Ruan Shu puffed her cheeks. If Third Brother hadn’t suddenly appeared and startled her, she wouldn’t have been so clumsy as to hurt herself.
But Ruan Shu only dared to mutter under her breath after Ruan Ling’an had left.
She blew gently on her wound, sprayed some antiseptic on it, and only applied a band-aid after it stopped hurting as much.
Glancing upstairs, she wondered why Third Brother had come back.
With her dad and Eldest Brother both out, she had no idea how to interact with him.
Her expression tensed briefly, but then she relaxed.
No problem; she’d just treat Third Brother like a stranger!
Yes, that would do. Now, back to figuring out what to do with the fluffy, fuzzy ball.
The butler had gone out shopping, and the supplies he bought had just arrived. He directed people to unload and carry everything inside.
When he saw Ruan Shu quietly working on her little project, a smile appeared on his face.
When Ruan Ling’an came downstairs, the butler looked surprised.
“Third Young Master is back.”
The young man had a tall, slender figure with well-balanced proportions, wearing a blue and white basketball uniform that exuded the energy and passion of youth.
With a bold and rebellious expression, he nodded at the butler.
“When did Eldest Brother return?”
The butler replied, “He’s been back for a while.”
“Is he staying here permanently or at his own place?”
The butler answered, “He’s mostly staying here these days.”
Ruan Ling’an nodded without saying more, his eyes narrowing as though calculating something.
“Got it.”
With his hands in his pockets, Ruan Ling’an casually strolled toward the yard, where he saw the little one still fiddling with her project. After a moment’s thought, he walked over.
“What are you making with his fur?”
Startled, Ruan Shu twisted around with the needle in her hand and accidentally pricked something.
She—she didn’t feel any pain.
Swallowing nervously, she looked down. Her needle was still stuck in his leg.
“I- I didn’t mean to,” Ruan Shu stammered.
She quickly pulled her hand back in a flurry, noticing blood dripping down Third Brother’s leg. Panicking, she stammered, “I’m so sorry, Third Brother. I’ll go get a band-aid for you.”
As she tried to stand, he grabbed her back.
“Sit still.”
Ruan Shu obediently sat down, placing her hands on her knees, not daring to move an inch.
Ruan Ling’an casually wiped the blood off his leg, dismissing the minor injury as nothing worth mentioning.
“All right, tell me—how do you plan to compensate me?”
He sat down on a small stool nearby, stretching out his long legs. The stool was clearly too small for him, making him look somewhat out of place and even a bit uncomfortable.
Ruan Shu sneaked a cautious glance at him, nervously fidgeting with her fingers and asking in a quiet voice, “What… what would Third Brother like me to do?”
“What’s your relationship with Ruan Fengsi?”
Ruan Shu puffed up her cheeks a bit. “That’s Eldest Brother… You shouldn’t…”
Under his sharp gaze, she shrank her neck and mumbled, “Eldest Brother is really good to me.”
“Fine, then. Send him a message and ask when he’ll be back—don’t tell him I’m here.”
Clutching her communication device, Ruan Shu couldn’t shake the feeling that Third Brother was up to no good.
“If… if I don’t send it…”
“The needle. Hand it over.”
He reached out, taking the needle and twirling it between his fingers before pointing its tip in her direction, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
“If you don’t want to send it, that’s fine. I’ll just poke you with this ten times.”
Ruan Shu’s tail fluffed up in fear.
Noticing this, his eyes traveled over to her tail, and he smirked with interest.
“Or we could do something else—how about I shave the fur off your tail?”
Ruan Shu was stunned. She hugged her tail protectively, her small, wary eyes looking at him with a mix of caution and anxiety.
This brother was too mean! He actually wanted to shave her tail fur!
Her feet shuffled as she tried to back away, turning around with the intent to flee.
Running away was her best option—there was no way she could take him on, nor did she have the courage to try. So, running it was!
But, alas, she had no chance against Ruan Ling’an. She had only taken a few steps when her tail was seized.
It was the first time Ruan Ling’an had grabbed something so delicate and soft. He might have used a bit too much force, as Ruan Shu whimpered in pain, turning around with teary eyes to look at him.
“Wah… My tail hurts! Third Brother, let go!”
Crying, she feebly slapped his hand with her little palms.
Ruan Ling’an sighed. “Why are you so fragile? I barely used any strength.”
Ruan Shu held her aching tail, looking utterly pitiful, her ears drooping and her small, reddened nose sniffling as tears trickled down her cheeks.
These were purely reflexive tears from the pain.
Ruan Ling’an had never encountered such a scene before. Scratching his head, he looked a bit lost.
“Come here and let me take a look.”
But instead of coming over, Ruan Shu hugged her tail tighter and took two steps back.
“Come here!” he ordered, his tone low, his gaze sharp and unyielding.
“If you take another step back, I’ll grab your tail again.”
Terrified, Ruan Shu immediately stopped retreating and obediently walked over.
“I-It doesn’t hurt anymore,” she stammered.
But her red eyes and uncontrollable tears didn’t make her very convincing.
Ruan Ling’an gave her a sideways glance. “What are you crying for? You’re a Ruan family member—tears are only for blood and sweat, not for crying!”
“I’ve never met anyone who can cry as much as you.”
Examining her tail, he frowned. “Why is your tail so fragile? No protective or offensive capabilities at all. What’s the point of all this fur?”
Ruan Shu hiccupped and replied earnestly, “I-It’s pretty.”
Ruan Ling’an: “…..”
“You didn’t inherit the Qilin bloodline?”
The young girl lowered her head and gave a small nod. “Only… only the feline bloodline.”
“What kind of cat? A tiger’s tail doesn’t look like this.”
Ruan Shu’s voice grew even softer. “A ragdoll… a ragdoll cat.”
Ruan Ling’an blinked. “What?”
He thought he’d misheard her; otherwise, why would this little creature mention a breed he’d never heard of?
Ruan Shu cautiously shuffled her feet back an inch. “Ragdoll cat… it’s… it’s a pet cat.”
Ruan Ling’an: “..…”
What kind of nonsense was that? A pet?
Did she mean… like, an actual pet?
As beasts themselves, star beasts didn’t keep pets. But he knew some other races did and even had a fondness for well-behaved, pretty pets.
But… he’d never heard of a ragdoll cat.
Ruan Shu waited until her tail stopped hurting as much before slipping away to sit a little farther from him.
Ruan Ling’an watched her, and for a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, wide-eyed.
When the butler finally finished his tasks and came outside, he found the scene somewhat amusing. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed the band-aid on Ruan Shu’s finger, and his face filled with shock.
“Miss, how did you get hurt? Does it hurt? I’ll call Young Master Tang right away to check on you!”
Ruan Shu quickly grabbed his arm. “It doesn’t hurt, really! Brother is busy, Grandpa butler, please don’t call him.”
Ruan Ling’an looked at the butler’s reaction with utter disbelief.
“It’s just a little prick from a needle; what’s the big deal? Butler, your reaction—anyone would think…”
“Young Master, please, stop! Don’t say it!” the butler interrupted.
Ruan Ling’an rolled his eyes so far they nearly disappeared.