The sunlight poured into the small apartment, painting golden streaks across the walls. For most, mornings might bring peace, the promise of a new day. But for Chen Xiang, mornings in the Chen household were anything but tranquil.
"Chen Xiang! Are you still in bed? Get up! The sun is practically overhead!"
His mother's sharp voice echoed through the apartment, cutting through the thin walls like a blade. Chen Xiang groaned, burying his head under the pillow.
"Five more minutes…" he muttered, knowing full well that five minutes would never be enough to delay his mother's wrath.
Dragging himself out of bed, he stumbled into the living room. The scene was painfully familiar: his father, Chen He, was slouched on the sofa, a beer can dangling from his fingers. The TV flickered with highlights from last night's soccer match, though Chen He looked too tired—or perhaps too drunk—to care.
"Morning, Dad," Chen Xiang greeted cautiously, grabbing a glass of water from the kitchen.
Chen He grunted, barely sparing him a glance. "Morning? It's already late. What are you doing with your life? Sitting around, wasting time like this?"
"I just graduated, Dad," Chen Xiang said, suppressing a sigh. "Give me a little time to figure things out."
"Time? You think the world waits for you?" Chen He scoffed, his voice heavy with disdain. "When I was your age, I was already running my own company." He took a long swig of beer, as if that could drown out the bitterness in his voice.
Chen Xiang clenched his jaw but said nothing. Arguing with his father was like fighting the tide—exhausting and futile.
The silence was broken by the sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs.
"Morning, bro," greeted Chen Wenwu, Chen Xiang's younger brother, as he strode into the kitchen. His freshly shaved head caught the sunlight, gleaming like a polished marble. Wenwu grabbed a sausage from the fridge, biting into it with the nonchalance of someone without a care in the world.
Chen Xiang raised an eyebrow. "Where were you last night?"
"Just out," Wenwu replied, grinning.
"Out where?"
"Relax, big bro. Just meeting some people."
Chen Xiang frowned. He didn't need details to know what "meeting people" meant. Wenwu's circle of friends wasn't exactly made up of honor students. But before he could lecture him, another voice pierced the air.
"Wenwu! Did you take my money again?"
Their sister, Chen Jia, stormed into the room, her hands balled into fists. At barely five feet tall, she wasn't an intimidating figure—until she started yelling.
"I didn't take anything," Wenwu said, shrugging innocently.
"You liar! I left my allowance on the table last night, and now it's gone!" Jia's face turned red, her anger bubbling over like a boiling pot.
"Alright, alright." Chen Xiang stepped between them, fishing a bill from his wallet. "Here, Jia. Take this and let it go."
Jia snatched the money, her expression instantly softening. "Thanks, big bro! At least someone in this house has a heart." She shot a smug look at Wenwu before marching off.
Chen Xiang sighed, hoping the chaos was finally over. But then came the familiar, high-pitched whine of the youngest sibling.
"Mom! I need the new phone! Everyone at school already has it!"
Chen Huihui appeared at the top of the stairs, her pink dress billowing as she made her dramatic entrance. Her pout was perfected to a fine art, designed to melt their mother's resolve.
"Too expensive," Chen Xiang called out before their mother could reply.
"Don't be mean to your sister!" Xin Di, their mother, emerged from the kitchen, a dishcloth in hand. She glanced at Huihui's tearful eyes and immediately folded. "Fine, fine. We'll get it. Stop crying, my little angel."
Huihui beamed, skipping down the stairs to hug their mother. Chen Xiang rubbed his temples. Why do I even bother?
That night, Chen Xiang sat in his room, staring at the old family photo on his desk. It was taken years ago, back when his father's company was thriving, back when his mother smiled more than she nagged.
But things had changed. His father's business had collapsed, the victim of a cunning con artist and an airtight contract no one had understood. Since then, his father had turned to alcohol, and his mother's endless complaints had become the soundtrack of their lives.
Chen Xiang's gaze fell to his reflection in the mirror. His sharp eyes and steady hands spoke of determination, even as the weight of responsibility pressed down on him.
"I have to do something," he murmured to himself. "I can't let this family fall apart."
Outside his window, the city lights sparkled like distant stars. Somewhere out there, a better future was waiting. He just had to find it.