Vel'tharis maera cin, sister'kai," she whispered, too softly for Minghao to hear. May the stars bless you, sister of my heart.
Minghao finished her last problem with a triumphant flourish. "Done! All twenty problems completed!" She held up her notebook like a trophy.
"Let me check them," Qing Qing offered, sliding off her bed to join Minghao on hers.
They went through the problems together, Qing Qing pointing out where Minghao had made small errors and explaining how to correct them. Minghao erased and fixed them carefully, asking questions when she didn't understand.
By the time they finished, it was well past their usual bedtime. Minghao's phone buzzed, a message from Tang Fei responding to the face mask photo with heart emojis and a reminder to get enough sleep.
"Momma says goodnight," Minghao reported, showing Qing Qing the screen. "She's happy we're having fun together."
