After eating, Teacher Lu Lu took the young ones outside to help with digestion. While the other children rolled around on the grass, playing with their favorite toys, Ruan Shu chose to stroll around the track to settle her food.
“Ruan Shu, your family is here to see you.”
She had only been walking for a little while when someone called out to her.
Following the teacher out of the indoor playground, Ruan Shu’s eyes lit up the moment she saw that familiar figure.
“Third Brother!”
Her short little legs sped up, and soon, she was trotting over to him.
Standing in front of the young man, her eyes sparkled as she lifted her delicate little face to look up at him.
“Third Brother, you came to see Shushu.”
Ruan Ling’an picked up the little one in front of him, giving a soft “Mm.”
“How’s your first day of school? Has anyone bullied you?”
The young man held her tiny hand, carefully inspecting it.
Ruan Shu obediently let him hold her hand, shaking her head.
“No, my classmates and teachers are all really nice. But in gym class today, I ran so slowly that I was dead last. Dora had to carry me back…”
Leaning against her brother, Ruan Shu couldn’t stop chattering, sharing all the little details of her day.
It sounded like she was getting along well with her classmates; her eyes were bright and clear, with not a hint of worry.
Ruan Ling’an felt relieved.
All morning, he had been somewhat distracted. His little Shushu looked like someone who could easily be bullied. Although most of the students at Qiming Star School were herbivorous star beasts, many of them were quite large, and with Shushu being so small, he was worried she might get knocked over, stepped on, or worse, bullied.
The more he imagined it, the more anxious he became, and his mood only worsened.
His classmates had noticed too, speculating about who had angered their top student, and no one dared approach him, fearing they’d accidentally provoke him and get punched.
Seeing her now, Ruan Ling’an finally felt at ease.
Listening to her soft, sweet voice, he didn’t feel annoyed at all; instead, he found himself in a great mood.
But good times are always fleeting—little Shushu had to take her afternoon nap soon.
Ruan Ling’an patted her head, reluctant to let her go.
Then the top student came up with an idea. He directly took his sister to talk with her teacher, suggesting that Shushu nap at his place and that he would bring her back in time for afternoon classes.
Now, as the top student at the First Military Academy, Ruan Ling’an’s dorm had been upgraded.
He now lived in a small villa with a lawn and a garden.
The house was big enough, so it was more than suitable for Shushu to nap there.
Since there hadn’t been a similar case before, Teacher Lu Lu consulted with the principal, who, after a brief pause, agreed to the arrangement. The only condition was that Ruan Shu couldn’t be late for school.
Since the two schools weren’t far apart, it would only take a few minutes by hover car.
As they left the school, Ruan Shu was still a bit dazed, barely processing what had happened.
Ruan Ling’an held her with one arm, carrying her tiny backpack in the other, looking quite pleased. Calm and composed, he walked out of Qiming Star Kindergarten with his sister, who looked as delicate as a doll.
“Big Brother, does this mean I can go to your place for nap time every day?”
Finally understanding, Ruan Shu’s eyes widened as she looked at her third brother after they got in the car.
“Mm-hmm. Don’t want to?”
Ruan Shu shook her head, her smile revealing neat, white little teeth.
“No way, Shushu is super happy!”
Seeing the smile on her face, Ruan Ling’an couldn’t resist giving her a gentle pinch on the cheek.
“This year, I’m the top student, so I have a standalone villa for my dorm. It’s fully equipped, so if you ever need anything, just let me know.”
Ruan Shu gasped. “What does being top student mean, Big Brother? Is it really awesome?”
Ruan Ling’an kept a modest expression. “It’s not much. Just means I’m the top student at the First Military Academy, that’s all.”
Seeing the astonishment and admiration on the little one’s face filled him with satisfaction.
“Third Brother, that’s not ‘not much’ at all! You’re amazing!”
The hover car soon reached the entrance of the First Military Academy, where it had to stop as outside vehicles weren’t permitted inside the school.
Holding his sister in his arms, Ruan Ling’an started considering applying for the privilege to use school vehicles on campus. At the First Military Academy, students weren’t allowed to operate hover vehicles on school grounds, regardless of their rank or status. However, top students could apply for driving privileges, although the process was a bit cumbersome and involved completing a few tasks.
Previously, Ruan Ling’an hadn’t thought it necessary since he couldn’t drive at high speeds on campus anyway and preferred finding somewhere outside to enjoy that thrill. But now, since he’d be picking up and dropping off his sister daily at noon, it was worth applying for hover car access on campus.
“Third Brother, should I send a message to Dad and Grandpa?”
“No need, I’ll tell them.”
Ruan Shu, hugging his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, murmured softly in agreement, rubbing her soft, chubby cheek against his neck. Her eyelids began to droop.
Before long, Ruan Ling’an could hear the soft, steady sound of her breathing beside his ear.
He quickened his pace toward the dorm building.
Along the way, plenty of people noticed him—and the little one he was carrying.
Unfortunately, since she was asleep, Ruan Shu’s face was buried against his neck, so the others couldn’t see her.
“Wait, weren’t you just visiting someone at the kindergarten? How did you end up kidnapping her back?”
Rong Jun and his friends ran into Ruan Ling’an downstairs and were momentarily stunned at the sight of the little one in his arms.
Ruan Ling’an shot them a glare. “Keep it down. Also, this is my sister—not ‘kidnapping.’ If you don’t know how to talk, just zip it.”
Rong Jun made a gesture of zipping his lips.
“From now on, Shushu will nap here with me at noon.”
The pride in his tone was almost tangible.
But… they couldn’t help feeling envious! It wasn’t hard to understand; the First Military Academy was close to Qiming Star Kindergarten, so Shushu could easily come over for nap time!
Besides, if they had a sister like her, they’d do the same thing.
As Ruan Ling’an carried his sleeping sister upstairs, the other three trailed after him, almost like puppies.
“What are you following me for?” Ruan Ling’an shot them a sidelong glance.
The three replied, “You do your thing; we’re just watching.”
“There’s only one bedroom in your villa for sleeping right now, isn’t there? Are you going to let her use yours?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
Rong Jun quickly shook his head. “No, I was just thinking, shouldn’t you set up a separate room for her? Leave that to me, I promise I’ll make it perfect!” He patted his chest with confidence.
An Lan scoffed, “With your plain taste? All you’d give her is pink. Do you even know any other colors for kids?”
Rong Jun replied, undeterred, “Don’t all little girls love pink?”
He Qi cut in, “Nonsense. Little girls love green—the more colors and patterns, the better!”
Ruan Ling’an: “…”
“We’ll figure that out later.”
With gentle movements, he laid his sister on the bed, tucked her in, and, in one swift motion, took a picture and sent it to the group chat.