It has been a month since that war.
Ruan Shu’s injuries have healed; she can eat, drink, run, and jump. Her personality has become much more cheerful and bold than before.
However, her family still treats her like a fragile porcelain doll. They insist on carrying her while she walks and won’t let her attend online classes, claiming it would exhaust her Jingshen.
They even feed her during meals, and every time she picks up chopsticks, she just holds them as if they were decorations.
They don’t allow her to engage in any vigorous activities.
Ruan Shu: “……”
It’s been a month; she wants to revolt!
So, after breakfast one day, Ruan Shu, with her little belly round and chubby, decided she wanted to go out for a walk and digest her food.
“You’d better not move around; take some digestive medicine.”
“I won’t!”
The little girl firmly refused for the first time, though her soft voice sounded more like a playful pout.
But her attitude was resolute. She darted under the table and transformed into a beautiful, fluffy white cat, her little paws scurrying quickly towards the door.
“Shushu!”
Ruan He hurriedly chased after her, and Ruan Qingran did as well.
During this time, Ruan He had basically been living at his son’s house to take care of Ruan Shu.
Once outside, Ruan Shu shook her fur and turned her little head to look at her grandfather and brother chasing after her, her short legs moving even faster.
She was truly healed, and she needed to prove it to her grandfather and brothers.
While running, she glanced back and didn’t see where she was going, and then, bam! She collided with something.
With a thud, she bumped her head and fell back, rolling around before finally coming to a stop.
Ruan Shu’s fluffy face wore a dazed expression, as if she hadn’t processed what had happened yet. She shook her little head before looking up.
A shadow fell over her head, and then she was picked up.
Her pretty blue eyes looked at the tall, handsome man with dark skin and white hair, tilting her head in curiosity.
“Meow~”
It was her older cousin.
That soft, delicate meow sounded adorably spoiled.
“Did it hurt when you bumped into something?”
Ruan He, with a look of fondness, took the fluffy little bundle from his grandson’s arms and began to fuss over her.
Ruan Shu shook her head. Her fluffy white fur and round, bright eyes looked particularly sincere as she gazed up at her grandfather.
It really didn’t hurt; she wasn’t that fragile, after all.
Ruan Qingran scratched her chin, and the little cat immediately started purring, swishing her beautiful tail and leaning her little chin towards his fingers, her ears flopping back like airplane wings.
Ruan Linzhan couldn’t help but glance at her several times before quietly saying, “Is she a bit dazed from the bump?”
Otherwise, how could she so carelessly offer her chin and neck—such sensitive areas—to someone else?
Upon being called dazed, the little cat’s ears perked up, her round eyes looking at him with confusion, as if she didn’t understand why her older cousin would insult her out of the blue.
Ruan Linzhan gently educated the little cat, saying, “Your neck is very vulnerable; don’t expose it so easily, especially not to others.”
Then he turned to his younger brother, “If she doesn’t understand, do you?”
Ruan Qingran casually looked back and countered, “Then, brother, look at her. Is there any part of her that isn’t vulnerable?”
Ruan Linzhan lowered his gaze to meet the little cat’s innocent eyes.
Ruan Linzhan: “………”
He had to admit that his brother had a point.
Feeling unbothered, he simply nodded and said, “Forget I said anything.”
Ruan Shu: “………”
Don’t think the little cat doesn’t know you’re talking about her!
Ruan Shu squirmed and slipped out of her grandfather’s arms, ready to run. You all can keep chatting; the little cat is going for a run.
In terms of physical prowess, she might be a little weakling, the type that couldn’t grow stronger no matter how hard she tried. But the little cat could at least train to run faster!
Being a little weakling meant she couldn’t attack or defend, but escaping was still an option.
The fluffy little cat raced away on her four paws, making a rhythmic pattering sound as her soft fur bounced along.
Ruan Qingran watched her lively little steps, his eyes curving into a smile, warmth spreading across his usually cool gaze.
Ruan Linzhan took a leisurely glance at him, intrigued.
He was increasingly curious about this little cousin of his.
It had only been two short years since he had last returned, and now, seeing everyone again felt like he was meeting different people.
All these changes revolved around his little cousin.
Ruan Shu ran a short distance before looking back to see that her grandfather and brother weren’t stopping her, making her even happier. She held her head high and stepped cheerfully.
Where’s her ball? It felt like she had only been eating and not moving for the past month, and her body had gained so much weight!
Of course, she had become even softer; the little fat on her belly felt squishy even when she touched it, which was somewhat exhilarating.
Ruan Shu looked up at the hanging basket, striking a pose and leaping up with perfect form.
But it wasn’t high enough; she almost hit it. Quickly, she used her little paws to grab the edge of the basket.
The Ragdoll cat’s fluffy face was filled with disbelief, her eyes widening in shock.
She had clearly been able to jump right in before!
She was going to fall!
The little cat struggled to pull herself up, her back half dangling from the edge.
And because she had eaten well, her belly, stretched out by the weight, was especially noticeable.
Not far away, the three of them watched her struggle for nearly a minute before finally managing to clamber into the hanging basket: “……”
“Ha!”
Ruan Linzhan couldn’t hold back his laughter.
The little cat turned her head warily, and upon seeing them, she didn’t have to think to know what her older cousin was laughing about.
Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, the little cat curled her claws. She had thought she would make a perfect jump, but instead, she ended up in such an awkward situation.
Ruan Qingran and Ruan He’s shoulders were also shaking slightly, but their eyes were filled with affection.
After all, the little cat was just too cute, though… she really was a bit of a weakling.
Feeling somewhat humiliated under their gazes, Ruan Shu burrowed deeper into the soft blanket.
What was once a flat, even surface—now slightly indented by the shape of the hanging basket—suddenly formed a little mound.
The tip of her exposed tail swayed slightly, as if noticed. A tiny white paw stretched out from beneath the blanket, poking around until it grasped her tail and yanked it back inside.
Her tail felt a bit uncooperative, so Ruan Shu patted it, as if scolding it to behave.
Having watched the entire scene, Ruan Linzhan seemed to understand why the whole family had become a bit strange.
What should have been a boring and time-wasting situation instead made it impossible for him to look away from her, filling him with an unprecedented sense of relaxation and calm.
The three of them sat down to drink tea and chatted about some state affairs, but their gazes kept drifting toward the little bulge that occasionally moved beneath the blanket.
Thinking they might have lost track of her after hiding for a while, Ruan Shu perked up her ears to listen carefully.
Great, they were still chatting! So she tentatively stretched out another little white paw to poke around.
She remembered that she had left her ball right there; where had it gone?