Chapter 172

Chapter 172

Bai Sheng couldn't help but sigh at the sight.

But clearly, the little cub resting his head on his hand didn't quite grasp the extent of his own power.

Nuo, who had only recently become class monitor, still thought he would grow up to be as tall and amazing as his father.

So he beamed: "Will Nuo Nuo grow up to be as tall as Daddy when I grow up?"

Bai Sheng: ...

Should he be honest?

Bai Sheng stayed silent.

But the clever baby had already gotten his answer from the look in his father's eyes. The cub went "hmm" and asked, "Then how will Nuo Nuo become so awesome when he grows up?"

Bai Sheng smiled—a lazy, almost helpless smile. He just cupped the cub's cheeks.

And looked straight into Bai Nuo's eyes.

"That's not the kind of powerful Daddy means."

This world isn't just about strength. Aside from truth, which is an eternal weapon, only the most sincere emotions can resonate at a frequency that shatters everything.

The Bai family used to scoff at this.

Until today.

The cub tilted his head, not quite getting it.

But soon, his cousin, looking totally crestfallen, drifted over like a ghost.

He silently shot Bai Sheng a look of accusation for the full-body "massage" he'd just received, but didn't dare push it, and obediently sat off to the side.

Bai Nuo slipped out of his father's arms, looked at his dad, then at his cousin, and whispered, "Daddy, I'm gonna go comfort Cousin."

Bai Sheng looked at his cub: "You're not scared Cousin will eat you up?"

Even so, Bai Sheng let him go.

Bai Nuo grinned again.

Bai Sheng turned his head, watching Bai Nuo approach Cen Liu, little hands reaching out to hug his cousin's head: "Cousin, hugs!"

Cen Liu's eyes went wide!

Even as he held the cub, Cen Liu was still thinking: Are you two playing good cop, bad cop to trap me?

But who cares—if the bait's this good, I'll take it every time!

Bai Sheng sat down and leaned back.

See? What did I just say?

This cub already had quite a bit of power.

"Nuo Nuo's not as easy to fool as he used to be, huh?"

Cen Zhi laughed from the side. Bai Wan, fully recovered, had gone back to his usual blank expression.

Just over a year ago, the cub would do whatever his dad said.

Now that he's in elementary school, he's already making his own decisions.

Honestly, this was hard for Bai Sheng.

After all, alphas are tyrannical, decisive, and have strong leadership instincts—they desperately want to be the leader of any group.

A cub just brought home clings to his parents, obeys them, trusts them completely—that's a weird and satisfying experience for an alpha.

But as the cub grows, Bai Sheng has to accept that this little one is slowly becoming his own person.

"Hm?"

Bai Sheng turned his head.

"Isn't that a good thing, though?"

Having a tiny cub depend on you completely scratches that itch for control, and watching him grow up slowly scratches the itch for accomplishment.

Bai Sheng didn't think growing up was something to regret.

The only thing he regretted was that Bai Nuo was almost five before he brought him home.

Cen Zhi looked over and sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time.

Though everyone in the family was jealous as hell.

Still, she had to admit:

"You're the best one in the Bai family to raise a cub."

That's why he could raise Bai Nuo so well, into such an adorable kid.

Cen Zhi squinted, thinking—raising five little alpha demon kings wasn't entirely without reward. Not bad, not bad. She felt pretty accomplished herself.

"Little Nuo Nuo, listen to Cousin—my company has lots of good-looking uncles and aunties doing events right now, plus tons of cool new props and delicacies from all over the world. How about Cousin takes you to check it out? Cousin promises, just a look—definitely won't take you home."

Cen Liu, holding the cub, had once again forgotten his place.

Bai Sheng looked over. Before Bai Nuo could say anything, he reached out and covered the cub's ears: "Nuo Nuo, don't listen. He's scamming you."

Cousin: ...

Damn, got too carried away fawning over the cub and forgot the cub's dad was right there.

Time passed quickly. A week or so at school flew by in the blink of an eye.

Bai Nuo had already gotten used to the school routine, handling his studies in and out of class in an orderly way.

Having stepped into a bigger world, Bai Nuo was eagerly soaking up all kinds of knowledge.

The sciences, where you could find definitive answers, and literature, where everyone had different takes—some elegant, some emotional, some blunt.

Bai Nuo dove headfirst into this world.

But now, it was time for the trip to Peach City they'd agreed on earlier.

It's mid-to-late September now, not yet October—this is the tail end of rafting season in Peach City. Once October hits, even in a city with spring-like weather year-round, the mountain spring water running through the canyon would feel bone-chilling cold.

After all this time, Bai Nuo had made a point of it himself, and even the feeling of suffocating underwater felt like a distant memory. He wasn't as afraid of water anymore, especially since the children's area had artificial touches—the canyon's rafting water here was shallow, nowhere near the depth that used to terrify him. And the cub's urge to explore all the new things in this world ultimately won out over those fears, giving way to excitement and curiosity.

The Xie and Yu families had of course received invitations too. Xie Yu was a given, but the situation on the Yu side was a bit complicated.

Over the past year or so, Yu Chen had been going head-to-head with his dad. At first, even with Old Master Yu backing him, most people didn't think he'd win.

After all, looking at Yu Chen's situation—a sixteen-year-old beta taking care of the ailing Old Master Yu and a six or seven-year-old alpha little brother—everyone figured the only reason the Yu family still had this power split was because the old man was still alive. Once he was gone, Yu Chuang could take back all of the Yu family's assets.

But so much had changed over this past year. Not to mention the Bai family seemed to lean toward Yu Chen, Yu Chen himself had grabbed several chances to gobble up the main company's business, the old master had been hanging on, sick as ever, and the Xie family had been backing him too.

With the old master's and Yu Chen's combined holdings nearly big enough to go toe-to-toe with Yu Chuang, Yu Chuang was starting to lose his composure and his fake chill, gradually resorting to openly cracking down without mercy.

But now the Yu family's shareholders didn't dare pick a side casually. First, there was the cautionary tale of the Zhang family, and second, it was now widely accepted to call them "Big Yu" and "Little Yu."

So on the economic summit side, since it was an international organization unfamiliar with the Yu family's internal affairs, Yu Chen's invitation was sent late, almost as an afterthought.

Right now, at the airport.

Bai Qi stood there expressionless, listening to the chatter around her. The elite female alpha, with a cold, aloof look, was like a mushroom in the shade—standing a bit apart, watching what was in front of her.

Bai Sheng was staring at his little cub, not saying a word. Yu Chen had been dragged by the Four Little Ones to look at some promotional brochure they'd found somewhere, insisting that he try the exciting adult rafting.

The Xies were totally in vacation mode, loaded down with bags, having their assistant check it all in. They were dressed in casual resort wear, utterly relaxed, looking like they had zero intention of working.

No...

Bai Qi stared at the scene blankly, she thought.

At the end of the day, was she the only one actually going there to work?

And, having long been used to running all over the country and the world, Bai Qi squinted.

Wasn't this all a bit much?

It made her really uncomfortable.

Zhong Yue, Bai Qi's assistant, was just as uncomfortable.

Probably because her past trips had been all business.

The female beta frowned slightly without realizing it, looking at Bai Qi.

"Boss, do you want to go rest over there?"

She knew Bai Qi sometimes had little problems like ringing in her ears and didn't like noise.

Bai Qi knew something was off with her emotions—besides being bad at reading feelings, it was also taking a toll on her body.

She'd seen a doctor before. She did have some issues, but nothing serious, and over the past two years it hadn't gotten any worse. In fact, her always-tense nerves sometimes even relaxed a bit.

So medication wasn't the answer. The real issue was the knot in her heart—the things that had been weighing on her all along.

Though looking back now, it didn't seem like something worth stewing over for twenty years, but to her younger self, it had probably meant a lot, right?

Bai Qi glanced over at her assistant.

"Don't worry about it."

Bai Qi spoke, still expressionless.

"Those families aren't like Liu Du's family."

And there was no need to go looking for trouble with the rest of the Bai family now. Besides, even if they tried to pull the same stunt as the Liu family, Bai Qi wouldn't give them the chance.

The Liu family had been mostly dealt with by Bai Qi by now. Liu Du's beta had even tried to leverage past favors, attempting to get Bai Qi to give her useless brother and nephew some opportunities.

Bai Qi ignored it entirely, simply having a professional teacher take Liu Du off to study, with Liu Du only coming back once or twice a week to see his mother.

Though the woman seemed well-provided-for and her kid well-arranged by Bai Qi, she'd given up on herself and developed a resentment toward Bai Qi.

She didn't hate the family members who'd caused the trouble, didn't hate Bai Sheng or Bai Jingyun for coming down hard on the Liu family—no, she hated Bai Qi instead.

Bai Qi showed little reaction. Or rather, from the moment this woman appeared, what she wanted, what she hoped to get from Bai Qi—Bai Qi saw it all clearly. She simply used her at the right time to carry out her own plans.

In a sense, Bai Qi had never given an ounce of genuine feeling either.

But the Liu family affair had, to some extent, impacted Bai Qi's company. Assistants like Zhong Yue who worked closely with Bai Qi had all become more vigilant.

Especially toward people who suddenly appeared around Bai Qi.

Their thinking was simple.

We don't ask you to harbor good intentions, but at least don't speak ill, right?

They'd thought the Liu family seemed decent enough back then, but now they had to be extra cautious with everyone.

So among all the Bai family companies, Bai Qi's company had the least interaction with Xiaobai Nuo.

At this moment, Zhong Yue looked at that tiny little cub over there.

She watched carefully.

The two sides weren't far apart.

The sharp-eared cub quickly noticed the gaze from behind.

Bai Nuo turned to look.

It was still early, and they were sharing snacks provided by the airport.

Seeing the unfamiliar auntie, Bai Nuo immediately broke into a smile.

He trotted over, first handing something to his aunt, then to Zhong Yue.

"Auntie, here you go. Auntie, for you too."

Zhong Yue paused. "Th... thank you."

"You're welcome, pretty auntie."

After saying that, Xiaobai Nuo ran back, chatted a few words with his friends, then reached out his arms for his dad to pick him up.

Zhong Yue: ...

The little young master... is kinda cute.

It wasn't until Bai Qi had walked a few steps with her stuff that she realized Zhong Yue hadn't budged.

Bai Qi turned around, confused.

Zhong Yue snapped out of it, rubbed her face, and hurried back over.

...But he called me "pretty auntie."

Xiaobai Nuo had already flown when he went abroad before, so planes weren't as exciting to him anymore. The trip from Ang City to Tao City was pretty long.

They left in the morning and arrived in the afternoon.

The economic summit in Tao City had special arrangements for all the attendees.

Several big hotels downtown had been rented out just for the guests to stay in.

The attendees had jam-packed schedules—not just banquets and exhibits, but also all kinds of industry panels, stretching over several days.

Once the parents arrived and checked in, with the assistants keeping an eye on things and Shi Lin able to help watch the four kids, they let the little ones play outside the hotel.

Kids this age are just bursting with energy.

Tao City didn't have much flat land—mostly gentle rolling hills—so the buildings followed the natural lay of the land.

Even the biggest hotel downtown was built on uneven ground, with buildings clustered around it, but there were still plenty of natural scenic spots preserved. The plants native to Tao City grew lush and green, and the mix of untouched nature with towering high-rises gave the place a kinda surreal look.

The four little ones were running around outside the hotel.

They even picked fruit from the roadside and tried to shove it in their mouths while Shi Lin yelled in alarm.

Bai Nuo had totally picked up bad habits from the older boys.

It made Shi Lin's heart race.

The fruit was pretty to look at, and since it was by the roadside, it wasn't too polluted, but biting into it tasted exactly like an unripe persimmon.

All four kids—and Shi Lin too—scrunched up their faces.

For the record, the one in Shi Lin's mouth was shoved in by her darling son Xie Yue when he ran over to stop her—right as she gasped.

At that moment, their faces were all perfectly in sync.

The assistants watching took a step back, refusing to try the little ones' foraged masterpiece.

Yu Chuyan brought some water over and handed a bottle to Bai Nuo.

Bai Nuo, face all scrunched up and tongue hanging out, gulped down half the bottle but still couldn't get rid of the bitter taste.

Li Zhilin crouched down, looking concerned.

"This fruit probably isn't poisonous."

If it were poisonous, the hotel wouldn't let it grow around the property.

It was just way too gross.

"I remember there are breath mints on the table out front of the hotel."

Bai Nuo, still making a face, clutched the pretty fruits, not wanting to throw them away—he wanted to show them to Daddy and Auntie.

"Nono'll go get them."

Yu Chuyan was about to follow, but Shi Lin stopped him.

Whoever watches the kids ends up frazzled, and Shi Lin was already running around like crazy.

Little Bai Nuo had Li Zhilin watching him, so it was fine, and Nono was a good kid anyway.

Meanwhile, the second Shi Lin looked away, Xie Yue had already taken a running start, jumped, and started climbing a tree, dead set on the idea that the fruit lower down wasn't ripe and the ones at the top had to taste better.

Xie Qing watched with a blank face, cheering him on.

Shi Lin didn't dare let Yu Chuyan run off either. With several adults watching the little troublemakers together, they could barely keep up.

Little Bai Nuo noticed the commotion and waved to Yu Chuyan.

His little face was still all scrunched up from the bitter taste.

"Big bro, I'll be right back!"

With that, Bai Nuo turned and scampered off toward the hotel.

Li Zhilin held the revolving door open for Little Bai Nuo the whole way. The hotel front desk saw such a tiny guest run in, and even their practiced, professional smile cracked a little as they bent down.

"Well hello there, little guest. What can I do for you?"

"Hi, auntie."

The curly-haired little kid in overalls and a bear-print tee looked up, smacking his lips, and said very politely.

"Can I take a few pieces of candy?"

"Sure thing."

The front desk auntie brought the tray down from the counter and held it out to the little kid.

Bai Nuo reached out—his hands were so small he could only grab two or three pieces at a time. He scooped a handful into his pocket, then grabbed another handful. Figuring that was about enough for everyone to get one, he thanked the front desk lady again.

His cheek was a little puffed out from the candy in his mouth as he headed back outside.

Li Zhilin had watched the whole thing without interfering, just observing from the back.

Until he heard a rapid stream of fluent M-country language.

The speaker sounded angry—a somewhat aristocratic tone, talking fast, cursing.

Accompanied by a strange, rhythmic clicking sound.

Li Zhilin could understand M-country language, but Bai Nuo couldn't. The few words he'd picked up from Grandma Shopkeeper during his trip abroad didn't appear anywhere in the man's speech.

But the little one's attention was caught.

Not by the incomprehensible words, but by the vividly colored Rubik's cube in the hands of a young man sitting in the waiting area sofa.

Leon sat on the couch, one hand pressed to his Bluetooth earpiece, the other holding a six-by-six cube with one hand. Using momentum and the strength of his slender fingers, he spun the cube quickly and smoothly—solving the scrambled mess in a few moves, then scrambling it again, observing briefly before resuming the rapid clicking rotations.

It really was a mesmerizing display of a sport with world-class competitions.

Not to mention that Leon's speed was no slower than those racers on the track.

Leon was listening to the report on the other end of the phone.

He let out a scoffing snicker.

"Those who can't even scrape the main bloodline really think they can get a piece of the pie? I originally thought that incident back in M-country was their bold gamble that just happened to end in an accident, but now it seems these bastards have got some nerve. And that beta—a bastard son of my already-dead uncle—gets a few pats on the back from those people and actually starts thinking he's got a claim to the Farrell Family? Idiot!"

Leon made no effort to hide his arrogance and contempt.

He was sitting here waiting on some overseas business partners anyway, and he couldn't give a damn about the people passing by.

Until he lifted his eyes and glanced off into the distance.

In the afternoon, the sunlight went from bright gold to orange, but the sun still had a long way to go before it fully sank.

The light filtered through the mountains and buildings, rising like warm-tinted mist in the Tyndall effect, layering a sheen of light over his soft black curls.

Who?

Leon narrowed his amber eyes and tapped his Bluetooth earpiece a few times.

"Alright, let's just wait until that fool makes his move. By then, I won't even have to lift a finger—Z-country will handle him just fine. I just hope that idiot figures out Z-country isn't somewhere he can go raising hell."

Leon slowly sized up the little kid nearby who looked all of five or six.

He wasn't nice to anyone, and he didn't exactly put on a friendly face for a kid either, but at least he held back the cursing on the tip of his tongue.

"What are you looking at?"

Leon slowly straightened up, the cube in his hand clicking through a couple of turns until all six faces were solved, then he held it in his palm.

Leon's Z-speak had a slightly exaggerated, odd accent, but with the way he carried himself, it didn't feel out of place.

"Wow, amazing!"

Xiaobai Nuo stared at him, totally mesmerized, a little embarrassed as he pointed at the cube in Leon's hand and praised him sincerely.

He was tiny and cute, like a doll on display in a shop window. Any normal person getting a compliment from a kid like that couldn't possibly say anything mean back.

Leon's appraising look softened. He propped his chin on one hand and glanced at the cube in his other.

"You mean this?"

"Mm-hmm. Uncle, what's this?"

Bai Nuo nodded.

Uncle?

Leon, who'd just turned eighteen, felt his brow twitch.

At his age, he shouldn't be getting called "uncle," right?

But looking at the kid's little face, Leon couldn't work up any irritation. He tossed the cube in his hand.

"A Rubik's cube. Wanna come closer and take a look?"

"Can I?"

The kid couldn't fight his curiosity and stepped closer.

Leon also noticed the guardian-type standing behind the kid frowning slightly at him—whether he recognized him or not, the guy had already pulled out his phone and fired off some message.

If this were M-country, Leon would've already had someone snatch that phone.

But right now, Leon figured that even if that idiot bastard had any real pull, there was no way he could get someone with that kind of presence working for him.

And weirdly enough, Leon felt the guy looked kind of familiar, but he couldn't place where he'd seen him before. That usually meant he'd never met the guy face-to-face, or had only seen him in photos or videos.

But Leon's attention was quickly pulled back to the kid coming closer.

Leon had, of course, been around kids this young before—the family invested in kids all over the world, all ages—but even he couldn't help sitting up straighter as Xiaobai Nuo got closer.

So tiny and cute.

Like you could hold him up with one hand easy.

Without a second thought, Leon handed the custom cube he'd never let anyone else touch to Bai Nuo—pro cube players rarely let anyone touch their personal cubes, and a lot of cubes that looked plain were actually crazy expensive.

Leon didn't compete in any tournaments, but messing with a cube to decompress was a daily habit, so if anyone who knew him were here, they'd probably think he'd lost his mind. Even in Z-country, he was in an unusually good mood today.

Xiaobai Nuo fumbled a bit. He had candy in his hands, both pockets stuffed—one with sweets, the other with fruit he'd picked outside—and the little pockets on his overalls were bulging too. He had to set the candy in his hand on the table first, wipe his hands on his clothes, and then reach out both little hands to take the cube Leon was offering.

"You like candy that much?"

Just like a kid.

Leon glanced at the candy on the table and in his pockets, pretty satisfied with how carefully the kid took the cube. He sat up straight and asked, his tone lilting on certain syllables—kind of like Bai Wan's deliberately practiced speech, but with a more elegant voice, and he'd throw in a foreign word here and there.

"You can twist it however you want."

Bai Nuo slowly and carefully twisted the cube with his little hands, messing up the colors on all six sides, and said in his soft, milky voice, "And the candy I got for my brother."

Brother?

Leon was still propping his chin, watching the kid.

How come someone else gets "brother" but he gets "uncle"?

But the annoyance didn't make any sense.

Still, this Z-country kid was easy on the eyes—whether it was his face or the way he treated other people's stuff. Tiny as he was, he didn't come off as pushy. Leon didn't hate the feeling.

Leon thought—if that bastard beta had been like this, he actually wouldn't have minded keeping him around.

Ha, but that was never gonna happen.