The elderly Madam Mu firmly grasped Shu Lanzhou's hand.
"So you're Shu Lanzhou! I've heard about you for so long and always wanted to meet you, but never had the chance. Today, I finally get to see you in person. So obedient, truly obedient! Come, come—let Grandma pinch your cheeks!"
"..."
Was this face-pinching habit hereditary?
From He Sixin to Mu Side, and now even the old Madam Mu?
Why did they all love pinching her face?
Shu Lanzhou blinked her wide eyes, looking sweetly and obediently at the old lady, allowing her to pinch her cheeks without resistance.
"Oh dear, this little face is so thin, there's hardly any flesh to pinch. You need to gain some weight." The elderly woman gently patted her cheek.
"How can you be so well-behaved? I said I wanted to pinch your cheeks and you just let me!"
Shu Lanzhou's face flushed slightly. "Not just anyone gets to pinch."
"Hahaha…" That one sentence made the old lady laugh heartily. "Come, sit with Grandma and chat for a while!"
"..."
And just like that, the chatting went on until the streetlamps began to light up and the Mu family members returned one after another.
The old lady held Shu Lanzhou's hand, introducing her to each family member.
It turned out that in the previous generation of the Mu family, there were four siblings. The eldest brother was Mu Side's father and the one who had mastered the Mu family's acupuncture techniques best.
Back when the old Master Mu ran into trouble, he resigned from his hospital position to ensure his father's safety. Afterwards, he took his pregnant wife abroad, where Mu Side was born.
The second sister, Mu Ya'an, had once been engaged. After the old man's incident, she broke off the engagement to avoid dragging her fiancé down. On her way home, she was involved in a car accident, leaving her permanently disabled.
Now she could only move around in a wheelchair.
The third sibling—whom He Sixin referred to as "Second Uncle"—had been a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. After the incident, he stopped seeing patients and shifted his focus to business.
He led the Mu family's transition, selling off their former hospital and entering the pharmaceutical trade. Now, all the family's industries were managed by him. To this day, he remained unmarried!
The youngest sibling was Mu Yaning, who had never accepted the decline of the Mu medical legacy and had been tirelessly working to preserve and pass down Mu-style traditional medicine and acupuncture.
After listening to the old lady's introductions, Shu Lanzhou was deeply moved.
Though she didn't go into detail about the incident from years ago, the old woman shared everything else—whether it should be said or not. It was clear she didn't treat Shu Lanzhou as an outsider.
Shu Lanzhou's heart warmed. She respectfully bowed and greeted the elders. After exchanging greetings, He Sixin pulled her to the dining table.
By the end of dinner, Shu Lanzhou could genuinely feel what Mu Side meant by the Mu family's casual nature. They treated her with true warmth—not a politeness put on for show, but a kindness that radiated naturally from their very bones.
They were genuinely warm and gentle people.
Shu Lanzhou couldn't hold back her tears. For the first time, she truly felt what it was like to be in a family—with elders and siblings—a warmth she found herself craving.
It was such a comforting feeling that she didn't want to leave. She adored the atmosphere of the Mu family!
Shu Lanzhou thought to herself: I'm being greedy…!
Suppressing her inner longing, she responded to their kindness with her own sincerity, staying at the table until dinner was over.
The elderly Madam Mu left the table early. Being advanced in age, she had the habit of going to bed early. After dinner, she liked to take a stroll in the garden filled with gardenias. Other than the accompanying servants, no one was allowed to disturb her there.
Once everyone dispersed, Mu Side wanted to show Shu Lanzhou around the house, but He Sixin got to her first, dragging her off to her room.
"My mom prepared this room for you—it's right next to mine. I'm not sure if you'll like it. Take a look, and if anything doesn't suit you, just tell me and I'll have someone change it."
He Sixin blinked at her expectantly.
"If your mom prepared it, I'll like it!" Shu Lanzhou didn't have particular preferences—she wasn't picky about food or living arrangements. So she meant what she said.
After all, everything in the Mu household was beyond anything she ever dared to hope for.
As soon as she finished unpacking and showering, changing into clean loungewear, there was a knock on the door—it was Mu Side!
"My aunt is waiting for you in the study," Mu Side said with a smile.
Shu Lanzhou opened the door. "Give me a second—I need to grab my books."
She took her textbooks and followed Mu Side to the study.
Upon seeing her enter, Mu Yaning gestured for her to close the door.
"From now on, you'll come here every afternoon for two lessons, and one after dinner. Your mornings will be reserved for completing assignments and practicing acupuncture. Any issues?"
"None at all." University tutoring fees were usually astronomical, yet the Mu family was not only providing her room and board for free, they were also giving her personalized lessons. How could she possibly object?
In fact, she'd already wanted to bring up the topic of tuition several times.
But before she could say anything, Mu Yaning spoke up:
"No lessons tonight. I have something else to talk to you about."
She tossed a textbook on traditional Chinese medical nursing toward Shu Lanzhou.
"Find time to finish this in the next couple of days. Starting tomorrow, you'll accompany me on house calls. Our patient is Elder Long. I'll collect the consultation fees, and your portion will be considered tuition. Do you agree?"
There was no reason to say no. "I agree."
"In addition, for all the time I spend tutoring you from now on, you'll repay it in the form of a salary—as my assistant. Are you okay with that?" Mu Yaning's tone was extremely serious.
Shu Lanzhou matched her seriousness. "That sounds like I'm getting the better end of the deal. After all, being your assistant is also a form of education."
"Teaching isn't about profit or loss. I make the rules. If I think you're worth it, I'll teach you. If one day I feel you're not, I won't let you call me teacher anymore."
Compared to when they first met, this stern, even somewhat authoritative version of Mu Yaning felt like the real her.
Shu Lanzhou took a deep breath. "I'll give it everything I've got—I won't make you regret teaching me. Thank you, Teacher!"
"It's too early for thanks. Wait until you've achieved something and still remember me as your teacher—then you can thank me." Mu Yaning waved her off, signaling that she could leave.
Only after leaving Mu Yaning's study did Shu Lanzhou realize something important: just now, Mu Yaning said they would be treating Elder Long?
Did that mean, after the acupuncture session that day, they had decided to accept acupuncture as a treatment method?
That was excellent news!
Her eyes lit up with joy. Hugging her book to her chest, she returned to her room in high spirits and immediately sat down to start reading.
Meanwhile, a few rooms away in another study, Mu Side was stopped by his Second Uncle, Mu Rongxie.
"That girl—does she have what it takes?" Mu Rongxie asked, looking at Mu Side.
Mu Side nodded. "My aunt had her eye on her from the start. Before she could act, Han Weicheng swooped in. Later, when he crossed the line, the girl came to us instead."
"Oh?" Mu Rongxie looked surprised. "So she was originally part of Han Weicheng's team? She studied a popular major all the way through her senior year, only to suddenly switch to a niche one?"
"Not surprising," Mu Side replied with a faint smile. "That niche major was her only shot at graduating. She's got a wild spirit—she says she wants a double degree."
Mu Rongxie didn't think much of it. "If your aunt's got her sights set on her, she probably doesn't stand a chance of escaping. I heard she and Sixin had another argument recently? Maybe she's finally come around. If she won't push her own daughter, she'll take on a disciple instead?"
Mu Side's smile faded slightly. "If my aunt really has that intention—would you stop her?"