Chapter 34: Cruel Education

This conversation was a bit too profound for a five-year-old child. In truth, Chen Yu did not want to subject Niannian to such realistic lessons so early, but Niannian was, after all, the daughter of Jiang Zhiyun, a powerful female CEO. She would inevitably have to learn these things eventually.

Niannian furrowed her small brow, struggling to digest her father's words, her little face filled with serious contemplation. She might not fully grasp the meaning now, but these words would be like seeds buried in her heart, waiting to take root and sprout one day in the future. Watching his daughter, Chen Yu smiled and said no more. He knew that growth was a long, slow process.

"Alright, enough thinking. Let's eat."

Lavish dishes were soon served. Chen Yu meticulously peeled shrimp and removed fish bones for Niannian, feeding her the best pieces. The earlier turmoil seemed to have passed completely. The father and daughter enjoyed a rare dinner for two, the atmosphere warm and peaceful.

After the meal, Chen Yu carried a drowsy Niannian out of the magnificent Golden Hotel. Manager Li personally escorted them to the door, bowing at a ninety-degree angle. Only after their car disappeared into the night did he dare to straighten his back and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

***

Meanwhile, after the livestream for Chen Yu and his daughter went black, the popularity of the "Super Dad" program inevitably saw a shift in viewers. After mourning for a while, the bored audience turned their attention to another family heavily promoted by the production team: the celebrity actress Lin Weiwei and her non-celebrity husband, Zhao Kai, with their son.

The show had branded this duo as a "model family" and an "all-around dad." In previous episodes, Zhao Kai’s performance had indeed been perfect. He woke up on time every day to make nutritious breakfasts for his son, took him to school, picked him up in the afternoon to play games, and tutored him. Their home was spotless, and he seemed to know every preference and habit of his son by heart. He was gentle, considerate, and handsome—meeting every fantasy female viewers had about the "perfect husband" and "perfect father."

The comments in the livestream were filled with praise.

"Brother Kai is truly amazing! What a god-tier husband!"
"He can handle the living room and the kitchen, and he’s so good at childcare! I wonder which female celebrity saved the galaxy in her past life?"
"So envious! If my husband were half as good as Zhao Kai, I’d wake up laughing in my dreams."
"Wuu wuu wuu, both are stay-at-home dads, but why does it feel like God Yu is just here for laughs, while Brother Kai is the true king?"

However, this afternoon, a sudden accident caused the persona of this "perfect father" to collapse instantly. Their son, Xiao Jie, suddenly developed a high fever after his nap. His body was burning hot, and he wouldn't stop crying. The audience in the livestream felt their hearts tighten. Yet, Zhao Kai, the "all-around dad," was completely helpless at this moment.

He panicked as he took the child's temperature, and upon seeing the reading of 39.5 degrees Celsius, he was stunned.

"What do I do? What do I do? The fever is so high..."

He muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in the living room, having lost all his usual composure.

"Quick! Physical cooling! Wipe him down with warm water!"
"Don't you have fever-reducing medicine at home? Give him medicine first!"
"Hurry up and take him to the hospital! What are you just standing there for?!"

The livestream comments were frantic; the viewers were so anxious they wished they could jump into the screen to help him. Prompted by the comments, Zhao Kai finally snapped out of it and began rummaging through cabinets to find medicine. But after tearing the medicine cabinet apart, he couldn't find the children's fever medication.

"Where is it? Where did I put the medicine? Weiwei! Honey! Where is the medicine?!"

He shouted in desperation, then, as if remembering something, picked up his phone and made a call. It was answered quickly. A female voice, slightly distorted by the phone but still familiar, came through with a hint of exhaustion and worry:

"Hello? What’s wrong, honey? I’m in the middle of recording."

"Honey! It’s bad! Xiao Jie has a high fever! 39.5 degrees! I can't find the fever medicine at home, where did you put it?" Zhao Kai’s voice was laced with tears.

Upon hearing this, the woman on the other end grew anxious, her voice rising sharply: "What?! How did he suddenly get such a high fever? Don't panic! Listen to me! The medicine is in the second drawer of the TV cabinet, in that blue box! Did you find it?"

Zhao Kai scrambled to the drawer and indeed found the box.

"I found it! I found it! But... how much do I give him?"

"The instructions! Look at the instructions! Calculate it by his weight! Do you not even know this?!" The woman sounded on the verge of a breakdown.

"Oh, oh, okay, let me look..."

This conversation was broadcast clearly to every viewer. The entire livestream fell into dead silence. Then, the comments exploded.

"????????????????"
"What did I just hear? An 'all-around dad' who doesn't even know where the fever medicine is? Had to call his wife to ask?"
"Doesn't even know the dosage? Had to be reminded to read the instructions? This is a stay-at-home dad? Is this a performance?!"
"Holy crap! The persona is shattered! He acted so perfect before, and I actually believed it!"
"I told you, there’s no such thing as a perfect man in this world. It’s all a script! It’s all fake! Disgusting!"
"This mother's voice is so familiar... it sounds like... the actress Lin Weiwei?"
"Yes! It’s Lin Weiwei! She’s been filming a variety show recently! My god! How tragic for her! To have married such a useless husband and then have to play along with his fake persona!"
"I'm dying of laughter. This car crash is so bad he's lost his dignity. They were trying to step on God Yu earlier, calling him unreliable. Now look, who’s the real clown?"
"Exactly! Even if God Yu looks a bit unorthodox, look at how well he takes care of Niannian! She's healthy, lively, and clever! Look at this Zhao Kai, useless in a crisis! There really is no comparison!"

The audience felt their intelligence had been insulted. The "mom fans" who had been deeply moved by Zhao Kai just days ago were now raging against his behavior. After all, they could not accept such "widowed-style parenting," and they felt their emotions had been wasted. Zhao Kai's reputation hit rock bottom overnight.

In stark contrast, the audience missed Chen Yu and Niannian even more.

"Sigh, I miss God Yu and Niannian. Even though God Yu is always absent, every time he returns, he brings us a different kind of surprise (or shock)."
"I want to see the slap in the face! I want to see what happens next! What did God Yu go out to do with Niannian today? Did he take care of those punks?"
"Production team, switch the camera back! I’m willing to pay to see what happens! I’ve been waiting so long!"

Under intense public pressure, the show's technical staff could only helplessly refresh the signal on Chen Yu’s end, hoping he would return home soon to save these plummeting ratings.