The Battle of Wits between Lin Ran and Xiao Zhibao

The little girl had just fainted when Lin Ran caught her.

Looking at the pale-faced, soaking wet girl in her young master's arms, whose features were exactly like her younger sister's when she was little, Miyano Akemi was both excited and worried, her voice trembling slightly: "Young Master Ran, she...she is..."

"That's right, she's your sister, Shiho."

Lin Ran confirmed her guess, her tone filled with emotion.

APTX-4869 truly lives up to its reputation for effectiveness.

He stood up, holding the frail, boneless little girl in his arms with one hand and holding an umbrella with the other. It seemed that he no longer needed to hold an umbrella. As soon as Ai-chan made her official appearance, the torrential rain began to mysteriously weaken.

Well, got it.

The main character has appeared, the special effects are over, the weather system can be taken care of now, let's save some money.

The underlying logic of how this world works is really... energy conservation and environmental protection.

"Let's go back first, so she doesn't catch a cold."

"Yes……"

Mingmei quickly responded, following closely behind Lin Ran. Her gaze was almost glued to her unconscious sister in his arms, filled with the joy of finding her again and an indescribable heartache.

How did Shiho become so small? What happened to her during this time?

"Mingmei-nee, should we take this little girl home and raise her?"

"Pick it up! Pick it up!"

The young maid, now completely free of any previous doubts, nodded her head vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, her tone urgent and firm, "We absolutely have to pick them up!"

This is her beloved little sister.

So this is what the young master meant by "picking up a little girl". Then let alone picking up one, she would wholeheartedly agree to picking up a dozen or even a whole litter. As for having her own... that's something to consider later.

My little sister is a one-of-a-kind, so I have to take her home and love her dearly!

……

The Lin Residence.

Upon returning to the bright villa, Lin Ran handed the slightly dirty brown-haired little girl in her arms to her older sister, who had been eagerly waiting with outstretched hands.

"Take her to the bathroom for a nice hot bath to warm her up. I'll go to the nearby children's clothing store and buy her a couple of changes of clothes."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble, young master."

Miyano Akemi took her younger sister as if she had found a treasure, nodded gratefully to Lin Ran, and then carried her sister upstairs quickly, heading straight for the bathroom.

At this time, there were still children's clothing stores open on the nearby commercial street, and Lin Ran went over and picked out two sets of pajamas suitable for little girls.

One set is light pink, with a fluffy bear-ear hood and a small round tail; the other set is light blue, printed with cute cartoon star patterns.

Presumably... the seemingly aloof but perhaps secretly girlish scientist girl would "love it very much".

Lin Ran thought with a wicked sense of humor, and couldn't help but smile.

As for the remaining everyday clothes, we'll go shopping with the two sisters tomorrow after we get their identification documents sorted out through Sonoko's connections. We'll also pick up all the necessary household items at the same time.

He's in a great mood now that there's a little girl in the family.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a lolicon.

In his previous life, he enjoyed playing with tiles in his leisure time and always admired the spirit of Wu Wei.

When the two sisters returned to the villa with their newly bought pajamas, they hadn't finished showering yet.

Lin Ran didn't go up to disturb them. She put her pajamas on the living room sofa, then went to the kitchen to make a cup of hot tea and leisurely sat on the sofa to wait.

About twenty minutes later, Akemi Miyano carried a brown-haired little girl wrapped in a large bath towel, with only her head sticking out, down the stairs.

Shiho had woken up. After taking a hot bath, her pale face regained some color, but her eyes were still somewhat confused and dazed, as if she had not yet fully recovered from the huge shock.

"Young master, the clothes..."

Mingmei's eyes lit up when she saw the pajamas on the sofa.

"Yeah, I just bought it, I'll make do with it for now." Lin Ran pointed to the sofa.

Mingmei picked up the light pink pajamas with bear ears and couldn't help but chuckle, "Young Master chose something so cute."

While being held in her older sister's arms, Shiho caught a glimpse of the childish pajamas and her lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she didn't say anything in the end, only burying her face in the bath towel.

Mingmei carried her younger sister to the guest room to change clothes, while Lin Ran continued to leisurely sip her tea.

This time, the two sisters stayed upstairs for more than an hour, whispering to each other. It took a long time before Shiho, dressed neatly, was led out by her older sister.

The light pink fuzzy pajamas looked surprisingly good on the little girl, and the fluffy bear ear hood added a touch of softness and cuteness to her usually aloof face.

However, her expression remained aloof and scrutinizing, her icy blue eyes surveying the surroundings before finally settling on Lin Ran.

"Shiho, quickly thank Young Master Ran." Akemi gently nudged her younger sister. "It was the young master who saved you, and it was he who took us in."

Shiho pursed her lips, seemingly a little awkward, but still whispered in that childlike yet unusually clear voice, "...Thank you."

"You're welcome, it was nothing."

Lin Ran put down her teacup, smiled at her, and asked, "How are you feeling? Is anything bothering you?"

"I am fine."

Xiaozhi's answer was brief. After speaking, he lowered his eyes, stared at his bear slippers, and said nothing more.

Akemi's gaze swept over her sister and Lin Ran, sensing the mysterious atmosphere between them. She clapped her hands and said, "It's so late, you must be hungry. I'll go cook. Shiho, you keep the young master company."

After saying that, she walked happily towards the kitchen.

The younger sister was found again, and although she had shrunk, she was already incredibly lucky to have survived, escaped the organization, and reunited with her sister. All of this was thanks to Young Master Ran.

Her admiration and gratitude for Lin Ran were practically overflowing from every corner of her body.

As soon as Mingmei left.

In the living room, only the two people, one big and one small, remained, looking at each other.

Lin Ran poured a cup of hot tea for Xiao Zhibao and pushed it over. The little girl thanked him, sat on the sofa opposite him, picked up the teacup with her fair hands, took a sip, and exhaled hot air as her pink lips parted slightly.

"Lin Ran".

"Shiho Miyano"

After a brief self-introduction, feeling the warm current flowing through her body, the little girl's indifferent face revealed a hint of contentment as she scrutinized the boy in front of her.

Young, handsome, and with an unparalleled charisma.

Just sitting across from him, you can feel the subtle fragrance of books, which is completely different from his black-clad appearance in front of him.

Upstairs just now, her sister told her what had happened, including how Lin Ran rescued her from Gin, how she took her in, and how she went to "pick her up" today. She gave a brief and quick account of the events.

She never expected that this boy, who was even younger than herself, was not only a talented writer, but also capable of rescuing people from Gin's clutches, and seemed to have some knowledge of the organization.

Sister, this umbrella you gave me was really worth it.

Not only did he save his sister, he also "picked her up" along with her.

At this thought, gratitude flashed in Xiaozhibao's eyes: "Lin Ran, thank you..."

"stop."

Lin Ran interrupted her, "Your sister has said thank you many times already. I've wanted a younger sister since I was little, so what I really want to hear is... you call me brother."

Xiao Shiho: "..."

Stare—stare intently.

"I must be older than you, right?"

"That's not important. What's important is that you're not older than me now."

Lin Ran rested her chin on her hand, a half-smile on her face.

Keep watching, keep staring intently.

Shiho's icy blue eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of arrogance befitting a former genius scientist and a scrutinizing gaze that seemed out of place for her young appearance.

"Lin Ran, I admit you saved my sister and took us in. I will remember this kindness, but..."

She paused, carefully choosing her words: "Regarding the issue of how to address someone, I believe that the title 'brother' is inappropriate based on their actual age and level of maturity."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran changed her sitting posture and leisurely watched the little guy opposite her who was trying not to lose in terms of momentum.

"Oh? Your actual age?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then may I ask, Ms. Shiho Miyano, who is actually older than me, can you reach the kitchen cupboard by yourself? Or... are you planning to wear this cute bear-ear pajamas to an academic conference?"

Xiao Shiho: "..."

She glanced down at her fluffy pink pajamas, her face instantly tightening and a blush rising to her ears.

Damn it, she knew the other person wasn't normal.

I just heard my sister tell me what happened. Although I don't know why Lin Ran knew in advance that he had shrunk, the fact that he went to pick me up dressed in all black was definitely intentional.

How can a person be so bored!