After hanging up the phone, the man's handsome face remained tightly furrowed. The supervisor, who was continuing his report, felt even more frightened, cold sweat pouring down his back.

Huo Qin lowered his eyes, his mind preoccupied with that phone call. "Chaochao ate too much fried food last night and has diarrhea today," Aunt Ning said, a hint of reproach in her voice.

Huo Qin rubbed his temples; he must have eaten something bad yesterday.

The supervisor's legs went weak with fear.

Kids are such a hassle.

Huo Qin thought of that soft, chubby little face absentmindedly.

It's kind of cute, isn't it?

At eight o'clock in the evening, Huo Qin still had a stack of documents on his left. He glanced at the sky outside the window, told Lin Cheng to tidy them up, and prepared to go home after get off work.

Without the young girl in the car today, the atmosphere inside immediately returned to its usual cold and tense state.

The driver drove with trepidation, barely daring to breathe.

When they arrived at the residential area, Huo Qin got out of the car, and the driver, who had been holding his breath the whole way, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Huo Qin had just reached the door when he heard the sound of slippers rubbing against the floor.

The door opened, and a brown bear cub rushed into his arms like a small cannonball, instantly dispelling the oppressive chill that surrounded him.

Like a ray of warm light breaking into the boundless darkness.

"Daddy, you're finally back! I've been waiting so long QAQ." Chaochao looked aggrieved and rubbed against his shoulder resentfully.

The little guy looked like he had just taken a bath, and was wearing fluffy bear pajamas. His bright almond-shaped eyes blinked as he looked at him.

Aunt Ning chuckled from the side, "Chaochao has been talking about her father all day long, asking me no less than five times why he hasn't come back yet."

Chaochao said shyly, "I miss my dad..."

The system ruthlessly exposed: "When you're watching cartoons, Chaochao, you don't think about your dad at all."

Chaochao retorted inwardly, "I...I think about it even when I'm not looking!"

Huo Qin looked at her soft whorl of hair and said calmly, "You can call me."

Chaochao: Really? Isn't Daddy busy?

Mr. Huo, who is extremely busy: "Well, I'm not busy most of the time."

Chaochao was very happy, and then tugged at Huo Qin's sleeve as they walked toward the dining table.

There were three dishes and a soup on the table, served in exquisite bowls and plates, just enough for one person.

"Chaochao said that the master would forget to eat dinner, so she specially saved it for you. It has been reheated several times already."

Huo Qin's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he looked down at Chaochao's proud little expression.

His lips couldn't help but curl up slightly, though the movement was small, but he did smile.

The system is broken. It must be that the mainframe burned out, or the villain must have switched it.

Chaochao enthusiastically pulled Huo Qin to sit down, then climbed onto the chair opposite him using a soft stool, watching him eat intently.

Huo Qin ate in silence, his eyes burning with Chao Chao's intense gaze. He had barely finished a bowl of rice when Chao Chao's eyes lit up. She slid off her chair, grabbed Huo Qin's bowl, and ran to Aunt Ning.

"Aunt Ning, serve the rice."

Then he carried a full bowl of rice to Huo Qin's side and held the bowl above his head.

"Daddy, eat!"

Work is tough, so I need to replenish my energy.

Huo Qin: "..." Actually, one bowl is enough.

But he accepted it anyway.

"Thanks."

Chaochao said shyly, "You're welcome."

Just as the bowl of rice was empty, Huo Qin saw Chaochao making another move and quickly stopped her.

"That's fine."

He was already stuffed.

Chaochao tilted her head: "Are you really full? Won't Daddy be hungry?"

"……real."

Aunt Ning came to the rescue: "Chaochao, you don't need to eat too much for dinner, it's not easy to digest."

Chaochao seemed to understand but didn't quite, yet she still nodded.

It was almost nine o'clock. Aunt Ning walked to the TV, which had been paused, and picked up the remote control.

"It's time for Chaochao to go to sleep, so the cartoons need to be turned off."

"Now?" Chaochao asked reluctantly. "I still want to watch Ultraman..."

System: "Baby, you've been watching TV all afternoon and all evening. That's bad for your eyes. Even Ultraman can't rest, right?"

Chaochao opened her eyes wide.

Ultraman's monster-fighting is so hard, just like his dad's work.

"Okay, I won't watch it!"

We can't let the mornings interfere with Ultraman's performance.

During a break in her communication with the system, Aunt Ning looked at Huo Qin and said, "Sir, may I speak to you in private?"

The two of them stood away from Chaochao by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Aunt Ning frowned: "When I gave Chaochao a bath tonight, I found bruises all over her body..."

Huo Qin's expression suddenly became frighteningly sharp.

Meeting his icy gaze, Aunt Ning, despite having seen countless storms, couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"I think it would be more appropriate for you, sir, to ask the child."

When Huo Qin arrived, Chaochao was standing on a small soft stool washing her face.

He bent down to take the towel, and Chaochao seemed to know it was him. She tilted her little face up and let her father wipe her face.

She must have felt a little itchy from being rubbed, because she couldn't help but giggle.

Huo Qin asked slowly, "What happened to your injuries?"

Chaochao's laughter seemed to have been paused.

Huo Qin took the towel away. Chao Chao's eyes darted away as she whispered, "I...I accidentally fell..."

Anyone with eyes can see that he is lying.

Huo Qin looked at her but didn't expose her.

"good."

Chaochao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After Aunt Ning finished watching Chaochao fall asleep, she was about to leave. Before leaving, she asked Huo Qin, "Sir, do I need to come again tomorrow?"

Huo Qin thought of Chao Chao's injuries. He needed to find out the cause before he could eliminate any potential problems.

"Um."

...

Late at night, sleeping Chaochao clutched the blanket tightly, her eyelashes trembling anxiously, her little face looking aggrieved.

In her dream, Chaochao transformed into the beloved Ultraman, enjoying immense popularity for a time, but her face immediately filled with terror—

The enormous, ferocious monster had the faces of her uncle and aunt, and it charged at the little girl with bared teeth and claws.

"Whoa!" Chaochao was startled awake.

Her big eyes welled up with tears, looking lost and sad.

Why did Chaochao turn into Ultraman but still lose to the monster? Waaah...

The room was pitch black and extremely quiet. A breeze slipped in through the cracks in the window, and the curtains swayed gently, as if a monster were spying in the darkness.

"Waaaah, Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi!"

"Bunny..."

The little rabbit plush toy sat quietly on the bedside table, without any response from the system.

She was all alone in the empty, dark room...

Chaochao was terrified. She hugged her little rabbit and cried as she rolled off the bed.

At 11 p.m., Huo Qin finished work and came out of the bathroom after changing into his pajamas. He saw his bedroom door gently pushed open a crack.

Then, a small dog head peeked in furtively.

Huo Qin: "..."