In the end, Bai Sheng carried Bai Nuo upstairs to sleep.
He had no idea how things had reached this point.
Looking at the small bundle lying in his bed, Bai Sheng began to think.
He had agreed to sleep with the little thing, but hadn’t he only agreed for one night?
The child was exhausted. He had already been drowsy while lying against Bai Sheng’s chest as he was carried upstairs.
Bai Sheng lay down too, poked the cub’s cheek, and drew the little thing into his arms.
The way people formed habits was truly strange.
Less than ten days ago, if someone had told him he would have a cub he held while sleeping every night, Bai Sheng would probably have sneered and told them they were ill.
Yet now, looking at the child’s plump, peaceful sleeping face, Bai Sheng closed his eyes.
The little one had indeed become lighter after falling ill. He needed to be fattened up again. Xu Chuan had also messaged him to say that the child was still young and should not eat too many sweets.
Thinking this, Bai Sheng also fell into a deep sleep.
The following day, a great deal of information about the previous evening’s charity banquet was released. There were reports on how much money had been raised and where it would be used, as well as discussion of the prominent families who had attended and which Federation families were currently rising in influence.
The Bai family was unquestionably the greatest focus of attention.
Not only had Bai Qian and Cen Zhi attended, but four of the Bai family heirs had appeared.
Among the released photographs was a young cub whose face was never shown clearly. Bai Sheng held him, and he was said to be Bai Sheng’s biological child.
The Bai family was far too famous for this not to spark considerable discussion. Although no one could clearly see Bai Nuo’s appearance, his small, soft figure from behind was exceptionally adorable. There was even a picture of him sitting on Daddy’s lap, straining to raise a tiny spoon.
Bai Sheng’s famously mocking expression had lost all its sharpness and contempt whenever he faced the child, which amazed everyone.
“This is the first time I’ve seen Bai San look so gentle. What a terrifying sight.”
“Logically, Bai Sheng should always maintain that expression of contempt for heaven, earth, and everything in between. I said not long ago that with the atmosphere in the Bai family, once they had children, it would still be father versus son or father versus daughter. Did reality have to slap me this quickly? Where did you find such a large child?!”
“The Federation issued a statement. It was related to those illegal laboratories.”
“What? The Bai family simply accepted him?”
“Honestly, even that tiny back view is far too adorable. Bai San, do you actually know how to raise a child? Send him over so I can inspect him.”
“Give me the cub. But I don’t know how to raise one, so give me Bai San as well.”
“? Why are you taking everything? [Bai Corporation Warning.JPG]”
“You dare raise a Bai Alpha cub? Have you forgotten when Bai Sheng became interested in chemistry in primary school, experimented at home, and nearly blew the Bai residence into the sky?”
“Hahaha, I remember. The Federation was nervously inspecting everything and telling parents to control their Alpha cubs and stop them from engaging in dangerous activities.”
“But seriously, I’m curious about who the little fellow’s other father or mother is. Are there any front-facing photographs? Giving us only his back is driving me mad!”
“You’re demanding photographs of a child who is only a few years old? Do you have a death wish? He isn’t a child celebrity. Stop making bizarre demands.”
The information had its intended effect. Photographs and claims from obscure corners of the internet suggesting that Bai Sheng had failed to care for Bai Nuo properly and caused him to be hospitalised were replaced before they could gain momentum by news from the charity banquet.
At the Liu family company, Liu Dong was naturally unwilling to give up. The overseas business partners had already checked into their hotel, and the controversy had been dispersed before it even emerged. He stubbornly tried to spread the hospital reports to prove that Bai Sheng did not treat the little thing well.
But when the story of the young Omega being hurried to hospital began to circulate, the public did not focus on Bai Sheng supposedly making the child ill only days after bringing him home.
Instead—
“What? This cub isn’t an Alpha???”
“That’s a private hospital under the Bai Corporation. Its doctors are quite capable.”
“Didn’t you manage to attach yourself to Bai Qi? Why has it been completely useless?” Liu Dong cursed under his breath. “She came back only to waste resources.”
He continued reading before finally finding the angle he wanted.
“He had already been home for several days without any announcement. The moment they said he was an Omega cub, the Bai family released information. Could the Bai family only be paying attention because he is an Omega? If so, can this little fellow really grow up safely and healthily in the Bai family? I seriously doubt it. Shouldn’t the department for protecting minors watch them closely?”
Before Liu Dong could push the opinion into popularity, people replied rapidly, including many who claimed firsthand knowledge.
“You’re saying that if you gave Bai San an Omega cub, you could make him cooperate in a performance for public opinion? Bai San is not that good an actor. He built his business on technology and took over the market. When has he ever bothered to treat anyone pleasantly?”
“I work for a Bai Corporation subsidiary, and the highest boss is Bai Sheng. Look at the date of the Federation examination. Before that date—meaning before anyone knew the young master was an Omega—Bai Sheng was already carrying him to and from work. Incidentally, the young master is super, unbelievably, explosively adorable!”
“I don’t believe you unless you let me see.”
“You can say that, but many capitalists act one way in public and another in private. I remain doubtful.”
A message from an official account belonging to one of Bai Sheng’s companies temporarily ended the discussion.
“Yes. How did all of you know our young master is an adorable little Omega? How did you know he follows the boss to work? How did you know the young master distributes sweets to us while the boss is resting?”
“Who asked you?!”
“Is this really the official account? In the past, it only posted formal data and business statements. Seeing this suddenly makes me feel disoriented. Please return to normal. I’m not accustomed to this.”
No matter how angry Liu Dong became, despite believing he had possessed every possible advantage, he could no longer redirect public attention.
Meanwhile, in Bai Sheng’s office, Bai Nuo sat obediently on a soft, circular wool rug. He wore an ivory hooded sweatshirt with two round bear ears on the hood. His soft curls bobbed as he turned through a picture book and asked the small monitor to read whatever he pointed to.
At last, the little fellow closed the book reluctantly.
The monitor beside him asked:
“What would you like to listen to next?”
Bai Nuo blinked.
“Nothing. Thank you, Doudou. Nuo Nuo doesn’t want to listen anymore.”
The monitor replied:
“Understood. ‘Don’t Want to Listen Anymore’ by singer XXX has been selected for you. Playback will begin in three seconds.”
Music suddenly filled the room.
Bai Nuo looked blank.
The cub: …?
Bai Sheng could not hold back his laughter. Watching the child attempt to correct the artificially unintelligent system, he took a photograph with his phone.
The man who almost never posted on his social feed slowly uploaded it with the caption:
Failed communication between two little fools.
Only half of Bai Nuo’s confused face appeared in the picture, but it was exceptionally adorable.
At the same time, in Bai Jingyun’s office building, Bai Jingyun stared expressionlessly at Bai Sheng’s post.
Looking at the subtly boastful tone, he thought: Why can’t social media posts be downvoted?
Despite thinking that, Bai Jingyun silently opened the photograph, enlarged it, stared for three seconds, then pressed and held to save it.
Satisfied, Bai Jingyun put down his phone and continued working.
A moment later, it sounded again. He instinctively picked it up.
Someone beneath him had sent information on Bai Sheng’s recent arrangements. Naturally, none of it was secret, but even though their commercial fields did not overlap much, the brothers often used such opportunities to cause one another trouble.
Other prominent families also tried to take advantage of the Bai family’s internal competition and approached one heir or another.
In the past, Bai Jingyun had taken considerable interest in inconveniencing Bai Sheng.
But looking at these attempts to curry favour now, he found himself losing interest.
Even the obvious attempts at sowing discord—which he had always recognised but still found irritating—were no longer worth reading. At the moment, he had only one concern:
How could he make the little thing understand that Eldest Uncle did not like sour food and that nothing was wrong with his sense of taste?
Bai Jingyun searched his contacts and found a friend he knew relatively well who was currently travelling abroad for work.
Bai Jingyun: What does your sister’s child like?
Bai Jingyun: What should you do after making a child angry?
The string of questions left the other person silent for a long time before a reply arrived.
“Is this really Bai Jingyun?”
“Do you know what time it is here?”
Bai Jingyun: Yes. So answer my questions.
The other person was clearly rendered speechless by his shameless tone. After a while, he replied:
“Why are you asking? Does the child you want to placate like anything in particular?”
Bai Jingyun: He seems to like sweets.
The other person sent several brand names and appeared amused.
“Not fighting with your younger brother anymore? Why are you suddenly coaxing a child?”
…
“Hello? Answer me! Do you Bai family people discard others after using them?! Ice face!!!”
Bai Jingyun expressionlessly put away his phone.
What kind of thing was that to say?
What did he mean, no longer fighting Bai Sheng?
He still found that boy intolerable, all right?
He simply had urgent business that required a trip to the shopping centre.
And Bai Jingyun hoped—
Grandfather, please continue drawing the child’s resentment for a little longer.
That afternoon, Daddy brought Bai Nuo home early.
This was primarily because of Cen Zhi. She had always wanted to care for an Omega cub. Had the little fellow not preferred clinging to Daddy, she would likely have stolen Bai Nuo that morning. Once Cen Zhi finished her work, she urgently summoned Bai Sheng and ordered him to bring the cub home.
Bai Sheng had left work early more times in this short period than in the previous several years and had almost become numb to it.
At that moment, in the main building, the kitchen was baking pastries. The cub watched eagerly and had already eaten several pieces.
He heard the front door.
The child poked his head out of the kitchen and began softly:
“Welcome ho—”
Then he met Great-Grandpa’s gaze as the old man entered.
The little fellow choked. Under Great-Grandpa’s stare, his head immediately withdrew.
Sorry. Nuo Nuo had said the wrong thing.
Not welcome home.
Seeing Grandfather’s face darken further, Bai Sheng—who was sitting on the sofa reading documents—turned to look. The cub hiding in the kitchen extended only one small arm and repeatedly beckoned Daddy, indicating that Daddy should hide in the kitchen with him, as though Great-Grandpa were some catastrophic monster.
Bai Sheng almost laughed.
He rose at a leisurely pace, greeted Grandfather, and walked into the kitchen.
When Daddy entered, the little fellow hurriedly stood on his toes and inspected his entire body. Only then did he obediently reach out and hug Daddy’s neck. His eyes were perfectly round as he patted his little chest.
“Nuo Nuo was frightened.”
But the child, who raised defensive spikes toward Great-Grandpa, was exceptionally soft-hearted. After patting his chest, he thought carefully and asked Daddy in a small voice:
“Was it bad that Nuo Nuo didn’t greet Great-Grandpa?”
Nuo Nuo should have greeted Great-Grandpa before hiding. Nuo Nuo was a polite cub.
“It’s fine. Your great-grandfather has seen a great deal in his life. He won’t care.”
Bai Sheng tapped the cub’s forehead.
Bai Yan outside had clearly heard him. With a slightly dark expression, he went upstairs.
The assistant following him wiped sweat from his forehead and thought bitterly: Third Young Master, please stop speaking. The old master has been in an awful mood for days. He even went fishing with his friends and caught nothing the entire time. He’s practically a barrel of explosives. Please don’t encourage the young master to light the fuse.
The old master paused upstairs.
“Fourth said she would return today?”
“Yes. Miss said she would return this evening.”
The old master acknowledged it and muttered something quietly before entering his room.
The assistant did not hear the full sentence, but vaguely caught words about holding a grudge.
The assistant understood. The old master was simply stubborn and could not lower his pride. He truly meant Bai Nuo no harm. Since the Bai family had never produced an Omega cub, although he claimed not to care, he was inevitably curious. His old friends had also been extremely curious about the Bai family’s Omega that day, which only made him more depressed.
If you’re truly this miserable, then speak properly.
The assistant thought.
And clearly, in the entire Bai family, you currently occupy the lowest position in the young master’s heart.
Downstairs, after finishing his whispered conversation with Daddy, Bai Nuo heard the door open again.
The little fellow peeked out. When he saw Cen Zhi entering, his eyes finally brightened, and he ran toward Grandma.
“Welcome home, Grandma.”
Cen Zhi smiled and lifted him, testing his weight before walking inside.
“Grandma brought our baby Nuo Nuo some delicious little cakes.”
The cub’s eyes lit up at once, and he stared eagerly into the bag in her hand.
The little thing’s preferences were extremely obvious. He was not a picky eater and particularly loved meals, with an especially strong preference for sweets. If no one watched him, he could finish dinner and still fit in many small pastries. Whenever the soft cub asked what something was and whether Nuo Nuo could taste it, Bai Sheng had never managed to resist. Doctor Xu Chuan had therefore specifically messaged the family to warn them not to give the child too many sweets.
“Mom, he has already eaten several pastries today. Dinner is soon. Don’t give him all of them.”
Bai Sheng followed the little fellow out of the kitchen.
Cen Zhi was somewhat surprised to see Bai Sheng emerging from there, but nodded after hearing him.
“Daddy says our baby isn’t allowed to eat too many.”
Bai Nuo blinked, looking at the cake bag and then at Daddy. Finally, he spoke obediently.
“Then Nuo Nuo will listen to Daddy.”
Cen Zhi smiled. She placed the cub on the floor and took out the boxes.
The packaging was exquisite. Cen Zhi removed several tiny cakes, each only a bite or two, so they would not be too great a burden. She teased the child. His gaze followed every delicate cake she took out.
Smiling, she placed several cakes beneath teacups, then covered empty spaces with additional cups and shuffled them.
“Will Grandma play a game with Nuo Nuo? Grandma will hide these cakes beneath little cups and add some empty ones. Nuo Nuo can guess which cups contain cake. However many you find, you may eat after dinner. All right?”
The child immediately turned toward Daddy.
Bai Sheng had come over and sat down. Seeing the cub’s questioning expression, he nodded slightly.
With Daddy’s permission, the child hurriedly nodded and stared at the cups.
Cen Zhi amusingly moved one of the cups covering a cake.
“Has the baby watched carefully? Grandma is starting.”
“Okay!”
No one had played with the child in the past. Bai Nuo had never experienced even simple games like this, and he was now completely absorbed.
Naturally, Cen Zhi was not merely teasing him. The previous evening, she had discovered that the cub’s memory seemed astonishing. Today, she wanted to confirm it.
She placed three cakes under eight cups and shuffled them at a gradually increasing speed.
With so many targets, even an ordinary adult would usually become confused. Yet the little fellow watched intently. Once Grandma stopped, he began choosing.
Cen Zhi gave him time to think, then looked at Bai Sheng.
“Have you seen the public discussion online?”
Bai Sheng acknowledged her. Seeing the child quickly choose three cups, he also raised an eyebrow.
Every choice was correct.
Cen Zhi hesitated slightly before continuing:
“As for the comments claiming you only care about Nuo Nuo because he is an Omega… you don’t need to take them seriously.”
In truth, Cen Zhi was uncertain whether to mention it.
Her third son had appeared to care about nothing throughout his life, until Bai Nuo arrived.
When Cen Zhi saw those discussions, she even felt wronged on Bai Sheng’s behalf. From the moment he brought the child home until now, Bai Sheng had considered nearly every detail. Although he was a new father, he had made more preparations than families who had known in advance that they would have children.
It had nothing to do with ABO status.
Bai Sheng never displayed his emotions openly. Cen Zhi was uncertain whether such claims would make him uncomfortable.
At least, she could not currently find anyone who liked the cub more than Bai Sheng did—including herself.
Bai Sheng looked at Cen Zhi in surprise.
Naturally, he knew about the comments. It would not be entirely accurate to say they caused no emotional reaction.
When he first saw them, he thought those people were idiots.
“Why would I care what a group of unintelligent people say?”
Cen Zhi: …
Fine.
Her concern had been unnecessary.
Then she turned toward Bai Nuo, who had finished choosing.
The cub was looking at Daddy.
He had also heard Grandma’s words. He did not understand what people online were discussing. His family protected him well, and he was slowly recovering from his previous injuries. But Daddy had spoken to Nuo Nuo about this before.
Daddy cared about Nuo Nuo because Nuo Nuo was Nuo Nuo.
The little fellow pursed his lips and puffed his cheeks slightly.
How could anyone be so foolish? Nuo Nuo could see it. Why couldn’t they?
“Baby, have you chosen?”
Cen Zhi looked over with a smile.
“Mm-hm.”
Bai Nuo had not yet spoken. Hearing Grandma’s question, he quickly nodded and pointed at the three overturned cups before him.
Little cakes! Little cakes!
“Good. These three cups belong to Nuo Nuo. The remaining five belong to Daddy.”
Cen Zhi pushed the other five cups toward Bai Sheng.
The cub blinked and released a small questioning sound. He looked at Daddy’s cups, then his own.
The rest were for Daddy?
“Grandma will reveal them now.”
Cen Zhi lifted the cups one by one, exclaiming dramatically.
“Wow. The baby is amazing. You found every one.”
As each beautiful little cake appeared, Bai Nuo’s eyes brightened again and again, as though each were a separate surprise.
Then he watched Grandma uncover Daddy’s cups.
Cen Zhi smiled.
“Oh dear. Daddy’s luck is terrible. He didn’t get even one. Does the baby want to share one with Daddy?”
Three cakes would still be somewhat too much for the cub after dinner.
Cen Zhi calculated inwardly, then glanced at Bai Sheng.
Surely, in Bai Nuo’s heart, this boy ranked above a little cake?
She tentatively began pushing one of the child’s cakes toward Bai Sheng.
Bai Nuo blocked it with his hand.
Hm?
Cen Zhi was surprised.
“You don’t want to give one to Daddy?”
That was also acceptable.
She nearly laughed and looked teasingly at Bai Sheng.
Your position in the baby’s heart is below a cake.
But in the next moment, Cen Zhi stopped.
The little fellow took the cups, covered the cakes again, and shuffled them several times. He selected one and eagerly pushed it toward Daddy.
“Daddy, Daddy.”
His voice was soft and milky. Under Bai Sheng’s slightly stunned gaze, he held the cup in both hands and lifted it to show him.
Look. A surprise.
While Grandma had wondered whether cake was more important than Daddy, the tiny child had been thinking about how to give Daddy the same sense of surprise he had received.
The cub smiled with curved eyes, showing no reluctance over losing a cake.
He was not giving Daddy one of his.
Daddy was supposed to have one from the beginning.
Nuo Nuo understood that the adult world was complicated. He was still too young to understand it completely—why people hated others for no reason, why they hurt others without restraint, why identical people were divided into protagonists and villains.
But with Nuo Nuo, it did not matter if Daddy was not invincible.
Nuo Nuo would become strong and protect Daddy.
Bai Nuo climbed up, pattered over, and hugged Bai Sheng’s neck. Bai Sheng lifted one hand to support the little body. The child was so young, thin, and fragile that every movement made people fear he might fall.
Then Bai Sheng heard the tiny, vulnerable little thing whisper into his ear:
“Nuo Nuo likes Daddy most. Nuo Nuo knows Daddy is the best. Daddy shouldn’t listen when other people say nonsense. Daddy is the best daddy in the whole world.”
Author’s Note:
Xu Chuan: Boss, don’t let the young master eat too many sweets…
Bai Sheng: Please watch the replay—I ask you, who could resist this?!
Cub: [has Daddy completely under control]
Great-Grandpa’s dreams are full of: He doesn’t welcome me, he doesn’t welcome me, he doesn’t welcome me—
Bai Jingyun: Grandfather, you have to hold on!!!
