Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Cloud walked along this road for two consecutive days and nights.

When he first died, his spirit was strong. There was a golden light within him that allowed him to travel across mountains and oceans, spanning half the globe.

But now, he could only walk like an ordinary person. The only difference was that walking for him felt like a sprint, with no obstacles in his way.

Without pausing for a moment, he returned to the Crawford Mansion on the third morning.

The morning light reflected through the treetops. Cloud wanted to step into the Crawford Mansion, but the sun had already risen.

He could only stand under the big tree by the roadside at the entrance. Although there was only a road's distance away, he couldn't cross it.

Silently, Cloud looked at the Crawford Mansion. The gap between life and death was always puzzling. He stood here yet never quite made it there.

Soon, the mansion started buzzing with life. There was the sound of a crying baby. Cloud knew Matthan was awake. Why was the little one crying so early in the morning? As he calculated the time, Matthan was six months old when he left. He's probably more than a year old now? Almost a year had passed.

It was a sunny day, but the north wind had its say.

Soon, two boys and a girl walked out of the main building. The girl was lively and energetic.

Suddenly, a child of about ten years old came out and shouted, "Hannah! Grandma said to grab your hat!" The girl dismissed it with a wave. "Don't need that thing!" The trio quickly got into the car, and the car drove out of the mansion. Cloud stood under the tree, watching from afar. Through the car window, he caught glimpses of Zachary and Drake.

Drake looked down and focused on something while Hannah lounged with her arm draped over the front passenger seat, scrolling through her phone with one hand.

Zachary had his head down too.

Cloud's eyes were filled with warmth. In the blink of an eye, the kids had grown so much.

Drake is only sixteen, and he's already in high school.

Zachary, at fifteen, must be in his freshman year.

Poor Josh, he's only fourteen but still looks like a ten-year-old. He's probably not attending school and staying at home instead.

Hannah, the youngest at twelve, must be starting her first year of junior high now.

It's great to see that they are all growing up healthy...

Inside the car...

Inside the car, Drake initially buried his head in a book. Soon, he shut it and rubbed his eyes.

Out of the blue, Zachary sensed someone watching them. He looked up and peered out the window...

Under the big tree across the street, a lingering spirit, worn and faint, caught Zachary's eye. He didn't recognize it immediately.

Then, his eyes widened, and he urgently said, "Stop the car!" The car screeched to a halt. Even with a skilled driver, Hannah's face ended up against the front seat.

"Zachary, what's wrong with you!" Hannah rubbed her nose and complained, "Why did you suddenly yell to stop the car? Have you seen a ghost or something?" Drake, unfazed by the strange situation, calmly said, "Keep going, or we'll be late for class.” Regardless of whatever ghostly thing it was, academic duties came first in high school. He could have overlooked it before, but now that they were in high school, it was under his jurisdiction.

However, Zachary hurriedly opened the car door and whispered, "It's Uncle Cloud!" Drake paused, looked up, and instructed, "Take us back." The driver curiously asked, "Young master, are you not going to school?" Drake calmly pulled out his father's gun and said, "Dad wants me to attend a meeting. Take me back and drop Miss Hannah off at school." The driver nodded and replied, "Alright." Hannah protested with her eyes and glared at Drake. "Drake! I..." Drake glanced at her casually. "Any objections?" Hannah fell momentarily silent.

D*mnit.

"No," she answered obediently.

I'm curious about seeing Uncle Cloud too. If he's back, does it mean Lilly is too? Seriously, who can focus on class at a moment like this? Hannah muttered to herself, "Fine, I'll go to school for now, but I'll slip out later." Just as she was considering that, Drake, without even lifting an eyelid, warned, "Don't even think about sneaking out." Hannah was rendered speechless.

Devil! Drake continued, "Lilly hasn't come back." Hannah doubted. "How do you know?" Drake just glanced at her. They had arrived at the Crawford Mansion by now. He got out of the car and closed the door.

Hannah grumbled but quickly realized something.

Since Drake said Lilly hasn't returned...

It's probably true. If Lilly were back, Zachary would say, "It's Lilly," not "It's Uncle Cloud." Alright, I'll wait until | get back from school in the afternoon to check on Uncle Cloud.

Speaking of Bettany...

Before she could see Drake and the others off, Matthan was making a fuss.

The little one could already walk, surprisingly skilled. He had just learned to stand, then walk, and once he mastered walking, he learned to run.

At this moment, he was sprinting outside with an umbrella in hand.

Bettany thought he was chasing after his siblings and yelled from behind, "Matthan, slow down!" "Hey, you little mischief, your siblings are off to school. Why are you chasing after them?" Matthan ignored her, knowing his grandma would catch up.

He ran all the way out, reaching the mansions main gate.

Bettany, panting heavily, could barely catch up. Finally, she managed to grab the little rascal and hold him up.

"What are you doing?" She took the umbrella from his hands. "Aren't you worried about tripping and getting poked by the umbrella running like that?" Matthan pointed outside and said in a childish voice, "Uncle..." Bettany pinched his ear. "Uncle what?" Matthan replied, "Uncle Cloud!" Bettany was caught off guard and glanced up.

She spotted a familiar figure standing under a distant tree.

"Cloud..." It was her son, Cloud. He was back! He stood beneath the tree. Catching her eye, he seemed surprised. Then, a bright smile broke across his face as he hollered, "Mom! I'm back!" Bettany covered her mouth, and her vision blurred for a moment.