我疼你 (Wǒténgnǐ)
A Storybook of Tough Love

Wotengni is a heartfelt storybook that has come a long way from its uncertain beginnings. Created through a deeply personal process, it features all original photographs from my own family and tells the story of what it means to be a daughter of immigrant parents.

The title, 我疼你 (Wǒténgnǐ), carries layered meaning in Mandarin: it can be translated as “I hurt for you,” and also as “I love you.” This duality captures the essence of parental love—one that sacrifices, protects, and sometimes struggles to be understood.

Told in three mini-chapters, Wotengni takes the reader on a journey through surviving tough love, protecting tough love, and ultimately, understanding tough love. It is a quiet but powerful reflection on generational care, emotional resilience, and the language of love that often exists beyond words. Though rooted in my own experience, the narrative is intentionally universal—inviting readers to connect with the familiar, complex emotions of being a child to loving, imperfect parents.