Ruan Shu cautiously lifted her gaze. She hadn’t met this person before, but she had indeed received a gift from Grandpa Liu.
Instinctively, Ruan Shu gave him a soft, sweet smile.
“Grandpa Liu.”
Her voice was tender and polite, and the old man’s smile grew even wider.
The other elders nearby couldn’t sit still any longer.
“Shushu.”
Ruan Shu looked up and saw a spirited older lady walk over, giving her a warm smile.
“I’m Grandma Min.”
Ruan Shu’s gentle, childlike voice called out, “Grandma Min,” and the soft sound seemed to melt everyone’s hearts.
The elderly woman crouched down to be level with Ruan Shu and extended her hand, asking gently, “Shushu, can you shake hands with Grandma?”
Feeling a bit shy, Ruan Shu nodded and placed her soft, small hand in the old lady’s palm.
What was supposed to be a gathering for the elders had somehow turned into a meet-and-greet session with Ruan Shu and a group of grandpas and grandmas.
There was no helping it. Most of the people from the chat group had come. Ruan He posted pictures and videos of his adorable granddaughter daily, sharing them in the group, so everyone had been “virtually raising” Shushu for some time and couldn’t wait to meet her in person.
Meanwhile, those outside the group and others on the sidelines looked utterly bewildered, staring at the gathering of powerful figures around this little girl. Their expressions ranged from confused to downright astonished.
“What’s so special about this little girl? Why do all these big shots seem so fond of her?”
“Who’s that?”
“Whose child is that little girl? Why are so many prominent people around her?”
“She’s with Marshal Ruan. I’m not sure whose child she is—I haven’t seen her before.”
“I think she’s Marshal Ruan’s daughter, the old marshal’s granddaughter.”
“No wonder… so many people around her; they must be showing respect to the old marshal.”
“But wait, didn’t you notice? The old marshal hasn’t even introduced her yet. They all went up to her on their own.”
“Yet, isn’t she rumored to be Marshal Ruan’s illegitimate daughter? Even if Marshal Ruan’s son were here, he wouldn’t get this kind of treatment, would he?”
Many of them would hesitate even to approach these big shots for a conversation, but the moment this little girl arrived, each of them graciously came over to greet her.
After Ruan Shu had finally been introduced to everyone, she obediently stood by her grandfather’s side, joining the group of distinguished figures.
Most of the people here were senior members, many of whom had retired. Yet, their achievements remained legendary. Even His Majesty held them in high regard, let alone anyone else.
“Shushu, don’t be nervous. Have some fruit. This peach tastes great; give it a try.”
“You can treat us like your own grandparents.”
Ruan He’s eyes widened, and he huffed, “What do you mean, ‘like your own grandparents’? Are you pretending this old man doesn’t exist?”
“Look at you getting all hot-tempered. It was just a comparison! Why get so worked up over it?”
Ruan He rolled his eyes, snapping back, “A comparison? You’ve practically thrown your abacus beads right in this old man’s face.”
Ruan Shu didn’t say a word, quietly sitting beside her grandfather. She held her peach and took small, careful bites, focusing intently on each one.
When someone addressed her, she would respond in a sweet, gentle voice, without a hint of impatience. She was even more charming in person than in the videos and photos, even more so than in the descriptions Grandpa Ruan often shared. It made the elders adore her even more.
They couldn’t help but glance over at the younger ones in the room—those who couldn’t sit still and had already wandered off to form their own little groups nearby. Seeing that, they felt a pang of envy, wishing they could trade places with Old Ruan.
“Shushu, are you bored sitting here with us old folks?” someone asked with a kind smile.
Ruan Shu shook her head. “No, not at all.”
She was the kind who could sit still without getting restless. Even if she couldn’t quite follow their conversation, she found plenty to do by nibbling on snacks and gently playing with a tiny vine tendril.
“Old He, we’re truly envious of you having such a well-behaved granddaughter. Look at our kids—they’ve already scattered who knows where.”
Ruan Shu glanced around, “My older brothers and sisters are great, too.”
With a slight blush, she waved her hand, her beautiful blue eyes full of sincerity.
“I’m not that impressive; I just… I just don’t like moving around much. My older brothers and sisters are really amazing.”
Though she admired their outgoing personalities, she knew she wasn’t that way and wouldn’t change.
Watching Ruan Shu stand up for them so sincerely made everyone want to pinch her cheeks. How could she be so adorable?
Not wanting to keep her tethered to their conversation, the elders were just about to ask one of the younger generation to show her around when His Majesty arrived.
The arrival of Almer sparked a buzz of excitement.
When Ruan Shu overheard that the emperor had come, she couldn’t help but crane her neck, looking toward the entrance.
It had been so long since she’d last seen Almer.
But the crowd was thick, and she was small. Standing on her tiptoes did nothing to help her see him.
“His Majesty is here; is the military exercise about to begin?”
“No, it’s not time yet. His Majesty arrived quite early this year.”
Unable to see him, Ruan Shu pricked up her ears to listen.
To many, Almer was still a young emperor, but no one underestimated him. After all, he was born with awakened abilities and possessed an SSS-grade Jingshen level.
Their emperor had joined the battlefield at just 20 years old, leading his knights to glorious victories.
When the former emperor abdicated, Almer’s ascension had been undisputed. Despite his youth, he was undeniably powerful.
Among the Star Beast Clan, nearly all the younger generation were fans of this emperor.
For many young people, being accepted into the emperor’s knight legion was a mark of pride.
Almer’s popularity was truly immense. The moment he entered, all eyes turned to him.
“It’s really His Majesty! I’ve watched his battle videos—his Star Beast form is so cool and powerful!”
“When His Majesty uses his innate abilities, he practically scorches everything in his path; there’s nothing left of his enemies, not even ashes. It’s incredible!”
“The dragon clan is the strongest; their physical prowess alone puts them above so many races.”
Ruan Shu listened intently to their admiration and praise for Almer, her own heart filling with awe. So Almer is this amazing?
Ruan He looked down at his adoring granddaughter and couldn’t help feeling a bit frustrated.
“Don’t let him fool you. Go back and watch more of Grandpa’s and Dad’s battle videos. Who wasn’t great in their youth?”
Ruan Shu nodded, her eyes crinkling with a smile. “Yes, I’ll remember, Grandpa. I’ll watch them as soon as we get back.”
Her grandfather was always worried that Almer would lead her astray, but Ruan Shu wasn’t that naive. Almer was a good friend, but he wasn’t family.
“Old Ruan, Old He, Old Liu… how has the year been treating you all?”
While Ruan Shu was chatting with her grandfather, Almer had come over, casually holding a glass of wine and greeting everyone.
He gave Ruan Shu a quick wink, a smile gracing his lips—elegant and charming.
Ruan Shu blinked, her eyes widening as she looked up at Almer.
Chapter 184: Teaching the Spoiled Kid a Lesson
Today, Almer was also dressed in full regalia. Clad in a black aristocratic military uniform, his tall and lean frame looked even more striking. His outfit featured royal decorations, such as emblems made from various dragon scales, and he carried a sword at his waist.
He wore his usual red earring, adding a touch of allure, and his black hair cascaded down his shoulders, making him appear both captivating and slightly dangerous.
He had always been good-looking, but now he exuded a heightened elegance and an indescribable grandeur that added to his authority.
Ruan Shu couldn’t help but glance at him a few extra times.
In this era filled with handsome and beautiful stars, Almer’s presence was undeniably eye-catching, especially when he was serious.
Of course, Ruan Shu mentally added, her father and brothers were also exceptionally outstanding.
Almer, however, didn’t immediately act as if he was close to Ruan Shu, since everyone’s attention was currently on him. If he openly acknowledged her, she’d feel like a target under so many eyes.
The little one was already timid and was quite conspicuous, surrounded by all these powerful figures. If Almer were to add to that, he thought his little “lucky charm” might just want to disappear on the spot.
After greeting the retired elder statesmen present, Almer discreetly greeted Ruan Shu from an unnoticed angle and mouthed silently to her, “Check your personal terminal later.”
Having said that, he left with his order of knights. Each of these tall, imposing, and dashing knights was the kind of role model young people aspired to be—they were loyal, courageous, and served alongside their emperor!
“When I graduate, I definitely want to apply to His Majesty’s knight order!”
“But it’s really hard to get into His Majesty’s order. Most are selected from top soldiers across major divisions, and even the weakest of them have S-level Jingshen.”
“My Jingshen is just A, though. Even with an A, I could probably outperform some S-levels in combat, but academically, I’d probably fall short.”
“Honestly, most in His Majesty’s order are S-level or above. Sometimes it feels like there are tons of S-level people out there.”
“By the way, what does F-level Jingshen even look like? Our school’s lowest is probably C-level, right?”
“Look it up online. You definitely won’t find it in our school, though. But the higher your Jingshen, the easier it is to get mentally polluted. With F-level strength, you don’t have that problem.”
Although they were joking, these lofty words sounded quite offensive to those with lower Jingshen levels.
Ruan Shu couldn’t help but glance over. The voices belonged to a group of young men in luxurious attire, clearly from privileged backgrounds.
Their voices were soft, but everyone had keen hearing, so the conversation carried.
Ruan He also looked over, frowning at these so-called young aristocrats.
Having pride was one thing, but being overly arrogant was just unpleasant.
“You little brats!”
Suddenly, an old man’s booming voice rang out. Ruan Shu saw Grandpa Zhao striding over, his face dark, and grabbing one of the young men by the ear under his horrified gaze.
“Grandpa, Grandpa, what are you doing?”
The old man smacked the boy on the head. “How many times have I taught you? Who are you acting all high and mighty for? Don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you’re S-level! Even if you were double-S, you’re nothing in front of true geniuses! Getting cocky, are you?”
The young man grimaced, pleading, “Grandpa, please, let’s talk this through calmly. I was wrong, I was wrong!”
Old Master Zhao’s face darkened. “Do you realize that the nonsense you were just spouting sounds ridiculous to everyone else? You think you’re impressive? With that attitude, you dream of joining His Majesty’s knight order? Just getting into any legion would be a stretch. Sure, your Jingshen is high, but let’s not forget how much of that came from those mutated Essence Fruits. If it’s all talk with you, even the best A-levels would beat you hands down!”
The boys, who had been blushing from embarrassment, suddenly grew defiant at his words.
Impossible! Even if their Jingshen had been boosted to S-level by special fruits, they were still leagues better than other A-levels, right?
Seeing their expressions, Old Zhao could guess exactly what these little brats were thinking. He didn’t care about the others, but as for his own foolish grandson, it looked like this summer, he’d be sent to train with the legion. If he continued in this arrogant, clueless manner, his grandson was bound to waste his potential!
In this world, there might be parents who spoiled their children, but many held stricter standards. When kids misbehaved, the solution was simple: send them to the military camp to get a taste of real life.
Old Zhao grabbed his grandson, and the other young men slunk away, embarrassed beyond words. Deep down, they resented Old Zhao for making such a fuss over what they saw as a minor issue, robbing them of face and dignity.
“My apologies, old friends,” Old Zhao said to the gathering. “My grandson’s lack of manners must have given you all quite the show.”
The young man beside him wore a look of resentment. He didn’t think he’d said anything truly wrong. He’d only been joking with his friends, so why was Grandpa acting as if it were something serious? Besides, he was just stating the facts—F-levels didn’t have to worry about mental pollution like higher levels did.
“Oh? You’re still not convinced?” Old Zhao shot his grandson a stern look. “Do you even realize where you are? You think everyone here is deaf, unable to hear your little comments? When you and your friends flaunt your Jingshen and look down on those with F-levels, do you know what the people here think of you?”
The young man pressed his lips together in silence, his face stubborn.
“You little fool! People will see you as nothing but arrogant and self-important!”
“I was just speaking the truth!” the young man argued.
“Sure, it’s the truth,” Old Zhao replied, “but how did you say it?”
He fixed his gaze on his grandson. “Your Jingshen is A, barely boosted through the Essence Fruit that we struggled to obtain for you. Your rank was only raised thanks to outside help—so what are you even showing off about?”
The boy’s gaze flashed with indignation as he glared at his grandfather.
“What? Can’t handle it? Grandpa’s just telling the truth too—do you feel insulted?”
Finally, the young man realized that his grandfather was speaking to him in the same arrogant tone he’d used earlier. When he’d belittled people with lower Jingshen, he hadn’t considered their feelings. But now, facing his grandfather’s criticism in that same tone, all he felt was anger and humiliation.
“When you looked down on people with lower Jingshen, did you ever think that to those with higher levels, you’re viewed with just as much disdain?”
The young man finally lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I understand now.”
Seeing that the boy had learned his lesson, the others in attendance finally stepped forward to smooth things over.
They hadn’t wanted to interfere while Old Zhao was teaching his grandson, but now that the lesson seemed complete, they stepped in with a more relaxed atmosphere.