A Billionaire CEO Brings His Child Home: The Awakening of the Stay-at-Home Dad System

"Hello, do you have a reservation?"

"No, we'll open one room now," Chen Hao said. "A double room or a twin room is fine, as long as it's quiet."

"Okay, we have a business twin room on the seventh floor, towards the back, it's quieter. Breakfast for two included, it's 320 yuan per night." The receptionist said while operating the computer.

Are you staying one night?

"Yes, one night."

"Please show me your ID card."

Chen Hao freed one hand, took out his wallet from his pants pocket, pulled out his ID card, and handed it over.

As the receptionist took him for registration, she glanced down at Shen Xiaoting in his arms and asked with a smile, "The little one is so cute, how old is she?"

"Three years old," Chen Hao said.

"Children under three don't need to register; they can check in directly." The receptionist handed over their ID card and room key together.

"Seventh floor, room 7026, the elevator is on the right."

"Thank you." Chen Hao took the room key and carried his daughter toward the elevator.

Shen Xiaoting was fully awake by this time. She raised her head, looked around, and then asked softly, "Dad, are we staying here?"

"Yes, I'll stay here tonight and drive back to my hometown tomorrow."

The elevator reached the seventh floor. The corridor was covered with a dark gray carpet, and the walls were off-white. There was a wall lamp every few meters, providing soft lighting.

Chen Hao found room 7026, swiped his room card, and went inside.

The room was a bit bigger than he had expected, with two 1.2-meter beds placed side by side, separated by a bedside table.

The bed was covered with white sheets and a duvet cover, and it looked very clean.

There is a desk by the window, with a bottle of mineral water and a kettle on it.

The bathroom door is made of frosted glass, and the light is on inside.

Chen Hao placed his daughter on the bed at the back. Shen Xiaoting's little bottom bounced twice as soon as it touched the mattress. She giggled twice, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began to look around the room.

"Do you like it?" Chen Hao asked.

Shen Xiaoting nodded, reached out and touched the white duvet cover, then looked up at the light on the ceiling, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Chen Hao inserted the room card into the power outlet, and all the lights in the room turned on.

He checked the windows to make sure they were locked, then looked at the air conditioner temperature, which showed 23 degrees Celsius, which was acceptable.

He walked to the bedside, squatted down, and looked his daughter in the eye.

"Tingting, are you hungry?"

Shen Xiaoting's stomach growled at just the right moment. She looked down at her stomach, then looked up and nodded sheepishly, "I'm hungry."

Chen Hao smiled and reached out to ruffle his daughter's hair:

"Come on, Dad will take you to eat. The hotel restaurant should still be open."

He picked his daughter up again, walked out of the room, and took the elevator down to the second floor.

The hotel restaurant is on the second floor, and there is a sign at the entrance that reads "Dinner served from 17:30 p.m. to 21:00 p.m."

Chen Hao glanced at the time; it was 8:15. There was still time.

The restaurant is small, with a dozen or so tables, but only three or four tables were occupied at the moment.

A waiter in a white chef's uniform greeted them as they entered, saying, "Hello, are you two?"

"right."

The waiter led them to a table by the window and handed them a menu.

Chen Hao placed his daughter on the chair next to him, sat down beside her, and opened the menu.

The menu doesn't have many dishes; they're mostly home-style cooking.

Chen Hao flipped through the pages, then turned to his daughter and asked, "Tingting, what do you want to eat?"

Shen Xiaoting sat in the chair, her short legs dangling in mid-air, swinging back and forth. She tilted her head to look at the menu, but how could a three-year-old understand the words on it?

She glanced at the pictures, then pointed with her little finger to one: "What...what is this?"

Chen Hao glanced at it; it was tomato and egg noodles.

"This is tomato and egg noodles. It has tomatoes, eggs, and noodles," he said.

Shen Xiaoting thought for a moment and nodded: "I want to eat this."

"Okay." Chen Hao flipped through the menu again. "How about we order a corn and pork rib soup too? The corn is sweet, and the pork ribs are very tender."

"Okay." Shen Xiaoting nodded obediently.

Chen Hao ordered another stir-fried vegetable dish and a steamed egg custard, then handed the menu to the waiter:

"One serving of tomato and egg noodles, one serving of corn and pork rib soup, one serving of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, one serving of steamed egg, and a bowl of rice."

"Okay, please wait a moment." The waiter noted down the order and turned to leave.

While waiting for the food, Shen Xiaoting sat on the chair with her two small hands on the table, her fingers unconsciously tapping the table, making a soft "tap-tap" sound.

Her eyes darted around, and she saw a child eating noodles at the opposite table. She stared at the child for a while before turning back to look at Chen Hao.

"Dad," she suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Mom...have you eaten?"

Chen Hao was stunned for a moment.

His heart skipped a beat when his daughter suddenly mentioned her mother, but he didn't show it on his face, only smiling slightly.

"Mom must have eaten. She's an adult; she can take care of herself."

Shen Xiaoting nodded and didn't ask any further questions, but the expression on her face became somewhat forlorn.

She lowered her head and began to play with her fingers, bending them one by one and then bending them back one by one.

Chen Hao felt a pang of sadness as he watched his daughter's little gestures.

He reached out and took his daughter's small hand in his palm, gently squeezing it.

"Tingting, Daddy will take you to eat something even more delicious tomorrow, okay?"

Shen Xiaoting looked up, the melancholy in her eyes fading slightly, replaced by a hint of anticipation: "What do you want to eat?"

"The rice noodles from my dad's hometown are especially delicious. They're cooked in bone broth, topped with slices of beef and sprinkled with chopped green onions—they smell amazing," Chen Hao said.

"When my dad was little, he would eat a bowl of this every morning before going to school."

Shen Xiaoting swallowed hard, and finally a full smile appeared on her face: "Okay."

The dishes were served quickly.

The tomato and egg noodles were served in a large white bowl, with a layer of golden scrambled eggs and red tomato chunks on top of the noodles. The broth was rich and had a sweet and sour aroma.

The corn and pork rib soup was served in a small earthenware pot. The soup was clear and bright. The corn was cut into small pieces and the pork ribs were stewed until tender.

The steamed egg custard was served in a separate small bowl. The golden-yellow custard had a smooth, pudding-like surface, and a few drops of soy sauce were drizzled on top.

The stir-fried vegetable was romaine lettuce, which was bright green and looked very fresh.

Chen Hao first pushed the steamed egg in front of his daughter, then placed two pieces of pork ribs on her small plate, and then scooped out a small bowl of noodles, cut them into small pieces with chopsticks, and placed them in front of her as well.

"Tingting, have some steamed egg custard first. It's soft and easy to eat."