Chapter 134

Chapter 134

Even if he wasn't the best at dealing with people, Bai Wan had already picked up on it from Xiaobai Nuo's strong reaction.

Bai Wan's blue eyes were blank as he looked at Xiaobai Nuo, whom Bai Jin had picked up while holding back a laugh. His eyes rested on Bai Jin's face for a couple of seconds, then he looked at the green pepper in his own hand. He spoke in a fluent foreign language, low and quick.

"Gift choice was a mistake. Need to pick a new one."

With that, Bai Wan straightened back up. The bow on the green pepper sagged a little as he moved. Although Bai Wan's expression didn't change, he weirdly seemed to be just as droopy as the green pepper.

Still in his uncle's arms, Xiaobai Nuo clutched Dou Dou and his drawing book, a little tense.

He just didn't like eating green peppers—it wasn't like he was scared of them. Right now, he was just freaked out by his own imagination of the green pepper coming to life.

The little guy paused for a second before speaking: "Nono just doesn't like green peppers."

Bai Wan didn't do small talk; he was pretty blunt.

He tucked the green pepper away and looked at Xiaobai Nuo again.

"Are you coming back here tomorrow?"

Bai Jin caught on to something and glanced up at Bai Wan.

The subject changed out of nowhere. Xiaobai Nuo paused for a beat, then answered all polite and proper.

"Nono has school tomorrow. I'll come back the day after tomorrow in the afternoon."

"Day after tomorrow, afternoon. Got it."

Bai Wan nodded.

"I'll come by then."

With that, he turned and walked off fast without a backward glance.

Before long, even his figure was out of sight.

Bai Jin: ?

What the heck did that guy even come here for? No clue.

Xiaobai Nuo blinked a few times and remarked, "That was quick."

"Is your storybook room all set up?"

Bai Jin watched Bai Wan take off like that and didn't bother to dwell on it. He looked down at the little guy.

"Not yet, but it'll be done soon."

Xiaobai Nuo shook his head while still in his uncle's arms.

"There are still some things to put out. Can Nono sleep in the treasure chest bed after?"

"You can sleep on the ceiling if you want."

Bai Jin answered offhandedly. He didn't plan on going in to check it out, so he carried the kid toward the main hall.

"That room still needs some stuff put in. Grandpa said he picked out a bunch of string lights, and you'll get to pick them out later. A lot of new stuff was just installed. They say there's no harmful fumes, but it's probably better to let it air out for a couple more days, don't you think? You and the cat can play outside for now."

Xiaobai Nuo gave a little "mm," then tilted his head up and said, "Uncle, is Dad gonna call Nono soon?"

Bai Jin paused for a second and went, "Ah."

"Soon. Uncle'll nudge him for you."

"No need. Dad's busy, but Nono's not."

The little guy wiggled his feet happily in his uncle's arms.

"Nono can wait for Daddy."

Bai Jin went quiet for a moment, then carried the kid into the main hall.

"Okay, have a snack before you play. We'll head back for dinner later, and your grandma's coming over too."

"Mm-hmm."

Once his uncle set him down, the little guy took Dou Dou to go find some snacks.

Since Xiaobai Nuo was coming over, and Old Master Bai wasn't in great health to begin with, the AC in the main house of the Bai family's villa wasn't set too cold. As long as it wasn't scorching outside, they usually kept the windows wide open for fresh air.

So while Xiaobai Nuo and Dou Dou were sitting side by side munching on snacks, a bug flew in. The little guy got so scared he started yelping and shrank into a corner—totally normal, really.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle! Huge bug!"

Bai Jin had been looking at his phone. When he heard Xiaobai Nuo's voice, he hurried over, and when he saw that big beetle flying around, his scalp prickled instantly.

Why's it so big?

Bai Jin felt his hands go limp, but he had to act like it was no big deal in front of Xiaobai Nuo.

Xiaobai Nuo hugged Dou Dou, tucked himself into the corner, and watched his uncle go to war with the bug—even clapping for him.

Bai Jin didn't drive it out. He instinctively said: "You stand over there, I'm here, let's drive it out."

Xiaobai Nuo: ?

Does Nono also have to drive away the bug?

Xiaobai Nuo thought for a moment, still shrinking in that small corner, hands pressed together.

Uncle, Nono blesses you.

Nono is praying.

Bai Jin realized there was only him and this little one in the room. He just turned his head to say there was no need for Bai Nuo to come over, and then saw the little one like this.

Bai Jin: ?

He laughed in exasperation.

It was Cen Zhi who came in with the servant that saved this family of bug-fearing Bai people.

Of course, the grandmother who had taken many photos of Xiaobai Nuo these past two days was still holding the camera, so Bai Jin's embarrassing moment was added to the collection.

And the laughter and joy here did not reach the other building.

Bai Wan went upstairs in a few steps and glanced inside the room.

Bai Zhize was half-drawing the curtains, sitting on the sofa inside the room, his face dark and gloomy.

Mm.

Bai Wan took a bite of the green pepper.

Based on past experience, the old man at home was having one of his episodes again.

Bai Wan walked skillfully behind a cabinet and pulled out a wine glass from the cupboard.

"Where did you run off to?"

Bai Zhize didn't move, speaking casually.

"Went to ask how to get along with cats and got scammed."

Bai Wan continued speaking matter-of-factly, staring at the green pepper he had bitten into several times.

He couldn't understand—how could anyone dislike something so delicious?

Of course, he didn't put on a live show of eating a raw green pepper for Xiao Bai Nuo. He just recalled Bai Jin's expression and the look on Grandpa's face back then, and Bai Wan felt a vague sense of frustration.

"From Grandpa to my cousin, there's no honesty in Uncle's family."

He wouldn't believe it anymore!

Bai Zhize: ?

Bai Zhize thought for a moment, wondering where Bai Wan had hit a wall to finally figure out this truth.

"I told you long ago, your uncle has too many schemes. We can't outplay them. We need to steer clear of his schemes. I've already hired a top chef at a high salary. This time, I won't let your uncle pull one over on us! We'll be able to eat proper Chinese food even abroad!"

Bai Wan turned his head to look over.

Bai Zhize leaned back on the sofa, his long legs stretching forward lazily, resting on the footstool in front, smiling maliciously: "Bai Sheng and Bai Liang aren't around these days. How are those international organizations you secretly contacted that want to cooperate with us doing? Let's find a chance to leave this place."

Being under someone's control all the time—what's that about?

Just as Bai Zhize was thinking this, he heard a crack.

Bai Zhize: ?

Bai Zhize propped himself up in confusion and looked up to see Bai Wan holding a wooden handle from the cabinet.

Bai Wan also looked bewildered. He didn't seem to have used much force—how did the handle just fall off?

"Based on my force analysis just now, either this cabinet is cheaply made, or it's trying to scam me."

Bai Zhize: I feel like you're the one who doesn't want to leave. Aren't you having fun messing around here?

"You can go apologize to Grandpa on your own later."

Bai Zhize leaned back again.

"By the way, have you taken care of all the surveillance and recordings here?"

"Mm."

Bai Wan responded, chewing on the green pepper, holding the handle in one hand and a cup in the other, and handed it to Bai Zhize.

"Big Brother seemed to have seen this coming. He didn't even bother to fix it."

Bai Zhize took a sip without thinking, and his face instantly scrunched up. The room was a bit dark, and he had been thinking about other things, caught off guard. Only now did he see clearly the dry red wine in the cup.

Bai Zhize: ...

No, this little rascal—the moment he wasn't looking, he poured red wine into his cup again?!

Bai Zhize stared at the cup in his hand, his expression shifting unpredictably, and finally gripped it, his face dark and gloomy.

"Clean everything up when we leave as well. This time, we're heading to a country where the Bai family has no interests. Oh, right—those international organizations that extended olive branches, especially the ones who think we're under the Bai family's control and plan to target them later—investigate them thoroughly. If we end up getting caught by your uncle again, at least it can serve as a bargaining chip."

Bai Zhize propped his chin on his hand, then suddenly smiled slyly again.

He could pick up the scraps from behind, but truly going head-to-head with Bai Qian—he still remembered how unhinged his second brother could be. He didn't want to become like that. Besides—Bai Sheng, the one in the Bai family who made everyone's blood run cold, hadn't even stepped into the spotlight yet.

An A with that level of pheromone—it was a wonder his big brother and sister-in-law could have produced someone like that.

Of course, Bai Sheng's weakness was also obvious.

That little cub he brought home.

Just an omega cub, look how precious he treats him.

Bai Zhize thought.

Bai Wan looked up at the words, and in that instant, the pheromones around him seemed to condense into a black aura surging out—an extreme sense of danger and killing intent, natural and habitual to Bai Wan. His normally clear and straightforward blue eyes turned cold and sinister under such an aura.

Bai Wan casually spun the handle in his hand, gripping it loosely, his fingertips almost instinctively moving toward the trigger position. He asked, "Should we eliminate all the obstacles along the way?"

No suitable weapon, but it wasn't out of the question either. As long as they didn't face the Bai family—if they did, he figured they'd be the ones to kick the bucket first, which would save time, effort, and worry.

"Hm?"

Bai Zhize leaned back again, looked up, and smiled casually.

"Do you even have to ask?"

Bai Zhize tossed the empty cup beside him over, stomping his foot in annoyance.

"Are you an idiot? This is in China! Where do you think you are? Do you want to get on the international wanted list?"

Bai Wan caught the cup Bai Zhize threw over with the hand holding the green pepper, let out an "oh," reined in his aura, set the cup aside, then took another bite of the green pepper, chewing away as he lowered his head to figure out what adhesive would be best to glue that antique cabinet back together seamlessly without Grandpa noticing.

Oh, and he needed to pick out a new gift as well.

Bai Zhize leaned back again, his mood shifting unpredictably, muttering about how he ended up with such a big dummy for a son.

Compared to his big brother, wasn't this a total loss?

But whatever.

Bai Zhize thought again—the top A's of his brother's generation were all lone wolves. The one O cub they had didn't seem particularly special, yet somehow had all those top A's wrapped around his little finger.

So it seemed his brother's genes weren't so impressive after all.

Bai Sheng hadn't been sleeping well these past two nights, basically relying on afternoon naps to catch up, successfully fooling his dad into fully approving of the cub.

The little one had been going to school without fuss these days. Grandpa had set up a fairy-tale room for him, still being decorated. During this time, Xiao Bai Nuo had been enthusiastically sharing with his dad what he did each day, what crafts he added to the fairy-tale room, and the picture he drew after hearing the Little Mermaid story and changing her ending—that was in the fairy-tale room too. The little cub also invited his dad to sleep in the treasure chest bed with him when he came back.

Bai Sheng agreed to each one in turn. This alpha, never one for socializing or staying in touch, started looking forward to his daily afternoon video calls with Xiaobai Nuo.

The only thing that bugged Bai Sheng, just a little, was—in the few days he'd been away, the Bai family had been falling over each other to get close to his cub.

He still remembered Bai Qian dropping hints, asking if he wanted to stick around a few extra days after wrapping up to soak in the local vibe.

Bai Sheng: ?

To that, Bai Sheng's response was: Don't get too clever. Just 'cause you babysat Nuo for two days doesn't mean you're his favorite now.

"Been away for a few days—noticed Nuo does just fine without you?"

Bai Liang grinned at Bai Sheng's annoyance, casually pouring more fuel on the fire.

"The big boss is over the moon. Yesterday he took Nuo out by himself to buy toys. Give it a few more days, and he'll be taking him to the office to show him off."

—Your Majesty, who knows, one day the little prince might end up someone else's!

Bai Liang also thought: Why didn't he get in on that kind of luck?

Bai Sheng: ...

Bai Sheng turned his head and shot Bai Liang a cold look.

It was just past noon, and it wasn't time for today's call with Xiaobai Nuo yet. But they'd already finished scoping out the target without tipping him off, so they hadn't made a move yet.

They'd confirmed his various hiding spots, where he stashed his gear, and that he had no backup from other orgs. But he was generous to the "down-and-out friends" he'd taken a shine to, acting all sympathetic, and he'd use these new "friends" to get what he wanted. He also kept checking his watch—they strongly suspected it had hidden military-grade comms that needed to be handled right away.

Now that they had him figured out, it was time to move.

Bai Sheng leaned back against the wall, speaking low and fast: "Everything's been confirmed. He's probably caught on already. If he doesn't stick to the plan, chase him down and engage directly. Keep an eye on where he might stash weapons, preserve as much evidence as you can, and tell the strike teams they're too obvious—don't get too close."

Bai Sheng straightened up. "Let's go. That's all we need."

For something like this, a top alpha could run the show.

"This time tomorrow," Bai Sheng said, eyes narrowing, "I want to be home holding Nuo."

Three days already.

Didn't his cub miss him?

Bai Liang shrugged and chuckled. "I might get to hold him a little later, then. After this job, I've got a ton of new work piling up."

...

Meanwhile, back at the Bai family's old place in Ang City.

The little one was supposed to go see great-grandpa this afternoon, but he'd just finished lunch and playtime and hadn't had his nap yet.

The cub, who'd been looking all over for the Bai family these past two days, was now sitting on the rug, hugging Dou Dou, staring at the little countdown calendar he'd made for Daddy's return. His little mouth was pouty, chin resting on Dou Dou.

Then he counted the days on the calendar.

Just a few numbers, but the smart little guy counted them again and again.

This was the first time he'd been away from Daddy this long since coming to this world.

"I wonder if Daddy's work is going okay."

The little cub said softly.

"Dou Dou, in a few more hours we get to talk to Daddy again."

The little one hugged Dou Dou, climbed onto the little bed nearby, and pulled out the storybook, flipping through it.

Cen Zhi came in from the doorway and watched the little one look up. She smiled.

She watched Xiaobai Nuo scoot over and pat the empty spot next to him, saving it for Grandma.

"What story are we reading today?"

Cen Zhi walked in with a smile.

"I want this one."

The little one held the picture book up high. Cen Zhi glanced at it—it was a bedtime story that used sound effects and repetition to set the mood and help kids drift off faster.

Xiaobai Nuo used to conk out to this one easily too, but—

"Haven't we heard this one a bunch of times these past few days?"

Cen Zhi smiled and pressed her forehead against Xiaobai Nuo's.

The little one was a cub who loved cuddles and hugs, like being pressed up against someone made him feel safe.

So when Cen Zhi leaned in, the little one instinctively snuggled closer and said softly, "Because listening to this, Nuo falls asleep right away."

He lay down next to Grandma, pulling the blanket up with his little hands, looking at her, waiting.

"When Daddy gets back, Nuo will tell him this story."

That way Daddy can sleep well too, right?

Cen Zhi paused, then sighed as she opened the book and read in a low voice, until the little one was fast asleep.

Cen Zhi's voice trailed off. She looked down at the cub snuggled against her, then glanced at the calendar he'd drawn.

Sure, these days with the cub had been great—she'd gotten a taste of what life should be like, an illusion of how her marriage should've been, and she'd even hoped that bastard Bai Sheng would stay away longer—but still.

Bai Sheng should come back soon.

This cub waited so earnestly, day after day.

How could anyone not want to give him what he wanted?

Meanwhile, somewhere in Country J.

An armored vehicle pulled up in front of a classic wooden house.

The passengers got out, and the man in the back climbed out with a smile, glancing up at the place.

R turned to the guy next to him and asked, "He's been here the whole time?"

"Yeah. After leaving the org, because of his special pheromone needs, Professor Shen's been living here long-term, doing some restoration work on old mechanical parts now and then. His current hobby seems to be collecting old clocks."

R gave a slight nod.

He didn't have any particular suspicions about Professor Shen living here.

After all, this Professor Shen had lost an arm before, and his already damaged alpha gland had been completely destroyed before he left the research institute. To live comfortably, he needed the special pheromones the organization provided to keep his body going.

This also ensured that even if he left the organization, they still had a firm hold over him, and under their surveillance, he wouldn't bite back.

And anyone who could bite back and wanted to leave the organization clearly had only one outcome waiting for them.

R smiled, walked over, and pushed open the door to enter.

A little dust floated in the air inside.

Various precision mechanical watches and clocks were lined up neatly around the room.

Walking further in, he entered a large workshop. Behind a workbench covered in components and gears sat a man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties. His right hand was a black bionic arm, controlled by neural sensors, which occasionally had slight delays, but compared to a real arm, the bionic one had clear advantages—it was steadier.

The man wore a short-sleeved shirt, his head lowered, black hair falling across his forehead, partially covering his focused eyes. On that face, from the right side of his neck, patches of burn scar tissue crawled up from beneath his clothes to his neck, creeping up to his cheek.

He held a metal tool, making a faint clinking sound.

"Mr. Shen... Oh, no, maybe I should call you Mr. Bai Ye instead."

R sat down gracefully, smiling as he spoke.

At his words, at that name, Bai Ye didn't look up, but his movements clearly paused.

"I came to visit you today to bring you some good news."

Bai Ye finally looked up, his eyes dark and cold: "I don't recall knowing you, do I?"

"Haha, of course. Let me introduce myself. After you left the institute, I took over most of the experiments and projects you were in charge of. You can just call me R."

Bai Ye set down what he was holding, tilting his head slightly, staring at the man with foreign features across from him. He had been living under a false name for so long that he hadn't heard the name Bai Ye in ages, nor any news of the Bai family.

"What do you want from me?"

"The child with Bai family genes that you were responsible for back then wasn't a failed experiment. On the contrary, he's very smart. This kind of asset will bring us huge profits and power. But now he's back with the Bai family, and they've hit back at us, which is a bit of a headache. Of course, don't worry—the Bai family hasn't found your files. However, when we left, we realized part of the original research data was missing. At the time, you weren't the only one in charge of the project, but since the lead researcher died in an accident, you were the only one left. Since you've always had a grudge against the Bai family, I figured it was worth visiting you to see if you had any ideas."

R smiled.

"After all, our goals are aligned now. Of course, we've also discovered that the Bai family has two more members—maybe you could bring them to our side."

Bai Ye seemed to pause slightly, then let out a light scoff, his expression dark and cold: "Is that so? The Bai family took him back? That useless little waste?"

R was about to say more when someone rushed in from outside, leaned down, and whispered in R's ear.

R's expression shifted slightly, and he asked quietly.

"H hasn't checked in on time today?"

After listening, R stood up, said he'd be waiting for good news, and left quickly.

The room fell silent again.

Bai Ye looked down, lost in thought.

He recalled a few years back, when he was still in the lab and saw the only cub that had survived the illegal research.

The fingers of Bai Ye's left hand curled slightly, and he spoke softly: "Took them this long to bring him back? ...Of course he's not a failure."

He didn't think Bai Sheng's cub mattered to him.

But he still remembered what had happened back then.

He had ended up in this research institute because of his father, with a damaged gland and a broken body, and it was his hatred for the Bai family that had kept him going all these years.

And back then, Bai Sheng's tiny cub lay in the experimental pod. His black curly hair was soaked with sweat, plastered to his forehead, and his big eyes stared straight ahead without blinking as he silently endured the pain of the drugs.

The cub, who looked a bit like him, seemed to react slightly when he noticed him—especially when he reached out, about to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The child, clearly trembling slightly from pain, slowly pressed his face against his left fingertip, then closed his big eyes.

Maybe because he was the only one who would wipe away his sweat and tears.

Bai Ye knew then that this was a very smart child.

But Bai Ye didn't feel he owed the research institute that information.

So, the drug experiments and such naturally became less frequent on that little waste—though that had nothing to do with being soft-hearted.