Recalling how she used Grandpa’s star beast form as a slide yesterday, Ruan Shu shyly murmured, “Then I’ll just need one slide.”
Such a simple request—it really didn’t take much to make her happy.
Ruan He patted her head with a smile. “Money isn’t an issue for us, and the backyard is empty anyway. Once you start kindergarten and make some friends, you can bring them over to play too.”
Hearing the word “friends,” Ruan Shu’s small fingers tightened slightly on a corner of her grandfather’s clothing, and her little head drooped with a hint of self-doubt.
“I’m not likable.”
Though she mumbled softly, Ruan He heard her clearly.
He found it odd that Ruan Shu would think this way.
“How could our Shushu, who’s so lovely and sweet, not be likable?”
Ruan Shu tucked her neck in a little and looked at her grandfather with a pitiful expression. To prove she wasn’t popular, she even started counting on her fingers, listing her perceived flaws.
“I’m different from you all. I look so weak and timid, and I don’t talk much… I’m kind of clumsy…”
As she went on, her little face scrunched up in a frown. She held up a few counted fingers for her grandfather to see, her large, beautiful blue eyes looking up at him.
“Grandpa, see? Shushu has so many flaws.”
Ruan He chuckled. “…What flaws? These aren’t flaws at all!”
In his eyes, these things didn’t matter one bit. Besides, who would dare bully his beloved granddaughter? They’d have to be tired of living.
“These are all good traits. Our Shushu is so well-behaved. You wouldn’t believe how many people adore kids just like you.”
In fact, even his old friends in his social media group couldn’t get enough of Shushu’s photos and kept asking him to post more of the little girl.
With a big wave of his hand, Ruan He said, “We’ll build you a whole playground! Who said you don’t have anyone to play with? Grandpa’s always here for you!”
Ruan Shu wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Her grandpa was the best.
And just like that, Ruan He dove headfirst into building a playground for his precious granddaughter, sparing no expense and using only the best materials.
Ruan Shu gave a drawing she’d made to her dad, earning a proud head pat from him and a slightly jealous look from her grandpa.
So, she made a little talisman for her grandpa too and promised to draw a picture for him as well. He immediately took a photo and posted it on social media.
These days, Ruan He had a new hobby—showing off his sweet granddaughter online.
His social media, once gathering dust, was now updated daily, sometimes multiple times a day, all posts about Ruan Shu.
He’d post about her eating, concentrating on her drawings, working on crafts, cuddling with her cat plushie while watching cartoons, transforming into her little cat form to nap in a cozy nook, and, of course, playing on his back.
The most pride-inducing posts, though, were videos and photos of Ruan Shu braiding his tail, brushing his fur, and giving him little massages. Every post was met with envious, even jealous, comments.
The more people admired her, the prouder he felt, and the higher his tail practically lifted with pride.
Soft and cuddly as she was, his sweet little granddaughter was someone he could never get tired of showing off, no matter how often he posted about her.
What made Ruan He even more smug was that every photo he posted was eagerly saved by his old friends. They’d even made these photos into adorable emoji packs, which they would use in their group chat to playfully one-up each other with pictures.
Old Xiao: “What’s Old He up to? Time to update us with a new post—don’t slack off!”
Old Xiao: Expectant Cat.jpg
Old Wu: “Exactly! I’m waiting to see Shushu’s new photos.”
Old Wu: Rolling Cat.jpg
Old Liu: “Has Shushu eaten yet today? Old He, keep an eye out—I sent some things for Shushu. Make sure she gets them, and tell her they’re from Grandpa Liu.”
Old Liu: Shushu Eating Seriously.jpg
Sister Min: Shushu Looking Sleepy.jpg
Sister Min: Cat Massage.jpg
Sister Min: Confused Shushu.jpg
Sister Min: Shushu Question Mark.jpg
Sister Min: Cat Tilting Head with Question Mark.jpg
Sister Min: “These are my newest emojis!”
Sister Cai: “Downloaded, downloaded! Shushu is too cute. Why don’t I have such an adorable granddaughter?”
Old Qian: “It’s so spot-on—Shushu’s expressions are so easy to read, hahaha…”
These freshly created emoji packs were downloaded countless times, and this chat group had long since turned into a virtual “Shushu fan club” for all the grandparents.
Ruan He was enormously proud of this. What did it mean? It meant that his Shushu was incredibly well-loved.
Previously, this group chat wasn’t very active. Although they were all old comrades, there wasn’t a need to keep in touch daily. Usually, they’d only message if something came up, and that was about it.
But ever since his sweet granddaughter appeared, everyone had become virtual “grandparents” to Shushu. Every day, new emojis and little video clips of Shushu circulated in the group, and they were always urging him to post more updates.
Ruan He’s tail was practically lifted to the sky in pride. After all, while everyone else was a “virtual” grandparent, he was Shushu’s real grandpa!
Thinking this, Ruan He offered his sweet granddaughter another little dried fish snack.
Ruan Shu held the snack, nibbling slowly, and noticed that Grandpa was sneakily taking pictures of her again. Her cheeks flushed with shyness, but she showed a soft smile.
She had even peeked at Grandpa’s social media posts and the friends’ group chat he’d shown her.
Seeing all the people in the group and on social media praising her and saying how much they liked her, Ruan Shu felt both shy and delighted.
So, Grandpa hadn’t been lying—there really were a lot of people who liked her.
Not only did they like her human form, but they adored her little cat form too. No one thought she was inferior or rejected her because of it.
So, while Ruan Shu was shy, she didn’t mind Grandpa sharing her photos and videos with his friends and social media. Sometimes, she even cooperated happily.
Because so many unfamiliar grandpas and grandmas eagerly awaited her updates every day.
As Ruan Shu nibbled on her dried fish snack, she became a bit more confident.
However, despite the affection she received from so many people, she remained humble, her soft and shy personality unchanged.
Ruan He, pleased, glanced at the video he had just recorded. It was perfect for sharing without any editing, so he posted it straight to his social media.
Instantly, the post was flooded with likes and comments.
Old Wu: “Shushu seems to really love dried fish. I have a special type of little whitebait here; I could send some over.”
Old Liu: “Shushu looks a bit thin. Old He, are you feeding her properly? If you can’t take care of her, just let me do it!”
It was obvious to everyone that Old Liu’s intentions were clear as day.
Ruan He, annoyed, shot back, “If you can’t see properly, go get your eyes checked at the hospital.”
Other comments poured in as well, with most people playfully trying to “steal” the little one away.
Ruan He: “All you can do is look at photos and videos, but my Shushu? She gets to play right on her Grandpa Tiger’s back.”
In short, he was reveling in pride, stirring up all kinds of envy. Even if his friends were fuming with jealousy, there was nothing they could do—after all, Shushu was his granddaughter.