"Mom! Paps! Brother! Quan Ye! You're back!" Lily cried out happily, her face lighting up with pure joy. She instantly ran towards the group and jumped onto Quan Ye, whom everyone fondly referred to as Fatty. Fatty, caught off guard by Lily's enthusiastic greeting, nervously caught her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The presence of Ling Li, Four Eyes, and Shi Min made him shiver, especially since Lily had ignored her family to jump onto him first.
Ling Li and Shi Min exchanged knowing smiles and shook their heads at Lily's act. Meanwhile, Solaris, Lily's dance partner, watched with dimmed eyes. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, quickly masking his feelings with an innocent, child-like expression to avoid detection.
"Truly, as the saying goes, a daughter is like spilled water when they find their partner. Mom, don't you agree?" Shi Min declared, observing his younger sister hugging Fatty. In the past, Lily would have jumped onto him first, then their mother.
Realizing her mistake, Lily's face turned a deep shade of red. She quickly pulled herself away from Fatty and threw herself into Shi Min's arms. "Brother!" she called out, trying to act cute.
"Oh, my little sister finally saw me!" Shi Min replied with a teasing grin.
"Brother, how can you say that?!" Lily fretted before turning to hug her mother, Ling Li.
"Mom, why didn't you inform us that you were arriving today?" Lily asked, her voice filled with enthusiasm.
"Oh, now your mother is the last person that you recognize." Ling Li said playfully, causing Fatty to blush even more.
"Mom, you know you're the most important person in my heart," Lily said coquettishly, still hugging her mother, Ling Li.
"Alright, I know. You go back to your training. We'll go find the rest," Ling Li replied lovingly, patting Lily's head.
"Big Sister is in her study with Tutor Chen. It is also almost time for the twins to wake up. Paps, the twins miss you very much! It is good that you're back!" Lily informed them cheerily.
Four Eyes felt a warm rush of emotion and eagerness to see the twins nodding at Lily. However, he knew he should also give attention to Ling Li's other children as their stepfather.
"Alright, we understand. Let Fatty freshen up first while you continue your training," Ling Li declared before turning to look for Ren.
Fatty, who had been standing to the side, had no choice but to reluctantly freshen up as Ling Li had declared. He communicated with Lily through his eyes, silently promising to catch up with her later. Lily understood, giving Fatty a little wave and a big smile.
Shi Min, known for his good sense of humor, couldn't help but comment. "Ah, what a poor singleton I am; Mom and Pap's keep feeding me dog food to eat right after Pap's returned. Now I have to eat another batch." He shook his head, his voice dripping with mock sorrow, causing Fatty and Lily to blush even more.
Ling Li, noticing the playful banter of the siblings, chuckled. "Come on, leave your sister alone. Let's go find Ren," she said, pulling Shi Min out of the gym.
"Ah, my big sister and Shun will definitely let me eat more dog food again; what sin did I do to deserve all these dog foods? I'm so full I might vomit." Shi Min continued to joke, earning a chorus of laughter from those around.
Mushu, always in sync with the mood, declared, "Young Master, I feel you," which made everyone merrily laugh once again.
Indeed, when Shun left their side to look for Ren in her study, he approached the door with a sense of urgency. His heart pounded as he knocked, knowing how strict Old Tutor Chen was about interruptions during study time. The knock reverberated through the room, causing Old Tutor Chen to frown and Ren to look up, surprised. The Old Tutor gave a strict order that no disturbance shall be made when they are studying.
Ren, anticipating something important might have happened that needed her attention, stood up and excused herself from the dissatisfied Old Tutor Chen and went to open the door. As she opened it, her breath caught in her throat. There stood Shun, a sight she hadn't expected for another month.
"Ren, I'm back!" Shun exclaimed, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Ren, still processing the surprise, finally found her voice. "Shun! It's you! I thought you'd be back in another month!" She couldn't hold back her tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions.
"Why are you crying when I'm already back?" Shun asked gently, pulling Ren back to wipe away her tears.
"Shun, you don't know how worried I've been and how much I've missed you!" Ren said, her voice choked with emotion.
"I know, I know. I'm here now," Shun whispered, comforting Ren and giving her a tender kiss.
Old Tutor Chen, witnessing the young couple's PDA (public display of affection), couldn't help but snort in disapproval. "Cough… Cough…."
However, the young couple seemed oblivious to his presence, completely ignoring him, lost in their reunion. Old Tutor Chen, feeling indignant, crossed his arms and watched with a mixture of annoyance and resignation.
Old Tutor Chen, an elderly man who had dedicated his life to learning Chinese history, arts, and culture, took immense pride in his knowledge and teaching. His passion for sharing knowledge had kept him from marrying, and he traveled extensively to expand his understanding of his country. Ren's mother, Ling Li, had called upon him to tutor Ren personally, and he had initially been hesitant, wanting to ensure Ren's sincerity and eagerness to learn. Pay was never an issue for Tutor Chen; his devotion was to his students' willingness to learn.
When Tutor Chen first came to test Ren, his expectations were tempered with caution. He had encountered many students over the years, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm and ability. As he entered the grand study hall, he was greeted by Ren's poised demeanor and an air of quiet determination that immediately caught his attention.
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