Chapter 1

Seeing me head for the door with my backpack, Duan Fei called me back. “Where are you off to this early?”

“School.”

“It’s Saturday.”

“Finals are coming up. Our study group organized a review session.”

Duan Fei, who had spent the night passed out on the sofa after drinking too much, rubbed his eyes. “Wait. Hang on.” Propping himself up on one arm, he looked me up and down for ages, as though he’d never seen me before.

Then he craned his neck and shouted for my mother. “Lai Xue! Lai Xue, get out here!”

Lai Xue had just come home after being out all night. She hadn’t even taken off her thick makeup.

She shuffled into the living room in slippers, swearing. “What are you yelling about? Got a death wish?”

“Your daughter.” Duan Fei pointed at me. “No school today. She’s going anyway.”

Lai Xue tugged at a false eyelash. “Worry about yourself.”

Then she lifted her chin at me. “What are you standing there for? Go do your thing.”

When I got back after half a day of revision, I discovered they were both home.

Usually, the three of us spent very little time at home together. When I got back from school, they were out enjoying themselves separately. When I went to school, they were catching up on sleep.

All three of us home and awake at once: it was so rare that I felt a little awkward.

Especially since I could plainly feel both pairs of eyes on me, following me as I moved.

I steeled myself and walked straight to my room without looking sideways. Only after closing the door did I breathe out.

Then I turned around. My things were all over the place. Someone had clearly been through them.

Outside, Duan Fei sounded unusually serious.

“I called to check. She really was studying at school this morning. What the hell?”

“I’m not surprised she went to school. I just thought she had some other reason,” Lai Xue said dejectedly. After a pause, she added, “But I turned her room upside down and couldn’t find a single love letter. When I was her age, my diary was nothing but the name of the boy I liked…”

“Who? Which boy?” Duan Fei asked.

“Are you an idiot? Is that the point?”

“Then what’s the point? Oh, right. No love letters!”

“It’s worse than that. I had no idea until I looked. Look at this.”

“Is that…” Paper rustled. Duan Fei’s voice trembled. “One of those?”

Lai Xue sighed. “A certificate. And not for being good at chores, or Most Improved. Outstanding Student. Good conduct, good grades, good at sports—the whole package. She actually brought this filth home. What are we going to do?”

Silence.

“We have to take some responsibility for how she’s turned out,” Lai Xue said with a sniff.

“A kid of ours was bound to rebel. But who could’ve guessed she’d rebel like this?”