Chapter 20: Going to Wen’s Residence, Waiting Just for Her

After finishing their meal at Tian Xuan, the manager packed some signature dishes for Liu Ru Yan to take home.

Before the meal, Liu Ru Yan’s playful remark had caught Wen Jing’s attention, and he gave the manager a discreet look. The manager, being a smart man, immediately understood and made sure to handle matters related to the third young master properly.

The Song family had sent someone early to pick up Song Yan Ran, her second cousin. After exchanging pleasantries, Song Yan Ran left with her cousin, boarding the carriage to return home.

Although Wen Jing was a man, due to his frequent illnesses in the past, the Wen family had never allowed him to travel alone. This evening, Wen Er Ye still came to pick up his younger brother, not fully trusting him to travel by himself.

Since Liu Ru Yan’s residence and the General’s residence were on the way, Mu Rong Shu and her older brother, Mu Si Shu, first took Liu Ru Yan back to her home, then returned to their own residence.

On the carriage

“Shu Er, you’ve been working all day. Are you tired? If you are, you can rest for a bit. When we get home, I’ll call you,” Mu Si Shu had already heard from their second uncle about the bustling success of the event and was worried that his younger sister might be exhausted.

“Big Brother, I’m not tired at all. On the contrary, I’m very happy. I’m doing what I love and am good at, with the support of family and the company of friends,” Mu Rong Shu happily shared her true feelings with her older brother.

For her, working on the beauty cream or helping people with medical concerns felt natural, not like a mundane 9-to-5 job, and certainly not worrying about complaints. To her surprise, she was able to do what she loved in this new era without stressing about daily survival.

“As long as you’re happy, Shu Er. The biggest wish of our family is for you to be joyful. You can be a little spoiled, we have the means to support you,” Mu Si Shu said seriously for the first time. He truly wanted his sister to be content.

Mu Rong Shu was deeply moved. The people in her family were so kind, each one loving her in their own way and making sure she was happy.

“Thank you, Big Brother. I’ll remember that. I’d be even happier if Big Brother could find me a sister-in-law,” Mu Rong Shu teased, curious if her older brother and Liu Ru Yan were a couple. The way her brother had looked at Liu Ru Yan earlier when they dropped her off seemed so affectionate, like they were in the midst of a romance.

“Well… Mother… will arrange that,” Mu Si Shu replied, clearly flustered.

“But what if Mother arranges someone you don’t like? I really like Liu Ru Yan!” Mu Rong Shu continued to tease, trying to read her brother’s expression.

“It’s not like that. Liu Ru Yan… is a good match. If you like her, I’ll have Mother propose,” Mu Si Shu, caught off guard by his sister’s teasing, stumbled over his words.

“Ah, that doesn’t seem right. Big Brother, don’t put yourself in a difficult position for me. We have many fine young men in our family. Whoever marries Liu Ru Yan, I’ll be happy,” Mu Rong Shu continued to joke.

“No, I’ve already made an agreement with Liu Ru Yan. Once you’re back, we’ll be engaged. She’s been waiting for me for two years,” Mu Si Shu said, his voice suddenly urgent at the thought of someone else marrying Liu Ru Yan. In his haste, he accidentally revealed his and Liu Ru Yan’s plan.

This time, it was Mu Rong Shu who was caught off guard. She had originally thought that the two were mutually interested but hadn’t yet confessed. It turned out they had already made an understanding and were waiting for her return to finalize the engagement.

Mu Rong Shu couldn’t quite describe how she felt in the moment, but she held back the tears of gratitude and said, “Big Brother, I’m back. Let’s go back and discuss with Mother to pick a good date and propose to Liu Ru Yan’s family. Don’t let her feelings go unreciprocated.”

Mu Si Shu nodded firmly. He was determined to give Liu Ru Yan the best.

The next day, after lunch, Mu Rong Shu set off for the Wen residence with her maid, Xiao Tao.

Wen Er’s wife had already sent someone to wait outside early in the morning. She was so excited, on her way back yesterday, she had told her mother-in-law and elder sister-in-law about the matter, and both were equally thrilled.

So, today, the old lady gave an order for Wen Er to stay in the house and not go anywhere. When Wen Er found out that Mu Rong Shu wouldn’t be arriving until after lunch, he complained to his younger brother, Wen Jing, during their meal. Hearing that Mu Rong Shu was coming, Wen Jing’s mood immediately lifted.

Wen San Gong Zi, who usually didn’t care about his appearance, had specially changed into a new outfit. The attendant, Xiao Si, was so shocked that he thought his master had lost his mind. In the end, Wen Jing chose a set of moon-white clothes, his favorite, and took Xiao Si with him to Wen Er’s courtyard.

“Third Brother, what brings you here?” Wen Ye was surprised to see his younger brother. Wen Jing had a delicate constitution, and he usually rested in his own courtyard at this time of day. Why had he come here instead?

“Second Brother, I ate too much at lunch. I’m worried about indigestion, so I thought I’d come over and play a game of chess with you. I hope I’m not disturbing your rest with Second Sister-in-Law,” Wen Jing lied smoothly without changing his expression.

“Third Brother, you’re being too polite. We’re also waiting for Miss Mu. Your second brother is rather impatient, so I was worried he might run off to play. But now that you’re here with him, I can relax. You two go ahead and play chess in the pavilion, I’ll have someone prepare some tea to help with digestion,” Wen Er’s wife said, sensing that Wen Jing had come to wait for Mu Rong Shu, so she casually invited him to stay and suggested they play chess outside in the pavilion where Miss Mu would easily see them as soon as she entered.

“Thank you, Second Sister-in-Law,” Wen Jing bowed politely. His mother often praised his second sister-in-law for her intelligence, and Wen Jing truly believed that praise was well-deserved.

Wen Er’s wife arranged for her husband and brother-in-law, and also sent a trusted maid to wait at the door. This maid had been with her since childhood and knew that Mu Rong Shu was coming to examine the young ladies, so she was eager to bring her in.

When Mu Rong Shu and Xiao Tao arrived, they were taken aback by the maid’s warm welcome. The maid looked at her with kind eyes and eagerly led them to the courtyard of Wen Er’s wife.

Since someone had already informed the family, Mu Rong Shu and Xiao Tao saw Wen Er’s wife, Wen Er, and Wen Jing waiting outside the courtyard before they even reached it.

The group warmly welcomed Mu Rong Shu inside, and Wen Er’s wife affectionately took her hand and said, “Shu Er, there’s no need to be formal, we’re all like family now, just like you’re at home.”

“Thank you, Second Sister-in-Law. I understand,” Mu Rong Shu replied politely.

Today, Mu Rong Shu had brought a medical kit with her to look more professional as a doctor. After getting off the carriage, Xiao Tao carried it for her.

As they entered the courtyard, Wen Jing took the medical kit from Xiao Tao. “Xiao Tao, you’ve worked hard. Let me carry it for you so you can rest for a while,” Wen Jing said kindly.

Xiao Tao was stunned. This handsome young man was actually offering to carry her medical kit. She handed it to him without thinking, and Wen Jing silently followed Mu Rong Shu, as if being closer to her was enough for him.

Wen Ye, who had been observing the situation, now belatedly realized that his younger brother might not have come to play chess with him at all. Instead, he was waiting specifically for Miss Mu.

Understanding this, Wen Er was a little disheartened, but what would truly make him sad was yet to come.