“Are you alright?”
Ruan Fengsi gently poked the small, softly rising and falling belly of a certain little cat.
“Meow~~~”
That meow carried a hint of tremble, and with feeble energy, she pawed at his hand, trying to push it away.
Feeling a bit guilty, Ruan Fengsi hurriedly picked up the little cat and placed her on the pillow before going to find a silent dryer to dry her fur.
It was a soundless dryer, one that was especially friendly to cats.
Ever since Ruan Shu transformed into a little cat, her sensitivity to sounds had heightened. She was timid, and even a slightly louder noise could scare her.
The warm, cozy temperature of the dryer was exactly to her liking. As she came to her senses from her dazed state, Ruan Shu stretched out her little paws, unable to resist the comfort.
Lying on the pillow like a fluffy snowball, she stretched herself out into a long, furry strip, her entire body relaxed. Her little paws extended, revealing pink, peach-shaped pads.
Sneaking a stretch, Ruan Shu, thinking her big brother hadn’t noticed, stole a glance at him, only to shrink back quickly.
She didn’t notice that her big brother, with his back turned to her, had lifted his wrist, capturing her awkward, stretchy pose through the camera function on his terminal.
After snapping the video, Ruan Fengsi fiddled with his personal terminal for a moment, storing the clip in a file labeled “Cat’s Embarrassing Moments.”
When Ruan Shu’s fur was almost dry, she noticed her big brother had somehow produced a small brush.
“Come here.”
Sitting on the bed, Ruan Fengsi patted the spot beside him.
The little Ragdoll cat tried to feign ignorance, licking her paw. Who was her big brother calling? She didn’t hear anything.
“Ruan Shu.”
The mention of her name made little Ruan Shu droop her small ears, reluctantly inching her short little legs over the blanket, intending to drag her paws slowly.
But things didn’t go as planned. After only a few steps, a hand descended from above, scooping her up. In a swift motion, she found herself on her big brother’s lap.
“Meow~”
Ruan Shu let out a soft, timid sound.
“I’m just brushing your fur; what are you afraid of?”
His tone had a hint of fierceness. “Why aren’t you afraid of your dad? Doesn’t he seem scarier than me?”
Marshal Ruan didn’t look fierce, but his aura was intimidating and icy, always making others uneasy.
By comparison, Ruan Fengsi thought he was much more approachable when they stood together.
Ruan Shu mewed again, her big brother was so strange. That’s your dad too, you know.
And it’s because you’re always picking on me! Dad never bullies me like you do!
With a small mental grumble, Ruan Shu imagined her fur being ruthlessly tugged out by her big brother. She even pictured herself hairless, crying from the ugliness.
Yet, surprisingly, the brushing didn’t hurt at all.
Although Ruan Shu’s fur was long, it was smooth and didn’t tangle; it only puffed up into a wild, fluffy mess when left unbrushed, like a disheveled dandelion.
Ruan Fengsi used the lightest touch he could manage, gripping the small comb with two fingers and slowly brushing through her fur.
Seeing that the little one didn’t show any discomfort, he sighed in relief.
Heavens knew, he was more nervous than the first time he held a gun to face an enemy.
Being brushed felt so pleasant that Ruan Shu gradually relaxed, eventually sprawling out like a soft, collapsed pancake on her big brother’s lap.
She stretched out her front paws, kneading the air as if practicing her “milk treading,” her round glassy eyes half-closed. The tip of her tail flicked back and forth, resembling a restless little caterpillar.
Purr… purr… purr…
Finally, the little Ragdoll cat rested her head on his thigh, a gentle, unconscious purring vibrating from her throat—a sign of pure comfort and relaxation.
Ruan Fengsi’s lips curved up as he finished brushing her back fur. He then decided to turn her over in one smooth motion.
The little cat rolled halfway, instinctively curling her paws and tail in response.
Her ears twitched, and she lifted her head cautiously to look up.
“Now, let’s get the fur on your tummy.”
Ruan Fengsi pressed lightly on her soft, fluffy belly.
Her fur flattened into a small dent under his touch.
Starting from her chin, he began brushing down, but after just a few strokes, he noticed that this certain little cat had zero sense of danger. She tilted her head back completely, exposing her soft, vulnerable white neck.
Frowning slightly, Ruan Fengsi tapped her head in mild reproach.
“In the future, don’t expose your neck or belly so easily. It’s dangerous.”
Ruan Shu: …Is big brother out of his mind? Isn’t he the one who flipped me over like this?
Plus, she’s so tiny—does it even matter if she hides her neck or belly? Who could she actually fend off?
Really, where on her entire body isn’t vulnerable? Nowhere!
Almost as if he had heard her thoughts, Ruan Shu watched him sigh.
“With how defenseless you are, if you ever ran into real danger, you’d get eaten in a single bite—not even enough to get stuck in someone’s teeth. It wouldn’t help to protect anything.”
Ruan Shu: …She got it. She’s just a useless little creature. Big brother, please stop talking.
The little cat let out a soft grumble, rolling herself over to hide her soft belly from his touch.
Ruan Fengsi raised an eyebrow at her reaction. “Oh, are you mad?”
Ruan Shu: “Meow.”
She wasn’t angry; she wasn’t that petty. She was just a little… unhappy.
Ruan Fengsi, unaware of the thoughts swirling in this little ball of fluff, gave her paw a gentle squeeze.
“You’re sleeping here tonight.”
Ruan Shu tilted her little head up, looking at him with confusion. Where’s Dad?
Just as Ruan Fengsi was about to respond, a knock sounded at the door.
Ruan Fengsi knew exactly who was outside and had no desire to answer it.
“Ruan Fengsi.”
After two knocks, a cold voice outside called his name in full.
“Meow~”
It’s Dad!
Ruan Shu stood up, preparing to jump off her brother’s lap to greet him, but as soon as her furry little body was airborne, Ruan Fengsi scooped her back up.
“You little ingrate.”
He lightly tapped her forehead, a hint of indulgence slipping into his tone despite his complaint.
“Meow.”
What did she do? She didn’t do anything!
Annoyed, the little cat puffed up her cheeks and, while her big brother wasn’t paying attention, gave his hand a quick bat with her paw.
Hmph! Payback!
Ruan Fengsi looked at her in mild amusement. “What are you sneakily smacking my hand for?”
Ruan Shu: So mad.
In the end, Ruan Fengsi went to open the door.
Father and son stood face to face in the doorway, with Ruan Shu caught in the middle, feeling like the surrounding air was freezing over.
Ruan Shu trembled slightly, not understanding what was going on.
“Meow?”
She struggled to tilt her head back, glancing at her dad and then at her big brother.
Why did it feel like they were about to fight… again?