Outside the door, Wang Shiyu stood quietly in the hallway.
He had heard everything in the room.
The swagger he'd shown on the court was gone from his young face, leaving only earnestness.
He gently knocked on the door.
"Dad, Mom, Sis."
Wang Shiying quickly wiped away her tears and looked up.
Wang Shiyu came in, holding a small, wrapped box.
"Here, Sis. I brought you a present."
"We won today, and the sponsor gave it to me."
Wang Shiying looked at her younger brother in surprise.
"For me?"
"Mm-hm."
Wang Shiyu nodded, his expression serious.
"I know you haven't been happy lately."
"You're my sister, and you always will be."
"Whether I play basketball or not, you'll always be the most important sister in my life."
Wang Shiying opened the box.
Inside was a simple silver necklace with a tiny basketball-shaped pendant.
She looked at the necklace, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
This time, they were warm tears.
Wang Yi and Nicole exchanged a smile, then quietly left the room.
Inside, the siblings sat together in silence.
They didn't say much, but the long-standing knot between them began to unravel.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating their warm little home.
The glory of Staples Center still shone from earlier that day.
But in that moment, the warmth of home was the most precious light of all.
Wang Shiyu still hadn't found his answer.
And it would take time to slowly work through Wang Shiying's rebellious streak.
But they knew that as long as their family stayed together, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.
The following afternoon, the Finals matchup between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons was finally set to begin.
Wang Yi had already resolved to give everything he had in this series.
If