My Sister’s Forbidden Book Pass

After five years apart, his younger sister suddenly appears before him, like a wounded hedgehog bristling with thorns.

At sixteen, she should be carefree and full of spirit. But Lin Xingwan’s eyes hold only wariness, suspicion, and the panic of someone ready to run at any moment.

Lin Yu doesn’t know what she’s been through. He only knows she crouches in front of the fridge at midnight, gnawing on bread; that unfamiliar footsteps make her tremble with fear; and that on nights when the power goes out, she curls up in a corner, staring fixedly at the door.

He doesn’t ask her anything.

She bristles from head to toe just to protect her fragile self. But he tells her, “It’s okay. I don’t mind getting hurt.”