Chapter 166 - 165: Interested in You, Want to Get to Know You

Chapter 166: Chapter 165: Interested in You, Want to Get to Know You

She pretended not to hear him.

What did Yuri’s business have to do with Ronan Ford?

Rian Sinclair looked at Yuri with slight dissatisfaction, but her gaze toward Bandage remained full of motherly love. She thought, "My Bandage is such a good baby. She’s still so young. What could she possibly understand? It’s nothing more than a sporty, tanned high school boy showing off in front of her."

Ronan knew exactly what she was thinking, but he didn’t dare make a peep.

Rian watched with a heartbroken expression as Yuri sniffed all over Bandage. Bandage didn’t reject the advances; instead, her tail wagged even harder. Rian could clearly see the joy in her dog’s heart.

Right now, she only felt the utter breakdown of an overprotective mother.

Ronan sounded a bit guilty. This was probably the first time this dignified commander had ever felt such an emotion. He looked at Rian. "Should we just let them decide for themselves?"

His tone was conciliatory. Hearing this, Rian’s head snapped up, sparks practically flying from her eyes. "Do you have any idea how old Bandage is? She’s still a few days shy of six months! Your Yuri is already seven years old!"

Rian was truly losing her mind. Bandage was just a baby! What could she possibly know? She just wanted another dog to play with. For the first time, Rian deeply understood the struggles of motherhood. She simply couldn’t accept her sweet daughter being swept away by an older man so much her senior.

Feeling even more guilty, Ronan tugged at Yuri’s leash. "Yuri, sit!"

Yuri immediately sat down, his chest puffed out and head held high, looking as if he had returned to being a brave warrior charging for his country.

Rian then watched Bandage trot over, but bound by his command, Yuri remained perfectly still, his gaze fixed straight ahead without looking sideways.

Unfortunately, this seemed to be exactly Bandage’s type. She nuzzled against Yuri, barking—WOOF WOOF—when he ignored her, and then proceeded to lick him all over.

She was acting like an absolute hooligan.

Rian had no idea her sweet Bandage was secretly such a little pervert.

Seeing the shock practically overflowing from Rian’s face, Ronan nearly broke his stoic expression.

"Miss Sinclair, how about we let them play for a bit?"

Ronan could tell Yuri was holding back. The old dog actually wanted to play with Bandage, but having obeyed commands for most of his life, he remained steadfast.

Rian completely gave up and decided to let her be. Besides, with her watching, there was no way Bandage was getting kidnapped.

Seeing Rian relent, Ronan gave Yuri the release command. The two dogs immediately dashed off to the side together.

She and Ronan stood there, watching the dogs like anxious parents hovering over their children.

Seeing how happy Bandage was, Rian could only shake her head helplessly. What else could she do? It wasn’t like she could break her daughter’s legs to stop her from going out to play.

There was a wooden bench nearby, and the two walked over to sit down. Rian kept her eyes peeled on the dogs. She was terrified Yuri might take advantage of Bandage—if that happened, she wouldn’t even know where to go to cry about it.

Sensing her worry, Ronan said softly, "Yuri is past his mating season."

Even with his reassurance, she remained anxious.

*Sigh!*

Her daughter was so young. She couldn’t let some punk run off with her.

Well, technically, the other party wasn’t a punk. He was a highly disciplined, state-employed military dog. Looking at it that way, Rian actually felt like Bandage was marrying up. After all, the only things Bandage did at home were eat, sleep, and romp around the yard.

If it weren’t for the heavy security in the villa district, Rian would genuinely worry about Bandage being stolen and sold by dog thieves.

"Is Yuri’s leg injured?" Watching the two dogs play, Rian noticed a slight issue with Yuri’s right hind leg.

Ronan nodded. "He got hurt on a mission a while back. He limps a bit if he runs for too long, but it doesn’t affect his daily life."

Rian understood. Many retired military dogs carried various injuries; it was simply unavoidable.

"Have you been busy lately? I haven’t seen you in a while."

Hearing Ronan’s question, Rian nodded. Personally, she didn’t feel like much time had passed, as she had been fully immersed in the lab.

"I’ve been busy with lab work. Didn’t you hear anything on your end?" Rian’s research had been reported to the higher-ups. Someone in Ronan’s position would definitely know about it.

Ronan nodded. He did know she had been doing experiments during her disappearance, but he wanted to hear it from her directly. He also knew Rian was wealthy. Not just ordinary wealthy—calling her the richest person in the city felt like an understatement. His first impression of her was that she could be the richest person in the world.

But he had never expected her to also be a researcher.

Moreover, her experiments were incredibly advanced, seemingly beyond the capabilities of this era. It only served as further proof of her towering intellect. So, when he first heard about the TRP Reagent, he was pleasantly surprised. When he learned who the inventor was, he was downright shocked. He had no idea she possessed such profound scientific knowledge.

It felt as if she knew everything, with no blind spots whatsoever. The more he learned about her, the more outstanding he found her. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be drawn to her.

"I heard a bit. You’re quite remarkable."

Rian smiled. Who didn’t like being complimented? Especially when the praise came from such a handsome man.

"Thank you. You’re not too bad yourself."

She meant it honestly. Ronan had reached his current position entirely through his own merit. While his family background might have provided some initial leverage, the higher one climbed, the less influence family connections had. At his level, it all came down to raw ability.

Unable to suppress the upward curve of his lips at the girl’s praise, Ronan asked, "What are your plans next?"

Rian leaned back against the wooden bench and looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky. "I’ll go check on my younger brother’s work. After that, I’ll just take things as they come."

She was extremely easygoing. Her philosophy had always been to deal with whatever came up, and if nothing was pressing, she would simply slack off and relax.

"Your brother has a job now?"

Rian didn’t reply immediately. After a moment, she turned her head to look at him, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Commander, are you that eager to learn about me? Are you interested in me?"

Ronan was mesmerized by her radiant, peach-blossom smile. Catching her words, he turned his head away awkwardly, the tips of his ears turning red.

After a long pause, just when Rian thought he wasn’t going to answer, she finally heard his voice.

"You are incredibly remarkable. Naturally, I’m drawn to you, interested in you, and want to get to know you better."

Rian chuckled but didn’t say anything more. She looked back up at the moonlight. Ronan remained silent as well, and the two sat together, admiring the moon while the playful barks and scuffles of Yuri and Bandage echoed in the distance.

Time slipped by.

"I’m leaving," Rian said, holding Bandage’s leash and bidding Ronan farewell.

Holding Yuri’s leash, Ronan hummed in acknowledgment. As he watched her turn away, he called out a moment later, "When will you bring Bandage out to play again?"

Rian didn’t look back. "The nanny will probably walk her next time. I’ll bring her out when I have time."

Ronan stared at her retreating figure as she walked further and further away. Noticing his owner’s low spirits, Yuri rubbed against his leg.

"Let’s go, Yuri. We’re heading home too."

When Rian returned home with Bandage, Ethan Sinclair immediately took the leash and had the staff take the dog down for a wash. He then looked at Rian. "Miss Sinclair, what would you like to eat?"