Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Bettany noticed Cloud waving at her from a distance. He seemed unable to come closer and gestured towards the sunny weather outside. It suddenly occurred to Bettany why Matthan had brought an umbrella. She quickly opened it and realized it was black. Matthan flashed a cute smile and followed behind his grandmother. Bettany felt a bit flustered, momentarily focused on reaching Cloud. However, she soon turned around, picked up Matthan, and briskly walked towards Cloud.

Carrying Matthan was already challenging for an elderly woman. Despite her quick steps, she didn't move very fast. Matthan shouted, "Put me down, Grandma, | can walk! | can walk!" Bettany ignored him, firstly because she couldn't afford to focus on Matthan, and secondly, she was concerned about him walking alone near the bustling road. She feared she might not pay attention to Matthan, and if there was any danger, she walked too slowly and kept Cloud waiting for her.

Cloud's eyes filled with tears as he said, "Mom, take your time. I'm not in a hurry..." At that moment, Zachary ran towards Cloud and quickly reached him. He whispered, "Uncle Cloud!" Bettany hadn't arrived yet, and Cloud nudged him and said, "Go help your grandma carry Matthan." Zachary hurried over and took Matthan in his arms. Matthan protested, wanting to walk by himself.

Drake, who had already come out, took him over and whispered, "Don't make a fuss." Matthan immediately quieted down, resting on Drake's shoulder. His crystal-clear eyes glanced at Cloud.

For the first time, Bettany felt useless. It took her a long time to cover a short distance, and at last, she had finally reached Cloud.

Drake stood silently behind him. In case anyone suspected anything, he pretended not to see and kept his eyes on Matthan. If outsiders saw them at this moment, all they would notice was Bettany taking a kid out for a walk, with two grandsons following behind.

"Oh, Cloud..." Her lips trembled. Why have you returned home so unexpectedly? And why do you look so weary? In the end, she swallowed a myriad of words and said, "It's good that you're back. Come, let's go home." She popped open the black umbrella, and Cloud crouched in and weakly embraced her shoulder. "Mom!" He smiled, looking down at her. "How did you know | was back?" Bettany glanced at Matthan and simply replied, "I followed Matthan and happened to see you..." Cloud and Zachary both turned their attention to Matthan, who was leaning on Drake's shoulder. The little one tilted his head with a puzzled expression, seeming to question why everyone was looking at him.

Moments ago, Bettany felt the road was endless, but now they had unknowingly arrived at the entrance of the Crawford Mansion. Zachary said, "Uncle Cloud, wait here. I'll open the door..." The Crawford Mansion had a barrier set up by Lilly to keep evil spirits and ghosts out. However, to everyone's surprise, Matthan shook his head vigorously as he said, "No need, no need!" Cloud took a step forward and found he could actually enter. Drake silently remarked, "That's true." Bettany mumbled, "There's no need to open the door when you're at your own home. You can come back anytime..." Cloud suddenly understood that this must have been set up by Lilly beforehand. Although he was a ghost, he was not hindered by this barrier and could come back anytime. He was silently moved, but Zachary marveled at Lilly's brilliance. He thought the barrier would completely isolate everything, but there were exceptions.

Bettany wanted to hold Cloud's hand but missed it. She asked, "When did you come back? Are you hungry? | will make something for you to eat." Cloud replied, "I just arrived this morning, and I'm really hungry. Mom, | want to eat chicken soup.” Bettany immediately remembered the bowl of chicken soup he had on New Year's Eve when he rushed back. Her eyes welled up. "Alright, | will go make it for you." Bettany hurriedly went into the kitchen. Zachary led Cloud upstairs, and Josh stepped out of his room. He was surprised. "Why did you all come back..." Uncle Cloud?! His eyes widened, and he quickly followed others to Cloud's room. "Uncle Cloud, what happened to you? You're all torn up." Josh was somewhat shocked. Drake placed Matthan on the sofa and finally looked at Cloud seriously. A huge chunk was missing from his face, and a portion near his chin was completely gone. His left face was heavily corroded, and just now, he deliberately stood on Bettany's left side to shield her from seeing it. As for his body, there was a large hole in his chest, and various bits were missing from different parts. His clothes were in tatters... Cloud smiled and said, "It's alright, just a small issue. Isn't it good that I've come back in one piece? " He was truly at ease; after all, he was back home. Any bad situation was already in the past. It was safe at home. He could just wait for Lilly here, but he was worried that she might have trouble finding him. Seeing him not explaining any further, Daniel, Josh, and Zachary all felt heavy-hearted and uneasy. He must have encountered something particularly dangerous. However, Cloud inquired further as he asked, "Has Lilly come back?" Josh, Daniel, and Zachary instantly grew anxious.