Standing before them was a woman who looked to be about the same age as her father. She had long, wavy blue hair, a great figure, and an aura that was both gentle and assertive. It was a paradoxical impression, yet it suited her perfectly—a warm yet formidable woman.
Ruan Xiao lifted his daughter into his arms, his voice affectionate as he introduced her, “This is Marshal of the Fifth Legion. You can just call her Auntie.”
Then, as he looked up, his expression shifted back to his usual cold and detached demeanor.
“This is my daughter, Ruan Shu.”
The woman across from them looked somewhat surprised—not at the fact that Ruan Xiao had a daughter, but rather at the rare tenderness in his eyes as he spoke to her. It was a softness she had never seen before.
Tsk tsk… Who would have thought that having a daughter would change the formidable Marshal Ruan like this? She mused inwardly.
Her amusement was evident; Ruan Xiao’s apparent double standard was crystal clear to her. Nonetheless, she managed a smile when addressing the little girl.
“Hello, I’ve heard that Marshal Ruan treasures his daughter dearly. Now that I’ve met you, I see that it’s true.”
Sitting in her father’s lap, Ruan Shu offered a sweet, soft smile and called her “Auntie,” then remained quiet, listening to the conversation between her father and this beautiful “Auntie.”
Ruan Shu thought to herself, calling her “pretty sister” would have suited her as well since she looked so young.
After listening for a while, Ruan Shu began to understand: the beautiful lady was here to discuss the elixir made from the small kumquats.
Despite Ruan Xiao’s secrecy about the discovery, the matter was too significant to keep entirely under wraps. Shui Shishi, always sharp, had detected something unusual within the Third Legion and came to consult Ruan Xiao.
“I know this is forward, but one of my soldiers has been in a state of mental instability, and he hasn’t been able to regain control. If this continues, his mental state might collapse entirely. He’s young, and I don’t want to see that happen, so please, Marshal Ruan, could you help me?”
As a Marshal, Shui Shishi naturally carried herself with pride, but knowing even a small chance could save one of her own, she was willing to seek help from Ruan Xiao—a testament to her dedication as a leader.
Ruan Xiao, although cold-faced, did have a good rapport with her Legion. After a few seconds of silence, he took a kumquat from his daughter’s basket and tossed it to Shui Shishi.
Quickly catching it, she looked at him, puzzled about his intentions.
“We have indeed developed a new type of elixir that can stabilize uncontrolled Jingshen without any side effects.”
As soon as he finished speaking, astonishment and excitement appeared on Shui Shishi’s face.
“Is there truly such an elixir? But… why would it be you…”
Realizing the implication of her words, she quickly apologized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you weren’t capable, but usually, something like this would come from the research institute or the Li family.”
Ruan Xiao wasn’t offended. “It was an accidental discovery. We found a new variant of plant.”
Shui Shishi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, eager for more information.
“The one you’re holding,” he said, nodding to the kumquat in her hand.
She blinked, processing this for a moment, then looked down at the small, fresh kumquat she held.
Knowing Ruan Xiao wasn’t one to deceive, she now cradled the kumquat with both hands as though it were precious, her gaze drifting to the basket Ruan Shu was holding tightly in her arms.
The one in her hand was just a single kumquat, but the little girl was holding a whole basketful!
She drew a sharp breath, feeling a tinge of envy.
But…
“Is this fruit really from a mutated plant?”
To her, it looked just like a regular fruit.
Ruan Xiao nodded. “This fruit has a pollution value of zero. The entire fruit can be processed into a liquid to create the necessary elixir, ideally with a few added restorative components.”
Shui Shishi stared at him, stunned. She could hardly take in anything else he said; her mind was fixated on the phrase pollution value of zero.
Zero pollution value.
Zero.
Her grip on the kumquat grew even more careful. This wasn’t just any ordinary fruit; it was a rare and precious mutated fruit with zero pollution!
At this moment, Shui Shishi’s shock was beyond words. Zero pollution! How could something like this even exist? But there was no reason for Marshal Ruan to deceive her.
Her mind racing, Shui Shishi took a deep breath and suddenly stood up.
The abruptness of her movement startled Ruan Shu, who clutched her basket tightly.
Facing Ruan Xiao and his daughter, Shui Shishi bowed deeply. “Thank you, Marshal Ruan, for entrusting me with something so valuable!”
Ruan Xiao replied, “You’re welcome to have it tested.”
Shui Shishi glanced at the basket full of kumquats in the little girl’s arms, feeling a touch of embarrassment. Then, she hesitated and asked, “Um, would you consider selling these precious fruits?”
In the end, Shui Shishi left happily, having paid a high price for just one kumquat.
Ruan Shu had just earned a million in one go.
She thought to herself, I’m a super little millionaire now!
Ruan Xiao gently patted her fluffy head. “Actually, each of your kumquats is worth far more than that.”
Ruan Shu wrinkled her little nose and replied softly, “It’s already a lot.”
“Do you know how much a single suppressant costs?”
She shook her head.
“One suppressant costs 30,000, and that’s just the average-grade type supplied to the military. A single kumquat of yours can be used to make ten doses of calming elixir. The quality and effect are both top-notch, with no side effects. Even at tens of thousands per dose, people would rush to buy it, especially since it’s not available on the market.”
Ruan Shu looked at the little kumquats in her arms, realizing just how valuable they were.
She picked out five of them, then handed the rest to her father.
“Daddy, these are for you.”
Ruan Xiao’s voice was gentle. “I’ll have the money transferred to your account.”
But Ruan Shu shook her head firmly, her soft voice refusing, “No need; these are for Daddy from Shushu.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Ruan Xiao’s mouth. “No need to save money for me. The funds for purchasing these kumquats come from the legion’ common account.”
Yet Ruan Shu continued to shake her head, nestling her small head against her father’s chest and snuggling in close. “These are for Daddy. I want to help you too.”
Ruan Xiao’s heart melted. His daughter was just so endearing.
“Alright,” he agreed.
Ruan Shu held up the five remaining kumquats and explained, “These are for Almer.”
At this, a certain father’s expression soured slightly.
Oblivious, Ruan Shu continued in her soft, sweet voice, “Almer often takes me out to play and gives me so many gems. He’s my best friend…”
She giggled as she shared with her dad how Almer was hopeless with directions, once went into the water to catch fish, and ended up with a fish biting his tail.
Wasn’t able to update this for more than a month — thank you so much for waiting 💕 Dropped 15 chapters today!