C16 Ye Tingting

After returning from under the South Cave Bridge, the little boy instinctively paused and didn't rush to enter his home. Every time he came back, he could hear the sounds of arguments and shouting from inside, leaving him momentarily disoriented.

Ye Lang, the boy's name, had a once-happy family and a sister who adored him. In his memories, his sister, Ye Tingting, was always a model student in the eyes of her teachers, a well-behaved child to their parents, and a great sister to him.

However, about a month ago, something changed. The once-gentle Ye Tingting became unpredictable, skipping school and hanging out with a rough crowd. She started lashing out at Ye Lang and even began to defy their parents. The sweet girl she used to be had turned into what their parents now saw as a problem.

A loud crash echoed as a vase shattered. Ye Lang had grown accustomed to the sound of things breaking; it happened whenever his sister lost control.

The argument inside continued.

"Why do you think you can control me? Every time I came in second place, you would scold me without considering how I felt. Am I just a learning machine to you?" Ye Tingting shouted, pushing past their exhausted mother, slamming her door, and locking herself in her room.

Ye Lang's father was so angry he nearly broke down her door. His hands trembled as he pointed at Ye Tingting's room. "If you have the guts, stay in there and never come out. Let's see how long you can keep this up!"

Ye's mother covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. "What's happened to Tingting? We've never even yelled at her, let alone hit her. How can she speak to us like this?"

Ye Lang instinctively touched the talisman in his pocket, feeling a sudden sense of reassurance. The master had said that as long as the talisman was with his sister, she would return to her old self.

With this thought, Ye Lang stood up, pushed open the door, and walked into the chaotic house. "Mom, Dad, I'm back." Seeing his mother sitting on the floor, tears streaming down her face, his heart ached. He knelt in front of her, gently wiping her tears away. "Mom, don't worry. She'll get better, trust me."

After comforting his mother for a while, Ye Lang turned and knocked on Ye Tingting's bedroom door. "Sis, it's me."

"Leave her be!" his father shouted from the couch, clutching his chest in anger, clearly disappointed in Ye Tingting.

Inside, Ye Tingting seemed oblivious to the commotion outside. She frantically searched her desk, finally finding a razor blade hidden in the back. Gripping it tightly, she slashed at her hand, each cut deeper than the last, a twisted smile spreading across her face.

Ye Lang seemed to hear a noise, and he instinctively felt something was wrong inside. "Mom, Dad, do you think Sis might be trying to hurt herself in there?"

Hearing this, both parents panicked. After all, she was their beloved daughter, and they couldn't help but worry.

"Lang, step aside. I'm going to kick the door in."

Ye Lang quickly moved out of the way. His father acted fast, raising his leg and forcefully kicking the door until it swung open. As he rushed inside, he found Ye Tingting lying in a pool of blood.

Outside the ICU.

A doctor in a white coat spoke to Ye's parents, "It's a good thing you brought her in quickly. She hasn't lost too much blood, but she'll need to stay in the hospital for observation."

Standing nearby, Ye Lang was still thinking about the talisman. He tugged at the doctor's coat and whispered, "Sir, can I go in and see my sister?"

"No, I'm afraid not, young man," the doctor replied, shaking his head.

Disheartened, Ye Lang walked to the side. He seemed to abandon the idea, but in reality, he was plotting how to sneak past the adults and into the room.