Chapter 29 Part 1

Many people glanced at Zhou Jiayan, wondering if he would feel sad or disappointed since this was his idea.

Surprisingly, Zhou Jiayan remained as calm as ever, showing no signs of anxiety.

How could he be so composed at just five years old? Or did he have complete trust in Ao Liangjun?

In reality, Zhou Jiayan was feeling a bit conflicted, but he knew he had to stay calm to give his friends confidence. So, he forced himself to maintain his composure.

While everyone was watching, Ao Liangjun awkwardly looked away, turned his head, and said loudly, “Wuwuwu, I don’t want to look at it anymore. I won’t take the picture. Uncle, please stop tempting me. I already said no, and I mean no.”

Xu Xiang was shocked. He thought he had this in the bag after seeing the little chubby boy’s envious expression. But when it mattered most, the kid actually resisted!

He asked, “Junjun, do you really not want it?”

The little chubby boy nodded firmly, tears welling in his eyes. “No, I don’t.” No matter how you looked at him, he seemed pitiful.

Seeing Ao Liangjun’s firm stance, Xu Xiang sighed and gave up. After all, this program was meant to educate children and help them improve, not to push them toward bad behavior.

Realizing the children could now resist temptation, he felt moved and smiled sincerely, “Junjun, you’re amazing. Uncle admires you.”

At that moment, Zhou Jiayan, who had been serious before, finally smiled. Hehe, even though Junjun seems unreliable sometimes, he is loyal when it really counts. He had judged him correctly.

Netizens were also touched by Ao Liangjun’s actions.

[Junjun is amazing! Controlling his desires is a big deal!]

[It’s not just about resisting temptation, it’s also about trusting your friends.]

[I bet even adults would struggle with this. Trusting friends isn’t easy because they might betray you.]

Xie Bing, watching this, was filled with pride. Her little chubby boy was finally growing up!

Then Xu Xiang handed the Coke to Song Yiyi. She placed it in their designated supply storage and didn’t touch it.

After that, the auction went smoothly. Xu Xiang eventually gave up trying and simply handed over the chicken, eggs, potato chips, grilled chicken wings, ice cream, and other snacks to the kids.

When he passed the last ice cream to Zhou Jiayan, he patted him on the shoulder. “Kid, you’re pretty smart. You managed to take advantage of me.”

Zhou Jiayan was only five. Even though he usually stayed calm, he couldn’t help but feel a little excited. Smiling shyly, he modestly said, “Hey, the uncles went easy on us and didn’t patch the loophole. Also, my mom reminded me to watch out for the program crew’s tricks before the challenge.”

Hearing the word “mom,” Xu Xiang’s eyebrows twitched. Shen Qingqing again? Not only was she able to spot the program crew’s loopholes herself, but she even taught her child to do the same!

Xu Xiang felt a bit helpless, smiling bitterly.

Before filming the first episode, he had thought about making things difficult for Shen Qingqing. But now, it seemed like the program crew should just be grateful she wasn’t catching more loopholes!

Seeing Xu Xiang embarrassed, the live-stream audience burst into laughter.

[The program team, always scheming, got outplayed by a five-year-old. I’m dying!]

[Did you see Director Xu’s face? He looks like he’s about to collapse.]

[Yanyan is so smart! The kids trusted him, worked together, and beat the program team.]

[I have to admit, Shen Qingqing’s parenting style seems impressive. Do you remember what she said before she left? I thought she was just bluffing.]

[Is she a fortune teller, or did she predict the program team’s plans?]

[You guys are overthinking. She just got lucky having a smart kid like Yanyan.]

[Luck? How many times has she turned the tide with her brain?]

The debate over Shen Qingqing’s skills continued until the mothers exited the conference room and reunited with their children, shifting netizens’ attention.

Zhou Jiayan, always calm and seemingly all-knowing among the kids, became much livelier when he saw Shen Qingqing. He quickened his pace, running up to her in just a few steps, and spoke with a slightly smug tone, “Hmph, I told you I wouldn’t be tricked by the show crew. See for yourself.”

As he spoke, he pointed at the food and snacks they had won in the auction.

Shen Qingqing found his smug attitude amusing. He had indeed done well today, so she decided to reward him appropriately.

She smiled. “Well, you’ve been with me for so long, so you’re slightly less intelligent than me. But you did pretty well. I guess I can barely let you watch Ultraman for an extra hour tonight.”

When he heard the first half of her sentence, Zhou Jiayan was speechless. His stepmother always managed to praise herself in a roundabout way! Though, to be fair, she wasn’t wrong. Still, did she have to say it so immodestly?

However, when he heard the second half, he immediately perked up. His stepmother acknowledged his intelligence! And he could watch Ultraman for an extra hour!

A blush crept up his ears. He wanted to say something humble, but after hesitating for a long time, he finally followed his heart and said, “I think I was amazing today too—just as amazing as Ultraman!”

Children’s bragging isn’t as exaggerated as adults’, making it even more adorable. A usually reserved child like Zhou Jiayan boasting about himself makes people find him even cuter.

[Wow, Yanyan is so cute. He really is the little hero who defeated the program team’s monster today.]

[Sure enough, in Yanyan’s heart, Ultraman is still the strongest, hahaha.]

[Yanyan seems much more lively around Shen Qingqing. He acts like a mature little adult in public but turns into a playful kid with her.]

[They’re really becoming alike. Yanyan has become a little cocky because of Shen Qingqing.]

Seeing her son’s flushed face, Xie Bing was pleased with Ao Liangjun’s decision to stop and told him, “Junjun, you can have a can of Coke every day for a week when we get home.”

Ao Liangjun cheered loudly, “Long live Mom!”

Cui Xia and Mo Man also showered their children with praise.

Compared to the other kids’ excitement, Liang Tianyi was much quieter. He walked over to Shen Linyan and greeted politely, “Mom, I’m back.”

Shen Linyan was somewhat disappointed. She couldn’t understand why, after studying so many courses, her child couldn’t stand out on a variety show. He even performed worse than Xie Bing’s silly son.

Still, she knew she had to say something encouraging in front of the cameras, so she smiled and said, “Are you tired, Xiaoyi? Mommy will make your favorite food tonight. Your performance today was a little lacking, but still great. We just need to keep working hard.”

At first, Liang Tianyi was happy to hear her praise, but his smile slowly faded after hearing the second half. So, his mother thought his performance wasn’t good enough.

Shen Linyan was confused by his reaction. She didn’t understand why he was suddenly unhappy. She didn’t think she said anything harsh! But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it, so she quickly moved on. “Okay, okay, let’s go prepare the ingredients for dinner together.”

Liang Tianyi had always been obedient. When he heard his mother, he subconsciously nodded. “Okay, Mom.”

Shen Linyan felt she hadn’t said anything wrong, but others didn’t see it that way.

[Am I the only one who finds Shen Linyan’s words a bit off?]

[All the other moms were praising their kids, but Shen Linyan told hers to keep working hard. Even though her tone was gentle, it still felt discouraging.]

[Did you notice that Liang Tianyi was happy at first, but his smile disappeared later?]

[This feels like emotional manipulation—pretending to be supportive but actually undermining his confidence, making him dependent on her.]

Shen Linyan’s hired online supporters were monitoring the live broadcast closely. When they noticed the negative shift in public opinion, they quickly tried to steer the conversation.

[Some people really like overanalyzing things. Xiaoyi didn’t even complain.]

[I’m not a fan of Shen Linyan, but she was praising Xiaoyi. She just said he should improve in the future. How is that emotional manipulation?]

[Accusing Shen Linyan of manipulating her child is too much. She’s done a lot for him over the years.]

Because Shen Linyan’s behavior wasn’t extreme, and most people weren’t familiar with emotional manipulation, public opinion was eventually swayed in her favor.

The children picked out ingredients, and then it was the parents’ turn to cook.

Since the children had already worked together, everyone decided to combine their ingredients and make a big meal together.

Shen Qingqing, however, couldn’t cook. In her twenty years of life across two lifetimes, she had barely entered a kitchen three times.

She admitted this openly, smiling. “Good thing we’re cooking together! I’ve never been in a kitchen. If I had to cook, it would be a disaster. I’ll just wash the vegetables.”

Xie Bing added, “Same here! Qingqing and I will wash the vegetables for everyone.”

Seeing Shen Qingqing finally struggle with something, Shen Linyan was pleased. She had to seize this chance to shine!

She stepped forward confidently. “If you don’t mind, you can try my cooking today. I’ve been cooking since I was a child, and after marrying Xiaoyi’s father, I even learned how to make children’s meals.”

Everyone was surprised.

“Lin Yan, you’re so dedicated! I thought I was serious about parenting, but I still let the nanny cook sometimes.”

“I never expected a big star like you to be so hands-on. I try my best with Yiyi, but I’m often too busy.”

Hearing the praise, Shen Linyan finally felt her frustration ease.

Shen Qingqing was puzzled. What was so exciting about cooking? Did she really enjoy it that much?

Shen Linyan’s cooking was indeed impressive—visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious.

The program even provided beautiful plates, and with professional camera work, the food looked even more tempting, making netizens envious.

[Oh my god, this looks so delicious!]

[Shen Linyan is amazing! Her skills are no less than a professional chef’s.]

[I’m so jealous. Shen Linyan seems to be good at everything.]

Thanks to this, Shen Linyan successfully restored much of her reputation. The live chat was soon flooded with compliments.

After tasting the food, Shen Qingqing thought that if Shen Linyan weren’t so determined to be a rich housewife, she could make a great chef—maybe even better than the Zhou family’s cooks.

Now, Shen Qingqing was a little happy that Shen Linyan loved cooking so much. Otherwise, how else could she, who only liked eating but not cooking, stay so lazy?

After everyone tasted the food, they began praising Shen Linyan’s cooking skills.

This time, Shen Qingqing joined in the fun, saying, “Oh, Sister Lin Yan, your cooking skills are really impressive, just like those of a five-star hotel chef. It would be great if we could always enjoy your dishes on the show.”

Shen Linyan was surprised by the unexpected compliment. Was Shen Qingqing trying to make peace with her?

Shen Linyan was good at pretending. Even though she couldn’t figure out Shen Qingqing’s true intentions, she smiled and said, “Since everyone likes my cooking, I’d be happy to take care of the meals in the next variety show if needed.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingqing’s smile deepened. She thought to herself that Shen Linyan was too easy to manipulate. Her plan worked—now she could leave all the cooking to Shen Linyan in the future.

Looking at the smile on Shen Qingqing’s face, Shen Linyan suddenly felt that she might have been tricked!

That day, Xu Xiang seemed to be in a particularly good mood or maybe feeling guilty. He added extra food to their meals and even prepared a few snacks, making their dinner feel harmonious and pleasant.

With their friends around, even Song Yiyi, who usually had the smallest appetite, ate half a bowl more than usual.

They finished dinner early, and by 7:30 PM, the parents allowed the children to play in the yard.

When electronic devices weren’t available, playing pretend was always a favorite among children.

Ao Liangjun suggested playing a monster-fighting game, while Ying Shishuang preferred a prince-and-princess game.

Today, Zhou Jiayan’s actions had left an impression on Ying Shishuang. With a mix of arrogance and shyness, she looked at Zhou Jiayan and said, “Based on your performance today and your good looks, this princess will reluctantly allow you to be my prince.”

Even the usually calm Zhou Jiayan couldn’t help but laugh.

Should he feel honored? At least he had been promoted from a knight to a prince.