"Should I tell my parents?"
Lin Chen hesitated.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to keep it a secret for now. Even he was still confused by everything; explaining it to his parents would only make things worse.
And he had no idea how to explain what happened between him and Xu Mengyao.
He'd wait until he adjusted a bit, then talk to them.
"Xixi, what kind of food do you like?"
Lin Chen returned to the living room, picked up Lin Xiaoxi, and asked.
Xiaoxi was tiny, soft, and adorable. Holding her felt unbelievably comforting, and Lin Chen couldn't help but smile.
"Daddy, I like eating meat."
"And I like eggs."
"I don't like green veggies. Green veggies taste bad."
Xiaoxi answered in her cute, milky voice.
Lin Chen laughed. "Xiaoxi, meat is good, but you have to eat vegetables too. If you only eat meat your tummy will hurt. Do you usually eat the meals the aunties cook at home?"
"Yes."
Xiaoxi nodded.
Then she leaned close to Lin Chen's ear and whispered, "Daddy, I'll tell you a secret. Mommy's cooking is really bad, but when Mommy cooks, I eat more."
Lin Chen blinked. "Why?"
Xiaoxi giggled. "Because then Mommy will stay at home more. I get to see her more."
Lin Chen froze.
Hearing such words from such a tiny child… it made his heart ache.
"Xiaoxi, Mommy is very busy. But Daddy isn't. Daddy will have lots and lots of time to stay with you."
He kissed her cheek gently.
"Some kids say I don't have a daddy. They're all wrong. I do have a daddy. And my daddy is the best daddy!"
Xiaoxi smiled so wide her eyes turned into little crescent moons.
Lin Chen asked, "Xiaoxi, what about your grandparents?"
If Xu Mengyao was so busy and had little time for Xiaoxi, shouldn't her parents help? Why was Xiaoxi always with nannies?
Xiaoxi lowered her voice. "Grandma is sick. Grandpa went with Grandma overseas for treatment. I miss Grandpa and Grandma."
Lin Chen quickly comforted her. "Xiaoxi, I'm sure they miss you too. They'll come see you when they can."
"Mm-hmm."
Xiaoxi nodded.
"Daddy, why didn't you come find me and Mommy?"
Lin Chen sighed inwardly.
That night between him and Xu Mengyao had been a complete accident—and the consequences lasted a lifetime. After sleeping with such a stunning campus goddess, his standards skyrocketed…
And he ended up single all the way until now.
"Things between Daddy and Mommy are complicated. You're still too young to understand. Play for a bit, Daddy will go cook dinner."
"When you grow up, you'll understand."
He patted her little head.
Xiaoxi nodded.
Lin Chen headed into the kitchen to get started.
Usually he only cooked one simple dish for himself, but now with Xiaoxi around he needed at least three dishes each meal.
He liked spicy food, so one dish needed chili. The other two had to be mild for Xiaoxi.
Five minutes passed quickly.
Then the system spoke in his mind:
"Host, your cooking skill has started increasing. For every hour you spend working in the kitchen, your chef experience will grow by one year."
Lin Chen was thrilled.
One hour equals one year of experience? Wouldn't he become a top chef within ten days?
Cooking three meals a day would take nearly two hours. In a month, five-star chefs wouldn't even compare to him.
In three months—he'd be a culinary god!
Time passed little by little.
New cooking knowledge kept flooding into his mind, merging with his actions seamlessly.
"I made this?"
Lin Chen stared at the three dishes he'd just prepared, barely believing it.
He had cooked for himself for two or three years, but always casually—he definitely didn't have real experience. Yet this one meal gave him more growth than all his past cooking combined.
"Daddy, it smells so good!"
"Daddy, are you tired?"
Xiaoxi toddled over and looked up at him.
Lin Chen smiled. "Daddy's not tired. Daddy will take you to wash your hands first. We wash hands before eating, right?"
"Mm!"
After washing her hands, Lin Chen brought Xiaoxi back.
Then he realized something.
Without a baby chair, Xiaoxi couldn't reach the table at all.
"Looks like I really need to find a bigger place soon."
His rental apartment was too small—one bedroom and one living room. The living room was tiny, and there wasn't even a proper dining area. The dining table sat awkwardly in a corner.
No space even for a baby chair.
"Xiaoxi, sit next to Daddy. Daddy will feed you."
He scooped up a spoonful and fed her a bite.
Xiaoxi tasted it, her eyes lighting up. "Daddy, your cooking is way better than Mommy's. This is our little secret. Don't tell Mommy!"
"Alright, it's our secret."
Lin Chen smiled.
When the meal was over, he noticed Xiaoxi really didn't like vegetables. Even with his improved cooking, she barely touched them.
But he didn't force her.
Once his cooking skill grew even more, he'd make her love vegetables.
"Daddy, I'm sleepy."
"I want to nap."
"If I fall asleep… you won't leave, right?"
Xiaoxi looked at him anxiously.
She finally had a daddy. She didn't want to lose him.
"Of course not."
"Daddy will stay with you at home."
Lin Chen carried Xiaoxi to his own bed. He'd just changed the sheets yesterday, so no need to change them again.
"Daddy, kiss."
After giving him a kiss, Xiaoxi finally closed her eyes and drifted into her nap.
Lin Chen gazed at her with tender affection.
His precious daughter—no matter how long he looked, she was still unbelievably cute.
"System, does washing dishes increase cooking experience?"
"It counts."
Lin Chen grinned. This meant his experience would grow even faster.
"System, thumbs up!"
After finishing the dishes, he clearly felt his cooking skill rise again.
"Time to clean up."
"It's fine for me to be casual when I'm alone, but Xiaoxi is so little. If the house is dirty she'll get sick easily."
He immediately started cleaning the apartment.
One hour passed.
"Host, you have worked for one full hour. Physical strength +1. The average normal adult male's base physical strength is 60."
The system's voice sounded again.
"System, how much physical strength does a top boxer have?"
"Host, a top boxer has around triple the strength of a normal adult male. Increasing your physique by one fold can increase your combat effectiveness by over tenfold."
"System, what is my current physical strength?"
"Host, your initial physical strength was exactly 60. You just gained 1 point, so now it is 61. Your daily limit is +3 per day."
"You can increase it through labor or training."
Lin Chen nodded slightly.
Three points per day was quite a lot.
In one month, he could gain 90 points. Added to his original 60, he'd reach 150.
A top boxer had triple the normal physique—around 180.
If he maxed out every day, he would surpass even top-level boxers in just a little over a month.