Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Shi Lin on the video call was stunned for a moment.

"What's wrong with you? Did something get to you?"

The gentle voice of the female omega came through, making Xie Yu even more tearful.

Xie Yu gestured as he told his wife how clean and adorable the other family's kid was during meals—how he'd offer you fruit instead of mud balls, and wouldn't get up in the middle of the night to bounce on his dad's stomach!

The more he talked, the more miserable he felt.

Listening to Xie Yu, Shi Lin fell silent for a moment too.

Even the omega, who usually was gentle with her own cubs, was thrown off—does a cub like that even exist?

"Dad! Dad, big brother broke my little horse!"

"You were the one twisting that handle back and forth—it was already about to break! I barely touched it!"

"Well, you still touched my little horse secretly!"

On the other end of the video, the commotion of the twin Alpha cubs fighting faintly reached Xie Yu's ears.

Then he heard his gentle wife yell in a loud voice: "Xie Qing! Xie Yue! Stop rolling on the floor!! Dad will have the little horse delivered soon. Stop fighting! Xie Yue!! Don't pull your brother's hair!!!"

Chaos erupted on that side, and the screen spun around.

A moment later, Shi Lin's face reappeared on the screen, clearly pissed off. She spoke quickly: "Alright, Xie Yu, quickly order the little horse to be sent home. I'll go separate those two."

"Okay, honey. Those two boys are really strong—be careful not to get hurt. Have the nanny break them up."

Xie Yu kept giving reminders, but the video call had already ended.

Xie Yu let out a long breath. He found the manufacturer for that little horse toy and skillfully called to place an order, and requested they bring one from stock for fast delivery.

He ordered two.

Both must be identical in style and color!

This was to prevent squabbles over differing versions or manufacturing flaws.

Don't ask how he knows—take it from experience.

After handling all that, the father, experienced enough to break your heart, returned to the private room. Looking at Bai Sheng's well-behaved cub, he felt like he had lost all strength and means, and even lost the desire to eat or discuss business.

After the meal, there were still a few things to finalize. Bai Sheng and Xie Yu talked.

Little Bai Nuo obediently held the small monitor that was running low on battery, placed it carefully and neatly on the charging dock, and said in a serious, babyish voice: "Almost forgot to feed you, Dou Dou."

The little cub watched the monitor charging for a while, then yawned, feeling a bit sleepy. He looked around, and when his father waved him over, he toddled back to his dad, reaching out his hands to be held by Bai Sheng.

"Daddy, can we do the same as this morning?"

Xie Yu's eyes were almost glued to the little guy. He watched as Bai Sheng picked up the cub, a tiny ball curled up in his arms. Bai Sheng, now a little practiced, wrapped the little one in his suit jacket, patted him twice, and said softly, "Go to sleep."

The creases right there… Xie Yu suddenly remembered the situation when he first met Bai Sheng earlier today.

How?! You get to hold such an adorable cub even at work?!

I want a cub like that, I want a baby like that—if I could have such a baby, I'd trade every contract going smoothly for a baby like that.

Xie Yu muttered in his mind, greedily coveting everything.

Until Bai Sheng spoke to him again, Xie Yu let slip: "Give me the cub."

Bai Sheng: '...?'

What?

Xie Yu: ...

Xie Yu shook his head violently: "No, no, no, nothing. I'm off today, don't mind me."

He let out a breath, his eyes softening a bit: "Full and drowsy, huh?"

"Yeah, probably."

Bai Sheng, who hadn't spent much time with this little guy, looked down at the cub already closing his eyes in his arms.

He vaguely remembered that the little one had been sleeping around this time yesterday.

"You're about to make everyone in the office jealous."

Xie Yu lowered his voice, resting his chin on his hand. After bonding over the whole kid-talk thing, the two fathers had clearly gotten closer.

"Do you have any idea how well-behaved and easy to handle this cub of yours is?"

Xie Yu watched as a natural, proud expression appeared on Bai Sheng's usually languid and caustic face. But the next second, Bai Sheng lowered his eyes, his voice also dropping: "Send me that kindergarten info you mentioned earlier."

"Sure, no problem. I'll send the background check info too."

Bai Sheng nodded: "Thanks."

"Did you just say 'thanks'? That's a first." Xie Yu smiled.

"And also, it's okay for our kids to spend time together, right?"

Bai Sheng leaned back in his chair, looking down at the cub lying in his arms, gradually falling asleep wrapped in his scent.

Because Little Bai Nuo's situation was so different from his own childhood—Bai Sheng had been proud since he was young, often viewing peers as imbeciles and not bothering to interact with them. He almost had no friends and never saw that as a problem. But now, facing this cub, as a father, he was uncharacteristically at a loss.

"Ah... just don't be mad if my kids make yours a troublemaker."

Then Xie Yu thought for a moment, thinking of his two little monkeys at home, and scratched his cheek with a guilty look.

"It's fine. I actually want him to be a bit more mischievous."

Bai Sheng had also noticed that his own cub was too well-behaved, and really insecure.

"Haha, are you flexing? …Wow, Bai San, for real?" Xie Yu widened his eyes in surprise.

"To be honest, I didn't intend to take care of him at first."

Bai Sheng didn't even bat an eye at Xie Yu's surprise. He just propped his chin on his hand and said lazily.

"But now, seeing how different he is from other Alpha cubs, and how those bastards have startled him, the more I think about it, the more it grates on me."

No matter what—this little guy is his own kid.

"Those people, huh, they sure have skills."

Xie Yu keenly caught the sharp, suffocating hint of peppermint in the air.

He looked up and saw the danger and gloom on Bai Sheng's already forbidding face.

But the little cub in his arms only stirred slightly, and the already suppressed pheromone scent vanished completely.

Bai Sheng leaned back in his chair, shedding the cloak of rationality and indifference.

Xie Yu was momentarily dumbfounded.

"Bai San."

Xie Yu sighed, now not just envious of Bai Sheng for having such a well-behaved cub. He remarked, a little taken aback,

"For a Bai, you actually seem like you'd make a decent father."

A good father? He didn't see the need for such pointless praise.

Bai Sheng, never one for family ties, quirked an eyebrow, reached out, and pinched the face of the cub in his arms.

"I'm just ticked off, so I figured I'd whip this kid into shape. After all, he looks too easy to bully, right?"

How could his cub be such an easy mark?

Too lazy to call Bai Sheng on his bull.

Xie Yu balled his fist, practically eager: "Don't worry, you'll get what it's like to have a real five-year-old Alpha cub soon enough!"

Xie Yu fantasized about a 'rosy' future, feeling a little better—misery loves company! We're all in this together!

After dinner, Xie Yu left, and Bai Sheng quickly carried the little one back to the break room to rest.

Meanwhile, in another Bai Group building dedicated to R&D, on the top floor.

Bai Jingyun, the eldest son of the Bai family, stood coldly to the side.

In front of him, federal police officers subdued a thrashing man and escorted him away.

Through the man's yelling, Bai Jingyun stayed stone-faced.

As mentioned before, the Bai family puts profits above everything and has offended many, so naturally, the Bai family faces payback.

Now and then, someone sneaks into the company, using their job to wreak havoc, like this guy here. His parents were gamblers, and their business got caught up in the Bai family's fallout, eventually going bankrupt. His parents committed suicide, leaving him and his brother adrift.

"You cold-hearted bastards of the Bai family! Do you even have feelings?"

Bai Jingyun raised his icy face a fraction, his dead black eyes stared at the man, totally blank. "Gamblers get no sympathy. Blame your folks, not Bai Corp."

"My parents deserved to die—so that's your excuse to wipe us out and set us up?! My brother and I just wanted to survive! In the end, you had to suck us dry and leave us homeless. I'm telling you, you stuck-up, heartless Bais are the real losers!"

As the guy got hauled off, Bai Jingyun turned—Pitiful? Don't make me laugh.

Weird theories from weirdos. Who the hell sympathizes with gamblers?

Bai Jingyun never flinched. So what if he had no feelings? Big deal.

"Boss, the old man booked a flight for tomorrow, should be back tomorrow evening."

Bai Jingyun's assistant said beside him.

Bai Jingyun nodded.

"What about that guy who's been trying to mess with Bai Sheng?"

"He vanished after getting Third Master's itinerary."

Bai Jingyun grunted, but felt none of the expected satisfaction from stirring up trouble for his brother. He checked the time, feeling unusually tired.

"Let's head back to the compound."

They got back early. Bai Jingyun dealt with some paperwork in his room and heard that Bai Sheng was already home.

He was a bit surprised Bai Sheng came back so early, but when he heard Bai Sheng took the kid to work, it clicked.

—Did the little brat drive him home early?

Bai Jingyun, who'd barely ever dealt with kids, thought.

Kids are always a handful.

He watched the blazing sunset, then decided to head out to the courtyard.

His courtyard had a little nook set up as a bar counter where he could make some drinks.

Sometimes, in the quiet, doing something manual helped him unwind.

In a rare mood, Bai Jingyun grabbed some drinks, sliced a lemon, and let his mind wander. Just then, he heard the rumble of wheels.

He looked up and locked eyes with the little kid toddling down the path.

Little Bai Nuo had just woken from his nap and was out with Aunt Feng for some pre-dinner exercise. Bai Sheng was working in the study. A little monitoring drone trailed the cub, its wheels whirring softly. Aunt Feng, sticking close, was shocked to see the eldest son lounging outside and quickly texted Bai Sheng.

Little Bai Nuo's eyes widened as he looked at Bai Jingyun, whom he had met that morning.

The kid remembered what his dad told him. His soft curls bounced as he eyed his uncle warily.

Then his attention snagged on the lemon slices Bai Jingyun was cutting.

Smells good. Nono never saw this before.

He's a bad uncle. Nono shouldn't talk to him.

But he moved Nono away from the knife this morning—

Two thoughts—good uncle and bad uncle—battled in the little cub's head.

In the end, his curiosity got the better of him.

"What are you doing?"

He clung to the small railing, speaking in a soft, milky voice, watching Bai Jingyun's actions.

Bai Jingyun looked at the tiny cub, noticing he was staring at the lemon slices. He quirked an eyebrow, picked up two slices, and walked out from behind the bar: "Cutting lemons."

He certainly wouldn't vent his dislike for Bai Sheng on this little one.

He expressionlessly popped a slice of lemon into his own mouth, then held another out to the little one, just saying, "What? Want to try it?"

The tiny cub blinked, looking at Bai Jingyun's expressionless face, then at the lemon slice, tilting his small head.

"Eldest Master, please don't..."

Feeling the pressure of facing an apex Alpha, Aunt Feng stepped forward, about to say something.

Then she saw the little cub lean in and lick the lemon slice—

Aunt Feng: ...

As for the little cub, he had just finished a fierce inner struggle—Is this a bad guy? Yes? But now he doesn't seem *that* bad. No? That doesn't feel right either.

But Nono was *so* curious. The world has so many interesting things he's never seen before, and he had eaten them all. Besides, it smelled so good. The cub, who had zero resistance to food, thought to himself: Nono will just lick it, just one lick!

Two seconds later, the cub, his little face scrunched up from the sourness, let out a wail and turned around, reaching for Aunt Feng to hold him.

Daddy, daddy, you were right!!

This uncle, he *is* a bad guy!!! Uncle's lemon can 'beat' people!!

───

Author's Note:

Nono: Everything in this world tastes good [cheers]

Uncle: Want some lemon?

Nono: Everything in this world tastes good, except for lemons [bursting into tears] Let's all blame the bad uncle together!