Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Why did it have to be Bai Sheng's kid, of all people?

Bai Jingyun had lost count of how many times he'd thought that.

Then he saw Bai Sheng, who had been shielding the little one, make a move to pick the kid back up. When their eyes met, Bai Sheng gave a faint smirk, naturally, with a hint of paternal pride in the little one's logic.

This kid was one of a kind.

Whether it was the little one who had just been brought back, cautiously and habitually making himself small, or the current Nono, who was starting to play like a normal young child and could tell his parents what he didn't like.

No matter how he was raised, he was still himself.

A lovable baby who just couldn't be spoiled no matter what.

And an omega pup, the rarest of the rare.

Jealous?

Bai Jingyun: ...

He hadn't even had time to feel jealous, much less actually be jealous.

It was just that seeing Bai Sheng like this pissed him off.

It even made him feel like he couldn't breathe.

Ah, yet another day of hating his little brother.

Bai Jingyun thought.

He watched Bai Sheng pick up the little one, as if he was about to say something more. At that moment, Bai Jingyun's phone suddenly rang.

Bai Sheng paused. The little one—now lifted from the sofa by his father—blinked.

Bai Jingyun looked down, his usually expressionless face raising an eyebrow in rare surprise.

Bai Jingyun didn't hide it, so Bai Sheng naturally saw the note on Bai Jingyun's screen.

It was from a hospital owned by the Bai family.

If nothing unexpected had happened, the blood sample collected a few hours ago should have been sent to that hospital.

"Daddy?"

Little Bai Nuo was put back down on the sofa by his father, instinctively grabbed his father's hand, and leaned in to look.

At that moment, Bai Jingyun answered the call and listened with his head tilted.

"Where am I? I'm at the old residence."

Bai Jingyun stood up, listening to the voice on the other end, his brow involuntarily furrowing.

"Don't get excited now?"

Bai Jingyun shot a glance at Bai Sheng.

"I think I'm pretty excited right now... Alright, got it."

Bai Jingyun ended the call, turned, and exchanged a look with Bai Sheng. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then finally spoke, but this time he looked at Little Bai Nuo.

"Some values came back critical. I need to go to the hospital."

Bai Jingyun thought.

That breathlessness earlier... wasn't it just from being pissed off by that rascal Bai Sheng?

And Little Bai Nuo immediately perked up.

Sure enough, Nono hadn't missed anything that time—it wasn't that Nono didn't see; it was that Uncle was sick.

Little Bai Nuo grabbed his father's clothes, looked at his uncle, and spoke softly with concern.

"See, Uncle? If you don't take care of yourself, you'll get sick."

Bai Jingyun steadied his breathing, calming himself as the hospital had requested. He sent a message to his assistant, then looked back at Little Bai Nuo. "Uncle understands. It won't happen again," he said.

As for the critical results? Bai Jingyun wasn't like those patients who panic the moment they hear they have a serious illness. He knew the physical constitution of a top-tier Alpha. At this age, unless it was a sudden genetic disease like Cen Liu's father had, problems almost never occurred, especially since he himself felt no symptoms. That meant the problem was external. He was used to handling such situations; after all, they had grown up in this environment. If he had been careless enough to get caught, it would only mean he wasn't skilled enough.

Bai Jingyun thought for only a moment, then had his assistant investigate and list all the places he had visited recently.

But after sending the message, Bai Jingyun couldn't help looking at Little Bai Nuo again.

If something really was wrong, was he saved by the little one's nightmare?

Bai Jingyun felt a little dazed. Still affected by his earlier emotions, he found it all somewhat incredible.

There could be such a tiny child, small enough to hold in your arms, who sincerely cares about everything about you, who said you were family, and that nothing was more important than family.

And now the tiny little one was still talking, his eyes sparkling as if he had received the best reward. He still remembered that his uncle had said he was scared earlier.

"Don't be scared, Uncle. You need to go see the doctor right away. Don't be like Grandpa, who didn't say anything when he felt bad. The doctor is really good. You'll be better soon, Uncle."

That way, Uncle wouldn't suddenly fall down like he did in Nono's dream, right?

Little Bai Nuo looked up at his uncle with big, hopeful eyes.

The little one had never seen a real doctor during the apocalypse. After coming here, he was only a bit scared of Doctor Xu Chuan because of the shots, but he had only been sick a few times, and he always recovered in a few days at most.

So in the little one's world, there was a basic logic—with adults around, nothing was impossible, no illness was incurable.

The problems of this world were kept out of his world by adults, at an age when he couldn't fully understand them.

Thus, only a pure and genuine emotion remained.

And that alone was enough to move people.

Bai Jingyun gave a small nod, thinking: if that was the case, then maybe it really didn't matter where he ranked in this little one's heart.

Just then, the door was flung open noisily.

Bai Jin, who had gotten the news from his mother, arrived first. He poked his head in, clearly still in pain from the pulled muscles but unable to suppress his nature: "Big Bro, are you going to be a cripple?"

Bai Jingyun: ?

What the heck? What kind of rumor are you starting?

Bai Jin had obviously only caught a snippet and rushed over, even pretending to console him.

"I heard the hospital called Mom, saying several of your readings are bad, including your heart and lungs. Don't worry, I'll take care of your share of gifts for Nono."

In short—Bro, if you die, I'll step up.

Crude but not off base; never miss a chance to mock and gloat.

Bai Jingyun: ...

He needed to stay calm. He couldn't get emotional now. If something really went wrong, he'd be playing right into this guy's hands.

But he still couldn't help wanting to sneer.

Rank doesn't matter?

It clearly does. Bai Jin, you little brat, just stay at the bottom of the list!

Xiaobai Nuo successfully sent his uncle to the hospital and then made sure the rest of the Bai family got checked up. By the time everything was done, three days had passed.

Kindergarten was officially on break, so the little guy didn't get to go to the exhibition at the store his uncle had mentioned. But Xiaobai Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, believing that his uncle would definitely be fine—the doctor would surely cure him.

The check-ups for the rest of the Bai family showed no major issues.

Only Bai Qian still had some lingering effects and shock from what happened at Chestnut Mountain last time; he needed some recuperation.

But it wasn't a big problem. Bai Qian thought about it, glanced at the little guy who was still worried about Bai Jingyun, and decided not to mention it.

As for Bai Jingyun's health issues, they were finally figured out.

Even when Bai Jingyun was admitted to the hospital, the Bai family hadn't taken it too seriously. A young, strong 3S-level alpha could be saved even if half-crippled.

But the situation was actually more serious than they had imagined.

"After all the tests, it's confirmed to be poisoning? The source... from abroad?"

The Bai family gathered together now. The old man frowned involuntarily.

This source was exactly why the Bai family had all come together.

"It's a synthetic toxin that damages nerves and internal organs, not yet named domestically. It can be transmitted through inhalation or contact. The eldest had some critical values on his reports.

After all the tests, there are significant issues with his heart and lungs, and damage to various organs. But given his level of alpha physique, he's incredibly tough—he only felt occasional fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath, which he mistook for the aftereffects of staying up late. If it had been a lower-level alpha, they'd probably be crippled. He was lucky to catch it relatively early. If it had caused severe damage, there would be permanent aftereffects."

Bai Liang sat on the small sofa, chin propped on his hand, glancing at Bai Sheng as he spoke.

Bai Sheng held Xiaobai Nuo in his arms.

The little guy was still holding his dad's phone, which had just paused a cute pet documentary. The frozen frame showed a fluffy long-haired orange cat with a litter of kittens. Today, Xiaobai Nuo was wearing a warm orange short-sleeved shirt decorated with patterns of orange slices, ice cubes, and mint leaves, making him look equally fluffy and adorable.

Xiaobai Nuo was very serious. Even though he didn't fully understand, he nodded with conviction, offering emotional support, blinking as he waited for his second uncle to continue.

Bai Liang met Xiaobai Nuo's gaze, then looked away slightly awkwardly and continued.

"Earlier, when the eldest was causing trouble for San'er, those people were scheming. Starting from the eldest's physical exam this year, during business negotiations and various contacts, they tried to bring him down, even if it meant leaving themselves with aftereffects. Those people's fortunes weren't clean to begin with, and the eldest held too many of their secrets. Even though they were partners, they were terrified. And some of those partners had switched from San'er to the eldest."

No need to elaborate—if things had reached a dead end, given the previous tension between Bai Sheng and Bai Jingyun, Bai Liang could hardly imagine the catastrophic fallout.

"Now that the eldest has stopped dealing with them, they're panicking. They've been trying to track his whereabouts. But they underestimated the physique of a top alpha. This poison couldn't really kill him."

"You sound like you're talking about poisoning a rat," Bai Jin couldn't help interjecting.

Bai Liang ignored him and glanced at Bai Sheng again. Bai Sheng looked back lazily, then down at the serious little guy in his arms. He pinched Xiaobai Nuo's earnest face, finding it amusing.

"Do you understand?"

The earnest little guy blinked, shook his head honestly, and buried his face in his father's chest. "No."

He knew what poison was, but all that other stuff about nerves and organs? He was lost.

The little guy was still processing when his second uncle had already rattled off a bunch of things.

So, the little one tentatively spoke up, trying to connect the dots. His soft, childish voice carried obvious worry: "...Did Uncle get poisoned with rat poison?"

Bai Sheng paused for a second, then couldn't help applauding: Genius!

Everyone else: ...

Bai Qi impatiently nudged Bai Jin away—Go away, you're not listening properly. You've confused the kid.

"Your uncle is fine. If you're worried, Grandma will take you to see him later. So don't worry. Go watch your educational videos on the little rug."

Cen Zhi also spoke with a smile. She took Xiaobai Nuo from Bai Sheng's arms and set him down in the spot where he usually folded paper and built blocks. She propped up the phone and restarted the documentary for him.

Xiaobai Nuo actually wanted to keep listening, but knowing his uncle was okay, and the cats on the screen were moving again, his attention was drawn away.

The little guy pointed at the screen and looked up at his grandmother. "Grandma, fluffy."

"Yes," Cen Zhi said, stroking his fluffy head.

"Fluffy."

Cen Zhi took Xiaobai Nuo aside to play, but still kept an eye on the conversation.

Bai Liang leaned back into the sofa and said things that even if the little guy couldn't understand, shouldn't be heard by him.

"Those people reacted quickly; the ones who fled have been dealt with and thrown into the sea to feed the fish. But they're no match for San'er. The eldest played it safe, so he was a bit slow. The domestic ones were caught by the Federation first; they only got a beating. He'll probably have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. Speaking of which, this poison is insidious—on the surface, it doesn't show much. But if you get agitated, it triggers a chain reaction. Actually, the physical exam was just moved up. The eldest could have lasted until the next one, and it would have been caught then."

When would he be startled? And how were those people so sure that Bai Jingyun would have an accident within the year?

Honestly, they had a hard time imagining Bai Jingyun getting emotional—unless it was when he was at odds with Bai Sheng?

Everyone couldn't help glancing at Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng's attention had already been drawn to Xiaobai Nuo. Sensing the stares, he looked sideways: "What does his unhappiness have to do with me?"

As for what else could make him emotional?

"Grandma!" Xiaobai Nuo suddenly exclaimed, diving into his grandmother's arms and burying his little face in her chest.

Cen Zhi chuckled and comforted the little guy: "Nono, don't be scared. The cat just caught a bug. It's fine. See, the scene has passed."

Cen Zhi was slightly amused.

I mean, of all the things you had to inherit from your dad, why the fear of bugs, just like the rest of the Bai family?

In that instant, Bai Liang couldn't help sitting up, a chill running down his spine as he instinctively looked toward Xiaobai Nuo.

Everyone in the Bai family feared bugs.

Some showed it; some didn't.

Even Bai Liang had to admit that if a bug suddenly flew at him from around a corner, he'd flinch too.

But usually, the Bai family members put on a good front, and as they grew older, it became less obvious.

And Bai Jingyun, since childhood, had always avoided bugs—maybe somewhere unseen, the bugs actually got to him?

But the Bai family wasn't gathered for this. They rarely meddled in each other's affairs; everyone solved their own problems, and most of the time they didn't bother to know the details. Cen Zhi would keep track, and that was enough.

But according to Bai Liang,

Bai Qian turned his head and looked over. "Is it connected to something overseas?"

Bai Liang looked over at him.

He knew what his father was getting at.

After all—there was still his third uncle, who had fled to Country J and kept stirring up trouble on the side.

"Although it's connected to abroad, the link isn't strong. Plus, these guys started out with shady backgrounds, and there are still plenty of illegal labs that haven't been fully shut down here. It's normal for them to have ties to those labs, but I can't be sure..."

Bai Liang continued.

"Could it be related to third uncle? Lately, boss and San'er have had some friction in business, and third uncle seems to be mixed up in it. He also has signs of having been in contact with those guys."

Bai Sheng had lost patience with the discussion.

"Some petty tricks."

He was about to go get his kid.

Bai Liang shrugged.

Bai Qian, deep in thought, had received no reports on the matter.

But thinking of his unpredictable younger brother, Bai Qian hesitated and rubbed his chin.

He glanced at his father, who remained silent.

After a moment, he said, "Maybe it's easier to keep him where we can see him."

Overseas, Bai Zhize's reach was still too far.

Bai Qian wasn't sure if his occasionally neurotic little brother might target Xiaobai Nuo.

At the same time, Xiaobai Nuo had already been picked up by his father.

The little one wrapped his arms sweetly and softly around his father's neck, in his babyish voice: "Dad, are we going to see Uncle? If Uncle is alone, Nuo can bring him some toys to keep him company."

Behind them, the Bai family members, having finished reviewing all medical reports, had no intention of getting involved in Bai Jingyun's affairs and were ready to leave. One by one, they couldn't help glancing at Xiaobai Nuo. The elder was the most reserved, leaving first. Bai Qian, still thinking about Bai Zhize, followed close behind. The others lingered.

Bai Liang and Bai Qi gathered together again, inevitably trading barbs, exchanging sarcastic barbs, hitting each other's sore spots.

But as they talked, Bai Liang suddenly paused—

He abruptly reached out and tugged on Bai Qi's sleeve.

Bai Qi shook his hand off, confused. "What are you doing?"

Bai Liang, with a strange expression, pointed behind her.

Bai Qi: ?

A prank?

No, that kind of prank was more Bai Jin's style.

Bai Qi looked back skeptically and fell silent.

Bai Liang suddenly called out to Bai Sheng.

Holding his kid, he had been about to say they'd visit uncle later, but turned to see Bai Liang and Bai Qi in a strangely synchronized motion, both pointing at the little fish Xiaobai Nuo had fed at noon.

What's wrong?

Bai Sheng stared at the black fish floating upside down in the sunlight.

...Floating upside down?

Bai Sheng: ...

"Dad?"

The little one was puzzled, looking up at his father.

What happened?

Xiaobai Nuo had been listening to his father mid-sentence when his father suddenly went silent. He blinked, looked up at his father in confusion, and turned to look behind him, but before he could see, his father carried him outside.

Bai Sheng reacted quickly: "I'll take you to see your uncle."

Cen Zhi also shifted to block the little one's view, saying, "Grandma will get your little bag, Nuo."

"Hmm?"

Xiaobai Nuo thought for a moment, didn't fully understand, but then hugged his father's neck. He had sensed his father's reluctance earlier.

So, after thinking for a moment, he leaned close to Bai Sheng's ear and whispered.

"Uncle is family, but Dad is the most important person to Nuo!"

His eyes were sparkling, never hesitating to show how important Bai Sheng was to him.

Bai Sheng paused mid-step, then leaned down to nuzzle his son, and continued carrying him outside.

Bai Sheng thought: Precisely because he's too sweet, it's better to avoid things that might make this little one cry.

After Bai Sheng left, Bai Liang and Bai Qi, for once, didn't argue. They stared at the little fish floating belly-up in the tank.

They exchanged glances—What do we do?

Bai Jin leaned in to look, just to cause more trouble, and exclaimed in amazement.

"Grandpa caught this fish, and it can even do the backstroke."

"Oh, come on. Was it because the sun was directly hitting and the water temperature got too high? When Nono put it in, the sun wasn't directly hitting then."

Bai Qi muttered under her breath.

"Can it be saved?"

"Generally speaking, if it's still alive, there's still a chance."

Bai Liang said gravely, starting to search academic sites for relevant papers.

"If you ask me, that kid is definitely coming to move his little fish tank this afternoon. What can we fix in just one afternoon? To keep fish long-term, you have to follow some rules of fishkeeping."

Bai Jin, seeing his brother and sister looking at him, continued seriously.

"You have to replace the fish regularly. This type is hard to raise, and with such a small tank, it's normal for them to die. That little guy has done a decent job raising them."

Bai Liang: ... He's definitely going to cry!

Bai Qi: ... He's definitely going to cry!

Twenty years later, the siblings finally agreed on something—they stopped mocking each other because of Nono's little fish.

Bai Liang let out a sigh, picked up his phone. Sure enough, he really didn't want that little guy to cry.

"We'll try to save it, but first let's find a similar one to trade it for. Don't actually make him cry. I'll ask the people in my group if they can find one."

Bai Qi hurried upstairs.

Bai Liang looked up: "What are you doing?"

Bai Qi didn't even turn back.

"I'm going to get Grandpa's fishing rod and head to the reservoir to catch a few."

Bai Liang: ...

Don't repeat Grandpa's legendary streak of catching nothing!!!

Special ward at the hospital.

Medicine dripped drop by drop into bluish veins. Bai Jingyun looked down at the documents, he looked grim.

He drummed his fingers lightly on the papers, then let out a scoff after a moment, closing his eyes.

What is this? Karma? Retribution?

Admit that he really lacked ability and ended up like this?

Bai Jingyun, who rarely felt weak, looked even colder. For the past twenty-plus years, his conflicts with Bai Sheng had centered on this, and even though things had eased this year, this report was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, as if it was trying every way to prove his weakness—not only was he weaker than Bai Sheng, but even people he despised could cause this. Did his ability fall short of his arrogance?

The sunlight outside didn't seem to shine in here, just like in the past.

But this moment was clearly different from before—

"Uncle, are you in there?"

The room door was pushed open.

Bai Jingyun was taken aback for a second and turned his head.

He met eyes with Xiaobai Nuo, who was peeking in.

—Didn't this little guy hate the hospital?

Why was he here?

And unlike his usual cheerful voice when he came in, even though no other patients were on this floor, the little guy deliberately lowered his tiny, squeaky voice.

Today, he was dressed like a refreshing glass of orange soda, his little curls bouncing as he looked around. When he spotted him, he blinked his big eyes.

He padded in, still clutching his little bag, stood by the bed, and looked up at his uncle.

"Nono?"

Bai Jingyun's voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke in surprise.

"Why are you here?"

He propped himself up slightly and watched as the little guy pulled out one thing after another.

"Dad and Grandma brought Nono to see Uncle."

Having just watched a documentary about cats, he raised his little hand high, holding something up, and said to Bai Jingyun, "Uncle, Nono went hunting and brought you a catch."

"Snacks, toys, and you can read picture books when you're bored. This is Nono's favorite picture book."

The little guy said in a hushed, breathy voice, arranged the items, and looked at his uncle.

"Uncle, if you take good care of yourself, you'll get better just like Little Uncle."

Bai Jingyun: ... So now I'm sitting at the same table as Crispy Jin?

But Bai Jingyun looked at the picture book the little guy had brought, thought about his words, and the sunlight streamed in as the curtains were drawn open.

Cen Zhi, who had been standing by the door, came in. She smiled as she opened the curtains and teased Xiaobai Nuo.

"Where did you learn such an adorable way of saying that?"

"Because in the video, it said that strong big cats hunt for their sick family members."

The little guy arranged everything in a circle around his uncle.

The childish art style seemed utterly mismatched with Bai Jingyun's demeanor.

But the young cub was completely absorbed in his role, nodding and asking his father.

"So Nono hunted too, right, Dad?"

Cen Zhi laughed.

Bai Sheng had already walked in, standing behind the cub, exchanging a silent glance with Bai Jingyun.

At that moment, seeing Bai Sheng made things even more awkward for Bai Jingyun. He looked up and let out a rare sigh.

"It's karma. Laugh if you want. What a crazy mess."

Bai Sheng answered casually.

“Nothing funny about it. I almost got in trouble myself back then.”

If it weren’t for Xiaobai Nuo sticking to him so much back then, he might have ended up in an accident too.

Bai Jingyun, unaware of this, looked up, a bit surprised—was Bai San actually comforting him?

Not sure, but he then gave in, even starting a conversation in a surprisingly calm tone.

“Alright, what were you going to say earlier? I didn’t catch it before we came to the hospital. You can tell me now.”

Bai Sheng looked at him skeptically: “You sure?”

Bai Jingyun: ?

What’s there to be unsure about?

“Can you handle any more shocks right now?”

Bai Sheng asked out of nowhere.

“I should be fine—I’ve already had all the treatments these past two days. But why do you ask?”

Bai Jingyun found out a second later.

He watched as Bai Sheng picked up the little one, the kid let out an “ah” and called out “Daddy” in confusion, then naturally wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck. The next moment, the little guy squinted his eyes.

Bai Sheng pulled the child close, pressing his face directly against the kid’s face, squishing the soft little cheeks even rounder, like squishing a soft bun—so affectionate and fond that it was pure showing off.

In a rare, lighthearted tone, Bai Sheng said, “He’s mine. Not yours.” — Jealous? No use being jealous. Mine. Not yours.

Bai Jingyun: …

Still leaning against the kid, Bai Sheng gave a lazy smile—completely different from Xiaobai Nuo’s vibe—and said with an 'I-told-you-so' tone: “See, you insisted on hearing it, and now you’re all pissed off.”

Bai Jingyun: ………

“Yeah, you might as well just get lost.”