"Shu Shu." He picked up the little guy again.
As Ruan Shu curled up and shivered, the man called her by her nickname in a low, somewhat seductive voice, appearing indifferent.
Upon hearing the two words "Shu Shu," the beautiful ragdoll cat's triangular ears couldn't help but tremble.
As he spoke, the young man gently poked the small cat with his finger.
Incredibly soft, even a little force could easily overturn this small creature.
Tsk... Now, he dared not use too much force; otherwise, it would be troublesome if he accidentally harmed this little thing.
He glanced at a corner and then averted his gaze.
Ruan Shu's ears trembled again, and she timidly moved her body to the side, opening her eyes from under her paws to cautiously look at the man. Upon meeting his slightly smiling yet seemingly fierce face, Ruan Shu quickly buried her head again.
"Is Shu Shu so afraid of big brother?" "Big brother is so sad."
Despite the tone, there wasn't much sadness; it even carried a hint of mockery.
Of course, coupled with his low, hoarse voice, he did seem a bit weary, which truly appeared somewhat downcast.
Ruan Shu was naturally very easily swayed by emotions, especially when facing loved ones in this world.
She longed for affection and to be loved. As a result, she was easily influenced and unable to bear seeing them sad.
And so, the pure and naive little cat was deceived.
She let out a childish meow, hesitated for a moment, and then raised her furry little head. Her blue eyes were filled with fear and concern as she looked at him.
Ruan Fengsi raised an eyebrow and lightly rubbed the little cat's head with his calloused thumb, causing Ruan Shu to be too scared to move, her little paws going limp.
Then, he lifted her up directly by pinching her two little armpits, causing Ruan Shu's fur to stand on end in fear.
"So easily soft-hearted."
Wasn't it you who said you were sad?!
Ruan Shu was a little angry and even dared to lightly scratch his hand with her little paw.
But after that, she quickly retracted her paw and sneakily glanced at the young man, feeling a bit guilty.
But that was the extent of it; even her temper tantrums were so gentle, almost like she was acting spoiled, really…
If she continued to be bullied like this in the future, it was truly inconceivable that they, from the Marshal's residence, would bring out such a weak and fragile little creature.
Ruan Fengsi lifted the little boy, and under the lamplight, his eyes looked cold and stern. The scar at the corner of his eye accentuated his already sharp features, making him appear even more fierce.
He seemed somewhat lazy as he took Ruan Shu upstairs, and then asked directly, "Where will you sleep?"
Ruan Shu pointed to her own room with her little paw.
And then she was taken there by her brother.
"Go to bed early and don't stay up late." "You're already small; don't end up not growing anymore in the future."
Ruan Shu stomped her feet on the bed, saying, "..."
She will grow up!
Ruan Shu burrowed under the covers, revealing only a furry little head. Despite feeling a bit annoyed by his words, Ruan Shu still meowed at him.
Goodnight.
Ruan Fengsi let out a short, light laugh before turning and leaving.
After leaving Ruan Shu's room, his somewhat fierce gaze turned towards the corner of the corridor.
"Steward."
As his voice fell, the steward straightened up and walked out from the corner.
"Welcome home, Young Master."
Ruan Fengsi directly asked, "What's the matter with her?"
The steward truthfully informed him about Ruan Shu's situation, emphasizing the pitiful nature of the young lady's past.
Ruan Fengsi's dark eyes flashed, "I thought Father had found a stepmother for us."
His tone sounded somewhat regretful.
The steward's mouth twitched. "You all are just hoping that the Master will find a new mistress to scare her away, right?"
When the lady passed away, leaving behind the three young masters, many people desired to become the Marshal's new wife.
When the third young master was only two years old, a woman, relying on her noble status, tried to get close to the young master under the guise of being a guest, with the ultimate goal of integrating into the family.
Unfortunately, the woman not only failed to achieve her goal but was also almost driven to a mental breakdown by the three young masters.
Some people were stubborn, thinking they might be the chosen one, looking down on the experiences of others, believing that it was their own fault, and they all left the Marshal's residence in tears.
The Marshal didn't care about those women; he even thought it was good for someone to come and "play" with the three young masters.
But he had to care about the young lady.
After the eldest young master returned, he knew when the young lady came down.
As a steward, he certainly wouldn't interfere with the siblings' interactions to promote their relationship.
He watched from the shadows, making sure that the young master did not excessively bully the young lady.
Fortunately, although the eldest young master was sometimes harsh, he did not go too far with the small and fragile young lady. He was only harsh in words and quietly waited for the day when the young master would be proven wrong.
When Ruan Fengsi reached the door of his own room, he suddenly stopped.
"Do the second and third brothers know?"
The steward respectfully replied, "The second and third young masters are still unaware."
"So, Father never mentioned it to anyone?"
"Yes."
Ruan Fengsi waved his hand and said, "I understand."
Tsk tsk, if Grandfather finds out about this, what will be the fate of his old man.
The next morning, Ruan Shu heard a knock on the door. Still half-asleep, he went to open it barefoot.
She then stared at the person standing at the door in surprise.
"What are you doing?" "You don't recognize me so soon?"
He squinted slightly, his tone was very serious, and, most importantly, he looked very fierce!
Ruan Shu was startled, hiccupped, and quickly took two steps back.
Her nervous toes rubbed against each other.
"Brother, brother… brother."
Ruan Fengsi raised an eyebrow, appearing even more intimidating!
"You can't even speak properly?"
His tone carried a hint of disdain, which made Ruan Shu even more nervous.
"The steward asked me to call you for breakfast."
He casually said, then his stern gaze fell on her bare feet, and he left without saying anything else.
Ruan Shu looked at his retreating figure with a sense of loss and regret.
She was so clumsy and couldn't even speak properly; her brother must not like her.
Drooping her little head, she contemplated her identity as an illegitimate daughter. She wondered if her brother disliked her.
But thinking about her father, Qingran, and the steward, she realized that they all liked her, which made her feel content and happy again.
Now, there were four people who liked her, whereas before, there was no one.
Ruan Shu happily shook her head, temporarily setting aside her big brother's issues and not dwelling on them too much. She wasn't very intelligent to begin with, and overthinking would only make her appear more foolish.
After changing her clothes, Ruan Shu went downstairs in her small slippers.
Her brother was already eating his breakfast, and there was quite a lot of meat and fish on the table early in the morning.
Ruan Shu patted her little belly. If she ate so much, she would surely burst.
However, she was happy to have four people who liked her now, so she didn't dwell on her big brother's problems.