Chapter 2: The Bizarre Mother and Her Two Sons

Holy crap, a big spender!

Shangguan Ruoyu gave a silent thumbs-up in her heart, her beautiful eyes rippling with the exact same predatory glint as Shangguan Ling's.

"I am Shangguan Ling's mother. I heard my daughter was abducted by you and brought here, so I have come specifically to demand an explanation!" The moment she opened her mouth, a barrage of accusations came pouring out.

The elegant and sharp aura she possessed upon their first meeting vanished completely the instant she spoke.

"Mother is right; that is exactly what happened." The cold voice rang out once more, pulling Feng Jinmo's thoughts back to reality. He looked up and only then noticed the boy in white standing beside Shangguan Ruoyu.

Though his features had not yet fully matured, one could already glimpse his future handsomeness. His lines were sharp and striking, and his light brown eyes were like ice and snow that had taken a thousand years to form. Despite being a cute little fellow, he stubbornly exuded a coldness that warned others to stay away, along with an air of precocious maturity.

The twitching of Feng Jinmo's lips unconsciously quickened. Just as he was about to speak, Shangguan Ruoyu beat him to it: "Looking at how neatly you're dressed, I can tell at a glance you're no good! Speak! Did you kidnap my daughter just to extort me? Let me tell you, I've seen plenty of people like you at the yamen! Why don't you go ask around—who in this county dares to take advantage of me? If you know what's good for you, hand my daughter over quickly and cleanly."

"I..." Feng Jinmo intended to speak again.

"Mother, you are too kind." Shangguan Bai immediately interrupted him, throwing chilly, piercing glares repeatedly at Feng Jinmo. "People like this must be arrested and brought before the officials."

"No, darling, you must understand that no one is a saint; who can be without fault? We must be magnanimous and forgive the small mistakes made by villains in moments of desperation." Shangguan Ruoyu wore an expression that said, *'I am very kind, I am very tolerant.'*

"Yes, son, I have learned my lesson." Shangguan Bai suddenly had an epiphany. "However, even so, we cannot let him off so easily. At the very least, he must provide a generous gift to compensate mine and Mother's weak, fragile hearts for the anxiety and fear we endured, don't you think?" He said, pointing at Feng Jinmo.

Weak? Compensation?

The smile in Feng Jinmo's eyes did not reach his gaze. He was quite interested.

"Mother, Brother, actually, it's not the handsome brother's fault." Shangguan Ling's weak voice suddenly came from behind Feng Jinmo, and the scolding came to an abrupt halt.

Two pairs of eyes, filled with messages of both frustration at her lack of spirit and pity for her misfortune, stabbed straight toward Shangguan Ling. They said in unison, "Shut up! This is no place for you to speak!"

Shangguan Ling pouted aggrievedly. "But what I said is the truth. It was me who saw that the handsome brother was good-looking, so I followed him. You guys really misunderstood him."

How could she have given birth to such an idiot daughter?

How could he have such a silly sister?

"She..." Everything she said was the truth. Feng Jinmo was just about to defend himself when, unexpectedly, his words were cut off before they could leave his mouth.

"Sister, you are still young; you don't know how terrifying the human heart can be. Some people look like good people, but in reality, they are full of malice." Shangguan Bai lectured in a heavy tone. "Mother, wouldn't you agree?"

Shangguan Ruoyu pursed her lips and nodded, her expression exceptionally solemn. "That's right. Bad people will never carve those two words on their foreheads. Abduction is abduction, and the fact that Shangguan Ling appeared here is the best evidence."

"I..." *I am very innocent,* Feng Jinmo spread his hands.

"Don't say anything more; I know you are already deeply regretting your mistakes." Shangguan Ruoyu immediately picked up the thread. "However, Xiao Bai's words make a lot of sense. If we forgive you just like that, there's no guarantee you won't do it a second time. We must make sure you gain a profound sense of awareness."

"You!" Was there anyone this unreasonable?

"Mother, he's feeling guilty! He's definitely feeling guilty!" Shangguan Bai mistook Feng Jinmo's speechless state for a confession and nodded repeatedly by her side.