For a moment, the air was especially quiet as they stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Three seconds later, Ruan Shu picked up a clean towel, wet it, and wrung out the excess water.
She glanced at Ruan Ling’an, then carefully leaned in closer, stretching out a small hand to nervously hold onto one of her third brother’s palms.
Ruan Shu swallowed, as if facing a fierce lion, nervous and scared beyond measure, but still wanting to summon the courage to help him treat his wounds.
“Third Brother, don’t move around, okay?”
Her tone was like coaxing a child.
Ruan Ling’an’s mouth twitched. “I don’t need your help. I’ll just take a shower.”
Ruan Shu’s eyes widened a bit, and she pouted, her cheeks puffing up visibly.
But her voice remained soft and gentle, with no hint of intimidation.
“Brother, you can’t wash wounds with water. It’ll hurt.”
As she spoke, she carefully dabbed at his arm with the towel.
She was especially gentle with the wounds on the joints of his hand, handling them with extreme care, as if afraid he’d feel pain. She even pursed her lips and leaned in to blow on them.
Looking down at her, Ruan Ling’an suddenly asked, “Is this how you win people over?”
Ruan Shu looked up in confusion. “Huh?”
Ruan Ling’an’s tone turned mocking. “I mean, is this how you got my dad, my eldest brother, and the butler to go soft on you and accept you?”
Ruan Shu froze, then looked hurt.
Her ears and tail drooped, her eyes reddened slightly, and tears welled up but didn’t fall.
She sniffled, lowered her head, and continued to treat his wounds, all while muttering softly, complaining about him.
“Third Brother is the worst. Shushu doesn’t like Third Brother.”
Ruan Ling’an looked down at her, noticing her choked tone and her repeated complaints of how much she disliked him, all while diligently treating his wounds.
For the first time, he felt completely speechless.
“Hey, why are there glass shards here too?”
Ruan Shu’s eyes landed on a long wound on his arm with glass shards embedded in it. The tears in her eyes could no longer be contained and began to fall.
Ruan Ling’an commented, “This is my arm. I’m not even crying, so why are you?”
Ruan Shu sniffed, carefully using tweezers to pull out the glass shards.
While removing them, she occasionally looked up to check his expression. But she didn’t realize just how pitiful and distressed she looked at that moment.
“I’m… I’m not sad for you. I just felt like crying.”
She explained in a soft voice, sounding almost angry.
“It’s not like I’m embarrassing you.”
She was the one crying, making a fool of herself.
Who told Third Brother to accuse her of playing little tricks just to get Dad and Big Brother to accept her?
As if she couldn’t tell what he was implying!
“Dad and Big Brother like Shushu, that’s why they’re nice to her.”
Ruan Shu muttered under her breath as she finally managed to remove the glass shard.
But more blood began to flow. Although the shard looked small, it had been embedded deeply. Ruan Shu panicked immediately, spraying disinfectant and wrapping it with gauze.
“We should go to the hospital; there’s so much blood.”
Just looking at it made her afraid.
Ruan Ling’an didn’t even flinch. He pressed on the wound himself, his expression cold and defiant as he spat out two words.
“Not going.”
Ruan Shu: This brother is so rebellious!
Since he refused to go, Ruan Shu could only hold her nose and continue tending to his wounds.
Some of the injuries made her wince just looking at them. She used a warm, damp towel to clean the blood from his wounds and disinfected them with alcohol. While doing so, Ruan Ling’an didn’t even raise an eyebrow, but Ruan Shu kept wincing and gasping.
It was as if she felt the pain herself, which made Ruan Ling’an find her reaction somewhat amusing.
“I haven’t even said it hurts. Why are you gasping?”
He spoke with his legs crossed, but Ruan Shu ignored him; she still hadn’t forgotten what he’d said earlier!
After she applied medicine and wrapped his arm, she even tied a little bow on the back of his hand.
She adjusted the bow to make it perfect.
Ruan Ling’an: “…”
With his arm taken care of, she now had to deal with the rest of his injuries.
Ruan Shu busied herself preparing to treat his leg. She grunted as she dragged a chair over.
“Third Brother, put your leg up here, so I can spray the medicine.”
Ruan Ling’an glanced at her and didn’t budge.
Ruan Shu: “…”
She opened her contacts in front of him, tapped on Dad’s icon, and was about to start a video call.
Ruan Ling’an nearly jumped up. “What are you doing?”
Ruan Shu replied, “Third Brother isn’t being good, so I’ll let Dad talk to you.”
In short, she was ready to tattle on him.
Ruan Ling’an’s eye twitched. “Get over here! When did I say I wasn’t going to put it up?”
He immediately stretched his long leg onto another chair, his expression slightly sour.
But she had listened to him, hadn’t she?
Ruan Shu seemed to have found a way to handle Third Brother, and she broke into a delighted smile, ignoring his grumpy tone.
She continued applying medicine to his wounds.
Ruan Ling’an muttered sarcastically, “Do you have any pride? Can’t you see I don’t want you around, yet you still cling to me?”
Ruan Shu pouted, her cheeks puffing up like a little pufferfish.
“I’m not mad. Third Brother is a big lion.”
She wasn’t going to get angry with a big lion.
Ruan Ling’an was almost provoked by her words. “You’re the lion. I’m a qilin-tiger-lion!”
Ruan Shu glanced at him, her courage growing just a tiny bit, especially with Dad backing her up.
So, she responded in a soft, childlike voice, “You’re a big kitty.”
Ruan Ling’an: “…”
That little mouth of yours really knows how to push my buttons.
But no matter how hard he stared at her, he wouldn’t actually hit this delicate little creature.
When he glared at her, Ruan Shu shrank back a bit, nervously defending herself.
“You started it!”
His leg injury was much easier to handle, so Ruan Shu quickly finished up, leaving only the wounds on his face and head.
Looking at the blood trickling from his head, Ruan Shu sounded genuinely concerned.
“With so much blood, Third Brother, could it be that you hit your head hard enough to get… dumber?”
As expected, this set off Ruan Ling’an’s temper again.
Ruan Shu quickly scuttled back to what she considered a safe distance, her voice rising just a little.
“I’m not saying you’re dumb! I meant maybe we should call a doctor to bandage your head. I’m afraid I might not treat it well enough, and then you really would get dumber, so I thought a doctor might help.”
Ruan Ling’an: “Get over here!”
Ruan Shu retreated even further, leaving only the sight of her fluffy white head peeking out. “I won’t! I’m afraid you’ll hit me.”
Her refusal was firm.
Ruan Ling’an found himself laughing from sheer frustration. “You’ve got more courage than you let on, yet you’re afraid I’ll hit you?”
Ruan Shu answered honestly, “My courage is very small. Third Brother, shall I ask Grandpa butler to call a doctor for you?”
Ruan Ling’an walked over and grabbed her in one swift motion.
Ruan Shu: “!!!”
How did you move so fast? You just swooshed over here!