Mu Shen's internal clock rang promptly, and he woke up at 6 in the morning. He changed into black sportswear, washed up, and left the house.
As he stepped outside, he heard a faint click from the other side of the bedroom.
His action of rolling up his sleeves halted as he looked to the side with deep eyes.
The door cracked open, and then a little bald head poked out.
The little one didn't notice Mu Shen nearby because she was too short. She tried to reach the doorknob by tiptoeing and stretching her little arms.
The soft little ball grabbed it and pulled the door shut with a click.
After landing on her heels, the soft and chubby little mouth exhaled a soft breath.
The soft little ball looked at the doorknob and compared her height, then shook her head, sighing softly, "Still too short."
Mu Shen watched the entire process and couldn't help but think she looked a little silly.
But... she was quite cute.
The little one, wearing light beige sportswear, had a small hamster printed on the front, hugging its feet. It was fluffy and chubby, just like her.
As the little one turned around, she noticed a tall figure standing behind her and almost bumped into him.
The little monk took a few steps back, tilting her head to look up at him.
Once she saw who it was, her eyes lit up.
"Daddy!" She called out crisply and hugged his big long legs.
Mu Shen looked at the excited little girl, his throat moved, and he replied with a low "Hmm."
Though it was a simple response, the little one was overjoyed.
"Daddy, Daddy, you admit that you are my daddy, right? Soft is so happy!" The little girl's voice was sweet like candy.
She had called out "Daddy" several times yesterday, but Daddy hadn't responded. Today, Daddy finally responded, and she wanted to tell her master about this good news immediately.
Mu Shen cleared his throat and gently untangled the little one from his leg, "Stand properly."
Even though Daddy had a stern expression, she wasn't afraid!
The little one was still extremely excited about the fact that Daddy had responded to her earlier. She grinned, thinking about it... Daddy had just responded to her.
But she obediently stood up straight, and her face had a silly smile that was hard to look at.
Mu Shen felt a bit complicated.
"Why did you wake up so early?" He glanced at the little one.
The soft little ball blinked her big eyes and answered tenderly while counting on her fingers, "Soft needs to wake up early for morning exercises, practice martial arts, and do homework~"
This time, Mu Shen was surprised. He furrowed his brows and asked, "You do these things every day?"
The little girl nodded, "Yes, Soft is very diligent and won't slack off."
Mu Shen... You're still a young child; you don't need to wake up so early to do these things.
As for him, he would rather stay in bed for a while longer. Even his several nephews and his unreliable brother, who was already in his teens, still liked to sleep in.
Upon hearing Mu Shen's words, the soft little ball widened her eyes.
"Soft is already a big kid! Master says that good habits should start from a young age. Exercising every day helps me grow taller and stronger. I'll be able to beat up a bunch of people!"
Mu Shen "..."
What was that last sentence?
Nevertheless, since the little one was already up, he couldn't go back to bed. He decided to take her out with him.
He took the little one downstairs, and she followed him like a little tail. When they arrived at Xiao Bai Bai's room, she called the little wolf cub out. After that, two little tails were following behind Mu Shen.
The little one continued to excitedly tell Xiao Bai Bai about how she had called Daddy Mu Shen and he responded. It was a simple thing, but she was delighted and eager to share it with her best companion.
Even though that companion was a little wolf cub that couldn't speak.
Mu Shen's heart was a little complicated.
"Good morning, Grandpa and Grandma~" When they reached the park, the tired little one greeted the elderly people, even though she was out of breath.
In contrast, the several old ladies and old men, who usually exercised here, had a rare expression of surprise on their faces. They were looking at the little bundle of joy that was jogging.
"Grandpa and Grandma, I'm going to do my morning exercises now!" She then walked to her spot and greeted them again, even though she was panting.
"Wait for me; I'll join you," Mu Shen said lightly, pulling the little one back and positioning her correctly. He poured a glass of water for her and another for himself.
The park in the villa area was quite large, with lush trees, abundant flowers and grass, and a clear, translucent lake, which made the air exceptionally fresh.
Mu Shen started jogging, at a much slower pace this time, so that his little daughter could keep up.
"Let's run together, Daddy!" The little one held onto one of Mu Shen's fingers, running beside him with curiosity in her eyes.
As they jogged around the park, the soft little ball happily greeted the elderly people they passed by.
"Hello, Grandpa and Grandma!"
The old folks, who were usually practicing tai chi at this hour, looked surprised when they saw the little girl running with Mu Shen.
"Good morning~" The little one smiled and greeted them, not forgetting her manners even though she was panting.
Mu Shen felt a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
"Alright, Grandpa and Grandma, I'll start my morning exercises now!" After reaching a spot, she greeted the elderly exercisers again and prepared to begin her routine.
Seeing the little one's determination, Mu Shen admired her diligence.
"Don't push yourself too hard. It's okay to take it easy," he reminded her.
Xiao Ruan Ruan nodded obediently, "I know, Daddy. But Soft wants to exercise and get stronger. When I grow up, I'll be able to beat up bad people!"
Mu Shen was speechless for a moment.
Well, as long as she doesn't get hurt.
He continued his morning exercises with Xiao Ruan Ruan and Xiao Bai Bai accompanying him.
As the sun rose higher, the park became livelier with more people coming for their morning exercises. Some elderly practitioners were intrigued by the presence of this little girl who joined them today.