Then she tightened her arms slightly.
"I do."
The answer was so simple that Bai Li did not know what to say.
She simply smiled.
They reached the street.
Morning sunlight spilled over them.
The black motorcycle emerged from the darkness of the underground garage and rolled onto the broken road.
For the first time since entering the mall, Bai Li felt like they were actually going home.
The first few meters were slow.
Bai Li wanted to make sure the motorcycle was behaving normally before increasing the speed.
The road outside the mall was almost empty.
A few abandoned cars stood at strange angles across the intersection. Some had doors hanging open. A bus had crashed into a light pole several streets away. Old advertisements still covered the sides of buildings, their bright colors faded beneath dust and grime.
Yan Cijin looked over Bai Li's shoulder.
"Do you remember the way?"
"Yes."
"You're sure?"
"Very."
"Because if we get lost, I'm blaming you."
Bai Li smiled.
