Chapter 67

Chapter 67

What a dutiful son!

Dad thanks you!

This hawthorn is so sour that Dad can’t even keep his eyes open.

Xie Yu thought in shock, how could it be this sour?

Over there, Little Bai Nuo was holding the small stick with only three strawberries left, looking at Uncle Xie’s expression, feeling a pang of sympathy.

The little one pulled out a small insulated water bottle from his little rainbow bag.

Normally, Bai Sheng would have carried the warm water for the little one, but the kid insisted on wearing his own backpack, and Bai Sheng, after weighing it and finding it not heavy, let the little cub have his way.

The tiny cub now held the little water bottle up high and said with genuine sympathy, “Uncle Xie, do you want some water?”

Xie Yu: ...Oh, what a good kid!

Xie Yu swallowed the hawthorn candy in his mouth before waving his hands.

“No need, no need, thank you, Nuo Nuo.”

But the little one turned to look at Xie Yue, who was still sticking out his tongue from the sourness, and asked softly, “Then Brother Xiao Yue, do you want something sweet? The strawberries are sweet.”

Huh?

Xie Yue opened his eyes, but before he could speak, his brother had him in a headlock.

Xie Qing met the little cub’s gaze, still holding the grape candied hawthorn with only one bite taken, and said in a baby voice, “If Nuo Nuo likes something, you should eat it yourself, or you can trade with someone else. Don’t give it away so easily to someone who made a bad choice.”

Xie Yue:?

Ahhh! Original flavor is a classic! It’s just that this place’s are way too sour today!

Even though he’s full of mischief, he’s not that bad! You jerk, brother!

As he spoke, Xie Qing had already used his small hand to pop off a grape candied hawthorn and stuffed it into Xie Yue’s mouth, silently communicating: No need to talk, just eat.

Don’t cover for Xie Yue, who loves to go against the grain, unless you’re his own brother.

Meanwhile, Yu Chuyan beside them had already asked his brother Yu Chen to get a clean small bag, and was separating the candied hawthorns by wrapping them in the bag: “Nuo Nuo, do you want to trade? The orange ones are sweet too.”

The little one’s attention was instantly diverted. Since the last time he ate a sour orange, he hadn’t liked oranges either, and now he looked over curiously.

And with this smooth combo from the two cubs, all that was left was the sound of Xie Yue munching.

The parents didn’t interfere—of course, buying a few more sticks of candied hawthorns was no problem, but these little ones still had their eyes on many things inside. If they were all stuffed with candied hawthorns at the entrance, what would be the point?

In the end, the four little ones tried every stick except the sourest hawthorn one, and only Xie Yu was left grimacing as he ate the original-flavored one his son had left him.

Shi Lin whispered in his ear, “You got this.”

Xie Yu: Oh, I can! ...Wait, honey, don’t just cheer me on—help me out with one!

After they finished eating, the little one thought for a moment and suddenly asked Dad, “Dad, can we buy one of those red ones for Eldest Uncle?”

Though it wasn’t a lemon, judging by Uncle Xie’s expression, Nuo Nuo felt Eldest Uncle would like it!

Bai Sheng was stunned for a moment, then found it funny.

That sour fiend Bai Jingyun would never shake the sour label for the rest of his life, right?

Bai Liang overheard this and was all too happy to stir up trouble.

“Come on, Nuo Nuo, Second Uncle will take you over. We’ll pick the sourest one for Eldest Uncle! Second Uncle will carry it back for you.”

Bai Jin also joined in; when it came to pranking each other, they were always enthusiastic: “Would a smaller one be even sourer? We'll take it back to big brother and make sure we watch him eat it.”

It was proven: people never find it a hassle when they're up to no good.

Taking advantage of this lull, Xie Yu, who was still grimacing from the sourness, pulled his two kids aside and said in a low voice, “We’re about to go deeper in. Remember what Daddy said?”

Although Yu Chuyan was also an alpha cub, he often acted like a mature little adult, while Xie Yu’s two cubs were completely mischievous and pretty rambunctious even for alpha cubs.

“Don’t wander off.”

“Hold each other's hands.”

“No pranks.”

“Don't snatch things.”

Xie Yu’s twin alpha cubs took turns saying one rule each.

“While protecting ourselves first,”

“Then try to take care of others.”

Xie Yu was satisfied. He nodded—annoying as they were, he loved them to bits. He gave each a kiss on the cheek: “Good job, you remembered everything.”

Xie Yue: “Eww, no Dad kisses.”

Xie Qing: “Mom, I need a tissue.”

Shi Lin giggled beside them and got out tissues for the two kids.

Xie Yu: ...

Clearly, the cubs also disliked their dad’s spit.

Damn it! Two ungrateful little brats!

Yu Chuyan blinked as he watched the Xie family’s “parent-child activity.”

Yu Chen, who was usually too busy to have much time to spend with his little brother, glanced around reflexively, then seemed to make a decision: “...Do you want a kiss too?”

Yu Chuyan: ?

Little Cool Guy was confused.

“Brother, are you sick?”

Yu Chen: ...

Ahhh, this ungrateful little brat!

When the Bai family came back, having enthusiastically picked the sourest candied hawthorn for Eldest Bai, they saw Xie Yu rubbing Xie Yue's face while Xie Qing had just managed to hide behind Shi Lin.

And Yu Chen was rubbing Yu Chuyan's little head. The little cool guy was clearly annoyed, dodged twice but couldn't escape, so he simply started rubbing his own brother's head.

Anyway, it looked quite lively.

Xiaobai Nuo, who was trotting over, paused and tilted his little head in confusion.

But in the end, no matter how chaotic it was, the group successfully entered the night market street.

As it gradually got dark, vendors were hawking everywhere. Everything was available here, from street games, snacks, to various trinkets and souvenirs.

Above their heads hung strings of lanterns in various colors and patterns, swaying and casting warm or cool spots of light under the glow of the powerful streetlights.

This was Xiaobai Nuo's first time in such a crowded and lively place.

In the past, the little one always avoided places with a lot of people.

Because crowded places often meant many dangers.

Although he was still a bit nervous, the various snacks that the little one had never seen before completely captured his attention.

"This is bean jelly, those are takoyaki, and there are grilled sausages, cold noodles..."

The four little ones walked ahead, with the parents following, listening to the three little A pups chattering away with the little O pup in the middle.

The Xie family were nouveau riche, and Xie Yu had frequented these snack stalls a lot when he was young. So after he had pups, he often brought them to these small shops. In short, they tried a bit of everything they could taste. This was childhood! The best food was from childhood snack stalls.

And Yu Chuyan, who often played with the Xie family twins, naturally knew a lot about these things.

Xiaobai Nuo listened to their introductions. The parents would observe and buy a serving of whatever the little ones could eat for them to try. All along the way, Xiaobai Nuo's hungry tummy was nearly full.

Yu Chuyan was still holding his little hand and said to Xiaobai Nuo, "There's a shop on this street that makes delicious jam pudding. It should still be available now."

Bai Sheng always stayed three steps behind his own pup. Seeing this little pup from the Yu family directly holding his pup's hand, his eyebrow twitched, but soon the newbie dad calmed down—they were all five- or six-year-old kids, what was he getting all worked up for?

And Yu Chen followed behind, letting the little ones pick a few flavors, and paid.

Yu Chuyan couldn't wait to share with Xiaobai Nuo. He skillfully tore open the package and held a white spoon: "There are several layers of jam here. Scoop them all like this, then take a big bite. I've tried it several times and this is the best way. Nono, you try."

The four little ones gathered around; the Xie family twins were already digging in with their spoons.

Yu Chuyan had a bag in one hand and a pudding in the other. He scooped a deep spoonful, thought for a moment, and tentatively extended it toward Xiaobai Nuo.

The little pup hesitated a bit, but soon took the spoon into his mouth. A big mouthful of the smooth, creamy pudding mixed with the sweet and sour freshly made jam filled his mouth. The sweet flavor made Xiaobai Nuo's eyes light up slightly. After the demonstration, Yu Chuyan handed the pudding to Xiaobai Nuo.

Then he heard the little one exclaim to him, "It's cool and creamy. It's really delicious."

The beautiful little pup, like a porcelain doll, had shining eyes.

Yu Chuyan, who had recommended it, felt as if his heart was also filled with the sweet and soft pudding.

Yu Chuyan blinked, turned back to look at his brother, and silently asked once more: Why can't we keep the little brother at home?

Yu Chen smiled, reached out, and turned Yu Chuyan's head back—why else? Because they'd die, that's why.

The little one shared and ate along the way. Finally, Bai Sheng thought that was enough and stopped letting the little pup eat more.

So the various specialty shops along the street caught their attention again.

There was a dazzling array of small ornaments and toys.

The Xie family twins had already had their eyes on the exquisite little wooden swords hanging high up.

Kids, especially when they've watched a few cartoons and listened to stories, basically no pup can refuse these swords that seem tailor-made for them. The Xie family already had a few.

But the two little ones wanted them again. Xie Yu paid up and gave one sword to each pup.

There were quite a few people around, but because the street was spacious, it didn't seem too crowded. The group of Alphas from the Bai family kept their auras in check and blended into the crowd without being too conspicuous.

Bai Jin had been following behind for a while.

Although he had come out to get some fresh air, the night market environment was still too dull for a thrill-seeker like him, didn't spark much interest. He happened to be standing next to Xie Yu, and Xie Yu handed the little wooden sword for Xiaobai Nuo to Bai Jin to pass along.

Though small, the wooden sword was surprisingly handy. Bai Jin couldn't resist spinning it in his hand, then caught it steadily, bent down, and handed it to the little pup who was looking up at him.

Xiaobai Nuo had already said thank you to Uncle Xie and took the little wooden sword from his uncle's hand. Already curious, and remembering his uncle's move just now, the little one blinked, imitated it, and spun it in his hand—don't ask why, he just felt like spinning was the right thing to do.

Then the wooden sword flew up and fell down. Before the adults could react, it landed on the little one's head and bounced to the ground.

"Ouch!"

Xiaobai Nuo covered his little head.

The next second, he was picked up by his father.

Bai Sheng felt a mix of amusement and exasperation: "Why did you imitate him?"

Xiaobai Nuo, holding his sore forehead, leaned close to his father in confusion and whispered, "Dad, isn't that how you play it?"

Nono saw Uncle play it that way.

Bai Liang, who was standing nearby carrying a lot of things, adjusted his glasses. Bai Jin, after a moment of surprise, simply burst out laughing.

"Haha, why do you imitate everything, little dummy?"

Xiaobai Nuo: ...Uncle is the dummy!

Xiaobai Nuo glanced at his uncle who was laughing at him, then snorted, burying his head back into his father's embrace.

Tonight, Nono won't speak to his uncle who laughed at him even once! If he does speak to Uncle, Nono will turn into a pudding and be eaten by someone else as punishment!

Then, Xiaobai Nuo saw Brother Xie using his wooden sword to poke Uncle Xie's butt.

Xiaobai Nuo: ...

Is that how you play it?

Bai Sheng turned his little one's head back.

Obviously, that's not how you play it either.

Then, the little one saw the "Balloon Shooting Range" behind his father. At the top of the rows of prizes, there was a huge jar decorated like a strawberry—or rather, a beautiful strawberry crafted box.

In that instant, it captured all of the little one's attention.

"Dad, look at that, a giant strawberry!"

Bai Sheng turned back to take a look and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Want that?"

The little cub instinctively wanted to nod, but worried it might cause trouble for his father. After only two seconds of hesitation, Bai Sheng had already set the cub down and said, "Wait here."

At that moment, the father's image rose even higher. The little cub let out a "wow," still holding the small wooden sword, clasped his hands together, and looked up at his father with a worshipful expression that said "My dad can do anything."

Bai Liang had been smiling all along. He had observed the little cub the entire way and noticed that both adults and children seemed easily charmed by the cub's unconscious sweet talk.

Perhaps it was because of the sincere and straightforward tone? Many words would sound affected with just a little more emphasis, or calculating with a little less, but for this little one, his pure sincerity and softness were just right.

Seeing the little cub's sparkling eyes fixed on that large strawberry art piece, Bai Liang also smiled.

Of course, he had been following along the whole way, carrying so many things, and he also wanted to stretch his limbs a bit.

Bai Liang walked up beside Bai Sheng.

"How about a competition? See who hits first, what do you think?"

Bai Liang glanced at Bai Sheng with an expression that said "Are you kidding me?" and replied, "Boring."

He casually asked the stall owner for a replica gun and stood casually—though not often used, the Bai family's top Alphas had firearms training in their past courses, so just holding a replica gun already gave him quite a commanding presence.

With a hint of arrogance: "You want to compete with me?"

So why did Bai Sheng have to be so infuriating?

Bai Liang smiled and picked up another gun.

This arrogant attitude of his, acting like he's better than everyone else in the world, is truly infuriating!

Bai Jin stood behind the two, also itching to join in, but then he suddenly looked at the little cub and asked, "Do you like little bears?"

The little cub instinctively wanted to answer, but then suddenly remembered the 'terrible vow' he had made.

So the tiny cub let out a humph, turned around with his back to his uncle, and went with his little friends to watch his father and second uncle shoot.

Bai Jin watched Xiaobai Nuo's reaction, rubbed the tip of his nose, but didn't get involved in the shooting competition. He straightened up, looked around, and suddenly paused, as if he'd spotted something. "Wait for me."

"What?"

Xiaobai Nuo heard the voice and turned to look. Bai Jin knew the two wouldn't finish anytime soon, so he headed straight in another direction.

Xiaobai Nuo instinctively looked over, but the sharp pop of balloons startled him and made him turn to the balloon target range.

The Bai family's competitive spirit had reached its peak. Bai Sheng and Bai Liang went back and forth, neither giving in, and their speed was almost identical, with a continuous popping sound that kept the little cub's eyes darting.

Too fast! Nono could barely keep track.

"Whoa, whoa! Dad, can you do that too?"

Xie Qing looked curiously at Xie Yu.

Yu Chuyan also looked at his own brother.

Yu Chen thought for a moment and then said, "I could shoot that fast, but definitely not with that accuracy."

Xie Yu said, "I can't do either, haha."

He had hardly ever played with guns.

Xie Qing and Xie Yue simultaneously pouted.

Xie Yu thought: ...You two little brats, tone down that look of disdain on your faces!!

Xiaobai Nuo also stood on tiptoes to watch. The battle was fierce, and the stall owner ran out of his stored balloons; the speed at which he was inflating new balloons with the small pump could barely keep up with the two.

Just as Xiaobai Nuo's eyes were starting to blur, a shadow suddenly loomed over him from behind.

The little cub froze, then turned his head.

He saw Bai Jin had somehow already crouched down beside him, holding a small bag. Inside the bag was a small cylindrical container filled with water and oxygen, with a lively red baby goldfish swimming and flicking its tail.

"Here you go," Bai Jin said casually. "There's a little fish pond over there where you can fish."

Bai Jin took the little cub's hand and placed the small bag in his palm.

"No need to count on your great-grandpa to fish one from the reservoir for you. Now you've got a pair, huh? And this one has color."

The little cub held the pretty little fish, blinked, and after two seconds suppressed a gasp before saying primly, "Thank you, Uncle."

He had promised himself not to talk to Uncle, but... humph, luckily Nono already had one little fish, so he wouldn't seem too happy.

But in Bai Jin's eyes, this cub's eyes were so bright, and his cheeks were starting to flush.

Wasn't it obvious he'd been coaxed into being happy?

Bai Jin chuckled softly. Suddenly, his ears twitched, and he instinctively glanced at a spot not far away.

He seemed to hear a faint "click" sound.

Before he noticed, a figure had already melted into the crowd.

The figure hid in a corner, looked at the photo he had just taken, lowered his eyes, and sent the photo.

A residence of the Yu family.

Yu An was leisurely playing a game when his phone lit up. He glanced at it.

He saw Bai Jin's softened face and the tiny adorable cub in front of him.

Yu An froze, then let out an involuntary "Oh"—could that kid Bai Jin really make an expression like that?

Yu An looked at who sent the message—Fang Kai.

Fang Kai was a college student with great talent in biology, sponsored by the Yu family. Before Yu An went abroad, Fang Kai could be considered one of his hangers-on.

Yu An's school was naturally not in Ang City, but Fang Kai studied at a top-ranked university in Ang City.

Although Yu An was a bit stubborn, the Yu family placed importance on training their heir, so he wasn't the type of spoiled rich kid who liked to bully others. He was usually generous and tolerant with his hangers-on. Bai Jin had an unusual familiarity with him, so he also knew these followers.

He laughed out loud and replied: 'Where is this? You ran into that guy Bai Jin? Hahaha, look at his expression! Didn't you go and mock him?'

Soon, several voice messages were sent from the other side.

Yu An had clicked on the voice messages with a casual attitude, but then he paused slightly. The other person's voice was a bit hoarse and gloomy, speaking very quickly.

"An Shao, he's at the night market on Sheng'ang University Street."

"An Shao, you were right before. This kind of elitist who enjoys putting others down, has the best resources, and has occupied who knows how many people's positions—I've always despised him too. We need to teach him a lesson."

Yu An: ...

Yu An was stunned. He sat up, instinctively feeling something was off.

"What are you talking about? What lesson? What are you doing?"

It took a moment before the other side replied.

"Nothing... just following your old habits, having someone play a little joke on him."

At the same time.

Bai Jin was still crouched in front of the little kid when a sudden commotion erupted behind him.

Something came flying fast. The little kid noticed first and instinctively moved, but before he could step forward, Bai Jin reacted. He pushed the kid aside and swung his other hand back. The object shattered upon contact before it could hit the ground, releasing a strong, unpleasant smell that made Bai Jin irritable.

"Uncle!"

The kid, after being pushed aside, cried out, panicking and trying to turn back to find his dad.

"A pheromone mimic bomb?"

Yu Chen, standing beside him, frowned.

"Who's playing a prank here?"

Pheromone mimic bombs, as the name suggests, are substances created by research labs when studying AO pheromones. They subtly alter a person's pheromone scent for a short period, a common prop for prank videos online. In most cases, they have no effect on people.

But there's one exception: they are not recommended for alphas or omegas in unstable periods right after pheromone differentiation.

A few young men in the crowd burst out laughing. They were holding pheromone mimic bombs bought from who knows where, phones raised to record. When people around them looked over with displeasure, they grinned and said, "Just a little joke. You might even 'get on TV' later. We didn't actually hit you with them. We're all good, quality people from Ang City, right? Just sharing some fun. These weren't cheap either."

The group looked rowdy and shifty, clearly not local students, more like small-time social media trolls trying to get views.

The Bai family, Yu family, and Xie family were all quite conspicuous standing there. Even without anyone pointing it out, they could already predict today's view count would be high.

"What idiots."

Bai Jin stood up, furious, spitting out those icy words.

A trace of an apex alpha pheromone involuntarily leaked out, carrying a faint citrus wine scent that drifted, turning aggressive like potent liquor whenever he was annoyed.

The young men's expressions stiffened, but they stubbornly shot back, "Just a joke with everyone. Why can't you take it when others can?"

"Uncle, Uncle!"

The little kid hurried over.

Bai Jin pushed down his initial irritation.

He narrowed his eyes, annoyed and impatient, almost not wanting to bother with the kid.

Fine, fine. I'm not going to fight, alright?

But the little kid looked up at him, holding a small handkerchief and his water bottle, nervously tugging at Bai Jin's clothes. "Uncle, do you feel unwell? Let Nono wipe you. Wipe you first, okay?"

Xie Yu had already stepped past him, blocking the group from leaving. Shi Lin was holding back three angry alpha kids who were nearby.

Yu Chen asked beside him, "How are your pheromones? Need to go to the hospital?"

"...I'm fine."

Bai Jin snapped back to reality, looking at the kid in front of him.

The little kid had already run to stand in front of Bai Jin.

Bai Jin knew that. He had teased the kid many times before, and the little one only protested when he really couldn't stand it anymore.

The kid had grown a bit bolder under Bai Sheng's care, but right now he was still a soft little lump—Bai Jin shouldn't have thought this ordinary night market was safe enough to come without bringing more people.

Now, looking at his uncle, the kid finally turned to face the group and raised his tiny voice as loud as he could: "Nono knows a joke is only funny if everyone thinks it's funny! You've wasted all your years!"

That was probably the harshest insult a kid his age could come up with.

The little kid sounded really angry.

He had even put the little goldfish down on the ground behind him, then stood in front of Bai Jin, furious.

Someone was getting angry for him?

Bai Jin crouched down and picked up the kid. The little one instinctively hugged his neck, feeling soft and warm, his big eyes blinking nervously, clearly still wanting to say something.

Then the kid saw something and his eyes lit up. "Dad, Dad!"

Bai Sheng was walking past them and let out a mocking laugh: "A joke? Did I hear that right? Who's joking with my kid?"

Author's note:

Dad: Busy beating up his older brother, glances at the kid, huh? [?][?][?]

Uncle: Picks him up.

Nono: Instinctively snuggles.

Uncle, who for the first time got hugged without having his hair pulled: !