“Brother, I’m so tired.”
Ruan Shu yawned as she walked over to him, then snuggled into his arms, ready to fall asleep.
She nestled against her cousin’s chest, letting out a little yawn, then found a comfortable position and drifted off.
Holding his little cousin in his arms, Ruan Qingran checked his own Jingshen pollution levels.
69.
Seeing the number flash on the monitor, even Ruan Qingran’s calm demeanor faltered slightly.
Previously, his Jingshen pollution level had been 71.
But now, in less than half an hour, it had dropped by two points, dipping below the critical threshold of 70.
And this was without the aftereffects of using a inhibitor.
Simply… unbelievable.
Ruan Qingran lowered his gaze, his fingers gently brushing through Ruan Shu’s soft, snow-white hair.
“You’ve given me quite the puzzle to solve.”
With such a unique ability, if they couldn’t find a way to manage it and it was discovered, it would mean either becoming enemies with the world or having Shushu imprisoned by the nobility, everyone vying for control over her.
But how could they allow that to happen? His little cousin had already endured so much hardship; there was no way they’d let something like that befall her.
Ruan Qingran held her carefully as he left the room and initiated a video call with his uncle.
“Uncle.”
Ruan Xiao’s gaze lingered on the small figure in his nephew’s arms for a moment, his expression exceptionally gentle.
But as he looked away, his usual icy, intimidating demeanor returned.
“Did the tests reveal anything?”
Ruan Qingran nodded and recounted the experiment he had conducted with Ruan Shu.
Though Ruan Xiao appeared calm on the surface, only he understood the turmoil in his heart.
For a moment, the uncle and nephew remained silent.
“I understand. Destroy all the records.”
Everyone has their selfish motives. If Ruan Xiao had this kind of ability himself, he might not have thought twice about his responsibilities.
But this was Shushu, his daughter, his most beloved, and only, daughter.
“I understand. Shushu’s Jingshen is drained; she’s fallen asleep. Once she wakes up, I’ll explain everything to her.”
“Bring her back. I’ll be returning today.”
Ruan Qingran nodded. “And what about Grandpa and the others…?”
“Your grandfather will be coming back with me.”
That single sentence conveyed all Ruan Qingran needed to know.
The call ended, and Ruan Qingran had no interest in staying at the hospital. He promptly requested leave from the director to take Ruan Shu home.
The hospital was indeed busy, but Ruan Qingran wasn’t the only top-notch doctor on staff. As long as he had a legitimate reason, the director wouldn’t insist on him staying.
Ruan Shu’s nap was deep, lasting a full two hours. When she woke up, she felt groggy, her body limp, and extremely hungry, as if she had no strength at all.
She rubbed her rumbling stomach; she’d never felt this hungry after a nap before.
A small vine on her wrist extended and blossomed briefly, then quickly withered to produce a fruit that ripened in an instant.
It had learned its lesson: producing too much fruit drained its energy and ended up benefiting others—especially that pesky dragon!
So now it only grew a single fruit, just for Shushu, as a token of its affection exclusively for her.
This time, it produced a large, plump blackberry just for her.
“Thank you.”
Ruan Shu patted the tip of the vine, nibbling on the blackberry, which was larger than her hand. She finished it in no time.
Feeling less hungry, Ruan Shu went downstairs, where the aroma of simmering chicken and bone broth wafted toward her, making her mouth water.
The old butler greeted her with a smile. “Miss, the soup you requested is ready. Would you like a bowl?”
Ruan Shu replied, “I prepared it for Third Brother.”
“No problem. The young master can’t finish all this soup by himself anyway.”
With that, the butler went to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of chicken soup, filled with tender, melt-in-your-mouth chicken pieces.
The delicious aroma filled the air, and feeling famished, Ruan Shu stopped being polite and began eating with her chopsticks.
The soup and meat were still hot, so she had to blow on them before taking each bite.
“How did I end up back home?”
She was a bit puzzled to find herself home after her nap.
“Young Master Qingran brought you back. He mentioned you might be hungry upon waking due to Jingshen consumption, so he asked me to prepare some food for you.”
Ruan Shu understood now. That’s why she was so hungry—Jingshen depletion causes hunger.
“And where’s Brother Qingran?”
“He went out but should be back soon.”
Ruan Shu didn’t ask further questions. After finishing the chicken soup, the butler brought her a large bowl of fish meatballs.
They were snowy white, tender, and delightfully springy. After finishing the bowl, she felt completely full.
“Butler, would you go with Shushu to bring some soup to Third Brother?”
Since none of her brothers were home, Ruan Shu looked hopefully at the butler.
She had promised her Third Brother yesterday to bring him chicken and bone soup to help him recover, and she didn’t want to break her word.
“I can deliver it myself, Miss. The young master said he’ll return soon, and your father will be back as well.”
Ruan Shu’s eyes sparkled when she heard that her father was coming back. “Okay!”
As for Third Brother, just delivering the soup should be enough!
She decided to send more things along with the soup and even wrote him a little note.
At the First Military Academy…
“Hey, Ling, what’s up? Aren’t you going to eat?” Rong Jun patted his stomach, walking over to give Ling a pat on the shoulder.
Ruan Ling’an paused and then casually replied, “I’m not hungry.”
Just then, a voice came from outside.
“Ruan Ling’an, someone’s here to see you.”
Ruan Ling’an looked up. “Who?”
“Seems to be a family member, bringing something for you.”
Rong Jun’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered. “Could it be Shushu? I remember she mentioned yesterday she’d bring you chicken soup.”
A slight smile curved on Ruan Ling’an’s lips as he stepped outside.
It dawned on Rong Jun, and he groaned, “So that’s what this is—you’re just waiting for the food from Shushu! Here I was thinking you didn’t want to eat. Unbelievable! And I was about to go eat with you!”
The others were equally amused; Ruan Ling’an was clearly waiting, yet he didn’t say a word.
“Let’s go, we should check it out too.”
When they followed him outside, however, they noticed that Ruan Ling’an’s mood wasn’t as good as expected—he actually looked a bit sour.
“Why didn’t she come?” he asked, frowning.
The butler knew exactly whom he meant and wasn’t fazed by his slightly grumpy expression. He patiently explained, “Miss originally planned to come, but she overexerted herself using Jingshen today and ended up sleeping for quite a while. She’s still a bit groggy but specifically asked me to bring these items to you.”
The butler had a way with words.
Hearing the explanation, Ruan Ling’an’s expression softened a bit. “Why did she use her Jingshen? Did something happen?”
He may not have realized it himself, but his voice was filled with concern.