Chapter 105

Chapter 105

The adults following behind the children had just been agreeing with the little monkeys' 'self-criticism.'

When they unexpectedly heard Xiaobai Nuo's line, their hearts melted.

"They're all saying the same kind of thing."

The veteran 'kidnapper' Xie Yu seemed pretty calm, rubbing his chin as he said to the assistant beside him.

"How can Xiaonuonuo be this cute?"

In contrast, how infuriating his own two little rascals seemed.

Yes, Shi Lin hadn't come, but Xie Yu felt he couldn't manage both little monkeys on his own, so he had brought the assistant along to help.

The assistant was the same one from the last trip to the children's playground. After that work trip, he had gotten a raise and promotion. Now he said nothing, just kept snapping picture after picture.

He knew his boss well enough.

Despite calling them little rascals and troublemakers, wishing he could toss them out, he actually loved them to bits.

Of course.

Other people's kids were indeed very cute.

The assistant couldn't help but steal another glance at the little one who said he was a little terror.

Oh my god, how could he be so adorable?

Bai Sheng had also brought a camera; he was currently adjusting the settings. For convenience, he was using a prime lens best suited for portraits. Bai Sheng used to be terrible at photography, with no interest in studying it or paying it much attention.

But ever since he had a kid, after posting more frequently on his social media, he had found time to read a few photography books and study composition techniques.

Now it was finally time for the real deal. Bai Sheng strolled lazily behind, looking in a good mood, and chuckled at the remark.

Xie Yu: ...

To avoid someone stealing the show, he spoke first.

"I know, I saw your post about Xiao Nuo's moment of glory."

Don't tempt me!!!!!

Xiaobai Nuo walked along with his older brothers, but kept turning back to look at his father, as if afraid his dad might get lost.

That's how little ones were. Even though Bai Sheng had filled him out quite a bit and boosted his self-esteem, he still carried a lingering insecurity, mostly showing up when sleeping.

And at times like this. Unless Bai Sheng explicitly told him where he would go, what he would do, or when he would pick him up—if he drifted even a little far without saying so, without letting him know—he always instinctively looked for his dad.

It was as if he feared happiness might accidentally leave him behind.

He still needed a bit more reassurance.

Bai Sheng had only been a dad for six months, but he understood more deeply than some parents who had been around for years: a child's character development and behavior in later life were shaped day by day, with consistent care. There was no quick fix, nor sudden collapse.

Bai Sheng nodded at his child, signaling him to go play without worry with his brothers; Dad was right behind, he wouldn’t get lost.

Xiaobai Nuo held Yu Chuyan's hand with one hand and held Dou Dou with the other. The light blue leash around Dou Dou was still wrapped around his wrist. He nodded and followed behind his brothers.

Xie Yue, his right hand still bandaged, couldn't stay still. He tugged at Xie Qing's clothes nonstop: "I saw you hide that candy just now! Hand it over!"

Xie Qing frowned, trying to dodge while covering his pocket tightly.

"I don't have any. And even if I did, I still wouldn't give it to you."

The two were making a racket, circling around Yu Chuyan and Xiaobai Nuo.

Yu Chuyan led the little one toward one of the exhibition halls.

He lifted his chin slightly and gently shook the hand that held Xiaobai Nuo's.

"That hall over there has large fish, and there's an artificial underwater tunnel below. But it's nothing special—we'll watch this one instead. The fish here are prettier."

The Little Cool Guy, who had invited Xiaobai Nuo out, had done his research for the trip.

Just then, unable to bear Xie Yue's harassment any longer, Xie Qing pulled a chocolate milk candy from his pocket and suddenly shoved it into Xiaobai Nuo's hands.

"Little brother, take this."

The little one froze and instinctively looked up.

Xie Qing spread his hands, letting Xie Yue search his pockets.

"See? All gone."

Xie Yue muttered in a childish voice, "So you only had one piece after all."

Even so, he nodded matter-of-factly, thinking that if there was only one piece left, the little brother liked sweets the most, so it was right to give it to him.

Xiaobai Nuo blinked.

"Thank you, big brother."

He said softly, let go of Yu Chuyan's hand, and fumbled in his little fish-shaped bag.

The little one pulled out four plain milk candies and handed one to each of his brothers.

His little bag was so small that four candies filled it completely. He had planned to share them later, since most snacks were with Dad. But now, he divided the candies perfectly.

Except now he had one extra.

Xiaobai Nuo looked at the two candies in his hand, then suddenly turned and trotted over to his father. As Xie Yu instinctively bent down with a smile, the little one raised his hand high and gave that milk candy to his dad.

"Daddy, share this with Nuo Nuo."

"Mm."

Bai Sheng acknowledged, took the candy from the little one's hand, and watched as the child happily ran back to his brothers, unwrapped the wrapper, and popped the chocolate candy into his mouth.

About ten seconds later, all four little cubs walking ahead had slightly bulging cheeks, giving off a sweet milky scent with a faint chocolate aroma.

The surrounding environment dimmed. There weren't many people in this exhibition hall. They could see the first fish tank, teeming with a school of neon tetras, their colors dreamy and beautiful under the overhead lights.

Xiaobai Nuo's steps involuntarily paused. His little hand was held again by Yu Chuyan: "It's okay, no need to be scared, Little Brother Nuo. You won't fall in. Wasn't I right? The fish tank is very small, isn't it?"

The Xie twins, who had been looking around curiously and were about to wander off, also squeezed in, flanking Xiaobai Nuo. Xie Qing said a bit indistinctly, "Big brother will block you; you won't fall in."

Xiaobai Nuo hummed in response. He looked up at the little fish swimming in the tank, then turned to his brothers and said very seriously, "Nuo Nuo thinks, big brothers are really good, really amazing."

Not only can adults not resist.

Same-aged alpha cubs also have no choice but to surrender.

But Xie Yue could only nod, then spoke up: "It's fine, if anyone falls in, my brother will be the first."

Xie Qing: ..."I'm worried about the future of inheriting the family business and about you, you idiot."

Xie Yue: ?

"What did you say?! You're the idiot!"

And Yu Chuyan was watching Xiaobai Nuo. He looked at the row of fish and cleared his throat.

Though they were still a bit noisy, the four cubs huddled together, oohing and aahing as they watched the schools of little red and blue fish.

Yu Chuyan had obviously done thorough preparation, memorizing the types and traits of the surrounding small fish, and was softly introducing them to Xiaobai Nuo. The only hiccup was Dou Dou occasionally chiming in with his own little science facts, earning him a few dissatisfied glances from Yu Chuyan.

The little guy was holding Dou Dou with one hand and had let go of Brother Xiao Yan's hand for the moment, raising his child-sized camera to take pictures like a pro.

The parents watched from behind.

Bai Sheng occasionally took a photo.

But in short—

Xie Yu, who had already prepared to split up with his assistant to wrangle the kids, stared at the scene in front of him—the cluster of four cubs—and clutched his chest.

What is this?

What is this?!

Can you believe it? Those little rascals who usually run wild everywhere actually didn't run off during this outing and didn't need the parents to constantly drag them back?!

How priceless is this?!

Xie Yu looked at Xiaobai Nuo, barely able to control the creepy uncle smile on his face.

What an adorable, worry-free baby! I'm so jealous!

This allocation is so unfair!

A top alpha like Bai Sheng should have been stuck with some high-maintenance little rascals, not a sweetie like this!

So jealous—

But wait.

Ever since getting out of the car, Xie Yu had been in a state of high tension, keeping an eye on his own two cubs. Only now did he realize belatedly.

Why was he the only one drooling over this?

Where was Yu Chen?

The Four Little Ones seemed to be getting along well, so Xie Yu turned to glance at Yu Chen.

"What's wrong?"

Xie Yu asked.

He was indeed a bit surprised.

After all, the information he had before was that Yu Chen wouldn't be coming along.

Old Master Yu's health wasn't great.

Although he still supported the two brothers from behind, if Yu Chen wanted to gain a stable foothold, he had a lot on his plate.

He was already juggling school and learning how to handle company affairs. Now that school was out, he was even busier than before, so in theory, he shouldn't have come.

"Hmm?"

Yu Chen briefly met Xie Yu's eyes.

Xie Yu had always looked after them well, and he knew the situation with the Yu family well. Yu Chen had no qualms about telling him.

"Yu Chuang, he's been acting strangely lately, no idea what's gotten into him, insisting he can take care of Yanyan and demanding to meet him."

Yu Chen still spoke to Xie Yu with a hint of respect, but when mentioning their father, a fierce light appeared in Yu Chen's eyes, revealing his dissatisfaction—especially in reaction to what Yu Chuang had said.

"Hmm?"

Xie Yu thought for a moment.

"What does that old geezer want?"

"I don't know, but there's no way I'm letting him meet Yanyan."

Yu Chen said.

"He has no principles. I have to keep an eye on things and make sure he doesn't pull anything behind my back."

Yu Chen was a bit anxious.

He wasn't sure if it was because he had been making too big a move recently, including collaborating with the Bai family, with whom he had almost no past cooperation, that had put Yu Chuang on alert, or if it was because Yu Chuyan's displayed talent and abilities made him seem like a potential top alpha, causing Yu Chuang to regret or feel that his other idiot son's position was threatened.

Either way, it wasn't good news.

Grandpa's been unwell recently too, so he had to keep a close watch.

As the two of them talked, they had fallen to the back of the group. Bai Sheng never paid attention to anyone else anyway; he was busy photographing his own cub.

Meanwhile, Xiaobai Nuo was looking up at the colorful fish swimming under the lights. The lights reflected in his eyes like patches of color, like bubbles floating in his gaze—a unique brightness.

Yu Chen had been feeling a bit irritated reading his secretary's messages. But then he caught a glimpse of the four cubs out of the corner of his eye, and then saw Xiaobai Nuo—seeing these dreamlike things for the first time, his eyes wide, his little face soft.

Coming back to himself, Yu Chen: ...

"How can he be so cute?"

Xie Yu burst out laughing.

"I know, right?"

Come on, be jealous with me! I can't be the only one getting it flaunted in my face by Bai Sheng!

This aquarium hall was mostly filled with small tropical fish and cold-water ornamental fish. The hall wasn't exactly small, but compared to the adjacent oceanarium and the large fish exhibit, it was much smaller and less crowded.

But for a little cub, it was more than enough. The little guy wasn't just breezing through the exhibits.

Xiaobai Nuo paid close attention, listening to Yu Chuyan talk, then to Dou Dou talk.

On the way, he was also drawn to a small shop in the exhibition hall selling refrigerator magnets and little charms.

He picked out a few refrigerator magnets to take back, and was also wearing some finely crafted plush little charms. The little guy liked them so much that he spun around to show his dad, the little fish charms of different types jingling.

The little guy held onto his dad's leg, pointing at these little charms, and told his dad one by one what each one was, like counting his treasures.

"So many beautiful fish!"

His big eyes sparkled, and he spread his arms to show his dad.

Bai Sheng didn't stop taking photos, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you need to buy some pretty little fish to keep at home?"

Although Bai Sheng could have someone do it directly, he still respected the opinion of this poor little guy who cried over a tiny fish.

Xiaobai Nuo went "Huh?", tilted his head in thought, then, like a little fish spirit, tugged at his dad's clothes and smiled, "Nono doesn't need to buy pretty fish, Dad. My own fish are already beautiful. Nono can take care of this many. Let other people take care of the rest if they can."

The little guy gestured.

It's okay, the pretty fish outside are just outside fish; none of them are Nono's fish.

Nono's fish are all cute and pretty. Great-grandpa caught some, uncle caught some, and second uncle, aunt, and little uncle brought some back from their trips. Nono likes his own fish.

He's never been a greedy kid who wants to take everything good he sees.

"Okay."

Bai Sheng nodded, crouched down to tidy the little guy's clothes, and glanced at the time.

It was almost lunchtime, but they had only made it through half the exhibit.

But that didn't matter; this aquarium had a full-day pass, and since there were lots of kids, there were plenty of places to rest.

Since it was in the suburbs of Ang City, there were plenty of guesthouses and restaurants.

Besides eating, they could also take a nap there and continue exploring in the afternoon.

The Four Little Ones, each carrying a bunch of little fish trinkets, came out of the exhibit together.

Xiaobai Nuo looked back at the aquarium, walked beside his dad while still holding Dou Dou, and said,

"Dad, Dou Dou needs to eat! We need to find somewhere for Dou Dou to eat—"

At that moment, the sound of a huge wave crashing came, along with people's shouts, screams, and laughter—it was the big wave machine at the aquarium.

Xiaobai Nuo instinctively looked over. He was startled. For a moment, he was too sensitive to these sounds; just hearing them, he seemed to see a huge wave sweeping past not far from him, destroying everything, while his head was still dazed and aching, as if he had just barely escaped.

Xiaobai Nuo froze for an instant. At that moment, it was as if he saw the end of the world again, those screams overlapping with the past.

The little guy didn't know there would be something like this here.

And the adults only knew he was afraid of deep pools; they didn't know these sounds got to him too.

The little guy wanted to call for Dad, but his throat tightened and he couldn't get the words out.

But he didn't need to.

Bai Sheng, walking at the front, had already turned around and scooped him up.

"What's wrong?"

Everything in front of him cleared like fog. The cub blinked.

His little hand grabbed his dad's clothes as he met Bai Sheng's gaze.

"Dad..."

The Three Little Ones had been looking around but were a step behind; now they crowded around, tilting their heads up at Xiaobai Nuo.

"The sound was a bit loud. Nono... is a little scared."

The little guy reached up to hug his dad's neck. The little fish sachet he was wearing gave off the light fragrance of jasmine and gardenia.

In that moment, the little guy almost thought they were going to be swallowed up by those 'sounds', so he wanted to tell Dad to run fast.

He still remembered how he ran too fast last time and hit his head hard; he didn't want Dad to see that scene either.

Bai Sheng held the cub with one arm and used his other hand to gently cover his ears.

"Scared of this sound?"

Bai Sheng's expression darkened slightly.

—Because there were times this little guy was scared and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Mm."

Xiaobai Nuo nodded. He was tiny, so he snuggled deeper into his dad's arms, almost curling into a ball.

"What's wrong? Scared by the loud noise? That wave machine is way too intense. They usually don't turn it on when there are too many kids. Today there are probably a lot of adults in the aquarium who want to join the fun, but it's only for the morning; in the afternoon it'll be quiet."

Xie Yu and Yu Chen also leaned in to look.

"Let's not stay here. The place is already booked. Let's hurry over; once we get there, it'll be quiet."

Bai Sheng nodded. Carrying Xiaobai Nuo, he quickly walked toward the reserved restaurant.

Halfway there, Xiaobai Nuo had already calmed down and was looking up at his dad's chin.

"Daddy, Daddy."

"Still scared?"

The little guy's eyes were bright again. He shook his head: "Dad covered Nono's ears, so Nono can't hear it anymore."

"It's okay to cry when you're scared, you know."

Bai Sheng looked down at the little guy, who seemed to have bounced back like a little adult, and couldn't help saying something.

Huh?

Xiaobai Nuo looked into his dad's eyes. He was still lying in his dad's arms, looking like he was cuddling a bunch of little fish.

He blinked.

"Nono knows Dad is here, so Nono isn't that scared—just a little bit."

The little one said, gesturing as he nestled into his father’s arms.

"Because Dad picked Nono up right away."

So the little cub still had some stress reactions to the images and sounds from the apocalypse, but he no longer curled up alone in a corner, lost and helpless, needing a long time to get through the fear and panic.

"So, Nono loves Dad the most."

The little one nuzzled his cheek against his father’s.

Xie Yu, who had just opened the door ahead, turned to look.

What did that cub just say?

Haha, it definitely wasn’t "love Dad the most," right?!

...No cub can be that soft and say something like that—he doesn’t believe it!

And Yu Chen, dragging Yu Chuyan along, looked over too—Little Cool Guy had almost been clinging to the other dad just now.

The Yu brothers exchanged glances.

Yu Chen signaled to his younger brother with his eyes—Learn from that cub.

Yu Chuyan thought seriously, then understood. He waved at his brother, and when his brother crouched down, he asked in a small voice.

"Becoming the favorite brother of Little Brother Nuo Nuo... and being able to do the cheek rub too?"

He had his eye on that cheek rub.

Yu Chen jerked his head up, looked at the kid, then glanced over at Bai Sheng and his son, who had already entered the room.

Yu Chen pinched his younger brother’s cheek and gave it a firm rub.

Expressionless, he said, "Maybe you should just keep your mouth shut."

Big dreamer.

This guesthouse room was on the second floor, spacious, with a large open balcony that offered a full view of the aquarium park.

The host had entertained many children before; after checking for allergies and letting the parents look over the menu, the food was quickly prepared.

Xiaobai Nuo followed his father, watching as he set up the charging dock for Dou Dou. The little one placed the mini camera into the dock and said softly, "Hello, Dou Dou, you should eat plenty of food, okay? Nono will come pick you up later."

"Okay, working hard on eating electricity now. You should eat plenty too, little one."

Bai Sheng watched from the side, thinking: At least that sounds like something a human would say.

Even though the mini camera wasn’t a person.

Xie Yu still felt it was an illusion from not sleeping well last night. He poured a cup of coffee, shielding his two cubs’ eager gazes at his drink, and after stating that children can’t have coffee, he placed the coffee pot high up and only then did he walk over, satisfied.

Hearing this, he looked at the little one with affection.

"Oh dear, he really likes that mini camera. My cubs bought a few before, but they broke them all."

"Yeah, he does like that mini camera."

Bai Sheng chimed in.

"But what he likes most is Dad."

Xie Yu turned and looked at Bai Sheng.

He had guarded against it in every way, but it still got through!

Bai Sheng smiled at him, then turned and pointed behind him.

"Aren’t you going to stop them?"

Stop what?

Xie Yu instinctively turned to look back.

What trouble could those two boys cause? He had already put the coffee pot up so high...

Then Xie Yu saw Xie Yue, without any hesitation, lying on the ground, while Xie Qing took a running start, used his younger brother as a springboard, and with a boost from Yu Chuyan standing nearby, leaped onto the high counter to grab the coffee pot.

Xie Yu: ...

Aaaahhh!!!!

Why are you cooperating perfectly when you're supposed to be fighting?!

Xie Yu grumbled as he went to drag his coffee-obsessed cubs down, preparing to lock the coffee pot away in the cabinet.

Dishes started arriving one by one.

Xiaobai Nuo was carried by his father to eat.

With four cubs—especially the three A-cubs—they competed and grabbed food, making the meal lively.

Xiaobai Nuo sat next to his father. The plates, spoons, and bowls were all shaped like little fish. Holding his little fish spoon, he focused on mixing his bowl of food, stirring the ingredients and sauce evenly, then took a bite. His big eyes immediately lit up.

He ate with gusto, looking adorable.

Xie Yu couldn’t help but admire, "He really knows how to eat."

Unlike his cubs, who ate with wild abandon.

A new dish arrived—stuffed vegetables with various meat fillings, wrapped in an egg crepe, making it hard to tell which vegetable was stuffed inside. It was like opening little blind boxes, adding a fun twist.

Xiaobai Nuo picked his own and got tasty tomato-stuffed and mushroom-stuffed ones.

The little cub had already eaten enough for his daily food intake, and Bai Sheng was ready to wipe his mouth, but the little one's eyes were still sparkling like stars. He wanted one more, so he looked up at his father pleadingly.

"Dad, Dad."

Xie Yu was about to reach for more food himself, and even Yu Chen couldn’t help but whisper, "Give him some."

The Three Little Ones were ready to share their own food with the little cub.

That really wasn’t necessary.

Bai Sheng looked into his little cub’s eyes and gave in.

"...Just one more."

He always seems to be giving in to this little one.

But he seems quite happy about giving in.

Bai Sheng picked up another piece for the little guy.

Xiaobai Nuo let out a tiny cheer, took a bite, then blinked his eyes a few times in confusion, sticking out his little tongue.

The little cub, as if he had eaten something strange, looked down to see.

...It was a green pepper.

Instinctively, the little one looked at his father, wanting to give it to him.

Then he saw the whole table of uncles and brothers watching him eat.

Why is everyone looking at Nono?

Bai Sheng hadn't yet realized what he had just picked for his cub.

And the little cub, who was about to secretly give the egg-wrapped, meat-stuffed green pepper to his father, hesitated for a moment.

Xiaobai Nuo: ...

Feeling a bit shy, the little one hung his head, then tried again, taking another bite—surely it was just the way he had taken the first bite!

...

Boo hoo, green pepper. Nono can't do it.

Bai Sheng heard a sound like the little one had been defeated by the food, reacted, and turned to look.

Bai Sheng: ?

Then he saw the little guy holding his child's chopsticks, looking up at his father with pitiful eyes, whined softly: "Daddy, Daddy, I don't like green peppers... Help Nono eat the green pepper, Daddy..."

Please, Daddy, please!