What kind of magic did this little one use on her dad?
Ruan Shu, feeling his gaze, hid a little behind her dad. After a few seconds, she peeked out, holding up a small dried fish she hadn’t eaten.
“Brother, do you want some?”
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Ruan Ling’an turned his head away—who wanted to eat that stuff, anyway?
Seeing he didn’t want it, Ruan Shu pulled it back and offered it to her dad instead.
In the end, Ruan Xiao struck a deal with Ruan Ling’an by giving him a set of biological soft armor.
“Don’t worry. From now on, her safety is my responsibility. Mission guaranteed,” Ruan Ling’an promised, smiling from ear to ear as he patted his chest, now the proud owner of a set of soft armor.
With everything settled, Ruan Xiao took Ruan Shu and prepared to leave.
Just before they left, Ruan Shu hesitated, then took out a small handful of coconut crisps and walked over to her third brother.
“Third Brother, this is for you.”
Ruan Ling’an looked at her. “What’s this for?”
Ruan Shu stayed quiet and stuffed the coconut crisps into his hand. “If you eat them, it won’t hurt as much.”
With that, she quickly ran back to her dad’s side.
Her little heart was pounding, but there was also a trace of joy. Maybe her courage had grown just a bit?
Ruan Shu’s eyes sparkled as she smiled up at her dad, both her small hands holding onto his.
Ruan Xiao looked down, giving her a gentle pat on her head.
“Give some to Daddy, too.”
She took out another small handful for him.
Her dress had a small crossbody pouch filled with coconut crisps.
The mutated coconut tree from last time had given her an enormous coconut, so the coconut crisps she made were plentiful. She loved eating them but also knew that eating too many was bad for her teeth, so she rationed herself every day.
There was still a good amount left at home.
Ruan Ling’an looked down at the few pitiful coconut crisps and three coconut pieces he held—just a handful in her small hand, but barely anything in his.
Heh… this little kid thought she could bribe him with this? Not a chance.
And who said he was hurting, anyway? Such a small injury, no need to make a fuss.
With the crisps stuffed in his pocket, hands in his pockets, he strolled back lazily.
This time, he went straight to the dorm.
The dorm housed four people, but each had their own separate bedroom, with only the living room as a shared space.
There was no other way; the territorial instincts of carnivorous star beasts were just too strong. Without these measures, the school would struggle to manage daily student brawls.
“Whoa, you’re back so early? And not even beaten up by your dad?”
Rong Jun jumped at the sight of him. It hadn’t even been an hour since he left, and Rong Jun had been pondering where to hide. But now, it seemed he wouldn’t need to.
With a grin, Rong Jun walked over to slap him on the shoulder. “Congrats, bro, your dad finally remembered he has a son!”
Before he could finish, Ruan Ling’an punched him squarely in the stomach, not holding back in the slightest.
“Ugh… damn!”
Ruan Ling’an waved him off, ignoring the guy clutching his stomach. “Consider that payback for the punch you landed on my face.”
Rong Jun muttered angrily, “You really didn’t hold back, did you? An Lan, help me up, this hurts like hell!”
The young man named An Lan adjusted his glasses and walked over with a gentlemanly air, pulling Rong Jun up with a firm yank, inadvertently causing him a second round of pain.
“Ow!! An Lan, could you be a little gentler? It’s killing me!”
He Qi, who was playing a game, walked over to the table next to Ruan Ling’an and spotted the coconut crisps sitting there.
“What’s this?”
He leaned over, only to have his hand swatted away by Ruan Ling’an.
“Hands off.”
Seeing his reaction, He Qi became even more intrigued.
“It’s just a few crisps. Why are you being so secretive? Just give me one.”
The four of them had been roughhousing together since kindergarten, so they shared a strong bond.
Rong Jun, still grimacing, sniffed the air and said, “That’s a pretty strong coconut smell. Where did you get these? A girl give them to you on the way back?”
Ruan Ling’an shot him a look. “Bloodhound.”
He Qi leaned his arm on the back of a chair, his expression teasing. “No way it was from a girl. Have you ever seen our dear Ling’an accept anything from a girl?”
An Lan chuckled. “Forget gifts; remember that time a girl wrote him a love letter, and he thought it was a challenge letter? He went to meet her and asked where she wanted to fight.”
That incident had blown up on the campus forum, and the three of them had teased Ruan Ling’an about it for ages. In the end, Ruan Ling’an beat the three of them up, and all four ended up in the infirmary, with the school issuing a reprimand.
Ruan Ling’an’s face darkened. “Can we not bring that up? The way she wrote it, it looked like a challenge letter—how was that my fault?”
Rong Jun nudged him. “Bro, come on. If a girl didn’t give you those, why are you hiding them? Could it be from your Marshal dad?”
He swore he was just joking, but then he saw Ruan Ling’an’s face turn strangely unreadable.
He Qi shivered. “What’s going on? Don’t tell me it really was from your dad? Suddenly bonding with your dad—this is like a real-life horror story!”
If it happened to any of them, the thought of their dads smiling kindly and giving them snacks would give them the creeps.
He Qi also looked horrified. “No way, right?”
He even stopped his game, completely unsettled.
An Lan silently rubbed his arm, shivering slightly. “Ew…”
Ruan Ling’an’s face darkened. “What are you thinking? It’s not from him.”
The trio collectively sighed in relief. “Oh, good. That’s a relief.”
Ruan Ling’an fiddled with the coconut crisps that had a strong coconut scent. “It’s from my sister.”
The three of them: “So, it’s from your sis—wait, what?!”
All four of their families worked in the military, so they were well-acquainted with each other’s family situations. Ruan Ling’an had never hidden anything from them, but now they were absolutely stunned.
Rong Jun’s expression was exaggerated. “Say what?”
He Qi looked at Rong Jun’s head. “Rong Jun, did that punch scramble your brains?”
An Lan managed his expression much better, leaning forward slightly. “What’s going on?”
The three of them spoke simultaneously, each asking a different question.
Irritated, Ruan Ling’an scratched his head. “Just what I said. My sister—my dad’s daughter.”
The three of them fell silent, the dorm room suddenly quiet and eerie.
After a moment, Rong Jun hesitantly asked, “So… your dad got you a stepmom?”
He Qi added, “So, Marshal Ruan’s having a second spring?”
An Lan, keeping his tone measured, asked, “How old is your sister?”
Upon hearing An Lan’s question, the other two’s eyes lit up, full of gossip, as they looked at Ruan Ling’an.
Ruan Ling’an didn’t answer, instead landing a punch on each of them.
One by one, they each started gossiping like he was some kind of soap opera character.
But their curiosity was unrelenting, pestering Ruan Ling’an for more details and even encouraging him to share the coconut crisps.
“Come on, since they’re from your half-sister, why are you hiding them? Don’t tell me you actually like her or something?”
Annoyed to the point of embarrassment, Ruan Ling’an finally gave in, pulling out the coconut crisps.
“Fine! Eat, choke on them if you want!”