Page 5 of New World

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From the Terrace, Behind the Silk Screen

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Ming Li Hú watched from the shadows, her slender fingers tightening around the embroidered sleeve of her robe. Her heart clenched as she witnessed what she had long feared—the moment the man who controlled her life now claimed Mei as his tool, rather than his child.

They were not married. Her family’s standing was not high enough for such a status. She was a tool, just as her daughter would be.

A searing pain, a deep regret, and a fierce determination battled within her. For years, she’d felt the approaching weight of this day, a sense of dread mixed with anticipation. While her parents had remained oblivious to the life they were sentencing her to when they accepted Lui’s offer of financial support in exchange for their daughter, Ming had been diligently preparing Mei for a different life, her actions quiet but purposeful.

She had seen it in Liu Zhang’s eyes since the day Mei first displayed her talent. A child prodigy. A perfect creation. His ambition had taken root then, and today, it had borne fruit.

Ming’s dark eyes softened as she studied her daughter—small but strong, delicate but unyielding. So much like her.

The way Mei’s jaw tightened in the face of her father’s cold praise, the way she held herself still, controlled, when every child should have been basking in the warmth of their parent’s approval. Mei understood, even at such a fragile, impressionable age.

Liu Zhang had never looked at Mei the way a father should.

And that was why she had quietly taught Mei what he never would.

Not through rebellion. No—Mei could not afford open defiance. The world Mei lived in, the world Ming had long endured, was not kind to women who fought too openly.

She had taught Mei the art of quiet resistance.

She showed her daughter how to survive in a world of powerful men, without them even realizing she was slipping from their control.

Ming released a slow breath, smoothing her sleeve as she stepped back into the shadows.

The time would come for Mei to choose her own path.

And when it did, she would be ready.

Even if Ming was no longer there to guide her.

Beijing: Twelve years later

* * *

The city stretched out beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, a glittering sea of neon and steel. Mei stepped into the cavernous office of Liu Zhang, her father, barely glancing at the panoramic view of Beijing below. She had grown up surrounded by wealth and power, but neither had ever belonged to her.

Her father sat behind his sleek, black desk, his hands folded in front of him, his face unreadable. Standing beside him was a man in a crisply pressed suit. Mei quickly categorized him as the Chinese military. His posture was stiff, his expression neutral, but Mei didn’t miss the way he studied her the moment she entered.

“Come in, Mei,” her father said, his voice as smooth as polished stone.

She obeyed, stepping forward, her movements controlled, precise. Years of discipline had taught her that weakness was never tolerated in his presence.

“This is Major Xiao Cheng,” her father gestured to the officer. “He is here on behalf of the government.”

Mei gave the man a polite nod, her mind already piecing together what this meant. Her father rarely entertained guests unless they were useful to his ambitions.

Her father continued, his voice calm but edged with something sharp. “You have been accepted as a representative for a special exploratory mission to space.”

Mei blinked, momentarily surprised. Of all the things she had expected, this was not one of them.

“It is called Project Gliese 581g,” her father explained. “Something has been found in space… something alien. The government wants information. You will be part of a carefully selected crew tasked with studying what has been discovered.”

She listened as her father summarized what had happened. An accident. A change in crew. A new opportunity. She knew immediately there had been no accident. There seldom was during a mission of this scope.

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