Chapter 137

Chapter 137

In any case, this kind of sound did not reach Little Bai Nuo's storybook cottage.

The video call with Bai Sheng continued for about another half an hour. Little Bai Nuo reluctantly hung up, and only after his father on the other end had ended the call did he return the phone to his grandmother.

His strawberry cream scone had already been eaten during the time he was talking to his father. It was now just past four in the afternoon.

Bai Jingyun, who had obtained permission to take Little Bai Nuo out, sat off to the side, waiting, watching the time.

He wasn't in any rush now.

Bai Nuo snuggled up against Anu again, finding cat treats and freeze-dried treats to feed him.

Anu had come back late today, so he'd had too little time to play with Bai Nuo. Now, while eating the treats, he was still meowing in protest.

"Anu, Anu—"

Little Bai Nuo rested his cheek on one hand and held a cat treat in the other, said softly.

"So cute, can Nono touch your ears?"

A cat's tail is a sensitive spot—the little guy had seen that in a nature documentary—and he was scared he'd be too rough, so he didn't dare touch it casually.

Now the little cub watched Anu's ears twitch, staring with eager eyes.

Whether Anu understood or not, after finishing the treats, he meowed and nudged Little Bai Nuo with his head.

The little guy's big eyes narrowed, and his small hand reached out and tentatively touched Anu's ear.

The thin ear was slightly cool, with a little tuft of fur at the tip. After being touched, it twitched a couple of times, sensitive to the touch, the soft fuzz brushing against his palm.

Nono took a deep breath, stood up, and suddenly buried himself in his grandmother's arms.

He was overwhelmed by Anu's cuteness.

The little guy nuzzled into his grandmother's arms, letting out little baby babbles like "ah-ya ah-ya."

And Cen Zhi, watching the little cub get so overwhelmed by cuteness, also pressed a hand to her chest—how could a kid who's this charmed react in such an adorable way?

Bai Jingyun sat to the side, his gaze kept drifting toward Little Bai Nuo.

Then he checked the time: "It's about that time. We should get changed and head out."

The little one only then lifted his head from his grandmother's arms, his soft curls all mussed up from the rubbing. He turned to look at his uncle, gave a little obedient "mm," and then scrambled to his feet.

"Grandma, Nono's going to ride the carousel now. When Grandma has time, Nono will play with you again."

"Mm, go on."

Cen Zhi had already arranged the time with her best friend. After speaking to Little Bai Nuo, she glanced at Bai Jingyun, made a gesture telling him to look after Little Bai Nuo, and let him lead the little one away.

Watching the two of them walk away, Cen Zhi stood up and stretched.

Honestly, a year ago, Cen Zhi wouldn't have believed Bai Sheng had a kid, let alone that he'd let Bai Jingyun take him out.

Cen Zhi really couldn't do anything with the Bai family alphas. After all, alphas were inherently territorial and possessive by nature, with a streak of madness that occasionally showed through. The Bai family's top-tier alphas, with their overwhelming pheromones, were even worse—they seemed to naturally repel each other. Any concession or compromise was a sign of weakness, a humiliation, and they could only be satisfied by stomping the other into the ground to win.

Plus, they were exceptionally gifted in every way. Even though Cen Zhi knew about the undercurrents of rivalry between her kids, because they played it so well in front of her, and since the kids had all grown up, she couldn't easily step in.

Besides, apart from the last generation's bitter feuding, the Bai family's earlier inheritances hadn't been so aggressive. And the main cause of the last generation's problems was Little Bai Nuo's great-uncle. Cen Zhi had of course met Bai Kun—he was an incredibly obsessive alpha. His partner of many years had eventually chosen to leave him, and maybe spurred on by that shock, Bai Kun's behavior got even more extreme.

Cen Zhi had once felt sorry for the kid in Bai Kun's household. If he were still alive, that child named Bai Ye would have been only slightly younger than Bai Jingyun.

But later, when Bai Qian was severely injured by Bai Kun and underwent major surgery, Cen Zhi stopped paying attention to that child. The two families had already reached a point where they couldn't even maintain pretense in public.

Cen Zhi had never thought her own kids would escalate to that level, and with her watching over them, they would at least act with some restraint.

But she also never dared to imagine things could be like they were today.

How wonderful.

Though she had always grieved over Bai Nuo's past experiences, and Cen Zhi even felt she was being somewhat selfish, she truly felt—how wonderful that he could appear in the Bai family.

Cen Zhi thought this, smiling, and turned off the lights of the little one's dreamy storybook cottage, closing the door on this room that seemed like a dream. A new message came through on her phone.

It was from Cen Liu.

Cen Liu had been busy nonstop since leaving the Bai family last time, even flying to another province for a two-day business trip. Now he couldn't wait to message his aunt.

Silly nephew: Auntie!!! I'm back from my business trip, I finally have time tomorrow, can I take Nono out?! I can bring him to see the filming locations in Ang City, all the sets—he'll love it! Then I'll be his favorite cousin!

Silly nephew: Auntie!! Bai San's not here, so if I take him out, I won't get beaten up, right?! Auntie!

Cen Zhi's eyes were dazzled by the screen full of "Auntie."

She could almost see Cen Liu's sunny, puppy-dog eyes staring at her.

Cen Zhi: ...

Are you even sane?

Cen Zhi hesitated for a moment.

Then typed a reply.

'Didn't you know? San'er said he'd most likely be back tomorrow evening. Tomorrow when Nono gets out of school, I need to pick him up and take him to the airport to welcome him home.'

The flood of messages on the other end came to an abrupt halt.

Cen Zhi smiled as she watched, phone in hand, and got into the car to head home, preparing to pack up and go out to meet her girlfriends.

She had already arrived home when Cen Liu seemed to snap out of his shock.

Silly nephew: No!!!!

Cen Zhi shook her shoulders with amusement, got out of the car, and then saw something even more amusing.

Bai Jin had already come home from school, searched around the house twice, and was scratching his head in confusion. Hearing the sound, he looked up and then glanced beside Cen Zhi, finding no sign of Little Bai Nuo.

"Where's the little one?"

He asked in disbelief.

"Mom, did you 'sell' him to Grandpa?"

Cen Zhi: ...

You little brat, you're asking for a beating today!

In a high-end commercial club in Ang City, the main hall was booked by two companies, and the small private rooms were all arranged.

Both bosses were absent, and the two companies, which had once been at odds with each other, were now reluctantly cooperating. It was probably because they had fought so fiercely before that now, facing each other, there was a sense of forced smiles.

On Bai Sheng's side, not only had the boss gone on a business trip, but Li Zhilin had also followed him to Fei City.

So here, holding a cup with a fake smile, was Tao Fei, who was temporarily handling other company affairs.

She exchanged a glance with the person in charge opposite her.

Bai Jingyun was not around, Tao Fei gave a fake snort of laughter.

Though she was inwardly intimidated by the Bai family, she wasn't about to let them get the better of her.

And although many of their business areas didn't overlap, the project teams of both companies were used to tripping each other up, and they were all familiar with each other.

Tao Fei turned her head and gave everyone a look that said, "Just watch me."

—Don't worry, the boss and Assistant Li aren't here, just watch me hold down the fort!

She maintained her fake smile and said, "Yunguang moved pretty fast this time, but still not as cleanly as we do. However, since our business levels and capabilities differ, I can understand. Come on, let me toast you."

The male beta assistant of Bai Jingyun's company, Yunguang, upon hearing this, had veins bulging on his forehead as he smiled and replied, "Haha, after all, your Shengxi is used to this kind of thing, right? I understand, I understand. Come on, I'll have one too."

"Oh, come on, you Yunguang are more adept at this, when you were sabotaging our projects, you were much smoother than this."

"Not at all? You Shengxi are more decisive in judgment, you love that 'pull the rug out from under' move—"

The senior secretaries in the front row rushed forward, while the younger ones stood in the back, holding their cups as a show of support. Some junior assistants who couldn't squeeze in were at the back, exchanging glances and whispering.

"Seriously, is this celebration really necessary today?"

"No idea, but Sister Fei said she wanted to save face, spent the whole afternoon putting on makeup, and came here in full force."

"Don't say that, Sister Fei's presence is two and a half meters tall!"

"Sister Fei is awesome!"

"Sister Fei looks even scarier than Assistant Li."

"Assistant Li just has no expression, doesn't talk much, only likes to take action. If Assistant Li were here, it would probably have turned into a full-on brawl by now."

"Wow... Brother Li also fights? That tough?"

"You don't know how tough Assistant Li is. Remember that time there was almost an incident at the company gate? He didn't back down, just drove right into it. If you told me he had killed someone before, I'd believe it."

"Wait, don't spread that around. With the way you guys pass information and gossip, by the time Assistant Li comes back, the whole company will be saying he's killed someone before. Friends, you don't want to be called in for a chat by Assistant Li, the ice-cold one, do you?"

The young secretaries behind shuddered involuntarily at the thought.

Meanwhile, Tao Fei was engaged in a verbal battle with the opposing side, exchanging cups and pleasantries.

At that moment, a soft voice called out, "Auntie Tao Fei."

Tao Fei was startled.

Huh?

She thought she heard the little master's voice.

Then someone came running over with a pattering sound. Tao Fei looked down and met the sparkling eyes of Xiaobai Nuo, who was looking up at her.

The weather had turned a bit cooler, and he was wearing a jacket with chocolate decorations, the coffee-colored drawstrings swinging as he ran.

Tao Fei: !

It wasn't an illusion!

"Little master!"

Tao Fei exclaimed in surprise.

After all, since the boss was on a business trip, they hadn't seen Xiaobai Nuo in a long time.

With her call, the group who had been holding the line at the back instinctively moved forward, surrounding Xiaobai Nuo. Some even hid the wine glasses they were holding behind their backs.

"Little master? Why are you here? Who brought you? Has the boss come home?"

"We haven't seen you in so long. Little master hasn't found other uncles and aunties outside, has he?"

"Hey, that's too cheesy. You go to the back!"

The group that had just been fierce and imposing instantly turned into a bunch of people speaking in baby voices.

The assistant from Bai Jingyun's side, upon hearing this, couldn't help but lean in to try to get a look. Before he could see clearly, someone patted him on the shoulder. He was startled and turned to see Bai Jingyun walking in from the entrance. He exclaimed in surprise, "Boss?"

Wait a minute. The kid from Bai Sheng's family appearing with their own boss couldn't mean—

"Mm."

Bai Jingyun responded, then stood behind the little one, opening his mouth under the instantly wary gaze of Tao Fei and the others.

"I brought him here to eat. There's an indoor playground next door; a friend of mine runs it. After dinner, I'll take him to play. You all continue."

Xiaobai Nuo looked up at his eldest uncle, then turned to Tao Fei and the others, his cheeks slightly puffed.

"Nono misses the uncles and aunties too. Auntie Tao Fei, is your back better now? And Auntie Shi, are you still feeling unhappy? You have to tell Nono, okay? And Uncle, you fell last time, and it hasn't healed yet. Doctor Uncle already told you not to drink alcohol. Is there alcohol hidden behind you?"

The little kid's big eyes skillfully found the uncle who had hidden the wine behind his back.

He was quite familiar with the uncles and aunties at Bai Sheng Company, especially on the top two floors, where he knew everyone by name. Because he had spent a lot of time with his father at the company, he was well acquainted with many people's situations.

Auntie Tao Fei always had back trouble, Auntie Shi was easily emotional, and there was the uncle who had been busy and accidentally fell down the stairs, getting a minor injury...

His memory was good; he remembered it all.

That was why, when the little one had been bullied before, this group at Bai Sheng Company was so angry, and even when not on overtime, they worked with extra drive. That said enough.

Was it just because of his cute appearance?

No, for this little one, it was more than that.

Instantly, those who were pointed out by Xiaobai Nuo began to sweat on their foreheads.

"Cough... ahem, just this one cup. Uncle promises... uh, Uncle won't drink anymore. Uncle will put it down right now. Xiao Zhang, hurry, take it away, take it away."

He said, then crouched down with a smile. "See, Uncle only took a sip, right?"

Little Bai Nuo tilted his head to the side, thinking for a moment: "Not even a single sip, Uncle. You can only have some once you're better. Nono's keeping track of the date, so don't forget. You need to take care of yourself—grown-ups need that too."

"Ah... Uncle remembers."

So see? How's this any different from getting a cat handed to you at work?

As long as I'm with the company, I've got a stake in raising this cutie!

The group of people craning their necks from behind Bai Jingyun stared at the whole scene, dumbfounded and in awe.

No wait, hold up—this is the kid who managed to change their boss?

You guys actually work with a little guy like this on the regular?!

Nope, they refuse to believe it!

"Alright, that's enough. Time for you to eat."

Bai Jingyun's expression hadn't changed the entire time, gazing down at the squishy little guy.

"It's time for you to eat now."

Little Bai Nuo finally looked up at his uncle, nodded, and obediently responded. Then he noticed the unfamiliar uncles and aunties standing behind his uncle, their eyes about to pop out of their heads.

The little guy instinctively scooted closer to his uncle, and Bai Jingyun scooped him up.

"It's okay, they work at Uncle's company."

The tiny kid was cradled in the tall alpha's arms like a tiny, adorable little toy. He was used to being held this way and almost automatically looped his arms around his uncle's neck.

Then he pressed his little face into his uncle's shoulder, meeting their gaze, and copied how he introduced himself in kindergarten: "Hi, uncles and aunties! I'm Bai Nuo."

Bai Jingyun's assistant snapped out of it and blurted out.

"Hello... Little Young Master."

A chorus of greetings echoed from behind him.

Bai Jingyun nodded casually. "I'm taking him to get some food."

With that, he carried Little Bai Nuo on inside.

The little guy reached out his tiny hand and waved bye-bye to the uncles and aunties.

Only after the uncle and nephew left the hall—a place that should've been bustling—did everyone finally look away.

Tao Fei and the other assistant exchanged glances, and there was a few seconds of silence.

Then Tao Fei cleared her throat. "What's the matter? Our little young master's adorable, and the boss even brings him to work. Jealous?"

Tao Fei looked like a victorious general, chin held high.

Bai Jingyun's assistant paused for two seconds, then suddenly flashed a "sincere" smile.

"Oh, actually, there are some collaboration details and specifics we could hash out further."

Tao Fei: Huh?

...Hold on, I get the feeling you're up to something.

After eating with Little Bai Nuo and resting for a bit, Bai Jingyun headed to the nearby indoor amusement park.

This place was actually private property.

It belonged to Bai Jingyun's beta friend, Lin Ren. He had a bunch of kids at home and had gone through a lot of trouble raising them back in the day. Now that his kids were older and not as into the less thrilling rides, the place still managed to stay in business.

Even though Bai Sheng had said everything was fine, Bai Jingyun still had Lin Ren keep the place open just for them tonight, to be safe.

Bai Jingyun didn't want anything to happen while he had the little guy out.

Lin Ren was already waiting for them at the venue.

He was dying of curiosity.

He'd been giving Bai Jingyun advice left and right lately, but had never actually met Little Bai Nuo in person.

He was dying to see what kind of little kid could melt an iceberg like Bai Jingyun.

Lin Ren thought he had raised countless kids—obedient ones, unruly ones—there was no kind of kid he hadn't seen. He was confident he could handle this one perfectly, figure out exactly what he liked, and help Bai Jingyun boost his "standing."

Lin Ren rubbed his hands together, recalling how Bai Jingyun had seemed a bit troubled when mentioning this kid during their last meeting. He couldn't help but find it amusing.

It was rare to see his senior in such a state.

Lin Ren heard footsteps as the door pushed open.

He turned to look—let me see just what kind of extraordinary kid this is...

Lin Ren watched as Bai Jingyun walked in carrying a tiny little one, who was holding a pretty piece of candy in his hand. The little one had his back to Lin Ren at first, but then, hearing something his uncle said, he turned around. His cheeks were slightly puffed from the candy in his mouth, and his eyes reflected the lights of the equipment behind Lin Ren.

Although he knew no one in the Bai Family was ugly, this little one was exceptionally beautiful and delicate. Held like that, he stayed obediently still, not fidgeting, and even knew not to squeeze the candy too hard to keep it from melting.

When he looked over and met Lin Ren's gaze, he smiled a little shyly.

Lin Ren was stunned.

Bai Jingyun had already carried Little Bai Nuo over to Lin Ren.

"Here."

Bai Jingyun looked slightly proud.

"My nephew, Bai Nuo."

Little Bai Nuo blinked, and the candy in his hand seemed to be a greeting gift. He held it out.

"Hello, Uncle Lin. Here's some candy for you."

Lin Ren: !

"Oh, hello, thank you, Nono."

Lin Ren spoke without thinking, dazedly taking the candy. His hands trembled slightly as he held it, and he couldn't help but look at Bai Jingyun.

He kept signaling with his eyes.

You've been hiding this and not bringing him out for people to see?

Lin Ren watched as Bai Jingyun set Little Bai Nuo down, letting the little one look around at the colorful, children's-song-playing equipment.

He was still holding a round surveillance monitor in his arms—Lin Ren recognized it, having seen something like it on Bai Jingyun's car keys.

"Cute, right?"

Bai Jingyun walked past Lin Ren, murmuring softly, then continued following behind Xiaobai Nuo.

He spoke to the little one: "The carousel is over there. Uncle will take you over there."

Lin Ren took a couple of steps to follow, instinctively pulling out his phone to glance at it. His lock screen was a chaotic scene of him losing a game with his nephews and nieces, all of them holding pens and drawing on each other's faces. His eldest brother had found it hilarious and snapped a photo, and there was even a little rascal taking the chance to yank his hair.

Lin Ren looked at his phone screen, then raised his head to look at the little one tugging at Bai Jingyun's clothes with bright, sparkling eyes: ...You never said he was this cute!

Lin Ren clutched the candy, his whole mindset slowly shifting.

By now, Bai Jingyun had already lifted the little one onto the beautifully decorated carousel.

Xiaobai Nuo picked a unicorn-shaped horse, his small hands gripping tightly onto its horn, then turned his head to look at his uncle.

Lin Ren stepped forward a few paces and flipped the switch on the machine.

The little one gasped, then let out a light, cheerful laugh: "Uncle, it goes up and down too!"

Clearly, he had never seen a toy like this before.

Lin Ren knew the situation with this little one, and his heart, which had been melting over how cute the kid was, felt like it got a little prick.

Forget kids from families like theirs—even a regular kid from a loving, spoiled household wouldn't have made it to five without ever seeing a carousel.

No wonder Bai Jingyun was acting like that.

Lin Ren glanced at Bai Jingyun, who stood beside the little one with a protective hand hovering over him—this was totally not like Bai Jingyun at all.

The little one even invited Bai Jingyun to ride with him.

Wait... hold up, this ice-cold senior of mine does not fit with my dreamy carousel vibe at all!

About half an hour later, Lin Ren shut the machine off.

The little one was lifted down, his little body wobbling a little, then he hugged his uncle's leg to steady himself, looking over all curious and excited.

The little kid, who didn't get circuits or parts yet, gestured with his hands: "Uncle, is this the fairy godmother's magic wand? When it moves, the horse spins."

There were so many things in this world that seemed magical to Xiaobai Nuo.

He had a way of taking the stuff he'd seen, learned, and remembered and turning it into words that just melted your heart, like nothing from his past could put a shadow on him, like nothing could ever make him cry again.

People with kids of their own didn't dare think too hard about stuff like that.

Lin Ren didn't have his own kids, but he'd raised plenty of his siblings' children, and at this moment, he felt it on a deep level. He smiled and reached out to the little one: "Yeah, it's a magic wand. Wanna give it a try?"

Xiaobai Nuo came over curiously, with Dou Dou rolling along right behind him, and the camera lens turned slightly.

Bai Jingyun followed closely, glancing at Lin Ren again.

Lin Ren hesitated for a second, then admitted: "He really is adorable."

Bai Jingyun looked satisfied, adding in a low, kinda devilish whisper: "And he's an omega cub."

Bai Sheng had flexed so many times—finally, it was his turn to say something like this!

Lin Ren: ...

Lin Ren: ?

He's not even yours—what the hell are you so proud of?!

Bai Jingyun: ...

It wasn't his, but he was happy anyway—he was this kid's only uncle.

Meanwhile, Xiaobai Nuo fiddled with the handle, real gentle, but he couldn't get it to move.

This world has so much magic in it.

Xiaobai Nuo thought, then grabbed the handle with both hands, trying to close his eyes and make a wish: Let Daddy come home soon... Nuo Nuo misses Daddy a little bit.

The little one finished making his wish to the magic, let go of the handle, and heard a soft, confused sound from his uncle behind him. The electronic lock on the door clicked open, and a voice said: "Aren't you coming back tomorrow?"

"Managed to make it back today, so I dumped Bai Liang over there," a familiar, kinda lazy voice came from behind. "Nuo Nuo?"

Xiaobai Nuo blinked, all dazed, then spun around in a flash to look at the person walking in.

Bai Sheng had confirmed the location from Dou Dou's feed and headed straight over after landing.

He was wearing a dark coffee-colored trench coat, the hem swinging with each step, looking a bit travel-worn.

Bai Sheng finally stopped in front of Xiaobai Nuo, looking down to meet his cub's eyes.

Seeing his cub's round little face all dazed, he couldn't help but crouch down and pinch his cub's cheeks like he'd done it a hundred times.

"Hm? Having so much fun with Uncle that you forgot your own dad?"

He'd only pinched twice when he saw tears starting to well up in the little one's eyes. Bai Sheng froze for a second—he thought he'd gotten the pressure just right. It couldn't have hurt, right? At least not enough to make him cry?

Then the little one, who'd been so chill the whole time, sobbed and reached out his little hands: "D-Daddy..."