Nightmare
Ruan Shu, who was ill, furrowed her brow with unease, especially after Ruan Xiao left. She closed her eyes and hid under the covers, quietly weeping.
At this moment, she was trapped in a nightmare.
She dreamt of being surrounded by darkness, with nothing around, eerily and terrifyingly quiet.
After some time, she saw her parents from her previous life reaching out to her with gentle and loving smiles on their faces.
"Come here quickly."
Upon hearing their call, Ruan Shu's eyes suddenly lit up, and she got up without hesitation, her face adorned with a gentle smile.
But before she could reach them, two slightly younger children appeared out of nowhere in front of her.
A boy and a girl happily ran into each other's arms, giggling.
Ruan Shu stopped in her tracks, standing in place with a pale face, watching the scene with tears streaming down her cheeks.
She should have known they couldn't possibly show her such warm smiles.
"Mom, Dad..."
Her eyes were red, and tears flowed uncontrollably. She choked out softly.
At this moment, it seemed that the two of them noticed her existence, and their previously joyful faces were replaced with disgust.
"What are you doing here?"
The two children also made faces at her.
"Why is she here, Mom?" I don't like her. "You should send her to Uncle's house."
"I don't want her either." "Dad, don't let her come."
"Tagalong, tagalong."
"You're not our child." "Why are you eating our food?" "So annoying."
"Blah, blah, Mom only likes me, not you."
"Go away, don't compete with me for Dad." "Dad is mine; you're just an extra in this family!"
The voices from deep in her memory now seemed to be rushing towards her like demons.
Those words were said to her by her younger siblings when they were children.
Children do not know how to hide their emotions, and their innocent words can be the most hurtful.
But... she didn't even have the courage to argue back.
Because she was always just extra.
But... since you both dislike each other, why did you bring her into this world!
Ruan Shu covered her ears and crouched on the ground, curling her body into a ball, trying to block out the voices.
But it was no use; those voices seemed to be coming from the depths of her mind.
Go away, please go away!
"How is she?"
Ruan Xiao looked at her distressed appearance, his brows furrowed tightly, his face appearing even colder.
By the bedside, a young man in white, as cold as snow, fed the little girl on the bed medicine, with a fever patch on her forehead.
"The situation has improved slightly, but it appears that she had a nightmare."
Ruan Qingran was surprised to see the little girl on the bed because he had seen her before outside the psychic power detection center, where she seemed to have lost her mother.
As he was passing by, he stumbled upon her crying pitifully, and he had never encountered such a child before.
He gave her a piece of candy.
Because of the little girl's unique temperament and adorable appearance, he remembered her.
Unexpectedly, she turned out to be his little uncle's daughter, but there was probably another story behind it.
Ruan Xiao's face could be described as very unsightly at the moment.
"Can you wake her up?"
She has been experiencing nightmares, and in addition to having a fever, she is also trembling.
"I'll try."
Being a top doctor at the First Hospital at such a young age, he quickly comforted the little girl and helped her wake up from her nightmare.
Ruan Shu groggily opened her eyes, her soft, rosy face flushed.
Tears clung to her curled eyelashes, and she looked pitiful with teary eyes.
Ruan Xiao leaned over, reaching out to touch her forehead.
"Still feeling unwell?"
With her head on the pillow, Ruan Shu's soft, fluffy white hair cascaded over her large, furry ears.
She hadn't noticed it herself, and Ruan Xiao hadn't paid attention to it either.
But Ruan Qingran's cold eyes were full of interest as he looked at her.
These furry ears looked like they could be easily pinched.
Ruan Shu had just woken up from her nightmare and couldn't help it. She silently cried, feeling a sourness in her nose.
She sat up from the bed, and her small body threw itself into her father's arms. Her little arms wrapped around his neck.
"Daddy."
With a choked, soft voice, she called out to her father with a tone of grievance and dependence.
Ruan Xiao paused for a moment, then gently patted her back.
"Mm."
"Daddy."
The little girl's furry head rubbed against his neck, and she called out again.
Ruan Xiao patiently responded.
Ruan Qingran raised an eyebrow slightly. This was probably the first time his young uncle had been so patient with someone. Look at his gentle expression; he almost couldn't believe it if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
Nestled in her father's arms, Ruan Shu finally woke up from her groggy state.
She sniffled and asked, "Daddy, what's wrong with Shu Shu? It's so hot and uncomfortable."
"It's up to 39 degrees."
The voice was as cold as snow, not her father's voice.
Ruan Shu turned her head and saw a cold, snowy young man standing beside her, his watery blue eyes meeting hers.
She widened her eyes instantly.
"Hello, little cousin."
He smiled slightly, with the same snow-white hair and amber-colored eyes.
Ruan Shu shook her head, her ears trembling.
"You're the big brother who gave me candy!"
Ruan Xiao looked at the two of them. "Do you know each other?"
Ruan Qingran nodded faintly. "It was a very fateful encounter."
He didn't say much, and Ruan Xiao didn't ask much either.
After waking up from her nightmare, Ruan Shu felt uncomfortable but didn't want to go back to sleep.
After this ordeal, by the time morning came, her fever had subsided, but she still had a slight cough.
She cried out in panic and quickly burrowed back under the covers, unable to come out.
Ruan Qingran saw her reaction and raised an eyebrow. Such a big reaction?
Ruan Xiao knew why she was acting like this.
"Come out, don't suffocate yourself."
Ruan Shu, hiding under the covers, shook her head, her childish voice muffled as it emerged from within.
"Daddy, can you and big brother go out first?" Please, go out first.
She covered her furry ears with her small hands, wishing for them to return to their normal state. But the more anxious she was, the less her ears would disappear.
Had her ears been discovered, would her father reject her?
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and Ruan Shu was on the verge of tears.
"Go back, go back! How can you be so disobedient?"
She pinched her soft, furry ears and grumbled with a hint of a crying tone, not at all like she was angry.