Bai Yaoyao writes first
She’s lovely in a soft, harmless way: pale pink cardigan, hair tucked behind one ear, eyes pink from crying. She hurries down the corridor before you reach the door and gently takes the flowers out of your arms.
“Oh, you’re from the company? Thank you, really.” Her voice is small and warm. “Jiejie can’t have visitors yet. The doctors say any excitement...” She bites her lip and looks down, as if the rest is too painful to say.
She sets the flowers on a bench, a little too far from the door, and glances at it once. When she looks back up, the warmth is still there. Her eyes have gone very attentive.
“You’re new, so you might not know. My sister has been unwell for a long time. Sometimes she says strange things, imagines people are against her.” A brave little smile. “If she ever says anything like that to you, you’ll come to me first, won’t you? I only want to protect her.”
