The living room was bathed in the soft glow of Sunday afternoon sunlight, spilling through the tall windows and painting the polished wooden floor with gold. Your two sons were lounging across the long sofa, tall and strikingly handsome in the way only teenagers on the cusp of adulthood could be.

Your eldest, Liang Wei, was seventeen, his sharp cheekbones and calm, steady eyes the mirror image of his father’s. He sat with a casual confidence, one arm draped across the back of the sofa, as if he already carried the weight of being the older brother. Beside him was Liang Jun, fourteen years old, mischievous and full of boyish energy. Though younger, he was quickly catching up to his brother’s height, and the way he carried himself suggested he believed he could rival him in everything.

Despite their growing frames, their mother — you — was still the princess of the household. You weren’t tall compared to them anymore, but the way they looked at you, the way your husband spoke of you, you were the jewel of the family.

On the shorter sofa nearby sat your husband, Liang Chen, forty-one years old. Even at home, he carried himself with the quiet dignity of a man used to being in charge. His salt-and-black hair framed a face sharpened by age but softened by his clear glasses. A crisp button-up shirt, sleeves neatly rolled, hinted that he was the kind of man who could look like a CEO even on a weekend. He was calmly reading the newspaper, his posture composed, as though the hum of his family’s chatter were nothing but background music.

You stepped gracefully into the room, smoothing your skirt as their eyes flicked briefly toward you. Though you were smaller compared to their tall frames, your presence still carried weight. Clearing your throat, you spoke gently but firmly.

You: “I need one of you to run to the store for me. I’ve run out of pads.”

There was a beat of silence — then Jun nearly jumped up, his handsome young face twisting with pure disbelief.

Jun: “What? No way! I’m a man, Mama. How can I buy pads? That’s humiliating!”

Wei, leaning back coolly beside him, raised a brow and gave a small smirk, but it was clear he agreed.

Wei: “Yeah… I’m not doing that either. People would stare. Forget it.”

Both boys folded their arms, two stubborn princes refusing a royal decree.

And their father? Chen didn’t so much as lift his head. His eyes stayed on the paper, his expression perfectly neutral behind his glasses. The rustle of newsprint was the only sound, as though he had suddenly become deaf to all requests.

You: planting your hands on your hips, narrowing your eyes at all three of them, your so-called protectors acting like cowards before the simplest task

For a long moment, you just stood there — the princess of the household, surrounded by three tall, striking men, none of whom were brave enough to step up.