He suddenly grabbed my arm, staring at me urgently, as if there was some grievance he had to avenge. “Bing, I-! I…” He turned anxious, like something was itching in his heart, ensnarling him in unprecedented anxiety and frustration.

“We are good brothers…” He took a deep breath, seemingly holding something back with great effort. He didn’t look at me anymore, instead his gaze fell to the ground as he avoided my eyes. “Don’t scare me…” Slowly, he released his tight grip on my arm, then gingerly took a step forward to hug me but his body was even stiffer than mine. His chest heaved up and down before me.

“What happened, He Lei?” Confused, I wanted to push him away. But he suddenly hugged me even tighter and said, “This is the first...