Being forcibly taken away, Ruan Shu followed her brothers while mumbling about the proper usage of the medicines. Because her legs were short, she soon lagged behind.
Yuan Fengsi simply picked up her little short legs and carried her.
This time, she followed them to her third brother’s dorm room.
On someone else’s turf, Ruan Shu was a bit reserved, but her eyes were filled with curiosity as she observed her third brother’s living space.
Calling it a dorm was a bit of an understatement; it was more like a shared apartment. They each had their own private space along with common areas for activities.
As soon as Yuan Ling’an returned, he went straight to his bedroom to take a shower.
Rong Jun and the others warmly welcomed Ruan Shu, and she took out mooncakes to share with them.
“That area over there is your third brother’s favorite spot. We usually gather here to play games or do homework,” Rong Jun explained. “But your brother prefers spending most of his time in the training room.”
Ruan Shu asked in a quiet voice, “Does my brother often get into fights?”
Rong Jun quickly devoured his mooncake and clapped his hands. “Absolutely, especially lately. With the inter-academy competitions coming up, Brother Ling is bound to participate. A lot of people know about his reputation, so those in higher grades often seek him out before the competition under the guise of ‘sparring.’ Really, though, they’re just trying to wear down his confidence. If they could crush his spirit before the competition, even better.”
It was all an open conspiracy. If someone didn’t have a strong enough will, they might actually be beaten down by it.
Ruan Shu’s cheeks puffed up in anger, her eyes practically sparking with fury.
“That’s so mean!”
Her fierce, protective little stance was undeniably adorable.
“But don’t worry,” Rong Jun reassured her. “Knowing your brother’s personality, he’s probably thrilled to have more powerful people challenge him. And even if he loses temporarily, he won’t stay down. It’ll only make him train harder and get even more excited.”
After all, they all knew how intense Yuan Ling’an was. When he first arrived at school, he had provoked an upperclassman, got beaten, but didn’t concede. He only trained harder to grow stronger and then went back to challenge the same guy again. He’d lose, come back stronger, and repeat until he finally managed to beat that upperclassman, leaving him sprawled on the ground.
The upperclassmen’s plans backfired entirely, and each one of them ended up as stepping stones for Yuan Ling’an to become even stronger.
Besides, the upcoming competition wasn’t just about individual skill; teamwork was even more critical. A cohesive team was the key to victory.
Hearing them praise her third brother, Ruan Shu was filled with pride. “My third brother is so amazing.”
Right then, Yuan Ling’an came out, dressed in a fresh outfit. Hearing her praise, he raised an eyebrow.
His hair was still wet, a towel draped over his head, and he had changed into loose, comfortable pajamas.
As soon as Ruan Shu saw him, she grabbed the medicines and walked over.
“Third brother, come over here.”
She carefully arranged all the medicines in front of him.
Yuan Ling’an walked over and said, “I told you I don’t need those.”
“No way.”
Ruan Shu’s delicate little face showed a slightly serious expression.
“Third Brother, I’ve already heard from Brother Rong Jun that many people are planning to bring you down. If you keep fighting with all these unhealed injuries, it’s really unfair to you.”
By now, she understood that stopping her brother from fighting was impossible. The best she could do was ensure he didn’t go into those fights injured. Otherwise, his wounds would reopen during the challenges, and that’d be even worse.
Just thinking about it made her feel bad.
“Brother, take off your shirt so we can put some medicine on you.”
“No way.”
He picked up a mooncake, examined it, and directly refused.
Ruan Shu turned to Yuan Fengsi, who was watching the show from the side. “Big Brother, can you persuade him?”
Yuan Fengsi leaned back on the couch with a grin. “How should I persuade him? With my fists?”
Ruan Shu: “….”
She didn’t give up, trying to reason with her third brother.
Finally, she rolled up her little sleeves, hugged his arm, and insisted, “Third Brother, don’t move. If you throw me off, it’ll hurt a lot when I hit the floor.”
Yuan Fengsi twitched his lips. This little rascal was starting to play dirty?
In the end, Ruan Shu successfully applied medicine to the open wounds on his arm. She used a special medical adhesive the doctor had recommended to help the wounds close up.
It looked a bit like a bandage, but once applied, it pulled the wound edges together. If the wound was long, she’d stick a few more.
Ruan Shu examined the wounds closely. They had stopped bleeding because the medicinal liquid had formed a jelly-like film over the wound’s surface.
Curious, she asked her big brother about this film.
“It’s an absorbable medicinal film,” he explained. “It helps with blood clotting and regeneration, but it takes some time for his body to fully absorb it. By the time the film disappears, a new layer of skin should have grown over the wound.”
None of them were unfamiliar with this medicine. “It’s extracted from several types of mutated plants,” he added.
Since this medicine was widely used, the primary mutated plants used to make it were carefully cultivated.
As Yuan Fengsi explained, Ruan Shu carefully worked to seal up her third brother’s frightening wounds.
Although Yuan Ling’an grumbled about it, he didn’t actually refuse her help.
“Did you make these?” he asked, biting into a mooncake.
Ruan Shu nodded. “Brother, are they good? I’ll bring more for you tomorrow.”
“Coming back tomorrow?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Ruan Shu glanced at his injuries. “I’ll bring you some hearty bone broth and chicken soup. You need it to recover.”
Yuan Ling’an: “….”
This little girl was already worrying about so many things at her age.
Ruan Shu didn’t care. She’d already decided to make him bone broth and chicken soup. She’d also check online for goji berries, red dates, and ginseng.
Seeing the amount of blood her third brother had lost earlier had truly frightened Ruan Shu.
By the time she finished tending to his wounds, it was already completely dark outside.
It was time for them to head home.
After saying goodbye to her third brother and his roommates, Ruan Shu held her eldest brother’s hand and left the First Military Academy.
As they reached the school gates, she glanced across at the other school.
That was her school, the one she’d enrolled in but hadn’t attended even once since registering. She felt a bit guilty.
“What’s this? Thinking about going to school now?” Yuan Fengsi asked, noticing her gaze.
Ruan Shu replied awkwardly, “No, it’s just… I registered but haven’t gone.”
“Start next semester. The break’s coming up right after the Beast God Festival.”
Ruan Shu let out a quiet sigh of relief. Starting fresh in a new term didn’t sound as daunting—maybe it would even be less awkward?
After the siblings left, the First Military Academy was left with yet another “legend” of theirs.
Yes, little Ruan Shu had once again made it onto the school’s trending posts.
The main reason was her appearance in Training Room A, where she had been perched on her brother’s shoulder—a brother who stood a head taller than most of the other students. She was undeniably the most eye-catching presence in the room.
Everyone who entered the training room that day couldn’t miss her if they tried.
Someone even captured her cheering for Yuan Ling’an on video, turning it into a viral post on the forum.