He unexpectedly becomes a father at the start of his life, and the mother of his child is a national

As Sisi imagined that scene, a smile instantly bloomed on her little face, and she nodded vigorously:

"Great! That's wonderful! Sisi, you must practice hard so you can run first place with Mom and Dad!"

"Okay, let's practice together and win first place together."

Chen Hao smiled and said that looking at his daughter's happy face in the rearview mirror, he secretly made up his mind to bring Lin Caiwei back as soon as possible so that the family could be reunited.

Not long after, Sisi leaned against the car seat and slowly closed her eyes.

She was so tired from playing all day, running and jumping, that she fell asleep before she even got home.

A sweet smile still lingered on her little face, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream. She was still tightly clutching the hem of her clothes, as if she were still holding the trophy.

Chen Hao drove very slowly and steadily, trying to avoid bumps so that his daughter could sleep a little longer.

He looked at his sleeping daughter in the rearview mirror, a gentle smile on his face, his heart filled with happiness.

With such a sensible and lovely daughter, and a wife who cares for them, he feels that everything is worthwhile.

Back home, Chen Hao carefully carried Sisi out of the car, gently walked into the bedroom, and placed her on the bed.

After tucking her in, I placed the small trophy on the bedside table, within easy reach of her.

Sisi was sleeping soundly. She stirred slightly, smacked her lips, but didn't wake up.

After settling Sisi in, Chen Hao went into the art studio.

The studio was quiet. "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" was still laid out on the painting table, with the brushes and ink still placed beside it, just as he had left in the morning.

After several days of meticulous work, most of the birds in the painting have been completed, with only a few remaining and the background rendering to follow.

Chen Hao walked to the painting table, stopped, and looked at the painting.

In the center of the picture, the phoenix stands tall with its head held high, its posture noble, its feathers lifelike, and its tail feathers trailing like flowing clouds. Its colors are bright yet understated, fully displaying the phoenix's majesty and elegance.

The phoenix was surrounded by all sorts of birds, including sparrows, magpies, thrushes, orioles, mandarin ducks, egrets...

Every bird has its own posture; some are flying, wings outstretched, graceful and light; others are perching, heads held high, chests out, leisurely and relaxed.

Some were chirping, their mouths open, as if you could hear their clear, melodious calls; others were preening their feathers, their movements gentle and exceptionally graceful.

Chen Hao sat down at the drawing table, picked up his brush, lightly dipped it in ink, took a deep breath, and began to sketch the last few birds.

These birds, a flock of swallows swooping down, are located in the lower right corner of the painting. They are lively and agile, adding a touch of life to the whole picture.

He first used thick ink to carefully outline the swallow's body, the lines flowing and powerful, without a single superfluous stroke.

Then, using light ink, slowly render the layers of the swallow's wings to make them look more three-dimensional, as if they are about to fly out of the painting at any moment.

As he painted, he carefully considered each stroke, putting extra care into every one, afraid that he might not paint well and ruin the artistic conception of the whole painting.

[Ding! Created "A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" - a group portrait of swallows, drawing skill experience points +480]

After finishing the swallow, Chen Hao put down his pen, rubbed his sore wrist, and carefully examined it to make sure there were no problems before starting to work on the background.

He knew that the background should not be too complicated, otherwise it would overshadow the phoenix and the birds, making the whole painting look messy and disorderly.

However, it shouldn't be too empty, otherwise the image will appear thin and lack depth.

After some thought, he chose to use extremely light ink to slowly diffuse faint clouds into the blank spaces of the painting. The ink was light and delicate.

The subtle presence of the subject enhances the sense of space and depth in the painting without overshadowing the main subject, making the whole picture appear more ethereal and dynamic, as if the phoenix and other birds are flying in the clouds.

He dipped his brush in a little light ink and gently applied it to the paper, letting it spread slowly. He adjusted the ink's density again and again, striving to achieve the best effect.

This process is very complicated and requires a lot of patience and care. If you are not careful, you may over-blend the paint and ruin the whole painting.

[Ding! Created "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" - Background rendering, drawing skill experience points +500]

Finally, the background rendering is complete.

Chen Hao put down his pen, stood up, took two steps back, looked at the whole painting, and felt a great sense of accomplishment.

The phoenix spreads its wings, attracting hundreds of birds to pay homage. The clouds swirl around, creating a lively and dynamic atmosphere. Every detail is handled perfectly, and each bird is lifelike. The whole painting is full of vitality and spirit.

This is his largest work ever, and also the one he put the most effort into.

From the initial composition to the subsequent outlining and coloring, and finally to the refinement of details, every step...

He meticulously considered everything, striving for perfection. He paid extra attention to even the smallest detail, such as a feather or a stroke of ink, fearing any mistake.

Now, only a few minor details remain to be polished in this painting, such as adjusting the colors of some birds' feathers and refining the edges of the clouds. It is expected to be fully completed by tomorrow.

Chen Hao stood in front of the painting, looking at it for a long time, becoming more and more satisfied with it.

The studio was quiet, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog from afar outside the window, which only made the studio seem even more tranquil.

As he looked at the painting, the scenes from today's sports meet involuntarily came to mind—

Sisi, with her legs tied together, ran alongside him, her little face flushed, shouting "One, two, one" loudly, her eyes full of determination;

She crawled into the sack and hopped forward like a real little kangaroo. Although she was slow, she never gave up.

She stood to the side, shouting "Daddy, keep going!" at the top of her lungs until her voice was hoarse, but she still didn't stop.

Holding the small trophy, she smiled brightly, saying she would send it to her mother, her eyes filled with pride.

And that question she asked in the car—

"When can Mom go to the sports meet with Sisi?" That question was like a small thorn stuck in Chen Hao's heart, making him feel both heartache and guilt.

He knew that Sisi missed her mother very much and longed for her company. All he could do was spend as much time with her as possible and bring Lin Caiwei back as soon as possible.

Chen Hao picked up his phone and scrolled to the string of heart emojis Lin Caiwei had sent, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

He thought for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the screen and typed: "The drawing is almost finished."

Sisi is very happy today. She won a trophy and said she's going to send it to you.

After sending the message, he hesitated for a moment and added, "She misses you."

The message was sent and quickly showed as "read." Lin Caiwei didn't reply with text, only sending an emoji.

A little yellow-faced girl holding a heart, with curved eyes, looks both gentle and aggrieved. Clearly, she misses Sisi and them too.

Looking at that expression, Chen Hao's lips unconsciously curved into a smile, and all his fatigue and guilt vanished in that instant.

He knew that they would be reunited soon, that they would be able to participate in sports meets together as a family, eat together, chat together, and live ordinary but happy days together.

He turned off his phone, glanced at the painting "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" on the easel, then turned off the studio lights, gently closed the door, and entered Sisi's room.

The little one was sleeping soundly, breathing evenly, with a sweet smile on his face, and that little trophy...

It was placed quietly on the bedside table, with her little hand still outstretched, as if she were touching a trophy or searching for something.

Chen Hao walked over gently, put her little hand back under the blanket, and tucked the blanket around her, afraid that she would catch a cold.

He squatted by the bed, watching his daughter sleep soundly for a long time, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

Then, he gently closed the door, returned to his bedroom, lay down, and closed his eyes.

He was too tired. He had accompanied Sisi to the sports meet and painted today, which had exhausted him. He fell asleep quickly.

Before going to sleep, he had only one thought in his mind: the painting will be finished tomorrow;

Soon, Lin Caiwei will be able to return, and their family will be reunited.