Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Is that the right analogy? Nono-speak.

The Bai family members were all stunned, watching little Xiaobai Nuo holding the small fish tank with joy.

Cen Zhi, done laughing, holding up her phone to record, saying as she recorded, "It's great, really great, this is a good thing. The stereotype of the Bai family has been broken."

Look, an omega baby! Look, not skunked! Look, a baby who can talk up a storm!

Sure, the bug fear thing is still way too strong in your family's genes, learn from this!

Don't carve everything into your DNA; even if the sky falls, your mouths'll hold it up.

The old man was the first to toss the broken-up gummy candy into the makeshift fish pond, watching the little fish swim over, wagging their tails and start nibbling, then they finished and swished their tails away.

Old man: ...

Ha.

When you're out of ideas, you really do laugh.

Laughing out of pure frustration.

The old man, the top dog of the last generation of the Bai family, kept his face serious and calm.

Bai Yan snapped a photo with his phone and said to the assistant over there, "This candy? I want to buy a whole carload."

Bai Jingyun, who was closest to the old man, turned his head: ???

He stared at the old man for a few seconds and then slowly turned back. Well, the ace pilot had finally 'lost it'.

And the little one heard great-grandpa's words, he turned his head to look at great-grandpa.

The little guy, who'd been so happy just a moment ago, tilted his head, left the fish tank with his dad, who was also a bit skeptical, and ran back, his little feet pattering.

He'd been sitting on a little stool, and great-grandpa was sitting way higher up. Now he leaned in toward great-grandpa, his little hands resting naturally on great-grandpa's knees, looking up to meet great-grandpa's gaze.

Bai Yan stiffened a little, but kept a straight face, and said quickly, "Slow down, don't trip yourself."

And when the little one stopped and leaned in, his little curls bounced slightly, and his voice still carried that excited buzz.

"Great-grandpa, Nono still has some candy left. Nono'll give it to you later."

Bai Yan paused for a second, calming down a bit thanks to little Xiaobai Nuo.

The little guy had already started chattering away, "Strawberry flavor, so yummy, Nono loves it! Uncle brought it, a really big jar."

As he spoke, he even pushed himself up, drawing a big circle with his tiny hands, and then looked up brightly at Bai Jingyun over there.

Under Bai Liang's thoughtful, chin-stroking gaze, Bai Jingyun unconsciously straightened up a little.

The uncle gave a light cough, "As long as you like it, that's what matters."

Then the little one launched into a string of childish words.

The old man looked at his phone and suddenly let out a tiny laugh.

That worked-up feeling faded a bit.

Clearly, today wasn't the time to dwell on why they weren't catching any fish.

Lively, relaxed, happy.

The wind today was perfect, blowing the clouds across the sky, and the sunlight came in waves, sometimes soft, sometimes blinding.

It felt really comfortable and laid-back.

Even Bai Liang and Bai Qi, who still couldn't stand each other, didn't bicker, just quietly sat in the corners, as far apart as possible.

Bai Sheng's patience was never much. Seeing that his own little one had 'won', he, as the father, instantly lost his previous stubbornness. He put the fishing rod aside, had someone send the fish the little one caught back to the Bai family's old residence, and then walked over towards little Xiaobai Nuo.

He really kept an eye on him without a moment's pause.

The old man glanced at Bai Sheng.

He wanted to say something, but suddenly felt that it was understandable.

The old man put away his phone and looked down at the little one again.

"Speaking of strawberries, they are planting strawberries over there. There are many varieties. Nono, do you want to go see?"

"Plant strawberries? Can we plant strawberries now?"

Little Xiaobai Nuo blinked curiously.

He had watched many children's science shows.

But to keep children patient enough to watch, many children's science shows are made into cartoons.

So little Xiaobai Nuo had never actually seen a real strawberry plant, just like many people living in cities don't know what agricultural products look like before processing.

"Yes, the end of August and the beginning of September is the time to plant strawberries. Right now they are just strawberry seedlings, and they will be harvested at the end of the year."

The old man bent slightly. The always energetic and serious elder had white hair, but now he somehow showed a bit of kindness.

"Then we can pick strawberries during the New Year? Nono wants to see!"

The little one was a strawberry fanatic. Hearing this, he nodded repeatedly, and his admiring baby voice came naturally.

"Great-grandpa has everything here, so amazing."

"There are small animals, various plants, and Anu."

"Nono likes Anu!"

His eyes were too bright. He was becoming more and more natural in front of the adults, from a simple good baby at the beginning to now a playful, noisy, curious little one who likes to chatter.

Of course.

The old man admitted.

No matter which one, they were all very cute.

So.

Bai Yan continued speaking with this expression.

"Great-grandpa's home has small animals, Anu, various plants, and many kinds of strawberries. Great-grandpa is usually free and has leisure time. Look, this place is so big..."

Bai Sheng: ?

Bai Sheng picked up the pace.

"Want to come live at Great-Grandpa's place?"

Bai Jingyun: ?

Bai Liang: …

Bai Qi: !

Cen Zhi: ?!

As Bai Yan finished speaking, Bai Sheng scooped up his son, backed away a few steps, and looked at Bai Yan with an expression that seemed to say, "So you're a kidnapper too."

"Grandpa, I'm not usually busy."

Bai Yan, who had inadvertently triggered Bai Sheng's stress response again: …

Ahem.

He was just saying that.

Just like that kid from the Cen family said, if you don't have a dream, if you don't try, how do you know it won't work?

The truth was, it really wouldn't work.

Bai Yan couldn't help thinking to himself: That guy (Bai Sheng) has a look like he's never bringing Nono over to play again.

But that's okay.

Bai Yan looked at his secret weapon—the long, stretched-out Anu, already fast asleep in the sun.

What must come will come anyway.

Xiaobai Nuo hadn't responded yet when he was suddenly picked up by his dad. He instinctively wrapped his arms around his dad's neck, the soft little one snuggled against his dad to reassure him.

Then he said very seriously to Great-Grandpa, "Nono will come visit Great-Grandpa very, very often. Even without Anu, Nono will still come. Great-Grandpa won't be lonely."

Then the little one snuggled against his dad: "Dad will come visit Great-Grandpa too, right?"

Bai Sheng paused, and under everyone's accusatory stares, he calmly replied, "Nono is right."

This little cub seemed born with a natural charm that comforted people, naturally calming everyone's emotions and subtly hitting on exactly what you needed.

So, soothed by his son's two sentences, Bai Sheng put the little one back down and prepared to go see the strawberries.

Since Anu was still asleep, Xiaobai Nuo returned to the grass, crouched down, and patted Anu a couple of times.

The cat, already stretched out long, closed its eyes, enjoying the touch. It stretched its four long paws even further, turning from lying on its belly to lying on its side, then tilted its head and continued sleeping.

Xiaobai Nuo was so charmed that he let out a series of adorable little baby sounds, finally pulling his hand back: "Anu, sleep well. Nono will come play with you after seeing the strawberries."

A servant came to guide them. After saying goodbye to the others, the little one turned around and trotted off to find Dou Dou.

Dou Dou was following not far behind the little cub. It couldn't enter the uneven terrain and was set to only monitor on flat paths. It was now pressed against the edge of the curb, looking longingly in that direction. As the little one trotted toward it, the normally quiet indicator light on the small monitor lit up, the program activated, and it seemed to 'excitedly' move forward, only to accidentally tip over the curb and fall into the drainage ditch.

Bai Sheng: …You absolute AI moron.

Xiaobai Nuo: "…Dou Dou!"

The little monitor in the ditch squealed: "Save me, save me!"

The noise gradually faded away.

The old man leaned back in his chair.

Bai Liang picked up a phone call, glanced at the old man and Cen Zhi.

"Grandpa, Mom, I need to leave first. The previous matter isn't finished yet. Those troublemakers are still at the police station. They'll have to squirm a bit before the trial. I'll go check on it."

Bai Liang was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and dress pants today, his black hair slightly disheveled by the wind. He adjusted his glasses and smiled warmly.

"Go ahead."

Cen Zhi nodded.

"Oh, Mom, let Cousin know. I'll head over to his place later. There are still some people stirring up trouble to build accounts and market themselves. We'll deal with them together."

Bai Liang continued.

"Rare indeed."

Bai Qi sat back down, holding the fishing rod, and she mocked without looking up.

"Not handling it yourself anymore?"

Bai Liang glanced over, still smiling, but with a hint of confrontation.

"As I recall, I never took it on myself before, did I? But the weather's nice today, and I don't want to argue with you."

Besides, the one who would cry to him—that little cub would definitely cry to him.

Of course.

You keep fishing with no luck, ma'am. I won't disturb you.

Bai Liang left before Bai Qi could speak again.

Bai Jingyun didn't follow. He squinted, staring at Bai Liang's retreating back.

Cen Zhi also clicked her tongue in amazement, pulling out her phone to message Cen Liu, casually saying to Bai Jingyun, "Your younger brother's been coming home more often lately, and he's even seeking out Cen Liu on his own? Though I still have to relay it for him. Can you Bai Family people stop being so awkward? Will it kill you?"

Bai Jingyun turned to look at the old man.

Bai Yan still sat there, finally letting out a light cough after a long while.

When had he ever felt lonely?

Not at all.

But then Bai Yan stood up.

"Alright, stop fishing. Since we're all here and have nothing to do, right? The water's warmed up enough. Come help scoop the fish into that decorative pond over there."

About half an hour later, a few drops of water accidentally splashed onto Anu's fur. The muscles on its back twitched rapidly, and it rolled over and got up, letting out a soft meow.

Confused, it looked around but didn't see the little cub's shadow. That soft meow instantly changed tone.

"Meow... huh?"

Everyone was busy ignoring him, so Anu lightly leaped onto the wall and trotted off along the wall.

The Bai family's strawberry garden.

Bai Sheng glanced at his watch.

The little guy was mostly better, but that sudden fever left him with a lingering cough.

Partly from the fever, and partly because Xiao Bai Nuo was careless while sweating and caught a draft.

Even though Bai Sheng turned down the central AC, to be safe, he still needed a few more days of meds to fully recover.

Today was the last one.

It was almost time for his medicine.

Xiao Bai Nuo wandered through the strawberry garden, eyeing the terracotta pots.

Inside, the tiny strawberry seedlings were still tiny, with dozens of rows, each row a different variety.

Bai Sheng followed a few steps behind, watching too.

He didn't know much about strawberries; this was his first time seeing so many varieties.

A servant nearby was telling the little one which strawberries were sweeter, bigger, would fruit early, or wouldn't be ready until after New Year's.

"Then, little master, you can pick strawberries yourself with a little basket and eat them."

The servant smiled, gazing fondly at the little guy.

"The old master said to plant more so the little master can invite other kids to come pick too."

Bai Yan had never planted many strawberries before, but this year he specially got top-quality seedlings from a breeding company and also planted many varieties that agricultural universities were promoting.

The little one was walking Dou Dou on a leash. Even though he hadn't seen the strawberries yet, his eyes were shining.

"Great!"

Just then, the vegetables on the tall rack next to the strawberry garden rustled.

A yellow-and-black figure shot out and lightly jumped onto the platform. Anu looked back, about to hiss a warning, then turned and spotted Xiao Bai Nuo.

The leopard cat nimbly leaped down from the top, bounded over to Xiao Bai Nuo, and rubbed against the little cub.

"Anu? Did you wake up?"

The little one didn't react in time and nearly got knocked over by the muscular Anu.

Anu meowed once, and then the rustling came again from the rack.

Someone crawled out from inside the rack.

He had black hair with a green leaf stuck in it, blue eyes like clear, inorganic glass, a high nose bridge, and deep-set features. He didn't look like a typical Z-country native, seemed very heat-tolerant, and was dressed in layers, like a character from a foreign fairy tale.

Bai Wan, who had followed the cat, was holding a green bell pepper. When he realized someone was there, he moved fast. Before Xiao Bai Nuo could see what happened, the pepper was already stashed in his coat pocket. Then Bai Wan recognized the little one.

Bai Wan blinked twice, first glancing at Anu, who was rubbing against Xiao Bai Nuo as if very wronged, then his gaze fell on the little one's forehead, where the mark hadn't fully healed.

It was a little bump like a steamed bun — the skin was broken and hadn't healed yet.

Xiao Bai Nuo hadn't expected to suddenly run into Bai Wan here.

The little one quickly figured out what to call him.

"Uncle."

Bai Wan gave a slight nod.

He kept staring at Anu.

Looking confused.

Why couldn't he touch it?

Why could the little kid with the bump touch it?

He hadn't gotten too close, had he? He had followed data analysis, made a comprehensive judgment on how to approach a cat, and strictly executed the plan—it was supposed to be a slow, gradual process, like boiling a frog.

But it failed.

He couldn't figure out why.

The little cub was pushed sideways by the cat's rubbing, still holding Dou Dou.

The tiny tot thought for a second.

"Uncle... can't talk?"

Bai Wan: ?

"No, actually..."

Bai Wan could understand Z-country language fluently, but he subconsciously switched to a foreign language. Halfway through, he saw Xiao Bai Nuo's confused 'bean eyes' — the kid looked like he was about to get dizzy from the explanation.

Bai Wan stopped short, hesitated for a long time, and finally forced out a single word: "...Can."

Little cub: ...

It was very quiet. The man and the cub stared at each other, neither knowing how to continue.

Maybe he could ask the kid?

But it had to be an exchange of information.

Bai Wan 'scanned' left and right, trying hard to enunciate, his voice flat.

"You want to grow strawberries?"

He had read some books on it, but abroad, fruit selection was very casual, and strawberries tasted terrible. Plus, in the height of summer, there were almost no seasonal strawberries on the market, so Bai Wan hadn't given them much thought. He was even wondering if this little one actually liked them.

"Do you want me to analyze a planting plan for you? Based on papers and books, there are multiple options for the suitable growing environment, pest control, and water and fertilizer conditions for potted strawberries."

The expressionless man had a slight foreign accent, trying to say as much as possible with as few words as possible.

Xiao Bai Nuo's eyes were starting to glaze over.

What's Uncle talking about?

What thesis? What 'fertile waters'?

Huh?

And...

Xiaobai Nuo was staring blankly, thinking, when his dad's footsteps were casually getting closer from behind.

Bai Sheng strolled over lazily, nearly reaching Xiaobai Nuo's back.

Bai Wan suddenly, like a cat that got its tail stepped on, backed off two steps warily. He looked up and locked eyes with Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng lifted his eyelids, barely twitched the corner of his mouth, shifted to shield his kid, and said coldly, "You need something?"

Bai Wan: ...

Weighing his options.

Bai Wan decided to bail with the green pepper he'd 'caught', deciding to come back another time.

He bolted so fast Bai Sheng was momentarily stunned. He looked down at his kid, their eyes meeting.

Both of them, with matching features, looked equally confused.

"...Weird."

Bai Sheng was used to Bai family members being at odds with him, but running into Bai Wan—this cold, quiet guy who bolted like that—he distinctly remembered from his background check that Bai Wan was a ruthless, no-nonsense guy overseas. So why didn't it feel that way?

Xiaobai Nuo looked down at Dou Dou, still confused. He'd meant to show Dou Dou earlier, but only now remembered to wake up its voice assistant.

"Hello, Dou Dou."

"I'm listening. Please speak."

"Look, strawberries."

Dou Dou's camera scanned the area.

It immediately answered.

"Yes, I see them. These are strawberry seedlings, about two months old, with four to six true leaves. They're healthy and sturdy, ready for planting. Want me to give you a full plan from transplanting to harvest based on Ang City's weather?"

Ah!

Xiaobai Nuo's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Dad, they're the same."

What? What's the same?

When Bai Sheng looked over again, the kid held Dou Dou up high.

The kid's little voice rang out with sudden realization.

"Uncle is the same species as Dou Dou!"

Bai Sheng: ...

These two are definitely not the same species...

Forget it.

Bai Sheng also thought Bai Wan was pretty weird. He bent down, scooped up the kid, and nudged the grumpy Anu aside.

"Okay, say bye to Anu. We'll go see Great-Grandpa, then head home for your medicine."

Take medicine.

Xiaobai Nuo puffed up his cheeks.

Snuggled in his dad's arms.

He finally whined softly, "Medicine tastes bad."

Bai Sheng chuckled at the little guy.

"Tastes bad or not, you still gotta drink it."

After the father-son duo left, Bai Wan, back at his place with the fresh green pepper, seriously pulled out his phone.

Under Bai Zhize's confused stare from his lounge chair in the sun, he started his daily oral speed practice.

Bai Zhize: ...You sick too?

Back from Great-Grandpa's place.

The little guy had cat hair all over him. He was waving his arms and chattering away.

Bai Sheng hummed along while rolling a lint roller over the kid's clothes.

Aunt Feng had already mixed the medicine in a small cup and brought it over.

It was still steaming hot.

Xiaobai Nuo spotted the little fish he'd caught.

The little red koi was swimming lazily in its own small tank, tail wagging, waiting to be acclimated and disinfected before joining Xiaobai Nuo's other fish.

The little guy got excited seeing the fish.

"Dad, look, fish! Nono's awesome!"

"Mm-hmm."

Done with this side, flip him over, gotta do the other side.

"Nono's strong, Nono's gonna win first place in the idiom competition too."

He tried to flex his tiny arms.

"Mm-hmm."

Bai Sheng kept humming along, finishing up in a few swipes.

He looked proudly at the kid, now lint-free thanks to his rolling, then tore off the sticky sheet from the roller and threw it away.

But clearly, this little guy wasn't done talking.

After finishing the fur cleaning, the little cub wrapped his arms around his dad's neck.

"So, Daddy, Nono's gonna work super hard so no one takes me away. Don't worry, Daddy, okay?"

Bai Sheng froze for a second.

"And Nono already knows the way home by heart. Nono's got a really good memory. No matter where they drop me off, I can always find my way back."

So don't be worried, Daddy. Get a good night's sleep, okay?

Even if Nono gets left behind, as long as Daddy's still here, Nono can definitely find his way back. He's really good at finding his way!

Just as good as he is at picking up trash.

He said it all soft and cuddly.

Bai Sheng couldn't help remembering how the little guy had just said he was getting way stronger and asked him to feel his little arm muscles.

How did he end up letting this little cub worry about him?

Bai Sheng let out a slow breath.

Feeling the little cub snuggle up against him, with the faint bitter smell of medicine still hanging in the air, Bai Sheng slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around the cub.

He murmured back.

"Nono's amazing, but Daddy won't let anyone take you or leave you behind... Since you love strawberries so much, let's plant some strawberries out here in a few days."

Bai Sheng usually didn't care what got planted in his yard, he just left it to the landscape designer, only taking a quick look at the plan when it was done.

When he heard that, the cub looked up.

"Hmm?"

Bai Sheng picked up the little cup nearby and went on.

"At the end of the year, Daddy'll pick them with you."

That was a promise.

"Okay."

The little cub nodded firmly.

"Can we ask the brothers to come too when we're planting them?"

"Sure."

Bai Sheng placed the cup into the little one's hands.

"Drink the medicine first."

Xiaobai Nuo swallowed hard.

"Then, then later, we can plant some sour strawberries for Uncle."

Even if they were sour strawberries, strawberries were still super special in Nono's heart!

"Plant twenty pots for him. He can't come home until he finishes them all."

Bai Sheng responded.

"Drink the medicine first."

Xiaobai Nuo: ...

The little one held the cup like a warrior facing his doom, gulped it down, and then his face scrunched up.

Wearing a mask of pain, the cub flopped into his father's arms, his little hands clutching his father's clothes.

"The medicine is bitter... Uncle Xu Chuan is mean."