“What did you just say? You want me to be a stay-at-home dad for the cold and aloof CEO Su Meng?” Jiang Ning’s eyes widened as he looked at his friend in disbelief.
Su Che, Jiang Ning’s college best friend, patted him on the shoulder and said with a sincere tone, “Brother, this is a great opportunity to make serious money.”
Jiang Ning frowned and said, “Come on, Old Su, Su Meng—cold CEO Su Meng—tell me honestly, you both have the same surname, are you two related?”
Su Che cleared his throat and said, “Ahem, not really. We just knew each other since childhood. The main thing is, Su Meng is heading abroad to negotiate a major business deal and will be gone for three months. She’s urgently looking for someone reliable to take care of her three-year-old daughter.”
Jiang Ning replied awkwardly, “But… I’ve never taken care of a child before.”
“Don’t worry, brother, I know you well. Besides, the pay is generous. Just treat it as doing me a favor and give it a try.”
Just as Jiang Ning was about to refuse again, a crisp electronic voice suddenly rang in his mind: [Ding! Super Stay-at-Home Dad System binding in progress… Binding successful!]
Immediately after, detailed system information and the contents of the newbie gift pack flooded into his mind.
Jiang Ning frowned strangely, then said, “Open the newbie gift pack.”
[Host, newbie gift pack: Master-level parenting experience, top-tier cooking skills, beginner-level drawing skills, beginner-level carpentry skills. All have been delivered.]
As the waves of information surged into his mind, Jiang Ning felt changes in his arms.
A thought stirred in his heart. With this system, maybe he really could handle it.
He nodded and accepted Su Che’s request. Gritting his teeth, Jiang Ning made up his mind, “Alright then, for the sake of our friendship, I’ll give it my best and fulfill the duty of a stay-at-home dad.”
For Jiang Ning, who had just graduated two years ago and recently lost his job, taking on this role was undoubtedly a brand-new challenge. Whether it was because of Su Che’s suggestion or his own willingness, at least it meant he had a job again.
Though this job was different from the usual office work—it involved looking after a child.
It might sound a bit demeaning, almost like being a nanny. Or more precisely, he was a nanny, just with a different title—‘stay-at-home dad.’
The next morning, Jiang Ning woke up early. After tidying up and dressing neatly, he took the bus to the designated location.
As arranged, Jiang Ning arrived at Su Meng’s luxurious villa.
“Ding-dong.”
He pressed the doorbell at the gate.
The villa’s door slowly opened, and a woman in a sleek white suit stood at the entrance. Her face was stunningly beautiful, but her gaze was cold as ice. She was Su Meng.
“You’re Jiang Ning?”
Su Meng looked him up and down, her eyes full of scrutiny.
Jiang Ning smiled and said confidently, “Hello, CEO Su. I’m Jiang Ning, here to apply for the temporary stay-at-home dad position.”
Su Meng gave a slight nod and stepped aside, allowing him to enter.
“Come in. My daughter’s name is Mengmeng, she’s quite mischievous. I’ll leave her to you for the next three months. I’ve already compiled her daily routine and preferences, I’ll send them to you shortly.” Her tone was distant and indifferent.
Just then, a little girl with two pigtails came running downstairs. Her big round eyes blinked curiously at Jiang Ning as she asked, “Mommy, who is he?”
Su Meng crouched down and said gently, “Mengmeng, this is Uncle Jiang Ning. He’ll be playing with you for the next three months.”
Jiang Ning also squatted down to meet her gaze, smiling warmly, “Hi Mengmeng, Uncle brought you a gift.”
He took out a beautifully crafted wooden puzzle from his bag—something he had made overnight using the system’s carpentry skills.
Mengmeng’s eyes lit up. “Wow! Thank you, Uncle Jiang. The puzzle is so pretty!”
“You’re welcome, Mengmeng. Want to play with it together?”
“Yes! Yes! Uncle Jiang, come play with me!” Mengmeng blinked excitedly, her expression lively and adorable.
Looking at the sweet little girl, Jiang Ning unexpectedly felt a wave of tenderness rise in his heart. He gently patted her small head, his face full of affection.
Seeing this scene, Su Meng’s first impression of Jiang Ning wasn’t bad.
“Jiang Ning, take good care of Mengmeng. If anything comes up, contact my assistant anytime.” With that, Su Meng turned around to handle her unfinished work.
“Don’t worry, CEO Su, I’ll take good care of Mengmeng.”
Jiang Ning watched Su Meng’s tall and elegant figure, then looked down at Mengmeng, who was happily fiddling with the puzzle in her hands. He quietly resolved that he would make these three months a fulfilling experience.
He said to Mengmeng, who clutched the puzzle tightly, “Come on, Mengmeng. Let’s find a place to play the puzzle together.”
“Okay! Okay! Uncle Jiang, follow me to my playroom. Let’s play there.” Mengmeng obediently grabbed Jiang Ning’s hand and led him into the villa.
They took the elevator to the second floor—Mengmeng’s playroom.
Calling it a playroom was an understatement—it looked more like a miniature amusement park.
The room was huge, easily 400 to 500 square meters. Toys, dolls, balloons, mini-slides, bumper cars—everything a child could dream of filled the space.
Jiang Ning was stunned as he stepped inside.
“Rich kids really do live differently.”
He thought of his tiny rented room that wasn’t even 10 square meters, compared to this massive playroom meant for a child.
“Ah, I just have to work hard and make money,” Jiang Ning sighed.
“Uncle Jiang, this is my playroom. Let’s sit over there and do the puzzle,” Mengmeng said in her sweet, childish voice.
“Alright.”
They sat down on a floor covered in foam mats.
The wooden puzzle Jiang Ning had made depicted a little girl. Mengmeng carefully moved the pieces around, trying to fit them, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t complete the image.
Still, she didn’t give up and remained focused.
Jiang Ning patiently guided her, offering tips while watching her progress.
The two of them had a great time together.
Five minutes later…
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You’ve gained the top-tier logical thinking skill.]
A series of logical thinking techniques entered Jiang Ning’s mind.
Suddenly, he felt his mind become sharper and clearer. Things he had once struggled to understand now seemed laughably simple.
“System, what exactly does top-tier thinking skill mean? And how are the skill levels divided?”
[Host, thinking skills are categorized as: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Top-tier, Master-level, Grandmaster-level, and Divine-level.]
“Then what was my original level of thinking?” Jiang Ning asked.
[Host, your original thinking level was Beginner.]
Jiang Ning’s face darkened upon hearing that.
“What about Mengmeng’s thinking level?”
[Host, Mengmeng’s thinking is at the Primary Sprout Level.]
“Primary Sprout Level?”
[Yes. Children under the age of 3 are at the Primary Sprout Level. Their understanding of the world is vague and undeveloped.]
“What about after age 3?”
[After age 3, depending on the child’s talent and education, they may reach the Mid-Sprout or Advanced Sprout Levels.]
“I see. So after the Advanced Sprout Level comes Beginner? Are you saying that my thinking level as a university graduate is only slightly higher than that of a toddler?”
[Host, don’t doubt yourself. Most people below college level are still in the Sprout stages. It’s common for graduates to be at Beginner level. Only a rare few geniuses surpass that.]
“Ugh… So I’m not one of those geniuses, just an ordinary graduate. No wonder I haven’t achieved much,” Jiang Ning sighed.