Invincible Dad

The meeting lasted a full hour, and Xu Lai had no idea what had been discussed. After seeing the chairman of Huashang off, a faint smile bloomed on Ruan Tang's otherwise icy face. Although it vanished in an instant, Xu Lai still caught it.

He chuckled, "Did the talk go smoothly?"

"Mhm."

Ruan Tang heaved a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "Not only is the problem with the broken capital chain solved, but the company might even have a new beginning."

Ruan Tang then called a meeting with all the company's employees.

Xu Lai didn't ask any more questions; he had already done what he needed to do.

At five in the afternoon, seeing that Ruan Tang showed no signs of ending the meeting, Xu Lai left the company and headed to Galaxy Kindergarten alone.

While waiting with other parents at the gate for his daughter to be dismissed from school, Su Daiyi, who was already waiting there, got out of her car and handed Xu Lai a folder.

Xu Lai opened it and saw an appointment letter for a position at Dongli University, along with an unopened, latest-model Hua Wei P30 phone and a SIM card.

Of course, what intrigued Xu Lai the most was a pink hair clip in Su Daiyi's palm. She smiled. "I saw this in a jewelry store and thought it would be perfect for Yiyi. It was only seven yuan."

Xu Lai gave her a deep look.

It had to be said, Su Daiyi was very thoughtful and clever when it came to handling matters. The Su Family is truly blessed to have her.

Xu Lai accepted the items. "I'll thank you on Yiyi's behalf."

Su Daiyi beamed.

She knew she had made the right move.

Without much more conversation, Su Daiyi found an excuse to leave, and Xu Lai didn't have to wait long for his precious daughter.

"Daddy!"

Xu Yiyi spread her arms and ran into Xu Lai's embrace.

She first gave him a happy 'muah' kiss, then looked left and right. "Where's Mommy?"

"She's busy at the company. After all, she has to make money to support Daddy and Yiyi."

"Oh."

The little girl nodded as if she understood.

"Uncle Xu, three little boys tried to bully Sister Yiyi today, but I chased them all away," Qian Xiao said, patting his chest proudly. "Thanks to my efforts, Sister Yiyi has successfully become the big boss of Galaxy!"

After speaking, he stared at Xu Lai, his eyes unblinking, his face all but screaming, 'I want candy.'

The more Xu Lai watched Qian Xiao, the more he felt the boy had a limitless future. If for no other reason, his thick skin alone would allow him to hold his own.

Under Qian Xiao's expectant gaze, Xu Lai handed him the fluffy white cotton candy he had prepared.

Qian Xiao devoured it in just two or three bites, his eyes lighting up as he exclaimed, "Delicious!"

After putting the new clip in Yiyi's hair, Xu Lai walked home with his daughter. It wasn't far, only a ten-minute trip.

"Daddy, I'm hungry. I want to eat meat," Xu Yiyi said in a soft, sweet voice once they were home, clinging to Xu Lai's arm and batting her big eyes.

"Okay."

Xu Lai went to the kitchen, pondering what to make for dinner.

Hmm... Rummaging through his Storage Space, Xu Lai found quite a few ingredients and eventually picked out a fish with scales that shimmered like starlight.

"Wow, Daddy, this fish is so pretty!" Xu Yiyi exclaimed, standing on her tiptoes with her big eyes sparkling.

"This is a Starfish. When a star's core dies, it transforms into one of these fish, which then roams the cosmos. They're incredibly fast and notoriously hard to catch," Xu Lai explained. "But, deep-fried Starfish is exceptionally delicious. Watch Daddy show you what he can do!"

Under his daughter's expectant and admiring gaze, Xu Lai began to showcase his culinary skills.

…

「It was nine o'clock in the evening.」

Ruan Tang returned home and looked at Xu Lai, who was sitting on the couch watching TV. "Where's Yiyi?"

"I've already put her to sleep."

"Sorry, I was so busy at the company, I forgot to pick Yiyi up..."

"Yiyi is my daughter, too."

Xu Lai pointed to the dining table. "I saved you some dinner. I just heated it up, so go on and eat."

Having been busy at the company all day, Ruan Tang was starving. After washing her hands, she began to wolf down the meal.

Delicious! Ruan Tang's beautiful eyes lit up. This fish tasted even better than yesterday's snake meat. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it simply melted in her mouth. With just one bite, all her fatigue seemed to vanish.

Could Xu Lai have been a chef in the past?

As she ate, chewing on her chopsticks, Ruan Tang suddenly had a bold thought. Maybe... marrying Xu Lai wouldn't be so bad. Coming home from work to someone waiting for you, with delicious home-cooked meals ready to eat... I'd never have to eat takeout again. Most importantly, Yiyi really likes him.

Wait a second!

Ruan Tang slapped her own cheeks hard, chiding herself in frustration. Ruan Tang, you can't be so pathetic as to fall for a man over a meal! You and Xu Lai are from two different worlds. Your Prince Charming is still out there waiting for you!

After dinner and a hot bath, Ruan Tang went back to her room to sleep.

For the next three days, Xu Lai became a full-time stay-at-home dad, his days consisting of taking Yiyi to and from school and cooking for her and Ruan Tang at home.

And even though she always talked about going on a diet, Ruan Tang ate more than anyone.

「September 10th.」

Dongli University began welcoming new students, and Xu Lai started his new career as the school doctor.

Su Daiyi personally showed Xu Lai around Dongli University and then took him to the president's office, practically stating outright that Xu Lai was just there to experience life. The president was no fool and repeatedly promised to take good care of Xu Lai.

After Su Daiyi left, the president led Xu Lai to the school's medical office.

Inside the medical office, a young female doctor in a white lab coat, around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, sat with her head down, engrossed in a medical journal. There was also a bespectacled man in his early thirties, who quickly stood up and greeted, "Hello, President!"

"Mm," the president said cheerfully. "Dr. Xu, the medical office has just been restructured, so for now, it's just the three of you. We'll be hiring more people soon. This is Liu Nanwei. She's a recent Master's graduate from the medical university and will be handling general sprains and injuries. And this is Zhou Feng, a psychology specialist. His main duty is to counsel students experiencing emotional distress."

Xu Lai nodded, indicating that he understood.

"And this is Dr. Xu Lai. Starting today, he will be serving as the head of the school's medical office. I'll let you all get acquainted."

After he finished speaking, the president gave Xu Lai another warm smile and turned to leave.

Head of the medical office?! Zhou Feng's expression instantly soured. That position had been unofficially promised to him. How could someone suddenly parachute in and take it? He hurriedly chased after the president, wanting to demand an explanation.

"Zhou Feng comes from a prominent family and usually acts like he's in charge. You've just snatched his position, so you'd better be careful," Liu Nanwei said coldly, then immediately lowered her head to continue reading her medical journal.

Soon, Zhou Feng returned to the medical office, his expression dark. He stared at Xu Lai and said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Not bad, kid. Your connections are even stronger than mine. We'll see about this."

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him and showing Xu Lai no courtesy whatsoever.

Xu Lai shook his head with a wry smile.

I'm just here to kill time; I have no desire to be the head of anything. Looks like the work environment is going to be a bit tense...

Just as he was lamenting this, Xu Lai welcomed the medical office's first patient.