Bad Child's Shadow

Gu Yang filled Feng Jue's enamel cup with hot water and placed it on his thin blanket, allowing him to cover it with the fabric to keep it warm.

"Drink more water," she reminded him. "I'll come back to check on you later."

Feng Jue cradled the warm cup in both hands and nodded at Gu Yang, feeling grateful. This cold winter didn't seem so unbearable anymore.

She moved on to remind the other children one by one.

Feng Jue thought that if he were the only one with a cold, then the warmth from his sister would be his alone to enjoy.

The two younger children, with snot running from their noses, listened intently. When Gu Yang spoke seriously to them, they nodded obediently.

The child lying on the bed appeared to be a bit older than Feng Jue, around nine or ten years old. He curled up under the blankets, trembling with each cough, seeming not to hear Gu Yang clearly as she spoke to him.