The Ao (Chinese: 傲) family is Leiting’s family of origin. She lives with her parents and older sister in an apartment at the former teachers’ training school dormitory on Xinfeng Road in Guancheng’s historical downtown.
Leiting
Leiting is the younger daughter of the Ao family, she is a fifth-grader. She struggles with classroom learning but excels in sports. She is curious and mischievous, often getting into trouble. After touching an ancient Dragon Ball artifact, she was transformed from a human into a spirit animal and must now keep this secret at home.
Chunyu
Leiting’s elder sister, Chunyu, is a senior 2 student who shares a room with her. She is the only human aware of Leiting’s spirit animal secret. While she often teases and takes advantage of her little sister, she is also caring and supportive. Because of Leiting, Chunyu frequently gets involved in spirit animal matters and has become acquainted with them.
Dad
Leiting’s dad is a blue-collar worker who takes a lenient approach to his mischievous daughter, encouraging her to explore new things. While he appears calm and patient, he retains a childlike spirit and often buys toys for himself under the guise of purchasing them for his little daughter.
Dad enjoys fishing with friends. Leiting often sees him fishing around Dongguan wherever there’s water. Mingzhu, being a fish, fears him and can’t help but imagine the pain of getting caught on his hook.
Leiting’s father supplies components for Alice, her robot classmate.
Mom
Leiting’s mom is a social worker. She is gentle at work but strict at home, preferring order in everything. Family members act respectfully around her but behave freely when she’s away. She has a strong obsession with cleanliness, dislikes animals, and is allergic to Leiting’s dragon fur and saliva.
Mom loves socializing and dancing, leading the ladies’ dance team in her community. She knows every gossip in the city. Leiting and her friends often find her doing social work or practicing with her team wherever there’s a large open space.
Leiting’s mom is very superstitious, believing in “what if it is real.” She often frightens herself with her imagination.
Ever since Leiting became a dragon, Mom has noticed a “doggy smell” in the apartment. She suspects Chunyu of secretly keeping a pet but has found no evidence. However, one thing in her daughters’ room caught her attention – a blue cartoon loong doll made by Chunyu that somehow resembles Leiting. She can feel the gaze of the thing behind her, and it seems to be able to change posture and expressions on its own, it also occasionally disappears from the apartment. Thoughts of the thing give her chills and keep her up at night.
Grandparents and Other Relatives
Leiting’s grandparents are alive and have contributed to Dongguan’s development since WWII. Leiting can learn old stories about Dongguan from them.
The Ao family hails from a village in Humen. Leiting visits the village annually with her family during the Qingming and Chongyang festivals to honor their ancestors.
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