"What's going on?"
A new voice, softer, concerned.
I turn to see a young woman at the top of the stairs, mid-twenties, beautiful in an effortless way with long dark hair and kind eyes. She's wearing pajamas, actual comfortable pajamas, not the performative perfection Mother insists on.
Li Feifei.
My sister.
The memories flood in. Years of her defending me to our parents, sneaking me snacks when I was sent to bed without dinner, helping me with homework, telling me it would be okay when I cried about Wei Jian. The only person in this family who ever looked at Original Runze with something other than disappointment.
Seeing her now, worry creasing her kind face, makes something in my chest ache.
"Runze?" Feifei comes down the stairs quickly. "Are you okay? Where were you? We were so worried..."
"He was out all night doing god knows what," Mother snaps. "Look at him!"
"Mom, please..." Feifei's face flushes. "Can you not..."
