This was a group of old men who rarely went online. Their main hobbies were either gathering to play chess or going on little adventures together. Aside from paying attention to national news, they had zero interest in celebrity gossip.
So, none of them knew about Ruan Shu, who had made it to the trending searches with the Ruan family multiple times.
Everyone in the group was puzzled. What was going on? Why did this person suddenly have a granddaughter?
And furthermore…
Old Xiao: Are you sure this isn’t some kind of toy or something? That’s your granddaughter? You trying to fool us?
Old Yuan: Not to be rude, Old He, but the older you get, the more ridiculous you are. At least make up a believable story.
Facing these accusations, Ruan He didn’t argue. He simply and straightforwardly shared a video.
They didn’t believe this old man? Fine, he’d show them what was real.
The video showed him taking a stroll with his little “kitten” and also included clips of the little one playing on him.
Even through the screen, you could hear the little creature’s soft, milky meows.
That tender, cuddly little voice made all the old men and women in the group melt instantly.
As people age, they tend to soften, and faced with such a fluffy, tiny, milky little creature, who wouldn’t?
Old He: Tsk… This little one looks like it’s barely a month old, right?
Old Jiu: No way, how could a less-than-a-month-old cub open its eyes and move around so nimbly? Look at that, its fur is already grown out quite a bit.
Old Xiao: I’m more curious about what kind of star beast this is. I racked my brain but can’t place it.
Old Yuan: Hold on, is this really your granddaughter? Since when?
Once the video was shared, the chat exploded. Growing even prouder, Ruan He shared a few photos of his adorable granddaughter in her human form.
The photos showed Ruan Shu leaning against him, braiding his tail.
The little one looked soft and cuddly, truly beautiful and adorably charming. Especially when she smiled, her brows arched and two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth.
The best part was how her sweetness seemed to radiate even through the photos.
Her human and star beast forms perfectly blended, making people want to hug and play with her – a truly healing sight.
Seeing everyone in the group tagging him, Ruan He’s tail practically wagged with pride. Envious, aren’t you? This is my granddaughter!
But that wasn’t enough; there were still people offline in the group. Today, he was determined to let everyone know that he, Ruan He, had a granddaughter!
But before he could call them one by one, his friends, eager as ever, started calling him instead.
Nearly every call was about his granddaughter, with everyone asking how he’d suddenly ended up with one.
“Hey, Old Wu! What are you saying? Why wouldn’t I have a granddaughter? Shushu is my real granddaughter, my own flesh and blood! Why didn’t I mention it before? Blame that rascal Ruan Xiao for not telling me sooner! And don’t you insult me – you’re the one with issues with your granddaughter!”
“Old Zhang, what does it matter to me if your grandson is around the same age as my Shushu? We’re not meeting! My precious granddaughter is timid, and she’d probably be frightened by you and your grandson!”
“How can you say Shushu doesn’t look like me? So what if I’m a bit rough around the edges? My Shushu has a soft personality, but she loves her rugged grandpa!”
“Hey, Old Sun, guess what? I have a granddaughter now! What do you mean, you already know? Which one of those rotten folks told you? I didn’t even get to brag yet! You want to bring your grandson over for a visit? Forget it! I know you too well – the way you sit, I can tell exactly what you’re thinking. Don’t even think about it!”
Initially, Ruan He’s intention in answering the calls was to brag about his granddaughter, but before he knew it, things had escalated into a full-blown argument. His voice grew louder with each call.
Meanwhile, Ruan Shu, who had woken up at some point, sat in her dad’s lap, nibbling on a cookie while watching her grandpa quarrel with the person on the other end of the terminal. Her clear, bright eyes were fixed on him, observing the scene curiously.
A slender hand passed her a cup of water, and Ruan Shu took it with her soft voice murmuring a polite “thank you” to her big brother.
Ruan Fengsi reached out to pat her soft, smooth hair. The little one tilted her head and rubbed her head against his hand, behaving adorably.
“Don’t pay too much attention to what Grandpa says, and definitely don’t imitate him,” he advised gently.
Her grandpa might have graduated from the top military academy, but he was naturally rough around the edges—a hot-tempered old tiger. Back in school, he would argue with everyone, only calming down a bit when he later joined the military. Yet, even now, his temper hadn’t mellowed much.
Ruan Shu nodded obediently, her voice soft, “I won’t.”
Initially, Ruan He’s purpose in taking the calls had been to show off his granddaughter. Who would’ve thought he’d end up with such a stomachful of frustration by the end? But no matter—his goal was achieved. Just look at how many people in the group were now talking about his precious granddaughter. Many were even a bit envious, he chuckled to himself.
Ruan Shu, having nibbled her little cookies and drunk her milk, noticed it wasn’t quite bedtime yet. So, she leaned over her small desk in her room to continue drawing.
Tomorrow, she could give the portrait she was drawing of her dad to him.
Smiling, she wrote “Ruan Shu’s Dad” in the lower right corner of the picture. As it approached eleven o’clock, she carefully put everything away, transformed into her fluffy ragdoll kitten form, and crawled into her soft kitty bed.
The next morning, sunlight poured in through the window as the little kitten stretched her paws in a long yawn, her fluffy tail swishing lazily in the air. The golden rays of the sun bathed her, making her look like she was glowing.
The kitten sat upright, raised a little white paw, and gave it a few licks before washing her face. She was quiet and calm, and once she felt refreshed, she jumped down from the cat tower with practiced ease.
Shifting back into her human form, Ruan Shu slipped into her cozy slippers, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she headed out of her room.
Just as she stepped out, she bumped into a pair of legs.
Ruan Shu blinked, looking up dazedly, only to meet her grandpa’s gaze. The old man was smiling warmly down at her, his face brimming with affection.
He bent down and picked up the little one effortlessly. Even though he was getting on in years, lifting this soft, cuddly little ball of sweetness was no trouble at all.
“Knew it, my granddaughter must be up by now.”
Ruan Shu blinked her blue eyes, smiling. “How did Grandpa know?”
Ruan He ruffled her hair. “I asked your big brother.”
The little one responded with a soft “oh,” letting her grandpa carry her downstairs.
“How about Grandpa builds a little playground for you in the backyard? Do you have any requests?”
Ruan Shu shook her head.
“No requests?”
Ruan Shu asked, “Is it okay not to build one?”
“Why?” her grandpa asked.
Ruan Shu pinched the fabric of her dress with her small, delicate fingers and replied earnestly, “It’s too much of a waste of money.”
She even furrowed her little brows as she added, “It’s just me, I don’t need a playground.”