Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Xiaobai Nuo held his strawberry smoothie, nodding along as Bai Sheng beside him told him not to eat too much.

Hearing the sound Bai Jin couldn't help making, the little one met his uncle's gaze.

The little one thought for a moment, then whispered, "Big bad villain?"

Uncle's a big bad villain?

Bai Jin's brow twitched, and he let out a snort.

He laughed, exasperated.

A big bad villain who brought you a strawberry smoothie?

You'd only say that about your uncle!

He reached out to grab the little one, ready to tickle his sides.

Bai Nuo, who was scared of being tickled, saw his uncle's move and squeaked in his milky voice, turning to run without a second thought.

Bai Sheng didn't reach out, letting Xiaobai Nuo hide behind him while dodging his uncle in circles.

"Uncle, uncle!" Xiaobai Nuo giggled as his uncle chased him, holding the strawberry smoothie high and tugging at his dad's clothes. His glasses had gone crooked.

Just as his uncle was about to catch him, his dad scooped him up and lifted him high.

Xiaobai Nuo took the opportunity to hold the strawberry smoothie in one hand and rest the other on his dad's shoulder.

Then Bai Jin heard Bai Sheng say, "Isn't Dad the best?"

Xiaobai Nuo beamed and nodded eagerly: "Dad's the strongest!"

And his dad was the tallest too!

Nono would eat lots and grow as tall as Dad!

Bai Jin, standing nearby, was like: ?

Trash talk, this is pure trash talk!!!

Fine, Big Brother is one thing—he's a cold-hearted schemer—but Third Brother, why are you doing this?

You're already number one in this kid's heart, why are you putting me down?!

Bai Jin wanted to argue, but then he heard a notification sound.

He turned to see what it was.

Xiaobai Nuo, still in his dad's arms, also turned to look at the big screen.

This was the educational activity center of Ang City in the Z Federation, equipped with state-of-the-art technology. After the internal AI algorithm processed all the data, results would be announced shortly.

The kids and parents around them all looked toward the screen.

Xiaobai Nuo was still in his dad's arms.

The words on the screen reflected in his eyes.

Not far away, his brothers were waving at him.

The little one had never experienced a moment like this.

A strange sense of wonder filled him. His heart pounded faster and faster.

Is Nono on there?

Can Nono get what he wants if he works hard?

Whether it's victory or happiness.

The first-place team name appeared on the screen.

It was a little flower pattern, followed by Canghua Kindergarten Group XXX, and then his name along with Yu Chuyan and the Xie Family Twins.

Xie Yue was already jumping and cheering.

"First prize! Dad, first prize! I want that toy car from before! The one that goes vroom and rams into people!"

Xie Yu was like: ...?

The person you're planning to ram—that's not your dad, is it?

"We'll discuss it at home."

Xie Qing reached out and grabbed Xie Yue, pulling him back down.

Noticing Xie Yue's unhappy look, he added, "I want a bigger one."

Xie Yue was like: ?

"Why?! Mmmph!"

But soon, the three little ones stopped bickering.

Xie Qing and Xie Yue both high-fived Yu Chuyan beside them.

Then they all turned to look at Xiaobai Nuo.

The little one froze for a moment, then mimicked them, raising his small hand and high-fiving the air as if high-fiving them back.

Then he couldn't help but break into a brilliant smile.

He reached out to hug his dad, leaned in close, and said softly.

"Dad, Nono won first prize."

Just like Dad said, Nono can have anything he wants.

His eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement as he looked at his dad.

It made everyone's heart soften and ache.

He should have experienced this much earlier.

For a little kid, the sense of accomplishment from exploring the world should have come sooner.

But for him, what came first was pain. So much so that whenever he got even a tiny bit of satisfaction, he had to check again and again—Is it me? Can I have this? Am I allowed to feel this way?

Bai Sheng pushed down the feelings churning inside him, a smile spreading as he hugged his little one close.

"Because Nono's just naturally awesome."

Xiaobai Nuo also hugged his father's neck, then looked at his uncle, wanting to share: "Grandma always says Nono's a smart kid, and Grandma's right."

Bai Jin, watching from the side, raised an eyebrow.

At that, he let out a snicker.

"Ah, on that one, Mom's definitely right."

Bai Sheng glanced off into the distance, eyes narrowing a little, then turned and headed out, still holding his little one.

"How about you grab some cups and share the strawberry smoothie with your brothers? We're eating soon, and Dad'll be working in the activity room next door while he waits for you this afternoon."

"Mm-hmm, Nono knows. Nono can't have that much ice, or my tummy'll hurt."

Xiaobai Nuo nodded in response and was carried off by his father.

Meanwhile, Bai Jin stood there, arms crossed, smile gone. He turned to look where Bai Sheng had glanced earlier.

And met a pair of shifty eyes.

Was that the "dark horse" of this competition? Bai Jin thought idly, finding it kind of funny—this kids' idiom contest had been all dressed up and packaged with some genius gimmick. Sure enough, in the age of clicks, where high views and flashy hooks bring profit, people swarm to it.

That father-son pair quickly turned and left. With Bai Jin's sharp ears, he could just barely catch their voices.

"Didn't you get on the same page with them? The video update teaser's already out—didn't you say it was a lock?"

"...Sorry, Dad, but it was just a fluke. I got held back. The real competition's this afternoon."

"..."

Bai Jin kept one hand in his pocket, fanning his face with the other, feeling restless, thinking flatly—his third brother's been on a short fuse lately, so you guys better not stir up trouble.

Especially don't mess with Xiaobai Nuo.

After all, Bai Jin figured his own temper wasn't exactly great these days, let alone Bai Sheng's.

Bai Jin turned and headed the way Bai Sheng had gone.

The little one had already grabbed cups and was sharing the strawberry smoothie with his brothers. The restaurant said the food was ready, just waiting for them to show up.

Then Bai Jin spotted someone familiar.

Bai Jin raised an eyebrow, locking eyes with Yu An, who instinctively tensed for a second at the sudden eye contact.

Yu An had Yu Zai with him.

Ever since Yu An had ratted out Bai Jin's location last time, almost causing irreparable problems, Yu An had learned to behave. Plus, Bai Jin had gotten way too intense—the kind you couldn't even keep up with—so Yu An had given up, basically staying out of Bai Jin's way.

Meeting him now, Yu An let out a soft tsk, but still came over to say hi.

The ten-year-old Yu Zai beside him also looked up. This usually quiet alpha seemed a bit more lively next to his brother, and when he saw Xiaobai Nuo, his eyes lit up almost imperceptibly.

The little one had been set down by his dad and was sipping smoothie through a straw from his cup. Seeing Yu Zai, Xiaobai Nuo gave a soft hello too.

The three little ones who'd been standing or sitting by Xiaobai Nuo instantly looked up, all turning to stare—who's this?

Especially Yu Chuyan, who'd never seen Yu Zai before.

Then Yu Zai spoke quietly.

"Thanks for the tape last time."

Of course, it wasn't just the tape he wanted to thank him for.

Yu Zai actually wanted to say more, but he was naturally quiet and not great at expressing himself, so that's all he could manage.

Xiaobai Nuo was still buzzing from winning first place, thinking about showing all his family tonight, all radiant and bright.

"No need to thank me, it was just tape. Did you get your painting stuck back together, big brother?"

Yu Zai nodded, then glanced at his brother, who was frowning while talking to Bai Jin, signaling him to hurry.

He started shuffling off with his stuff, but quickly added: "My brother helped me stick it together. I gotta go now, bye."

Xiaobai Nuo waved bye to Yu Zai.

Then he heard Yu Chuyan behind him ask very "casually": "Is he also a good friend of Nono's?"

Never seen him before!

Huh?

Xiaobai Nuo turned around, taking a sip of the sweet-and-sour smoothie through his straw, his big eyes squinting a little from the cold, then looked at the Three Little Ones watching him.

"Nono only has Brother Xiao Yan, Brother Xiao Qing, and Brother Xiao Yue as good friends right now."

The Four Little Ones usually hung out together the most, and during summer break they'd video-called almost daily for the idiom contest.

As the little one's words landed, Xie Qing and Xie Yue settled back down—good, all that protecting wasn't for nothing.

But Yu Chuyan's ears instantly went red. He awkwardly looked away, trying to keep his cool as the Little Cool Guy: "Mm, mm, of course. I gotta call my brother now, so, uh, talk later. It's just so muggy today."

Xiaobai Nuo listened to Brother Xiao Yan stammering, confused, then nodded, still tugging on Bai Sheng's clothes.

"Okay then, Brother Xiao Yan, you should drink your smoothie fast, it's gonna melt soon."

Yu Chuyan nodded and started fiddling with the watch in his bag.

The Yu family assistant standing behind Yu Chuyan wiped the sweat off his brow.

Weird—why does it feel a bit chilly?

Bai Sheng, looking down at all this from above: ...Huh?

But before Bai Sheng could think more, Bai Jin walked back, and Xie Yu spoke up: "Let's head to the restaurant. After we eat, we'll rest in the private room. It's too hot out, careful not to get heatstroke."

Watching the Bai family leave.

Yu An pulled Yu Zai along, letting out a long sigh.

Under Yu Zai's gaze, Yu An patted his chest.

"Don't you think the Bai family's gotten scarier over the years? Their presence is way too much as adults, right? Is this what an SSS-level pheromone alpha is like? And that kid of theirs is an omega, right? After they mature, they might become a top-tier omega too. Their genes are way too dominant. Good thing we didn't get on their bad side."

Yu Zai stayed quiet, just holding his brother's hand, a big bag strapped to his back.

"Want your big brother to carry that for you?"

Yu Zai shook his head at that.

Yu An kept walking ahead with Yu Zai, pulling out his phone to double-check the time and place he'd set up with someone.

"I'll take you to eat with the teacher later. Just introduce yourself, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay, big brother."

Yu Zai answered.

Then, out of nowhere, he heard someone call his name.

Yu Zai turned around and saw a skinny little kid, seven or eight, hurrying up behind him. He looked up at Yu An, a little confused.

He didn't recognize this person.

Seeing the look his little brother gave him, Yu An got the wrong idea and waved a hand dismissively.

"A friend of yours? Go on, talk—I'll wait for you up ahead."

Yu Zai instinctively made a questioning noise through his nose, took two steps forward with Yu An, then turned his head to look at the person behind him. "Do we know each other?"

The pretty, delicate-looking omega reached out a hand with a smile. "My name is Jiang Liang. Are you here for the competition tryouts too? I've seen you around before. We could go in together..."

"No."

Yu Zai shook his head.

"I'm not interested in competitions."

Yu Zai glanced back at the art supplies he was carrying. The corners of his mouth kept twitching up, and he tried to force it down so he wouldn't look so happy.

"My brother said he supports me doing whatever I wanna do."

He wanted to paint, so his brother, who rarely butted into his education, had helped him tape up his old drawings, picked him up from his dad's place, and found him a real teacher.

Yu Zai looked at Jiang Liang again, saw the surprise on his face, and said: "I don't know where you saw me, but I've never seen you before. I gotta go—my brother's waiting for me over there."

With that, Yu Zai gave Jiang Liang a polite nod, turned, and hurried back toward Yu An.

"All set?"

"We didn't even know each other, period."

"Ha, how would he know your name if you two don't know each other? It's cool, it's cool—I'm super open-minded. If you're getting into early romance, just give me a heads-up."

"I told you, I'm not. I don't know him. Bro!"

The brothers' back-and-forth drifted into Jiang Liang's ears.

Jiang Liang: ...

Jiang Liang's smile went cold. He frowned without meaning to and raised a hand to nervously chew on his thumbnail.

No, this was all wrong.

Ever since coming back to the country, everything seemed to have gone off the rails, completely out of sync with what he'd seen in his dreams. If it weren't for the fact that the exam questions and the material were still the same, Jiang Liang would've thought his past experiences were just regular dreams he'd blown up into some kind of special power.

Jiang Liang pressed his lips together, looking a little lost. After all, logically speaking, he should've run into a down-and-out Yu Zai. They were supposed to become teammates down the line, and he'd become his biggest asset.

But why was everything so different now, though?

Was it... because Yu Zai's brother was still in the picture?

"Xiao Liang, why'd you suddenly take off like that? Grandma almost couldn't keep up."

Ying Yishui hurried over, chatting and laughing with people she knew along the way, bragging about her genius omega grandkid.

Jiang Liang looked up at Ying Yishui, didn't say a word, and frowned as he headed off in the direction they'd originally been going.

Meanwhile.

In the Bai family group chat, someone posted a photo of Xiaobai Nuo being held up high, eyes sparkling.

Behind him, the electronic screen showed his name next to the first-place award.

It was just a little idiom contest, but it instantly got the attention of all the bigwigs in the Bai family.

Bai Sheng, that crazy kid-bragging dad, also posted it on his Moments.

When the old man saw it at lunch, he didn't say a word, but he definitely ate an extra half bowl of rice.

He was even a little too stuffed, so he had to go for a walk through his various vegetable gardens.

And that's when he ran into the "thief" who was swiping green peppers and trailing after the cat Anu.

Bai Wan: ...

Old Master Bai: ...

Caught red-handed, Bai Wan slowly tucked the green pepper behind his back, still totally deadpan, his blue eyes suspiciously clear, like he hadn't done a thing wrong.

The old man rubbed his forehead, exasperated.

"You chase after it every day. Haven't you noticed it barely even goes back to its den anymore?"

This "rigidly routine" guy in front of him swiped green peppers and gnawed on them daily, chased cats and stared at them, completely wrecking the schedule of Anu, who usually kept a very regular routine. He only acted normal during international meetings, and even then, only sometimes. The rest of the time, the old man found him a headache, bringing back memories of the chaos of Bai Zhize's childhood.

Not to mention how Bai Sheng ended up with such a good kid like Bai Nuo—how on earth did that boy Bai Zhize manage to have such a silly kid?!

"Based on analysis from multiple papers on cat behavior, one needs to build a close relationship first, letting it get familiar with you before approaching."

Bai Wan answered without hesitation.

Bai Yan: ...

"Take it out. What are you hiding for? Don't you know how obvious your stealing is?"

Bai Yan extended his hand, watching as Bai Wan reluctantly pulled the green pepper from behind his back and handed it to him. Bai Yan was almost amused despite his anger.

"If you're going to sneak-pick one, at least pick from a different plant. Why do you keep stripping the same one?"

Bai Yan expected to hear something like "picking from just one plant only affects that one plant."

Instead, Bai Wan was surprisingly honest: "A little bit of OCD."

Picking them all neatly—satisfying.

Bai Yan: ...

Can you have a little consideration for other people, or at least other cats?

Silence.

Bai Wan stood there quietly, thinking it over calmly.

"I should go learn from that little bun about how to approach cats."

The data from papers and textbooks didn't seem as authoritative as that little one's experience. Besides, his accent had been corrected a bit by now.

Little bun?

Bai Yan took a moment to realize Bai Wan was talking about that little kid.

Ah... that probably wouldn't be something he could learn—that kid was likely just naturally gifted.

But—

"You're just going to go like that?"

Although the old master himself had no problem with it, he didn't think Bai Sheng would be willing to let that little kid hang around Bai Wan.

Bai Wan thought for another two seconds, then suddenly pulled another green pepper out of his pocket.

The old master stared at that green pepper...

The old master was about to laugh out of sheer exasperation.

Are you the Green Pepper Bandit or what?

How many of my vegetables have you stolen? What's wrong with you two father and son? You come back and just eat my vegetable garden raw???

Then Bai Wan spoke: "Wouldn't the chances be higher if I brought some gifts? Grandpa, would you let me pick the best green peppers to give him?"

Bai Wan said this, since he couldn't even leave the house on his own and didn't care much about material things, so he had nothing decent to give as a gift.

He would pick the ones with the best quality, the best texture and flavor—fresh ones tasted great, and he had a lot of experience by now.

Bai Yan: ...

Wait, give what?

Green peppers?

Old Master Bai suddenly felt something click into place in that instant, experiencing the same sense of peace of mind that Bai Jingyun had once felt.

Bai Yan went "ah."

Looking at Bai Wan's bewildered expression, he remarked with a sigh, "Not bad."

The student has surpassed the master.

Impressive.

Bai Wan: ...What?

In the afternoon, at the idiom competition.

The requirement for answering was still to be both fast and accurate—selecting images and idioms, then inputting them by voice.

The more you completed within the time limit, the higher your rank.

Probably because of the morning's events, Little Bai Nuo was in great form. When the examiner announced the end, Little Bai Nuo looked at his results—this time there was no need to tally up, as the total ranking displayed instantly.

A big number one appeared next to Bai Nuo's name.

Some little kids behind him whispered among themselves, and Little Bai Nuo caught bits of someone saying he was amazing.

Although the kids in the same exam room couldn't hear each other's voices, they could see Little Bai Nuo swiftly swiping through questions one after another, showing just a fraction of his astonishing memory.

Awards would come later.

Little Bai Nuo's eyes sparkled as he tugged at the hem of his shirt.

Nono likes getting praised.

The little ones left the exam room with the help of the staff.

The little kid looked up and spotted his dad in the crowd—his little uncle had gone back to school after lunch, so only Bai Sheng was waiting here.

The little one walking alongside his brothers couldn't help but speed up a few steps, then turned to look at Yu Chuyan, whose hand he was holding.

The two Xie brothers started making a fuss again.

Mainly because there was only one first prize, three second prizes, and five third prizes. Yu Chuyan and Xie Qing were both in second place, while Xie Yue's ranking landed him in third, and he was grumbling to his older brother about it.

After getting a mocking "dumb little brother" from Xie Qing, Xie Yue immediately fired back with "you're the dumb one, your whole family is dumb," which stunned Xie Qing—the brothers went from zero to sixty in an instant, getting into a fight on the spot, until Xie Yu rushed over and hauled them away.

Yu Chuyan watched the little kid turn to look at him. The little cool guy stayed reserved, letting go of his hand, his eyes just as bright as Little Bai Nuo's: "You won this time, but next time it won't be the same."

Little Bai Nuo blinked, then smiled, revealing the dimples in his cheeks, and said, "Then let's compete again next time, Brother Xiao Yan—Nono's not giving up."

When it comes to memory, Nono never loses!

The two little ones parted ways, and Yu Chuyan went to grab his phone watch to call Yu Chen.

It was muggy outside, with dark clouds rolling in. There were still about two hours until mealtime, and the sky had already turned gloomy.

The high temperature combined with 100% humidity made anyone who stepped outside break out in a sweat.

Little Bai Nuo pattered over to his dad's side.

Bai Sheng had been standing there without moving since earlier. He raised an eyebrow, looking at the little one a few steps away, and opened his arms.

Gonna jump over?

Little Bai Nuo broke into a grin. He was fast and agile, though his strength wasn't quite up to par—this feeling felt familiar. The little one took a few running steps, leaped toward his dad, and was caught, lifted, and held high by Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng curved his lips into a slight smile.

Of course—why was the Bai family so competitive, so obsessed with winning?

His little one was clearly hooked on the feeling of victory too. No rush; there would be many, many more victories ahead.

But Little Bai Nuo whispered in Bai Sheng's ear: "Daddy, this world is so interesting—Nono pulled it off, a total triumph!"

It wasn't just about winning, or about hot food and clean water.

This world is seriously fun, and he loves it here.

Bai Sheng was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. Is that even how you use that word? You're not trying to say the bad guys win, are you? Or maybe "Xiao Nuo's day in the sun" fits better.

Still, making his little cub feel like the world is a beautiful place is exactly what the parenting books say to do.

Bai Sheng held the little one snug, and only then did the cub wrap his arms around his dad's neck to speak, looking up expectantly at his dad, waiting for praise, his little face flushing with excitement.

"Daddy, Nuo Nuo won first place again. Daddy, am I your pride now?"

Even though Nuo Nuo just showed up by Daddy's side out of nowhere, Nuo Nuo will work hard to be Daddy's pride and won't let anyone laugh at Daddy.

Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow, puzzled, and looked at the cub's little face. Finally, copying Cen Zhi, he kissed the cub on the cheek, and while Xiao Bai Nuo sat there stunned, he said lazily, "I thought Nuo Nuo already knew he's always been Daddy's pride."

Xie Yu, who was nearby hauling off the two cubs having an air-brawl, watched the father-and-son moment.

Xie Yu: ...

Proud? Bai Sheng is proud to death.

Little Nuo Nuo, don't you worry.

Your dad can't wait to shove you in everyone's face, then whisper in their ears about what an adorable omega cub you are, a sweet little treasure—and he does it out of nowhere, zero warning, catching everyone off guard!

The first victim was just thinking that when Xie Yu saw Yu Chuyan running over in a hurry.

The sky outside had gone completely dark, the muggy heat about to break, with faint thunder rumbling in the distance, but the wind was still hot, sweeping in wave after wave.

"Uncle Xie."

Yu Chuyan stopped, looking up, pressing his lips together, his little face trying to stay calm but clearly showing his panic, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, the emergency call already keyed in and ready to dial.

"The person next to my brother—their phone's out of service. And my brother's phone—I can't get through."