“Big Brother.”
“Hmm?”
Ruan Shu gently touched his head with her small hand.
“Does it still hurt?”
Ruan Fengsi looked at her, “What do you think? It didn’t hurt at first, but seeing you all run away gave me a pain in my heart.”
He said it with a straight face, and sure enough, he saw that the little rice ball in front of him looked deeply distressed.
“Let me blow on it for you.”
She cautiously leaned forward and blew softly in the direction of his injury.
“Don’t fight anymore, okay? Getting hurt is very painful.”
Ruan Fengsi thought to himself, This small injury doesn’t hurt at all, but when he looked at his sister, with her soft, delicate skin…
Her foot had swollen that much just from a little twist. If she got hurt the way they did…
No, absolutely not.
“When are you going to school?”
Ruan Shu replied, “Daddy said he’ll take me to register when he gets back.”
Ruan Fengsi said, “Be alert when you’re at school. With your gentle personality, you’re too easy to bully. If anyone gives you a hard time, come back and tell us. In our Ruan family, it’s better to bully others than to let others bully us. Got it?”
Although her big brother’s tone was fierce, Ruan Shu felt a warm surge in her heart.
In school, it’s inevitable for classmates to have minor clashes. Ruan Shu had been lucky, staying unnoticed and avoiding any severe bullying.
Except for a few conflicts in kindergarten and preschool when she was too young to understand, and her parents had been called in.
But while other parents would defend their children first, hers would reprimand her for not behaving, without even hearing her side.
So, this is what it feels like to be defended by family? She felt warmth spreading in her heart, mixed with a tinge of bittersweet ache.
Ruan Shu sniffed, nodded heavily, and whispered a single word, “Okay.”
In that fleeting moment, her past shadows seemed to dissipate bit by bit.
Ruan Fengsi wasn’t kidding about remodeling her room. Although he got the idea during his visit to that island and impulsively messaged the butler about it.
So, that night, Ruan Shu really had to sleep in her brother’s room.
After getting ready for bed, she hugged her little pillow, feeling both nervous and expectant. Her mind began to wander—Would she sleep restlessly and disturb her big brother? She shouldn’t snore in her sleep, right?
When her thoughts drifted back, she found herself standing in the hallway, glancing downstairs.
Her brother was still downstairs, seemingly talking on the phone with someone.
Ruan Shu had just taken a bath, and her fair, freshly steamed little face was now rosy and plump. Her big eyes, perhaps misted by steam, appeared dewy, resembling a young deer’s gaze.
Her chubby little hand patted her flushed cheeks, stifling a yawn. She wiggled her slightly damp ears and, with bare feet, shuffled along the soft carpet in the hallway.
To avoid putting pressure on her injured foot, she gingerly balanced on her other one.
In truth, she had secretly tested it earlier, and stepping on her injured foot didn’t hurt at all.
Ruan Shu held her little pillow in one hand and used her other hand to clutch the railing, her fluffy ears just peeking out as she sneakily looked downstairs.
As for why she was being so stealthy, it was because if her big brother noticed she was out of bed, he would probably scold her.
But Ruan Shu really didn’t want to trouble her brother any further. Her foot didn’t hurt anymore, yet she still needed him to carry her around, making her feel like a little burden.
Downstairs, Ruan Fengsi immediately spotted those soft, ruan-worthy little ears. His lips curled into a faint smile, and he said something to the person on the other end of the phone before hanging up.
“Ruan Shu.”
“Here!”
Ruan Shu straightened up instantly as soon as he called her name, instinctively answering.
Meeting her big brother’s half-amused gaze, the little one blushed furiously, her face turning even redder, like a ripe peach.
“Big Brother.”
She timidly called out, lifting one foot as she explained, “I wasn’t putting any weight on this foot.”
Ruan Fengsi raised an eyebrow, deliberately frowning as he asked, “What are you doing running around after your bath?”
“Aren’t… aren’t you going to sleep?”
The little rice ball clutched at her pajamas nervously as she asked, clearly coming to look for her brother.
Her soft, milky voice trembled a bit, her drooping ears adding to her overwhelming cuteness.
Under the light, Ruan Shu’s human form, though slightly bigger, looked just as soft and fragile as her animal form, like a delicate porcelain doll.
At that moment, she resembled an innocent little spirit who had accidentally wandered into the human world, melting even Ruan Fengsi’s hardened heart.
“Come here.”
He walked up the stairs, beckoning her over.
Ruan Shu’s eyes brightened, and though she moved slowly, she walked toward him with determination.
But Ruan Fengsi was obviously faster. She had barely taken two steps before he scooped her up.
Her big brother’s familiar scent was overpowering but comforting.
“Big Brother.”
Her soft, sweet voice was laced with laughter, her eyes curved in a smile.
Suddenly, he tossed her up slightly and caught her, prompting a tiny squeal of surprise from her as she clutched his extended hand with her small, soft one.
Her little white hand clasped onto his big, dark one, forming a striking contrast.
“Still too light.”
Ruan Fengsi muttered under his breath. His younger brothers would gain weight every time they finished a meal, but she weighed practically nothing.
Ruan Shu had been startled by the sudden lift, but she quickly recovered and held tightly onto his hand, unwilling to let go.
Ruan Fengsi glanced at her, “Such a scaredy-cat.”
Ruan Shu pursed her lips and stayed silent. Well, so what if she was timid? It wasn’t like she could change that.
“You came out before your hair even dried. With that fragile little body of yours, what if you catch a cold? I’m not about to spend the middle of the night taking you to the hospital.”
While his tone was a bit harsh, he still carefully placed a dry towel over her head and began to gently rub it, drying her hair.
Her fluffy ears were pressed down under the towel.
Having just bathed, her hair, ears, and tail were still slightly damp, carrying the soft scents of shampoo and body wash—a mix of peach and light milk that was sweet without being overwhelming, perfect for a star beast’s sensitive nose.
“Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Under her big brother’s stare, Ruan Shu instinctively wiggled her chubby little toes, then, after a couple of seconds, quietly replied.
“It feels comfortable on the floor.”
Even before she injured her foot, she liked going barefoot at home. The carpet was always kept impeccably clean, and it felt soft underfoot.
Ruan Fengsi, with the towel still on her head, wrapped his warm hand around her foot and said sternly, “No more of this from now on.”
Ruan Shu obediently nodded. “Brother, go to bed soon. Don’t stay up late.”
A small smile tugged at Ruan Fengsi’s lips as he picked her up, and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.
He carried her to his bedroom, set her down on the bed, and fetched a hairdryer to dry her hair. As he went about drying it, rather haphazardly, Ruan Shu’s hair—fortunately soft and naturally smooth—miraculously avoided becoming a frizzy mess.