After her bath, the bathroom mirror was fogged up.

She wiped it with a damp towel, revealing the slightly blurred face of a little girl.

As the steam faded, the face slowly came into focus.

Jiang Xiaochan’s eyes bore a bit of resemblance to Jiang Daxi’s, but hers were sharper and more intense. The shape of her eyes—curved at the inner corners and lifted at the outer edges—formed a pair of rare, distinctive phoenix eyes. Her nose was small yet well-shaped, adding a bit of stubbornness to her face. Her lips were adorably pink, and just above the corner of her mouth was a faint mole.

At first glance, Jiang Daxi came across as a classic beauty—fair-skinned, bright-featured, and striking. Jiang Xiaochan, on the other hand, was the kind of girl one had to look at twice to recognize her unique charm—“a little beauty with personality.”

In terms of appearance alone, the two weren’t really comparable. Most people would firmly agree that Jiang Daxi was the prettier one.

Pinching the little girl’s soft face, Jiang Xi thought: Is this the face of the person who stood at the foot of my bed night after night?

Why did Jiang Xiaochan die? Why did her spirit linger with such resentment, following her? Jiang Xi didn’t know the reason. But if given the chance to do it all over again, Jiang Xi hoped Jiang Xiaochan could live a happy and healthy life.

Only if Jiang Xiaochan could live a good life, could Jiang Daxi enjoy peace.

“I’ll make sure you get everything good in life. Don’t worry,” she promised the girl in the mirror.

Jiang Xiaochan had been thoroughly cleaned, head to toe. She had remembered the doctor’s instructions and made sure not to let water touch her wound.

From now on, she needed to be more careful and not let this body get hurt again.

…

The lights were off in the living room.

Jiang Xiaochan stepped carefully in the dark after leaving the bathroom.

While drying her hair with a towel, she heard hushed voices coming from the attic. She slowly walked toward the stairs.

She couldn’t find her slippers anyway, so she crept barefoot up the stairs and hid by the wall to eavesdrop.

“…Mom didn’t mean it that way. I never said Lin Jia was bad. He’s polite, respectful, gets good grades—of course he’s a good kid. Everyone knows that.”

Meng Xuemei, sitting at her daughter’s bedside, let out a long sigh.

Jiang Daxi didn’t get it: “Then why don’t you want me to hang out with him? Just because his dad’s awful? That’s not Jia Jia’s fault.”

“Lin Dongguang is his dad—that’s the problem. What if something happens and you get dragged into it? Look what happened to your sister—she got hurt because of his dad and ended up in the hospital. And we can’t even get compensation. I’ll have to talk to your sister—what was she even doing getting involved in someone else’s family drama?”

“Yeah, Jiang Xiaochan is always butting in. You go lecture her. Anyway, I’m staying close with Jia Jia. After school, we’re still walking home together, and I’m still going to his place to do homework. So stop saying bad things about him.”

Jiang Daxi made it clear with her actions that she didn’t want to continue the conversation.

She pulled the covers over herself, leaving only the back of her head visible to Meng Xuemei.

“Tsk, tsk. That Lin Jia sure is popular… Ah, forget it…”

Her mother nudged her back with an elbow and changed the subject: “Hey, did you ask Xiaochan why she skipped art class today?”

Jiang Daxi grumbled, “She said she didn’t know. Probably just didn’t feel like it and skipped.”

“Did you ask her properly?” Meng Xuemei muttered under her breath. “You two are real opposites. Why can’t you just get along?”

Jiang Daxi turned over to face her mom, her voice cold and resentful.

“She’s not even into painting, okay? I’m the one who loves it. But we couldn’t afford lessons for both of us, and you still insisted on switching it to her.”

Meng Xuemei forced a smile and gently patted her back. “You know your sister always looks up to you. Whatever you have, she wants too. The art teacher said she has talent, so we thought we’d let her try a few classes. Don’t be mad at her. You’re the older sister—you should give in a little. You’re five years older than her.”

That last sentence—“give in a little”—was the final straw for Jiang Daxi.

“Give in to her? Haven’t I given her enough? Dad gave her half of everything, Mom gave her half too, and even my room—I have to share that with her!”

She sat up straight, speaking fast and loud.

“It’s not like I’m healthy like her, running and jumping around. All I like is painting, and now I’m supposed to give even that up to her?”

She was so agitated she could barely breathe, gasping for air.

Startled, Meng Xuemei quickly stood up to calm her down. “Sweetie, don’t get upset. I’m not saying you have to give her everything. It’s just that things are tight right now. If we had more, of course both of you could take art lessons.”

“If money’s so tight, then why’d you even have two kids?” Jiang Daxi said through tears. “I’ve got asthma, I’m not perfect—so you went and had a healthier one.”

“Oh, Daxi, don’t say that…”

Meng Xuemei was at a loss. Seeing her daughter crying so pitifully, she finally relented: “I’ll talk to Xiaochan. I promise I’ll talk to her. If she really doesn’t want to go to the art class, then it’s yours again.”

Before she even finished speaking, Jiang Xiaochan jumped out from her hiding spot in the corner.

“Why should Jiang Daxi get the class? I don’t agree!”

Jiang Daxi stood up angrily with her hands on her hips. “Hey! Jiang Xiaochan, were you eavesdropping on me and Mom?”

“This house isn’t that big, and it’s not soundproof either,” Jiang Xiaochan retorted. Though short in stature, she wasn’t lacking in attitude. “If you really didn’t want me to hear it, then don’t say it at home.”

“Weren’t you in the shower? And for so long! How was I supposed to know you’d be sneaking around the wall like a rat?”

“I was showering, but I finished. Talking bad about me behind my back is what’s low—you’re the rat.”

Jiang Daxi’s nose twitched—she smelled the scent of rose-scented body wash on her sister.

“Hey! Did you use my body wash?!”

“I did. Why can’t I? It doesn’t have your name written on it.”

“Jiang! Xiao! Chan!”

“What! Don’t think I’m scared just because you’re louder!”

The two sisters had entered battle mode automatically.

Bickering back and forth, it seemed like they could argue forever.

Meng Xuemei had a splitting headache. She had no choice but to step between them and separate the two.

“Can you two stop already? You’re being way too loud—it’s the middle of the night! The neighbors are sleeping!”

“I wasn’t trying to argue with her,” the sisters said at the same time.

Glaring at each other, they scrambled to say the next line first.

“She’s the one being unreasonable.”

“You two are surprisingly in sync,” Meng Xuemei said, both annoyed and amused.

“Who’s in sync with her? She’s the one always copying me.”

Jiang Daxi flopped back into bed and took up most of the space.

Not to be outdone, Jiang Xiaochan quickly climbed in too and began fighting for her share of the bed.

“Alright, alright, both of you shut it and go to sleep.”

Unable to deal with the sisters anymore, Meng Xuemei seized the chance to escape.

She went downstairs to sleep, turning off the attic light on her way out.

The night was peaceful.

Under a thin blanket, Jiang Daxi lay with her big eyes wide open, clearly not sleepy.

Jiang Xiaochan’s hair was still damp. She lay with her back to Jiang Daxi, resting her head on her good arm.

No one knew who started it, but the two began shoving each other for space again.

“You’re lying on my hair.”

“Then why don’t you move over a bit?”

“You were the one sleeping too soundly, okay?”

Annoyed, Jiang Xiaochan simply grabbed her pillow and threw it to the foot of the bed, then turned around to sleep facing the other way.

Jiang Daxi quieted down as well.

A long silence followed.

Moonlight gently spilled across the head of the bed.

Someone spoke.

“Do you like Lin Jia?”

It sounded like a sleep talk, not directed at anyone in particular, just floating lazily through the air.

A few seconds later, a voice responded from the other side of the bed.

“Everyone in town likes Lin Jia. Even if you asked a dog, it would like him too.”

“I’m asking you,” Jiang Xiaochan pressed directly. “Do you like Lin Jia?”

Jiang Daxi was a little annoyed. “You’re an 8-year-old elementary school kid— a minor. Do you even understand what ‘like’ means? You pick up a word and throw it around?”

“You’re 13, also a minor. Do you understand it?” Jiang Xiaochan shot back.

Sniffling, Jiang Daxi muttered sheepishly,
“I don’t. Liking someone is a very complicated thing.”

“Since you don’t understand, then let me go first.”

She spoke quickly, with no emotion, spilling the words out like dumping beans.

“Jiang Daxi, I want to like Lin Jia. So make some room for me, okay? Don’t like him anymore.”

Inside that little girl’s body was a full-fledged adult. She didn’t take middle-schooler Jiang Daxi seriously at all, so she was blunt.

She wanted to secure a seat for Jiang Xiaochan on the Lin Jia express train.

As sisters, it was better to talk things out and handle it smoothly—no need to end up fighting over a guy in the future.

In the dark, Jiang Daxi rolled her eyes at her sister.

“There’s something wrong with you, Jiang Xiaochan. Watch less TV, stop picking up nonsense.”

“Jiang Daxi, just tell me—will you or won’t you?”

Jiang Xiaochan was persistent. She had to hear a clear answer.

Unfortunately, the one thing Jiang Daxi hated most was being told to “give way.”

“Why should I give way to you? Do I have to give you everything?”

Silence.

“When have you ever given anything to me?”

Jiang Xiaochan let out a small laugh.
“Art class. You never thought about giving that to me either.”

Jiang Daxi was furious with embarrassment.

“Fine! I won’t give in. I won’t give you anything!”

And with that, their conversation completely fell apart.

“Let me tell you something. Just like everyone else in town, I do like Lin Jia.”

She gave her sister a hard kick and declared smugly:
“And besides, Lin Jia likes me the most. Don’t believe me? Go ask him yourself.”

She said it just to shut Jiang Xiaochan down.

“Alright then.”

Jiang Daxi didn’t expect Jiang Xiaochan’s shocking reply.

“When we wake up tomorrow, let’s go to the hospital together. I’ll ask Lin Jia to his face.”