Chapter 110

Chapter 110

Xiaobai Nuo was in shock.

What a terrifying army of green peppers. Is Nono having a nightmare or what?

"Dad... Dad..."

The little guy glanced twice, still shaken, and reached out for an adult.

"Hold me, hold me!"

Hold Nono, give him strength against the green pepper attack.

Finally caught on.

Bai Sheng, being a little mischievous, watched the little guy get shocked by the green peppers, then bent down and picked him up.

The old man, who had been trying to show off his amazing veggie-growing skills, was left with a '?' expression.

Bai Yan shot a confused look at Xiaobai Nuo, then at Bai Sheng: "...What's the deal now?"

Earlier, he'd given in when they swapped out Dou Dou, or when the little guy was scared of falling into the water and wouldn't go near big pools.

And now this?

What did the green peppers ever do to offend this little guy?

Every time he ate, this little guy wolfed down everything. He'd heard from Cen Zhi that Bai Nuo wasn't picky.

"Because he ate a green pepper, and now he hates them."

Bai Sheng ruffled his little one's curly hair before explaining to his grandfather.

"The food he hates most is green peppers, second is lemon."

But lemon got lucky—probably because an uncle with a better rep vouches for it. So even though he doesn't like it, it's still cool in his book.

Plus, green peppers rarely appeared on the Bai family's table anyway—there were plenty of other options. Once they knew the little guy didn't like them, they basically stopped serving them. Even if they did show up, Bai Sheng wouldn't put any in his bowl. So the great-grandfather, who'd been busy with his own stuff, had no clue how much the kid hated them.

Bai Sheng shot his grandpa, the green-pepper-detector, a helpless look.

Clearly, what the old man grew best were these rows of green peppers.

The old man: ...

"...It's fine, come here. Look at the tomatoes your great-grandpa planted—a super special kind not even on shelves yet. Sweet and tangy, real good."

Bai Yan casually turned, discreetly blocking the rows of green peppers behind him, trying to redirect the little one's attention. He showed Xiaobai Nuo the tomato plants he'd grown, showing off the bright red fruits.

Most of the time, Xiaobai Nuo played along.

"So this is what tomatoes look like! Nono has only seen them in picture books."

The little guy was definitely hooked.

The tomatoes in the picture books weren't photos either, just messy crayon sketches. So this was truly the first time the little one had seen a tomato plant in real life.

But because he had seen them so often in picture books, the little guy blinked, a bit confused, and asked his dad for confirmation.

"...Do tomato plants only grow one tomato, Dad?"

Bai Sheng: ...

"Technically, no."

Even though Bai Sheng had never grown anything, he figured it made sense this variety wasn't in stores.

Bai Yan: ...

Bai Yan felt his authority challenged. He put on a stern face—rare for him—and spoke with some irritation.

"It's a special variety, I told you it's special."

Then the old man looked back at Xiaobai Nuo: "Later we'll pick one, chill it, chop it up, add a little sugar, and you'll see how good it is."

"Really tasty?"

Xiaobai Nuo blinked.

"You bet."

Bai Yan nodded.

"Nono likes tasty things."

The little guy's eyes lit up as he looked up at his great-grandpa, full of hope.

Bai Yan cleared his throat and casually turned, making sure the kid wouldn't see those green peppers again.

Since the green peppers were his pride and joy, he'd put them front and center to show off. Guess he'd have to get someone to move them later.

"Alright, I'll write you a note. Wanna go see some animals? Plenty of 'em around."

Xiaobai Nuo glanced at his dad, then at his great-grandpa, and nodded: "Yeah."

...

In the distance.

"What's the rush?"

Bai Zhize sat on a big rock, frowning at his phone.

He'd gone from annoyed to straight-up moody and unpredictable.

Sure, his overseas businesses were still running, but one thing was certain—he was stuck here.

Bai Qian was watching his every move.

That pissed him off big time.

Even if I'm the loser, do I really need this kind of humiliation?

And besides, he'd only caused a little trouble for his dear nephews—why did it feel like he'd triggered some creepy rule game and got yanked all the way back from overseas?

What's the deal? Was that really necessary?!

Now he watched Bai Wan sprint down the path and stop just a few steps in front of him, slowing down as if taking his time.

Even if he ran as fast as he could, this amount of activity barely caused any change in his heart rate.

Hearing Bai Zhize's voice, Bai Wan looked up and locked eyes with his father. He replied in a stiff, fluent foreign language without any emotional fluctuation, sounding like a computer-generated voice.

"I've spotted the dangerous target from last time."

Dangerous target?

Bai Zhize thought for a moment and chuckled dryly.

"You mean Bai Sheng?"

Bai Wan nodded.

"What is he doing here? Just as annoying as Big Brother."

Bai Zhize muttered.

Then Bai Wan continued.

"Based on all the conversations, it's Bai Sheng's kid's fifth birthday in a few days. He came to invite Grandpa. Since the Bai family is not short of rare items, I suggest choosing simple, practical, and comfortable gifts. Given a child's growth rate, I recommend high-end fabric clothes that are durable, comfortable, and a sign of consideration."

Bai Zhize:...

Bai Zhize laughed again.

"I was complaining, not asking for analysis! And did you receive a birthday invitation? Ha, that guy Bai Sheng, for all his faults, but..."

"No."

Bai Wan replied without hesitation.

Bai Zhize:...

Bai Zhize's face cycled through several shades of anger in seconds, finally glaring at Bai Wan.

"Then why are you talking about it if we didn't get an invitation?!"

The wind blew the hair of the father and son. They stared at each other in silence.

At Xiaobai Nuo's birthday party, guess who didn't receive an invitation?

Haha.

Bai Zhize: "Who cares? A kid who suddenly appeared. They haven't even completely wiped out that research institute yet, and there are still people fleeing abroad. What the hell is Z country doing? What the hell is Bai Sheng doing? And a kid like that messes with people's judgment? I wouldn't want him even if someone gave him to me!"

Bai Wan: "Based on my analysis, it's impossible..."

"Shut up."

Bai Zhize promptly interrupted him.

"And these guys, they used to contact me before, but after finding out I returned to the country, they didn't dare to reply a single word. Hmph, they're so cowardly."

Bai Wan:...

He had proposed dying first earlier, didn't you refuse that as well?

But having learned from that experience, Bai Wan's light blue eyes darted away this time, and he didn't say anything after all.

"What would you know? And I don't believe that kid can compare with shredded pork in Beijing sauce, braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, and garlic spare ribs!"

Bai Zhize stood up from the large rock, expecting his son to understand what he meant, but hearing no response, he turned and saw Bai Wan frowning slightly, as if pondering what was comparable.

Oh, right.

This kid hasn't eaten them yet.

Bai Zhize looked speechless and spoke calmly.

"Compare this kid to xiaolongbao."

"Xiaolongbao."

Bai Wan suddenly understood.

Seeing that he understood, Bai Zhize turned back satisfied, continuing to mutter discontentedly about something.

Bai Wan listened, occasionally replying with something that infuriated his father, then turned back to glance in the direction of the old man's residence.

But that little guy was white and soft, looking a bit like a xiaolongbao too.

Heading to the old man's private zoo—a small estate—the zoo area was some distance from the residence. They came by car, parked in a designated spot, and then walked a bit further to the entrance.

Xiaobai Nuo looked around curiously.

The Bai family's old residence mainly features traditional landscapes, mostly man-made, while the old man's side feels a bit like a small ranch, with no deliberately arranged landscaping.

The trees growing here were still the original ones, with clumps of wildflowers and small berries thriving in the shade.

A child could easily spend a whole day playing just about anywhere.

Bai Sheng also knew a few types of berries. He picked some and popped them into his little one's mouth, but some were sour, some sweet. The last one, the sourest of all, left the little guy stunned. He refused to open his mouth no matter what. He also planned to bring that berry back for his uncle to taste.

The little guy was holding that bunch of berries when he suddenly sensed something watching him. He heard a rustling sound from the bushes behind him.

Startled, the little one instinctively ran to his father's side, clinging to his father's leg. He tried to shield his father with his tiny body, and turned his head to look back.

What was it?

It was at this moment that the old man remembered: "Anu?"

"Meow~"

A flash of gold and black in the grass. Moments later, the grass parted, and a leopard cat with a lean, graceful body built for speed elegantly stepped out.

Its clear emerald cat eyes, with pupils narrowed to vertical slits due to the sunlight, flicked its striped tail, and it wore a collar around its neck.

Xiaobai Nuo's eyes widened.

"Great-grandpa, a kitty!"

"Yes, it's a pet leopard cat. It usually roams on its own and rarely appears. Great-grandpa told you before that there's a cat here; its name is Anu."

But actually, the old man didn't tell the whole story, because Anu has wild habits and rarely appears in front of people voluntarily. Whether you'll even see it is a coin toss.

It has fixed places to eat and drink, receives regular deworming and vaccinations, and wears a tracker. When it was in other provinces, it roamed freely. Now that it's here, with such a large space and special staff to take care of it, it still runs all over the place.

The little one let go of his father's hand, crouched down instinctively, reached out toward Anu, and then looked at his great-grandfather.

"Great-grandpa, can Nono pet him?"

"He might not let you."

Bai Yan cleared his throat.

"Maybe we need to get to know each other first."

Anu, who had been napping in the grass earlier, stared unblinkingly at Little Nono. With a hint of curiosity, it twitched its nose, sniffing.

It took two steps forward, but the next moment it saw Bai Sheng standing behind Little Nono.

Anu paused, thought for a moment, then arched its back slightly, gave Bai Sheng airplane ears, and swiftly turned around to dash away.

Huh?

Little Nono looked confused, then glanced up at his dad.

"Daddy, the cat ran away."

"If it ran away, it ran away."

Bai Sheng said to the little one.

"Daddy knows some business partners who have even friendlier cats at home."

Bai Sheng bent down and pulled Little Nono up.

"Next time, Daddy will take you to see them."

Little Nono looked up at his dad, hummed in acknowledgment, and nodded.

"Okay."

...

There were quite a few animals in the great-grandfather's private zoo, including a big-eared fox lazily basking in the sun, a turtle slowly moving in shallow water, a horse, a very tall giraffe, and even a separate bird aviary with netting.

Any one of these could fetch a high price as a tourist attraction.

Lastly, the great-grandfather had recently added some small sheep and calves.

The old man had clearly worked hard to catch the little cub’s attention.

Little Nono was still holding that bunch of berries, peeking curiously, trying to see every little animal.

Before they knew it, they reached an open area.

The little one still wasn't satisfied.

He tilted his head up at his great-grandfather.

"Can Nono go see the little foxes again later?"

The little one drew big ears above his head with his hands.

"Sure thing."

The great-grandfather nodded with satisfaction, still looking reserved and calm.

Until the little one sensed something coming closer. Turning around, he found a rooster flapping wildly out of a fence in the corner, now staring at the bunch of berries in his hand.

It was about to rush at him.

The sudden rooster scared the little one, and he cried out.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

The great-grandfather was also taken aback; for a moment, he could almost hear the little one's voice: ...

"...Great-grandpa, the rooster is too scary. Nono won't come next time."

The great-grandfather: ...

He lifted his cane.

"Outrageous! You're getting stewed tonight!"

As Bai Sheng reached out to lift the little one, a golden-black streak shot down from a tree beside them, lightning-fast, and slapped the rooster, which was much larger, right to the ground. Then it gave a proud 'Meow!' The leopard cat, Anu, who had been tailing them without their notice, flicked its tail and glanced over, smug and proud.

"The great-grandfather: Good kitty! Extra meal tonight!"

Little Nono blinked, noticed this, and saw the cat. He thought for a moment, then said its name gently: "Anu."

"Meow~"

Anu still didn't come close, but when Little Nono reached out his small hand, it carefully leaned in and sniffed the little one's smell.

Anu was indeed very curious.

"Is this a human? Why is it so tiny?"

"It was nothing like the humans it had seen."

But after just sniffing, it flicked its ears, gave Bai Sheng a wary look, and backed away a few steps.

Little Nono turned his head the same way the cat did to look at his dad.

Bai Sheng, who genuinely hadn't done anything this time, looked puzzled.

Bai Sheng glanced at the cat and took two steps forward.

The cat fled without a second thought.

The little one can wait; the scary person needs to stay far away.

Yes, Bai Sheng had never been good with animals. His aura was too strong; even when he suppressed his pheromones, he still spooked the little animals. So the whole time, pretty much no animal would come close.

Little Nono looked at his dad, catching the innocent look in his eyes. The little one paused, feeling that his dad was a bit pitiful because no animals liked him.

So Little Nono thought for a moment, then trotted over to his dad.

"It's okay. Nono loves Daddy."

So it doesn't matter if no animals like him.

Bai Sheng was surprised and laughed. He knelt down.

"Nono loves Daddy?" "Mm, Nono and Daddy are the best together in the whole world."

The little one nodded and hugged his father's neck.

Bai Sheng cleared his throat, his earlier stubbornness long gone.

But he just held the little one.

"Yeah, Dad remembers."

The old man stood by, looking at Xiaobai Nuo, then at Bai Sheng, and finally back at his own little zoo, and thought—kids usually love fluffy things, right? You all could try harder.

—Question Bai Jingyun, understand Bai Jingyun, become Bai Jingyun.

Of course, the sour fruit would still be sent to Bai Jingyun.

As the end of the month approached, invitations to the birthday banquet of the Bai family's much-anticipated omega young master were sent out.

Everyone could see the Bai family's grand scale—it wasn't just a birthday banquet, but also an introduction ceremony to the prominent families of Ang City.

And it was only now that they formally introduced him to the family circle, not because they were testing whether the little one was worthy as the Bai family heir, but because his health had been too weak in the past, and only now had the Bai family managed to improve it a bit.

In a villa district on the outskirts of Ang City.

Ying Yishui was proudly holding the freshly issued certificate, smiling at the seven- or eight-year-old omega boy beside her.

"Xiao Liang, first prize again this time! You're a little genius. You have no idea how many benefits your grandpa got from the Federation because of you. When he comes home tonight, let's go ask him for a gift!"

Ying Yishui was quite pleased, admiring the certificate.

Jiang Liang, sitting beside her, was flipping through a book.

Until he heard his grandmother continue.

"All activities on the 23rd are suspended. Xiao Liang, as a reward, how about we go out and relax on the 23rd? Let your grandpa take us."

Jiang Liang looked up, puzzled. "What's happening on the 23rd? Why are they all suspended?"

"Isn't it because of that little young master from the Bai family's birthday? It's quite a big deal. Many of your grandpa's activities are paused because of it."

Many of the prominent families in Ang City had received invitations, so of course they put other things on hold.

Ying Yishui said casually, not feeling at all that her little grandson was inferior to the Bai family's omega.

Her little Jiang Liang was a genius!

The Bai family was just riding the wave; their genes were good. Cen Zhi had also ridden the Bai family's momentum, waited so long just to get an omega child. How could hers compare?

"...Isn't the Bai family in chaos now?"

Jiang Liang closed his book and asked urgently. He had just returned from another competition during the holiday break, relying on the content from his dreams to achieve an excellent result. The talent department of the Federation government had already contacted him multiple times, just like in his dreams.

But the Bai family was completely different from the start—whether it was the unexpected Bai Jin or the Yu family around them, everything related to the Bai family was beyond Jiang Liang's expectations.

And a banquet? A birthday banquet?

What was that?

"Aren't they still fighting? Are all the Bai family members still here?"

He couldn't seem to articulate more questions, but he knew the Bai family shouldn't be like this now.

Ying Yishui paused, instinctively feeling Jiang Liang's forehead. "What are you talking about, child? What could happen to the Bai family?"

Even though Ying Yishui was jealous of Cen Zhi and, by extension, held a grudge against the Bai family, she wouldn't dare to say anything would happen to the Bai family, even if many thought the competition for the Bai family heir this time would be unusually fierce.

Jiang Liang frowned. "What about their contact with the Yu family?"

"Your grandpa said the Yu family is arrogant, just like all big families. But don't worry, we'll rise slowly. Things will change later, because Xiao Liang's decisions are always right. You're a little genius who keeps our family smooth sailing."

Ying Yishui continued smiling.

"Let's see where we go on the 23rd..."

"I want to go to the Bai family's banquet too."

He had to go see for himself and confirm where the problem lay.

Ying Yishui was interrupted, paused for a moment, and gave an awkward smile.

"Xiao Liang... that birthday banquet, you need an invitation from the Bai family to attend. We probably can't get into their main venue."

They could still send good wishes, but they most likely wouldn't see the Bai family members. Still, many families eager to curry favor with the Bai family would scramble for any chance to get noticed by the Bai family.

Jiang Liang came back to his senses, momentarily realizing this.

Unlike the chaos he had expected in the Bai family.

At this moment, the Bai family was still an insurmountable chasm for him—he didn't even have the qualification to look up to them.

Bai Family Mansion.

On Xiaobai Nuo's birthday.

The little one woke up early as usual, but today was his first birthday, and he was clearly a bit excited.

Bai Sheng also got up early, washed and dressed the little one, and told him to go downstairs and play.

Although it was the little one's birthday banquet, to avoid tiring him, there weren't too many events requiring his direct participation. Mainly the evening dinner, appearance, formal introduction, and cake cutting.

Plus, the little one had a relatively free morning. In the afternoon, he could play with his invited kindergarten friends in the Bai family mansion's activity area.

What the little one was most looking forward to was that because it was his birthday, cake, pastries, and sweets were unlimited—he just couldn't overeat to the point of discomfort.

Xiaobai Nuo wore a T-shirt shaped like a small cake and light blue denim shorts. He told his father to sleep in a bit longer, as he wanted to go downstairs and look at the gifts everyone had prepared for him, as Grandma had mentioned yesterday.

The little one went downstairs, greeting the household staff with his soft, crisp baby voice—just listening to it lifted everyone's spirits.

And today, Dou Dou was also specially decorated with a birthday candle ornament attached to his head with a suction cup. He looked like a little round mousse cake following Xiaobai Nuo around.

"Grandma Feng, good morning. Can Nono eat lots and lots of little cakes today?"

The little one stood at the kitchen entrance, his soft curls, speaking with anticipation.

"Good morning, happy birthday, little master."

Grandma Feng smiled.

"Yes, the Third Master has said so. But you have to eat breakfast first. And the cold cakes can only be eaten in the afternoon when you play with your friends."

The little guy was a little shy; he nodded.

"Mm."

Then he heard Grandma Feng speak.

"A bunch of gifts showed up at the door. Little Master can go pick some to unwrap. Third Master will be up soon and take you to the main building."

"Okay, Grandma Feng, you keep working. Nono will come chat with you later, Grandma Feng."

The little guy said softly, and with a grin Grandma Feng couldn't hide, he grabbed Dou Dou and padded to the door.

Sure enough, Xiaobai Nuo saw a pile of gifts placed at the entrance.

Unlike the gifts he had received before, these were all nicely wrapped, with pretty wrapping paper and ribbons.

The little guy looked at this, then at that, and liked them all.

But the space here was too small to open them. The little guy thought for a second, took down some of the gifts, hugged them tightly as he could, and headed back to his usual play area to unwrap them.

Just then, the door behind him opened again.

Little Uncle's voice came from the doorway.

"He must be awake by now, right?"

Then Cousin Uncle's voice: "So I get to… today?"

Those two had been hitting it off since they got to know each other.

Until they heard a loud clatter.

They both stuck their heads in to check.

At that moment, Bai Sheng, who was coming down the stairs yawning, also looked over.

The little guy had been carrying a pile of gifts, but it got too heavy; he couldn't hold them, so he slowly sat down and dropped the gifts onto the nearest rug with a clatter. The little guy looked up.

The tiny, adorable kid sat in the pile of gifts, staring blankly up at the adults.

"What's going on?"

Bai Jin said without thinking.

Bai Sheng also made it to the first floor.

Xiaobai Nuo thought for a moment, pointed at the gift pile, then at himself, and said dead seriously.

"A snake trying to swallow an elephant—Nono's heart is just too small."

It all fits. Nono really is a little villain.