"Uncle... Uncle Li? What's wrong?"
Tang Zhe watched the man seated at the head of the table. That gaze—strange, unsettling—sent a chill down his spine.
It held assessment. Wariness. And a murderous glint?
*What unforgivable crime did I commit to make Uncle Li look at me like this? He used to treat me like a little brother.*
"Nothing," Li’s father said, instantly softening his expression once he sensed the boy’s unease. He resumed eating. "Just haven’t seen you in ages. You’ve grown so much. Time flies."
Today’s dinner was a casual reunion—no evening classes, both families gathering at the Lis’ to welcome Li’s father home.
*Tch. Lost control for a second.* He’d assumed his daughter, still adjusting to her new life, couldn’t possibly have feelings for a boy yet. But then he’d seen them at the table—those tiny, unconscious exchanges that looked *exactly* like flirting to any outsider. The urge to kick out that pig who’d dared to snatch his precious daughter had surged violently.
Even though Tang Zhe grabbing the fried egg Li Mo wanted—and getting a kick under the table for it—was utterly meaningless between them. Just their usual bickering.
"I’m done. Eat slowly."
Li Mo pushed her bowl away barely minutes after the meal began. She rinsed her dishes in the kitchen sink without a word, already heading for her room.
"Mo Mo," her mother called gently but firmly. "Dad just got back. Talk with him awhile. Don’t rush to lock yourself in your room."
"I’m exhausted... need sleep..."
Her mother’s tone pricked her conscience, just a little. But she didn’t turn back. *No way I’m chatting with that annoying dad. We’ll just end up fighting. Aunt Tang and Zhe are here—no airing family dirty laundry in front of guests.* Besides, she *was* genuinely tired.
Only today had the P.E. monitor’s question—"How’s your training going?"—jolted her memory: some jerk had signed her up for the 1500-meter race while she was holed up at home. The event nobody wanted.
*...Just let me die on that track.*
Tang Zhe, stuck with the same event after late registration, had dragged her to practice today under the guise of "exercise." Predictably, she’d collapsed after barely two laps, gasping on the track until long after the next class began. She’d been dragging ever since.
Tang Zhe had explained the situation afterward—Li Mo was sensitive, and he knew father-daughter tensions ran high. Best to avoid sparks. Thanks to him, she’d dodged her mother’s scolding.
*Tap tap tap.*
"Mo Mo?"
Tang Zhe left early, but the adults lingered outside until past ten. Only when Tang Yunmeng finally departed did Li Mo’s door get knocked on. Unlocked, it swung open to reveal her hastily shoving her phone under her pillow, feigning sleep.
"Don’t pretend," her mother said. "Come here. I’ve got something to show you."
"............"
*Continue playing dead.*
"Dad bought you a gift."
"............"
*A flicker of interest. Still playing dead.*
"He got you a computer."
She sat bolt upright.
*My own computer? I’ve dreamed of this forever.*
But the giver...
"He even asked around about brands for kids who game. Said he got a high-end model. Cost eight thousand yuan."
Seeing Li Mo’s conflicted expression—yearning warring with stubborn reluctance—her mother delivered the final blow.
"W-well... since he spent so much... it’d be wasteful not to take it."
Li Mo snatched the box, placed it carefully on her desk, then flopped back onto her bed, face buried in the pillow. *Still playing dead.*
*My daughter’s such an adorable tsundere,* her mother thought, biting back a smile. *Truly made to be a girl.*
"No locking your door to play all night, alright? Early day tomorrow... Oh!" Her mother paused at the threshold. "Dad said—if the 1500 meters is too much, skip it. Health first. Girls’ bodies aren’t like boys’. Treasure yours. Sleep now. Save the computer for the weekend."
"Mhm."
*As if I don’t know that.* She’d just "forget" the race time and hide in the bathroom until it started. Quitting outright? No way. Besides, crowded sports fields made her allergies flare.
The door clicked shut. After a beat, Li Mo crept to the door, ear pressed against the wood. Silence.
*Game on.*
She locked the door, plopped into her desk chair, and tore open the box.
She didn’t care about specs. But the moment she powered it on—rainbow LEDs flared across the chassis. Sleek. Glowing. *Perfect.* No more wasting allowance at internet cafes... though honestly, her mom’s allowance had ballooned since she became a girl. She even had a secret stash now.
*Download games first. Obviously.*
Who gets a new rig and waits until *Saturday* to play? That’d be a crime.
*THUD THUD THUD.*
"What are you doing in there?!"
"!"
The sharp knock—and that stern, icy voice—made her instincts kick in. Hair stood on end.
*Shit.* The glowing LEDs under her door had given her away. Her dad must’ve seen them while heading to the shang cesuo.
*Click click.*
The doorknob rattled. Locked. Li Mo slammed the power button, dove onto her bed. "Nothing!"
"Nothing?! Your room’s flashing like a disco! Sleep. Now!"
*He doesn’t even know this thing lights up.*
"I *was* sleeping! You’re so annoying—you woke me up!"
Fury burned in her chest. *Why can’t he ever talk nicely? I already turned it off!*
"Locking your door now?! Think you’re grown? SLEEP!"
"I HATE this! I lock it because you always barge in! You yell at me every single day—don’t you get tired?! If you hate seeing me so much, just send me to boarding school! I’d rather hang with random boys than come home to your ugly face every day! I HATE YOU THE MOST!"
