Huang Yao's report earned her a chance to "atone through meritorious service," but also left her carrying a secret no one else knew. When she learned that everything had been arranged by Gao Qiqiang, she may have felt a jumble of emotions. The man who had raised her and also used her had ultimately given her a way out. Those feelings, tangled up with gratitude and guilt, became the foundation on which she said goodbye to the past and began a new life.
