Ruan Shu realized she had let her thoughts slip out loud. Her small hands immediately flew up to cover her mouth, leaving only her innocent, bright eyes looking at him guilelessly.
Ruan Fengsi glanced sideways at her, raising his hand to flick her forehead.
Feeling both guilty and embarrassed, Ruan Shu clung to her eldest brother’s arm, softly apologizing in a sweet voice.
“I said it wrong. You’re my brother, not a pirate leader.”
Her gaze was genuinely sincere.
Ruan Fengsi let out a mocking laugh. Yeah, right, I believe you.
He had a pretty good idea of where Ruan Ling’an was at that moment and headed straight to the school’s training room, carrying her along.
Dressed in a black shirt and dress pants, Ruan Fengsi’s mature looks and fierce aura stood out starkly among the students here.
Not to mention that he was carrying a soft, doughy little “rice ball” who contrasted with him even more, making it impossible not to attract attention.
“Damn, that’s the body I dream of having.”
Ruan Fengsi’s broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs made his clothes fit him perfectly, showing off his muscular lines without being overly bulky or thin. His abs were faintly visible—a figure that could be described as flawless.
In comparison, even the students who had muscles and abs seemed a bit scrawny next to him.
With his commanding aura, if it weren’t for his dress shirt and slacks—and the fact that he was holding a delicate little “helpless” child—everyone would have thought he was a drill instructor hired by the school.
“Excuse me, could you tell me which training room Ruan Ling’an is in?”
The boy he asked hurriedly replied, “He should be in training room A; he usually trains there.”
Ruan Fengsi nodded, while Ruan Shu beside him politely thanked the boy.
“Thank you.”
The boy froze for a second, only snapping back to reality after hearing her soft, sweet “thank you.”
“N-no problem!”
When Ruan Fengsi carried her into training room A, they were greeted by a lively roar of cheers.
“Go, Brother Ling!”
“Get him, Brother Ling, show him what our senior leader can do!”
“Aaaaah! Senior Ruan Ling’an is so cool!”
“Go, Senior Zhou Wen, show him what you’ve got!”
“Boss, you’ve got this!”
The room was bustling with people cheering at the top of their lungs. It was packed with onlookers, creating a lively scene.
In her big brother’s arms, little Ruan Shu perked up at the mention of her third brother, craning her head to get a look.
The training room was vast, even larger than a basketball court, allowing for a large crowd, though most people were just spectators.
With so many people around, Ruan Shu strained her neck but still couldn’t see clearly what was happening at the front.
“Classmate, could you hold this for me?” Ruan Fengsi grabbed a nearby fan of Ruan Ling’an and handed her the box of mooncakes he was carrying.
The girl who had been shouting her support for Ruan Ling’an turned her head, instinctively taking the item handed to her.
Then, she saw the man nearby lift an exquisitely adorable child—more delicate than a doll—up into the air and place her on his shoulder. With just one arm, he secured the child firmly, showcasing impressive strength.
Ruan Fengsi’s height already stood out among the students, and now, with Ruan Shu perched on his shoulder, her little face showing a puzzled expression, she felt numerous gazes turning toward her.
Ruan Shu: “!!!”
Completely at a loss, she didn’t know where to put her hands. This… this is way too attention-grabbing!
“Look.”
Though she wanted to see her third brother, Ruan Shu was less enthusiastic about being the center of everyone’s attention.
Her cheeks flushed, and her long eyelashes quivered with a hint of unease.
“Roar!”
But soon, the action in the training room captured her attention. Ruan Shu’s eyes widened as she watched, particularly drawn to a large, golden lion on the battlefield.
The lion had a massive head and a body that seemed a hybrid of a lion and a qilin, with golden scales covering its exterior. It had a qilin’s tail, tipped with a fluffy tuft, while its paws remained those of a lion.
And around its neck was a mane—a majestic, golden halo of fur—that instantly reminded Ruan Shu of her third brother’s golden hair.
Across from the lion stood a polar bear, its body larger than the lion’s, especially its paws, which looked capable of shaking the ground with a single swipe.
The battle was intense, with both sides sustaining injuries. Ruan Shu quickly forgot the attention she was drawing and strained her neck to get a better view, her small hands nervously twisting together.
“Roar!!”
With an earth-shaking sound, the polar bear took advantage of its size and pinned the lion down.
Ruan Shu’s heart leaped.
“Go, Senior Ruan!!”
“Come on, Brother Ling, get up and defeat him!”
Caught up in the excitement, Ruan Shu joined in, cheering in her soft, small voice.
But her tiny cheer was barely a whisper against the uproar around her.
At that moment, the lion used a burst of agility to overturn the polar bear, twisting with surprising speed and precision. With a swift, triple strike of its paws, it clawed the polar bear’s head to the side, leaving bloodied marks on its face.
Ruan Shu’s eyes sparkled. “Go, Third Brother!!”
This time, she called out louder, putting some real energy into her cheer.
Though still softer than the rest, her voice somehow carried through the crowd, reaching the lion’s ears. His ears twitched, and, as if by miracle, he picked up on the unique, sweet voice in the cacophony.
He lifted his head, his amber eyes quickly locking onto the tiny, almost luminous figure in the crowd.
Just then, the polar bear, shaking off its daze, roared and lunged to sink its teeth into the lion’s neck.
Ruan Shu shouted, “Third Brother, be careful!”
Ruan Ling’an reacted quickly, dodging with a swift roll and then whipping his tail at the polar bear. The fierce gleam in the lion’s eyes was intense as he steadied himself and faced off against his opponent head-on.
In an instant, the two giant beasts were locked in another fierce grapple.
Ruan Ling’an was a battle enthusiast; the stronger his opponent, the more exhilarated he became. It seemed his stamina was limitless as he fought with increasing power.
Finally, with a powerful grip on the polar bear’s neck, he flung it to the ground with impressive force.
“Roar!!!”
The victorious lion dug his claws into the ground, muscles blood-streaked, exuding a fierce beauty that commanded admiration. He roared to the sky, displaying his strength.
The polar bear, breathing heavily, tried to get back up but ultimately failed.
It was clear—the lion had won.
“Ruan Ling’an! Ahhhh!!” The crowd erupted, cheering for the victor, for the strong.
Ruan Shu clapped enthusiastically, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling with pride and joy—she looked even more thrilled than Ruan Ling’an himself.
Her third brother was amazing!
Ruan Fengsi watched her completely engrossed in the match, and a smile crept onto his face.
Not bad. The Ruan family’s reputation was intact.
“Big Brother, let’s go to Third Brother quickly; he’s hurt,” Ruan Shu urged in her soft, concerned voice. She had seen all the blood on her third brother’s body.