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

"They say landscape painting isn't something just anyone can do, that I can't paint it." Chen Hao chewed on the stir-fried pork with chili peppers, then swallowed.

"After the painting was sold, he left."

He didn't say the even harsher things Chen Zhenhua said, such as "What are you, a coder, pretending to be a cultured person for?" or "No one would want your drawings, even if you gave them away for free."

It would upset my parents if I told them, so there's no need to.

Chen Bingzhong snorted, the sound coming from his nose, carrying a hint of anger:

"That Chen Zhenhua, his own son is useless, so he can't stand seeing other people's children do well. Tingting, don't talk to him anymore."

Shen Xiaoting nodded obediently: "I don't like him either. He always talks badly about Dad."

"Let's eat." Meng Meiling placed a piece of fish on Chen Hao's plate, then a piece of green beans on his plate, piling the bowl full.

"Ah Hao, you're capable now, you don't need to pay attention to those kinds of people. Your dad is right, he's just jealous."

Chen Hao smiled but didn't reply, continuing to eat with his head down.

The fish was very tender and well-cooked, with a hint of sweetness and the spiciness of ginger.

The green beans were homegrown, stir-fried, crisp and crunchy, with minced garlic, very fragrant.

Meng Meiling then placed another piece of fish on Tingting's plate, carefully removing all the bones before putting it in her bowl.

"Tingting, eat more so you can grow taller."

With her mouth full of oil, Shen Xiaoting mumbled, "Grandma, I want more soup."

Meng Meiling quickly ladled out a bowl of soup for her, blew on it to cool it down, and placed it in front of her: "Drink slowly, it's hot."

After finishing his meal, Chen Hao helped his mother clear the dishes.

He stacked the bowls together and carried them to the kitchen. Meng Meiling took them, turned on the tap, and started washing them.

Chen Hao took a dry cloth, wiped the water off the bowls, and stacked them one by one into the cupboard.

The mother and son worked together very well; neither of them needed to say a word to know what the other wanted.

"Ah Hao," Meng Meiling said while washing the dishes, "since your paintings can sell for so much money, will you no longer need to go out and find a job?"

"Mom, I'm currently livestreaming my drawing, and the income is decent. I don't plan to look for a job for the time being," Chen Hao said.

"Tingting is still young, and I want to spend more time with her."

Meng Meiling nodded, rinsed the last bowl clean, and handed it to him:

"That's good. Tingting is very happy with you. Before, when you were not home in the city, she would stay with me. Although she was well-behaved, she didn't laugh as much as she does now."

Chen Hao didn't say anything, wiped the bowl dry, and put it in the cupboard.

"Ah Hao," Meng Meiling spoke again, hesitating for a moment, "that Shen Mengyao... how are things going with you two now?"

Chen Hao was taken aback: "What do you mean, 'how so'? It's Tingting's mother. She calls to check on Tingting occasionally."

"What Mom means is, is there any possibility that you two could..." Meng Meiling didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

"Mom, don't overthink it." Chen Hao folded the rag and draped it over the faucet.

"They're from the city, their families are well-off, they're not like us."

Meng Meiling sighed and said nothing more.

Chen Hao carried his daughter out of the convenience store.

It was already dark. There were a few streetlights on the village road, their orange light casting long, slanted shadows on the cement surface.

Shen Xiaoting leaned on her father's shoulder, still clutching the drawings she had made that afternoon, reluctant to put them down; the paper was crumpled from her grip.

"Dad," Shen Xiaoting suddenly said, "Grandma's fish is delicious today."

"Mmm, delicious."

"Dad, can you cook fish for me tomorrow too?"

"Okay, Dad will go to town to buy fish tomorrow."

"I want two!"

"Okay, two."

Shen Xiaoting was satisfied, buried her face in her father's shoulder, and yawned.

Back at the old house, Chen Hao put his daughter down and turned on the light in the main room.

The light was an old-fashioned fluorescent light that flickered twice before turning on and made a buzzing sound.

Shen Xiaoting ran into the room, placed her drawings on the desk, laid them out one by one, pressed down the four corners with a pencil, and then ran out to take her father's hand:

"Dad, teach me to draw again! I want to draw more!"

"Okay, what does Tingting want to draw?"

Shen Xiaoting tilted her head and thought for a while, then her eyes suddenly lit up: "Draw one... draw a princess! A princess with long hair!"

"it is good."

Chen Hao smiled, walked to the worktable, and took out sketching paper, pencil, eraser, and watercolor pens.

He spread the paper on the table, picked up a pencil, sharpened the tip, and then began to draw.

He first drew a round head, not too big or too small, positioned slightly above the center of the paper.

Then there was her long hair—wavy, strand by strand, draped over her shoulders and reaching her waist.

The hair shouldn't be drawn too rigidly; it should have a flowing feel.

He drew eyes, a nose, and a mouth. The eyes were big, with long eyelashes that curled upwards one by one, and two small white dots in the pupils that looked sparkly.

Her mouth was small, slightly upturned, with a hint of a smile.

The body was drawn—wearing a puffy skirt with a very narrow waist and a flared skirt, covered with many small flowers, one by one, including roses, daisies, and lilies.

I drew arms, hands, legs, and feet, and finally drew a small crown on my head with three gemstones inlaid on it.

[Ding! Princess line art completed. God-level drawing experience points +126!]

Shen Xiaoting leaned on the edge of the table, her eyes shining, her chin resting on the edge, drool practically dripping from her mouth.

"Daddy, this princess is so pretty! Her dress has flowers on it!"

Chen Hao began applying the color.

Her hair was painted a golden yellow, not a harsh yellow, but a warm, sun-kissed golden yellow.

The eyes were painted blue, the same blue as the sky.

The dress was painted pink, a light cherry blossom pink, and the little flowers on it were painted red, yellow, and purple, a riot of colors.

The crown was painted gold, and the jewels were painted red, blue, and green.

After coloring, the princess stands on the paper, with golden hair, blue eyes, and a flowing pink dress, as if she stepped out of a fairy tale book.

Chen Hao looked at it, then drew a small butterfly next to the princess, with patterns on its wings, and it landed on the princess's finger.

[Ding! Princess coloring complete, God-level painting experience points +128!]

"Tingting, why don't you give it a try?"

Chen Hao handed the pencil to his daughter, held her hand, and guided her in drawing.

His hand held his daughter's small hand. Her hand was small, with short fingers. She gripped the pen tightly, her little fist clenched tightly.

"Relax a little, don't grip so tightly."

Shen Xiaoting relaxed a little, but still held on quite tightly.

Chen Hao held her hand and drew stroke by stroke.

A round face, long hair, big eyes, a small mouth, a puffy skirt, and a small crown.

His hand was steady as he guided his daughter's hand across the paper. The lines he drew weren't perfectly straight, but the overall shape was correct.