第五章 梦中的真相

lungs burn with each breath, like I'm trying to inhale smoke instead of air. I've been staring at the same sentence on the screen for the last ten minutes, the words blurring together into a meaningless scramble. "Senior Marketing Specialist Required," it reads. Experience preferred. "Experience preferred." Right, because I have a master's degree from a top university and worked at three major companies before getting laid off last year. Experience is preferred? Or is it experience *they* prefer, the kind that looks exactly like what they already have? My phone buzzes. I glance at the clock – 7:03 PM. Seven. It's not even over yet. I swipe to answer, expecting HR, or maybe a rejection email in my inbox by now, but it's Jin Li. Jin Li. My ex-best friend. The one who introduced me to沈亦珩, the one who saw me home drunk after our first break-up, the one who still thinks he's the victim in all this. I answer without even groaning. "Hey," I manage, my voice raspy.