Chapter 127

Chapter 127

"Don't worry."

Xie Yu reacted instantly, pulling out his phone to send a message.

"Half an hour ago he told me he'd come pick you up after his meeting. He also told me where he was going. I've sent the nearest people to find him. I'll let you know the moment they do."

Yu Chuyan nodded, his small face scrunched up with anxiety, hands clenched nervously.

Little Bai Nuo, who had just been held by his father, looked over.

"Daddy?"

The little kid couldn't help but think of his dream.

He hadn't dreamed about Brother Yu Chen, but he had dreamed about Little Flame Brother crying really sadly.

The little kid tensed up instantly, instinctively looking to Bai Sheng for help.

Bai Sheng had never bothered with stuff like this before—whether it was family infighting or business scheming, he figured he just didn't have the empathy for it. But perhaps it was because he'd spent so much time with this little guy.

Bai Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly, already looking down and sending a message on his phone. Then he saw his kid looking at him with a scared, uneasy look on his face.

He knew it would come to this.

Bai Sheng thought.

This kid cared way too much about the people he'd claimed as his own.

Bai Sheng instinctively reassured him: "No rush. Daddy'll ask around."

Luckily, they found him in less than ten minutes.

The second Bai Sheng spoke, Yu Chuyan looked up, some of the tension easing off him. Xie Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully relax, Bai Sheng kept talking.

"He was found in the lounge attached to his meeting room. There were signal jammers nearby. Security said he'd finished a meeting and was planning to rest. He was unconscious. They did some first aid on site and sent him to the hospital. Looks like it's not too serious."

"Uncle Bai, which hospital? I have to go see my brother."

Yu Chuyan blurted out, his eyes instantly turning red, fingers gripping the hem of his clothes.

Bai Sheng told him the name of the hospital.

"Daddy, Daddy, let's go see Brother Yu Chen."

Little Bai Nuo also looked at his father.

Before Bai Sheng could say anything, Yu Chuyan looked up and quickly shook his head: "The award ceremony's about to start."

He looked at Little Bai Nuo.

Unlike Little Bai Nuo's cute, soft look, he hadn't grown into his features yet either—his round, ink-black eyes had slightly upturned corners, clearly set to grow into the same cold, sharp look Yu Chen had. At just five, he still had baby fat, but he was trying hard to look serious, trying to play down his cuteness, which gave him a bit of a little-adult vibe.

Under Little Bai Nuo's slightly stunned gaze, he spoke seriously.

"This is Nuo Nuo's first time at something like this. It's really important."

Yu Chuyan, Xie Qing, and Xie Yue—even if they hadn't been all that invested at first, thinking it was just some adult connection, just another friend to play with—they'd gradually changed their minds after spending time with Little Bai Nuo.

Mainly because Little Bai Nuo was so different from other kids their age.

Most kids at this age were already at their most mischievous, they were at their most curious, exploring everything, and they'd usually already figured out some basics about the world.

But not Little Bai Nuo. Everything was brand new to him. It was like he'd only just shown up in this world before they met him, but those past years had left real marks on his body and in his heart.

They'd watched the scars on his body slowly fade. But his fear of those pools of water hadn't gotten much better.

Even though he was mischievous and playful, Yu Chuyan had never lacked love from his parents.

So when it came to Little Bai Nuo, these kids all felt the same way.

They didn't know what the adults thought, but whatever kids this age could do, should do, the trouble they'd cause, everything they'd go through—it was fine. They'd take care of it.

Yu Chuyan said he'd be a dependable big brother too.

Xie Qing figured he already had a little brother, so he was naturally dependable.

As for Xie Yue? The little troublemaker was a big brother for the first time and was thrilled, even trying to share tips with Little Bai Nuo on how to ride on top of Dad's head, until Xie Yu shut that down.

Of course, mainly because Xie Yu was afraid his own kid would lead Little Bai Nuo astray and turn him into a little menace like him. Bai Sheng said "it's fine, it's fine" out loud, but then turned around and promptly dealt with him.

Yu Chuyan looked over at the assistant next to him.

The Yu family assistant had already called for a car, his face all serious, and now he lowered his head and said, "Young Master, the car's here at the entrance."

Yu Chuyan nodded, looked up again, met Little Bai Nuo's eyes, and said seriously, "Uncle Bai said my brother's not in serious trouble. I'll go check on him. Nuo Nuo, don't worry—I'll keep you posted."

So.

Yu Chuyan patted his chest.

"Trust me."

The first thing he'd earned through hard work—he should enjoy it properly.

A big brother takes care of his little brother. That's what his own brother had taught him.

Little Bai Nuo wanted to say that Little Flame Brother was important too.

But the little kid blinked, watching Yu Chuyan's face as he looked back. Yu Chuyan was already heading out, doing his best to show he didn't need to worry. The little kid wrapped his arms around his dad's neck, watching Yu Chuyan take two steps, then slowly break into a run outside.

Since he had to look after two kids, Xie Yu had already called his assistant over. He had the assistant stay here, checked the time, figured Shi Lin would be here soon, and then said to Little Bai Nuo, "It's fine. Uncle Xie'll go check things out first. You go to the ceremony with your two brothers—you can come see him later. And congrats on getting first place again, Nuo Nuo."

The little kid hummed softly in response, still holding onto his dad's neck, but didn't argue.

The little kid was thinking, snuggled in his dad's arms.

Bai Sheng hadn't said anything yet when he heard Little Bai Nuo whisper to him, "Everyone's so nice."

The little kid looked up at his dad.

Everyone he'd met was nice, nice to Nuo Nuo, caring about Nuo Nuo.

So why did he have to go through all that bad stuff and become a villain?

The little kid tucked his head into his dad's chest, looking a little down, but—

"Daddy, Brother Yu Chen's gonna be okay, right?"

Nono tried really, really hard to help.

So everything's gonna be okay, right?

The little kid looked up at his 'can-do-anything' dad.

Waiting for his dad's answer with the same hopeful look as always.

Bai Sheng gave a gentle nod to reassure him.

"It will be."

Little Bai Nuo nodded hard.

"Nono trusts Papa."

Yu Chuyan didn't show up to the awards ceremony.

Little Bai Nuo picked up the trophy and certificate for his big bro Xiao Yan.

Only after that did they head to the hospital.

It wasn't dark yet, but a thunderstorm had already rolled in, making everything damp and cutting through the day's heat.

Yu Chen had been rushed to a nearby hospital. Little Bai Nuo was in his dad's arms, while Shi Lin, who'd hurried over, was holding Xie Qing and Xie Yue by the hand. They spotted Xie Yu standing at the door.

Shi Lin sped up.

She also kept a close eye on the kid who lived in the same villa area as her.

"How is he? What's going on?"

"The doctor said it's a low blood sugar coma. Good thing they caught it early—no permanent damage. He's awake now, but still groggy."

Xie Yu glanced over.

"Low blood sugar coma?" Shi Lin was surprised. "He's basically never had this kind of issue before, right? I remember him saying he'd get a little dizzy if he stood up too fast, but that's normal for anyone, right? How could he suddenly fall into a low blood sugar coma?"

Xie Yu smiled, but it looked a little grim.

"Yu Chuang's behind this."

"What do you mean?"

Shi Lin didn't get it.

"No matter how cocky Yu Chuang is, he wouldn't be dumb enough to pull something this obvious, would he?"

This was a crime. Did he really think the Yu family's influence meant he could do whatever he wanted in Ang City?

Not to mention Old Master Yu keeping him in check, and the Bai family hanging over them like a mountain—plus certain political families watching, and the new money itching to get a slice of these big clans.

"So he was meeting with the Yu family shareholders today?"

Bai Sheng held the little kid, who was trying hard to follow along but didn't really get it. He thought for a second, then spoke.

"The whole afternoon, right?"

"Exactly."

Xie Yu looked over.

"The cops have already been called. The sedatives he was prescribed were too strong and messed up his organs a bit. Who knows how many people in the Yu family are tied to Yu Chuang. The cops are already collecting evidence at the Yu place, but the other side will probably weasel their way out—they'll only be able to pin it on the doctor, and it probably won't lead to a serious charge. Old Master Yu got out of the hospital a few days ago and left Ang City the day before yesterday to meet with old business partners. Yu Chen had just gotten more shares and called a meeting with the Yu family shareholders. A bunch of old folks refused to turn on the AC and opened the windows for air. That's how the whole afternoon went."

Today was probably the hottest day of the year's tail end—both the humidity and temperature were crazy high. If you weren't careful, it could easily trigger underlying health problems.

And Yu Chen, who'd almost never had low blood sugar, wouldn't think twice about it—until the brutal heat and humidity set it off, and until one of the Yu shareholders was still meeting with him one-on-one.

The pressure Yu Chen had been under lately was insane. Even though he'd been trying to adjust, he still walked right into the trap.

He eventually passed out in the lounge from dizziness. The bodyguards outside had no clue what was going on—they just figured he was resting. And since no messages came through on his phone, no one checked it, and nobody noticed the small signal jammer that had been quietly turned on at some point.

If it weren't for what Little Bai Nuo said earlier, and Yu Chuyan's stubborn habit of calling his brother every few hours, the coma could've caused permanent damage.

And at that point, there were still an hour or two before dinner.

If they'd found him then, it was anyone's guess whether Yu Chen could've been saved—or even if he was, whether he'd ever wake up.

This was a premeditated murder buried in all the little details.

Even Xie Yu got chills thinking about it. He really couldn't understand how Yu Chuang could hate Yu Chen so much just for being a beta, treating him like a stain. The harder Yu Chen tried, the more he accomplished, the more Yu Chuang wanted to wipe him out of existence.

And clearly, in the past, Yu Chen had worked hard but had been so smoothly protected by Old Master Yu that people let their guard down.

Yu Chuang, who'd firmly grabbed half the real power from Old Master Yu, was no pushover. His grip on the Yu family was way stronger than Yu Chen's, a kid just starting out.

But since there was no evidence, and Yu Chen and Yu Chuyan didn't live with Yu Chuang, it was hard to get one over on this old fox.

Xie Yu's brows knit tight.

"They're still trying to trace where the signal jammer came from."

So that's why they picked today?

Bai Sheng glanced at the storm raging outside, looking totally unbothered.

The little kid in Bai Sheng's arms squirmed, kicking his little arms and legs.

"Papa, Nono wants to go see Big Bro Xiao Yan."

The little kid looked up and met his dad's eyes.

Bai Sheng put Little Bai Nuo down.

He watched Xie Yu push the hospital room door open.

Yu Chen was hooked up to an IV. He was awake, pale, and looked sheepish—like he wanted to say something but didn't dare. Yu Chuyan sat in a chair next to the bed, staring at him with a dark, angry look on his little face.

Hearing the door open, Yu Chuyan automatically looked over.

"Nono."

Little Bai Nuo pushed the door open with his tiny hands, met Big Bro Xiao Yan's eyes, and said softly.

"Big Bro Xiao Yan, Nono got the trophy and certificate for you."

"Yeah, thanks, Nono."

Yu Chuyan nodded. He let out the breath he'd been holding, and the usually wild alpha cub looked a little deflated.

"I'll go get it, brother. You rest here."

Yu Chuyan climbed down from the chair and headed out.

Yu Chen was feeling a bit low and frustrated too, blaming himself for not being careful enough. He remembered that when he walked back after seeing off the last difficult old man, his vision went black, but he still fumbled to press the emergency button on his phone. He hadn't expected even that to be accounted for. A short-range signal jammer—when the hell had it been planted there? And those people...

Yu Chen's expression darkened as well, but he forced himself to suppress it, not letting Yu Chuyan see his ugly mood.

The teen, usually a pro at guiding his little brother, was suddenly at a loss for words, not knowing what to say to Yu Chuyan. He could only watch as Yu Chuyan walked out.

He heard Yu Chuyan talking to Auntie Shi Lin. Xie Yu and Bai Sheng hadn't come in—they were standing behind Little Bai Nuo, with Xie Qing and Xie Yue peeking in from the doorway.

"Brother Yu Chen, are you okay now?"

Little Bai Nuo turned his head, glancing back at his dad, then padded in with tiny steps.

He pressed his small hand on the edge of the bed, stretching up on his tiptoes. The little curls on his head bobbed slightly, and his big eyes held a hint of worry.

He was so small, radiating pure concern.

Yu Chen raised a hand to scratch his head and gave a dry laugh.

"I'm okay now."

He didn't dare say he was totally fine—after all, what the doctor said was still pretty scary.

Just half an hour later, and he might not have lived to see his little brother grow up.

Yu Chen let out a bitter chuckle.

Man, how ruthless... He'd braced himself, but he still hadn't expected to be this unprepared.

Those people—even the uncles and aunties who'd been kind to him as a kid—plus Yu Chuang. After all, weren't they father and son? Did they really despise him that much?

Yu Chen didn't dare think about what would've happened if they'd succeeded—if Grandpa heard the news and something went wrong. Then what would Yu Chuyan have to face?

A greedy stepmom, an arrogant bastard of an older brother, and a dad with ulterior motives.

Little Bai Nuo was like a soft little bun, his chubby cheeks puffing out.

"Brother Yu Chen, you scared Xiao Yan. If something happened to you, Xiao Yan would be really sad, and Nono would be really sad too."

"I'm sorry..."

Yu Chen gave a bitter smile.

"You guys have been worried about me. I heard from Xiao Yan that Nono got first place this afternoon—that's awesome."

Yu Chen also felt a pang of guilt. The kid had happily won first place, and here he was "stirring the pot"—wasn't that just killing the vibe?

"Brother doesn't need to apologize to Nono."

Little Bai Nuo blinked. The little guy thought about Yu Chuyan's face and puffed his cheeks again.

"Brother needs to take care of himself, then Xiao Yan can happily play with Nono. If that happens, Xiao Yan will forgive you without you even apologizing. Xiao Yan is about to cry—he really almost did."

Nono didn't want Xiao Yan to cry.

The little guy spoke in a soft, babyish voice, totally serious.

Behind him, the Xie twins were distracted by stuff in the room but quickly chimed in too.

The three little kids squeezed together in front of the hospital bed, lined up in a row, all staring at Yu Chen.

Yu Chen couldn't help wiping the sweat off his forehead. His lips were dry, and he swallowed without thinking, tasting the sickly sweet glucose from the IV drip beside him.

With that, he quickly glanced outside again—Yu Chuyan still wasn't back.

He dropped his voice and spoke to them in a hurry.

"I get it. Xiao Yan's face is too scary—I don't even dare talk to him. Can you guys help me say a few words to Xiao Yan?"

He couldn't help but mutter bitterly under his breath.

"After all, there's too much going on, too many problems. If I don't step up, a ton of 'wind, snow, and cold' will press down, making it impossible to move an inch."

Sometimes Yu Chuyan would feel a little envious of other families, but wasn't Yu Chen the same?

Back when their dad was still alive, Yu Chen already knew Yu Chuang didn't like him much.

But back then, there was still Dad's love and Grandpa's attention, so it wasn't so painful.

Until Dad passed away, leaving him only a little brother still in the hospital's incubator, and Grandpa's health was failing too.

His only real family was those two.

Grandpa had held on for way too long, worrying too much about him, and his health was clearly going downhill.

Yu Chen desperately wanted to be independent sooner, so Grandpa could rest and recover properly. If Grandpa were gone, then he and Yu Chuyan would only have each other.

But Yu Chuyan was too young—there were a lot of things he didn't want such a little kid to worry about.

That's what being an adult was all about, after all.

Even though he still had two years until he was officially an adult.

And Little Bai Nuo thought for a moment.

"Is it like the cold in *The Rainbow Flower*?"

The little guy had read tons of picture books—he thought of that one.

It was about a rainbow-colored flower that protected the little animals on the prairie through all four seasons, its petals finally withering in the winter cold, only to sprout and bloom again the next year.

Yu Chen took a moment to process.

"Oh, I've read that book with Xiao Yan."

Was this little kid saying he was like that flower—giving away too many petals, withering too easily?

He was indeed busy, but he'd been taking care of himself lately, and this incident was partly caused by medication—a man-made disaster, really—so it wasn't quite that "tragic."

But then he heard the little guy continue, his voice soft.

"But the flower had no family. Brother Yu Chen has family. Brother Yu Chen isn't a flower either—just Brother Yu Chen. Brother Yu Chen needs to take care of himself."

Nono will help you too.

Burning yourself out too hard makes people really worried.

Yu Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

Just then, his phone rang again.

On the other end, Old Master Yu sounded frantic and pissed off, coughing in the middle of his sentence. Yu Chen rushed to calm him down.

After finally settling down the grandpa who was about to come back, Yu Chen couldn't help but glance at Xiaobai Nuo again, then spotted his younger brother standing in the doorway clutching a trophy and certificate.

Yu Chen's face tightened a bit again before he reached out and waved Yu Chuyan over.

Yu Chuyan finally walked in, with a few adults trailing behind, still hovering at the door.

His brother lifted Yu Chuyan onto the bed before he said seriously.

"Brother shouldn't have taken those meds without telling you. Brother will tell you everything from now on, okay? I worried you. Good thing we had our Xiao Yan today. Brother's sorry, okay? Let brother see Xiao Yan's certificate and trophy, huh?"

The second he heard that, the Little Cool Guy, who'd been holding a straight face, instantly clamped his lips shut, tears just started pouring down his face.

He still tried to keep it together, but his voice came out all choked up: "Brother, you're a bad guy, wahhh."

Yu Chen almost lost it too. He hugged his little brother and said seriously.

"Nothing like this is gonna happen again."

Xiaobai Nuo sniffled a little.

He was such an empathetic little kid that seeing Yu Chuyan cry made him tear up too.

Bai Sheng and Xie Yu were standing at the door, watching.

Xie Yu was clearly annoyed—he'd basically watched Yu Chen grow up—and muttered that Yu Chuang better watch out.

Bai Sheng's face gave nothing away until Xie Yu muttered under his breath.

"And when do I get a Nuo Nuo of my own to raise?"

Saying Bai Sheng was lucky didn't even cut it. Did you save the world in a past life or something, and the universe just handed you this adorable little sweetheart?

Bai Sheng turned his head: ?

Bai Sheng sidestepped a couple of steps.

Not up for adoption. Want one? Go make your own.

Bai Sheng glanced back inside.

He watched Yu Chuyan, a little embarrassed, wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, hop off the bed and seriously say he'd work hard to help from now on, and then turn to hug Xiaobai Nuo.

...Hugging his kid?

The Newbie Dad finally figured out what that weird feeling was.

His kid was an omega, right? And Yu Chuyan was a little alpha?

But hearing Yu Chuyan sniffle, Bai Sheng hesitated a little.

Maybe it was just because he was emotional?

Soon enough, they all decided not to bother Yu Chen anymore so he could rest.

Yu Chuyan stayed to keep his brother company, and Old Master Yu would arrive shortly. The others took their leave.

Xiaobai Nuo's eyes were rimmed red too. He sniffled and went to his dad, reaching up for a hug.

Bai Sheng looked at the tiny figure reaching out to him—his glasses were long gone somewhere—and in the thunder, lightning, and raging storm outside, his little one looked like a drenched fledgling searching for its parent, standing on tiptoes asking to be held.

Once in his arms, the boy curled up tightly, clinging to his dad's neck.

"Going home?"

Bai Sheng asked softly.

"Mm-hmm."

The little one nodded.

"Want to go home. Grandma is still waiting for Nuo Nuo."

So many family members were still waiting for Nuo Nuo.

But the little one quickly calmed down again. Bai Sheng heard him counting something on his fingers one by one, his baby voice soft and low.

Counting what?

Bai Sheng looked down at the child in his arms.

The wind and rain outside were fierce; the assistant beside them held an umbrella, and the little one was completely sheltered in his embrace.

After a moment, Xiaobai Nuo sat up. He'd counted all the villains he knew.

Then he looked at his dad's face, and hugged him again with a bit more force, pressing close as if afraid of losing him.

He murmured very softly.

"Not a single one missing..."

The villains Nuo Nuo had rounded up—not a single one missing.

That was truly wonderful.