The familiar scent of home, warm vanilla, sugar, and something faintly citrus, hit Jiang Yue the moment she opened the door.
"Yue Yue!"
Before she could respond, Madam Jiang appeared in the doorway wearing an apron dusted with flour, her hair pinned up in a messy bun. She wrapped Jiang Yue in a tight hug that smelled like cookies and comfort.
"Mom," Jiang Yue mumbled against her shoulder, stiff for just a moment before melting into the embrace.
From the kitchen, Mr. Jiang's deep voice called out, "Is my little girl home?"
Jiang Yue's lips curved. "Yes, Dad."
He appeared a second later, tall and broad shouldered, with a mock serious frown. "Good. Now get in here, we are about to settle an argument. Your mother thinks she's the family's best baker. I say otherwise."
Madam Jiang swatted his arm with a wooden spoon. "Says the man who once baked cookies so hard we could've used them as self defense weapons."
Mr. Jiang crossed his arms proudly. "Those were artisanal. Weaponized sugar."
Jiang Yue giggled, and for a second, the sound surprised her. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed this freely.
---
Then began the cookie Chaos
The kitchen was warm and bright, sunlight spilling across the counters. A mixing bowl sat on the table, half-full of dough.
"Come on," Madam Jiang said, pressing a small apron into her daughter's hands. "You're on my team. If your father ruins another batch, we'll starve."
"Excuse me," Mr. Jiang said, indignantly holding up a tray of lumpy cookie dough balls. "These are masterpieces in progress."
"Those look like snowballs," Jiang Yue teased.
"Gourmet snowballs," he countered.
Her mother snorted. "Just help me, Yue Yue. Roll these evenly. No rebellion."
As Jiang Yue took her place at the counter, her father leaned down conspiratorially. "If your mother looks away, we make one cookie the size of a plate. Biggest cookie wins."
Jiang Yue's eyes widened in mock horror. "Dad! That's cheating!"
"That's called strategy," he corrected, winking.
Madam Jiang didn't even glance up from the dough. "If either of you try it, I'm confiscating the chocolate chips."
Jiang Yue and her father exchanged a look of shared tragedy, they loved chocolate chips.
---
Half an hour later, the kitchen was a mess. Flour streaked across Jiang Yue's cheek, chocolate smudges decorated her father's shirt, and Madam Jiang sighed dramatically as she shooed both of them away from the oven.
"Out. Go wash your hands. You two are walking disasters," she said.
Jiang Yue grinned. "At least we're adorable disasters."
Her father held up his flour-covered hands. "I call this the mark of a true artist."
"Artist? You look like a snowman," Madam Jiang muttered, but there was laughter in her voice.
---
By the time the cookies cooled, the Jiang family had migrated to the living room. Monopoly was spread across the coffee table, the air charged with friendly rivalry.
"All right," Mr. Jiang announced, cracking his knuckles like a warrior preparing for battle. "This year, victory is mine."
Madam Jiang raised an eyebrow. "This year? Honey, you've never won. Not once."
"Minor setbacks," he said confidently.
Jiang Yue sat between them, clutching her money stack. "I just want a fair game."
Her father gasped dramatically. "Traitor. You're supposed to be on my side!"
"Dad, you bankrupted me in the first twenty minutes last time," Jiang Yue reminded him.
"That was a bonding experience," he insisted.
"More like a financial ambush," she muttered.
---
The first few rounds were tame. Then her dad landed on her mom's property, one lined with hotels.
"That's… two thousand," Madam Jiang said sweetly.
Mr. Jiang groaned. "This is highway robbery."
"It's called capitalism," she replied, smug.
Jiang Yue burst out laughing. "Pay up, Dad."
Her father slid the fake bills across the table with a pained expression. "This is why I tell people love is a scam."
"Oh, please," Madam Jiang said, patting his hand. "You married the scam, darling."
---
Later, Jiang Yue managed to snatch Boardwalk right under her dad's nose.
"Unbelievable," Mr. Jiang muttered.
"It's called skill," Jiang Yue teased, sticking her tongue out.
"You're grounded."
"You can't ground me. I'm an adult."
"I'll ground you spiritually," he grumbled.
Even her mother was laughing so hard she nearly toppled over.
---
It happened in a quiet moment, when the laughter slowed, and they were trading snacks between turns.
Mr. Jiang looked at her, he really looked at her.
"You've grown brighter, baby," he said softly. "I don't know what's changed, but… you seem lighter. Happier."
Jiang Yue froze.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Because in her real world, her father never said things like that. He wasn't cruel, but he was distant. He never looked at her like this, like she was the sun itself.
Her throat closed. "Dad…" Her voice cracked.
Madam Jiang leaned closer, concern in her eyes. "Sweetheart? Are you okay?"
Jiang Yue swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled through blurry eyes. "Yeah. I'm just… really happy."
Mr. Jiang reached over and patted her head gently, his big hand warm and steady. "Good. That's all I want."
And that, those simple words made her blink back tears.
---
The game ended with Madam Jiang winning, Mr. Jiang accusing both women of collusion, and Jiang Yue laughing so hard her stomach hurt.
When they finally sat down to eat the cookies, yes, even the giant "strategy cookie" her dad insisted on baking, home, it felt like the safest place in the world.
As she leaned against her mother's shoulder, nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie that was way too big to be legal, she thought:
If she had to be trapped in this insane novel… at least she had this.
Her system pinged softly.
[Survival Bonus: Emotional Stability +10.]
For once, she didn't question it.
She just smiled.