As soon as those words were spoken, they immediately drew everyone's attention.
Mo Qing, who had personally chosen all of Acheron's clothes, widened her eyes and leaned in curiously.
"Eh, Acheron, where did this decoration on your dress come from?
"I clearly remember there wasn't anything like this when I picked it out!"
Acheron's crimson dress had always been striking, but now a red Mandarava flower had somehow bloomed upon her chest.
Its petals were round and full, five crimson petals connected tightly together, so enchanting that they seemed almost capable of whispering.
The scarlet flower blended perfectly with the red dress, like a trace of fate woven into the fabric itself, complementing Acheron's cold and solitary temperament flawlessly.
The family quietly admired the sight, unable to stop feelings of amazement from rising within them.
Mo Xin's eyes lit up immediately.
"I didn't even notice it earlier! Now that Mom pointed it out, this flower and the dress look absolutely gorgeous together! By the way, Sister, do you know what kind of flower this is? It somehow makes Sister Acheron look even colder and prettier!"
"Yeah, it really is beautiful."
Ye Guizhou rested his chin on one hand and nodded sincerely.
"I don't recognize it either, but it certainly looks nice."
Mo Xi answered her sister's question calmly, but unlike everyone else, there was something more hidden in her gaze.
A trace of scrutiny.
For some reason, whenever she looked at that enchanting crimson flower, a strange feeling of unease stirred within her heart.
The Acheron she knew had always been cold on the surface yet gentle and considerate underneath.
But for an instant, the woman before her seemed to overlap with something entirely different—
A distant and merciless deity of death.
A cold evil god that inspired instinctive fear.
Fortunately, the feeling vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
When she looked again, it was merely an unusually beautiful flower.
Nothing more.
"Sister Acheron, what flower is this? Where did you get it? I want one too!"
Mo Xin asked eagerly.
Acheron, however, offered no answer.
She merely lowered her gaze and gently shook her head, as though the flower was tied to memories she had no desire to revisit.
Fortunately, she concealed it well enough that nobody noticed anything unusual.
Seeing this, Ye Guizhou and the others stopped asking.
After all, it was only a flower.
At most, it was a harmless little curiosity.
Although Mo Xi still felt a lingering sense of doubt, she chose not to dwell on it.
Meanwhile, Mo Qing—the most knowledgeable person present regarding this flower—had unexpectedly fallen silent.
As the only person in the family who recognized it, hesitation appeared in her eyes.
She stared at the crimson Mandarava flower adorning Acheron's dress, countless thoughts surfacing in her mind.
Yet in the end, she said nothing.
Instead, she quietly followed everyone back inside.
Mandarava.
In many cultures, it was known as the Flower of Equanimity, symbolizing enlightenment, transcendence, and insight into the underworld.
At the same time, it was also called the Flower of Hell, representing revenge and death.
The Flower of Hell... and Acheron...
Could this really be a coincidence...?
As the evening continued, Mo Xi successfully covered up what had happened earlier.
Her explanation was simple:
"It started raining suddenly. The road was slippery, and I accidentally fell."
Under her sister's watchful gaze, Mo Xin could only swallow her objections and remain silent.
Besides, she already had her own plans.
There would be plenty of opportunities later to settle this score personally.
No need to rush.
Thus, everyone gradually returned to their rooms, leaving only the parents in the living room.
Acheron also returned to her room.
The moment she closed the door behind her, a soft and adorable voice called out.
"Eh? Sister Acheron, are you okay?"
On the bed, a small white-haired beast-eared girl instantly opened her eyes.
Her fluffy ears twitched as she looked over with concern.
Although Acheron appeared unchanged from when she had left earlier, Little Yao couldn't shake the feeling that something about her was different.
Not visibly different.
Just... different.
As though a faint and indescribable aura lingered around her.
Hearing the voice, Acheron turned toward the bed and noticed the little fox girl who had already transformed into human form.
She walked over and gently stroked the fluffy head beneath her hand.
A trace of softness entered her voice.
"I'm fine. I'm only feeling a little sentimental after today's events."
Little Yao, simple as always, didn't think too deeply about it.
Instead, she happily enjoyed the gentle patting, completely immersing herself in the comfort of Acheron's touch.
Watching the little creature curled beneath her hand, Acheron couldn't help sighing softly.
This Child of Destiny, favored by fate itself, possessed astonishing intuition.
Perhaps it was merely the girl's innocent nature.
Yet somehow, she could always sense things hidden far deeper than what ordinary people could perceive.
As if she had been born with an innate spirituality.
"Come on, Sister Acheron, drink this!"
Little Yao suddenly sat up and held out a cup proudly.
"It's cold outside, so Yao warmed up some milk for you!"
"Oh?"
Acheron blinked.
"I thought you said you were making hot chocolate."
"Ahaha..."
Little Yao scratched her head awkwardly.
Her cheeks immediately turned red.
"Well...Yao thought about it carefully and realized she doesn't actually know how to make hot chocolate. So I changed it to milk instead!"
"I see."
Acheron accepted the cup.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Time passed quietly.
By evening, the entire family had gathered in the living room for dinner.
"Hehe, plans can never keep up with reality. Since the temperature dropped so suddenly today, we're having hot pot tonight instead! Long live Mom!"
"So... Mom, is this because you went shopping and forgot to buy groceries?"
"Hehe... cough, cough...Little Xi, don't talk nonsense. I'm doing this for everyone's health."
"Right. And then you had Sister Acheron prepare all the ingredients while you played games with Little Xin."
"Haha..."
"Sister, I just haven't been home in a while and wanted to spend more time with Mom."
"Exactly! As a mother, strengthening the bond with my daughter is extremely important!"
"..."
Just as the mother and daughter were digging themselves deeper and deeper into embarrassment—
"Dinner is ready."
Acheron arrived carrying the final dish and calmly set it on the table.
With that single sentence, she successfully rescued the pair.
The meal officially began.
As always, Acheron sat quietly to one side, eating with graceful composure.
Mo Xin, who had not returned home for quite some time, laughed and chatted with everyone throughout the meal, thoroughly enjoying herself.
The laughter remained.
The aroma of the hot pot remained.
Everything seemed exactly the same as before.
And yet...
After everything that had happened today, some things had quietly changed.
Ye Guizhou was noticeably more silent than usual.
The smile on Mo Xi's face had faded slightly.
The warmth was still there.
But it no longer felt quite the same as before.