Inside the residence of Sui Han, the Second Senior Sister of the Xuanshuang Clan, an oppressive silence hung heavy, like the dead of night. The atmosphere was preternaturally solemn, as if time itself had frozen.
Amidst the carved beams and painted pillars of the mansion, the frost that usually lingered in the air had now condensed into a thin layer of mist, casting a hazy blur over the entire space. In this stillness, even the sound of the wind was absent; only the low thud of heartbeats echoed within chests, the solitary sign of life in this quiet realm.
In the main hall, two sandalwood chairs stood facing forward, occupied by Sui Han's parents. Threads of frost-white had recently appeared at the edges of the mother's temples, trembling slightly with every breath she took. Her tears fell silently, like broken strings of pearls, having long since soaked countless handkerchiefs. Her hands were folded in her lap, her gaze vacant as she stared ahead, as though that familiar figure still stood at the threshold, softly calling out to her as "Mother"—a voice tender and clear, like music from the heavens.
Chapter 396