669 A Cowherd Point At A Faraway Apricot Flower Village

As a child, Lin Sanjiu often had bedtime fears. There was perpetual darkness underneath the bed that could even absorb light. Her mother had stuffed many bags of junk and whatnots under her bed, and those bags were always open and full of dust. She remembered this one night where she summoned her courage and laid on her stomach by the side of her bed. Then, with the help of a nightlight, she peered under the bed.

The space under the bed was filled with an impenetrable umbra to the brim. From the darkness, a red turtleneck sweater slowly wriggled its way out of a bag. The collar of the sweater meandered along the floor like a turtle's neck coming out of its shell.