Chapter 22

Chapter 22

This remark was even more sad than the earlier "Then Daddy, you can just throw me away."

The reason is simple: the Bai family members were truly worldly. Xiaobai Nuo's blood test results had been posted directly in the family group chat. The Bai family's pharma business was well-developed, and a casual glance at some of the numbers gave a rough idea of the little one's past living conditions.

A weak body, malnourished, lacking all sorts of nutrients, and it looked like he barely ever saw the sun.

Even Bai Liang, who had only come to watch the drama, fell silent for a moment, disturbed by the images that instantly surfaced in his mind.

Even he, the "troublemaker" who liked to stir the pot, thought it was basic decency that no matter what, you don't lay a hand on a kid.

The brief silence between the brothers didn't stop the little one from continuing.

When it came to scavenging trash, Xiaobai Nuo was quite experienced; it was practically the cub's wheelhouse.

The little cub pulled himself together: "Nono is very good at knowing what's useful and what's not. Daddy, don't worry, Nono will protect Daddy! Nono already said, Daddy just needs to wait at home for Nono. Nono will work very hard and will definitely be able to support Daddy."

He could also eat a little less—that wasn't a big deal for Xiaobai Nuo, because just a week ago, having three square meals a day was still a luxury for him.

So... so...

The cub spoke earnestly, his small hand gripping Bai Sheng's clothes, while staring up at him pleadingly.

So, what Daddy said about not throwing Nono away – that's for real, right?

Because you see, Nono will be very useful, Nono will work hard so Daddy doesn't end up like the villain in that book. That way, can Daddy always be Nono's daddy?

Bai Sheng's expression darkened slightly. He couldn't hold back anymore and suddenly pinched the cub's nose.

Xiaobai Nuo blinked, and after being pinched by his father for a few seconds, he couldn't help but open his mouth to breathe, which finally shut him up about scavenging trash to support his daddy.

His little face puffed out a bit from breathing through his mouth, his eyes wide open, like a dazed little goldfish that's not the brightest.

"So I'm supposed to just sit around at home and burn through my savings, waiting for you to support me by scavenging trash?" He would be quite comfortable then, huh.

Bai Sheng smirked slightly, then his face went cold. He let go of the cub's nose and pinched his cheek, this time with a bit more force, turning Xiaobai Nuo's little face slightly red.

He was clearly furious.

Angry that this little thing could actually say such words, and angry at himself for letting the little one think such things, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to use too much force.

Behind him, Bai Liang laughed: "This is great. I've already thought of a social media headline for you: 'BREAKING! Famous Bai family heir Bai Sheng loses inheritance qualification, lives off his 4-year-old's trash picking—where is the juvenile protection law? Where is morality?' How about that? Seems like it could go viral."

Bai Jingyun: "..."

"To be honest," Bai Jingyun said with an utterly deadpan face, a kind of eerie deadpan humor, "Sending you to be a professor at Sheng'ang University is a waste of talent. You were born to work in the internet."

They had already entered the courtyard of Bai Sheng's residence. Aunt Feng, who had been waiting for them to return, was pacing at the door with the fully charged little monitor, trying to decide if she should bring the little monitor to the cub.

After all, Xiaobai Nuo had treated the little monitor as his little buddy, never forgetting to "feed" Dou Dou at any time.

She hadn't expected that when they left there were one adult and one child, but when they returned there were three adults and one child. Moreover, Bai Sheng had pinched the little one's cheek. Under the courtyard's lights, Aunt Feng clearly saw the cub's cheek quickly turn red. The whole cub, pinched without any resistance, looked dazed and obedient, with round, drooping eyes glistening with tears, an extremely aggrieved expression.

Aunt Feng's heart ached instantly.

"What happened? Why are you pinching Nono's face for no reason? Third Master, the little master's face is super delicate. If you pinch without care and leave a red mark that doesn't fade for days, won't you feel bad?"

Aunt Feng stepped forward with the little monitor A.

Bai Sheng, who had been suddenly "scolded" like this, rubbed his nose. Even though he hadn't used much force, he was already starting to regret it—why was he getting angry at this little guy? What could the little one possibly understand?

But the little one snapped out of it and leaned forward to defend his daddy.

"Grandma Feng, Daddy didn't use much force—"

But his voice was cut off.

Bai Sheng reached out and pinched the cub's little mouth shut. He pressed the little one back into his arms, then picked up the little monitor and stuffed it into the cub's arms, saying lazily: "Hello, Dou Dou."

"Hello, what can I help you with?"

"Turn on recording."

"Okay, recording has been turned on. It will start recording automatically in three seconds. Please get ready. Three, two, one—"

Xiaobai Nuo tilted his head up, holding the little monitor, looking at Bai Sheng in confusion, and heard Bai Sheng say: "Daddy will fulfill Nono any wish, anytime."

Including not being thrown away, including staying with Daddy forever, and even more. As long as Bai Nuo dared to think it, Bai Sheng didn't think there was anything he couldn't accomplish.

What about this?

Would this make him feel more secure?

The Bai family had never made such promises; otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many generations of infighting in the Bai family. But now, compared to this little one, the past thrilling power struggles suddenly seemed meaningless to Bai Sheng.

Rather than beating his brothers and sisters, Bai Sheng was now more interested in how to raise such a special cub well.

Even if he raised him to be a little terror—to put it bluntly, Bai Sheng truly cared for very few people. Even if Xiaobai Nuo turned into a little bully, he would stand behind his own cub without hesitation.

If Xiaobai Nuo knew what his daddy was thinking, he would probably marvel that sure enough, his daddy was a villain daddy.

Under Bai Liang's completely astonished gaze, Bai Sheng told the little monitor to end recording and save it, then handed the "guarantee" over to the little one.

"Daddy always keeps his word."

But this kind of thing was indeed effective. At least in Bai Jingyun's view, the little cub was soothed.

He breathed a silent sigh: Bai San really had a way with things. How could he be so wholehearted about raising this kid? It was truly regrettable... no, truly astonishing.

"Now, we're home."

Bai Sheng pushed open the door, set the little one down, and then turned to look at the two brothers blocking his doorway.

In fact, Bai Sheng was slightly taller than Bai Jingyun and Bai Liang, which naturally made him more imposing. He raised an eyebrow: "What are you two still doing here?"

"Isn't there still something we haven't seen?"

Bai Liang smiled and glanced at Bai Sheng's phone, without a shred of guilt about prying into the little one's information.

Just from one night's observation, Bai Liang had already determined that this little one was a wild card for the Bai family. Even San'er called this place home, and his innate desire to investigate and his obsessive-compulsive nature naturally made him want to understand more clearly. Of course, there was also the element of enjoying the show.

Bai Liang shamelessly pushed his way in, still wearing a gentle smile. He looked around and was even more amazed.

Xiaobai Nuo had already been led away by Aunt Feng to wash his face, and the room was filled with traces of the little cub's activities.

The slightly skewed tablecloth—given Xiaobai Nuo's love for food, it was probably pulled askew when the cub leaned against the table to look at the fruit in the dish.

Piled in the distance were colorful toy boxes and picture books, most of them still unopened, with only the top few having their packaging torn open. One picture book was lying face-down on the floor.

Further away, the house, originally simple and tidy, now had a safe wireless power source, placed right where the little one’s tiny arms and legs could reach, apparently set up to charge the little monitor that followed him around.

It was... so full of life.

Bai Liang clucked his tongue in amazement, but the next second, he nearly got thrown out by Bai Sheng.

Bai Liang stumbled a step, his gentle smile fading, his expression cooling slightly. But he turned his head, his tone betraying no dissatisfaction: “After all, this is my specialty. If there’s anything, I’d understand it better than you two, wouldn’t I? Besides, I’m heading back to Sheng’ang University tomorrow. Fourth sister is coming back, and I’d rather not run into her.”

If Bai Sheng and Bai Jingyun barely had anything to say to each other, then Bai Liang and Bai Qi had old grudges that wouldn't die unless one of them did.

Bai Sheng’s eyelids twitched. He glanced at the little one whose face was being wiped by Aunt Feng, and finally moved aside.

As adults, with no other elders around, the three brothers gathering together so peacefully was a rare sight.

Some things obviously couldn't be looked at in front of the little one. Bai Sheng pointed upstairs to the study.

Just then, the little one, after his dad comforted him, finished having his face wiped and came pattering over, a tiny figure diving into Bai Sheng’s arms, with the little monitor whirring behind him.

The little one's worries didn’t seem to last long. The little one cheered up again. He turned his head doubtfully to look at his First Uncle and Second Uncle, who had come in, and asked in a small voice, looking up: “Dad, why don’t First Uncle and Second Uncle go home?”

“First Uncle still has things to discuss.”

Bai Jingyun crouched down. He looked around, picked up a piece of candy from the table, and held it out, beckoning the little one.

Since First Uncle had just been scolded by the bad great-grandfather too, the little one nodded in understanding, his eyes drawn to the candy in First Uncle’s hand. He couldn’t help but take a few steps closer to Bai Jingyun.

All kinds of food could grab the little one’s attention, especially candy.

So, the little one understood why First Uncle was staying. But what about Second Uncle?

Xiaobai Nuo had never met Second Uncle before and knew nothing about Bai Liang. After thinking for a moment, he whispered to First Uncle, “Is Second Uncle not going home because he doesn’t have a home here?”

As the little one reached out his tiny hand to take the candy from Bai Jingyun, Bai Jingyun heard this and almost cracked a smile: …

But the little one looked innocent and cute, and even asked in a very hushed, earnest tone.

Mainly because Xiaobai Nuo had never seen Second Uncle here before.

Bai Liang: …

You call that whispering? Might as well shout in my ear whether I have a home to go back to.

Bai Liang was sure now: this was Bai Sheng’s child, one hundred percent Bai Sheng’s child. Sometimes they said things that were just as infuriating.

Bai Liang was so angry he nearly laughed.

Just as Xiaobai Nuo was about to get the candy, Bai Sheng, who had been using the opportunity to open a file on his device, suddenly remembered something. He looked up at Bai Jingyun with a warning look in his eyes.

Bai Sheng didn’t say a word, but his meaning was clear: It’s too late. No candy for him.

Catching on to Bai Sheng's meaning, Bai Jingyun suddenly realized the time and instantly closed his hand over the candy. The little one’s hand had already touched his palm. Bai Jingyun looked up to see the little one’s eager, confused expression. He paused for two seconds, then said calmly.

“It’s too late. First Uncle just happened to pick this up. Let’s set the candy aside for now. What else do you want? First Uncle will open it for you.”

Bai Jingyun glanced at the toys and picture books behind him, trying to divert the little one’s attention.

But the little one was still fixated on the candy—clearly, he still wanted it.

The slight status boost he’d gotten from Old Master Bai Yan earlier seemed a bit shaky.

Bai Jingyun quickly shifted the blame, handing the candy to Bai Liang.

“Let your Second Uncle decide. Can you have the candy?”

Bai Liang hadn’t expected to be dragged into this. He was taken aback, but instinctively took the offered candy and gave a refined smile: “Can’t have it, right? Kids eating candy at night—their teeth will rot.”

Bai Jingyun: “See? Second Uncle says First Uncle shouldn’t give you candy.”

Bai Liang: … What?

Bai Sheng: “Right.”

Bai Liang: Huh???

What are you two agreeing in unison about?

Are all you capitalists who wade through business wars this devious?!

What does this have to do with me?

He’s not going to cry, is he?

Bai Liang was suddenly overwhelmed, watching the little one warily.

He really disliked children. Little ones were too noisy and troublesome—not friendly to someone whose work was mostly scientific research.

But Xiaobai Nuo smacked his lips, only glancing at Bai Liang.

The well-behaved child didn’t cry at all. He hadn’t eaten much candy these past few days. He was very restrained. No one had fed him candy at night, and in his previous resource-scarce environment, there was no such concern, and no one had taught him about it. So the little one was quite logical. He turned to ask the little monitor, his voice milky.

“Hello, Dou Dou.”

“How can I help you?”

“Can Nono have candy tonight?”

“Little ones can’t have candy at night. Also, you need to brush your teeth before bed, or little bugs will get into your teeth and make Nono hurt.”

The little one said “oh,” then obediently and sweetly thanked Dou Dou.

Such a smart kid?!

Bai Liang: Look at that! You two top alphas can’t even teach a kid as well as an AI!

Bai Sheng ignored Bai Liang. He crouched down: “Let Aunt Feng play with you for a while. Then go to bed obediently. Grandma is coming back tomorrow. Do you want to pick her up?”

Xiaobai Nuo remembered Grandma’s pure affection for him, and the day’s unhappiness seemed to fade away.

“Can Nono pick flowers tomorrow? Nono wants to make a flower crown for Grandma.”

The little one’s eyes lit up with anticipation for the next day.

“Of course.”

Bai Sheng nodded.

“Happy now?”

Bai Sheng watched the little one nod and snuggle close to him affectionately.

The little cub was already thrilled when he heard Bai Sheng say he could fulfill any wish, because Nono had already thought about what he wanted.

Aunt Feng watched from a distance, wanting to speak but holding back.

It was clear that Bai Sheng truly didn’t know how to comfort a child.

Or perhaps all the alphas in this house were clumsy at it.

Aunt Feng noticed the little one had been crying, likely upset about something. When they got home, just as she was stopping the eldest young master from giving the cub candy, Bai Sheng could have directly said something, but he probably feared upsetting the little one and didn’t know how to comfort him, so he stayed silent.

The eldest young master was even more flustered—who uses candy to coax a child late at night?

It was fortunate that these single alphas had encountered such a well-behaved cub; otherwise, these clumsy top alphas would have made him cry countless times with their awkward attempts.

But what surprised Aunt Feng even more was that despite their clumsy parenting, it still carried a warmth unusual for the Bai family.

“Not happy? Why? Did someone upset Nono?”

The one who suddenly spoke was the little AI monitor Dou Dou, who hadn’t finished his previous conversation and was diligently listening and analyzing.

Seeing his father was busy, the little one obediently let go, crouched in front of the small monitor, and earnestly spoke to it in a childish voice.

“Dou Dou, Nono is not unhappy.”

“When people wrong you, don’t hold it in – scratch back when it’s called for, so you’ll feel good and grow up healthy.”

The light on the small monitor flickered as the mechanical voice spoke, stiff and formal.

The three top alphas of the Bai family, about to head upstairs, were taken aback.

What the—?

Their first thought: This is a little AI that guilt-trips people?

But then it dawned on them: No, hang on.

What do you mean, “Give them a scratch where it’s due”?

Who told you to change “let it slide” to “scratch them”?

The cub blinked in confusion. “Scratch?”

The small monitor flickered once before speaking.

“I assume you’re asking about the meaning of ‘scratch.’ It’s a verb…”

Bai Sheng: …

He started recalling the warnings that popped up when he activated this voice assistant, something about the system’s speech patterns being tuned to side with the user completely.

Bai Sheng was silent for a moment, then decided that as long as it wouldn’t hurt, it was fine.

Bai Jingyun glanced back, his face expressionless.

As for Bai Liang, who had just praised the monitor as better at raising children than Bai Sheng: …This is an artificial idiot!!!

The cub listened to the monitor’s explanation, let the knowledge pass through his mind, and blinked blankly. “Thank you, Dou Dou.”

“You’re welcome. Dou Dou will always be Nono’s most caring friend.”

Their conversation wasn’t even on the same wavelength, yet it somehow looped back!

The surroundings fell silent. Soon, no longer hearing any sound, the monitor shut down its voice.

The cub, still holding the monitor, noticed they hadn’t left yet. He looked up at them, puzzled why his father, uncle, and second uncle were all staring at him. After a moment’s thought, he took Aunt Feng’s hand and said softly, “Nono will listen to Grandma Feng. You go ahead, Dad. Can Nono come find you later?”

“Of course.”

Bai Sheng snapped back to reality, told Aunt Feng a specific time, and led the two upstairs.

Bai Jingyun, already aware this was a well-behaved cub, followed closely, but Bai Liang was still processing. He stared at the little one’s obedient figure, still holding the candy Bai Jingyun had handed him earlier, as he walked last.

This was Bai Liang’s first real encounter with a sweet little omega cub. He tossed the candy in his hand a couple of times, stole glances repeatedly, and finally clicked his tongue as he entered the study.

Bai Jingyun could hear him. Bai Liang muttered strangely, “Why does Bai Sheng get all the luck?”

He had never seen a cub say they’d behave and let their parents go about their business.

But thinking that, Bai Liang was self-aware.

He was just here to observe, to confirm what impact this unpredictable element might have. As for the rest? He didn’t care how Bai Sheng raised this little thing. An omega cub was probably most desired by their mother Ms. Cen, not by top alpha uncles, aunts, or anyone else.

Now then—

“The files and videos—Bai San, you’ve downloaded everything, right?”

Reviewing the relevant materials, they found little difference from what the Bai family’s hospital had examined. In fact, the Bai family hospital’s records were more comprehensive, adding the day’s test analyses, the toxic substance injected into the little one, and an analysis of the cub’s genetic parent. Since it originated abroad, it couldn’t be identified. Legally, on a federal level, Bai Sheng was the cub’s sole guardian.

It was clear the other party also took a liking to Xiaobai Nuo, especially since Bai Nuo was a precious omega cub, so they had been very thorough.

Bai Sheng had already reviewed the reports on the little one’s malnutrition and other issues. Reading them again, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration.

Finally, he opened the video.

Seeing the content, Bai Sheng froze.

Bai Jingyun and Bai Liang also came over. Bai Liang, initially curious, sobered as he watched.

It was a surveillance clip from a lab, seemingly before the Federation arrived. The tiny cub writhed in agony on an experimental bed, painful tears streaming down. At first, he struggled, but soon he gave up, curling into himself, trying to hold himself together.

When Federation members arrived, amidst the chaos, the little one opened his eyes dazedly. He seemed to think the people around were hallucinations. His small hand trembled as he reached out, trying to touch the ‘voices’ nearby, until a Federation medic grasped his hand.

Someone shouted for an antidote after the examination, someone else called for undestroyed files to determine whose child he was, who his family was.

At that time, they couldn’t yet confirm the cub was born in the lab.

When the word “family” reached the little one’s ears, he, who had been curled up silently, let out a soft, heartbreaking sob. Slowly, he withdrew his hand, light and obedient, trembling as if responding through the pain: “…There isn’t any.”

Nono has no family.

He curled up, amidst the noise and shadows around him, as if it were all illusion. Only the pain was real. He shivered, his curly hair soaked and drooping with sweat, silently asking: Why must anyone endure such suffering?

“Don’t be afraid. We’ll help you find your family.”

The Federation medic said that, and the little one’s eyes showed both hope and caution. This was Xiaobai Nuo before Bai Sheng brought him home.

The subsequent treatment must have been rough on the cub, so the video ended there.

But it was easy to understand the sender’s intent—this was a very good child who desperately wanted a family. He was strong. He almost died, but still fought to live, and tentatively reached out toward the family he longed for.

He doesn't need his parent to take any special initiative to approach him; he only needs his parent to reach out and hold that scarred little hand.

By the time the video was halfway through, the room had gone totally silent, and it stayed that way until the end.

Bai Sheng's face darkened a little, but before he could do anything, a soft knock snapped him out of it.

Bai Sheng looked up in surprise as the door was pushed open just a crack. The little guy poked his head in, his soft, squeaky voice both familiar and different from the one in the video: "Daddy."

"...What's wrong?"

Shouldn't this little one be in bed? Bai Sheng spoke, only then noticing his own voice was a bit hoarse—oh right, the kid had said earlier he wanted to come see him before sleeping.

Bai Sheng watched as the little one pushed the door open bit by bit, holding his small pillow and little baby monitor. The little one glanced at his two uncles, not quite understanding why the atmosphere was so tense. He hesitated for a moment, then looked at Bai Sheng with eager eyes, lifting the little baby monitor higher. "Daddy said he can make one wish come true for Nono."

Anytime.

The little guy looked at Bai Sheng hopefully. "Can I sleep with Daddy, just like yesterday? Please?"

Nono didn't care what Daddy's promise might mean later on. He just trusted that Daddy wouldn't toss him away.

The little one who had just found a family didn't care about any bad guy—only about Daddy.

Author's note:

Little monitor: When someone messes with you, what do you do? Scratch 'em where it counts! "Serious teaching"

Little one: ?

Parents: Huh? 'Forgive and forget'? You kidding? Move aside, Buddha—let this kid handle it… Hey! That doesn't track!