The sky had long dimmed by the time Su Xue Qing returned to the Su family residence.
The lamps at the gate were already lit, casting a soft golden glow over the courtyard stone.
A gentle breeze swept the scent of home-cooked food through the evening air.
As soon as the door opened—
"Sister Xue!"
A young girl rushed forward, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Her long black hair bounced as she threw herself at Su Xue Qing, arms wide open.
"You finally made it! I've been waiting forever!"
Su Xue Qing didn't resist as Su Xiaoran, her lively younger sister, hugged her tightly like a koala.
A moment later, another voice — calm and composed — echoed from the hallway.
"Ran'er, don't wring her to death. Let her breathe."
Su Yuying, the eldest of the three, walked out slowly.
Her refined posture and soft smile gave off a scholarly air.
"Welcome home, Xue'er. I assume you didn't traumatize half your school too badly?"
Behind them, the main hall doors opened again.
"Xue'er."
"Our daughter's finally home."
Their parents appeared — Su Haoran and Lu Wanqing — still dressed in their formal attire, but eyes filled with warmth.
Despite their work schedules, both had come back early. For this moment, business could wait.
Su Xue Qing bowed slightly.
"Father. Mother. Sister Yuying. Ran'er."
Her voice remained cool, but her steps quickened just a bit as she entered the warm light of the home.
Inside, the dining table was already set. A festive meal steamed gently, filling the house with inviting aromas.
"Sit, Xue'er. Let your mother spoil you a little tonight," Lu Wanqing said with a warm smile, motioning to the seat beside her.
"Hmph, what about me? I was the first one to scream when I saw her awakening video!" Xiaoran huffed, puffing out her cheeks.
"You scream at everything, Ran'er," Su Yuying replied with a light laugh. "You screamed when you saw a spider last week."
"That spider was huge!"
"It was smaller than your pinky."
Su Haoran chuckled softly, his eyes landing on Su Xue Qing.
"Xue'er. We saw the report from the Bureau. A Hidden Profession, Hero Rank… no wonder the city can't stop talking."
Su Xue Qing nodded lightly.
"I didn't expect the effect to be this loud."
"Well, people love a miracle," her mother said gently. "And you're our miracle."
"Sister Xue is so cool," Xiaoran added between bites. "Everyone at my school is saying you're an ice fairy or something!"
"Please don't let that spread," Su Xue Qing said flatly.
"Too late."
"She's going to need an agent at this rate," Yuying teased. "Good thing your big sister's good with numbers."
"I don't need an agent."
"Everyone needs an agent, little Frost Queen."
"So, can you tell us the name of your profession?" her mother asked gently.
"If it's not something you need to hide, of course."
Su Xue Qing paused a moment, then said quietly,
"Frostveil Monarch."
The room was silent for a heartbeat.
"That's… beautiful," Lu Wanqing said softly.
"It sounds like something from an old epic," Su Yuying murmured.
"Monarch? Whoa, sounds super powerful!" Xiaoran nearly choked on her tea.
"It suits you," her father said simply.
"Cool and noble. Just like our Xue'er," her mother added with a smile.
As laughter and chopsticks clinked softly at the table, Su Xue Qing lowered her gaze for a moment.
The warmth around her — the chatter, the teasing, the closeness — felt almost unreal.
A memory surfaced.
In her previous life, on her eighteenth birthday, she had sat alone in a tiny apartment.
No family. No friends.
Just a slice of cake she had bought for herself, eaten under dim light while scrolling through messages that never came.
Not a single call. Not a single voice.
She had grown up surviving, not living — hardened by silence, forgotten by choice.
Now, her heart trembled quietly, just for a moment.
So this is what it means to be truly cared for.
As the meal continued, the three sisters naturally drew into their own rhythm — one shaped by years of quiet closeness.
Su Yuying, ever the calm strategist, offered advice laced with subtle jabs — gently needling Xue Qing about "reputation management" and how even cold beauties had to consider their image. She tapped her chopsticks lightly with every point, like punctuation to her authority.
Xiaoran, as expected, had no such restraint. She dramatically reenacted the moment Xue Qing stepped into the Awakening Array, arms flailing and voice rising in mock awe.
Her version included "ice dragons" and "falling stars," to which Yuying rolled her eyes and muttered something about fiction writers.
Su Xue Qing, in the middle of it all, responded with only the faintest shifts in her expression — a raised brow here, a soft sigh there. But the flicker of amusement in her eyes didn't go unnoticed.
Across the table, Su Haoran poured himself a second cup of tea, watching the girls with silent pride.
Lu Wanqing, her face warm, simply shook her head and smiled — not speaking, only watching the harmony she had always wished for.
It was noisy.
Unbalanced.
Lively.
It was home.
"So..." Su Haoran's tone turned soft, serious. "Have you decided how to approach the Evaluation Exam?"
"It's in seven days. I'll train to stabilize my control and adapt to my profession."
"That's good." He nodded. "But remember: no one rises on talent alone. Go steady. Don't push too hard too fast."
"Mm." Su Xue Qing quietly agreed.
"Also," Lu Wanqing added, smiling faintly, "don't let yourself be pressured by the city's expectations. We don't care how bright you shine. Just stay safe and be true to yourself."
Su Xue Qing paused for a beat.
"I understand."
After dinner, Su Xue Qing stepped alone into the quiet courtyard.
The night air was cool, the moon pale above the tiled rooftops.
She stood beneath a flowering plum tree, her eyes calm.
Her father was a man of few words, but every one carried weight. She had inherited his composure.
Her mother's kindness was soft but unwavering, the type that lingered in small details.
Su Yuying's wit and quiet sharpness made her a wall of quiet strength — not flashy, but firm.
Su Xiaoran… a ball of noisy energy, pure sincerity, and endless light.
She was surrounded by people.
Yet somehow, they made space for her silence.
In her last life, she had walked alone.
No family.
No warmth.
No soft voices calling her name.
But here…
This warmth… I will protect it.
She raised her gaze slightly — to the stars, to the future.
Step by step. Slowly. I will rise.
Her silver eyes reflected the moonlight like still ice.
[End of Chapter 4]