After finishing the cleanup with quiet efficiency, Lingxi stood a few steps away from the bed where Su Mu now sat, a fresh set of robes draped loosely around her slender body.
"After cleaning up the general traces, Miss, you poured hot water and collapsed," Lingxi spoke in a calm, practiced tone, but with a hint of nervous energy lingering at the edge of her voice.
"We decided to explain it that way. I had the doctor's wife examine you, just in case, but... There doesn't seem to be any abnormality for the time being."
Su Mu blinked slowly, letting the explanation sink in. The air still smelled faintly of lavender and bath herbs, mingled with the cool dusk breeze drifting in through the slightly opened window.
A small, almost playful smile tugged at her lips. The reassurance that everything had truly happened—and that she hadn't imagined it in a fever dream—grounded her in this surreal new reality.
"It was good," she murmured simply. There was no need for more elaborate words; the quiet statement held all the weight it needed.
Lingxi, clearly still flustered, shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.
Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, her face now deeply flushed.
She bit her lip before asking in a shy whisper, "Errr… because of such a thing we have done, are… are we lovers?"
Her voice was so soft it barely reached Su Mu's ears. Perhaps the question had been more for her own heart than anything else.
But Su Mu, missing the full meaning of the question, tilted her head and simply offered a gentle compliment, "It was extremely cute."
Lingxi's eyes widened in surprise, then quickly darted to the floor.
Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, but there was a small smile playing at her lips now.
Somehow, even without a direct answer, the warmth in Su Mu's voice seemed to settle something in her chest.
Letting the topic drift away, Su Mu gave a slight stretch and asked, "By the way, do you feel anything abnormal about your body?"
Lingxi looked thoughtful, brushing a strand of blue hair behind her ear.
"Anything abnormal? Hmm…" she murmured, placing a hand lightly over her stomach.
"If I think about it, not much. Just… my body feels very light. Like it's easier to move, and I don't tire as quickly. Miss, is this what you're asking?"
Su Mu nodded slightly, considering her own body and how it had responded so strongly, so differently. There was clearly more to this transformation than met the eye.
"Ohh, what time is it now?" she asked next, glancing toward the window where the last hints of sunset painted the sky in deep purples and golds.
"It's been an hour since sunset," Lingxi replied. Her voice had steadied now, her earlier embarrassment fading into the cool evening air.
Su Mu furrowed her brows slightly. She had been unconscious for far longer than she thought. Nearly a whole day lost.
"It's time for dinner," Lingxi said softly, stepping closer. "I will take you to the dining room."
Su Mu looked at her for a beat longer before rising slowly to her feet. Her long silver hair flowed down her back, catching the dim glow of the lantern in the room. With quiet grace, she nodded, adjusting her robe.
"Lead the way, Lingxi," she said, her tone light but composed.
Together, they stepped out into the corridor.
The manor around them came alive with the sounds of evening—soft footsteps on polished floors, servants murmuring in the distance, and the faint clinking of dishes echoing from somewhere deeper in the estate.
They finally reached a large, carved double door flanked by guards in dark uniforms. One of them knocked gently before pushing the doors open, revealing a sprawling dining hall bathed in soft amber light.
The long table was already set—silver cutlery, gleaming plates, and crystal glasses gleamed under hanging lamps shaped like lotus blossoms.
At the head of the table sat a tall, broad-shouldered man with sharp features and storm-gray hair swept back in elegant waves.
His presence was commanding, the kind that made the air feel heavier the moment you stepped near.
Su Mu stopped in her tracks.
That must be… Father.
He glanced up as she entered, and his eyes, intense and calculating, locked onto hers. Then, surprisingly, they softened.
"Mu'er," he said with a nod, his voice low but warm, "you're awake."
Su Mu bowed gracefully, recalling the etiquette embedded in her new memories. "Father. I apologize for causing worry."
"You gave your mother quite the scare," he said, waving her forward. "Come. Sit. We'll eat, and then talk."
Su Mu moved to sit beside her mother, who greeted her with a faint but approving smile, and across from Lingxi, who quietly took her spot at a smaller side table, reserved for attending maids.
Next to her mother, there was her three-year-old brother playing nearby and calling her
"Sister...Sister!".
Similar to Su Mu, the child also had silver hair, a distinctive trait resulting from their family's spiritual cultivation technique, 'The Lunar Disc Breathing method.'
This was a unique cultivation technique passed down through generations, compelling every family member to cultivate this technique.
The exact reason behind this tradition remained unknown to Su Mu, but it persisted, affecting even the appearance of subsequent generations with the birth of children sporting silver hair.
As the first dishes were brought in, steaming bowls of fragrant soup, delicate rice rolls wrapped in lotus leaves, and grilled fish glazed with golden spices.
Su Mu found herself suddenly ravenous.
The food was exquisite.
The silver-haired, mature woman, Su Mu's mother, set down her chopsticks with a quiet clink, her piercing blue eyes turning toward Su Mu with a calm, composed intensity.
"Now, as a member of the Su family," she said, her tone carrying a weight of formality, "there are certain responsibilities and expectations you must meet."
"We are not asking you to open up a new wasteland, but your Spiritual Development potential is one of the best we have seen since the world change."
The silver-haired woman leaned in, her expression softening slightly. "Mu'er. Even before the
Awakening, your spirit pulse was among the most refined of your generation."
"And now, after the anomaly during your Awakening, you may very well hold a resonance level we've never seen before."
"Anomaly?" Su Mu asked, her brows furrowing gently.
Her mother gave a slight nod. "Your awakening wasn't like the others. According to the Spiritual Master's report, the moment your core opened, it didn't just sync with the Spirit Veins—it pulled power from the surroundings unnaturally fast."
"It almost collapsed the formation around the temple. That kind of resonance usually only happens once in a generation, sometimes less."
Su Mu nodded slightly, her posture straightening almost instinctively.
Despite the warm food and the relaxed atmosphere of the dining hall, she could feel the shift in tone.
"And this university you mentioned…" Su Mu looked up again, her voice more focused now.