Volume One, Chapter Nine: Here He Comes Again, Ready to Find Fault

Shen Xiaokun was washing his socks, a trace of reluctance visible on his face.

In the live stream, many viewers were criticizing Shen Qi, and Li Huangge’s expression became somewhat complex.

Once Shen Xiaokun finished washing and hanging up the socks, he returned to the dining table, only to find that Shen Qi had already served him a bowl of fragrant steamed rice. He had even placed some side dishes on top of the rice.

Shen Xiaokun looked at Shen Qi, quite surprised. Shen Qi smiled faintly.

"Perhaps I am not very good at getting along with children, but I feel that when dealing with a boy, you shouldn't treat him like a child."

"Your mother is very busy, so the two of us have plenty of time at home. It is inevitable that we will have differences in perspective. So, what do you want me to treat you as?"

Shen Xiaokun shoveled rice into his mouth without speaking.

"I think I should treat you as an adult. What do you think?" Shen Qi asked.

Shen Xiaokun looked up. "I am a man already!"

Shen Qi chuckled and clapped his hands. "Very well, a man! Then from now on, we will solve our problems the way men do!"

...

Watching this scene, Bai Qinghe suddenly said, "As a child psychology expert, I have never studied this kind of educational approach. A child is a child. I agree with treating a child like a friend, but treating a child like an adult will definitely lead to problems!"

Lin Xiaolu nodded as well. "Teacher Bai is absolutely right; a child is just a child."

Li Huangge had been happy seeing Shen Xiaokun eat and noticing that Shen Qi's parenting approach was having some effect. However, upon hearing Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu interjecting with their criticisms, she immediately became unhappy.

To achieve the program’s goals and follow certain plans, Li Huangge tried her best not to say much. But that did not mean she had no temper. She was well aware of what Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu were thinking—weren't they just trying to belittle the first household so that their own live streams would receive more approval?

"Why does it feel like Teacher Bai and Film Empress Lin are constantly picking at Shen Qi? I wonder how the two of you educate your own children at home?" Li Huangge asked.

Bai Qinghe smiled faintly. "I have specialized in child psychology and family studies; in our home, we educate our children in the most scientific way."

Lin Xiaolu’s expression held a hint of smugness. "I also frequently watch courses and videos on family education."

Li Huangge couldn't reveal any spoilers, so she had to hold back for now. "Oh? Then I must take the opportunity to learn from you two."

After saying this, Li Huangge herself froze for a split second.

Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu immediately looked at Li Huangge with a scrutinizing gaze. Could it be...

[I have a bold guess...]

[Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu seem to be constantly picking at Shen Qi's parenting, while Diva Huangge seems to be constantly defending him. Could it be...]

[Impossible! This is a parenting show. Diva Huangge is indeed married, but she has no children.]

[So Shen Qi cannot be Diva Huangge's husband. Only I, Long Aotian, am worthy of Huangge!]

...

Shen Qi waited quietly for Shen Xiaokun to finish two full bowls of rice.

"So... are you going to wash the dishes?"

Shen Xiaokun wiped his mouth. "I’ll wash the lunch dishes; that means I’ll be qualified to eat dinner, right?"

Shen Qi nodded with a smile. Shen Xiaokun stood up, cleared the table, and took the dishes to the kitchen sink. The sound of running water began, and the netizens were immediately amazed.

Many people struggle with parenting. It isn't just about making children do chores to help out; parents often want to cultivate diligence and hands-on ability. But most of the time, they soften their stance out of love for their children.

Shen Qi achieved such results with just one meal, causing many people to change their tune and conclude that Shen Qi’s method was correct. Shen Xiaokun also gained a new wave of fans.

"Do you want to take a nap?" Shen Qi asked.

Shen Xiaokun’s tone was a bit sharp. "The father-son agreement states that you are not to interfere with any of my actions."

Shen Qi chuckled and spread his hands. "Suit yourself."

Shen Xiaokun watched as Shen Qi sat down by the computer, tapping away, and couldn't help but feel curious. What was this "kept man" doing? Was he working?

But Shen Xiaokun didn't ask. With a roll of his eyes, he turned, went to the music room, and returned with a guitar. He pulled up a chair, sat by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, began to play a melody, and started to sing to himself.

[Hey, hey, hey? Xiaokun, that’s not very loyal, you know. You're making my son look like he's hiding in a crack in the ground.]

[He can actually play and sing? His technique is better than mine, and I’ve been studying guitar for three years.]

[That sounds like "Chasing the Moon," the new song by Su Yu, a newcomer from Diva Huangge's company!]

[A kid is actually able to sing with such deep emotion...]

...

At Huangge Entertainment, Li Huangge’s personal assistant, Fu Qing, stared at the screen, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity.

"At the time, only Huangge and Lin Duo from the creative department had seen the score for this song, but the chorus was modified. Is it really Shen Qi?"

"If Huangge arranges for Xiaokun to sing in front of him, how will he react?"

Li Huangge, watching the scene, also felt a sense of anticipation. Xiaokun’s guitar playing was truly excellent; there was a hint of a "baby voice" as he tried to mimic adult vocalization, which was incredibly cute.

The countless praises in the comments made Li Huangge feel gratified.

Bai Qinghe was not only an actress but also a singer. Although her musical achievements weren't extremely high, she was still considered talented. She could tell how skilled Shen Xiaokun was, and she frowned slightly, though her expression smoothed out quickly. *My son is no worse than Shen Xiaokun!*

Lin Xiaolu shared the same thought.

As the song progressed to the chorus, Shen Xiaokun’s emotions erupted, and his pitch soared suddenly.

"Chasing that cold, bright moon,"

"Crossing the sea of clouds, treading across the galaxy..."

Shen Qi’s typing hands suddenly stopped, and his sharp eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Shen Xiaokun seemed to sense Shen Qi’s attention and stopped after finishing the first verse. He didn't speak. Shen Qi’s brow also relaxed slightly, and he went back to typing.

Shen Xiaokun, however, frowned and began to play the chorus of "Chasing the Moon" again.

This time, Shen Qi finally looked up and slightly raised his hand.

"Something wrong?" Shen Xiaokun stopped and looked at Shen Qi.

Shen Qi sighed slightly. "Sigh... my damnable perfectionism..."

[He’s here, he’s here. He’s going to pick faults again.]

[Are you sure Shen Qi is picking faults? He clearly pointed out the mistake in Shen Xiaokun’s piano playing earlier.]

[Can a househusband actually play the guitar? Is he going to raise the bar for being a kept man again?]

[I’m very curious now about what kind of person the mistress of this house really is.]

Shen Qi pointed at Shen Xiaokun’s left hand. "There are two problems!"

"First, your left hand isn't relaxed enough. You can try starting from any fret on the first string and move up chromatically. First, press the string firmly to make the note sound, then press it lightly in the same position so that when your right hand plucks the string, you get a muted sound..."

The live stream was immediately filled with question marks.

Li Huangge stood up abruptly. He really knew his stuff!

No, no, he hadn't played yet; he had only offered professional advice. Everyone in the studio looked at Li Huangge.

The expressions on Bai Qinghe and Lin Xiaolu’s faces betrayed their inner thoughts...

It was exactly as they suspected!