Chapter 7

After tidying up the bathroom, Maige glanced at Amy, who was still asleep. He placed the little dress, stockings, and white shoes next to the bed, imagining in his mind how adorable she would look in this outfit. A smile involuntarily formed at the corners of his mouth. He took a set of miniature toiletries and quietly left the room.

Maige was already familiar with this kitchen to the point that he couldn't be any more familiar. The cooking utensils needed for making Yangzhou fried rice, which was absent from the stove last night, were now all prepared. He opened the refrigerator and found that all the necessary ingredients were also available. In the glass sink next to the refrigerator, the large prawns were happily swimming around.

"It's time to showcase my true culinary skills and prepare a heartfelt breakfast for Xiao Mi." Maige washed his hands and started to rinse the rice for cooking.

"Father?" Not long after, in the room on the second floor, Amy turned over in a daze but couldn't find the familiar person. She drowsily opened her eyes, sat up, and stared blankly at the somewhat unfamiliar room for a while. It took her a moment to remember that this was the new house her father conjured up last night. However, she couldn't find her father anywhere on the big bed beside her, causing a hint of worry to creep into her heart. She was about to climb up while holding onto the railing.

But just as she was about to get up, her gaze was drawn to the black little dress by the bed. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she happily picked up the dress, rubbing it against her face. The fabric felt soft and smooth. She cheerfully murmured, "Father must have conjured this little dress for me. It's so beautiful. Xiao Mi loves it."

Maige was still unaware that the little one had woken up. He cooked the rice in the rice cooker, which had very high power, and it quickly became ready. The freshly cooked rice, although still warm, had distinct and translucent grains with an inviting aroma.

"What kind of rice is this? Even if it's plain white rice, I feel like I could eat two big bowls of it." Maige couldn't help muttering to himself. And those large prawns, even if he simply boiled them in water, would probably be extremely delicious.

He cleaned the various ingredients needed for Yangzhou fried rice and measured them out. As he held the knife, Maige's expression became extremely serious. This was the experience he gained from the Kitchen God's space. Cooking was something that required wholehearted dedication. It was the attitude of a chef.

A Chinese chef's knife spun deftly in Maige's hand, turning tender bamboo shoots and hard-shelled prawns into uniformly diced ingredients. After countless hours of practicing his knife skills, he had become extremely proficient.

Of course, no other chef could afford to practice their knife skills with such extravagance.

He poured oil into the pan and added the ingredients in the proper order. A rich aroma filled the kitchen, wafting out through the open door and drifting lazily up the stairs, making its way into the partially closed room.

Sitting on the bed, Amy, who had successfully changed into her new dress, giggled happily. It was the first time she had worn such a beautiful dress. It felt so comfortable and soft against her skin, like wearing a cloud, light and airy, yet warm.

Then Amy caught a whiff of the enticing aroma. Her previously sleepy, sapphire-blue eyes instantly brightened, and she sniffed eagerly, "It smells so good! Could it be that Father is making something delicious?"

Without caring about putting on her long stockings, which seemed elongated in her eyes, Amy swiftly climbed down the ladder, put on her little white shoes, and with short legs, hurriedly made her way toward the door.

Pushing the door open, the aroma became even stronger. Amy's mouth watered, and her little tummy couldn't help but rumble. She had never smelled such a fragrance before, not even half as enticing as the roasted goose she once smelled outside a shop near the square. Her footsteps downstairs became lighter and quicker as if she wished to fly straight into the kitchen and see what Father was cooking.

"So delicious-smelling! What is Father making?" As Amy walked into the kitchen, before she could finish her sentence, she looked at the figure in a simple and neat black-and-white chef's uniform, with Maige's long curly hair and sideburns trimmed. The words stopped abruptly, her azure eyes widening with incredulity. Was this person really Father?

"Hmm? Xiao Mi, are you awake already?" Maige heard the voice and turned his head in surprise, looking towards the entrance.

The little one had already changed into a black Lolita dress, a gothic-style little dress. Paired with white shoes adorned with pink butterflies, after a nap, her silky silver hair had a cute strand sticking up, and she stood at the door with a slightly open mouth, looking adorably dazed. Judging by her expression, she seemed surprised by his current appearance. Maige smiled and said, "What's the matter? Did you forget who Father is after just one nap?"

"It really is Father!" Amy blinked her eyes and exclaimed with delight. His long curly hair had transformed into a more attractive short style, the troublesome beard was gone, his clothes were clean and presentable, and the smile on his face looked radiant and pleasant. And more importantly, Father now looked tall and imposing, like a giant who suddenly stood up, with a straight posture resembling a tall tree.

"Father seems to have grown taller today, as tall as a tree, and he has become so handsome, so good-looking." Amy happily approached.

"Grown taller?" Maige glanced down, realizing that his once hunched body had straightened up, and he was wearing fitted and smart clothes, which made him appear taller. Of course, becoming handsome was even more reason to be happy. It seemed that little girls indeed preferred refreshing-looking gentlemen.

The little one's attention was quickly drawn to the pan that Maige was stir-frying. Standing on tiptoes and peering in, she curiously asked, "But Father, what delicious food is in the pan? Why does it smell so good, even better than roasted goose? Xiao Mi is getting hungry..."

"This is Yangzhou fried rice. It will be our breakfast today. There's a pink toothbrush and cup over there. After brushing your teeth and washing your face, you can come and have breakfast, alright?" Maige smiled and spoke softly, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible. In his previous life, he had always been aloof and never smiled when talking to people. Now, he was adapting to the role of a kind father, wanting to provide Amy with all the warmth in the world.

"Okay." Amy obediently nodded, but not before taking a quick glance at the frying pan with reluctance. Then she walked to the side, picked up the toothbrush and cup, and under Maige's guidance, began brushing her teeth for the first time.

Maige focused on stir-frying the fried rice, turned off the heat, and took it out of the pan. A bowl of colorful Yangzhou fried rice was ready.

"Wow, such beautiful fried rice! Father is amazing!" Amy finished brushing her teeth and hurried over. Looking at the blend of various colors in the Yangzhou fried rice, her eyes instantly lit up, and she earnestly praised.

"Yes, I feel the same way." Maige nodded, unable to contain his smile. He felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

Amy leaned forward and sniffed, unable to resist swallowing her saliva. She looked up at Maige and pouted, acting cute, "It smells so good, Father. Xiao Mi wants to eat Yang... Yangzhou fried rice."

"It's all for you!" Maige looked at the little one's adorable appearance, and his heart was melting. There was a voice inside him shouting, but he held back and gently wiped away a bit of foam at the corner of her mouth, shaking his head. "Not now. From now on, you have to wash your hands before eating."

"Then Father, please be faster." Amy took Maige's hand and walked toward the sink.

Maige raised an eyebrow, sensing that something was a little off. He couldn't believe he was being rejected by the little one.

After washing her hands, Amy sat at the table where they had finished their meal the day before. She held a small spoon in her hand, her eyes full of anticipation as she kept her gaze fixed on the plate of fried rice in Maige's hands.

"Enjoy your meal." Maige placed the plate down and gently patted the little one's head with a smile.