Can we talk about how distinct everyone's voice is in this passage? Because I read a lot of novels where every character sounds like the author wearing the same mask, and that's just not the case here.
Ji Tianyi's dialogue is perfect for a toddler. "Daddy, I want to play with it." "Dad, I'm not fat at all. Aunt Qiao says I have baby fat, super cute." "Dad, bad!" Short, blunt, completely lacking in filter. He doesn't negotiate tone — he just states what he wants and moves on. That's how a kid sounds.
Tian Le is the flustered straight man. "Say less." He can't stand Ji Tianyi's teasing but clearly adores him. His dialogue is reactive, slightly exasperated, always responding to the chaos around him. You can picture him rolling his eyes while secretly smiling.
Xia Longhui's voice carries this weight of a man who's used to being in charge of his own restaurant but has been reduced to bargaining for medicine. "This is my wife, Lin Meng, and my son, Xia Yang. He started running a fever yesterday. We need medicine to reduce it." Formal, desperate, trying to maintain dignity while asking for help. You can feel his pride and his fear in the same sentence.
And Ji Heng! His dialogue is minimal but commanding. "Sit down." "Bring the sick person over." "Watch out." Three words, sometimes two. He doesn't need to explain himself. The authority in his short sentences is what makes him feel dangerous and competent.
The narrative voice itself is also worth noting — it's close third person, slipping into different characters' perspectives smoothly. Sometimes we're with Xia Longhui feeling his terror, sometimes with Cai Yan calculating ice spear density. The author doesn't announce these shifts; they just happen, and it makes the reading experience feel immersive rather than observational.