Qiao Yu walked into the downpour. Within moments, she was soaked to the bone. She was still in her ceremonial gown and high heels, but the heels had now become a burden. She kicked them off, and with a splash, knelt in the mud and rain. From the second-floor terrace of his villa, Ye Chengze watched it all, sipping chilled champagne. One step, one prostration, all the way to the summit. The hard, j