Chapter 95

Chapter 95

This was originally Bai Sheng’s conversation to stall for time, but after Xiaobai Nuo finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Not only Bai Sheng, but the three people who were a bit busy over there all looked over in unison.

This kid really tugs at the heartstrings, which is why no one could stand to see him cry.

Cen Zhi sat beside the sofa and commented, “Tomorrow, I’ll have Cen Liu publish this for all of you. His struggling news column is sure to blow up. The headline could be: ‘After the Bai family of Ang City fell from grace, they have to rely on their baby to make a living.’”

The Bai family members: …

And that phrase sounded familiar.

Bai Sheng couldn’t help but glance between his mother and Bai Liang.

He clicked his tongue softly.

Bai Liang clearly heard what Bai Sheng said.

He said, “Why couldn’t he inherit something good?”

Bai Liang chuckled: “Mom, San’er says your genes are no good.”

“What?”

Having given birth to five A-grade kids, and being quite sensitive to the topic of genes, Cen Zhi whipped her head around and began scrutinizing Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng: …

But before Bai Sheng could speak, the little one in his arms sweetly looked up at his grandmother.

“Nono will support Grandma too. Nono will save up everything that can be traded for good food and give it all to Grandma! And to Uncle Biao.”

Aww, Grandma’s precious treasure.

Cen Zhi’s expression instantly softened, and she smiled as she said to Xiaobai Nuo, “You can’t tell Uncle Biao that.”

What if Cen Liu got too excited about that and came to the Bai family to steal the kid?

Cen Zhi reached out: “Come here, let Grandma hold you. It’s almost time to eat. Grandma will go with Nono to see what’s for dinner, okay?”

The little one nodded his little head and reached out his hands from Bai Sheng’s arms.

The fox-like Second Uncle, who had been stirring the pot and watching the drama, failed to provoke him. He pondered for a moment, pushed up his glasses, and glanced at Bai Sheng, still sitting on the sofa.

This guy with slightly curly black hair wore a proud smile on his lips. He had always been eccentric and a bit casual, and after spending more time with this kid, his demeanor seemed to have softened, often making him appear lazy.

At times like this, it was quite annoying.

Bai Liang could only say: Doubt Bai Jingyun, understand Bai Jingyun, become Bai Jingyun.

—Isn’t Bai San having this kid a bit too unfair?

The little one didn’t go to see his fish before dinner.

He fed the fish twice a day now, giving the two little fish very little each time. He was, one could say, a baby with a routine that even Bai Liang admired. After all, little kids at this age are very curious about many things, and it’s common for them to overfeed goldfish at home or cause water quality to change suddenly from overfeeding, leading to the fish dying.

This afternoon, he had looked up information and seen it, and wasn’t there a similar situation with that surname Xie, Bai Liang’s business partner? The Bai family had a subtle buzz about it, and Bai Liang had even heard related anecdotes from Cen Zhi.

—The ornamental koi they bought died every time they got them, and no one knew why. Finally, they discovered it was because the two little ones in the house were competing to feed the fish, and they ended up overfeeding them to death.

As for the Yu family’s plant-raising member, there was no need to mention it; his younger brother was practically a stumbling block in his plant-raising journey.

Thus, Xiaobai Nuo learned from the lessons of his older brothers and treated these two little fish treasures with real care.

The only flaw now—since half a year had passed since the little one arrived home, the angle of sunlight coming in through the window had changed with the seasons. The spot where the little one usually placed his fish tank had been getting more and more sunlight these past few days.

Looks like he’d have to have someone pull the sunshade at noon tomorrow.

Just after dinner, the little one usually had half an hour of self-entertainment time, doing quiet activities to prevent discomfort from intense exercise after eating.

The little kid didn’t look at the new idiom picture book. After watching the cat documentary today, he was now more interested in various documentaries for children.

At the moment, he was sitting on the carpet, watching a science animation for little kids with Doudou.

Bai Sheng still had work to do today, so he simply sat next to Xiaobai Nuo to handle his affairs.

After half an hour, the dad reminded the little one to get up and move around.

The little one, his big eyes glued to the screen, hummed in response but didn’t get up.

Bai Sheng couldn’t help but look over.

The little one was focused, staring at the two animated small animals on the screen.

This seemed to be another science animation presented in a family format, explaining various fascinating phenomena for children.

This episode was about the story of putting a bottle full of water into the freezer and having the cap pushed open by the ice.

Actually, anyone who had studied physics and chemistry would know the more specific reason, but for a little kid, everything in the world was magical.

He watched with great interest, completely absorbed.

He clearly hadn’t heard what Bai Sheng had just said to him.

Probably everyone was a bit nervous about whether the little one would discover the fish that had been substituted.

After dinner, the Bai family didn’t leave. Even Bai Liang sat on the sofa nearby with a book open on his lap.

But tonight, aside from Bai Jingyun who was in the hospital, the old man and Bai Qian were both absent, so there weren’t too many people in the room, making it not too overwhelming for the little one.

Still, Xiaobai Nuo was a bit puzzled about why Grandpa hadn’t come back for dinner either.

At that moment, all the Bai family members looked at Bai Sheng.

How rare—this kid’s attention was completely not on Bai Sheng.

He lost to a science animation! Bai San!

Bai Sheng leaned sideways and ruffled the little one’s curly hair from behind.

The little one, who had been lying on his little feet earnestly watching the screen, immediately looked up at his dad.

Bai Sheng lowered his head and met his kid’s gaze.

Looking at Dad, Xiaobai Nuo hadn’t quite reacted yet.

He blinked, as if it suddenly clicked, climbed up and hugged his dad's neck.

What's wrong?

Now Bai Sheng didn't quite understand.

But before Bai Sheng could even ask him.

The little cub gave his dad another tentative kiss on the cheek.

Bai Sheng: !

Bai Sheng's eyes widened slightly, and he instinctively looked at the kid.

He also heard the scrape of a chair nearby.

Xiaobai Nuo seemed a little shy too, then pointed at the screen.

At that moment, the educational cartoon had just ended on a sweet note, showing the little kid hugged by his parents and kissing them in a happy closing scene.

Bai Sheng looked at the screen, then at his own cub.

Xiaobai Nuo seemed a little confused.

Isn't this what they do?

But.

The little one still had his arms around his dad's neck and said seriously, "If other kids have it, Nono will give it to Dad too."

Five minutes later, Xiaobai Nuo took Dou Dou around the house.

The others all silently stared at Bai Sheng.

He was still sitting in the same spot, one hand over his face, giving off a weird vibe.

It was like a final boss in a video game, taken down by a little hero's surprise kiss.

Cen Zhi really wanted to call Bai Sheng out for being lame.

But then she thought, she'd love to have that kind of "pathetic" moment herself.

Just then, Bai Jin awkwardly stood up. Everyone turned to look at him, then followed his gaze.

They saw the little cub had already gotten the fish food and was heading toward his small fish tank with Dou Dou.

In his soft baby voice: "Fishies! Time to eat!"

The adults looked over, holding their breath, watching to see if the little one noticed.

They heard him sprinkle the fish food in, watching the fish eat as usual, then let out a soft, confused "Huh?"

The Bai family's hearts sank.

Did he notice?

Bai Liang couldn't help standing up. He stepped forward and smiled, "What's wrong?"

Xiaobai Nuo was watching the fish carefully. When he heard his second uncle's voice, he turned to look at him.

"Because the fish didn't come up to eat at first, only the red one came up to eat."

Bai Liang shot a quick glance at the tank.

He didn't notice?

Then the little one kept asking.

"Second Uncle, are you tired today?"

"Why do you say that?"

Bai Liang was a little startled, looking at Xiaobai Nuo.

"Because Second Uncle doesn't come back usually, Grandma said you're super busy."

The little one gripped the edge of the table, looking up at Bai Liang, his little dimples appearing as he spoke.

"Even if you're busy, you need to rest well. Grandma says Dad is always energetic because he sleeps well."

As the only person in the Bai family who didn't wake up early.

Bai Sheng seemed to snap out of it and looked over.

Bai Liang didn't dwell on it. Aside from thinking the little guy was cute, he only felt relieved—seems like he really didn't notice.

Logically speaking.

Bai Liang didn't think he was especially soft on the little guy.

He was just treating the little cub like any normal person would care for a kid, or maybe he was finally experiencing a child's cuteness and couldn't help being extra attentive.

Compared to Bai Sheng, who was already a doting dad, and Bai Jingyun, who seemed a bit unhinged, he felt perfectly normal.

At least more normal than either Bai Jin or Bai Qi.

But at that moment, he realized his relief was too obvious. It wasn't guilt over doing something wrong—Bai Liang didn't have that feeling at all. He was simply glad the little cub wouldn't end up crying — that's all.

The whole Bai family breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Not long after, Xiaobai Nuo was carried back to bed by Bai Sheng.

In the main building, they hadn't left yet.

Bai Liang was looking at his phone, while Bai Jin beside him stretched and yawned, turning to ask, "Your lab's been busy lately, right? You're not going to the school at this hour, are you?"

"Yeah, it's busy."

Bai Liang replied with a smile.

Bai Qi stood nearby, arms crossed, expression cold.

"If you can save that fish, then save it. If you can't, hand it over and I'll figure something out."

Bai Liang looked up, confused: "Everything you raise dies. How are you going to figure it out?"

Bai Qi: ...

"I can become a fish-keeping genius."

Bai Jin let out an "Ouch," shrugged his shoulders, and repeated, "I can become a fish-raising genius."

Bai Qi: ...

Ten seconds later, Bai Jin shrank to the side, hissed, glanced at the teacup his sister had thrown at him, and temporarily shut up.

Bai Liang stood by, watching with a smile, looking completely relaxed.

"Besides," Bai Liang waved his hand casually, "He didn't notice at all, right? Whether that fish is dead or alive doesn't matter now, does it? Do we still need to save it?"

Bai Liang truly couldn't understand; as long as the person he cared about was happy, wasn't that enough? Nothing else needed much attention—neither the fish nor the methods used.

But before he finished speaking, Bai Qi had already pressed down on his shoulder.

Her eyes showed undisguised coldness and disgust.

"Don't joke around. Go save it, or hand it over to me."

She spoke each word deliberately.

Bai Qi always said whatever was on her mind; the atmosphere instantly turned cold. Bai Qi's pheromones carried a damp, post-rain scent reminiscent of cold cedar, full of aggression as they pressed down on Bai Liang without hesitation or concealment.

"The original fish is different. You always focus on the wrong things, which is why I always find you annoying."

Huh? So that's why you hate me?

So he said it—he totally couldn't understand. All rational reasoning leads to a single conclusion, like an unfinished experiment on his lab bench: control the variables and catalysts, and it inevitably leads to one conclusion.

The conclusion now was that the little one hadn't noticed, so that the healthy substitute fish could stay in the little one's tank for good, without taking the risk of saving the original fish and then having to replace it again, which would risk being discovered. No extra action was needed.

Sensing the dense, hostile pheromones from Bai Qi,

Bai Liang's gaze also turned cold. His white tea pheromones spread out slowly, usually a gentle aroma with hints of dried flowers and herbs, but now turning bitter as they entered the territorial struggle.

He grabbed Bai Qi's wrist in response, slowly applying pressure. He was still smiling, but his eyes turned colder, and his voice became icy.

"I told you, I hate you too, Bai Qi. You stay away from me."

"Hey."

Bai Jin pinched his nose and fanned the air with his hand.

"Can you two go fight outside? Fighting like this won't kill anyone."

Bai Jin had initially wanted to slip away, but was pushed out by Cen Zhi.

He reluctantly stepped in to intervene.

Then the two, locked in confrontation, suddenly turned to look at him in unison.

Bai Liang smiled and declined, "You stay away too."

Bai Qi frowned and took a step back, "Dial down your alcohol-tinged pheromones."

Bai Jin: ...

"Wait, why am I the one being targeted again?"

Bai Jin looked back at Cen Zhi discontentedly.

"Mom, what purpose did you have in dragging me over here?!"

"You're here to be a punching bag... oh, I mean, a mediator."

Cen Zhi sat to the side, speaking elegantly, and made the final call.

"Bai Liang, you try to raise it first and see if you can bring it back. We'll talk about the rest later. Xiao Si... you should stop raising plants or animals."

Cen Zhi had to admit.

Although Bai Qi is very serious, she truly kills everything she tries to raise, perhaps because of her overly cold and aggressive pheromones.

Bai Qi reluctantly acknowledged and withdrew her hand.

The tense atmosphere dissipated; the two who were sick of each other at least didn't fight this time and prepared to leave.

Instead, Bai Jin, who had just suffered a loss, was dissatisfied.

Bai Jin slowly walked to the window, first looked at Bai Liang: "You can't even raise a fish, yet you're a professor. Hah."

Bai Liang turned his head in confusion.

Bai Qi didn't have time to praise.

Then they heard Bai Jin speak again.

"Sis, your fishing skills are as bad as Grandpa's."

Bai Qi: ...

Watching Bai Jin jump out the window and flee, Cen Zhi smiled.

See? She was right: Bai Jin could act as a mediator who also serves as a punching bag. Was she wrong?

When the surroundings quieted down, Cen Zhi took out her phone to send a message, stood up to leave, then turned to look at the place where the little one usually put the fish tank when coming to the main building.

She muttered softly: "Hopefully he really hasn't discovered it yet."

...

After this incident, Bai Liang first returned to his residence, mainly because Bai Qi's pheromone scent was too aggressive; once it got on you, it made people very uncomfortable.

Bai Liang planned to take a shower at the Bai family's old residence first before deciding whether to go back.

After he came out of the shower, the summer night breeze wasn't cool. Bai Liang didn't blow-dry his hair; his black hair drooped slightly wet on his forehead. He walked to his desk to look at the small fish he had placed in a shallow water dish.

This small fish was still alive, but it looked listless.

In the small basin not far away, the fish they had brought today were also sent to him; those fish were swimming happily.

Bai Liang casually ran his hand through his hair, looking expressionlessly, thinking: Aren't all these fish the same?

What's wrong with finding an identical fish as a replacement? Wouldn't that make everyone happy? Why waste time and effort?

After all, the little one just wants to raise two fish. Does it matter what kind of fish they are?

He couldn't understand.

Bai Liang glanced at his desk again, and his phone rang at that moment.

Bai Liang answered the phone.

"Hello?"

Bai Liang walked slowly to the window, looking up at the moon.

"Yeah, I know. Keep observing... Mm, the experimental drug 427 has passed all phases of animal trials. Report it and find suitable candidates, same requirements as before. Make the arrangements... Me today? Looks like I won't be able to make it back. I'll come over tomorrow morning... Mm, yes, alright."

Bai Liang looked at the moon for a moment, then spoke to the research assistant on the other end, a hint of confusion in his voice: "I, uh, let's say hypothetically, there's something I don't quite understand. If you replace something a five-year-old kid really likes, would you throw the original away? If he doesn't notice, then there's no fuss, right? ... I said hypothetically."

After listening for a moment, he ended the call, feeling a bit of a headache. He turned to look at the fish on his desk.

"Forget it, I'll find another way."

Bai Liang muttered to himself.

He couldn’t really leave it to Bai Qi, that bio-killer, to handle it.

Bai Liang walked over to the little fish, stared at it for a long time, and said in frustration, "You seem like a big problem. Don't die on me here."

Bai Sheng had been observing Xiaobai Nuo all evening.

He was certain the little cub seemed normal enough. Soon, he said goodnight to Bai Sheng and fell asleep softly in his arms.

It appeared he really hadn't noticed the fish had been swapped.

But Bai Sheng looked at the little one sleeping in his arms, feeling a strange sense of guilt and unease.

Even though he had tricked and deceived countless people in the past.

Eventually, Bai Sheng fell asleep holding the little cub in his arms.

Maybe it was this subtle guilt that gave him an unusually vivid nightmare.

He dreamed of a tiny cub, skinnier and weaker than he was now, covered in dirt, with only his eyes were bright. His little arms and legs were slender, except for the slight baby fat on his cheeks that gave away his age.

Bai Sheng watched this little cub scavenge for trash, made a small pile in a hidden spot, and finally dragging it in a bag to trade at a store for a small blanket. Calling it a blanket was generous; it was actually a thin, cleaner-looking plush little blanket, square and just big enough to cover the cub.

The little cub adored this blanket; it seemed to be his most precious possession. The weather was clearly getting colder where he lived. He hid the blanket carefully and wrapped himself in it and slept in a corner every night.

Until his little shelter was discovered. The tiny cub was chased off. After escaping, he risked going back only to find his blanket had been torn up by someone in anger.

The little one didn't cry. He just picked up the pieces one by one, carefully examined every piece by night, as if memorizing the patterns. In the end, he covered himself with something less warm, curled up in a corner, shivering. He murmured very softly, still holding in his tears. Bai Sheng had to listen closely to hear his words.

"Nono... has nothing again."

The moment he understood those words, the feeling of being detached that he had while watching these scenes suddenly vanished, and all the emotions came rushing back.

...

Bai Sheng’s eyes snapped open.

His heart pounded violently. Instinctively, he pressed a hand to his chest, veins bulging on his arms, his black hair damp. A fierce, almost violent anger washed over him. He tried to suppress it, but a wisp of mint scent still leaked out.

A dream?

A nightmare?

Bai Sheng’s eyes darted to the side.

Xiaobai Nuo was not there.

He immediately jumped up.

He glanced at the clock. It was just past six in the morning.

Bai Sheng pressed his throbbing temples.

It's okay—this was the time the little cub usually got up.

Xiaobai Nuo had indeed woken up early today.

Aunt Feng stood there, a bit hesitant beside the little boy.

The little one was bent over the table, carefully examining the fish tank. Next to it was his little monitor, Dou Dou, its system indicator light faintly blinking.

Xiaobai Nuo’s black hair was messy, his chubby little face full of seriousness. He was still wearing his bear pajamas. Nearby, his bear toys were placed around, making him look just like a little curly-haired bear when he sat down amongst them.

He reached out a small hand to tap the fish tank, then sucked in his lower lip.

Footsteps sounded from the stairs behind him.

Xiaobai Nuo turned instinctively and saw his father rushing down the stairs, also in pajamas.

The little one was about to greet him in his babyish voice, "Daddy—"

But Bai Sheng spoke first.

"Nono, did you notice the fish in the tank isn't yours?"

Xiaobai Nuo paused, blinking his big eyes. His eyes instantly went red.

"Oh dear, Third Master, look at what a mess this turned into."

Aunt Feng dared to say, looking at Xiaobai Nuo with sympathy.

The little boy reached out, and his father picked him up.

Bai Sheng held the soft little cub in his arms, hearing a small, pitiful sniffle. His subtle sense of foreboding had come true.

This little one always looked at things that belonged to him—things he treasured—over and over until he had them completely memorized. His memory had always been frighteningly sharp.

Almost giving in, Bai Sheng lowered his voice and asked, "Did you notice yesterday? Why didn't you say so?"

"Nono is fine."

Tears were about to fall from the little one's eyes, but he said seriously to his father.

"Because Daddy is good to Nono."

What kind of reasoning is that...

Bai Sheng subconsciously thought.

What Xiaobai Nuo actually meant was: Because Daddy is good to Nono and won't hurt Nono, so the fish Nono likes won't get torn apart like the little blanket was, and Daddy would never tear it up.

The little one knew everyone here was kind to him and would never hurt his fish. He hugged his father's neck and said quietly,

"So Nono thought, maybe Nono accidentally let the fish die?"

And Nono couldn’t throw a tantrum at people who love him because of his own problem.