Qiao Zhi smiled softly. "You and Mother have been discussing me again."
"We discuss you every day. You are our daughter. It would be strange if we did not."
"I am honoured to be such a fascinating topic."
"You are a fascinating topic. You are also a headache. Both things can be true."
Qiao Zhi leaned forward and rested her forehead briefly against Xiu Lan's. "I know. I love you too."
Xiu Lan's expression softened. She reached up and cupped Qiao Zhi's cheek. "I love you more than you can imagine, and that is exactly why I want you to be careful. You have never been very good at doing things halfway. When you decide you care about someone, you throw your whole heart into it. That can be a beautiful quality, but it can also make you forget that you are a person with needs of your own. Please do not turn your own happiness into the price you pay for everyone else's."
