He plucked a flower from the dirt and ate it before returning home to his older sister.
"I'm home, sis."
"Oh my lord, thank god you're home safe! Did you get hurt anywhere? Was it scary?"
Li immediately rushed outside when An opened the front door. Without a second thought, she jumped up to hug him around his neck. The young man knelt down, allowing himself to be more comfortably embraced by his sister, decompressing with the warmth she provided.
"It was scary for first-timers," An answered.
Li didn't care that it was a half-baked answer that didn't ease her worries. Yet, she didn't want to press him further. She patted An on the head, her voice laced with concern.
"I don't know why you insist we must move to live near the obelisk... Why you wanted to be a player, and why you made me quit my job."
Li, pouting, added, "I can provide for both of us, you know... And you should be enrolling in university soon. Then maybe you can get a job if you want to, but not this..."
An stayed silent, his eyes closed, focusing purely on Li's scent—the faint fragrance of her favorite shampoo, daisy—and the tenderness of her arm around him.
"I wanted answers... And for you to enjoy your life."
"Answers...?" Li asked.
"I wanted to know who made the Tower of And—Apocalypse. And why."
Suddenly, Li's demeanor shifted dramatically. She slightly pulled An away, keeping him at arm's length, and stared at him with a stern, serious expression. He, still kneeling, was now at her stomach height.
"Are you sure that's what you want, An? It will be dangerous. And seriously... We can both work to provide for your future." she asked, her voice filled with concern.
"That is what I want," An said.
Before he could say more, Li suddenly pulled him closer and kissed him on the forehead.
"As long as you're nice to everyone, just like the lord teaches us. And make sure to have lots of friends who'll come to your birthday party. It's your 18th coming up, after all."
Her mother's side had always been deeply devoted to their faith, and it must have affected Li's viewpoint on life. But An thought it was for the better, because whenever something went wrong, Li remained positive and got through it with prayer—though it could sometimes verge on toxic positivity.
"I'll go pray for you and finish up dinner. Congee as promised~"
With a bright smile, Li skipped away to her bedroom. It was barely three steps in their cramped apartment, but it was still worth skipping, according to her.
"Hey, Li... Do you know what livestreaming is?"