Chapter 38: PAST-FOUR.
"So, how was your class?" Xu Lingwei's mother asked.
"Good," he replied simply.
His older sister was quietly eating, while his father—always ready with another question—glanced at him. "I heard they're going to conduct a competition?" his father asked, referring to the upcoming archery event.
"I'm thinking about it," Xu Lingwei said.
"Thinking? What's the point of going there every day if you can't even compete in a single competition?" his mother interjected, her tone sharp. Then, as if that wasn't enough, she added, "At least this is better than that dancing hobby of yours."
That stung. She always did this. If Xu Lingwei liked something she approved of, he was her perfect son. But if he didn't, he was nothing. Sometimes, he looked at his older sister and wondered how she had survived all these years.
His mother never showed affection, never offered warmth. She believed love and kindness would make him weak.
"But in all those things, don't forget about your studies. That is more important," she reminded him.
Xu Lingwei knew what she really meant—if he didn't excel in both, she would be disappointed.
He missed her. He really did. She never asked about his achievements, never measured his worth by his success. She asked how he was doing, and what he liked, noticed the small things about him, and shamelessly tagged along wherever he went.
"What are you thinking?" his father asked.