The frost in early spring morning was thick, and both sides of streets were white. The frost wouldn’t fade until the sun rose.

In the room of the Affiliated School of the National Academy where Su Li lived, the charcoal crackled, and the wisps of heat rose from the holes in the heater, making the room as warm as spring.

Su Li was dressed in a thin garment and lay on the couch by the window. Her clear eyes were fixed on the old pamphlet in her hands and she was ...