stuffed the chips into the cupboard, still grinning from the sister-teasing session. As I walked toward the living room, a shadow fell over me.
"Li Wei!"
Mom was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and an expression of exaggerated disappointment that I knew well. She was holding an empty glass like a prop.
"Did you really have to wake up your sister with that... noise?" she asked, her voice low but laced with steel.
"Mom, I was just helping her with her circadian rhythm," I said innocently, trying to sidle past her. "The early bird catches the chips, remember?"
"The early bird also catches a lecture," she countered, blocking my path. "Li Na has been studying hard for the placement exams. Don't be a nuisance." She softened slightly, flicking my hair. "You're getting too old for these games."
"Never," I declared.
We sat down for breakfast. It was just the three of us today. My father, Dr. Li, was already gone. He was a neurosurgeon and seemed to treat holidays and weekends like inconvenient suggestions.
"Dad already left?" I asked Li Na.
She mumbled from behind a huge bowl of rice porridge, "Duh. Some emergency surgery. Said he might be home late, even for dinner."
Mom sighed, a small but fond expression on her face. "He works too hard. Just eat your congee, both of you."
The quiet stability of our breakfast—Mom worrying, Li Na complaining, and Dad being absent but ever-present—was my normal. The world outside, with its furious village girls and city rules, felt far away for a moment.
After breakfast, I grabbed my keys and headed out. I needed to see Chen Yi, my best friend since we were old enough to ditch kindergarten naps.
I found him already camped out at our usual internet cafe haunt, headphones on, mid-game.
"Chen Yi! You started without me?" I slapped him playfully on the shoulder.
Chen Yi pulled off his headphones, his eyes still glued to the screen. "You were too slow. Your Congee time is a sacred ritual, I know." He paused, finally looking up. "Did you survive the morning wrath of your mother?"
"Barely," I said, grabbing the seat next to him. "Got scolded for being the world's best brother. Anyway, did you hear about the new class schedule?"
"Oh, yeah. Apparently, we have a transfer student joining our class," he said, tapping the mouse.
"Transfer? From where?"
"Some small town or village. Probably one of those super-smart types who only studies," Chen Yi scoffed, focusing on the game.
"Sounds boring," I replied, but the image of a small, stubborn girl fighting me over chips flashed in my mind. Lin Yue... nah, impossible.
Chen Yi abruptly leaned back, turning to me with a serious expression, which was rare for him. "Hey, Li Wei, serious question."
"Shoot. Did you finally decide to quit your terrible taste in video games?"
"Shut up. Have you... have you ever been in love?"
The question hit me with the force of an empty soda can. I burst out laughing.
"Me? Love?" I threw my head back. "Chen Yi, look at me. I'm Li Wei. I'm too busy being awesome. Girls like me; I don't chase girls. Love is for those drama guys on TV who cry when it rains. No chance. Never."
Chen Yi just stared at me, a thoughtful, distant look in his eyes. He didn't answer.
"Wait," I frowned, sensing a change in his demeanor. "Why the sudden poetry, man? Did something happen? Did you finally talk to Meng Yao?" Meng Yao was a girl in the class next to ours, whom Chen Yi had been silently admiring for months.
Chen Yi quickly looked away, turning back to the glowing screen. "It's nothing. Just... thinking about the future. Shut up and help me clear this dungeon."
I eyed him for a moment, knowing there was more he wasn't saying, but decided not to push. Chen Yi would talk when he was ready.
"Fine," I said, logging into my account. "But if you start crying about Meng Yao during the boss fight, I'm blaming you for the wipe."
We played for a couple of hours. When we finally wrapped up the session, the afternoon sun was fading. We exchanged the usual hurried goodbyes, and I started the walk home, already planning what I was going to do to annoy Li Na next
I unlocked the apartment door, kicking off my sneakers in the entryway. The living room lights were on, and I could hear Mom's gentle voice from the dining area.
"Mom, I'm home! Did Li Na finally get out of bed?" I called out, heading toward the kitchen.
As I rounded the corner into the dining room, I stopped dead. My voice caught in my throat.
There, sitting politely at the dining table, sipping a glass of water while Mom beamed at her, was a girl in a fresh, slightly too-new school uniform. She was small, with wide eyes, and had a backpack that practically screamed "I just arrived from the village."
It was Lin Yue.
She looked up at me, recognized the enemy from the convenience store, and her wide eyes instantly narrowed into that familiar, fierce scowl.
Mom gestured warmly toward the girl. "Li Wei, come say hello! This is Lin Yue. She's going to be living with us for a while."