Rong Jun didn’t even need to look closely to know who had sent the package.
“Is it something from Shushu?”
Seeing the not-so-large package, the roommates couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy, even if it wasn’t the first time.
Right in front of everyone, Ruan Ling’an opened the box and glanced inside, then took out what was there.
Inside was a small, adorable felted cat in a clear capsule, sitting obediently on its egg-shaped base. Its little head tilted slightly upward, with soft blue eyes gazing up at whoever was holding it, as if pleading.
Even though it was just a motionless toy, everyone inexplicably felt as if it were asking for food.
So cute!
That was the thought in everyone’s mind.
For all their tough exteriors, they couldn’t resist this kind of adorable little thing!
But it belonged to the top student, so they couldn’t just take it.
They could only stare longingly.
“Ah, I know this! It’s the star beast form of the top student’s little sister.”
With all the news online, how could they, fans of His Majesty and the Marshal, not know?
The top student’s little sister was the Marshal’s daughter, so her star beast form was that adorable little creature!
“Hey, did you custom order this somewhere, top student? It’s so cute! Can I get one too?”
“It’s so tiny!”
“I’ve been meaning to say, your little sister’s star beast form is really adorable. When are you bringing her to school to play again?”
Hearing everyone’s chatter, Ruan Ling’an’s lips lifted in a genuine smile.
“You can’t buy one.”
He lifted his chin slightly, his expression filled with pride.
“My little sister made it herself.”
The way he showed it off finally made him seem like the spirited young person he was.
However, that little hint of childish pride only ever came out when it had something to do with Shushu.
There were other items in the package too, including dried kumquat slices meant to be brewed in water.
While the people in the military department were all scrambling openly and secretly to get their hands on some of these kumquats, Ruan Shu would occasionally slice one up, dry it, and send it home for the family to enjoy in tea.
If those folks in the military department found out, who knows how they’d react to this “wasteful” usage?
Ruan Ling’an, having had his Jingshen tended to by his sister, dared to say that among everyone in the entire school, his level of Jingshen pollution was the lowest.
But, of course, that was something he couldn’t exactly announce.
He tossed a small bag of the dried kumquat slices to his roommates. “Shushu made these; take them home and brew them in water.”
At this moment, Rong Jun and the others had no idea that this small bag of dried kumquat slices was a prized treasure that many high-ranking officials in the military longed to obtain.
“Our little sister is the best!”
Rong Jun caught the bag with a grin. Whatever it was, they were all heading back to the dorm to brew some tea with it later.
Without saying much, Ruan Ling’an waved goodbye to the group and left.
He needed to return to his dorm early today. He wanted to change into a new outfit and hang up the little gift Shushu had made for him in the most prominent spot!
However, as he walked down the wooded path beneath the dormitory building, his expression turned cold. With a swift motion, he flicked an object from his hand, sending it darting like a concealed weapon toward a particular spot in the trees.
“Come out.”
A gust of wind rustled the leaves, and the quiet woods seemed to hold only the sound of their gentle swaying, as though Ruan Ling’an’s action had all been a mere illusion.
Yet, under his fierce, beast-like gaze, a figure stepped out from behind a tree.
The person’s skin appeared almost translucent under the sunlight, with a delicate, frail aura. He had long, white hair with a gradient of green at the ends, and his whole demeanor was as fragile as porcelain.
“One of the Qiming Star’s.”
It wasn’t a question—it was a statement.
Ruan Ling’an sized him up with a single glance. Though dressed in their school’s uniform, the person looked so weak that a single punch would likely knock him flat. If someone like this were at their prestigious First Military Academy, he’d probably be eating nothing but vegetables for a month!
The young man across from him did not deny it, his green eyes calmly meeting Ruan Ling’an’s.
“I am from the Li family,” he began, though Ruan Ling’an felt his fists clenching at this introduction. Was he here looking for a fight?
The young man, named Xue, looked down slightly. “But I am only a branch member of the Li family. My name is Xue.”
One character, no surname.
Ruan Ling’an raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting.
But still…
What did that have to do with him?
“So? Are you here to challenge me or declare some kind of war?”
Xue shook his head. “I’m here to find you and seek cooperation with the Ruan family.”
Ruan Ling’an was almost sure he had misheard. “Cooperation?”
Xue nodded, his green eyes unwavering.
“Cooperation to bring down the Li family’s main lineage,” he said, before breaking into a faint, coughing fit.
Ruan Ling’an’s expression was indifferent, his interest nonexistent.
“And why should I cooperate with you? Hah, you may look weak, but your nerve is something else.”
Xue didn’t seem angered by his words and merely replied calmly, “I simply want to live. And I want the people of my White Deer clan to survive as well.”
After he spoke, he coughed softly again, as if the very color had drained from his lips.
The Li family possesses the bloodline of the Divine Deer, which grants them the ability to awaken wood-based elemental talents.
However, those with the Divine Deer bloodline aren’t limited to the main lineage of the Li family; other branches with the same bloodline exist as well.
The current main lineage of the Li family primarily embodies the Abyss Deer, with a reddish-brown coloring.
Other branches include the White Deer, Merlin Deer, and Greater Antlered Deer, among others.
It’s similar to how they have the Qilin bloodline inheritance. While they’re essentially big cats, the forms vary, with classifications like tigers, leopards, and even lions.
Ruan Ling’an crossed his arms and sneered, “And what does that have to do with me?”
Xue lowered his gaze. “Eventually… eventually, I will lead the Li family to align with the Ruan family.”
“You?”
Ruan Ling’an’s mouth curved into a smile that hinted at a touch of madness.
“Ha… someone like you? Can you even survive in the Li family?”
Indeed, Xue looked frail, with a sickly pallor that made him cough after every few words, as if he might collapse at any moment.