Ruan Shu was only momentarily surprised before her expression transformed into delight as she gracefully embraced her father's neck.
Ruǎn Hè, on the other side, watched with eyes brimming with bitterness; his human form glaring at his own son with ill intent.
"Why didn't you inform me about Shū's situation?" Despite being retired, one cannot assume that I am no longer part of the family, can they?
Ruan Xiao stood his ground, "I forgot."
Two simple words, yet enough to infuriate Ruǎn Hè. If his obedient granddaughter had not been present, he would have resorted to physical violence with his own son!
As for why Ruǎn Xiāo chose not to inform his father about this matter, initially, it seemed unnecessary. ###
It was merely the addition of a child to the household, initially of little concern to him, with no intention of publicizing Ruan Shu's identity.
As time passed, his relationship with his daughter improved, and he forgot to inform his long-estranged father.
Additionally...
Do not think he is unaware. Within the entire Ruǎn family, he is the only one who treasures the young girl. He even disdains his own sons and grandsons, having thrown them out to fend for themselves upon reaching adulthood.
Now, with a daughter added to his family, if this old man were to find out, who knows how he would attempt to snatch her away?
Hence, of course, he chose not to inform him.
Unfortunately, it hit the trending list twice. Even though he swiftly suppressed and removed it, the old man still found out.
And so quickly too.
"Why have you come?" "When will you leave?" Ruan He bristled, his tone sharp.
Ruan Xiao remained silent. A single word "Yes" would suffice if he were to speak.
This was his most infuriating aspect: while he may seem forthright at times, he truly infuriated others, yet he himself remained unaware of the cause of their baseless anger.
In fact, Ruǎn Xiāo used to be quite talkative as a child, but he offended many people, which eventually led him to silence himself. His demeanor grew colder over time.
"Grandfather, let us retire for a discussion."
"Father, Grandfather has just returned, and it's almost dinner time." Let's go eat.
Ruan Shu did not wish for her grandfather and father to engage in a fight like her brothers, so she quickly diverted their attention.
During the meal, they exchanged dishes with each other, with both the father and grandfather taking care of her. They mustn't fight.
However, it was evident that her parents preferred eating a particular soft and sticky rice ball over her efforts to feed them.
Father fed her a piece of shrimp, grandfather gave her a small dried fish, father offered a fish ball, and grandfather shared a bite of scallop...
Eventually, Ruǎn Shū didn't even need to use chopsticks; she only needed to focus on eating diligently.
The round cheeks on both sides of her face remained plump throughout.
After she had eaten her fill, she was faced with their competitive feeding. She ate a bit more, pressing on her own disobedient little belly.
Feeling bloated, she faced the competitive eating from the other two and decided to eat a little more, pressing on her own weak belly.
After that, unable to eat anymore, Ruǎn Shū endured feeling aggrieved and transformed into a cat, hugging her own fluffy tail in self-isolation.
"Meow meow meow..."
When you eat, a cat's belly is so small. How much can it eat with just a little bit? It's so bloated.
The ragdoll cat lay on the chair, its small belly bulging, its paws massaging its own belly.
Seeing this small, soft ragdoll cat, Ruǎn Hè's eyes immediately lit up, followed by concern. ###
"Is her animal form okay?" Ruan Shu immediately perked up, her small ears showing signs of concern about her grandfather's attitude towards her animal form.
She absentmindedly pressed her belly while clawing at it.
Then she was picked up.
A familiar scent, a familiar touch.
Ruan Xiao gently massaged the cat's belly with his fingers, and he even had the steward bring a digestive potion.
"No," Ruǎn Shū leaned against her father's chest, her small paw holding his hand, her throat emitting a purring sound.
Ruan He, still concerned, said, "Let someone inspect for any potential hazards and implement preventive measures for Shu." ###
Upon hearing her grandfather's concern and disregarding her animal form, Ruǎn Shū immediately wagged her tail happily.
Ruan Xiao glanced down and pinched her ear.
The cat's eyes innocently looked at him.
"Qīng Rán has checked her; there's no problem with her health, just that her animal form is different from ours."
Ruan He was finally relieved, still very appreciative of his grandson's abilities.
He had two sons in his life: his eldest son and an entire legion vanished without a trace during a large-scale battle. Most people presumed them dead because no remains were found.
But he didn't believe it, nor did his eldest grandson. Therefore, over the years, they had been searching for them.
Although the bond between father and son had faded somewhat, their sense of responsibility remained strong. They would raise their children and, in the event of their disappearance, search for decades.
Unfortunately, there are still no clues to this day.
Ruan He watched his son pick up the ragdoll cat with envy and said, "You eat, let Shu give me a hug."
As the object of envy, Ruǎn Shū propped up her small head, her small eyes alertly watching her grandfather and father.
"You're getting old, focus on eating without getting distracted," Ruan He said.
Father and son engaged in various overt and covert struggles at the dining table, and in the end, Ruǎn Shū was still taken away by her grandfather.
She affectionately rubbed against her father's palm, meowing in a childish voice.
Father, let's just allow the old man to have his way. Let's prevent him from getting sick due to anger.
Ruan He, holding his obedient granddaughter, smirked proudly and said, "Let's go." "We'll take a walk outside to aid digestion."
Once outside, the grandfather and granddaughter started walking in a pattern resembling a big cat with a little cat, the Kirin Tiger gazing affectionately at the fluffy little ball at his feet.
As they strolled, suddenly, a feather flew in from somewhere, still carrying fluff, swaying in the wind.
The cat's gaze was immediately drawn to it.
The little one stared fixedly at the feather gently floating among the grass, wiggling its small bottom and fluffy tail, preparing to pounce.
This behavior was completely instinctual for the cat; at that moment, the cat forgot its human nature, its clear blue eyes fixated solely on the feather, utterly focused and absorbed.
However, the cat's hunting skills were not very proficient; its reaction was slow, and it missed the feather that was blown away by the wind, rolling forward several times.
Finally, it collided with a thigh as sturdy as a pillar.
Ruan Shu sat on the grass, her head spinning, while the Kirin Tiger lowered its head and carefully picked up the soft, sticky ragdoll cat in its mouth.
It was as if it would melt in the mouth.