The sun was high, but to Jin Yuexin, the air outside felt cold and thin, like she was breathing through a straw.
Her sandals slapped against the hallway tiles as she sprinted, her breath uneven, legs trembling with every step.
The door to Su Meilin's apartment was closed, a different number, not far at all. But for Yuexin, it might as well have been across the city.
Her fingers jammed the bell, pressing it over and over again. "Please, please, open the door!" she whispered, voice shaking, barely audible.
No response.
She began to bang her fists against the door. "Meilin! Meilin, please! It's Yuexin! Please, it's an emergency! Open up!"
Still nothing.
"M-my nanny is sick! She has a heart attack... So please... Please open the door!" she started to sob, as she fell to the floor, feeling helpless.
Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might explode. The edges of her vision blurred. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, her breath catching in her throat like knives.
