugh. "Welcome to how the other half lives, CEO Zhao."
Their laughter was interrupted by a commotion outside, the room had thin walls. In the hallway, they found a young boy, no more than 12, being berated by Auntie Zhang.
"Xiao Wei, I've told you before! No pickpocketing my guests!" she scolded.
The boy, Xiao Wei, looked up with apologetic eyes. "Sorry Mama Zhang, it won't happen again" the boy apologised, looking sorrowful.
Jiang Meilin and Zhao Jingshen exchanged glances. Without a word, they both knew this was exactly the kind of situation they needed to understand.
"Wait," Jiang Meilin called out. She knelt beside Xiao Wei. "How about you show us where to get the best food around here? Our treat."
Xiao Wei's eyes lit up, while Auntie Zhang looked on with a mixture of surprise and approval.
As they followed Xiao Wei through winding alleys to a small noodle stand, Zhao Jingshen leaned close to Jiang Meilin. "That was kind of you," he murmured.
Jiang Meilin shrugged, a small smile on her lips. "Isn't this why we're here? To understand and help?"
He nodded, the foreign feelings sprouting in his heart growing even firmer, but he didn't know what to do with this new feeling. Not yet, at least.
Over steaming bowls of noodles, they listened to Xiao Wei's story of an orphan who was struggling to survive and care for his older sister. They had lost their parents a few years ago and his older sister had been taking care of him ever since, refusing to send him to an orphanage, until she took ill a few months ago and life took a new turn for them. Jiang Meilin felt her heart ache, recognizing a kindred spirit in the defiant gleam of the boy's eyes, she used to know someone with a past like this. while Zhao Jingshen listened intently, his brow furrowed in thought.
After listening to Xiao Wei's story, Meilin excused herself with an excuse of using the bathroom. Slipping around a corner. She spoke to no one in particular "The boy and his sister are to be taken care of.... Discreetly" She paused, feeling the silent acknowledgment of her unseen guardians. A ghost of a smile played on her lips as she rejoined the group, her façade of naivety firmly back in place.."
As night fell and they returned to their small room, both were quiet, lost in reflection. Meilin began sketching, her pencil flying across the paper as she captured the day's experiences.
Zhao Jingshen watched her work, mesmerized. "You see the world differently," he said softly. "I think I'm beginning to understand why your art speaks to people so powerfully."
Meilin looked up, meeting his gaze. In that moment, something shifted between them, a deeper understanding, a connection forged through shared experience.
"I never pegged you for an art enthusiast, you know!" She lost herself in her thoughts for a moment, then let out a breath of relief. "No one ever understood why I choose to live her life" she murmured softly.
Zhao Jingshen who had his full attention on her was confused by her statement "what do you mean?" He asked softly.
Jiang Meilin looked him straight in the eye, a big smile stretched on her lips as she thought 'who knew being poor would have its perks too', then she shook her head and replied "it's nothing, I'm just happy, that's all.... Really happy."
Zhao Jingshen who didn't understand the hidden meaning behind her statements replied. "Me too, I'm glad I met you, Meilin."
As they prepared for sleep, the sounds of the city filtering through thin walls, both knew that this week would change them in ways they couldn't yet imagine. And as Jiang Meilin drifted off to sleep, her last thought was of the man lying just a few feet away, and the journey they had only just begun.