And so the entire morning passed amid the liveliness of the Xie residence and the quiet of the Bai residence.
At the same time, because its equipment was slightly inferior to that of the Bai family’s private hospital, the Federation’s public hospital was still processing the test. The official responsible for the case happened to arrive for an inspection.
“Are the results out?”
“Almost. They should be ready tonight. How are things on the other side?”
“The interrogations are nearly complete. The people we caught are only small fry. The real masterminds may be abroad, but pulling up one root has exposed a whole network. We should be able to deal with several well-hidden illegal laboratories this time. We also recovered some of the information they destroyed. The guardian should probably know about these matters.”
“The Bai family? They don’t look as though they’ll be very interested.”
“Ah, the child is pitiful and exceptionally well behaved. No matter what, I’ll send Third Young Master Bai a copy of whatever information can be released later.”
Bai Sheng did not sleep for very long.
Alphas were energetic most of the time, especially a top Alpha like Bai Sheng.
Still, he was slightly surprised when he opened his eyes. The toys and picture books should have arrived by now, yet little Bai Nuo was still there.
The tiny cub clung to the edge of the bed, with only half his small head visible. Bai Sheng could see his round, bright eyes and soft curls as he stared at him. The moment he realised Bai Sheng was awake, the child stretched onto his toes and reached toward him.
“Dad.”
The child was actually very thin and felt almost weightless, but he was unusually beautiful and still very young. The baby fat on his cheeks was the only softness on his body, making his round little face especially adorable.
He was so adorable that Bai Sheng suffered a direct attack the instant he woke and briefly wondered whether he was still dreaming.
How long had he been standing guard here?
Bai Sheng took two seconds to react before sitting up and lifting the child.
His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Did the toys not arrive?”
“Grandma Feng said they did.” The cub naturally adjusted himself in his father’s arms. The small monitor that had steadily followed behind him to “watch the child” tilted upward just as the cub did and emitted a burst of futuristic mechanical sounds, drawing the child’s curious gaze. But while looking back at Doudou, he continued, “But Nuo Nuo wanted to open the packages with Dad.”
Bai Sheng’s mind was rapidly clearing, but the unexpected words still softened his eyes for a moment. He carried the cub out of bed to look at the toys.
At more than four years old, little Bai Nuo naturally possessed the curiosity of other children his age. But he also had genuine experience surviving the apocalypse. At times, he restrained his curiosity, and he was very willing to share, even though little Bai Nuo possessed very little himself.
Faced with the beautifully packaged boxes stacked in neat rows, the cub leaned forward and looked with obvious curiosity. But he still remembered what Grandma Feng had just told him and reluctantly pulled his gaze away.
“Dad, Dad, Grandma Feng also said that Grandpa wants Nuo Nuo and Dad to eat over there at noon.”
Eating was the most important thing!
Little Bai Nuo nodded solemnly.
Bai Sheng acknowledged him, amused by the serious expression on the child’s soft, adorable face. He reached out and poked his round cheek. One could hardly blame Bai Sheng for constantly poking him. The child was too adorable, his cheeks felt wonderful, and he was genuinely so obedient that he looked easy to bully.
The cub narrowed his eyes as he was poked, then watched Bai Sheng casually pick up a puzzle box that looked enormous in a child’s arms and place it against his chest.
“After lunch, Dad will do it with you.”
The colourful box immediately captured the cub’s full attention. Hugging it in both hands, he looked at Bai Sheng with shining eyes. No one knew where the little fellow had learned such sweet talk, but it flowed effortlessly from his mouth.
“Dad is the best! Dad is Nuo Nuo’s good dad.”
No father could resist the words good dad.
Bai Sheng could not either.
About an hour later, however, at the dining table in the main building.
Bai Sheng curled his lips. “You seem unusually free today.”
A certain uncle, who had gone to work that morning and rushed back at noon, sat in his usual place wearing the same icy expression. Only after hearing Bai Sheng did he raise his eyes.
“I heard you slept all morning. As the elder brother, naturally I should show concern for my younger brother.”
Bai Sheng: …“That sounds disgusting coming from you.”
Bai Jingyun: “Heh.”
Bai Jingyun and Bai Sheng immediately resumed mocking one another after the slightest disagreement, while the cub, still thinking about the activity planned for after lunch, worked hard on his meal.
When the little fellow finally finished everything in his bowl with great effort and looked up, he saw Grandpa across from him preparing to put down his soup spoon.
Bai Qian’s stern face looked particularly unpleasant. He appeared to be in an extremely bad mood, had little appetite, and had barely touched his food.
Little Bai Nuo blinked. He vaguely remembered that villain Grandpa had died very early. It seemed the “protagonists” had barely appeared before he died from an illness.
Little Bai Nuo pursed his lips.
Of course someone would get sick if they did not eat properly.
But the child was still unfamiliar with Bai Qian.
Bai Qian had already noticed the little fellow repeatedly looking up at him, glancing over several times in succession.
What was he doing?
Bai Qian had been thinking that an Omega cub merely seemed slightly less noisy than an Alpha cub and was otherwise no different. Then he noticed the child’s movements and saw that his bowl was empty.
Had he not eaten enough?
Bai Qian glanced at the food remaining before him. His meal was not heavy or salty, but it was still unsuitable for the child. He turned his head, intending to ask someone to bring the little fellow another small portion, when he heard the cub call tentatively,
“Grandpa.”
Then the young cub raised his voice slightly.
“Grandpa, you have to eat properly.”
The child still held his own spoon and stared at him.
What?
Bai Qian raised an eyebrow.
Uncertainty appeared on the face that could nearly frighten a child to tears.
Was this little fellow trying to manage him?
Then little Bai Nuo spoke in a soft, worried voice.
“Grandpa ate less than yesterday. You’ll get hungry soon.”
The dining table fell slightly quiet. Bai Jingyun and Bai Sheng, who had been attacking each other back and forth, both stopped and looked simultaneously at Bai Qian, who had always done exactly as he pleased.
Bai Qian: …Heh. What a joke. Would I listen to a four-year-old little thing like you?
Bai Qian stared at the cub for several seconds—
In the end, before he could put down the soup spoon, Bai Qian darkened his expression and ate several more mouthfuls beneath the old family steward’s shocked and delighted gaze.
The child watched like a tiny supervisor. Only after Bai Qian had eaten roughly the same amount as yesterday did he swing his short legs in satisfaction. Bai Sheng was awkwardly wiping the child’s mouth with a baby wipe and somehow ended up wiping his entire face.
Beside them, Bai Jingyun: …
He also wanted to ask: Dad, did you take the wrong medicine?
A short while later, the young cub was placed on the floor. He pattered over, accepted the colourful puzzle box from the elderly steward, and turned toward Bai Sheng with anticipation.
“Dad, Dad.”
Bai Sheng immediately responded.
“I’m coming.”
The time was about right. Bai Jingyun should return to the company as well.
He had barely glanced at his phone and had not yet risen when he heard the child invite him hesitantly.
“Uncle… do you want to play too?”
Bai Sheng held the cub’s hand and walked outside, clearly intending to play with him outdoors.
They did not go to the open-air balcony, but to a small lawn outside the main building. Many flowers grew nearby, and the sunlight and scenery were particularly pleasant at that hour. Hearing the cub’s invitation, Bai Sheng did not even raise his head.
“Your uncle is very busy.”
About five minutes later, however, the first after-lunch family activity in Bai family history began on the small lawn outside the main residence.
Ten minutes after that, it entered an intense stage because the cub’s father and uncle began competing against each other.
The main reason was that a large puzzle box usually meant—
The puzzle was probably difficult.
“Impressive, Bai Sheng. You chose a puzzle at this level for a four-year-old cub.”
“Ha. Of course I picked the box Nuo Nuo looked at most. You don’t have children, so naturally you wouldn’t understand. Besides, is this difficult? Don’t tell me you can’t solve it.”
Little Bai Nuo watched Dad and Uncle’s puzzle war.
In truth, once the household staff realised the puzzle was difficult, the steward had already brought the child an easier one. The little fellow was playing with that while the difficult puzzle fell into Bai Sheng and Bai Jingyun’s hands. By the time the child completed his puzzle, the two adults were still “arguing.”
Little Bai Nuo looked at his finished picture and climbed to his feet. When Bai Sheng paused his mockery of Bai Jingyun and looked over, the child asked softly,
“Dad, there are lots of flowers over there. May Nuo Nuo go and look?”
Little Bai Nuo gazed toward a spot farther across the lawn, where several servants were trimming branches. Some were pruning leaves while others were cutting flowers for vases.
The young cub had seen very few flowers in the apocalypse, let alone freshly cut ones. He had once heard someone explain how to weave a flower crown, but the tiny child naturally had never found the materials or had a chance to try it.
Bai Sheng checked the distance and nodded. He watched the child hurry over with the curious excitement of a baby bird. From the corner of his eye, Bai Sheng also noticed Bai Qian standing not far away.
Bai Qian truly was watching nearby. Still unable to receive any response from Cen Zhi, he remained in a poor mood. His work was not as demanding as Bai Sheng’s or Bai Jingyun’s, but he had only just finished handling it before coming outside. He watched the child raise his head and ask for some flowers, then sit nearby and clumsily weave an ugly, crooked flower crown with his small hands.
That was far too uneven.
Bai Qian thought this as he nevertheless walked closer. Halfway there, he heard the child cry out. Little Bai Nuo grabbed the flower crown and hurried away, nearly colliding with Bai Qian. Bai Qian saw a butterfly fly out from the flowers and head directly toward grandfather and grandson.
Bai Qian instinctively hissed as well. Grabbing the back of the child’s clothing, he rapidly retreated several steps.
Once placed down, the young cub blinked blankly, made a confused sound, and looked up into Grandpa’s eyes.
Bai Qian: …
Bai Qian’s face darkened. After recovering, he spoke with complete seriousness.
“You heard nothing just now.”
The incident in which he had been frightened by a butterfly had never happened.
The bewildered cub could not follow Grandpa’s logic. He nodded, then asked quietly,
“Grandpa, are you unhappy?”
“How could you tell?”
Was it that obvious?
Bai Qian instinctively touched his face.
“Because Grandpa isn’t eating properly.”
The child lifted his small head. Little Bai Nuo looked at Grandpa, then at the flower crown in his hands. He had intended to give it to Dad, but now the cub made a difficult decision and raised it toward Bai Qian.
“This is for Grandpa. Grandpa, don’t be unhappy.”
Who wants your ugly flower crown? …Yet Bai Qian looked at the young cub and released a breath as though conceding. Before he could say anything, however, he heard the child continue.
“Grandpa will die if he doesn’t eat.”
His baby voice was serious and slightly sad.
“Grandpa, don’t die.”
Bai Qian: …Who is dying?!
What nonsense are you saying with such a solemn face?!
Nearly laughing from exasperation, Bai Qian crouched down. He had intended to look fierce and frighten the child a little, but when he met those round eyes, he wondered why he should argue with a little fellow like this.
Another message arrived on his phone. Bai Qian instinctively checked it—it was related to work, not a message from Cen Zhi.
The cub leaned over to look as well. He remembered Dad saying that Grandpa could not contact Grandma and was probably in a terrible mood.
Grandpa must not die so early!
A thought occurred in little Bai Nuo’s small mind. Suddenly, he pattered toward his father.
“Dad, Dad, can we help Grandpa contact Grandma?”
What?
Bai Sheng failed to react immediately. He raised his head and saw his father wearing an ugly flower crown, staring at them in shock after the child had thoroughly stripped away both his dignity and privacy.
Bai Sheng had still been arguing with Bai Jingyun, but now he felt like laughing. He took out his phone and handed it to the child.
“Of course.”
At the same time, in Country M, it was nighttime.
At the venue of an evening fashion show, Cen Zhi sat in the principal seat and appeared to be in an extremely poor mood. She had encountered an old rival from her youth. The other woman had developed her career abroad and had a nine-year-old Omega grandson. After running into Cen Zhi, she had smugly boasted at length about how intelligent and adorable her little genius was. The people nearby had naturally grown curious about the Omega cub as well.
Amid the surrounding voices, Cen Zhi remained expressionless and prepared to leave.
Heh. She had no interest whatsoever in hearing about that woman’s Omega cub.
At that moment, the ringtone of a video call sounded.
Everyone’s attention shifted toward her.
Cen Zhi: …
Who was it?!
Cen Zhi’s beautiful, sharp eyes dropped to her phone, her presence powerful.
Bai Sheng?
What did that brat want? Had he called to remind his great, hardworking mother that she had faithfully hoped for an Omega and received five Alpha cubs instead?
She should have blocked those brats along with their father.
Author’s Note:
Nuo Nuo: Nuo Nuo borrowed Dad’s phone to help Grandpa call Grandma. [flowers][flowers][flowers]
Grandpa: Grandpa’s dignity and privacy!!!!
Grandma: As a matter of principle, I do not wish to contact any of you while I am on holiday.
