Chapter 30 Part 2

She was always good at adapting. With a forced smile, she walked over to Ao Liangjun and said, “Xiaojun, don’t worry, stay with me today, and I’ll take care of you.”

However, Ao Liangjun was still devastated by his mother’s apparent rejection. He ignored Shen Linyan’s words and continued sobbing.

Shen Linyan was exasperated but held back her frustration. This was Xie Bing’s son, after all, and they were on camera.

Liang Tianyi, seeing his mother busy comforting Ao Liangjun, felt a bit disappointed. Still, he was mature enough to know it wasn’t the right time to seek her attention, so he tugged at her clothes and said, “Mom, I’ll go to Aunt Qingqing.”

Shen Linyan’s mood soured even more. So, he still preferred Shen Qingqing?

But with the chubby boy wailing beside her, she had no time to think about it. She simply nodded and said, “Okay, go ahead. Be good. I need to take care of your brother first.”

Liang Tianyi noticed her indifferent tone and felt a pang of sadness. With a sigh, he walked toward Shen Qingqing.

[Am I the only one who thinks Shen Linyan is too cold? Xiaoyi just wanted some comfort.]

[I feel like Xiaoyi looks disappointed.]

[Overly sensible children are the most heartbreaking.]

[It’s understandable. She has a crying kid to deal with.]

As some viewers started criticizing Shen Linyan’s reaction, internet trolls stepped in to shift the blame.

[You call that cold? Look at Shen Qingqing!]

[If you think Shen Linyan is indifferent, check out Shen Qingqing and Zhou Jiayan. They’re practically strangers!]

Curious viewers switched to Shen Qingqing’s livestream.

There, they saw the mother and son completely ignoring each other, neither saying a word. They just observed the people around them in silence until Liang Tianyi arrived, finally breaking the awkward atmosphere.

Although Shen Qingqing disliked Shen Linyan, she had a good impression of Liang Tianyi. He was polite, obedient, and knew how to flatter adults—unlike Zhou Jiayan, who would never say something nice to her.

And honestly, with a strict stepmother like Shen Linyan, Liang Tianyi had it rough.

Thinking this, Shen Qingqing smiled at Liang Tianyi. “Xiaoyi, let’s do our best today.”

Liang Tianyi had a strong impression of Shen Qingqing. Though she could be unpredictable at times, she was always willing to play with children—something his own mother never did.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but envy Zhou Jiayan for having a mother who engaged with him so freely. Even though Zhou Jiayan often complained about Shen Qingqing, it was obvious that deep down, he enjoyed her company.

Of course, Liang Tianyi’s most cherished person was still Shen Linyan, even more than his own mother. She had always been there for him. Though her strictness could be difficult to endure, he understood the sacrifices she had made for him over the years.

Facing Shen Qingqing’s bright smile, Liang Tianyi grinned back. “Auntie, I’ll be good today, and we’ll definitely complete our task.”

Standing nearby, Zhou Jiayan watched the scene unfold and felt a twinge of jealousy. When he first learned that Shen Qingqing and Liang Tianyi were paired together, his immediate concern was whether his good friend would be bullied by his stepmother.

Stepmothers were notorious for mistreating children, so she would definitely be mean to Xiaoyi! Xiaoyi was so obedient—he wouldn’t even know how to fight back.

However, seeing how well they got along and that Shen Qingqing wasn’t bullying Liang Tianyi at all, Zhou Jiayan felt a different kind of frustration.

This stepmother only knew how to tease him but was kind to others. First, it was Ying Shishuang, and now it was Liang Tianyi. He was never going to like her again!

With this in mind, Zhou Jiayan coldly said to Shen Qingqing, “Then I’ll go to Aunt Cui Xia first. See you in the evening.”

Shen Qingqing felt as if his indifferent attitude had stabbed her heart. Was this little brat really leaving?

She wasn’t one for sentimental words, and with a charming boy like Liang Tianyi beside her, she simply smiled, patted Liang Tianyi’s head, and waved at Zhou Jiayan. “Alright then, go ahead.”

Zhou Jiayan, growing even more anxious, quickly added, “If I really leave, Aunt Cui Xia will be worried. Don’t worry, I’ll work well with her. She’s reliable, and we’ll definitely finish the task.”

Now Shen Qingqing understood—this kid was deliberately trying to rile her up, even bringing up Cui Xia to make her look bad. She huffed and retorted, “Then go quickly, or you’ll end up blaming me for holding you back.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jiayan could no longer hold back and ran off toward Cui Xia.

The live broadcast viewers were left speechless.

[Anyone who said Shen Qingqing and her son don’t get along, get out! They’re clearly just messing with each other!]

[I wouldn’t say their relationship is bad, but it’s definitely… complicated.]

[They bicker like two elementary school kids.]

[If Yanyan is a primary schooler, then Shen Qingqing is even worse! She’s hilarious! Hahaha.]

Watching Zhou Jiayan run off, Shen Qingqing gritted her teeth. Hmph! He actually left!

Oh well, she had another handsome little boy with her today, so it didn’t matter.

As for Mo Man, she was an adopted daughter, and Song Yiyi was even more well-mannered than Ying Shishuang—there was nothing to worry about there.

Meanwhile, Cui Xia was delighted to see Zhou Jiayan and praised him as a bright and well-behaved child while holding his hand.

Once all the mothers and children had regrouped, Director Xu Xiang assigned their tasks.

Shen Qingqing and Liang Tianyi were to pick vegetables. Cui Xia and Zhou Jiayan went fishing. Xie Bing and Ying Shishuang headed to the chicken farm to catch chickens. Shen Linyan took Ao Liangjun to the dairy farm for milking. Mo Man and Song Yiyi were sent to the grain factory to collect fresh flour.

Once the tasks were clear, Xu Xiang officially announced, “The competition has begun! Everyone, set off. I hope all the children enjoy their time with their new moms!”

At his signal, the mothers took their “new children” and rushed toward their designated locations.

Since the vegetable farm and the fishery were in opposite directions, Shen Qingqing and Zhou Jiayan had to part ways after leaving the mansion.

Just before they separated, Shen Qingqing instinctively glanced back. Would this little rascal really leave without looking back?

At the same time, Zhou Jiayan turned around and caught his stepmother staring at him. His heart skipped a beat, as if a small knot of tension had suddenly unraveled.

So she still cared about him. She was just tough on the outside but soft inside!

Forget it. He was a man; he wouldn’t hold a grudge against her. There was no shame in being the first to give in.

Thinking this, the corners of his lips curled up slightly. He whispered to Cui Xia, “Aunt Cui, can you wait for me for a minute?”

Cui Xia, of course, agreed without hesitation.

Zhou Jiayan let go of Cui Xia’s hand, turned around, and sprinted back toward Shen Qingqing on his short legs.

Seeing him running toward her, Shen Qingqing felt a warmth in her heart.

This little brat still remembered her. He wasn’t completely heartless after all.

She stepped forward, arms open, and caught the little boy as he hurled himself toward her like a small cannonball.

Holding him close, she ruffled his hair and teased, “Hmph, so you finally remembered me.”

Zhou Jiayan, embarrassed by the public display, muttered, “Don’t hug me in public. I’m a big boy now.”

Hearing this, Shen Qingqing only hugged him tighter. “Silly boy, do you know how lucky you are? Not every kid gets to be hugged by a beauty like me. You should appreciate it.”

Zhou Jiayan struggled a little, but when he felt her grip tighten, he sighed and surrendered.

What’s more, he realized that he didn’t seem to mind being held by his stepmother as much as he thought.

Then, he whispered in Shen Qingqing’s ear, “You have to finish the mission quickly and come back. Be good, and I’ll finish mine soon and return too.”

Shen Qingqing didn’t expect to be lectured by a five-year-old. Did she really seem that unreliable?

She poked Zhou Jiayan’s little head, feeling unconvinced. “Just take care of yourself. You don’t need to worry about my intelligence, okay? But you, use your little brain more and don’t let the production team lead you around, alright?”

Zhou Jiayan rubbed the spot where she poked him and muttered unhappily, “I’m not stupid. If you keep poking my head, I might actually become stupid.”

Even though she knew that wasn’t scientifically true, Shen Qingqing still gently rubbed his head. After all, he was already a little fool—what if he really became even more clueless?

The two exchanged a few more words before finally parting ways.

Seeing this, the live broadcast audience sighed again.

[Hahaha, this is hilarious. I thought they were just going to say goodbye, but then they hugged. I thought it was going to be sentimental, but instead, they started teasing each other again.]

[Shen Qingqing is young, to be honest. She’s only in her early twenties. Many girls her age are still in school. It’s normal for her to be less mature than other mothers.]

[I actually like their relationship. There’s no traditional parental authority. Yanyan obviously enjoys bickering with Shen Qingqing.]

[Honestly, I can’t say my mom and I are like this. To outsiders, we look more like sisters than mother and daughter.]

[I think as long as parents and children get along well, there’s no need to follow strict rules.]