“Something is going on,” she insisted. “And you know how curious I am. If you do not tell me, I will pester you until I find out.”
He shot her a fulminating glance. “It is disrespectful for a pupil to pester her shifu.”
“Right now, we are just Glory and Wei.” In her concern for him, she did not even blush at using his name. “You said you wanted to be friends, and this is what friends do. They talk to each other.”
“There is nothing to talk about—”
“Does it have to do with your purpose? The thing you’re trying to find?”
She knew she’d guessed correctly, for his shoulders grew rigid, his chest rippling with tension. And his eyes…she swallowed at the anguish flaring in his pupils. At the pain he must work so hard to keep hidden.
He averted his gaze.
“You can talk to me, Wei.”
She came closer, and with great daring, touched his jaw. His gaze swung back to meet hers. Yet he did not pull away, his tight muscle quivering beneath her fingertips before she let her hand fall.
“Talk to me,” she urged. “You can trust me.”
She saw the moment pain broke free from the bonds of his self-discipline.
“It…it is my sister’s birthday today.”
Hearing his simmering emotion, Glory had a terrible premonition.
Carefully, she said, “I didn’t know you have a sister.”
“I had a sister.” His hoarse words confirmed her fear. “Her name was Ling Ling. Today she would have turned five-and-twenty.”
“I’m sorry,” Glory said gently. “When did she pass?”
“Fifteen years ago.” Grief saturated his voice. “She was…she was only ten.”
He turned his back to her, his shoulders hunching, and Glory let him be. Knowing how private he was, she didn’t want to push too hard and have him regret taking her into his confidence.
Seeing the taut grooves of his back, she ached for him. Wei was so strong and self-possessed; how difficult it must be for a man like him to accept the things he could not control. She did not know how one would cope with the loss of a younger sibling. She couldn’t imagine life without her brothers…couldn’t bear it if anything happened to Theo or Horatio.
“Were you and Ling Ling very close?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes.” Wei’s voice was gruff. “Even though I was older than her by eight years, Ling Ling liked to follow me around. I used to tease her for being a pest. But she was spirited and headstrong; once she set her mind to something, nothing could stop her from accomplishing it. She loved animals, hated bullies, and always stood up for what was right.” He turned his head, sliding a glance at Glory. “You remind me of her, actually.”
Drat. Now I have my answer: he does think of me like a younger sister.
Glory hid her deflated feeling behind a smile. “Are you implying that I am a pest?”
“Sometimes.”
He faced her fully, and despite her disappointment, she was glad to see that his anguish had subsided. The intense brown of his irises was back, breaking through the shadows.
“But mostly you are like Ling Ling in your spirit and sweetness. In your optimistic campaigner’s heart.” The line of his mouth softened. “She, like you, had causes and people she fought for. While she did not always fit in, she knew who she was. She knew what mattered, and she never gave up.”
“I would have liked your sister very much,” Glory said sincerely.
“And she you.”
Hesitating, she asked, “What happened to her?”
“I am not going to talk about that. Not today.” His voice was quiet and firm. “You have reminded me about who Ling Ling was, and today I want to just remember her. To honor her memory. I will burn some incense and wish her a happy birthday.”
