You He and Hua Yue exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
Technically, they were Mu Qingge's maids and should have stopped Mu Lianrong from barging in, even if the intruder was their master's aunt. However, they were also worried about their master's condition, so they chose to acquiesce to the actions of the eldest lady of the Mu Mansion.
Behind You He and Hua Yue, the white-clad woman's expression of concern turned into indifference, and then back to worry. She quickened her pace, bringing her maid along to catch up with the group.
"You brat, open the door for your aunt! Do you hear me?" Mu Lianrong arrived at the tightly closed door and raised her hand, pounding on the door fiercely.
However, there was no response from inside.
Mu Lianrong's anxiety grew stronger. She intensified her tone, "If you don't open the door, believe me, I'll spank you!"
There was still no response.
You He and Hua Yue, the two maids, felt even more uneasy.
One would think that no matter how deeply the little lord slept, he would wake up with the eldest lady's commotion. Besides, the little lord had always feared the eldest lady; upon hearing her voice, he would scramble to open the door. But now, the knocking had persisted for quite some time, yet there was still no movement inside.
Clang—!
The sound of a treasure sword being unsheathed rang out.
An increasingly anxious Mu Lianrong seemed intent on breaking the door down.
But, just as Mu Lianrong's sword was about to strike the door, a slight creaking sound came from the tightly closed door.
A gap in the door slowly opened, revealing a slender figure.
"Aunt Rong, it's Mu Brother who's come out!" The white-clad girl stepped lightly, quickly grabbing Mu Lianrong's raised hand with the sword, her delicate features filled with excitement.
Actually, even without her intervention, Mu Lianrong's sword wouldn't have struck downward. Standing at the doorway, Mu Qingge appeared, and she was the first to see him clearly.
However, she said nothing about the white-clad girl's actions—she merely glanced at her and then withdrew her sword.
"Little lord!"
"Little lord, why are your clothes all wet?"
Hua Yue and You He ran to Mu Ge's side joyfully, standing guard on either side with seamless coordination. The latter was attentively aware of the oddity on Mu Ge's body.
At this moment, Mu Ge was in poor condition, her whole body weak and her complexion pale. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, becoming crumpled and unsightly.
And her expression wasn't looking much better.
She had just escaped from the brink of death, surviving due to the effect of the Genetic Transformation Agent, only to be greeted by the deafening sound of knocking, which stirred irritation in her weary heart.
Hence, her gaze directed at the 'culprit' in front of her was quite unpleasant.
Mu Lianrong felt her heart skip as Mu Ge fixed her with a clear yet cold gaze, momentarily forgetting to speak.
The two masters of the Mu Family stood in confrontation, the atmosphere turning somewhat strange.
Fortunately, You He quickly reacted, hastily saying to Mu Ge, "Little lord, the eldest lady is here to see you."
Eldest lady?
This title revolved in Mu Ge's mind before she connected the person in front of her with the information she had. It turned out that she was Mu Xiong's youngest daughter, Mu Qingge's aunt, and the only female general in Qin Country's army.
Of course, this female general title was more due to the Emperor of Qin considering Mu Xiong's connections. Mu Lianrong had never been to the battlefield, only participated in several bandit suppression operations within Qin Country. Yet, even so, she had more heroic spirit than most noblewomen. Moreover, she was a member of the Mu Family.
People of the Mu Family, regardless of gender, are inherently destined for the battlefield!
Having identified the person's identity, a shadow of complex emotion flickered across Mu Ge's gaze as she lowered her eyes, saying, "Thank you, aunt, for your concern. Qingge simply hasn't rested well for several days and feels a bit fatigued."
"As long as you're okay. You know, ever since you left home, not only I and your grandfather are worried about you, Xiyue even prays for you and chants blessings every day." Mu Lianrong internalized the strange impression left by Mu Ge's earlier gaze and pulled out the white-clad girl hidden by her side.
'Who is this now?'
Mu Ge's gaze calmly swept over her.
This cool gaze, clear as the cold wind, caused the white-clad girl's shoulders to quiver slightly, an inexplicable sense of dread arising in her heart. She looked at the handsome, elegant young man with some surprise, her eyes filled with doubt.
Mu Qingge seemed somewhat different. Previously, when he looked at her, his gaze was full of Yin Zhe and displeasure, but just now, she felt as if he hadn't even regarded her as a person, blending with the surrounding trees and rocks, almost indistinguishable.
"She is Bai Xiyue. Her father was once in the army as my grandfather's deputy general. Five years ago, he died saving my grandfather, and her mother followed suit in mourning, leaving her as an orphan. My grandfather feared she would be bullied for being parentless, so he brought her to live in the mansion. She is referred to as Miss Bai by people in the mansion, and is considered half a master of Mu Mansion." Mu Qingge's transparent figure drifted beside Mu Ge, speaking softly.
She didn't spare Bai Xiyue another glance, her gaze instead landing more on Mu Lianrong, though unfortunately, the latter couldn't sense it.
Mu Ge suddenly felt rather surprised, recalling that every time Mu Qingge introduced people around her, she always did so from an observer's perspective, without personal emotion. As if everything was left to her, the new handler, to decide.
Raising her eyebrow, Mu Ge praised internally: 'Should I say you're clever? Or just clever?' If Mu Qingge had injected personal feelings, it might have long stirred annoyance in her heart, leading her to leave in a swoop.
"You brat, why aren't you speaking? Xiyue is so concerned about you, yet you don't show a bit of appreciation." Seeing Mu Ge's silence, Mu Lianrong said with some frustration.
Mu Ge looked up, somewhat puzzled. What was she supposed to appreciate?