Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The scene before him was incredibly peaceful and beautiful.

It was as if it had soothed the constantly racing minds of the Bai Family, slowly relaxing the nerves that had been taut during the long-standing conflicts.

Standing there, Bai Jingyun, who had been up all night and had stormed up with a belly full of resentment, his brain seemed to shut down for a few seconds. Perhaps because he had so many younger siblings, all hot-tempered top-grade alphas who would clash at the slightest disagreement, that Bai Jingyun didn't particularly like children. In fact, with the alpha pheromone levels in the Bai family growing higher and higher, their generation of alphas couldn't really trust anyone but themselves.

It's natural for someone who has never experienced normal familial affection—someone with almost abnormal emotions—to be stunned to suddenly witness such a scene.

As for Bai Sheng's claim that Xiaobai Nuo was an omega, Bai Jingyun hadn't mentioned it to Bai Qian before leaving. After all, who knew if that guy was trying to set him up again.

But now—

A little omega pup? Now that he thought about it, it made sense.

Were all omega pups like this? No, maybe that was just how Xiaobai Nuo was.

This was an exceptionally soft and well-behaved pup.

The uncle who had tricked the pup into licking a lemon earlier now felt even guiltier.

But his expressionless face didn't show it.

Maybe he should coax the pup out first to make amends.

Bai Jingyun lowered his voice as the pup had wished: "I heard from Aunt Feng that your little monitor is still charging at the hotel. I've had my assistant go get your little monitor. Can we step outside and talk?"

The pup, bathed in the morning light filtering through the curtains, blinked. Hearing about getting his little monitor, the little one was a bit tempted, but then looked down at his father with a troubled expression, shook his head, and said softly to Bai Jingyun, "But Daddy's not awake yet."

"It's fine," Bai Jingyun said without hesitation. "A little sunlight won't wake him up."

Never doubt the ability of the top alphas in the Bai family to kick each other when they're down.

But just as Bai Jingyun finished speaking, a large hand reached out, landed on the pup's back, and gently but firmly pressed the little one towards him.

The bewildered pup was pressed down into the thin blanket.

The little pup let out a soft "wah" and looked up from under the blanket, confused. "Daddy?"

Bai Sheng had already opened his eyes at some point. He yawned sleepily, his slightly curly hair—resembling Bai Nuo's—a complete mess. He propped himself up on his elbows, turning his head impatiently to look behind him.

"Are you done yet?"

What are you saying to someone else's omega pup!

Bai Sheng thought lazily, mentally stressing the words "omega pup."

Bai Jingyun wasn't surprised by Bai Sheng's reaction at all.

After all, a top-grade alpha's vigilance was no joke. The moment Bai Jingyun pushed open the door, Bai Sheng must have already been awake, or maybe even earlier—when the little pup woke up and sat up, he had probably been awake.

But this guy was 'smugly' enjoying having Xiaobai Nuo block the sun for him, just teasing the little one.

Such a scoundrel.

As for Xiaobai Nuo, he flailed his little hands and feet for a moment but couldn't manage to get up. Bai Sheng pulled off the cooling patch on his forehead, and the little one instinctively squinted his eyes. Then, lying in his father's arms, he held up his small hand high to shield Bai Sheng's eyes and asked with concern.

"Daddy, are you awake? Nono was blocking the sun for you."

"Yeah, I'm awake."

Bai Sheng said lazily, yawning again.

He hadn't slept much at all.

He had never experienced a child having a fever before.

But he was better off than Bai Jingyun—at least he hadn't stayed up all night. In the middle of the night, he had helped the nurse, using a dry towel to wipe the sweat off the little one, changed his clothes, and then still couldn't sleep. It was only when dawn broke and he was sure the little one's fever had subsided that he finally lay down. He probably hadn't even slept for two hours.

And the little one had woken up in the middle.

Bai Sheng had been especially attentive to the little one's movements, so he naturally woke up immediately. But because he was sleep-deprived, he hadn't opened his eyes. He wasn't intentionally teasing the little one; he honestly hadn't expected the pup to obediently shield him from the sun. He never found a good time to open his eyes until that someone showed up.

Bai Sheng got up, had Aunt Feng come in to take the little one to freshen up, and then leisurely changed clothes. After getting himself ready, he looked at Bai Jingyun, who was still sitting in the hospital room waiting.

This guy hadn't left.

Bai Sheng raised his chin slightly.

"What are you doing here?"

Bai Jingyun's icy face contorted into a forced smile. "I'm just dying to know—after getting a message like that in the middle of the night, could you really sleep? Where's the examination report?"

Bai Jingyun held out his hand. He insisted.

Bai Sheng wasn't annoyed. In fact, he was in a fantastic mood. He handed over the paper copy Xu Chuan had given him yesterday.

"Grandfather is coming back tonight, and you don't seem the least bit anxious."

Bai Jingyun said coldly, quickly flipping through the paper report, his eyes lingering on the last entry about the omega pup.

"What's there to worry about? At worst, I'll get the family punishment and learn my lesson. Who's afraid of that?"

Bai Sheng smirked.

Despite his words, he instinctively glanced toward the little one to make sure he hadn't overheard, then turned back to Bai Jingyun, raising his chin slightly.

Still looking arrogant and handsome, he was clearly in a good mood. He even went ahead and said,

"Wanna stay for a meal? You didn't bring food, did you? I bet Nono wouldn't eat anything you brought."

Bai Jingyun: ...

It was the same cocky and laid-back attitude as always, but somehow different—as if he was saying,

Look! My omega pup!

Cute, isn't he? Envious?

He's even wary of you. Doesn't that get to you?

Bai Jingyun felt his back teeth itch. He ground them lightly—he wasn't bothered at all.

Not. One. Bit.

"Daddy, Daddy, Nono is all clean and smells nice! Grandma Feng put some nice-smelling stuff on Nono's hands."

At that moment, the little one, fresh from washing up, came pattering out of the bathroom attached to the hospital room, holding out both little hands and raising them high, his milky voice urging his father to take a whiff.

The tiny white hands still bore faint scars from past injuries. Xu Chuan had specially brought over a tube of children's care cream for Aunt Feng this morning.

For Xiaobai Nuo, this was something new—he'd never seen such a thing, let alone applied it. After putting it on, there was a very light berry scent, sweet and delightful, which made the little one love it so much that he just had to scamper out and share it with his dad right away.

Though still a bit weak, he was no longer sluggish and sickly, which put Bai Sheng's mind at ease.

Bai Sheng picked up the little cub and sniffed the fragrance on his hands, responding with a simple, "Smells good."

Bai Jingyun turned his gaze back to the medical report he'd already skimmed through once.

Kids, really—so inexplicably happy over nothing. Couldn't wrap his head around it.

The father-and-son duo continued their exchange.

"Nono thinks it smells good too!"

The cub giggled happily, settling into his father's arms, and that's when he caught sight of his poker-faced elder uncle.

The tiny brain whirred, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He looked at his dad, then at his uncle. Were they fighting? His uncle didn't seem all that bad—just looked a bit intimidating, and had odd tastes...

But still.

"Uncle."

After some hesitation, the little one extended an invitation.

Bai Jingyun looked up at the childish voice, the cub's reflection mirrored in his pupils.

Xiaobai Nuo stretched out his little hand, his big, round eyes with slightly drooping corners sparkling, sitting in his father's lap, still backlit by the sun, bathed in light.

"Do you want to smell it too?"

Bai Jingyun: ...

Yes.

In the end, enduring Bai Sheng's mockery and his own discomfort, Bai Jingyun stayed for the meal.

The meal was a light hospital diet.

The top-tier Alpha of the Bai family had little appetite for food and didn't care much about what he ate—never fussing over such things. The cub, however, devoured everything with relish.

In memory, aside from meals at their parents' main house, the two brothers had never eaten together so peacefully.

Neither Bai Jingyun nor Bai Sheng thought of the other as someone they could share a meal with without dropping their chopsticks and starting a fight. But now, watching the little cub munch away happily, the atmosphere inexplicably softened.

Though their inner thoughts were probably: Bai Sheng: "Look, my Omega cub."

Bai Jingyun: "My younger brother might be a jerk, but my nephew is so sweet calling me uncle, so I'll bear with it."

Bai Jingyun spoke first.

"Are you taking him to work with you again today? No need to cling that tight right from the start."

"Not going today. The office is too noisy; he just got over being sick and needs rest. Plus, I need to tell Dad that Nono is an Omega," Bai Sheng replied, scrolling through his phone to check if the federal public hospital had sent any messages. Nothing yet—probably meaning the results from the public hospital would come a day or two later. "Oh, right, you don't know this: Nono insists on hugging my leg every morning and going to work with me."

Bai Jingyun: ...

Bai Sheng said it in the same tone and with the same attitude as always, yet today it felt ten times more insufferable than before.

The cub blinked, not quite catching the banter between the adults, but Nono agreed with his daddy. Xiaobai Nuo nodded his little head: "Go to work with Daddy."

With that adorable cub and that irritating father combo, Bai Jingyun stared at them for a long time. After receiving a message, he seemed unable to hold back any longer, turned, and walked away.

Bai Sheng, thoroughly satisfied by this voluntary visit from Bai Jingyun, didn't even lift his eyes as he peeled a boiled egg for the little one.

Come and go as you please. As for the cub, full of question marks, he only had time to glance at his uncle before his whole heart and mind were on the egg—waiting to eat.

About two minutes later, Bai Jingyun returned and handed the small monitor brought by his assistant to the little cub, who was now full and content.

"Dou Dou!"

The cub pattered over to Bai Jingyun, took the small monitor, and looked up with his tiny head, his childish voice enunciating clearly.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Bai Jingyun paused for two seconds, then responded with a simple "Mm." He crouched down to be more on eye level with the cub.

But before he could say anything else, the little one was scooped up from behind by Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng had already sent the medical report to Bai Qian. With his phone in one hand and the cub in the other, he headed out.

"Let's go home."

Meanwhile, Bai Qian, eating breakfast, stared blankly at the report.

What the...? Was his eyesight failing him?

Though his brain hadn't caught up, his hand had already honestly forwarded the report to his wife, Cen Zhi, who was far away abroad.

Then he saw the red exclamation mark.

Bai Qian: ...

Bai Qian's eyes widened almost imperceptibly in anger. He turned to his assistant. "She blocked me."

Assistant: ...Madam probably didn't want to hear you reporting every little detail to her and wanted a proper vacation.

"I told her this cub is an Omega, and she blocked me?"

Bai Qian said, then hesitated. Meeting his assistant's stunned gaze, his stern face went blank for a moment, as if finally realizing what he'd said.

"O... Omega?"

Author's Note:

Nono shields Daddy from the sun—Nono good. Daddy unceremoniously pulls Nono down—Daddy bad [scattering flowers].

Grandma: Blocking that chatty old man, enjoying a lovely vacation.

Grandpa: So mad he's widening his eyes.jpg... Wait a minute, that doesn't add up!