Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Bai Jingyun, who had arrived at the venue at the same time as Bai Liang, paused in his steps, suddenly feeling a shiver down his spine.

The two hadn't coordinated; they had simply learned at home that other members of the Bai family had brought Xiaobai Nuo to the banquet, and arrived one after the other. They exchanged glances, each still showing a hint of disdain for the other.

If their 3S-grade top alpha pheromones were released, they would likely be fighting, making it hard for anyone to breathe.

But Bai Jingyun's face revealed no emotion, still looking cold and aloof as he walked toward the hosts.

Cen Zhi was still chatting and laughing with Chu Meng, watching as the two heirs of the Bai family came over to greet them.

Today was truly rare—two of them had come, which she found surprising, let alone the fact that aside from the one still in school, they had all arrived.

Bai Liang was a pure fun-seeker, just there to watch the fun.

After greeting everyone, he smiled and pushed up his glasses, scanning the surroundings for a glimpse of the little one.

He quickly found him.

Bai Sheng was with Xiaobai Nuo in the dining area. Clearly, his younger brother didn’t like to mingle with crowds. Having been too smart since childhood, Bai Sheng saw his peers as immature brats. His top A aura was so strong that others dared not approach, leaving a virtual vacuum around him.

Everyone was curious, glancing in his direction, but he stood firm, holding a little one in his arms who had evidently been eating for a while.

Of course, for a small child, this charity banquet was just about eating and drinking, waiting to be taken home by their parents after a full belly. There was no need to care about anything else. The whole point was just to show up in the upper social circles and counteract any misleading pictures or information that hadn’t yet spread.

At that moment, the little one was staring earnestly in their direction. Bai Liang found it hard to describe the look in his eyes—it was as if he had seen a ‘savior’?

Then Xiaobai Nuo was set down by Bai Sheng, who also stood up, following behind the little one as the boy toddled ahead on his short legs, two steps in front of him.

He ran toward their direction.

Bai Liang instinctively bent down slightly, but before he could react, he heard the childish voice: "Big uncle!"

Tsk.

Not calling for him.

Bai Jingyun, on the other hand, was somewhat flattered. He watched the little one come all the way to him, holding half a peeled orange in his hand. When Bai Jingyun half-squatted, the boy placed it into his palm.

In truth, Xiaobai Nuo had been conflicted about how to treat the other members of the big antagonist family besides his father. They were supposed to be his family too, and those bad deeds in the book hadn’t actually happened yet. But the little one didn’t dwell on it for long.

Because Big Uncle had reminded his father and spoken up for him, and with the current ‘version advantage’ of Great-Grandpa, Big Uncle’s image as a big villain in the little one’s heart had been transformed—into a weird uncle with a strange taste.

So, Xiaobai Nuo’s troubled expression vanished: "Big uncle, Nuo peeled this for you. Eat it!"

Great! Big uncle loves it, so Big uncle can eat!

Perhaps overwhelmed by the moment, or perhaps because the first time he saw this little thing, when he reached out and lifted the little one away from those thorny plants, Bai Jingyun had already been a bit charmed.

Fine, he had to admit, he was indeed a little concerned about how this soft, squishy little thing saw him. His jerk of a brother could be kept at a distance, but his nephew was adorable.

So, without thinking, Bai Jingyun broke off half of the orange slice the little one had handed him and put it into his mouth.

Then, Bai Jingyun’s always calm face scrunched up hard.

A strong fruity sourness lingered in his mouth. His eyes widened slightly, looking stunned by the sourness.

Beside him, Bai Liang’s smile faded, and he looked over thoughtfully.

Bai Jingyun thought: Is this revenge?

He swallowed the orange with difficulty, staring in shock at the two remaining slices in his hand.

"I remember," Bai Jingyun said, his mouth watering uncontrollably. He swallowed again, looking at the remaining orange slices warily, and asked the little one, "Didn’t I tell you I’m not taste-blind? I was also surprised by the lemon I ate last time, wasn’t I?"

Bai Jingyun watched as the little one clasped his hands together, his big, watery black-grape-like eyes looking up at him earnestly, saying softly, "But, but, we can’t waste food."

Big uncle, don’t try to trick Nuo. Nuo knows, even though Big uncle was surprised by the sourness, he still likes it!

Bai Jingyun: ...No, I don’t like it!

If you can’t eat sour oranges, and that jerk brother can’t eat them, does that mean I have to?!

"Can’t I give it to Big uncle?"

"...Fine."

In the end, under Bai Sheng’s strange gaze and Bai Liang’s amused smirk, Bai Jingyun, who always wore a cold face toward the Bai family, shoved the remaining two sour orange slices into his own mouth—starting today, he would hate oranges, hate lemons.

Bai Jingyun’s face went numb from the sourness, making a silent vow in his heart.

But then he looked at the little thing in front of him, with a head of curly hair, using a childish voice to ‘win without a fight’ and inflict a heavy blow on him.

Bai Liang heard Bai Jingyun mutter softly under his breath: "...Evil cavoodle."

Evil cavoodle?

Bai Liang looked at the little one’s soft, curly hair, similar to Bai Sheng’s but even softer, and felt like laughing.

You have to admit, it’s quite fitting.

Having gotten rid of the orange, Xiaobai Nuo finally stopped worrying about wasting food.

In truth, the little one had eaten all sorts of awful things before, but in the apocalypse, the weirdness of food wasn’t this singular, intense flavor. Still, Xiaobai Nuo reflected a bit: hadn’t been here long, and he already had food he disliked—was he being a little too picky?

Thinking this, the little one looked up at his father behind him.

Then Bai Sheng picked him up, thoroughly pleased to have witnessed his son pulling one over on Bai Jingyun. "Nuo is right, very smart."

The little one, praised by his father for being smart, immediately brightened.

Finally, he looked at Bai Liang.

Bai Liang smiled, also curious about Xiaobai Nuo. Honestly, seeing Xiaobai Nuo have such an effect on Bai Jingyun was surprising. He was also curious how the little one would treat him—was it a new prank? Or food with a weird taste? Or some verbal trap?

Of course, all the things Bai Liang thought of were things they themselves had done as top A cubs. Bai Liang was looking forward to seeing what surprises and shocks this seemingly well-behaved little one would bring him. In his monotonous life, this was indeed interesting.

But the little one just called out softly, "Second uncle."

"Hm."

Bai Liang responded, waiting for what came next.

But there was nothing more.

Because the little one, having politely greeted him, had already turned to his father and said he wanted to go see those colorful little cakes.

Bai Jingyun suddenly let out a cold snort in Bai Liang’s ear.

Obviously, compared to the "weird taste" eldest uncle that the cub had in mind, Nuonuo didn't care about Second Uncle at all.

Bai Liang: ...

Bai Liang straightened up, still appearing gentle and refined.

Of course, he wasn't annoyed right now.

"Looks like it's not just others who can't stand you; even Third Brother's cub doesn't like you, Second Brother."

A clear, cold voice rang out from afar.

The top Alphas of the Bai family all glanced over.

Little Nuonuo also looked curiously in that direction.

The crowd's covert, curious gazes were mostly focused here; this wasn't a particularly conspicuous spot, but with the four top Alpha heirs of the Bai family gathered, everyone's attention unconsciously gravitated this way.

The female alpha approaching wasn't wearing a formal gown, but a well-fitted, elegant pantsuit. Her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders, her features resembling Cen Zhi's but sharper and colder, with a stronger aura. She exuded a sharpness, a hint of her top Alpha pheromones leaked out—a sharp, refreshing scent like after a rain.

Bai Qi, the fourth-ranked alpha of the Bai family and the only female alpha of this generation.

Seeing Bai Liang's slightly defeated expression, she seemed pleased, glancing lightly at the little cub held in Bai Sheng's arms. Her words were still relentless and dripping with sarcasm, though she lowered her voice so those nearby couldn't hear.

"As expected of Third Brother, always thinking ahead. Preparing years in advance and suddenly having such a big kid—truly worthy of the high hopes placed on you. I could never do that."

The cub didn't understand the adults' subtle implications.

Clutching his father's neck, he whispered, "Is Auntie saying Dad is amazing? Nuonuo thinks Dad is amazing too."

Bai Sheng had been about to sneer and retort, but was caught off guard by his cub's interruption. He raised an eyebrow, pinched his curious little one's cheek, and let out a lazy chuckle, saying nothing more. Oh well, nothing to worry about or refute—after all, even if it was a "forced melon" (an unwilling partner), it was surprisingly sweet.

Bai Jingyun withdrew his gaze from Bai Qi, since it wasn't directed at him, he had nothing to say. Bai Liang's smile grew wider, and he also looked away.

Just like that, the tense atmosphere dissipated.

Bai Qi was caught off guard by the cub's remark and couldn't help but glance at Little Nuonuo again.

The conflict between Bai Liang and Bai Qi was a long story, tangled up with dangerous childhood incidents, including kidnappings. It was probably just the Bai family's innate coldness—mutual tearing down, with "betrayal" and "backstabbing" all mixed together, with neither side willing to explain. The stronger each of them became, the more twisted and strained their relationships grew.

That's why Bai Qi rarely returned to the Bai family, instead favoring the second daughter of the Liu family, who had cared for her wholeheartedly after an accident. It could be said that the Liu family's audacity in trying to snatch something from Bai Sheng's plate was partly due to Bai Qi's influence. Of course, from the perspective of Liu Dong, the Liu family's current leader, it would be even better if the Bai family collapsed entirely.

The second daughter of the Liu family was a female beta who had gone through a failed business marriage and had a child about the same age as Little Nuonuo. Bai Qi had helped her get out of that failed marriage, and the Liu family had also received some favors from Bai Qi, such as the opportunity to attend this banquet.

The awkward atmosphere didn't last long. Cen Zhi walked over arm in arm with Bai Qian. "Xiao Si."

Bai Qi snapped back to attention and turned. "Mom."

"Not coming home today? Your younger brother is at an out-of-province competition and can't return. Aren't you going to greet Grandpa?"

Cen Zhi looked around Bai Qi, confirming she hadn't been foolish enough to bring any unsavory people along, and nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm here to meet a few business partners. I'll have to leave soon—I have a meeting. Didn't Grandpa say he was going to stay in Ang City for a while? If I can't make it back tomorrow, I'll come the day after that."

Bai Qi checked the time and, not wanting to say more in front of her mother, left for the time being.

Bai Sheng didn't stick around either. He carried Little Nuonuo toward the colorful cakes, with Bai Jingyun following. Bai Liang rubbed his nose but didn't follow them.

The array of small cakes dazzled Little Nuonuo, sweet, fragrant scents surrounding him, making him forget everything he was about to say.

Cen Zhi followed, cheerfully picking out a fruit cake for the cub before sitting down nearby.

Chu Meng, who had been near the banquet entrance, also came over. Soon, Cen Zhi's close circle of friends arrived one after another.

They had already gotten the news and were now staring curiously at Little Nuonuo, listening as he called each of them "Grandma", watching him eat neatly but inevitably with bright, shining eyes, after he took a big bite that left a dab of white cream on his nose.

These women, inwardly exclaiming at how adorable this little thing was, didn't dare rush over.

They chatted about various topics while keeping an eye on the cub.

Chu Meng looked at Cen Zhi.

"I heard you're going to some scenic mountain and water areas for inspiration?"

"After all, I'm a designer—I can't stay in one place forever. Besides, my maternal family only has that one young relative, so I need to look out for them a bit."

Cen Zhi took a sip of champagne, speaking cheerfully.

"Of course, because of Nuonuo, I can stay in Ang City a bit longer."

It was practically written all over her face: "I have an omega grandson now!"

Ha, some of them had little omega cubs too—no need to show off this much!

Hearing that Grandma was going out, the sharp little cub immediately caught onto the keyword and turned his head alertly, blinking.

Even though he ate neatly and politely, a human cub facing a cream cake was still bound to lose.

A bit of cream was smeared on his nose and face, making him look like a little tabby cat.

But he leaned in. "Grandma, Grandma—"

"What is it?"

Cen Zhi looked at the cub, who held up a piece of cake to her.

"Grandma, Nuonuo thinks this one is tasty. It's for Grandma."

Cen Zhi paused for a moment. She took the cake, and seeing the gazes around her, she straightened her back—haha, the day had finally arrived!

But before they could exclaim, the cub continued in a soft voice, "Grandma, when you go out, you have to tell Nuonuo, okay?"

"Okay, okay. If Grandma goes out, I'll definitely tell Nuonuo."

The little cub nodded earnestly.

He was thinking about the accident in the storyline, but to others, he was just a sweet, clingy baby.

Among Cen Zhi's close friends, those who only had alpha or beta grandsons were already a bit envious.

Even an omega cub isn't this well-behaved, right? Where did you get such an adorable treasure?

Give us the method to get one!

At that moment, Bai Sheng glanced at the time.

Little Nuonuo had eaten his fill, and their requirements had been met. It was getting late—the cub needed to digest a little before bedtime.

Cen Zhi quickly realized this too.

"You can take Nono and leave in a bit."

After all, the adults' stuff at the charity banquet after this has nothing to do with the little guy.

Bai Sheng nodded.

Soon after, Bai Sheng carried Xiaobai Nuo into the car to go home.

Meanwhile, some photos from the banquet were being released systematically by the Cen family.

In a corner of the banquet, a female beta who came in with Bai Qi in the first place watched as Bai Sheng left with Xiaobai Nuo. She had noticed earlier that Bai Qi's attention was caught by the Bai family's new little cub. She clenched her fists a little.

"Mom, Mom."

The little cub whose hand she was holding yelped in pain.

"Du Du, Du Du, you have to be the smartest and most well-behaved in Aunt Bai's eyes, understand?"

She crouched down, looking at her little cub who had just turned five. This was a male beta cub, but he had been kept fair-skinned and delicate.

Liu Du was grabbed by the shoulders by his mother. He flinched a little out of instinct, sensing the unease in his mother's eyes, and quickly spoke up: "I know, Mom, don't be sad. I'll be better than that kid, just like you've always asked me to be."

In his mind, he was the smartest and most obedient cub.

By then, Bai Sheng had already taken his little cub home. After eating his fill, Xiaobai Nuo walked several laps around the garden, enthusiastically telling Dou Dou and Grandma Feng all about the banquet.

Bai Sheng was dealing with the remaining documents.

It wasn't long before Bai Qian and Cen Zhi returned. Bai Jingyun and Bai Liang didn't come to Bai Sheng's place to join the fun. Only Cen Zhi, still energetic and full of enthusiasm, wanted to read picture books to the little cub.

Initially, Bai Sheng came out to check on them.

Of course, Xiaobai Nuo couldn't read. The little cub stared blankly at the various words on the pages.

But Cen Zhi quickly noticed something different about him.

She found that when she flipped through simple picture books with only illustrations, Xiaobai Nuo reacted to the words he had seen before. When asked which word was which, he hadn't even been exposed to these things, but he could roughly point to them after seeing them once.

Of course.

The Bai family was known for being clever. The most famous was Bai Sheng, who had been so smart as a child that he considered his peers all fools and brats, unwilling to associate with them.

But that didn't stop the grandma from cheerfully scooping up the little cub and spinning him around. After setting him down, she grabbed Bai Qian by the shoulders and shook him hard: "Basically, our Little Nuo Nuo can already read! Our Little Nuo Nuo is a genius!"

Bai Qian, dizzy from the shaking: "...Take it easy."

Xiaobai Nuo stuck out his little chest at his grandma's praise, then turned to Bai Sheng with big, shining eyes.

The little cub trotted over to Bai Sheng and looked up at his dad.

Bai Sheng squatted down and pinched his kid's cheek like he'd done it a million times.

The new dad had gotten pretty good at cheek-pinching lately, leaving no marks on the little one's face. He quirked an eyebrow: "Huh, didn't see that one coming. You're pretty good, kid."

After all, Xiaobai Nuo usually came off as cute and clueless. Based on how Bai Sheng had retorted to his grandfather earlier, it was obvious the new dad had braced himself to look after his kid forever.

"Is that okay? Is what Nuo does good?"

Xiaobai Nuo, with his cheek pinched, asked in a babyish, slurred voice.

Why would he ask such a question?

Bai Sheng kept finding himself wondering about this little cub. And each time, it gave him a bad feeling, like the little guy had been mistreated somewhere, but Bai Sheng didn't know about it, and the cub himself didn't seem to understand, only being able to vaguely hint at it like this.

The new dad, with his PTSD, immediately became alert.

But regardless.

"Of course it's good. But whether it's a smart Nuo or a not-so-smart Nuo, remember what Dad said?"

"Mm-hmm."

The little cub nodded hard, his pretty eyes turning into crescents.

"Nuo is always Dad's secret treasure!"

Bai Sheng still had work to do, so the little cub trotted back to his grandma and waited for her to find a picture book story to read to him.

As for why he asked that question.

Because—in the lab, if a child was too physically weak and too outstanding in other areas, they would be singled out for special attention, and the chance of dying was very high.

Obviously, a little cub who managed to escape the lab at age two and survive alone cautiously until age five before drowning wasn't a completely silly cub. He just didn't dwell on many things. Bai Nuo was sharp, clever, but also soft-hearted. He had sensed this from a very young age, even before the researchers realized it.

Moreover, in the apocalypse, personnel changed constantly. The grandma who helped Nuo today might die tomorrow. Sometimes, it was easier to survive if you didn't remember things too clearly.

But if Nuo was smart, Dad and Grandma would both be happy.

The little cub sat nicely in Grandma's arms, listening to her read a picture book about the crow repaying kindness.

The story of the crow repaying kindness was simple and common in parenting picture books. It mainly talked about how Mother Crow fed baby crows worms when they were young, and when Mother Crow could no longer fly, the baby crows would feed her worms.

But the little cub had never heard this story.

In the apocalypse, there weren't many forms of entertainment, and most were brutal and bloody. Apart from discussions about death, the researchers mostly talked about what experiments could be done on ABO glands and what research results might come from them.

Xiaobai Nuo had grown up in that environment.

This warm story made just for kids almost made Xiaobai Nuo tear up.

"The little crow is so nice,"

he said softly.

Just then, Bai Sheng had finished his last task. Seeing that it was about time, he was about to kick his parents out and take his cub to bed. As he came downstairs, he saw his cub barreling toward him.

"Daddy, Daddy! Grandma just read me a picture book!"

The little cub chattered away, retelling the story in his baby voice.

Bai Sheng listened, raising an eyebrow, occasionally responding, and lifted his cub onto the sofa.

Then he heard his cub say, touched: "Daddy, the little crow gives back. When you get old, Daddy, Nuo will catch bugs for you too." The bug-fearing cub was so emotional he blurted it out without thinking.

Bai Sheng: ...?

Thanks, you little do-gooder, but no need.

And besides...

Bai Sheng looked at his kid and couldn't help but smile. He took out his phone from his pocket and searched for a picture: "Go catch bugs?"

Over there, Cen Zhi was about to laugh and say, "Catch bugs? Careful, you'll give Bai Sheng (at his age) a heart attack." She wondered how the Bai family could all be so afraid of bugs.

Then she watched as Xiaobai Nuo peeked over to glance at the picture of the fat green caterpillar Bai Sheng had found online.

"Wah!!" With a shriek, the kid nimbly scrambled up, grabbing the back of the sofa and trying to scramble over it.

—The little one "flew" off the sofa, only for his father to grab him by the scruff of his neck.

Cen Zhi: "...Bai Sheng!!!"

The Bai family couldn't handle even a single bug.

Held by the scruff, the little one patted his chest: Sorry, little crow, you're great... but if you ate candy instead of bugs, that would be even better.

Author's note:

Little Nuo Nuo: The little crow is so wonderful, I want to learn from it.

Dad, addicted to teasing his kid: Searches for bug pictures, scares the kid so much he leaps off the couch.

Cen Zhi: You scoundrel!!!!!!

Uncle: Evil mini-poodle victim.JPG