But what truly shattered their perception was the fact that the Pink Maiden they had cultivated was now cuddling up in someone else’s arms.
The Director: ………
He genuinely felt a bit overwhelmed.
In his heart, the Director was, of course, shocked. He had studied mutant plants for so long and had never encountered a situation like this before.
There was the dodder vine before, and now the Pink Maiden.
The dodder vine had even placed a wreath on her head!
Hiss…
This young girl was truly remarkable.
Naturally, Ruan Linzhan also noticed the Director’s gaze, but he didn’t offer any explanation.
Ruan Shu liked the Pink Maiden very much, not only because of her appearance but also because she was the first mutant plant she had encountered that could make a sound.
She teased the Pink Maiden for quite a while.
It wasn’t until the Little Vine came looking for her.
After fighting two battles today, the completely exhausted Little Vine returned, only to see another creature by Ruan Shu’s side, instantly so angry that…
… it fainted.
Ruan Shu’s eyes widened in surprise as she placed the Pink Maiden on her shoulder and quickly picked up the drooping Little Vine.
The fainted Little Vine was all limp.
“Little Vine?”
Ruan Shu pinched it and shook it a bit. “You must be exhausted from fighting. I told you not to overdo it.”
Muttering softly to herself, she fed the Little Vine a bit of energy, though there wasn’t much left after feeding the dodder vine earlier.
After that, Ruan Shu yawned—she was tired.
She held the Little Vine close and, with tiny steps, walked over to her big cousin, snuggling obediently into his embrace.
“Are you tired?”
Ruan Linzhan lifted her into his arms and asked in a low voice.
With her head buried in his chest, Ruan Shu nodded. She had been frightened again today, and after using up her energy, she wasn’t hungry anymore—she just wanted to sleep.
The soft little bundle nestled in her brother’s arms, half-closed eyes barely open, looking a bit pitiful, tugging at people’s hearts.
As Ruan Linzhan was about to take her home, the Director stopped him.
“Commander Ruan, our Pink Maiden!”
It hadn’t been easy for them to cultivate a Pink Maiden. Please, don’t take her away!
Unexpectedly, upon hearing the Director’s voice, the Pink Maiden jumped directly into Ruan Shu’s arms, burrowing itself as deep as possible, squeezing its mushroom cap almost flat.
The Director: “…………”
Ruan Shu, holding the Pink Maiden with both her small hands, felt reluctant to let go. After all, it had sought her out three times; such persistence moved Ruan Shu quite a bit.
But it did belong to someone else.
She tugged quietly on her big cousin’s sleeve and whispered, “Big brother, can we buy the Pink Maiden? I have money.”
Ruan Shu’s delicate little face scrunched up in calculation, though she wasn’t sure if her money would be enough. Mutant plants tended to be expensive.
Ruan Linzhan looked down at her, then spoke to the Director. “Didn’t the botanical garden mention something about compensation?”
The Director instinctively glanced at the Pink Maiden, whose mushroom cap was now barely visible, and seemed to understand what Commander Ruan was suggesting.
“This Pink Maiden, along with the repair costs for your protective barrier.”
This was a substantial amount, and the Director indeed felt a bit tempted.
Ruan Linzhan added, “Hesitate too long, and the dodder vine might come looking too.”
Recalling the dodder vine’s protective attitude towards the little girl, the Director immediately replied, “Alright, no problem. We’ll leave the Pink Maiden in your sister’s care.”
His voice carried a note of caution. “Just be careful with it. Though the Pink Maiden is gentle, when it releases spores, nearby creatures can be affected unintentionally.”
After all, when the spores dispersed in the air, even the Pink Maiden couldn’t control them. So, despite its gentle nature, people were usually wary of getting too close.
Anyone approaching it had to wear protective gear.
With a bright smile, Ruan Shu gently patted the Pink Maiden’s cap; from today, it was hers.
The small pink mushroom let out a joyful squeak, hopping up to rub its mushroom cap against Shushu’s soft, chubby cheek.
Seeing the affectionate interaction between the two, the Director couldn’t decide what expression to wear.
Jealousy, envy, and a hint of frustration.
How did this Ruan family child manage to attract mutant plants so effortlessly? He had spent a lifetime studying mutant plants and was usually on the receiving end of their aggressions.
If he had this gift, he’d probably laugh himself awake in his dreams.
Ruan Linzhan nodded at the Director, then, holding his sister and carrying the two mutant plants, headed home.
During the drive, Ruan Shu cuddled both plants and soon fell asleep.
By the time they arrived, her brother was the one carrying her out of the car.
“Which mutant botanical garden did you take her to?”
Just as he was stepping out with her, Ruan He hurried over.
He had seen the news and, knowing his grandson had taken Shushu to the botanical garden, felt anxious and restless.
Luckily, when he called, they were already on their way back.
“Old man, I saw on the news that there was an incident today at the Keke Mutant Botanical Garden. I’m glad you both returned safely. By the way, which garden did you go to with Shushu?”
Grandpa Ruan looked fondly and affectionately at the sweet, sleeping bundle in his grandson’s arms.
Ruan Linzhan’s expression was blank. “Keke Mutant Botanical Garden.”
Grandpa Ruan: “Oh, Keke… WHAT?!”
Realizing where they’d been, his voice shot up, startling the sleeping Ruan Shu for a moment. He quickly covered his mouth.
“You mean you two…”
Ruan Linzhan: “I’ll take her to rest first.”
“Squeak!”
Grandpa Ruan: “What was that?!”
Ruan Linzhan replied, “This is… a long story.”
Thinking back to the scene of the mutant plants protecting Shushu, Ruan Linzhan sighed softly.
“It probably has something to do with Shushu’s abilities.”
Grandpa Ruan nodded in understanding. “Oh, in that case, no problem.”
He was used to it by now.
The old man, hands clasped behind his back, walked ahead. A mutant mushroom was nothing—his granddaughter had managed to nurture plants with zero pollution levels!
After putting Shushu to bed in her room and warning the two mutant plants not to wake her, Ruan Linzhan returned downstairs and explained the events at the botanical garden.
Grandpa Ruan sipped his tea slowly, but when he heard that the dodder vine had built a nest to protect Shushu, he couldn’t help but spray tea everywhere.
“A dodder vine, nesting to keep my granddaughter safe?”
Ruan Linzhan glanced at him, handing over a tissue. “Actually, I think it might be more accurate to say it wanted to hide her away.”
Grandpa Ruan’s lips twitched. “I should have guessed. Even the wild Little Vine shrinks down and stays close to Shushu, disguising itself. As for those mutant plants in the botanical garden…”
He sighed.
Ruan Linzhan reassured him, “This is a good thing.”
Grandpa Ruan looked at him closely.
“Our main worry has always been that Shushu wouldn’t be able to protect herself. But now she can. The Li family can control mutant plants as battle partners, and Shushu can, too. But she’s better than the Li family.”
After all, the Li family’s battle companions need to be raised from infancy, and they can only have one. Mutant plants are territorial and won’t allow other plants to be controlled by the same person.
But Shushu’s case was different.
The Little Vine could be possessive but was obedient.
None of the mutant plants Shushu nurtured had ever damaged a single one of her potted plants.
The Little Vine was considerate of Shushu’s feelings.