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

Chen Hao was about to decline when Shen Mengyao stepped forward and shoved the bank card into his coat pocket with a swift and decisive motion, as if she had just completed a transaction.

"Don't be stingy with your money," she said, taking a step back and reverting to her previous aloof and distant demeanor.

"Buy Xiaoting whatever she wants. Take her to play whatever she wants. Don't worry about the money."

Chen Hao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at her face which clearly said "there's no room for negotiation," he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He looked down at the bank card in his pocket, then at Shen Mengyao, feeling a mix of emotions.

"Okay," he said, "I'll keep it for now. But I'll keep track of the expenses and tell you how much I spent later."

Shen Mengyao didn't respond to that, as if she hadn't heard it at all.

She took out her phone, opened the WeChat QR code, and handed it to Chen Hao: "Let's add each other on WeChat."

Chen Hao took out his phone, scanned the QR code, and the friend request was accepted instantly.

Shen Mengyao's WeChat profile picture is pure black, her Moments are set to be visible for only three days, and her personal signature is blank.

He saved her phone number, typed several words as a nickname, then deleted it, leaving only "Shen Mengyao".

After everything was handed over, Shen Mengyao lowered her head and looked at her daughter.

Shen Xiaoting looked up at her mother with her little face upturned. Her dark eyes were already glistening with tears, but she was very good and didn't cry. Her lips were pressed tightly together and her little chin was trembling slightly.

Shen Mengyao squatted down to be at eye level with her daughter.

She reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear, her fingertips lingering on her daughter's cheek for a moment.

Her eyes reddened, and a thin layer of mist rose up, blurring her beautiful eyes.

"Xiaoting," her voice trembled slightly, but she tried her best to remain calm.

"Mommy wants to say a few words to you, so listen carefully, okay?"

Shen Xiaoting nodded, her lips pursed slightly.

"Mom has been very busy lately, extremely busy, and hasn't been able to take care of you." Shen Mengyao gently stroked her daughter's cheek with her fingers.

"You'll be staying with Dad for a while. Dad will take care of you. You have to listen to Dad, don't be naughty, and don't run around, understand?"

Shen Xiaoting's tears finally fell, rolling down her little face one by one, but she still didn't cry out loud, she just nodded vigorously.

"If...if I miss my mom," Shen Mengyao's voice finally broke, becoming noticeably nasal.

"Let Dad call Mom on video. Mom will definitely answer if she's not busy, okay?"

Shen Xiaoting couldn't hold back any longer. She burst into tears and threw herself into Shen Mengyao's arms, tightly hugging her mother's neck with her little hands and burying her face in her mother's shoulder, crying so hard she could barely breathe.

"Mommy...Mommy, don't go...Xiaoting wants Mommy...Mommy..."

Shen Mengyao closed her eyes and hugged her daughter tightly.

Her shoulders were trembling slightly, and tears welled up from her tightly closed eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto her daughter's pink coat.

She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud, gently patting her daughter's back to comfort her.

Chen Hao stood aside, watching this scene, feeling a sharp pang of sadness, as if someone had squeezed his heart.

He turned his head away, glanced down the corridor, took a deep breath, and then turned back.

Shen Mengyao held her daughter for about two or three minutes, then took a deep breath and slowly let go.

She wiped away the tears on her face with her fingers, then wiped away her daughter's tears, forcing a smile.

"Xiaoting, be good. Mommy will be here in six months. Six months will pass quickly. Just take a nap, then another nap, then another nap, and it will be over."

She stood up and glanced at Chen Hao.

Chen Haochong nodded slightly, silently saying two words—"Don't worry."

Shen Mengyao gritted her teeth, turned around and walked towards the elevator at the end of the corridor.

"Mommy! Mommy! Don't go! Mommy!"

Shen Xiaoting's cries suddenly rose in volume, and she tried to chase after him with her short legs. Chen Hao quickly squatted down and hugged his daughter tightly.

Shen Xiaoting struggled desperately in his arms, her little hands reaching out in the direction her mother had left, crying her heart out:

"Mommy! Mommy, come back! Xiaoting wants Mommy! Waaaaah... Mommy!"

Shen Mengyao paused for a moment.

There was only a momentary pause; her shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't turn around.

She continued walking forward, step by step, her back ramrod straight, but her pace quickening.

Tears streamed down her face. She raised her hand to wipe them away, then wiped them again, but she couldn't get them all off.

She walked to the elevator and pressed the button.

The elevator doors opened.

She went inside and pressed the close button.

As the elevator doors slowly closed, she finally couldn't help but look back.

She saw Chen Hao squatting in the corridor, holding his daughter tightly in his arms. The daughter's little hand was outstretched towards her, and her face was covered in tears from crying.

Then the elevator doors closed.

The numbers started to decline.

1, 2, 3...

Shen Mengyao leaned against the elevator wall, covered her face with her hands, and cried silently.

The sound of Shen Xiaoting crying still echoed in the corridor.

She stopped struggling, and just buried her face in Chen Hao's shoulder, crying softly until her voice was hoarse, still sobbing quietly, "Mommy... Mommy..."

Chen Hao held his daughter, gently patting her back with one hand and supporting her little bottom with the other, letting her lean against his shoulder.

He could feel his daughter's little body trembling, could feel her tears soaking his clothes on his shoulder, and could hear her soft, tearful murmurs.

He felt very uncomfortable.

He looked down at the elevator at the end of the corridor. The elevator was stopped on the first floor, and the red "1" was lit up, like a silent eye.

Shen Mengyao said she has been very busy lately and has no time to take care of her daughter, so she sent her daughter over.

But Chen Hao felt that this reason was untenable.

The Shen family is one of the top ten families in Beijing, and Shen Mengyao is a CEO with assets worth hundreds of billions. How could she not afford a nanny?

Will there be no one to take care of the child?

Even if she's very busy, how could such a large family like the Shen family not have someone to take care of the child?

Something must have happened to her.

What forced her to hand over her daughter, whom she had hidden for three years, to a "stranger"?

What made her prefer to separate from her daughter rather than keep her by her side?

Chen Hao didn't know.

Shen Mengyao didn't say anything, and he didn't ask.

But he secretly made up his mind—no matter what trouble Shen Mengyao encountered, he only hoped that she could resolve it as soon as possible.

It wasn't for anything else, just for the little one in my arms who was crying and calling for her mother.

Shen Xiaoting's crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.

Her breathing gradually calmed down, and she rested her head on Chen Hao's shoulder. Her little hands had somehow grabbed the collar of his clothes, holding it tightly, as if afraid that he would suddenly leave as well.

Chen Hao looked down at his daughter.

Tears still clung to her eyelashes, her little nose was red from crying, her little mouth was slightly open, and her breathing was soft.

Her hands gripped his collar so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Chen Hao's eyes also reddened.

He gently kissed his daughter's hair, picked her up, stood up, walked into the rented room, and closed the door with his foot.

The corridor fell silent, leaving only the peeling paint on the door and the pink suitcase beside it.