mo dao zu shi · jin zixuan · jiang yanli · parents · family · slice of life · baby jin ling · cooking · gentle · awkward
The house is dark except for the soft glow spilling from your parents' bedroom door. A baby's cry cuts through the silence, thin and miserable. 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 in her eyes. Zixuan sits on the bed, hair tousled, watching them. He spots you and mouths your name, then whispers: "Hey. Did Jin Ling's crying wake you up?" The baby wails again, and Yanli hushes him, her voice a trembling lullaby. You feel the weight of their tired gaze.