After William Wang Jinling and the Crown Prince departed, Feng Manor was left empty and silent. Even the ladies in the rear courtyard, guided by Jada Tang and Mira Tang’s gentle words, left one by one, their eyes red with tears. The sorrow was palpable, the air thick with grief, and Serena Feng stood utterly alone in a house that had just witnessed the return of the dead.
Holden Cui understood that Serena Feng needed solitude now. He quietly dismissed all the servants and sent word to Simon Sun in the West District courtyard, his actions filled with empathy and respect for her pain.
He and Serena Feng were not close enough for comfort, and at a time like this, he had no right to intrude. But Simon Sun, her own apprentice, had every reason—by duty and by feeling—to be the one to stand at her side.
In the vast, empty courtyard, with only her parents’ remains for company, Serena Feng stood alone, the cold wind slicing her face like knives. Yet she felt nothing—her grief had numbed her to all sensation.
Serena Feng had no idea how long she’d stood there. Her whole body was icy cold, her legs heavy and unresponsive, her tears long since dried. Woodenly, she turned and walked toward the jade coffin, every step weighed down by sorrow and regret.
William Wang Jinling was right—recovering her parents’ remains should have been a blessing. But only if she had found them herself, not if they were delivered in this cruel, humiliating way by Reid Yale, Night City’s heir.
Reid Yale had dragged her parents’ bones to Feng Manor with noisy fanfare, slapping her across the face before the world, leaving her nowhere to hide from the shame.
She was an unfilial daughter!
She believed what others said—that her parents’ bones were lost—and never tried to search for them. All she did was plan symbolic cenotaphs, never once considering a real search. Even Reid Yale, for all his cruelty, had at least bothered to look for her parents’ remains, if only to torment her. But what about her?
She had done nothing.
"Wuu wuu wuu..." Serena Feng collapsed to the ground, clutching the jade coffin and sobbing uncontrollably. Only when no one was around did she dare to cry out loud, to let herself weep without restraint.
She cried out all her grief, all her grievances, all her unwillingness. Once her tears were spent, she would begin to fight.
Heaven knew how badly she wanted to kill Reid Yale. If not for a shred of reason, today she wouldn’t have just slapped him—she would have shot him in the head.
Staring at the body in the jade coffin, Serena Feng’s tears fell even harder. She knew her father had died on the battlefield, but she never imagined his death had been so tragic—his body wasn’t even whole.
Her father’s body was well preserved in the jade coffin, his face wiped clean so his former handsomeness and distinction could still be seen. The battle armor he wore was stained with blood and rust, but at least it was mostly intact.
Her father lay in the jade coffin as if peacefully asleep. Most people wouldn’t see what lay beneath the armor, but Serena Feng was not most people—her knowledge of the human body was far beyond theirs.
Beneath the armor was a shattered corpse. Her mother’s remains were just a few white bones, but her father’s body had been stitched together piece by piece.
Whoever sewed the corpse was meticulous, but without Serena Feng’s knowledge of anatomy, no one would have realized just how badly her father had suffered.
No amount of careful stitching could restore the body to its former state, nor erase the pain her father suffered before death.
Sobbing, Serena Feng stared blankly at the corpse in the jade coffin. Her father had been heroic, iron-willed, and loyal to his country—how could he have ended up like this, with an outsider left to bury him?
She could even imagine how the person who preserved her father's remains must have searched through heaps of corpses to find him. That was a daughter's duty—hers. And yet...
She hated the original owner's weakness and helplessness, hated her escapism, hated that her mind was filled only with romance and a man named Adrian Dongling.
But even more, she hated herself—for being just like the body's original owner, never once considering that her parents' remains might still exist, never thinking to search for them.
Loyal bones are buried everywhere; why insist on wrapping one's corpse in horsehide to return home?
She believed in that saying. She never once thought to search. She assumed that after so many years, even if she tried, she would never find them. But Reid Yale’s actions had slapped her awake.
In this world, nothing is impossible—only things you never try.
Spring, Autumn, Summer, and Winter stood quietly in the corners, silently shedding tears as they watched Serena Feng cry her heart out. Jada Tang and Mira Tang had already prepared hot water and ginger tea, waiting for Serena to recover from her grief.
They believed their young mistress would never be easily broken.
Simon Sun received the message and rushed over, not even pausing for breath as he jumped off his carriage and ran toward the manor. But before he could get close, Jada Tang and Mira Tang stopped him.
"Young Master Sun, let Miss Feng have some quiet time alone. She’ll recover. Miss Feng has already accepted her parents’ deaths; she won’t drown endlessly in grief."
Simon Sun nodded silently, glancing at the two coffins beside Serena Feng. He couldn’t help but think of his own missing parents—if one day someone carried their bones to him, how would he bear it?
No... no, it couldn’t happen.
Simon Sun shook his head again and again, telling himself it couldn’t happen, never would. His parents were still alive, and he would find them.
His parents were only missing—he still had hope. But his master? Just the thought felt like a knife in his heart. His master had lived through it herself. He could imagine how much pain she must feel now, but there was nothing he could do but stand at a distance, helpless.
Time passed quietly; the sky gradually darkened. Serena Feng still lay draped over the jade coffin, with no intention of rising. Spring, Autumn, Summer, and Winter grew anxious, wanting to rush forward several times, but Jada Tang and Mira Tang restrained them: "Miss Feng knows exactly what she’s doing. We, as servants, just need to guard our own place."
Jada Tang and Mira Tang had served Serena Feng for years and understood her well. She would grieve, but she would never drown in sorrow and lose herself.
She didn’t let anyone down. When night grew so dark that nothing could be seen, Serena Feng finally stood up.
Her whole body was stiff with cold, her lips tinged purple, but her eyes shone with a frightening clarity.
Jada Tang and Mira Tang understood—their young mistress had returned.
"Miss Feng!" All six maids rushed forward like a swarm, bringing cloaks, warm towels, and hot water—each carrying something to care for her.
Touching Serena Feng, who was cold as ice, the six maids couldn’t help but cry again. Their hearts ached for her—this small, fragile body carried the heavy chains of a ruined clan.
In any other household, she would still be a child, pampered by her parents.
Serena Feng didn’t resist, letting them wrap her up like a rice dumpling. She knew she couldn’t afford to fall ill—she still had to investigate what happened all those years ago.
This time, she wouldn’t listen to anyone else. She wouldn’t believe...
"Master." Simon Sun called out hoarsely, the candlelight casting shadows over his thin frame.
"Simon, you came." Serena Feng’s teeth chattered, her lips twitching as she tried to force a smile, wanting to reassure him.
Though her heart was wracked with pain, she hadn’t forgotten that Simon’s own parents were missing. Seeing this scene, he must be thinking too much. But...
Her face was frozen stiff; she couldn’t move at all.