8 Chapter 8: You Are Strong

The alarm clock buzzed insistently on Zhēng Yù's bedside table, pulling him reluctantly from the comforting depths of sleep. He groggily reached over to silence the persistent beeping, his hand finding the familiar cool surface of the alarm clock. As his eyes adjusted to the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains, he sighed and pushed himself up from the bed.

Another day, he thought, as he went through the motions of his morning routine. He padded into the bathroom, the cool tiles sending a shiver up his spine. The reflection in the mirror revealed a man in his early thirties, with a neatly styled haircut and the shadow of a beard. His gaze fell to the necklace hanging around his neck, a silver ring with six small diamonds winking in the soft light. Zhēng Yù absentmindedly touched it, a habitual gesture that had become an integral part of his daily routine.