Chapter 247: Raising a Little Princess

Mu Youyu and Jiang Liangjin left school, and happened to see Lin Tingsong at the gate.

He held an unopened painting scroll between his fingertips; seeing the two approach hand in hand, he stepped forward, his gaze first falling on Mu Youyu, and said gently, "Ah Yu, finished the exam?"

Mu Youyu's eyes lit up, then she recalled the three hours she'd spent at the competition, her pretty face slightly falling, "Teacher, why are you here?"

Jiang Liangjin nodded in greeting: "Teacher Lin."

Lin Tingsong's eyes swept over both of them, teasing, "Of course I'm here to see my prized disciple; otherwise, who else would I come to see?"

Saying that, he deliberately drew out his tone, the smile in his eyes deepening, "Looking like this, the competition didn't give you a hard time, did it?"

Mu Youyu then complained, "Teacher, you lied, saying it would be the same as previous years—why make us sit for three full hours? I'm about to grow mold from sitting!"

She paused, then said the most important thing: "And it made Ah Jin wait outside for so long!"

As her words fell, she instinctively turned her head to the boy beside her, her small hand lightly tugging at his sleeve and shaking it.

Jiang Liangjin drew her closer to himself, "I haven't waited long."

Lin Tingsong sighed helplessly, "You little thing, I didn't lie to you. At C University's Art School competitions, sitting the full required time is the rule!"

"If I had told you beforehand, given your inability to sit still, you'd probably have turned around and found an excuse not to come."

He paused, his gaze falling on Mu Youyu's bare face, his tone full of pride: "But with your foundation, the gold prize is certainly in the bag."

"Making you sit a bit longer also lets others see just how formidable my Lin Tingsong's disciple is."

Mu Youyu felt a bit better from the praise, her gloom largely dispelled.

She hummed deliberately, "You always praise me; if I don't get the gold, wouldn't that embarrass you?"

"No way." Jiang Liangjin immediately replied, "Your painting deserves first place."

Moreover, he had checked; the competitors this time weren't high schoolers aiming for recommendation spots, but C University Art School undergraduates honing their skills.

At C University's Art School, the most capable is Nanran, then the freshman Yu Ling.

In terms of ability, none surpass hers.

Lin Tingsong watched the two, unable to hold back a light laugh, "Look, Ah Jin is more confident than you."

He waved his hand, his eyes sweeping over their matching white knit sweaters, "Alright, I won't keep you from your date; I'm leaving."

Saying that, he paused his steps, turned his head to Mu Youyu and raised the painting scroll in his hand, his tone carrying a bit of reminder: "When the gold prize list comes out, remember to tell me the good news!"

"Got it!" Mu Youyu replied crisply, then hooked her arm through Jiang Liangjin's and shook it, "Ah Jin, did Chu Ge reply to your message?"

"He should be at the Song Family's old residence by now."

Jiang Liangjin let her shake him, walking with her toward the car, "Not yet, but Yusui Ge has replied; we can make it there now."

"Okay, let's go."

Arriving at the Song Family's old residence, the courtyard gate was already open, three figures stood under the porch.

Song Yusui and Lu Yuchu were both in expensive suits, each with their own charm, but when they looked at Mu Youyu, the fondness in their eyes was the same.

Beside them stood their third uncle, Song Huai, the current president of the Song Clan conglomerate.

Song Yusui stepped forward first, reaching to ruffle her hair, but Jiang Liangjin subtly shifted to block him halfway, "Her hair's just been done."

Song Yusui raised an eyebrow, gave him an annoyed glance, then withdrew his hand and turned to Mu Youyu, his voice softening: "Youbao, are you tired from the competition?"

Lu Yuchu also stepped forward, "Tired or not?"

Mu Youyu smiled, eyes crinkling at the two, sweetly calling, "Yusui Ge, Yuchu Ge, Third Uncle!"

"Youbao's here." Song Huai reached out to ruffle her hair, full of affection, "Are you tired after the competition?"

Jiang Liangjin saw that he had obviously just eased his emotions, and didn't say much.

Mu Youyu obediently said, "Not tired."

Song Huai nodded, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Liangjin, his expression calm, merely giving a slight nod, without the deliberate nitpicking of before.

"Hello, Uncle Song." Jiang Liangjin nodded in greeting.

"Please have a seat." Song Huai gestured with his hand, his tone gentle.

Jiang Liangjin sat at the table, his eyes falling on the painting hanging in the corridor.

In the painting, the woman's brows and eyes are bright, her posture graceful, her robes seeming to stir in the wind, and her features bear a resemblance to Mu Youyu.

However, if speaking of facial features, Lu Yuchu resembles her more, about seventy percent.

The brushwork is lively; one can faintly see traces of Mu Youyu's painting style, likely an early work of Lin Tingsong.

Song Huai followed his gaze, a hint of tenderness flickering in his eyes, his tone gentle: "Back when your teacher Lin heard that Qianqian had married into the Song family, he specially painted this and sent it over; in a blink, so many years have passed."

As soon as he said that, the table fell silent for a moment.

The old residence originally had few servants, now they're all gone, adding an extra touch of tranquility.

Song Huai's gaze lingered on the woman's brows and eyes in the painting, his tone nostalgic: "She used to love her older sister the most back then; they could talk about anything, sometimes getting along even closer than I, her real brother..."

"Just that she never got to see Youbao's birth; she always said that if she had a daughter, or if her older sister later gave birth to a daughter, she would surely raise her into a fearless, pampered little princess."

The "Qianqian" he referred to is Lu Yuchu's mother, Lu Qing.

And the "older sister" naturally refers to the eldest daughter of the Song family, Mu Youyu's birth mother.

Mu Youyu gazed at the painting's bright-browed woman, "Third Uncle, if I had been born earlier, I would surely have accompanied Aunt more often, joining her in flower-viewing and painting!"

Her eyes were clear, without a trace of sorrow, only a hint of regret, which eased Song Huai's heaviness a little: "If she had seen you, she would surely hold you in her palm every day."

The emotion in his tone, having weathered the years, has not diminished in the slightest.

Song Yusui looked at the emotion in his sister's eyes, reached out and patted her shoulder, "Youbao, don't overthink it; if Mother knows in the afterlife, seeing you this outstanding would surely make her very happy."

He and his brother are also growing up well.

Lu Yuchu also nodded in agreement, "Mm, we're all doing fine; protecting you well is the best."

The two coaxed her back and forth with words; Song Huai, who always dotes on this niece, didn't say much more.

Jiang Liangjin sat to the side, not speaking to disturb them.

The few of them then chatted a few more sentences.

Song Huai glanced at the sky, recalling what Song Yusui had said earlier, and raised his hand to signal his two sons; obviously he had something to say to them.

Jiang Liangjin was very perceptive, knowing he was going to deal with the matter from years ago: "Uncle Song, Brother Yusui, Brother Yuchu, I and Youbao still have class tomorrow, so I'll head back first."

Mu Youyu naturally saw it, smiling and waving at Song Huai: "Third Uncle, bye-bye, I and A Jin are heading back first; I'll come see you another day."

Song Yusui and Lu Yuchu exchanged a glance, both smiling as they told their younger sister, "Youbao, we're heading in first; see you tomorrow."

"Brother, see you tomorrow!"