To a cub, his world was still very small. A single sweet was the most wonderful thing in existence.
Bai Sheng was caught off guard by the words, “Nuo Nuo likes Daddy so much.”
The child expressed himself directly and passionately. The milk-sweet scent covering him smelled better than every pheromone perfume Bai Sheng had ever encountered.
Aren’t you far too easy to buy over?
Someone gives you one sweet and you like them that much?
Wouldn’t anyone holding a jar of sweets be able to abduct you effortlessly?
Bai Sheng carried the child to dinner and tapped his little head.
“There are far too few thoughts inside your little head.”
His tone sounded faintly like a complaint.
Aunt Feng, who followed them inside, glanced over and smiled silently.
The Third Young Master was clearly delighted. The corners of his lips had risen.
The next morning, Bai Sheng still did not wake as early as his cub. Only two days had passed, yet he had already become somewhat practised at waking drowsily, checking the monitor, retrieving the cub from outside, washing, and eating breakfast.
When he prepared to leave, the child clung to him as usual, tightly hugging his leg. With the little monitor, which only served to make his presence seem more imposing, Bai Nuo insisted on going to work with him.
After struggling with the decision the previous day, Bai Sheng surrendered easily this time. He carried the cub into the car and took him to work.
Meanwhile, in Country M, inside a luxury-goods building—
A woman in a black dress with a beige shawl draped over her shoulders walked with several bodyguards following behind. She examined the merchandise without much interest.
She appeared somewhat older, but she had maintained herself extremely well. Apart from a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes and lips, it was almost impossible to guess her age. The Omega suppression necklace around her neck proved her secondary gender. She belonged to the exceptionally rare Omega population and was a high-ranking Omega who needed such a necklace at all times to prevent her rich pheromones from leaking unintentionally.
“Madam, have you still not replied to Master?”
After answering a call, the bodyguard beside her stepped forward and asked quietly.
“Hm?”
The female Omega turned. Her beautiful features held a trace of cold elegance. She was Cen Zhi, the wife of Bai Qian, the current head of the Bai family, who had married into the family through a business alliance.
“There are still many places I haven’t visited. Go back and tell that man to return by himself. It isn’t even a business event, yet he insists I accompany him. Tell him I’m not going back with him. As for Bai Sheng suddenly having a cub, I already know. What is there to see? I’m not interested. Besides, I’ve always thought there was something wrong with the Bai family’s genes—or perhaps Bai Qian is simply incapable. Nothing but Alphas. I already watched five Alphas grow up. What is interesting about another young Alpha cub? I’m tired of them.”
In any case, all members of the Bai family were the same.
Cen Zhi waved her hand, criticising her husband and all five of her children at once, and did not forget to privately question Bai Qian’s capability.
At the airport, after receiving Cen Zhi’s response—
Bai Qian’s expression became even colder, and he gave a grunt whose emotion was impossible to identify.
Bai Qian was in his fifties, but as a top-tier Alpha, his powerful pheromones made him resemble an imposing middle-aged man. However, he had suffered an injury when he was younger, so his build was somewhat thinner than other Alphas his age. In his bad mood, his face looked even darker and more frightening.
“If she wants to stay here, let her stay.”
Bai Qian walked toward the airport interior.
His assistant hurried after him.
“Boss, will we return directly to the old residence after landing? Only the Eldest Young Master and Third Young Master should be there today—ah, and Third Young Master’s young son.”
The assistant watched Bai Qian’s expression grow colder.
“I know about that cub. We still don’t know which specimen served as the maternal source. Bai Sheng has truly made himself a joke. He is the most capable of this generation, yet he was the one who fell into their trap.”
Knowing there was little affection within the Bai family, the assistant did not dare say more and followed Bai Qian onto the plane.
By the time the plane landed and they returned to the old residence, it was already dinner.
Sitting on the sofa in the main building, Bai Qian suddenly looked up.
“What? Bai Sheng took that little cub to work?”
“Y-Yes. That is what I heard from Aunt Feng.”
The assistant had also been astonished when he first heard. Seeing Bai Qian frown now, sweat broke out across his forehead.
He truly could not understand what the Third Young Master was thinking. The child had been brought home only a few days earlier. The Bai family hospital had not even produced the detailed examination report, yet Bai Sheng had taken him directly to the company.
“What kind of joke is this? Bai Sheng is behaving absurdly! What kind of place is a company? Is it somewhere a child may play freely?”
Bai Qian instinctively frowned and struck the armrest of his chair. Then he frowned again.
“Are you certain? Bai Sheng truly took the child there?”
That did not sound like Bai Sheng’s usual style.
“Yes, and Third Young Master—”
The assistant did not finish, but there was no need. The door opened, and servants could be heard greeting the Third Young Master.
The assistant turned.
Bai Sheng entered slowly, matching the cub’s pace, holding the hand of a tiny curly-haired child.
After receiving another enthusiastic welcome from the secretaries and assistants at Bai Sheng’s company and returning home with several sweets, Bai Nuo firmly remembered his father’s words.
Only Daddy treated Nuo Nuo well. He should ignore whatever anyone else said.
Because he had a sweet in his mouth, one cheek was slightly puffed. His large eyes were bright as he pattered closely beside his parent.
Nuo Nuo could do it!
Nuo Nuo was intelligent. Nuo Nuo remembered everything.
The sweet was so delicious!
And they were about to eat! Nuo Nuo was going to eat! Being able to fill his stomach at every meal was far too wonderful.
Then a shadow fell over him. Bai Sheng casually said, “Dad,” and the cub looked up and blinked.
The little fellow even retreated two steps.
Every member of the Bai family was far too tall for him. When they stood too close, he could not clearly see their faces.
At that moment, Bai Qian had already approached with a frown and an oppressive presence. He lowered his gaze to the child.
Bai Qian also looked at the soft little thing in disbelief.
He knew the child had developed poorly, but only after seeing him in person did he realise how tiny he truly was. Bai Nuo needed Bai Sheng to hold his hand while walking and clung closely to his side.
What a joke.
Bai Qian’s frown deepened.
For an Alpha cub destined to enter the Bai family’s fierce competition, wasn’t this terrible?
Still holding the sweet in his mouth, Bai Nuo stepped back until he could see Bai Qian’s face. He shifted sideways, hid behind his father, poked out his little head, and exclaimed quietly in his childish voice.
“Grandpa, you’re so tall. Nuo Nuo can’t even see Grandpa clearly.”
Bai Qian: …
His lips, which had begun to move, tightened again.
He watched the cub speak and gesture, staring at the soft curls that trembled slightly.
Was it his imagination?
Why did they look so pleasant to touch?
Bai Qian coughed lightly. The child was, after all, a member of the Bai family. He shifted his gaze away and spoke in a somewhat cold, rigid voice.
“If you eat properly and exercise, you’ll grow this tall too.”
The cub immediately looked up.
“Really, Daddy?”
Bai Sheng glanced at his own father in mild surprise.
Yes. Judging by Bai Qian’s past methods of educating the Bai heirs, he was already being exceptionally gentle with the cub.
Even the sternest and most frightening person found it difficult to remain unaffected before this child. Bai Sheng had experienced that personally.
Then Bai Sheng heard the door open behind them again. He lifted his cub and answered lazily, “Of course.”
Bai Qian’s eyes widened for an instant. He did not even pay attention to the eldest son who had entered. He could think only one thing.
Bai Sheng actually lifted the cub and carried him.
Still, the little fellow was genuinely rather adorable.
Bai Qian could not completely fail to understand Bai Sheng’s unusual behaviour over the last two days.
Bai Jingyun entered and offered only a brief greeting. His presence seemed even colder than the previous day. Today, he did not look at Bai Nuo in Bai Sheng’s arms at all and walked directly inside.
When he noticed that their father’s attention remained entirely on the child in Bai Sheng’s arms, he pulled at the corner of his mouth and gave a silent, mocking smile.
Because Bai Sheng had always been the most capable, their father had placed the highest hopes on him. Now he even cared so much about Bai Sheng’s cub?
Still, given the child’s naturally innocent and foolishly simple appearance, their father would probably be disappointed.
Bai Sheng did not raise his eyelids. He merely reached out and poked the cub’s slightly puffed cheek.
“Enough.”
Bai Qian came back to himself and ignored the confrontation between his eldest and third sons.
“Eat first. We’ll discuss the company after dinner…”
He paused, then looked again at the cub in Bai Sheng’s arms and added, “And other matters.”
Bai Qian observed Bai Nuo throughout dinner.
The main kitchen had specially prepared a baby meal, served separately before the cub at the perfect temperature.
The moment Bai Nuo saw food, he forgot everything else. He now held his spoon and ate happily.
At that moment, he had just tasted steamed egg custard with shrimp.
Many pieces of fresh shrimp were hidden inside the soft, delicate custard. There was no fishy smell, only the mellow fragrance of egg and the fresh sweetness of shrimp, with a little soy sauce and sesame oil. When the child scooped egg custard and shrimp into his mouth, he narrowed his eyes in bliss.
Bai Qian ordinarily ate very little. He had undergone major stomach surgery, and psychological factors also left him with little appetite. But today, while watching the child eat, he unconsciously consumed a considerable amount.
He became dazed for a moment, then abruptly frowned again.
Bai Sheng was watching the cub eat. Bai Qian was watching the cub eat. On the other side, Bai Jingyun also raised his eyes slightly, watching the child deliver spoonful after spoonful into his mouth.
If the happy little fellow had possessed a tail, it would have been spinning like a propeller.
Was it truly that delicious?
Bai Qian suddenly returned to himself and discovered that Bai Sheng was carefully selecting suitable foods and placing them into the cub’s bowl.
Wasn’t this excessive indulgence by Bai family standards?
Bai Qian frowned tightly.
“This…” How could this be acceptable?
He wanted to say that such a weak Alpha could never survive the increasingly fierce competition within each Bai generation. He wanted to say that Bai Sheng, as a parent, needed to impose strict demands. He also wanted to ask why the examination report had still not been completed.
But he had barely begun when the cub suddenly looked up.
A little food residue remained at the corner of Bai Nuo’s mouth. He tilted his head, his round face showing confusion. The cub did not understand what Grandpa wanted to say. With so much delicious food before them, what could possibly be more important than eating?
Bai Nuo’s gaze moved around the table. Everyone was looking at him.
The cub looked around blankly, then at his bowl. Only he had this particular dish.
Nuo Nuo understood!
“Grandpa, Grandpa, here!”
The cub struggled to scoop out a shrimp, raised himself, and carefully pushed it into Bai Qian’s bowl.
Grandpa did not need to envy the shrimp in Nuo Nuo’s bowl!
“Nuo Nuo will share with you.”
Bai Qian lowered his gaze to the shrimp he had received.
…?
Before Bai Sheng could laugh, Bai Nuo began selecting from his bowl again. He chose one shrimp and placed it into his father’s bowl. Then, in a voice he believed no one else could hear, he whispered, “Nuo Nuo gave Daddy the biggest one.”
Bai Sheng: …Daddy thanks you.
The child was not finished.
Bai Nuo looked around, finally captured a shrimp in his bowl with his spoon, and stabbed it several times until he separated a tiny piece.
With his little face held solemnly, he struggled to stand and placed the tiny fragment into the bewildered eldest uncle’s bowl.
Everyone else had received some. It would be pitiful if Eldest Uncle had none.
Nuo Nuo would give the bad eldest uncle the smallest piece.
Watching the cub distribute shrimp, Bai Qian’s temple twitched.
Bai Qian: …Who was craving your shrimp?!
Wait.
What had I intended to say?
Author’s Note:
Cub Nuo: Grandpa doesn’t need to envy me. Nuo Nuo will share. [Proud]
Bai Qian: Who was envious?!
Cub Nuo: Daddy, this is the large shrimp Nuo Nuo carefully selected for you! [Scattering flowers] [Scattering flowers]
Bai Sheng: …Daddy thanks you.
Cub Nuo: Everyone else has some, so it’s pitiful that Eldest Uncle has none. But Nuo Nuo can’t bear to give him a whole piece. [Struggling to cut the shrimp] I’ll give Eldest Uncle a tiny piece.
Bai Jingyun: …