Baby Sleeping

Although the situation was resolved, Alvin's mood was not very good. Because too many people died—though these fellows deserved it—there was no guarantee that some chef, nanny, or the like wasn't wiped out along with them.

Of course, Alvin would not go looking for Kingpin's trouble over this, because this was a gang vendetta. As he said earlier, going head-to-head with Kingpin while calling oneself Bloody Jensen meant one clearly didn't have long to live.

Yet judging by JJ's expression, Alvin was probably going to take the blame for this! That simply wouldn't do, Alvin thought. If he took the blame, could Kingpin, as a school trustee, increase his annual donation by another 5 million? After all, he was the only drug lord left in Big Apple City now, wasn't he?

"JJ, call Kingpin and tell him what I said to Black Bear today. Tell him the school's donation will double every year—he'll know why!" Alvin instructed somewhat angrily.

Pushing open the door to enter the restaurant, Alvin felt slightly fatigued, having experienced a bit too much today. He sat by the bar counter and had a drink with people he knew and didn't know.

Just as he was about to announce the second piece of good news for the day, Nick found his father. Then they saw the small door behind the bar counter pushed open with a bang. Nick hopped out on one leg and yelled, "Alvin, go quick and look at Frank! He did math homework and passed out from it!"

Alvin spat a mouthful of booze all over JJ. He looked at the innocent-looking JJ. So what if I did it on purpose? What are you going to do about it?

He waved his hand to announce that the fun time for today had arrived! He had JJ arrange for everyone to head back, and those living too far away would need a ride. Alvin followed Nick up to the restaurant's attic.

The attic was quite large, nearly 60 square meters, with Nick's bed placed near the window. Frank lay on the bed, pale and cyanotic with rapid breathing.

When Alvin came in, he was already awake. Seeing Alvin, Frank awkwardly turned his head to look at the wall.

Alvin breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to move meant nothing was wrong; otherwise, turning a happy occasion into a funeral would be too miserable. He had simply suffered heavy injuries and was too weak, and coupled with the fact that he had previously drunk a lot of alcohol, he genuinely had no strength left at the moment.

Otherwise, true to his tough guy style, he absolutely wouldn't act like a wronged little girl, twisting his head away and not daring to look at people. Instead, he would have jumped straight out the window, learned math well, and then come back to acknowledge his son.

Alvin ruffled Nick's head and said, "Go play with your Sister Jess for a while—Ginny's there too. Bring me whatever caused Frank to pass out so I can take a look. Frank is a graduate of LA University! He's probably still injured, which is why he passed out. Off you go, I'll heal him."

Frank, lying on the bed, awkwardly coughed a few hasty times. Alvin smoothly shooed Nick out and looked at Frank with a half-smile.

Kid, where are we even at? Back in the day, when I couldn't do my son's homework, I even got called out and criticized at the parent-teacher conference, and I still pulled through. You, a killing machine and tough guy, got stumped by second-grade math problems and you actually have the nerve to pass out?

Frank struggled to sit up, looking awkwardly at Alvin. The words hovering on the tip of his tongue that he couldn't quite spit out were irritating to look at.

Alvin waved his hand to signal him not to speak, and consoled, "Our school is a bit different from other schools, and the education children receive is different. So parents don't need to worry if they feel unequal to their children's homework. You're only a graduate of LA University; I've seen teachers in the school who graduated from Harvard and still couldn't do these problems. You don't need to have an inferiority complex."

Frank grew anxious, expressing that he had no inferiority complex, and blabbering on how so-and-so ~~

Alvin paid him no mind. He directed the Venomous Flower Vine that extended in through the window to spray a green gas at Frank's face, knocking him out cold. Next, a red vine split into dozens of fine tendrils that pierced into Frank's body.

A stream of red energy poured into Frank's body, repairing his injuries.

He didn't dare to input too much energy. Seeing that Frank's complexion had improved, he stopped.

Waving away the Corpse-Eater Vine, Alvin grabbed Frank's foot, pulled off his boots, and tossed them onto the floor. He doesn't even pay attention to his own son's bed—one look and you can tell he's a filthy slob.

Leaving Frank to rest, Alvin returned to his own room. The carefree Nick was fooling around with Ginny, and their laughter filled the entire room.

Jessica clutched her head, clearly driven nearly crazy by the little ones, wearing a look of utter despair.

Nick shouted loudly, "Check out my Heavenly Cripple Foot!" He bounced up into the air, kicked his single leg in the sky, and then crashed onto Alvin's bed. On the bed, Ginny's small body bounced high up, emitting silvery, bell-like laughter.

Seeing Alvin walk in, Ginny excitedly bounced up and down on the bed with a rapid pattering of a few running steps, leaped forward in a bound, and jumped into Alvin's arms. Giggling, she said, "Nick, awesome! Heavenly Cripple Foot, so awesome! Hee-hee~"

Alvin held Ginny with one hand and glared furiously at Nick. Bear children are a malicious infectious disease. Look at my little Ginny—she got infected after just this little while, and she dares to jump at me when she's still a meter away from me. It's all the fault of this troublemaking brat Nick, who's corrupted my precious daughter. What if she falls like this?

Hugging the giggling Ginny, Alvin smiled warmly and pressed his forehead against Ginny's little head. "My baby is a lady and can't learn from these troublemakers. What you just did was too dangerous."

Ginny cupped Alvin's cheeks with both hands, gave Alvin's face a loud smack of a kiss, and said, "Dad, awesome! Ginny, likes, Dad!"

Crisis averted! Since his daughter was so sensible, being a little mischievous was acceptable! Happily holding Ginny, Alvin gave a high jump and slammed his back onto the bed. The soft mattress bounced Nick right off the bed, landing him squarely on his butt on the floorboards.

That brat Nick was just tough and resilient. Bouncing and hopping around, he shouted as he charged back onto the bed, wanting revenge. Holding the giggling Ginny, Alvin dodged left and right, accompanying the two children in their horseplay.

After playing for a while, Nick probably grew a bit tired, and the three of them just sat on the bed like that. Jessica had slipped away earlier as soon as Alvin walked in.

Nick turned unusually quiet. Lying on the bed with his hands pillowing his head, he said, "Alvin, my dad came looking for me. Does that mean I have to leave?" Hesitation, worry, and reluctance bled through his tone as he spoke.

Hearing this, Ginny collapsed onto Alvin's chest and said uncomfortably, "Nick, don't go. Ginny, likes, don't go."

Alvin kissed Ginny on the head to comfort her.

Nick didn't receive such fine treatment. Alvin's big hand gave his head a thorough tousling, rubbing his eyes askance and his mouth crooked, as he said with disgust, "Go? Where are you going? A poverty-stricken laborer like your dad—where could he possibly take you? Tomorrow, rent the house next door and let Frank live there. Also, chase JJ over there too—that bastard has cluttered my utility room to the point where nobody can get in."

Hearing that he didn't have to leave and that his dad could also stay by his side, Nick felt happy. He turned his head to look at Alvin with bright eyes and said, "Thank you! Alvin, thank you!"

Alvin never gave a good expression to a bear child. He forcefully rubbed Nick's head and said, "Don't look at me with such a disgusting gaze. Hurry up and get lost to take care of your dad. He's injured, and I've more or less healed him, but it's best to have someone keep an eye on him."

Nick bounced up instantly. As he headed out the door, he turned back to pull a ghostface at Alvin, laughing, "Alvin, my old man is way stronger than you. You'd better step it up!"

Alvin made a motion as if to get up and beat him up, and Nick laughed loudly as he hopped toward the attic.

Looking at the Ginny in his arms, Alvin said softly, "Ginny, I'll take you back to your room to sleep, okay?"

Ginny shook her head, opened her eyes wide as she looked at Alvin, and said, "Ginny, look, Dad. Ginny, won't sleep. If I sleep, I'll have nightmares. Dad, won't sleep."

Alvin felt his heart inexplicably soaked in a sense of sorrow. He tightened his grip around Ginny in his arms, kissed her fiercely, and said, "Ginny, sleep. Dad is awesome—I'll chase the nightmares away."

Ginny hugged Alvin happily, a strong sense of warmth and safety surrounding her. Accompanied by Alvin humming an unfamiliar little tune, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

The dark sky hangs low,

Warm stars face each other.

Insects fly, insects fly, who are you longing for?