The Whole Family Are Villains, I’m the Group Pet 186

Chapter 186

Xing Nuo stroked the roses in the garden, their fragrance evoking childhood memories.

Smiling, he walked up the steps and into the castle.

He went down the hallway and entered the large living room. He saw his dad.

Shen Wen, in his usual castle attire – a long, red and gold robe with a black lining, its layers somehow emphasizing his elegance rather than adding bulk, like a magnificent rose – his golden hair shimmering, radiating an aura of effortless grace and nobility, sat on the main seat.

He looked at Xing Nuo, his heart pounding, a strange anxiety gripping him, his throat tight. He wanted to speak, but he was afraid of seeing disgust in Xing Nuo’s eyes.

He was afraid Xing Nuo would ask him if he was human.

Why he kept a castle full of monsters, why he was feared in this world, why he had pretended to be human all these years…

So many questions he couldn’t answer.

He had assumed the barrier between the horror world and the real world would hold. Xing Nuo would grow up safe and happy, perhaps finding his family a bit strange, but the familiar comfort of his everyday life would overshadow any doubts.

But now, the real world was being invaded, the barrier weakening, the two worlds merging, and he could no longer keep up the pretense.

And Xing Nuo, so perceptive, would eventually figure it out.

Just as Shen Wen was about to speak, Xing Nuo walked over and hugged him, his arms around his neck.

Like when he was younger, he nuzzled his dad’s shoulder and said softly:

“Daddy, I want some sweet biscuits.”

Shen Wen’s eyes softened as he gently stroked Xing Nuo’s hair.

“Okay, I’ll have the pastry chef make some for you.”

Xing Nuo, looking up at his dad’s gentle gaze, a vast and loving expanse like a starry sky, smiled.

I’m so lucky, he thought. My daddy loves me so much.

He craved his family’s love, and despite his cheerful, sunny disposition, he was the one who needed it the most.

And his two dads and two brothers had given him more love than he could have ever imagined.

He cherished their love, and whether they were monsters or not didn’t matter.

Love, like a flower, bloomed freely, beautiful and vibrant.

That was enough.

He hugged his dad, his fingers gently stroking his soft, long hair, his eyes still filled with a hint of envy.

“Daddy, when I was little, I thought…when I grew up…I’d have long hair like you…smooth and silky.”

But he had to keep his hair short for school, and his curls still made him look younger than he was.

Not as elegant and beautiful as his dad’s.

“I remember…a special comb…made my hair smooth.”

Shen Wen, surprised that he still remembered the small comb, said:

“Yes, you treasured that comb. Then you started school…always waking up late…stopped using it.”

Their voices were soft, Xing Nuo’s no longer carrying the exaggerated lilt of his childhood, but still gentle and warm.

He hugged his dad’s waist, smiling.

“No matter how old I get…I’m still your son.”

Shen Wen’s lips curved into a smile, the simple gesture of affection chasing away his anxiety and fear.

Xing Nuo, the tension from the train dungeon easing, leaned against his dad, enjoying the quiet intimacy, just the two of them, talking.

He told Shen Wen about school, his voice light and cheerful, even mundane details tinged with youthful optimism.

“Big Brother always makes soup for me. After drinking it, I always have to go to the bathroom. Second Brother oversleeps a lot and often forgets to come home. Big Brother and I have to go to the school and drag him back.”

“And we have another monthly exam soon. High school is so tiring, so many tests.”

Shen Wen, listening to his complaints, ruffled his hair, his voice filled with amusement.

“But Xing Nuo is a good kid. You study hard. And you get along well with your brothers.”

He looked at the plate of biscuits the pastry chef had brought and nodded, sitting up.

“Let’s eat. Then get some rest.”

Xing Nuo smiled and followed him to the dining table, pouring himself a bowl of soup.

“The cook’s soup is still so delicious.”

He then added, always remembering to be inclusive:

“And the pastry chef’s biscuits are very sweet. I like them.”

Shen Wen chuckled, looking at Xing Nuo, the master of compliments, and gave him a piece of meat.

“Just eat. You never stop talking.”

Xing Nuo smiled and ate the meat obediently.

Exhausted from the train dungeon, after dinner, he ran upstairs, took a bath, and collapsed onto his childhood bed, falling asleep instantly.

Shen Wen brought him a long sleeping robe and, seeing how tired he was, tucked him in, patting his back gently.

“Sleep. Everything will be alright when you wake up.”

Xing Nuo, his eyes fluttering open, yawning, a tear escaping, said:

“Daddy, I don’t want to forget…when I wake up.”

Shen Wen paused, his hand still on Xing Nuo’s hair, his brow furrowing slightly.

Xing Nuo continued:

“When I was little, I thought I was stupid…always forgetting things…forgetting my friends from the dungeons.”

“Then I realized…it wasn’t because I was stupid…but because you and my brothers were protecting me…making me forget the bad things.”

“But Daddy, I’m grown up now. I can protect you too.”

Shen Wen’s heart swelled with warmth, and he pulled Xing Nuo into a hug, his arms tightening around him, his eyes filled with emotion.

“Xing Nuo has really grown up.”

Xing Nuo, loving to hear that, smiled and patted his dad’s shoulder.

Shen Wen, looking into Xing Nuo’s bright eyes, asked:

“When did you realize…Daddy and your brothers…aren’t human?”

The question he had been wanting to ask, the fear and uncertainty he had been suppressing, finally voiced.

Xing Nuo, leaning against his pillow, a mischievous glint in his eyes, smiled.

“Daddy, you can guess.”

Shen Wen thought for a moment, his brow furrowed. “On the train today?”

Xing Nuo shook his head. “Earlier.”

Shen Wen: “When you were twelve? You pointed at a painting…asked if it was a monster?”

Xing Nuo: “No, even earlier.”

Shen Wen: “When you were ten? You failed a test…wondered if you were adopted?”

Xing Nuo chuckled. “No. I just thought you were smart…and I wasn’t…I was disappointed.”

Shen Wen: “Nine years old? When Wen Xingxue took you to the amusement park? He wanted a…father-son day…and you sensed he wasn’t normal?”

Xing Nuo laughed, his eyes sparkling.

“No. When I just started elementary school…couldn’t even climb onto the back of the scooter.”

Back then, he had been small and frail, his world still filled with the magic of fairy tales.

Shen Wen, surprised, was silent for a long moment.

“You knew…back then?”

Xing Nuo nodded, his arm around his dad’s waist.

“I kept going to dungeons…then forgetting. You and my brothers…powerful monsters in dungeons. I wondered…why I wasn’t one too.”

“I felt…inadequate…different from my family.”

“I wanted us to be the same. I wanted to be strong. Second Brother gave me a crown.”

“He said it was a late birthday present. I made a wish.”

“I wished…to remember everything…even the bad things.”

He had kept the little crown in his treasure box, but the energy stone embedded in it had gradually dimmed.

He had had many strange dreams, and when he was younger, he had written them down in his diary.

Later, he had realized they weren’t just dreams, but fragments of his lost memories.

Shen Wen stroked Xing Nuo’s hair, silent for a long moment, then asked softly:

“Xing Nuo, are you scared?”

Xing Nuo was older now and understood that monsters weren’t good, that they were feared and hated.

“Are you angry at Daddy…for being a monster…different from you…different from humans?”

Xing Nuo shook his head, his eyes still sleepy, but his voice firm.

“Of course not. When I was little, I wanted to be a monster like you. But I couldn’t.”

“You’re a good daddy. My brothers are good too. It’s the other monsters that are bad.”

He thought of the dungeons appearing in the real world and added reassuringly:

“Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll become strong. Even if I’m human, I’ll catch up to you.”

He was the one who had been scared, his need for his family’s love so strong, and he had felt insecure and different.

But he had grown up and realized that even though they were different, his daddies and brothers still loved him,

leaving their world, crossing dimensions, to be with him, to raise him.

His own love for them felt small in comparison.

He hugged his dad tightly.

“I’m so lucky,” he whispered.

To have such a wonderful family.