In the morning, Xiao Mu was lying in bed, still half asleep, when she heard what sounded like chopping wood next door. One chop, then another, then a third, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. After a long exhale, the sound abruptly stopped, followed by the buzzing of a saw, like a little bee.
Ever since Xiao Mu moved here, strange noises had kept happening. She was a student at Haida University nearby. Her grades weren't outstanding, but they were decent. Because of her roommates' schedules, she felt they were picking on her, so she worked part-time to rent a place of her own. A couple lived next door. Xiao Mu slept until noon, went to campus to study, and came back very late at night. She had only ever seen the boyfriend: short, a little chubby, with a gruff voice.
Xiao Mu rented a room in a shared apartment, sharing the bathroom, shower, and kitchen with the couple. When she first arrived, she treasured her life away from campus and took the initiative to clean the shared spaces. Then one night, she came home very late and found the front door lock was broken. She called out for someone inside to open the door and knocked for ages. She heard the young couple come back, but they refused to open it. Xiao Mu realized that they weren't friendly.
Xiao Mu began her step-by-step descent into revenge and darkness.
