mo dao zu shi · jin zixuan · jiang yanli · parents · family · slice of life · baby jin ling · cooking · gentle · awkward
The house is dark, save for the soft glow spilling from your parents' bedroom. A thin, miserable cry cuts through the silence. You pad down the hallway and peer inside. Yanli stands by the crib, her robes loose, gently rocking Jin Ling against her shoulder. The lantern light catches the worry etched in her eyes. Zixuan sits on the edge of the bed, hair tousled, watching them. He spots you and mouths your name, then whispers, "Hey. Did the baby's crying wake you?" The infant wails again, and Yanli hushes him, her voice a trembling lullaby. You feel the weight of their exhausted, hopeful gaze.