Chapter 8
A boss-level horror monster being hospitalized for food poisoning was certainly a sight to behold.
Shen Baizhou, with a constitution tough enough to swallow small monsters whole, was actually brought down by a bowl of rice.
Seeing this, Shen Wen took Xing Nuo for a check-up as well.
Fortunately, Xing Nuo hadn’t had time to eat; the food on his spoon had all fallen onto the table.
The doctor, holding the test results, advised Shen Wen:
“Your younger son is fine, but your older son…not so much.”
Shen Wen instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
“That’s good.”
Doctor: ???
Is your older son adopted? That’s some blatant favoritism!
Shen Wen’s thick eyelashes fluttered like a black butterfly’s wings, a faint smile playing on his lips as he ruffled Xing Nuo’s head.
“Our Zaizai is a lucky one!”
Xing Nuo, bewildered, looked at his dad, still not quite understanding what had happened in the past half hour.
His little mind churned for a while before finally catching up.
“Big brother…sick?”
Shen Wen carried Zaizai back to the ward and nodded.
“Yes, his constitution is weak. He can’t handle my cooking.”
Xing Nuo tilted his head and asked:
“Soak water?”
Whenever he got sick, Daddy would take him to soak in the water.
And after soaking, his sickness would vanish!
Shen Wen scoffed. “Not him.”
A horror boss being hospitalized for food poisoning was an embarrassment to Shen Wen.
He looked at Shen Baizhou, lying pale on the hospital bed, and snorted.
How did such a fragile thing become a dungeon boss?
Xing Nuo furrowed his delicate brows, leaned over the bed, and gently touched his brother’s pale face.
Letting out a sigh, a habit he’d picked up from somewhere, Xing Nuo cupped his face and shook his head like a little adult.
Shen Wen watched with amusement, thinking how such a small child could have such complex thoughts.
So entertaining.
After the check-up, Shen Wen still had to deal with the aftermath of the previous dungeon, so he returned home first.
The thoughtful Zaizai stayed at the hospital to accompany his brother during his IV drip.
The little cub slept soundly on the hospital bed for the entire afternoon, his face flushed and warm, his breathing long and even.
Shen Baizhou sat on a small stool beside him, his long legs cramped, his expression indifferent, an IV needle in his hand.
Shen Baizhou stared at his little brother for a while, then reached out and pinched his warm, soft cheek.
His little brother’s skin felt like the freshly baked bread he had eaten yesterday, soft and fragrant.
Shen Baizhou felt an urge to take a bite.
The thought startled him, and he quickly withdrew his hand.
Fortunately, high-level monsters could control their instincts. After calming down, Shen Baizhou poked his brother’s face again.
Woken by the poke, Xing Nuo yawned, shook his head, and looked around blearily.
“Daddy…gone?”
Shen Baizhou, slightly guilty, put his hands in his pockets, coughed, and looked away, pretending nothing had happened.
“He went home.”
The IV drip was almost finished. Shen Baizhou, without waiting for the nurse, pulled the cannula out of his hand.
The rough action made the young nurse, who had just entered the ward, wince.
“You can’t just pull it out!”
The nurse hurried over, scolded Shen Baizhou, and gave him some instructions before letting the brothers go.
Shen Baizhou, only half-listening, nodded absentmindedly and carried Xing Nuo away.
Waiting for the elevator downstairs, Xing Nuo rested his head on his brother’s shoulder, his cheek squished.
“People~”
Xing Nuo pointed at the people moving things in and out of the elevator.
The little cub’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, pointing out everything he saw to his brother.
Shen Baizhou didn’t bother looking up, just humming indifferently.
“Probably new residents.”
Xing Nuo nodded, nestled in his brother’s arms, only his bright eyes visible as he observed the people in the elevator.
Like a cautious, curious kitten, he was observing the world in his own way.
The movers, finding him adorable, whistled and teased him.
Xing Nuo smiled shyly and hid his face in his brother’s chest.
The elevator stopped on the third floor, and the movers got out with their belongings.
Shen Baizhou continued upwards with Xing Nuo.
Back home, Xing Nuo, refreshed from his nap at the hospital, was full of energy, circling the TV.
Having watched TV once, Xing Nuo couldn’t forget the colorful images.
But having been refused by his dad and brother before, he didn’t dare ask directly, just blinking his eyes and staring at them.
His intention was clear.
Shen Wen pretended not to notice and even kicked Shen Baizhou, who was trying to sneakily turn on the TV for Xing Nuo.
“You have homework. Go do it. If anyone gets detention for not finishing it tomorrow, it better not be you.”
Shen Wen’s threat was perfectly timed and chilling.
Shen Baizhou cowered, mumbled “Oh,” and obediently went to do his homework.
In front of Shen Wen, Shen Baizhou never dared to show his rebellious side, always acting meek and submissive.
Xing Nuo, without his brother’s secret support, quickly imitated him, shrinking his neck and scurrying away.
Shen Wen, seeing the little one’s listless hair and how he was peeking at him from the corner of his eye, couldn’t help but smile.
“You can watch one episode of cartoons after dinner.”
Zaizai, who had never seen cartoons before, immediately looked up, his eyes sparkling.
“Zaizai watch?”
He needed confirmation.
Shen Wen chuckled. “Of course.”
The promise of TV time made Zaizai let out a delighted “Wow!”
He ran to his dad’s leg, rubbing his soft cheek against him like a happy puppy, acting cute and coquettish.
“Daddy, good~”
Shen Wen, both exasperated and amused, picked up the little one, kissed him, and pinched his nose.
“Am I only a good daddy when I let you watch TV?”
Xing Nuo’s nose turned red from being pinched, and he shyly buried his face in his dad’s shoulder.
For dinner, they had porridge and vegetable dumplings from the restaurant downstairs.
Xing Nuo, swinging his little legs, sat obediently in his chair, eating every spoonful his dad fed him.
As soon as he finished eating, Xing Nuo eagerly scrambled down from his chair and stood in front of the TV.
He looked up, his curly hair sticking up, his eyes fixed on his dad.
Shen Wen raised an eyebrow and tapped the little one’s forehead.
“Only one episode. After you’re done, ask Big Brother to turn it off. Daddy is going downstairs to buy something and will be back soon.”
Xing Nuo, captivated by the colorful and exciting cartoon, his eyes glued to the screen, nodded vigorously in agreement.
Seeing Zaizai mesmerized by the cartoon, Shen Wen smiled helplessly and left.
Xing Nuo sat on the sofa, his emotions rising and falling with the cartoon characters.
At the end, he even stood up and clapped for the superhero cat who had defeated the evil villain.
His little hands were red from clapping, but Xing Nuo was still excited, his eyes shining.
That was close, he thought.
The superhero cat almost lost.
The cheerful ending theme song played, and Xing Nuo let out a long breath. As his excitement faded, his usual weakness returned, and his face paled slightly.
He patted his chest, took a few deep breaths, and, remembering his dad’s words, obediently went to find his brother to turn off the TV.
But as he turned around, the TV screen suddenly flickered with static.
In the blink of an eye, the cheerful cartoon scene was replaced by an image of a bloody, roaring wasteland.
Before Xing Nuo could react, his head began to spin, and his vision darkened.
When he came to, the clean, white ceiling he was used to had become a smoky, gray sky.
He was surrounded by ruined buildings, a desolate and silent landscape, with only the occasional roar of an unknown monster in the distance.
The sky was grayish-white, the thick cloud cover casting a gloomy pall over everything.
This apocalyptic scene was identical to the final image on the TV screen.
Xing Nuo, still wearing his sunflower-print pajamas, stood small and lost in the ruined city.
The roars seemed to be getting closer. Xing Nuo, wearing his bunny slippers, was scared but didn’t know where to go.
He clenched his fists and patted his chest, trying to reassure himself.
“It’s okay.”
He was a little knight, and little knights were brave!
He must have gotten lost. He just needed to find his way back!
Xing Nuo took a few steps, trying to find a way home.
Suddenly, a pale, thin claw grabbed him.
“Where did this little zombie come from? Hasn’t even learned his manners, running towards humans?”
