Chapter 16

“Old,” said Left Jun cheerfully.
“Old?” he spluttered. “Xu‑baby, am I old?”
Xu Yi had heard this one too many times. “No, no,” he said automatically.
“See? My son‑in‑law knows how to talk,” said Duan Yan smugly.
“My son just knows how to flatter people,” Left Jun retorted. “Come here, let Dad have a look. Oh wow, you’ve filled out.”
Zuo Nian looked stricken. “What?”
He was still trying to lose weight.
Looking instinctively to Duan Baisui, he saw him give a tiny shake of the head—no, you’re not fat.
Even so, he thought, no more midnight cookies.
Dinner was a rowdy, happy affair. Duan Baisui kept his father and Left Jun company, drinking a little more than usual.
The others couldn’t drink for various reasons and had already gone downstairs to watch TV.
The two elders loved reminiscing about the past. Inevitably, Duan Yan brought up the strange episode years ago when he’d “traveled” and saved his own marriage.
He’d heard the story so many times he could recite it by heart.
Still, seeing how much it meant to him, he never interrupted.
He just listened quietly and kept their glasses full.
“I knew something was up when you woke up that day,” said Left Jun. “You used to be such an ass, always making Xu‑ge cry. Then suddenly you were buying rings and calling him baby.”
Coming from Duan Yan, even the wildest story was something he trusted. That was friendship.
“I don’t even want to think about how many mistakes I would’ve made without that warning,” said Duan Yan. “I really could have hurt him.”
“What matters is that you didn’t,” said Left Jun. “You two have been solid since high school.” He sighed, then added more quietly, “Unlike me and Ason…”
“You two are fine,” said Duan Yan.
“No,” said Left Jun, shaking his head. “I owe him. I really do. Why couldn’t I have been an Alpha? I don’t have pheromones. I can’t give him a child. You know how much he loves kids.”
“You’ve got Nian‑nian,” said Duan Yan, clinking his glass against his. “That boy’s as good as they come.”
Draining his drink, Left Jun said, “Yeah. Nian‑nian really is a good kid. I owe him too. My father… he treated him so badly. And I was too useless to protect either of them. Every time I think about what he did, I feel sick.”
“It’s over now,” said Duan Yan. “Nian‑nian has Alex. Alex will take good care of him.”
Whether it was the alcohol or the emotion, Left Jun’s eyes were rimmed with red. Lifting his glass toward Duan Baisui, he said, “Suìsuì, I know you never planned to marry Nian‑nian. You felt forced into it.”
“No,” said Duan Baisui. “It wasn’t forced. It was a promise I made. Don’t worry. I’ll treat him well, no matter what.”
Voice thick, Left Jun said, “Thank you. Really.”
They didn’t finish dinner until nine.
Both he and Duan Yan were thoroughly drunk.
The butler helped Duan Yan upstairs to rest, while Ason got ready to take Left Jun home.
“It’s really late. You should stay,” said Duan Baisui.
“Yeah, Pretty Dad. It’s not safe to drive at this hour,” said Zuo Nian.
Shaking his head, Ason said, “Left‑shushu’s father is coming over first thing tomorrow. You know what he’s like. If we’re not there, he’ll only cause trouble.”
“We can have someone wake you up early,” said Xu Yi. “You’ll still make it.”
“No, it’s not that. My pheromones have been unstable at night recently. I’d rather not cause you any trouble,” Ason said.
“Then I’ll take you home,” said Duan Baisui.
Smiling, Ason said, “That would only make you even later. Don’t worry. I’m a very steady driver.”
He couldn’t argue with him forever. In the end, he helped Left Jun into the car himself.
Fastening his seatbelt, Ason said, “By the way, Suìsuì, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
“What is it?”
“In a few days, I want to take Nian‑nian back to the States for a bit. We might be gone four or five days. Is that okay?”
“Of course,” said Duan Baisui.
Trailing behind, Zuo Nian tugged at his sleeve. “Pretty Dad, you’re really not staying?”
Tapping his nose, Ason said, “Be good. Go back inside. It’s cold out here. Your Fat Dad and I need to go.”
“Oh~”
Wrapped in a heavy shawl, Xu Yi hesitated. “We’ll talk about it later, then.”
“All right,” Ason said with a smile.
After seeing them off, the butler came over to tell Xu Yi, “Mr. Duan refuses to sleep. He keeps asking for you.”
“Got it,” Xu Yi said with a nod.
Turning to the younger couple, he said, “You two should rest. I’m going to check on your dad.”
“Okay,” said Duan Baisui.
“Good night, Xu‑dad,” said Zuo Nian.
“Good night,” he replied.
Knowing they were coming, the butler had already asked the staff to tidy up their old bedroom.
Nothing about the room had really changed. It was exactly how it had been when Duan Baisui left home—familiar from top to bottom.
Duan Baisui came out of the bathroom to find Zuo Nian lying on his stomach with his back to him, playing on his phone. His snow‑white feet swung lightly in the air.
The butler hadn’t expected them to sleep separately, so he’d only prepared one quilt.
Duan Baisui got into bed. Seeing that Zuo Nian still didn’t look like he was about to climb under the covers, he asked, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Zuo Nian looked miserable. “Gege, I’m a little worried about Bai Xue.”
“Bai Xue is…?”
“My kitten.”
Wait. Duan Baisui sorted it out in his head.
“It’s an orange tabby, and you named it Bai Xue? ‘Snow White’?”
Zuo Nian nodded, completely serious. “Mm. Because I picked it up on a snowy day, so its name is Bai Xue.”
…
An unbelievable naming talent.
“There’s an automatic feeder at home, and you left enough water. It’s just one night. It’ll be fine,” Duan Baisui said.
Watching the video he’d taken that morning of Bai Xue eating canned food, Zuo Nian murmured, “But there’s no one at home. It’s just a tiny kitten… won’t it be scared?”
“It won’t. There are no ghosts in a cat’s world,” Duan Baisui said.
The moment he heard the word “ghost,” Zuo Nian immediately put his phone away and dove under the quilt.
“Then… what about humans?” he asked timidly.
Without hesitation, Duan Baisui answered, “There are.”
Zuo Nian shivered in fear.
The manor’s night was eerily silent. The curtains weren’t pulled fully closed, leaving a narrow slit—like a watching eye, quietly spying on everything in the room.
Click.
The lights went out.
Zuo Nian sucked in a sharp breath, then stammered, “Ge‑Gege, can I hug you? Gege?”
Duan Baisui’s tone was flat. “What, are you using me as your A‑Beibei?”
“N‑no.” Zuo Nian denied it anxiously. “You’re not the same as A‑Beibei. You’re Nian‑nian’s Alpha—you’re a very important person. Can Nian‑nian hug you? I’m really scared.”
Duan Baisui said, as if doing him a huge favor, “Come here, then.”
Zuo Nian inched closer. The moment he felt Duan Baisui’s body heat, he wrapped both arms tightly around his waist. “Thank you, Gege.”
“Go to sleep,” said Duan Baisui.
In the pitch‑black room, the Alpha’s lips curved, almost imperceptibly.
The night was long.
Duan Baisui dreamed again.
He’d always been a light sleeper and rarely dreamed.
But every time he held Zuo Nian, his dreams became tangled and strange.
This time, he dreamed of childhood.
Like a film with no plot, scene after scene flickered past his eyes, until it froze on the moment he’d slid a ring onto Zuo Nian’s finger.
“Real men are tofu hearts, but they don’t cry. You don’t cry. If you wear the ring I gave you, you’re my Omega. No one can take you away,” little Duan Baisui declared solemnly, making a promise like it was a law of the universe. “When I grow up, I’ll get you a new one with diamonds, like the one on my daddy’s hand.”
“No diamonds… Nian‑nian… likes this one,” the child said through sniffles.
“That won’t do. When you get married, you have to wear diamonds,” little Duan Baisui said with ridiculous swagger. “Don’t worry, I’ve got money. I’ve got tons. My daddy has a huge company. When I grow up, I’ll sell his company, then buy a little tank and take you out to play.”
“B‑but if Gege sells the company, Godfather Duan will be mad…”
“Right.” Little Duan Baisui nodded gravely. “Then when I grow up, I’ll earn my own money and buy a tank!”
“Nian‑nian… will earn too. With Gege… together,” the child said.
“Deal.” The cocky little boy stuck out his pinky.