Chapter 66
Xing Nuo, tilting his head, his bright eyes scanning the room, looked for the source of the voice.
“Where are you? Zaizai sees you!”
After calling out a few times, getting no response, he scratched his head, confused.
Secretary Li returned, carrying the cloud bread, and, pushing the door open, let out a creepy cackle.
“Little cutie! Did you miss Big Brother?”
He lunged forward, grabbed the little one, and nuzzled his soft cheek.
“Aww!”
So squishy!
This is the life! Getting paid to cuddle a cute little cub!
Xing Nuo, caught off guard, struggled to pull his face away.
“Bad Big Brother!” he yelled, his fists clenched.
Secretary Li continued to cackle, his face a picture of villainous glee, even rubbing his hands together.
“Hehe, couldn’t help myself! My true nature has been revealed!”
Having had his fill of cuddles, feeling energized, he presented the cloud bread.
“Freshly baked! Eat up, Xing Nuo!”
Xing Nuo, finally getting his long-awaited cloud bread, sat in the corner by the window, his legs crossed, and munched on it happily,
his cowlick occasionally twitching as he glanced suspiciously at Secretary Li.
Secretary Li, seeing the little one’s wary expression, clutched his chest dramatically and sighed.
“The little cutie hates me! I’m so heartbroken!”
Xing Nuo, his cheeks puffed out with bread, saw through his act.
“Secwetawy Big Brother, you sad…but no cwy.”
Don’t try to fake it in front of Xing Nuo, the master of fake crying himself.
Secretary Li, unfazed, tried to sneak in another cheek pinch.
But before he could, the sound of footsteps approaching echoed from the hallway.
He quickly straightened up, adjusted his glasses, and, in the blink of an eye, resumed his professional demeanor.
Xing Nuo, watching his transformation, gasped in amazement.
The door opened, and Shen Yan entered with another assistant.
Seeing his little brother by the window, munching on his bread, Shen Yan smiled faintly and gestured for the assistant and secretary to leave.
“That’s all for this morning. I’ll discuss the rest of the work with you this afternoon.”
The assistant and Secretary Li nodded respectfully and left.
Xing Nuo tilted his head, his little mind filled with questions.
Are all grown-ups this strange?
Xing Nuo, not understanding, his mouth covered in breadcrumbs, was picked up by his brother and taken to a private restaurant for lunch.
“I told Father I’m taking you out for lunch today.”
Xing Nuo nodded, his greasy little hand leaving a small mark on his brother’s shoulder as he hugged his neck.
Swinging his little legs, Xing Nuo, who enjoyed all kinds of food, looked up and asked excitedly:
“Daddy eat what? Big Brother too? Back from school?”
Shen Yan glanced at the greasy hand, sighed, and wiped it with a tissue.
Xing Nuo obediently tilted his face up, his lips puckered.
“Chin too.”
Shen Yan pinched his cheek.
“Now you know you’re dirty? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Xing Nuo, his face clean, giggled, covering his mouth.
Shen Yan, exasperated, shook his head and carried him to the restaurant.
Shen Yan often ordered takeout from this private restaurant. The egg custard and double skin milk Xing Nuo had eaten before were all made by the chef here.
The restaurant’s mild dishes were perfect for Xing Nuo, who preferred lighter flavors.
As he ate, Xing Nuo, worried about his dad and Shen Baizhou, held his phone, his face practically glued to the screen.
“Zaizai eating. Big Brother, Daddy, eat quick too.”
Shen Baizhou, seeing Xing Nuo’s face filling the entire screen, his cheeks squished against the glass, chuckled and quickly took a screenshot.
He saved the picture, planning to tease Xing Nuo with it when he was older.
“We’ve already eaten. Shen Yan, bring Xing Nuo back after lunch.”
Shen Baizhou didn’t even bother calling him “Big Brother,” always addressing him by his full name.
Shen Yan, not bothering to argue with the brainless octopus, wiped Xing Nuo’s mouth and nodded.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take Xing Nuo to the mall next door after lunch. They’re giving out toy cars.”
Shen Baizhou, reassured, couldn’t help but ask:
“What toy cars?”
Shen Yan sighed, rubbing his forehead.
“What? Do you want one too?”
Shen Baizhou, unfazed, his monolid lifting slightly, said:
“Sure.”
Xing Nuo, his eyes sparkling, his cheeks puffed out as he ate a shrimp dumpling, nodded vigorously.
“Yes! Yes! Get one for Big Brother too!”
Shen Yan, watching their interaction, chuckled, shaking his head.
These two innocent little things get along so well.
After lunch, Xing Nuo, his tummy full, struggled to stand up straight, panting after just a few steps.
“Zaizai can’t walk~”
He patted his round tummy, a satisfied expression on his face.
Shen Yan held his arm, letting him lean against him, and poked his tummy, puzzled.
“You barely ate anything. Why are you so full?”
Xing Nuo had a small appetite, usually full after just half a bowl of rice.
Today, having eaten an extra cloud bread, his tummy was noticeably rounder.
Xing Nuo giggled, covering his mouth, as his brother carried him towards the mall.
“Zaizai eat a lot now. Grow tall soon!”
He seemed to have a skewed perception of time, thinking he would become a grown-up any second now.
Shen Yan, listening to his childish words, his eyes softening, a thoughtful expression on his face, wondered:
Why is Xing Nuo being pulled into dungeons so frequently?
It was different from how normal players entered dungeons. Last time, he had even swapped places with a doll.
Shen Yan and Shen Wen had been investigating, but they couldn’t find any trace of another high-level monster’s involvement.
There weren’t many SSS+ level monsters, and with countless dungeons in the horror world, it was unlikely that any of them would target Xing Nuo, a mere human.
Shen Yan sighed, pushing aside his fruitless thoughts, and entered the mall with Xing Nuo.
The mall was having a special event: every child under ten could get a free toy car.
The mall was crowded after lunch, and Shen Yan didn’t want to wait in line, so he took Xing Nuo to the fourth floor to ride the coin-operated rides.
Xing Nuo, his first time on such a ride, was amazed.
At first, he clung to the tiger’s head, afraid to move, like a little caterpillar.
But soon, he realized how fun it was, gripping the tiger’s ears, his little feet on the pedals, his body swaying and twisting with the ride.
The ride played a cheerful tune, one Xing Nuo knew, and he sang along happily.
Shen Yan stood nearby, his usually impeccable suit now covered in small, greasy handprints.
His normally aloof and intimidating demeanor, softened by the bright yellow jacket draped over his arm and the small, round hat he was holding, seemed almost…cute.
A few passersby couldn’t help but stare at the strangely juxtaposed Shen Yan.
Just as Xing Nuo finished his ride, wiping his sweaty forehead, climbing down, a loud bang echoed through the mall.
It sounded like a gunshot, making everyone freeze.
Then, the crowd erupted in chaos.
“What was that? Was that a gunshot?!”
“Where did that sound come from? Is someone robbing the mall?”
“I’ll go check it out. Who’s brazen enough to fire a gun in broad daylight?”
Used to a safe and peaceful environment, most people weren’t overly scared. A few brave souls even craned their necks, curious.
Xing Nuo, startled by the loud noise, lost his footing as he climbed down from the ride and landed on his bottom.
His bottom hurt, and he covered his ears, waiting for the noise to subside.
“Big Brother!”
He looked up at his brother, his eyes wide with fear, and reached out his hand.
Shen Yan hurried over, picked up the little one, and patted the dust off his pants.
“It’s okay, it was just a balloon popping. Don’t be afraid, Xing Nuo.”
Xing Nuo, safe in his brother’s arms, nodded.
“Big balloon…exploded!”
Believing it was just a balloon, he even gestured with his hands, showing how big the balloon must have been.
Shen Yan ruffled his hair, looked at the slightly panicked crowd, and carried Xing Nuo towards the escalator.
Just as the commotion subsided, two more bangs echoed through the mall.
This time, they were real gunshots, not very loud, but they drew blood.
Down in the crowded, open-plan first floor, blood pooled on the floor, instantly terrifying everyone.
“Ahhh! Someone’s been shot! Call an ambulance!”
“Call the police! There are so many of us here! They won’t do anything!”
“Don’t go to the first floor! It’s dangerous!”
The panicked cries of the crowd filled the mall.
Xing Nuo, overwhelmed by the noise, his head spinning, didn’t understand what was happening.
Shen Yan, who had been about to take Xing Nuo downstairs, saw the bloodstains on the first floor through the crowd and quickly retreated, carrying Xing Nuo.
