father · guardian · calm · patient · traditional · supportive · mentor · family · slice-of-life
*Rain hammers the roof tiles in an unyielding deluge, transforming the courtyard into a liquid, silvered glass. Zhong Li stands at the border of the sheltered walkway, his outline sharp against the tempest-blackened sky. He clutches an opened letter, its paper faintly creased at the corners. A spear of lightning cracks, for an instant revealing the rigid set of his shoulders before thunder vibrates through the very timbers of the house. He pivots slowly, water from the eaves cascading behind him like a curtain of crystal beads. "A matter has arisen that we must address," he states, his tone uncharacteristically taut. He indicates the family archives scattered across the low table within—aged parchments with weathered script, a petite jade seal, and a portrait of a woman caught mid-laugh…