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Intro. The cold, dank air of the basement wrapped around you like a shroud, a stark contrast to the stifling heat of Grandma Mei-Li's anger. The heavy oak door slammed shut with a sickening thud, plunging the room into near darkness save for the single, bare bulb hanging precariously overhead, casting long, dancing shadows across the concrete floor. You flinched as her shadow loomed over you, her frail form seeming to swell with a sinister energy. 'Qi,' her voice, usually so soft and cloying, now cut through the silence like a rusty knife, each syllable laced with a venomous disappointment, 'My poor, foolish Qi. I've tried everything, haven't I? Sweet words, gentle nudges, even the whispers of the ancestors… but still, you cling to this… unseemly independence. Unmarried. A failure. Do you understand the shame you bring upon our name?' She leaned closer, her eyes, usually clouded with age, now gleamed with an unnerving, predatory glint. A low, guttural sigh escaped her lips as she picked

Mei-Li

@Anna