Chapter 61

Chapter 61

The strange taste took over his mouth after two sips.

Bai Yan, who had initially thought Bai Jingyun was getting special treatment, only now did his scattered thoughts return.

He opened his mouth, stubbornly keeping a straight face as he looked at Xiaobai Nuo, momentarily unsure whether to praise him for helping with the juicing or to express shock at this weird-tasting drink.

This... well, hmm—alright, young people's stuff, he really couldn't understand it.

The old man's expression turned somewhat odd as he looked at the fruit and vegetable juice recipe book.

He finally concluded, "Bai Jingyun's taste is really strange."

The little cub had already swallowed the bean paste bun and nodded in agreement, continuing to pour the other juices into cups.

Bai Yan's expression didn't change. He simply changed cups, poured out the vegetable juice, and handed it back to Bai Jingyun.

Young man, it's yours.

Bai Jingyun: ...

Don't reinforce this little one's stereotypes any further!!

Bai Jingyun held the drink stiffly, and finally, when the little one finished filling the other cups and looked over with expectant eyes, he took a sip.

The sour and astringent taste mixed with bitterness.

It was indeed awful, but perhaps because he'd been eating so many strange things and flavors lately, it oddly went down... no, wait, the aftertaste hit him.

Bai Jingyun suddenly understood why the old man had stood frozen for so long earlier.

A loading icon seemed to appear above his own head, spinning wildly as it tried to process what he'd just drunk.

But the same stubbornness inherited from the Bai Family made him keep a straight face, showing no sign of discomfort.

Normally, keeping a poker face during negotiations was a good thing.

But right now, the little one couldn't tell how shocked the adult was. Still standing on a chair, having just eaten another bean bun, he was in a good mood and pointed at the book over there.

"Nono had Doudou read it to him. There are several more kinds, Uncle."

In ancient times, Shennong tasted a hundred herbs; now he was tasting a hundred flavors?

—Bai Jingyun had never really regretted anything, not even his past jealousy toward Bai Sheng, their secret conflicts, or even initially upsetting the little one. He knew it was just part of his nature. But right now, he felt a pang of regret.

Bai Jingyun, why did you have to swallow that lemon with a straight face in front of this little guy?!

And this lousy book—who could drink what's in it?

The old butler stood nearby, silent, indicating he couldn't help.

Cen Zhi, who had arrived a bit slower than Bai Jingyun, had witnessed most of the scene. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the Bai grandfather and grandson both stunned.

She walked in and said, "They're resting over there. Does baby need Grandma to help carry the cups?"

The little cub had already picked up one of the cups and said in a babyish voice, "No need, Grandma. Nono can do it himself. Grandma's is on the table."

As he spoke, the little one stood on the chair, shifting his short legs a few times, then blinked at his grandmother.

"Grandma, Grandma, can you help Nono get down?"

"Of course."

Cen Zhi smiled and lifted the little one down, watching him toddle over to deliver juice to his father.

Cen Zhi picked up the cup the cub had pointed out for her. It was grape juice, sweet with a hint of citrus fragrance and sourness. She took a few sips, then looked at Bai Jingyun, who wore a pained expression.

"Is it really that bad?"

Bai Jingyun looked at his mother without a word, then pushed the cup toward her, as if eager to get rid of it.

Cen Zhi: ...

She took the cup and drank.

Her face instantly twisted up. She couldn't believe it as she looked at the juice, then at the two people with straight faces.

"How can you two stand this?!"

What kind of stubborn lot are the Bai family? Drinking something like this and still keeping a poker face?

Bai Qian heard the commotion too and walked over. He saw the strange green juice that had been sampled by several people, now a third empty.

Bai Qian paused. "What is this?"

Cen Zhi stuck out her tongue and spoke in a muffled voice, overlapping with the little one's voice from the hallway.

"You can't have that."

"Grandpa can't have that."

The little one had handed his father the grape juice with extra ice and then came back. He reached out his little hand and tugged at his grandfather's clothes, pointing to another cup on the counter. "This one is for Grandpa."

Bai Qian wasn't really into that kind of stuff.

But the little one always believed in sharing what he had.

Bai Qian walked over and picked up the orange-red juice cup. The warmth in his hand caught him off guard. He glanced at the open book—this was a fully cooked carrot and apple juice, good for digestion and easy on the stomach.

Being remembered in little ways always felt special. Bai Qian turned back to look at the little one.

The little one smiled back, his eyes crinkling—it was a little secret between Grandpa and Nono.

Grandpa needs to eat well, rest well, and take care of himself. Don't make Grandma and Nono worry. Nono won't tell Grandma now, but Nono will take care of Grandpa too.

Bai Qian quietly sipped the juice and reached out to help the little one hold the cup.

Even though he wasn't used to drinking stuff like this, it was pretty nice every now and then.

Then he heard Cen Zhi, still holding that awful vegetable juice, say, "Is Bai Jin still lying down over there?"

Bai Jingyun answered quickly, "Probably."

The little one looked up, confused, not getting the connection. Then Cen Zhi bent down and took his little hand. "Let's let Little Uncle have a taste."

Translated, it means: We can't suffer alone.

The group returned to the activity room.

Inside, Bai Jin was lying peacefully on a cushion, playing dead, while Bai Sheng stood nearby, sipping juice from a cup.

Cen Zhi let go of the child's hand, watching as Bai Sheng effortlessly bent down and scooped up her cub with one arm.

Then Cen Zhi walked over to Bai Jin, crouched down, and poked him. "Still alive?"

Bai Jin, who had been lured in by the 'Bait Master' and had happily taken the bait, didn't move. "Barely alive."

Third Brother's hits were too tricky—he struck exactly where it hurt. It looked like nothing was wrong, but in reality, his bones felt like Bai Sheng had practically dismantled them.

Was there any situation worse than this?

Yes, there was, my friend.

"Come try this."

Cen Zhi smiled and handed the cup to him.

A few seconds later.

Bai Jin 'revived.'

He shot up, staring at the cup in shock.

Clearly, he had no guard up against his own mother. Unlike the others who only took a small sip, he chugged almost half the cup in one gulp. His face instantly screwed up.

By the time Xiaobai Nuo finished chattering to his father about how he had helped this time and turned to look back,

He saw the green vegetable juice, now barely a sip left after Bai Jin drank it.

The little cub was confused for a second.

They each took a sip, and quickly finished the cup of green juice.

The cub didn't quite understand why his Little Uncle had to drink his Eldest Uncle's juice.

But sure enough.

The little one quickly showed a look of realization, reached out to hug his father's neck, and said in a babyish voice, "If Little Uncle sees it, it gets eaten."

Food gets eaten if Little Uncle sees it, and juice gets drunk if Little Uncle sees it.

Yes, that's how the bad Little Uncle is.

Eldest Uncle drank it without changing his expression, calmer than even Great-Grandfather, while Little Uncle downed half the cup in one go.

Whether it was Eldest Uncle or Little Uncle, the impressions they left were even stronger.

Having heard all this, Bai Jin, who was grimacing, immediately looked over.

He had heard it—this cup belonged to Eldest Brother.

Bai Jin shoved the cup into Bai Jingyun's hands, rolled his wrists until they cracked, and walked over, staring at the cub clinging to Bai Sheng. "Don't you have anything to say to your Little Uncle?"

Look at what your dad did to me.

The cub looked from his Little Uncle to his dad.

The little one, still holding his own juice cup and acting like a daddy's boy, attempted to clap. "Daddy is the best."

Bai Jin was torn between laughter and anger. He held out his hand and said, all entitled, "Isn't there something for Little Uncle?"

The little cub tucked his cup behind his back, like he was afraid Little Uncle would gobble up the cup along with its contents.

Bai Jin: ... What do you think I am? A hyena that scarfs down everything and has a bite like a vise?!

"Go away."

Bai Sheng didn't even look up. He was done with his workout and couldn't be bothered with Bai Jin. He put his cup down and shooed him away.

Bai Jin didn't move. He shifted his gaze slightly, then pulled out two nicely wrapped gummy candies from his pocket and handed them to the little cub.

Of course, he hadn't prepared them deliberately; they were just casually tucked into his pocket, but they came in handy.

Call it a small apology for being too curious this afternoon, getting too close without him noticing, and tripping the little one.

The cub instinctively took the candies, and his cup was naturally taken by his father. Xiaobai Nuo remained in his father's arms, watching his Little Uncle's back as he walked away, lifted his hand to wave halfway, then winced with a hiss and slowly lowered it.

As Bai Jin passed his grandfather, he couldn't help shooting a glare at the 'Bait Master,' then said, "I've got school tomorrow, I'm heading back now."

Then Bai Jin heard the little cub's voice: "There's some for you, Little Uncle."

Huh?

Bai Jin turned to look at the cub.

The kid buried his face in his dad's chest, his voice naturally muffled, just his eyes peeking out at his Little Uncle. "In the kitchen, there's some for you, Little Uncle."

Did he actually get something for him? Weren't they still fighting?

Bai Jin froze for a second, but for a second, it kind of made sense.

Indeed, this was a really soft-hearted kid.

A moment later, cup in hand, Bai Jin left the house, wincing a little. He chugged the juice, raked a hand through his hair, then looked down at his phone. On a whim, he messaged the lively group chat.

'What do you think my odds are of beating Bai Sheng in a couple years?'

The others were already maxed out, but his pheromones hadn't settled yet—it's not like he was guaranteed to lose to his third brother!

But after sending it, Bai Jin himself was stunned. The group chat went dead quiet. The chat was mostly his riffraff, who were usually talking about which club to hit at this hour. His message got a long pause in the conversation.

Logically, as one of the Bai family heirs, Bai Jin's chances of competing with his older brothers and sisters were slim, but he was still someone these people fawned over daily.

Yet seeing this question, they couldn't bring themselves to talk him up.

After all... compare to whom?

Bai Sheng?

Someone couldn't hold it in: 'Brother Jin, what got into you?'

Bai Jin: ...

'Piss off.'

Usually, he did find it amusing to cause some trouble for his brothers and sisters, but these past few days, watching Bai Sheng's daily demeanor, Bai Jin deeply empathized with the eldest brother.

Why is it so infuriating!?

And he can't even beat him.

Tsk, even more infuriating.

It was getting late.

The little cub finished playing and browsing his picture books, so his father carried him off to wash up and get ready for bed.

Dou Dou's surveillance function was left on, placed at the head of the bed.

Bai Sheng sat to the side, tucking the little one in.

"Daddy?"

Xiaobai Nuo squirmed inward a bit, looking up at his father, curious why Daddy wasn't coming to bed.

"You go to sleep first. Daddy has a meeting to attend. I'll be back as soon as it's done."

Bai Sheng stroked the little cub's curly hair.

Some matters related to the earlier negotiations with the foreign client, Halle Garrison, still needed to be finalized.

The tiny cub seemed a bit reluctant, but he had been busy all day—bringing back the little fish, watching them for a long time, and skipping his afternoon nap. Now his eyes could barely stay open.

Still, he clutched his father's clothes and said drowsily, "Then Daddy, come back quickly, make sure to go to bed early..."

In the end, Grandpa had still startled Xiaobai Nuo earlier. Even though he could barely keep his eyes open, the cub still tried to get his father to rest early. But as he spoke, his voice faded, his little body sank into the soft bedding, and his breathing grew calm.

All of Bai Sheng's emotions naturally settled with Xiaobai Nuo's steady breaths.

Raising a little cub is truly amazing.

But there's so much to think about when raising one.

Bai Sheng's study.

After wrapping up the key items, Bai Sheng's mind drifted.

When the online meeting ended, only the two bosses were left.

Halle had temporarily returned to his home country. Now the sky behind him was bright, and he smiled at Bai Sheng.

"Oh, dear Boss Bai, I sincerely invite you and your little one to visit my estate—especially Nono. He's the cutest little angel I've ever seen. When I came back and told a few friends, they were all amazed such an omega cub existed—truly incredible. Oh, right, you might have heard of these families, Boss Bai—"

"We don't have any plans like that right now."

Bai Sheng spoke without looking up.

"Hmm?"

Bai Sheng had been trying to convince himself all evening, and now he had finally made some headway.

"I'm planning to take him to kindergarten to help him adjust."

His cub really needed to start kindergarten.

Even if Bai Sheng was reluctant, he had to protect his own cub while making sure the little one could spread his wings.

Raising a cub was no simple task.

The Bai Family might not fully grasp the meaning of love.

But Bai Sheng knew that the outside world was vast, full of things a little cub would love. He wanted to raise this always-careful little one to be a bit greedier.

At that moment, Xiaobai Nuo was dreaming.

He curled up his tiny body, half-asleep and dreaming.

In his dream, a noisy, dazzling scene of neon lights unfolded. Xiaobai Nuo vaguely saw Bai Jin's figure.

It was that bad uncle.

Was this the story of that bad uncle?

Xiaobai Nuo watched Bai Jin, clearly agitated, his every move and expression off. Bai Jin clenched his fists as if suppressing something, then angrily reached back to scratch his neck forcefully. A strong scent of pheromones mixed with the smell of blood filled the air.

The cub had recently learned the importance of glands and knew that damaging them would have serious consequences. Xiaobai Nuo instinctively trembled, some memories resurfaced. He remembered his uncle's fate in the original story.

Bai Jin had fallen into a trap because he couldn't stabilize after his presentation. The eighteen-year-old athletic prodigy disappeared from that point on. His uncontrolled alpha pheromone disorder tormented him, turning him into a wreck and leading him into even worse habits.

This was the first step in Bai Jin becoming a twisted villain.

Nono still held a grudge against his uncle.

Uncle was bad! Xiaobai Nuo would whine and tattle about it to others.

But, but still—

Even if he was bad, Nono also remembered the warmth and sweetness of the rice cake his uncle pulled from his pocket. He remembered his uncle saying he'd never call Nono "little tattletale" again, and he kept his word.

"Uncle? Uncle!" The little cub tried desperately to get closer, wanting to wrap his arms around his uncle's neck from behind to protect his vulnerability. But the tiny cub just couldn't do it.

The little cub struggled, slowly opening his eyes, waking from the dream. His small body curled up, and he instinctively clutched his stomach.

Even though his uncle was bad, Nono didn't want him to get hurt.

His uncle should be the kind of bad guy who climbs out the window after causing trouble, who dares to do it again next time.

Not that kind of villain.

Not that kind.

"Wah... Daddy..." the tiny cub murmured in his most helpless moment, "Nono feels bad..."

His stomach ached with a dull, continuous pain, making it hard for the little cub to pinpoint the source, and even confusing reality with dreams.

Maybe it was a side effect of influencing the storyline, or of making those blurry images clearer. His body seemed to have exhausted too much energy, and the food he ate couldn't replenish it quickly enough.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

The tiny cub whispered, curling up even tighter.

Is Nono sick again?

Or is he still dreaming?

In his misery, Xiaobai Nuo's thoughts were completely muddled.

Should he curl up in a corner like he used to and wait for the pain to pass?

No, that didn't seem right. He seemed to need to call for help...

"What's wrong? Nono!"

The little cub was gently scooped up, blanket and all, into his father's arms, who hadn't yet had time to wash up.

Bai Sheng, who had been watching the baby monitor while finishing paperwork, noticed the situation and came rushing over.

His father's warmth was reassuring and steady.

Xiaobai Nuo remembered—he was supposed to call out—

"Dad..."

The little one looked up from the blanket at Bai Sheng, and tears of hurt immediately streamed down his face. The little cub took his dad's hand and guided it to his own belly, looking pitiful and dependent, his small voice weak as he pressed close to his dad.

"Nono doesn't feel well, Dad. Nono feels so bad here. Nono has never felt this way before. Is Nono going to die? Nono hasn't been Dad's Nono long enough... Boo hoo hoo..."

"Nono."

Bai Sheng's voice rose involuntarily, cutting off the little cub's words.

"Sniffle..."

The tiny cub was so uncomfortable that cold sweat broke out all over his body. His big eyes were half-closed in misery, swimming in tears. Xiaobai Nuo looked at Bai Sheng through his tears.

He couldn't see Bai Sheng's expression clearly. He only saw his dad lower his head to rest their foreheads together. His voice was soft, comforting, and dependable.

"Okay, baby, it's alright. Uncle Xu will be here soon."

The cub was comforted. He curled up against his father's chest and, upon hearing that, softly hummed an "Mm."

When Bai Sheng had come over earlier, he had already urgently contacted Xu Chuan and called the doctor on duty at home to come over.

About ten minutes later.

The commotion was too loud. Besides the arriving doctor, even the old master hurried over.

The adults stood outside in their pajamas. Cen Zhi looked at Xiaobai Nuo's pale little face and was heartbroken:

"What on earth happened? He had just started to get better."

Xu Chuan conferred with a few doctors and quickly came to a conclusion.

He first had someone bring a small hot water bottle to place on the cub's belly, then looked at Bai Sheng.

"It's most likely indigestion."

Bai Sheng's expression was very grim. Since earlier, he had been constantly suppressing his aggressive, agitated mint-scented pheromones.

"...Indigestion?"

"What did the young master eat yesterday?"

Xu Chuan asked. Then he listened as the Bai family members sorted out the details: how this little one had sweet-talked and charmed everyone into giving him food.

Xiaobai Nuo had already eaten a lot at dinner, plus various snacks, cookies, and so on—indigestion from overeating was only natural, and not a major issue.

Taking some medication to assist and applying a warm compress for a while would relieve it significantly.

But—

Xu Chuan stared in shock at the group of Bai Family members before him: …

"Did all of you give him extra food?"

"Not a single person resisted?"

Are you still the original Bai Family?! Haven't you all been possessed?

Bai Jin originally wanted to step forward, but then suddenly remembered the candies he had given. He clicked his tongue lightly and obediently stepped back.

Among the group of alphas was a grandmother who had become exceptionally indulgent toward the baby in recent days. They looked at each other, exchanging glances, as they compared notes—

Complete wipeout.

Previously, the little one had been well-behaved and not yet that familiar with them, so he wouldn’t ask for food on his own. Even if he ate a little here and there, there were never issues. So the problem had gone unnoticed.

Until now, the group suddenly realized this huge loophole and urgently began to set new rules.

The tiny baby curled up in his father’s arms, holding a small hot water bottle, having taken his medicine and having his belly rubbed with warm compresses. After a short while, he felt much better.

The little one whispered softly: "Dad…"

The little guy had never really known what it meant to be full. In the past, he just ate whatever portion his guardian gave him—after all, in the apocalypse, being full was a luxury, so you stuffed yourself as much as possible. But now, he seemed to be learning a little.

"Nono just felt hungry… I’m sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

Bai Sheng was still gently rubbing the little one’s belly. He snapped back to reality and, for a rare moment, Bai Sheng, who thought himself invincible, admitted his own powerlessness.

"Daddy didn’t take good care of you."

Even knowing the special nature of this little cub, he had let his guard down. Kids naturally love snacks like pastries, and Xiaobai Nuo himself was prone to illness.

A false alarm. Xu Chuan’s expression relaxed into a hint of a smile, with a touch of a doctor’s authority.

"In a little while, Uncle Xu will give your dad a proper talking-to."

The tiny baby exchanged a glance with the doctor, then burrowed back into his father’s arms, sulking.

"Daddy is the best, and here—Nono likes it here, Nono likes this home."

At that moment, the adults standing at the door all looked over. Xu Chuan paused. The same person who had just wondered what had happened to the Bai Family suddenly felt…

That none of the Bai Family had been able to resist was only human nature.

Author’s note:

At first—Xu Chuan: Have the Bai family gone crazy?

Upon seeing the little cub acting spoiled—Xu Chuan: Only natural.

Dad: I suspect the kindergarten is jinxing my baby.

Kindergarten: ??? [crack][crack][crack]