Charlie had to rush off for a meeting, so the two women only lingered over their coffee a little longer before parting ways. Linsy stood on the curb for a long moment after Charlie’s car disappeared into the traffic. She didn’t head home. Her feet seemed to have their own quiet compass, drawing her away from the bustle of the main streets, past familiar intersections, until she found herself standing before the tall iron gates of a place she hadn’t seen in more than a decade.

Minglang ...