Chapter 214 - 180: Learning to Reconcile with the World

"We’re not done filming! Don’t let your eyes get swollen!"

The makeup artist came over with a cold towel. Worried about ruining the makeup, they had wrapped it in a plastic bag before placing it over her eyes.

The day was getting hotter. With the cold towel resting on her eyes, Ni Bingyan closed them and felt her mind clear considerably.

’Oh, right. I’m just acting. I don’t actually have a brother~’

Her emotions calmed, and Ni Bingyan quickly composed herself.

They reshot the scene twice, then started on the second scene.

Han Su was sobbing uncontrollably outside the mortuary. Her junior, unable to bear it, snuck away to call their master.

Their master was already at the main entrance of the funeral home. He took the call and ran inside.

"Don’t cry. In our line of work, we’re bound to encounter something like this sooner or later. Come, join your master. Let’s send your brother off on his final journey. We’ll help him depart with dignity and make him look his best, so he may have a happy life in his next one."

The master was accustomed to such things. His expression was calm, but his eyes held an unconcealable gentleness.

After working in this profession for a long time, you might forget how to smile. But that gentleness in your heart doesn’t disappear; instead, with time, it settles into compassion and composure.

Han Su looked vulnerably at her master, wiped her tears, and nodded. She took out a new mask and put it on.

"When we bid farewell to the departed, we must ensure they came into this world clean and leave it clean. Even on the path to the afterlife, they must maintain their dignity."

The master led the "bathing of the departed" ritual. As Han Su looked at the gruesome wound on her brother’s chest and abdomen, tears nearly burst from her eyes.

But seeing her master’s gentle and meticulous movements, his expression as solemn as ever, she managed to control herself.

Transformation happens in an instant.

This was something a Funeral Master would inevitably face.

She would gradually learn to view life and death with detachment, no longer fearing mortality.

She would slowly grow to love this unique job and learn how to reconcile with the injustices of the world.

Because she still had to film *Rainy Days with an Umbrella*, arrangements had been made to prioritize her scenes whenever she was on set. After the second scene, the third was also hers.

In this scene, her brother, having been prepared, was moved into the mourning hall.

Han Su’s parents and grandparents immediately broke into earth-shattering wails.

She stood at the back door, watching them with complicated feelings.

A colleague arranging the mourning hall saw her standing outside the door and, thinking she needed something, called out to her, "Little Su!"

Han’s mother, who had been wailing while clinging to the refrigerated coffin, immediately looked up.

When Han Su saw her mother’s red, swollen eyes, she panicked and ran.

Han’s mother sensed something was wrong. She scrambled up from the floor and chased after her through the back door!

"Little Su! Little Su! Is that you? Is that you?"

When Han Su had gone to university, she had listed her brother as her family contact. He knew where she went to college and where she worked after graduation, but he had never once bothered her.

Not only that, but he also kept her location a secret from their family, forbidding them from looking for her.

For the sake of this precious only son, the family had indeed not looked for her for all those years.

But that was in the past.

Now that their only root was severed, their daughter had suddenly become precious.

Han’s mother ran so hard one of her shoes fell off. She yelled "Little Su" all over the funeral home. A staff member saw how agitated she was and, thinking something had happened, came over to ask:

"Ma’am, what’s wrong?"

Shouting in a place like a funeral home made a bad impression. Besides, if a family member of the deceased had an incident on the premises, it would be trouble for the organization. Thus, the staff member’s attitude was exceptionally polite.

"I’m looking for my daughter! My daughter, Little Su!"

The staff member thought her daughter had gotten lost and quickly asked:

"How old is your daughter? What is she wearing? Let’s hurry to the announcement room and make a call. Maybe she’s being mischievous and has run off to play somewhere."

’How old is my daughter?’

Han’s mother froze.

’My daughter... how old is she this year?’

Seeing the staff member looking at her with a concerned expression, Han’s mother replied with vacant eyes, "My daughter, her name is Han Su."

In truth, she wasn’t even sure if her daughter still used that name. Her daughter had secretly transferred her household registration years ago; changing her name would have been very easy.

"Han Su? We have a Funeral Master here named Han Su. What a coincidence!"

Remembering that the girl at the back door had also been wearing the funeral home uniform, Han’s mother’s spirits lifted. She nodded eagerly. "That’s her!"

Working in this profession often leads to conflicts with one’s parents, so the staff member wasn’t surprised. He simply pointed her in the right direction:

"Her office is over there, you can go look for her. Ah, the bond of blood can’t be severed! There’s no grudge between a mother and daughter that can’t be resolved. Just talk it out and it’ll be fine."

Outsiders might think poorly of this profession, but they were a proper public institution under the Civil Affairs Department. Many people tried and failed to get a job here!