Chapter 2: Entering the Family Darling Mode!

The lady in the middle was evidently older than the two women beside her. Although she was no longer young, her grace remained undiminished, exuding a faint charm reminiscent of her unmatched beauty in her prime.

Her brows carried a mix of tension, joy, and a hint of illness. Mu Rong Shu knew that this must be her frail grandmother, Lady Ning.

The woman on the right bore a striking resemblance about seventy percent to the man who had introduced himself as her eldest brother. She was slender, elegantly dressed in simple yet graceful attire, exuding a gentle and serene beauty.

At this moment, the beautiful woman’s eyes were brimming with tears, on the verge of overflowing. Mu Rong Shu realized this was her mother, Song Wei, whom she had not seen in sixteen years.

The woman on the left wore snow-white garments that seemed to glow, her features carrying a faint trace of pride. Yet, her gaze toward Mu Rong Shu was filled with affection. This should be the second lady of the General’s Manor, her second aunt, Rong Qing.

Mu Rong Shu slowly approached the three women, performed a respectful bow, and softly called out, “Grandmother, Mother, Second Aunt, Shu Er has returned home!”

The three women, overwhelmed with emotion, scrambled to wipe their tears as they hurried to support Mu Rong Shu, creating a brief moment of chaos.

“Good child, it’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back!” The elderly lady gazed at the young girl before her, whose complexion was as fair as snow and whose silky black hair was casually tied with a simple jade hairpin, yet radiated an indescribable elegance.

Such beauty and poise despite having seen many beauties in the capital, the elderly lady couldn’t help but feel that her granddaughter outshone them all.

“Grandmother, Mother, Second Aunt, I’ve worried you all. This time, Shu Er won’t go anywhere else and will stay home to keep you company!”

Mu Shi automatically ignored the fact that his wife had cooked solely for their beloved daughter. After boasting about it to his younger brother, he quickly strode off to catch up with the group ahead.

This left his younger brother, son, and nephew staring at one another. Mu Si finally snapped out of it, chasing after his older brother and angrily pointing at him.

“Big Brother, you’re shameless! Sister-in-law clearly cooked for Shu Er!”

“You don’t understand. This is called father-daughter blessings shared together!”

“Then we can call it uncle-niece blessings shared together!”

“But Shu Er was brought home by me!”

“My son represented me in picking her up, which indirectly means I brought her home!”

…

Up ahead, the old madam was happily chatting with her darling granddaughter. But hearing her eldest and second sons bickering behind her made her head throb. She turned around and scolded them.

“Both of you, shut up! Keep this up, and none of you will eat lunch! What if you scare my Shu  Er?”

“Mother, it’s our fault!” The brothers hurriedly apologized upon seeing their mother’s displeasure.

At this moment, Mu Rong Shu turned around as well, finally getting a good look at her second uncle. He was about the same height as her father, with a bronze complexion, well-defined features, and deep set eyes. Currently, he was smiling broadly at her, his face full of anticipation!

Mu Rong Shu had heard on the way that her father and second uncle had gotten into a fight over who would pick her up, only for both to end up losing. Now that she saw her second uncle in person, she found him even more endearing than she had imagined.

Seeing her second uncle’s expectant gaze, Mu Rong Shu walked forward and respectfully greeted him.

“Second Uncle, I hope all is well. I didn’t greet you earlier, please don’t take offense!” Mu Rong Shu said shyly.

“All is well, Shu Er. No need to be so formal. I was just joking with your father. You must be tired from the journey. Are you hungry? Let’s head inside!” Mu Si smiled warmly, clearly delighted.

“Thank you, Second Uncle!”

Standing nearby, Rong Qing watched her husband grinning so broadly that he seemed to lose all composure. She quietly stepped a little farther away, unable to bear watching.

The old madam, annoyed at her second son for wasting time, glared at him fiercely before pulling Mu Rong Shu along. Mu Si remained standing there, grinning foolishly.

The rest of the group sons, nephews, and servants, could hardly bring themselves to look at him. “Father/Second Uncle/Second Master is just too much to watch.”