After we broke up, my ex-girlfriend gave birth to a daughter.

"Dad, Mom said she has to work overtime tonight, so we don't need to wait for her."

Mu Mu put down her phone and told Shu Jingming everything Dai Qingning had said.

"Okay then, Dad will take you grocery shopping, and then we'll go home and cook."

Shu Jingming reached out and patted his daughter's head, speaking in a seemingly relaxed manner.

He could sense that Dai Qingning was intentionally keeping her distance from him; it was a very clear sense of boundary.

Shu Jingming couldn't say anything about it, since it was his own doing that Dai Qingning distanced herself from him back then.

Take it slow. First, get along well with your daughter, and then slowly mend his relationship with Dai Qingning.

Shu Jingming hailed a taxi, and the father and daughter soon arrived at a fresh food supermarket near their neighborhood.

"Mumu, what do you want to eat tonight?" Shu Jingming held Mumu in his arms so that the child could see more clearly.

Mu Mu looked at the ingredients on the shelf with curiosity, then pointed and said, "Daddy, I want to eat tomatoes."

"Okay, tomatoes, what other dishes are there?" Shu Jingming readily agreed.

"And...and potatoes!"

"Okay, how about I make scrambled eggs with tomatoes and braised pork ribs tonight?"

Actually, Shu Jingming initially wanted to make braised chicken, but considering that braised chicken uses frozen chicken legs, he was worried that it might be bad for children, so he changed it to using fresh pork ribs.

"Daddy, what is braised pork ribs?" Mu Mu tilted her head, her eyes full of confusion.

Shu Jingming explained, "It's just pork ribs and potatoes cooked together; it's delicious."

Mu Mu nodded vigorously: "Okay, I want to eat braised pork ribs!"

After deciding on the dishes to cook, Shu Jingming began buying ingredients.

We still have eggs at home, so we can just take two tomatoes.

Then buy two fresh pork ribs, followed by potatoes, mushrooms, and a series of other side dishes.

After buying the ingredients, Shu Jingming took his daughter home to cook.

Just like yesterday, Mu Mu eagerly came to the kitchen to help.

Shu Jingming assigned her the task of washing vegetables, specifically washing the shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes.

Although the task was simple, the little guy completed it carefully and attentively.

Next, heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the vegetables over high heat.

"The food is here."

Not long after, Shu Jingming brought the steaming hot food to the table.

"Wow, Daddy, these dishes look so delicious!" Mu Mu clapped her hands happily while sitting in her chair.

"Really? Then you'd better eat more so you can grow taller and prettier."

As Shu Jingming spoke, he served his daughter rice and handed her a silver spoon.

He didn't originally have a spoon here, but he bought one specifically for his daughter.

"Dad, aren't you going to eat?"

Mu Mu noticed a detail: there was only her rice on the table, while Shu Jingming had nothing in front of him.

"I'm not in a hurry. I'll eat with Mom after she gets off work," Shu Jingming said with a smile and a shake of his head.

Mu Mu put down her spoon: "Then I won't eat it either. I'll eat it when Mom comes."

"You must eat on time like a good boy. Children can't go hungry, or they won't grow tall, understand?"

Shu Jingming reached out and touched his daughter's head.

Mu Mu blinked: "If I eat well now, can I be as tall as Daddy when I grow up?"

Shu Jingming was amused by his daughter's question: "As long as you eat well now, you will definitely be as tall as your father in the future, and maybe even taller than him."

"Alright, hurry up and eat."

Under Shu Jingming's persuasion, Mu Mu finally picked up her spoon and started eating.

Both dishes made by Shu Jingming are suitable for children. Even the ribs are stewed until tender, and the bones in the middle have been removed.

Mu Mu has a small appetite, and the food was delicious, so she was full in the blink of an eye.

After dinner, the father and daughter stared at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Dai Qingning had already come to pick up the child at this time yesterday, but she hasn't been seen yet.

It's clear that she's been very busy lately.

"Mumu, do you like music?" Shu Jingming began taking care of the child.

"I like it!" Mu Mu nodded happily. "I like listening to music and singing!"

"Do you know anything about guitars?" Shu Jingming asked again.

"I don't know." Mu Mu shook her head.

Shu Jingming took out a large, uniquely designed black backpack from the corner. Inside was a brand-new guitar.

Mu Mu stared intently at the backpack; children are always curious about all sorts of strange and unusual things.

"This is a guitar."

Shu Jingming patiently explained, "It's a musical instrument. Do you see all those thin strings on it? You can make a sound by just touching the strings lightly, like this."

As he spoke, he plucked the strings of his instrument, the clear, melodious notes breaking the silence of the room.

"This looks so much fun!" Mu Mu's eyes lit up as she looked at the guitar in Shu Jingming's hand.

"How about it, do you want to give it a try?" Shu Jingming encouraged the child to get involved with musical instruments.

The little girl gently plucked the strings like Shu Jingming, and after hearing the guitar produce a sound, she smiled with delight.

"Different lines can produce different sounds, and these sounds can be combined to create a pleasant sound."

Shu Jingming was worried that his daughter wouldn't understand, so he tried to explain things in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

As he spoke, he plucked the strings and began to play a musical melody.

Before his daughter arrived, Shu Jingming hadn't touched a guitar for quite some time, so he was inevitably a bit rusty, but he could still play one of his favorite pieces without any problem.

"It sounds so good!" Mu Mu exclaimed in amazement.

In her opinion, Shu Jingming not only cooks well, but also plays the guitar; he's practically a superman.

"Does Mumu want to learn guitar?" Shu Jingming asked.

Shu Muwan nodded without hesitation: "Yes!"

Shu Jingming reached out and patted his daughter's head: "You're still too young. When you're a little older, Daddy will teach you to play the guitar."

"Mmm, pinky promise!"

"Okay, pinky promise!"

Just as the father and daughter were chatting, there was a knocking sound at the door.

Shu Jingming immediately put down his guitar, got up, and opened the door. Sure enough, Dai Qingning was standing outside.

"Why are you getting off work so late today?" Shu Jingming asked first, it was almost eight o'clock now.

"That's how it is when recording a show; working overtime is the norm." Dai Qingning nodded, her voice revealing a deep weariness, a feeling of being too tired to speak.

Shu Jingming felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this, and then asked, "Have you eaten? Would you like to eat something together?"

"You haven't eaten yet?" Dai Qingning looked surprised, and even raised her voice several octaves.

Because she had already told him on the phone that he didn't need to wait for her and that Shu Jingming and his daughter should eat.

It's almost eight o'clock now, and they've been waiting this long on an empty stomach?

"Mom, I've already eaten, but Dad hasn't eaten yet. He said he'll wait for you to get off work so we can eat together."