Besides… he’d truly never heard of anyone keeping a mutated plant as a pet!
Ruan Shu, of course, had no idea about any of this. Her understanding of the world was still limited, which was why she could easily label the vine as her “pet.”
As the butler and Oss were still processing their shock, Ruan Shu received a message from her father.
Her father wouldn’t be coming home today.
Ruan Shu’s cheerful mood instantly deflated.
Her emotions were evident, and Almer gently patted her little head. “What’s wrong?”
Ruan Shu’s voice sounded a bit muffled. “Daddy isn’t coming back today.”
“What’s the big deal? I’ll take you to find him.”
Ruan Shu looked up, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a hint of surprise.
“Really? Can we?”
“Of course, as long as you want to go.”
Ruan Shu thought for a moment but ultimately shook her head, declining the offer.
“Daddy must be really busy, so let’s not disturb him today.”
Almer seemed unconcerned. “Whenever you feel like going, just let me know.”
Ruan Shu nodded gratefully. “Okay!”
After Almer and Oss left, the butler opened a small treasury room for Ruan Shu, where he stored all the items they had brought back.
Even though her father hadn’t returned, her older brother had.
When Ruan Fengsi saw the mutated plant on his little sister’s wrist, he was stunned. A mutated plant— as a pet?
“Where did this come from?”
Mutated plants as pets? Even the ones cultivated by humans are hard to deal with. Typically, they only allow the person who raised them to collect materials from them. No one else can even get close.
And even for those who raise them, it’s tough to get materials or fruits from them.
Mutated plants generally disdain all living things equally. They even dislike their own kind, especially wild ones, which often battle fiercely for territory.
Yet here he was, hearing about a mutated plant shamelessly sticking by his sister’s side.
Of course, it didn’t take kindly to him. Whenever he got close, the plant seemed tempted to lash out at him.
But one gentle press from his sister’s finger and it settled down.
Ruan Fengsi was speechless.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it.
What kind of charm does his sister have?
Unable to figure it out, Ruan Fengsi scratched his head and decided to put the matter aside; after all, it wasn’t harming her.
Still, “Does anyone else know about this besides me?”
Freshly bathed and smelling sweet, Ruan Shu sat obediently on the bed and answered, “Grandpa Butler.”
“And…”
“Also Almer and his subordinates.”
Ruan Fengsi was silent.
So I’m actually the fourth person to know? Suddenly, it feels like I don’t have much standing here.
“Almer?”
As soon as he came back, he sought out his sister, so the butler hadn’t had a chance to tell him about everything that had happened today.
“Who’s that?”
The name seemed strangely familiar.
Ruan Shu answered in a soft voice, “His Majesty.”
Ruan Fengsi: “…….”
Ruan Fengsi: “!!!”
“His Majesty?!”
“How… how do you know His Majesty?”
Ruan Shu honestly recounted how they met. After all, there was nothing she couldn’t talk about.
But she was a bit annoyed, saying, “He treated me like a little good-luck charm.”
Ruan Fengsi: …That connection was unbelievable.
And… with his sister looking like this, he had to admit she did kind of have a good-luck charm vibe.
“Let’s keep the mutated plant thing to just those who already know,” he said firmly.
Ruan Shu nodded. “What about Daddy? Or my cousin?”
Ruan Fengsi: “…Fine, tell them.”
Yet this “secret” seemed like it already had a lot of people in on it.
That night, the ragdoll cat sprawled over her older brother and fell asleep, discovering that being small had its perks—she could roll around on his chest without falling off.
The first thing she did upon waking up was message her dad, then accompany her brother on his morning run. Of course, she was the one cheering him on from the sidelines.
“Are you really not coming with me to the company?”
This was the tenth time Ruan Fengsi had asked.
“No, I still have other things to do.”
“Alright.”
Ruan Fengsi felt a bit disappointed; he’d been hoping to bring the good-luck charm to work with him. Ahem… he’d gotten sidetracked.
Ruan Shu stayed at home, diligently working on her tasks. Near lunchtime, an unfamiliar hover car arrived at their house.
The butler, noticing the car, looked pleasantly surprised for a moment before rushing over to it.
Ruan Shu stretched her little neck, trying to see what was happening as she continued working on her felted tiger-head ball.
Soon, under the butler’s respectful demeanor, an elderly man with white hair emerged from the hover car.
The elderly man held a cane in his hand. Though he looked aged, he radiated an energetic and dignified presence, his eyes weathered by time yet exuding a restrained authority.
Ruan Shu froze. Despite the white hair and wrinkles on his face, she could see a trace of her father in his features.
Or, to be precise, her father somewhat resembled him.
She tightened her grip on the felted ball, a guess about his identity forming in her mind.
Just then, the old man’s gaze fell on her.
Ruan Shu hastily looked away, a bit flustered.
But to her surprise, he immediately handed his cane to the butler and, with a few quick strides, walked over to her.
Ruan Shu panicked even more. What should she do?
Soft and timid in appearance, Ruan Shu opened her mouth, but she had no idea what to say.
Before she could think of anything, the old man, bursting with energy, reached her and swept her up into his arms.
“Hahahaha…”
His laughter was loud, hearty, and full of genuine excitement.
Ruan Shu, holding her needle and her brother’s tiger fur, felt the entire room shake with his laughter.
“You must be Ruan Shu, my precious granddaughter!”
Despite his age, his voice was as loud as ever.
Ruan Shu’s cheeks flushed red; she had no idea how to respond.
“This is the Marshal’s father—your grandfather, Miss,” the reliable butler explained, stepping in to smooth things over.
Ruan Shu breathed a quiet sigh of relief, though her nervousness was still apparent.
Under the old man’s expectant gaze, she timidly whispered, “Grandpa.”
“Hahaha, wonderful! Finally, our Ruan family has a girl!”
Five generations! For five generations, the Ruan family had never had a girl, only a string of mischievous boys.
Even though their temperaments might have been similar to girls in some ways, and the boys could be just as mischievous, he couldn’t help feeling envious whenever he saw families with cute little girls, while they only had rowdy boys.
But now, finally, he, Ruan He, had a granddaughter. And such a beautiful, soft one at that!
That rascal Ruan Xiao hadn’t mentioned anything about this. If he hadn’t heard from a friend, he, an old man who seldom went online, might have taken who knows how long to find out he had a granddaughter!
TL: Grandpa has now entered the scene!