Chapter 117

Chapter 117

The smile at the corner of Bai Liang's lips faded. His back was almost pressed against the chair back. After the little one got his answer, Xiaobai Nuo had already heard Grandma calling, hugged his dad's neck, and wanted to go back to continue the idiom quiz with Grandma.

Only after Bai Sheng carried the little guy away did Bai Liang's tense back slowly relax.

It was really weird.

Bai Liang couldn't help but glance at the time again. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead once more.

Back in the day, pulling all-nighters in the lab only made him a little tired after the experiment. Today, he came home early to rest, so why was he so wiped out?

But no matter who it was, if they just kept an eye on him and let the little guy come get him, that was fine. Even if he came to pick him up, he could still keep a bit more distance from this little cub.

Maybe that would stop this kid, whose every word threw Bai Liang off, from working his charm.

And anyway, this wasn't giving in.

Bai Liang sat up slightly, and a small shadow loomed over him.

Bai Liang looked up and saw Bai Jingyun leaning against the chair next to him at some point. The glow from his phone made Bai Jingyun's icy face look cold and unreadable, making him seem heartless, but he was definitely tapping away on his phone.

Bai Liang suddenly got a bad feeling.

So he asked, "Big bro, what are you doing?"

"Getting the PR department to write something up."

Bai Jingyun looked down at Bai Liang, not hiding his intentions at all. As he spoke, his white teeth seemed to flash with a cold gleam.

"How about 'Famous Professor at Sheng'ang University Admits He Needs His Five-Year-Old Nephew to Pick Him Up Before He'll Come Home'? What do you think?"

Bai Liang: ...

You're getting back at me.

Bai Jingyun: "Yeah, I'm getting back at you."

Go ahead, say no if you dare.

Bai Liang: ...

In the end, Bai Jingyun's eyes showed regret.

He wanted to grab his little brother by the collar and ask where his scholarly backbone went.

Well, at least Bai Liang wasn't really part of the business world. Academia wasn't as cutthroat as the business world, and professors weren't as adaptable as him.

After finally settling a score he'd been holding for who knows how long, Bai Jingyun straightened up, leaving a confused Bai Liang behind. He walked toward Xiaobai Nuo. "Nono."

"Hmm?"

Xiaobai Nuo looked up at his uncle.

"Didn't you want to ride the carousel before?"

Bai Jingyun said.

"Want to hit the amusement park when you're free? I found one with a bunch of rides that are safe for little kids."

Bai Jingyun missed the exhibition with the little guy last time due to hospitalization, and had been thinking about it ever since. After careful screening, he chose a suitable amusement park that wasn't in Ang City but had lots of rides and attractions for both adults and kids.

"Amusement park."

The little guy sat on the plush carpet, thought for a moment, and blinked, then looked down at the picture book in front of him looking troubled.

"But Nono needs to prepare well for the idiom competition, Uncle."

If he weren't participating, that'd be one thing, but since he is, he has to do it right!

"No worries, the weather is too hot right now, so there's no rush."

Bai Jingyun crouched down and said.

"We'll talk about it after your competition. There's also a sea over there; some parts of the amusement park are quite far from it, so you can just look at it from a distance without getting close. Has Nono ever seen the sea?"

Xiaobai Nuo shook his head.

He had seen huge floods, and adults said they looked like a tsunami.

Xiaobai Nuo wasn't sure if he would be afraid of the sea.

But he looked at his uncle and thought for a moment.

"Then Uncle, wait until after Nono's competition."

"Mm."

Bai Jingyun nodded.

The businessman, seasoned in the marketplace, thought pragmatically: If his results were good, it would be a reward; if they weren't, it would be comfort, and it would also help the little guy stop dwelling on poor performance.

As for the rest?

Bai Jingyun felt at ease now.

Because he had Grandpa, Bai Jin, and Bai Liang backing him up, plus Bai Qi, who was busy as can be, flying everywhere for work and rarely home.

His position was solid; what did he have to worry about?

...

At the Bai Family Villa, the residence of the old man.

The small birds like captive-bred parrots in the bird garden had eaten their fill and were being taken back by their keepers to their long wooden cages, their chirping gradually quieting down. Other small animals had also returned from the activity area to their living quarters.

Since this was private property, only open in cooperation with federal rescue efforts and not to the public—unlike some run-down zoos elsewhere—the staff had already started cleaning and disinfecting, wrapping up the day's work.

The leopard cat Anu, after making a final patrol of his territory, went to look at the 'bird TV' outside the bird garden for a long time, then slowly swished his tail and headed toward his little cat den.

He occasionally opened his mouth, making a chattering sound to scare off flying insects, then, feeling rather impressive, leaped up a tree... only to miss the branch and tumble down, before running off annoyed and embarrassed.

Not far away was the residence of Bai Zhize and his son, Bai Wan.

Bai Wan stared unblinkingly in the direction Anu had run off, remaining very calm and unmoved by his surroundings. Even when some servants curiously discussed whether he might not be very talkative, he remained composed.

But his father, Bai Zhize, couldn't handle it.

Whether out in public or at the Bai Family Villa, the feeling of being constantly watched was extremely uncomfortable for Bai Zhize.

Bai Zhize went from having a meltdown every few days to now being like a firecracker that goes off at the slightest touch.

He just didn't get it. Even in his most miserable and failed year, when his big brother stopped pulling punches, his second brother passed away, and he skedaddled overseas with his tail between his legs, his freedom was still pretty well guaranteed back then. How could it be like now? What the hell was this all about?

"They're treating me like a prisoner!!"

Bai Zhize said angrily, but he was outmatched, so it came off as helpless fury.

Then Bai Zhize squinted at the old man's place not far away.

After the old man settled in Ang City, although he still went fishing daily, he was no longer as eager to pull off something big before leaving Ang City as before. After returning to Ang City, although he claimed to be retired, the federal-level network still invited him to dinners and entertainment, and would ask him about some tough assignments to see if there was any way he could help. Occasionally, the old man could help them solve big problems, such as the cooperative rescue project in his private zoo.

Bai Yan, who'd turned all that down before, didn't say no anymore after deciding to settle in Ang City.

So Bai Yan hadn't bothered much with Bai Zhize during this period, only occasionally teaching Bai Wan. But the two of them weren't big talkers, which made it feel awkward.

So when the steaming Bai Zhize saw the old man practically swinging his cane and power-walking into the car, Bai Zhize rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.

"Look, is that your grandfather? What's he doing with his walking stick?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Wan looked over. "From the back, it's grandfather, although the speed doesn't add up."

Bai Zhize yanked the assistant who had been closely following the old man and was standing nearby.

His raised eyebrows couldn't hide his glee. "Did something happen?"

The assistant glanced at Bai Zhize.

"Third Master, you better cool it. The old man just went to teach the Fifth Master a lesson."

"Bai Wu... Bai Jin?"

Bai Zhize raised an eyebrow.

"Did he get into trouble?"

"The Fifth Master was playing with the young master and gave him a bump on the forehead."

When the assistant showed the old man the relevant message, he couldn't help thinking how careless the Fifth Master was with the kid.

That mark was just heartbreaking.

"Come, come, let me see. Haha, let me see how bad the bruise is that made the old man so angry."

Bai Zhize burst out laughing.

He was now completely rebellious because everything he did was being watched. He was happy to see others in trouble.

The assistant stepped back cautiously, but obviously, he was no match for the Bai family. In the end, his work phone was snatched away, and Bai Zhize even used his fingerprint to unlock it.

Bai Zhize indeed didn't mean to target the child; he just wanted to see the excitement. After returning to the country, especially in Ang City under his eldest brother's watchful eyes, it was indeed very difficult to make any small moves. He was full of resentment day by day, wishing that others would be as unlucky as he was. The only thing to be happy about was that he no longer had to eat Western food!

The chefs back home were really good.

As soon as Bai Zhize unlocked and opened the phone, he saw the relevant information sent by Cen Zhi to the assistant.

He clicked his tongue lightly, swiped his finger up twice, and saw the photo.

The little cub he had only seen from a distance before was sitting on a blanket in the middle of the photo, with colorful books spread out in front of him. Beside him was a smart monitor. The little guy was looking at the screen, eyes wide open, with a cute smile. Only a small red mark on his forehead spoiled the overall cuteness, adding a touch of pitifulness.

Bai Zhize: ...

“Just this?”

Does he really need to rush to the old mansion swinging his cane over a mark this small?

Bai Wan also leaned in, his blue eyes staring without blinking at the little white blob in the photo.

Then he heard Bai Zhize mutter, “But that doesn’t make sense. If he got hurt, shouldn’t he be crying, rolling on the ground, and trying to get revenge?”

At the very least, before getting even, he wouldn’t be smiling so freely without any hard feelings.

The Bai family, in order to achieve their goals, have always stopped at nothing—his second older brother died because of that.

How can there be a kid who smiles so brightly after getting injured?

Bai Zhize didn’t really get it.

Are we sure his eldest brother’s genes aren’t mutated or something??

Bai Wan stared at the kid, thought for a second, and said: “Did the little soup dumpling spring a leak?”

Bai Zhize: ...

Can’t you eat something decent? You’re always thinking about your soup dumplings.

You’re embarrassing me.

And besides...

"What happened to your hand?"

Bai Zhize glanced at the red mark on Bai Wan's hand.

Bai Wan: ...

Bai Wan silently hid his hand behind his back.

Bai Zhize: ?

Bai Wan's eyes were expressionless, his tone flat.

"This was an accident during some interaction with a creature that can't communicate."

Bai Zhize: "In plain English."

Bai Wan: "... Analysis error, approach failed, got scratched by a cat."

Bai Zhize: ...

He was unhappy, but he felt like his son seemed to be having a pretty good time all day long?!

A few days later, Xiaobai Nuo's hot compress sessions also ended, and he no longer needed to apply the medicine. But the mark remained, estimated to take another two or three days to fade.

The red bruise had gradually turned greenish-yellow, a color that made Bai Nuo's little face look even paler, making him look even more pitiful.

The little guy had been living the same as before these past two days. He went to the company to play with uncles and aunts. In the evening, he read new idiom picture books or reviewed old ones with his brothers. After his naps, he peacefully got through his gland instability period. Then he was taken out for a drive in a small car by Bai Jin, who had been regularly getting beaten up lately. After that, he picked up his Second Uncle from work and waited for his father to join them.

Bai Sheng ultimately did not tighten the reins on the little guy. After all, there would be plenty of things in the future that his father couldn't decide for him. But he did check the surveillance footage more often than before.

As for bumper cars, they were off the table for now.

The marks on the little one’s face pained even the college students who had been playing with him in the little car, flying toys, and Monopoly board games over the past few days—of course, there was also a cousin who was heartbroken, and he tried to join the group criticizing Bai Jin, only to be judged by Bai Jin himself.

The cousin said he was not only heartbroken but also aching all over.

In the afternoon, the little one finished driving the little car with his uncle.

Today, he was driving a motorcycle with a sidecar. He worked hard to drive it forward, while his uncle curled up in the sidecar as a counterweight. Bai Jin was also holding a large stack of documents that the manufacturer had compiled earlier, reading them with the intensity of preparing for a competition.

After finishing one section, he signed his name on that page to indicate he had read it, and then he happened to see the special precautions for bumper cars. This time, Bai Jin saw clearly, and it even specified the safe weight and height.

The little car stopped. Bai Jin stepped forward to sign, then looked at Xiaobai Nuo.

The little one was holding Dou Dou and sighed while looking at his uncle.

Uncle: "?"

"What's wrong?"

"Little troublemaker, what’s bothering you about your uncle now?"

"The car can’t pull my uncle at all."

The little one was still sitting on the little motorcycle, looking at it as if it were bearing a weight it wasn’t meant to.

Bai Jin: ...

Bai Jin scooped up Xiaobai Nuo in one motion.

"Your uncle here has a normal build. If it can’t pull me, that’s the car’s problem."

The little one let out a wail and instinctively reached for his uncle’s hair.

In the end, they both backed down—one put the kid down, the other let go.

Then Bai Jin showed Xiaobai Nuo the page he had just signed.

"See, you don’t meet the height requirement, and I don’t think your weight does either."

They still weren’t feeding him enough.

That was a bit worrying. Although the little one was growing and had a great enthusiasm for eating, the adults didn’t dare feed him too much, afraid he’d feel sick, so it always seemed like he was growing slowly, not as healthy as other kids.

"Uncle."

The little one suddenly spoke, pointing at the spot where Bai Jin had signed.

"Why did you write on it?"

He asked in a soft, childish voice, looking up curiously.

Kids at this age always have a million questions.

"This? It means I’ve read it—it’s a sign that I’ve reviewed it."

Bai Jin glanced at it, showed the little one the pen in his hand, and said.

Xiaobai Nuo blinked, let out an "mm," and didn’t say anything.

"Do you want to write too?"

Bai Jin offered the pen to the little one.

Bai Jin thought for a moment and couldn’t remember if the little one knew how to write his name.

The little one had started recognizing characters, but unlike other kids, he relied entirely on his strong memory. He didn’t have the issue where he knew a word but not the individual characters—for him, if the character was the same, he remembered it.

But he hadn’t officially started learning how to write characters yet.

Bai Jin was curious to see how he would write his name.

Xiaobai Nuo took his uncle’s pen, leaned over to write on it, and after a moment, held it up to return it to his uncle: "Nono has signed it too. Are we going to pick up Second Uncle now?"

Bai Jin grunted in response and took a look.

Next to the bold, unrestrained signature was a cute little flower.

Bai Jin: ...

That was a particularly cute way of marking it as reviewed.

Bai Jin drove Xiaobai Nuo to the gate of Sheng'ang University.

As Bai Jin got into the car, he looked back, then carried the little one into the car.

Shortly after their car drove off, another car slowly pulled up.

Bai Sheng was sitting in the car, with a tablet beside him displaying Dou Dou’s surveillance feed. He was reviewing several documents while Bai Jingyun’s voice came through his Bluetooth earbuds.

"So, these past few days, you’ve been sending the little one to Bai Jin’s place, then leaving work early when they go to pick up Bai Liang, and following them?"

Bai Sheng rarely contacted Bai Jingyun, and this time it was to discuss a few research institutes abroad.

In the Bai family, those with close international business ties were Bai Sheng, Bai Jingyun, and Bai Qi.

Bai Sheng had contacted Bai Qi not long ago, and she said she would look into it but hadn’t provided any updates yet.

And now, Bai Jingyun’s usually flat voice had a hint of shock in it.

"Is this what you meant by 'giving that little one more space'?"

Bai Sheng remained calm: "What’s the problem?"

Bai Jingyun: ...

"That's a huge problem—you’re still on edge, aren’t you?"

"Let’s set aside the research institute for now. Don’t you think you’re a bit too controlling?"

Bai Jingyun couldn’t help but say.

Bai Sheng didn’t want to entertain Bai Jingyun’s comment.

"No."

What Bai Sheng cared about most was that Xiaobai Nuo wouldn’t get hurt out of his sight.

And the scars on the little one's body that had taken over half a year to slowly fade had always been a lump in Bai Sheng's heart, making him uncomfortable no matter how he thought about it.

Bai Jingyun even doubted whether this guy could accept that Xiaobai Nuo would grow up.

Bai Jingyun discussed with Bai Sheng for a while, and finally, before ending the call, he couldn't help but speak.

"In a few years, your kid might become more independent and rely on you less. Can you accept that?"

Bai Sheng paused slightly in his movements.

"Of course I can accept it."

Bai Jingyun: ...Really? I don't believe it.

But this time, without waiting for Bai Jingyun to say anything, Bai Sheng impatiently ended the communication.

Bai Jingyun looked at his phone.

Then he casually tossed the phone aside.

If it weren't for Nuo Nuo, he wouldn't want to deal with that bastard Bai Sheng either.

That guy Bai Sheng's only bit of patience must be all used up on his kid, right?

At the gate of Sheng'ang University, it was quite lively at this time, as many college students who only had one class in the afternoon were leaving school.

Bai Liang looked at the messages on his phone. As he walked out at this time, students in the lab building were also leaving in twos and threes.

Although the school research building was empty at night, there was still a research institute off campus that required shift work, but it wouldn't be too late.

The students on duty today had already gone over.

Bai Liang looked at the security personnel he had hired, who reported that the midday inspection was all normal and that they would conduct a second comprehensive patrol later.

Bai Liang responded. As he walked further, he looked up and saw in a familiar spot Bai Jin waiting there with Xiaobai Nuo.

The little one was waving at him.

A few days could form a very scary habit.

Bai Liang thought, closing his eyes for a moment, but he didn't find it unpleasant.

Today's reward is a strawberry smoothie?

This kid better eat less, or he might get a stomachache.

But just as Bai Liang stepped out of the school gate, a figure suddenly rushed over from the side, screaming: "Why didn't you help him? Why!! Do you know how much pain he was in when he left?! Aren't you the professor researching this disease?! Don't you have a miracle drug?!"

Bai Liang frowned. His pheromones, which carried a faint scent of dried white tea flowers, instantly became intense. He reached out, grabbed the other's wrist, and easily threw him to the ground.

This was a male beta with red-rimmed eyes, somewhat hysterical.

After Bai Liang withdrew his hand, the security guards at the school gate had already run over.

"Hold him down! Hold him down! How did this lunatic come again?"

"Call the police! I've called the police!"

Bai Liang frowned.

He glanced at his phone. The messages on the phone were still from a day ago.

This person in front of him was one of the family members of rare disease patients who had come to make unreasonable demands before.

He had certainly investigated the person's subsequent whereabouts to avoid them in time, but after the patient died two days ago, they should have returned to their hometown, a very exclusive village with a bad atmosphere. Bai Liang had people observe outside for two days, and seeing no other movements, he didn't have them continue following.

He originally thought this matter was slowly passing, but he didn't expect such an incident.

Bai Liang just couldn't understand. He was just a research professor, not a doctor nor anyone's lifeline. He had already made it clear that the same organ rare disease has different classifications and expressions, and that the miracle drug might not be a miracle drug for that patient but rather a death sentence. Why did they stubbornly cling to him?

The tall and graceful professor narrowed his eyes, one hand in his pocket, smiling but with an unusual coldness. Not far away, on the campus achievement board, countless of his achievements and honors were displayed.

Bai Liang was a rigorous academic who only believed in data and results. He had too little contact with other people, so naturally he didn't understand that some people, at times, would mythologize those who were too powerful, thinking they were omnipotent and just unwilling to help.

"Professor Bai, are you okay?"

Bai Liang nodded casually: "I'm fine. Handle it according to the procedure after reporting to the police. Tell the school that this time I won't accept mediation. If they're not happy, I'll handle it myself. Call me if the police need anything."

The school security nodded quickly, looking a bit troubled. Previously, the school had reluctantly tried to downplay the matter, as such incidents would not be good for the school's reputation.

But if you really let Bai Liang handle it personally, that would probably be the worst outcome.

Bai Liang put the sounds of struggle and resistance behind him. He quickly walked two steps toward Xiaobai Nuo. Xiaobai Nuo had just wanted to run over, but was caught by Bai Jin, who was watching him.

Bai Liang breathed a sigh of relief and also sent messages to others, telling them to check what the other relatives of that family member were doing now.

Since this one could come to attack him, it was necessary to carefully investigate what the others who had previously harassed the research lab were doing.

The voice behind him continued shouting, crying: "Aren't you able to make a miracle drug? Why didn't you save him? If you had given him some comfort, he wouldn't have left so decisively. Don't you have any empathy? Who should I blame—I don't know, I can only blame you—"

Amidst this, the scolding of the security guards was mixed in. The usually calm gate of Sheng'ang University instantly became chaotic again.

Bai Liang came to the little one's side. He didn't look back. He still smiled gracefully, but the warmth in his eyes grew colder and colder.

What a ridiculous statement. Some people are unwilling to believe in reality, only willing to believe what they want to believe, only hearing what they want to hear. They hate their own incompetence, yet blame others arbitrarily.

So he hated everyone.

—and hated himself.

He was destined from the start to never be moved.

Bai Liang saw Xiaobai Nuo struggle a bit in Bai Jin's arms, then reach out his hand toward him: "Second Uncle, Second Uncle."

The little one's tender childish voice seemed to drown out the noise behind.

Bai Liang stiffened for a moment, but still reached out to take him, smiling as he said: "What is it? Did you want to run over just now? Second Uncle doesn't want to be beaten up by your dad. It seems like I shouldn't come over these days..."

But Bai Liang's words stopped abruptly.

Because a pair of small hands came up and covered his ears.

Actually, it wasn't a tight cover; the sound behind was only slightly muffled, but he could hear what the little one was saying.

Xiaobai Nuo hadn't seen a knife, and had just breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked up with a small face, seeming about to cry, but he wasn't scared. He was in his second uncle's arms, covering his second uncle's ears.

With warm and soft palms, and his childish voice, he said: "That person is wrong. Second Uncle, don't listen, don't listen."