Chapter 151

Chapter 151

This kid's eyes were bright, and his attitude was soft, without a hint of sharpness.

Bai Zhize looked at this young child.

The little kid genuinely thought this was just great.

It took Bai Zhize a few seconds to realize this, since he'd been subconsciously guessing all sorts of things.

The guy who was always sarcastic and cynical suddenly had his expression turn a bit complicated.

Different.

Completely different.

At that moment, Bai Zhize could probably see why Bai Wan had been so confused before.

This kid was unlike anyone they'd ever met.

If you had to explain what he'd done, it was simple—he genuinely treated you like family and would remember you at all sorts of times.

He made you feel, through the smallest details, that he was sincere, with no other hidden motives.

For them, this was basically impossible.

What was up with this kid?

Bai Zhize, momentarily speechless, instinctively looked at Bai Wan, then at the bucket in Bai Wan's hand.

Inside were even a few maple leaf ornaments he'd brought back from his autumn trip.

What exactly did this kid want to do?

Was he trying to buy people's loyalty with stuff like this?

Bai Zhize truly could not understand.

His expression kept changing unpredictably, and in the end, he just grunted casually, without even saying another word, before turning and leaving.

Bai Wan, however, thought for a moment.

"Thank you."

Bai Wan bent down, holding the bucket, looking at this fluffy little kid.

There was a thoughtful look in his blue eyes.

"I'll think about what to give back as a return gift."

Xiaobai Nuo met his uncle's gaze and nodded his little head.

"It's fine, you know? If you always give gifts expecting something back, doesn't that defeat the whole point of giving gifts and surprising people? The kiwis are already soft, Uncle, you should eat them soon—they'll go bad in a couple of days."

Bai Wan: ...

"Alright."

It wasn't his imagination.

When facing this kid again, there really was a weird sense of relaxation, like facing a small furry animal.

Bai Wan stood up, glanced at Bai Sheng inside the house, and didn't plan to stay longer. He quickly followed his father out, glancing toward the cat house as he left.

So—

Bai Wan thought.

So, were small buns like chinchillas? Chinchillas had curly fur too, right?

...

Bai Wan was still thinking about it even after he got back to his place.

Bai Zhize had gotten back a step ahead of him and turned to look at Bai Wan.

"We need to get out of here. Start making arrangements according to the plan we discussed."

Bai Zhize's voice was unusually low and steady. When he looked over like this, his expression carried that unique, extreme coldness and calm the Bai Family showed when they were really about to make a move.

"No need to wait any longer. Have those guys overseas get ready to back us up. This trip back home is almost over—if we stay any longer, things are going to start feeling wrong."

What exactly was up with that kid Bai Sheng was raising?

Bai Zhize didn't know, but he could feel a slight, weird wavering inside himself.

He clearly looked like an ordinary kid, yet it seemed so easy for him to slowly push your boundaries back. Before you knew it, you'd interacted with a kid you thought you'd never interact with multiple times, a title you thought had nothing to do with you had become something you acknowledged as family, and even when Bai Zhize had come out late for a meal before, he'd caught up on the kid's livestream he'd missed that day.

This was a major red flag.

It meant Bai Zhize was slowly giving in to this kid.

Seemed like there was no time to waste here.

Anyway, he'd eaten and drunk his fill.

Bai Wan looked up at Bai Zhize and said, "Alright."

But after saying that, Bai Wan lowered his head again, staring at the kiwis in the bucket.

The small bun said the kiwis should be eaten soon, or they'd go bad.

"Contact the eastern branch and tell them to stop slacking. Do they really think I can't tell? Of course, I also get that those guys don't want to go up against the Bai Family, and they think it's a good thing I came back for a few days so they don't have to hear me complain about their white people food."

Bai Zhize kept talking quickly in a low voice.

Bai Wan occasionally grunted in acknowledgment, but his mind was really not on what Bai Zhize was saying.

His blue eyes were locked on the kiwis.

Can I eat them yet?

"Also, don't be nice to the Bai... ahem, Bai Qian's side. Just like before—let them think I'm still at each other's throats with my eldest brother. I want to see exactly what kind of 'big gift' they've sent me."

Bai Zhize said in a low voice.

"Before Christmas, let's get all this handled... What are you thinking about?"

"Based on the feel, aroma, and ripeness, the kiwifruit is at its peak ripeness—the best time to eat it is tonight."

So... can I eat it now?

Bai Zhize: ...?

"I told you to go do things!!! Why are you eating kiwifruit?! I think you ARE a kiwifruit."

"...Oh."

Bai Wan answered.

"But there's still a big difference between a person and a kiwifruit."

"Go eat your damn kiwifruit!!! And then come back and work!!"

"Okay."

Bai Wan sounded slightly pleased when he answered.

But before he could walk away, he was stopped again.

"Wait."

Bai Zhize said, sounding annoyed.

"Leave mine behind!"

Bai Wan: ...

Oh, so YOU'RE eating one too.

"You think I can't tell what you're thinking?! Don't give me that look of regret!!"

After dropping off the kiwifruit, the little guy played in his fairytale cottage for a bit, but in the end, he couldn't stay the night and his dad took him home.

Tomorrow was the weekend—the little cub's usual day off.

And over the past few days, Bai Sheng had been slowly trying to get the little cub to sleep on his own.

Bai Nuo's room had already been decorated beautifully.

It had a dreamy vibe, with quirky little knick-knacks scattered around, giving it a playful feel.

A strawberry piggy bank and a decorative jar sat in a prime spot, already stuffed full of the metal coins little Bai Nuo had been collecting.

Dou Dou had already gone to his charging dock, set to night-standby recording mode.

Of course, the most important thing was that everything in here was arranged by Bai Nuo himself, or he'd had the adults help him decorate it that way.

So after all these months,

for little Bai Nuo, this wasn't a room to dread—it was his secret base, his own little hideout.

So when it came time to slowly start sleeping on his own, the cub wasn't as resistant as you'd expect.

Of course, at first he still needed his dad to stay with him.

When Bai Sheng came in, he saw little Bai Nuo browsing his little bookshelf for a book to listen to as he fell asleep.

This cub had an excellent memory and a real knack for understanding what he read—it was like he was born with the ability to see straight to the heart of things. So in just a year, he'd gone from low-info picture books to fairy tales, and now to simple but interesting short essays.

Little Bai Nuo found the book he wanted, heard the noise, and turned to look.

He was sitting on the floor. To keep him from bumping into things in his little room, this was the only room in the whole villa with a thick wool carpet—thick enough that even if Bai Nuo fell off the bed, he wouldn't get hurt.

Winter was coming, and Bai Nuo was in fleece pajamas today. Already a fluffy little cub, he looked even puffier.

"Daddy!"

Seeing his dad come in, the cub scrambled to his feet.

He held up the hardcover book and handed it to Bai Sheng.

"Nono wants to hear this one tonight, Daddy."

Bai Sheng glanced at the title—it was a collection of Z-country mythology stories, with colorful illustrations inside.

Recently, Bai Nuo had finished all the simple prince-and-princess-and-little-animal stories, so Bai Sheng had gone out to gather a bunch of new books for him.

"Okay."

Bai Sheng nodded, taking the book.

"Walk slowly, and don't hold it up so high."

Bai Sheng had quickened his pace at first, and only relaxed after he'd taken the book.

He thought he should probably swap all these hardcovers for softcovers in the future, so he wouldn't have to worry about the cub dropping one on himself while running around with it.

Bai Sheng bent down, scooped up the cub with one arm, and carried him toward the bed.

He was still thinking to himself.

In the blink of an eye, and he's already sleeping on his own.

Will it be another blink before he's all grown up?

Bai Sheng set little Bai Nuo on the bed. The little cub rolled around, tumbled to the inside, burrowed under the covers, and pulled the blanket up with his tiny hands, looking perfectly obedient.

"Daddy, Nono's ready."

Nono was ready to hear a story and fall asleep.

Bai Sheng gave a lazy "mm" of acknowledgment. He switched off the main light, leaving only a warm little lamp on the bedside table. The lamp was also strawberry-shaped, with pretty strawberry-crystal dangly bits around it, casting a unique play of colors.

Bai Sheng read the mythology story in a low voice, then paused for a moment.

Little Bai Nuo wasn't asleep yet, so he asked in a tiny voice.

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

Bai Sheng paused.

"I'm not great at reading these. I'm thinking about whether I should install the right feature into Dou Dou and have him read to you instead."

Bai Sheng genuinely enjoyed the parent-child time, but he wasn't exactly an emotionally expressive guy. When he read to the little one, his voice was flat, and sometimes his professional habits kicked in—he'd unconsciously skip over parts he felt carried little info. But for little Bai Nuo, those very parts were what helped him build his understanding of the world.

Bai Sheng rarely felt like he was failing his cub. And right now, he did.

Bai Nuo paused for a moment: "But Nono wants to hear Daddy read it."

He almost never objected to Bai Sheng, but at this moment he couldn't quite hold back, and murmured in a small voice.

"Because Nono wants to fall asleep listening to Daddy read stories, not to understand what's going on in them—Nono can figure it out during the day."

Bai Sheng was already sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning against the headboard, the storybook spread open on his knees. Hearing this, he looked over.

The little cub's face clearly said: Daddy is different.

"Nono thinks Daddy reads the best of all. Nono loves Daddy the most, and Dou Dou loves Daddy the most too—Nono asked Dou Dou, and Daddy saved Dou Dou's life."

That little dummy was just playing along with you.

Bai Sheng was momentarily speechless, then almost laughed: "Oh, so you love Daddy that much, and yet you said you'd try sleeping on your own, and you actually went through with it?"

Of course, obviously, the one who was most unsettled by the cub sleeping alone was Bai Sheng himself.

The little cub's voice was soft—he was already getting sleepy, his voice soft and floaty.

"Because Daddy said big kids have to sleep by themselves. Nono wants to sleep with Daddy, but Nono trusts Daddy more."

Xiaobai Nuo probably still had no clue about ABO at this point—after all, society had developed to a high degree, and heat and rut cycles could be safely handled with medication, causing almost no issues. In daily life, it only showed up as alphas having slightly stronger bodies.

Xiaobai Nuo also couldn't understand why big kids couldn't sleep in the same bed as their parents.

But that was fine.

Nono trusted Daddy.

The little one scooted closer to Bai Sheng, eyes closed, rolling onto his side, and continued speaking softly.

"If a big monster shows up and Daddy tells Nono not to run, then Nono will listen—Daddy must have a reason..."

If it were the end of the world, even if he was scared, Nono would still try his best.

Because Daddy said so—because so many new and amazing things in this world, Daddy taught Nono.

Bai Sheng turned his head, looking at the cub who had already closed his eyes, his breathing slowing down.

Bai Sheng paused, then continued in a low voice, using that flat, slightly lazy tone of his to read those storybooks—stories that would have been worthless to him in the past.

But now...

Bai Sheng's voice slowly faded out. He set the storybook aside, looked down at his cub once more, then leaned over and gently kissed the little one's forehead.

"You still need to run, though."

And anyway, if a big monster really showed up, how could he ever let this cub face it alone?

"No nightmares tonight."

Bai Sheng said softly.

Whether it was a prayer, or something he wanted Xiaobai Nuo to hear.

"My little Nono."

Bai Sheng carefully got out of bed, dimmed the bedside lamp even more, and left the room.

Bai Sheng headed downstairs.

At this hour when the cub was asleep, quite a few servants were still downstairs getting ready for the next day.

"Third Master?"

Aunt Feng looked over, a bit confused, then glanced toward the second floor.

"Is the little master asleep?"

"Yeah, just put him down."

Bai Sheng replied casually, grabbing a cup and pouring himself some water.

"He mentioned this afternoon that he wanted red bean buns."

"Alright, I'll let the kitchen know right away—red bean filling is pretty easy to make."

"Mm, he's been eating too many sweets lately, so cut back on the sugar a bit. He also said he wanted pudding—cut the sugar on that too."

Bai Sheng carried his water over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the starry sky.

"Got it, I'll tell the kitchen right away."

Aunt Feng said, smiling.

Once Bai Sheng was out of sight, Aunt Feng went into the kitchen to pass along the message, and a few servants who had already finished their work for the day were talking quietly.

"Third Master's temper has really improved lately, haven't you all noticed?"

"Of course—but that's clearly all thanks to the little master. The little master is just too cute."

"I honestly never thought Third Master would have a little master so soon, and such a well-behaved one at that."

"Who didn't?"

Aunt Feng listened, exchanging a look with the butler who had just walked in from outside.

The butler smiled: "The little master has brought some life into Third Master—it's normal for you all to feel this way."

In the past, Bai Sheng couldn't be bothered with unnecessary chit-chat or contact with others. That had changed after Bai Nuo arrived.

But... a better temper?

The butler looked outside, a little uneasy.

He had watched Bai Sheng grow up, knew him pretty well, and could usually tell what Bai Sheng was thinking.

Bai Sheng seemed to have become more human, but he didn't seem like someone whose temper had improved. Rather, the occasional flash of menace was unsettling—as if he was always holding back some emotion.

And that was exactly the case.

Bai Sheng stood quietly holding the cup, in the gap between the curtains, staring at the starry sky outside the window, thinking about what was causing the cub's nightmares.

A moment later, the cup in his hand let out a sharp crack.

Bai Sheng snapped back to reality, immediately loosening his grip, and looked at the cup now covered in hairline cracks.

Good.

Bai Sheng casually tossed the cup into the trash can.

He hadn't crushed it.

If he had crushed it and left a wound, it would be all too easy for the little one to notice.

It had been a long time since he'd had those bizarre, surreal dreams.

Little Bai Nuo hadn't had any dreams recently either.

The Bai family were all fine, and nothing bad had happened to them.

But, unusually, the little cub was dreaming again today.

In today's dream, the little one couldn't see things clearly—it was like a veil between him and what he saw, like the self-protective haze he'd had when he first came to this world.

Everything was hazy and indistinct.

He saw a pair of eyes—dark, somewhat familiar eyes.

But the little cub couldn't recall where he'd seen them before.

But Nuo Nuo must have seen them somewhere.

The little cub thought for a moment, then curiously moved closer.

"Um, hello..."

The polite little cub tried to talk to the person in his dream.

"Who are you?"

He tilted his little head, looking at the grown-up who seemed to be sitting against something, and after thinking for a moment, introduced himself.

"I'm Nuo Nuo."

But the little cub got no response.

The ground started to collapse... no, not collapse, more like it changed.

The solid ground suddenly seemed to turn into the river or pool Xiaobai Nuo feared most.

It started swallowing the blurry figure whole.

He sank like he was falling into water, silent, not even crying for help.

Startled by the sudden change, the little cub instinctively wanted to run away.

But then he turned and saw that person over there.

Bai Nuo paused.

The person being swallowed by the water seemed to have no will to survive.

He let the water swallow him, stealing his breath, stealing his warmth.

He kept sinking.

Until—

"Grab Nuo Nuo's hand!"

A little kid's soft, milky voice rang out. The little cub, scared of the water, had already gotten close.

He reached his hand out toward the falling figure.

Nuo Nuo couldn't remember.

But Nuo Nuo felt like—he couldn't let him fall.

The little one's face went pale with fear, but he still tried hard to reach out. Then he saw those kind of familiar eyes again. The hand seemed slow to react, only now reaching out.

But it couldn't reach him.

Xiaobai Nuo was already lying flat on the ground, desperately reaching his arm toward the "water."

"Don't fall down..."

There's only water here, and Nuo Nuo is so scared.

Don't leave Nuo Nuo all alone here.

...

The little cub suddenly woke up with a start, sitting up in a daze.

Dou Dou sensed Xiaobai Nuo was awake and automatically turned on.

"Good morning, Nuo Nuo. It's currently 5:53 AM. There haven't been any exciting activities lately that would keep you up, and you woke up half an hour earlier than usual. Do you need anything? I can contact your parent right away. Please tell me right away if you need anything."

"It's fine, Nuo Nuo just woke up."

The little cub answered the little monitor seriously, then raised his hand to rub his eyes and sat up, hugging his blanket.

Was that a nightmare?

Xiaobai Nuo wasn't sure.

"Okay. It's cold in the morning. If you're going out, make sure to wear warm clothes. There will be some rain before Christmas, so remember to bring an umbrella and dress warm."

Dou Dou's light blinked as it kept talking.

Xiaobai Nuo hummed in response. He'd almost gotten out of bed without socks, but thanks to Dou Dou's reminder, he sat back down obediently and took out a fresh pair of little socks from the nightstand to put on.

He also put on a jacket before carefully opening the door.

Xiaobai Nuo only had nightmares about the past once in a while, and it had been a long time since he'd had a dream like that.

Was the person without a face in the dream also a bad guy?

The hand felt different somehow... so cold. The dream was so cold.

It made the little cub feel cold even after waking up.

Bai Nuo pushed the door open and walked out, skillfully picking up the little wooden hook nearby, hooking it onto his dad's doorknob, and gently pulling to open it a crack. Then half of Bai Nuo's little body had already slipped through.

He blinked, looking at Bai Sheng in bed.

After thinking for a moment, he hugged Dou Dou and walked in. He went to the bed, carefully grabbed the edge of the mattress, and started to climb up.

He felt a little cold.

But he'd barely climbed up a bit when a hand reached down from above, grabbed the back of his clothes, and hauled him straight up.

The little cub spun around, and the next second he was sprawled on his dad's chest.

A steady, reassuring heartbeat came through, one beat after another, and Bai Sheng's chest rumbled faintly.

"What's up? Woke up early again."

Bai Sheng opened his eyes and looked at the little one sprawled on his chest like a squishy plush toy.

The little guy glanced at his dad, then buried his head again.

"When I woke up this morning, Nono felt a little cold."

So he wanted to find Daddy.

Bai Sheng held the little one and sat up.

"Cold? I'll have them turn the heat up a bit."

As he spoke, Bai Sheng grabbed a small blanket from the side and wrapped the little one up in it.

Then, in a tone that pretended not to care, he said:

"We've got red bean buns this morning, and pudding too. Didn't you say the pudding at kindergarten was good?"

Red bean buns! And pudding!

Xiaobai Nuo looked up, his eyes instantly lighting up.

"Daddy, Nono wants some red bean buns and pudding."

Bai Sheng chuckled.

"Then get up and get ready to eat, or have them make it over at the main building. Want to have breakfast with Grandma?"

"Yeah!"

That diverted the little one's attention, and he nodded vigorously.

"Grandma should try the red bean buns and pudding. Nono likes 'em."

"Mhm."

Bai Sheng nodded, picked up his phone to send a message, then set the little one he was holding down beside him.

But the moment he set him down, Bai Nuo was already pressing up against him again.

Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow.

What's up with him?

He's being a bit clingy this morning.

Of course, being clingy is adorable too.

In the end, Xiaobai Nuo ended up being carried by his dad to the main building for breakfast.

Cen Zhi hadn't even woken up from her beauty sleep yet, but Bai Jin had already arrived early. He was off today too, but he was heading out to play ball with some people later.

Bai Jin watched Xiaobai Nuo stick close to his dad as they came in and let out a light tsk, until Bai Sheng got an unexpected phone call.

For the moment, only Bai Nuo and his uncle were left in the room.

The little one glanced at his dad on the phone by the door, then at his grandma, who still hadn't come downstairs, and finally at his uncle.

The little one trotted over to him.

Bai Jin looked down. "What is it?"

"Uncle, hug."

Bai Nuo opened his arms and said softly to Bai Jin.

Bai Jin froze.

Hug... a hug?

He's asking for a hug voluntarily?

Did he hear that right?

Even so, Bai Jin instinctively reached out, scooped the little one into his arms, and felt the little guy burrow into his chest.