On Children’s Day, the kindergarten was very lively.

Some children not only had their parents but also their grandparents and other elders come along.

After all, this was their own child’s first outside celebration, so they wanted to make it memorable.

Even Liu Yanzhi’s father showed up.

However, his appearance wasn’t to accompany his child; rather, it was because many parents would attend this event, and among them were a few who were usually hard to make appointments with.

He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and have a good chat with them.

As for this, Liu Yanzhi didn’t feel sad or disappointed at all. He had long stopped expecting anything from his father. It was his holiday, so being happy was what mattered most.

The little boy, along with Qian Xin and Liu Miaomiao, were running around together like three little bees let loose in a honey pot, eager to try everything.

Meanwhile, Xu Wenyin held Xu Youyou’s hand, equally enthusiastic and spirited.

“Don’t worry, Youyou. Mom will definitely give you the first place.”

With her competitive spirit bursting at the seams, Xu Wenyin didn’t care about any friendship-first or competition-second notions; all she knew was that she would give it her all in the competition.

Moreover, the games designed by the kindergarten didn’t require physical strength; most of them tested visual acuity, teamwork, flexibility, and so on. Xu Wenyin was even more confident about this.

“Wow. What to do, Juanjuan? Mom also wants to get first place!” Qin Yiren, standing beside them, smiled and winked at Xu Wenyin. “Shall we compete?”

Xu Wenyin clenched her fist. “Bring it on!”

This was a battle that stakes the system’s dignity! What? Do people think the system has no dignity so she shouldn’t take things seriously?

Watching the two adults, Xu Youyou glanced at Lu Chenjun with a puzzled look that said, ‘What’s going on with Mom and Aunt Qin’?

How come they suddenly seem so excited?

Lu Chenjun responded with a look that said, ‘Don’t try to understand strange adults’!

However, it wasn’t long before Lu Chenjun found himself contradicting his own words.

At the Marble Pick-up game, parents and children work together, and the team that picks up the most marbles using chopsticks within one minute gets the highest score.

Within the designated time, Xu Wenyin picked up 32 marbles, which was the highest among the participating adults so far, while Qin Yiren only picked up 21.

Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun were quite close, with one picking up 8 marbles and the other 7. However, because of Qin Yiren’s ‘failure’, their score instantly fell behind by a large margin.

Lu Chenjun frowned. “Mom, you won’t get first place like this.”

Forget about first place, even tenth place would be difficult.

With that in mind, they still had to rely on him!

So, in the second game, which was Spot the Difference, Lu Chenjun started exerting himself. His eyesight was even better than Qin Yiren’s. Within a minute, he managed to circle 17 differences. It’s worth noting that the two pictures were rich in content, with tiny details in every character, and even a prolonged look could cause eye strain, let alone finding the differences within a minute.

The pressing time made it very difficult to concentrate.

For the average family, it’s considered good if they can find five or six differences together within a minute.

Qin Yiren was about to praise her son when she heard exclamations coming from the side.

“That’s right! All correct! They’ve found all 20 differences!”

Mother and son turned their heads and saw Xu Wenyin beaming with pride, and Xu Youyou eagerly applauding beside her.

Hateful, they lost again!

At this moment, Qin Yiren and Lu Chenjun finally displayed the tacit understanding between mother and son, but unfortunately, it didn’t count for much!

The third game was a test of teamwork and harmony.

Both sides sat on chairs, with a thick wooden board separating them in the middle. Then, a teacher would ask questions.

For example: Does Mom/Dad prefer sweet or savory zongzi^[1]rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves?

They had to raise one finger for sweet and two fingers for savory, and they had to make their choice within five seconds!

If both sides made the same choice, they would earn one point.

Without a doubt, Xu Wenyin and her daughter agreed on all ten questions, achieving a perfect score once again!

Qian Xin and Liu Miaomiao couldn’t help but clap on the side. They thought their friend and Aunt Xu were really amazing!

Just like superheroes, they’re the best at everything they do.

Looking at their own score, one with 3 points and the other with 5, Qian Xin and Liu Miaomiao couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. They glanced at their fathers with a bit of ‘hate the iron for not becoming steel’ sentiment.

She/he clearly prefers strawberries over apples, okay?

And, and why does their father like drinking salty soy milk? Sweet soy milk was clearly tastier!

Father Qian and Father Liu: “……”

Their self-esteem took a massive blow!

Going through all ten games, Xu Youyou’s team, even if not always first, ended up tied for first place in most of them. When it all ended, they were undoubtedly ranked first in points!

When the results were announced, other parents and children applauded.

Especially the children, their eyes practically shone as they looked at the mother and daughter pair.

Being in the spotlight made Xu Youyou blush, not out of shyness, but out of pride.

She felt proud of her mother!

She, Xu Youyou, has the best mother in the whole world!

In addition to a trophy, the first-place prize included a giant doll, exactly the type that Xu Youyou liked.

As they made their way home after half a day of playing, Qin Yiren and Xu Wenyin were carrying the doll behind them, while Xu Youyou was up ahead, chirping away to Lu Chenjun about how awesome her mom was, like a hardcore gamer enthusiastically promoting a game to her friend.

Just hearing the words ‘my mom’ now makes Lu Chenjun feel a bit dizzy.

But when they got home and Xu Wenyin finally relaxed her body, Xu Youyou, coming down from her excitement, suddenly remembered. “Mom, are you really, really okay?”

From one in the afternoon until well past five, it far exceeded the amount of time Xu Wenyin usually spends physically active.

Although young and not understanding words like ‘cost’ or ‘points advance’, Xu Youyou couldn’t shake the feeling that since her mother usually doesn’t go beyond her limits, there must be a reason for it.

Today she was truly happy, but if her mother got hurt because of it, Xu Youyou absolutely, absolutely wouldn’t want that!

“It’s fine~”

Xu Wenyin’s voice carried a nonchalant tone. “When have I ever lied to Youyou? It’s okay to occasionally exceed the time limit, but I can’t do it too often. Mom is a fairy, remember?”

Actually, someone’s heart was bleeding inside, because every point was the system’s life, and missing even one point hurt so much she could barely breathe. But right now, of course, she couldn’t show any signs of it.

And Xu Wenyin also reassured herself that this was for the task, to avoid arousing suspicion in others.

It’s only once or twice a year at most. When Xu Youyou gets a bit older, there will be more time!

But… it still hurts so much!

Xu Wenyin cried inside. She decided to play another round with Ace in the evening to cheer herself up.

———pr

After Children’s Day passed, it meant that summer vacation was just around the corner.

Most of the children enrolled in this kindergarten come from families with some financial means. During summer and winter vacations, many of them travel with their parents or attend various lessons to learn new things.

Xu Youyou and the others’ training and lessons didn’t stop just because it was summer vacation, but Qin Yiren felt it was important to strike a balance between work and rest. After all, these children had just turned four years old.

Children their age didn’t need to be pushed so hard.

So she planned to take the children to a northern tourist destination for a week to escape the heat and relax.

She asked for everyone’s opinion in the parent group chat, that’s right, the one called 《Human Babies: Parenting Tips Exchange Group》.

The Qian and the Liu family were both fine with it, but it seemed that only one parent could accompany the children, while the other had to stay at work to support the family.

As for Liu Yanzhi, if everyone else was going, he could join them.

Even though Liu Yanzhi’s father wasn’t in the group chat, if they asked for his opinion, he would surely agree. He would be more than happy for Liu Yanzhi to improve his relationship with Lu Chenjun, and their family wouldn’t miss the money for the trip.

However, Liu Yanzhi’s grandfather expressed some concern in the group chat, wondering if it would be inconvenient for the child to travel abroad without his own guardian accompanying him.

The language in that country was different from theirs.

But Liu Yanzhi’s grandfather was getting older and might not be able to endure the rigors of travel.

Lastly, there was Xu Wenyin. Of course, she wanted to go! But her body wouldn’t allow it.

If she were to use points for the entire week, it would require quite a large sum!

She’s a bit reluctant to be ‘away’ from Xu Youyou for a whole week.

Even if they could communicate in Xu Youyou’s mind, it’s still like not being able to meet for a whole week. Xu Youyou might even forget what her mother looks like.

Scaring herself with her own imagination, Xu Wenyin didn’t speak up right away, instead choosing to see what the others had to say first.

As for whether Xu Youyou would go or not, she had never even considered it. That would be too cruel for a child. While the other kids happily went out to play, she could only stay at home alone. Xu Wenyin couldn’t do such a thing.

However, long-distance travel was different from previous local outings, and considering the children’s well-being, there were always more factors to consider.

Even though the parents of these children weren’t ordinary, and they could provide the best services along the way, with bodyguards and helpers readily available, they wouldn’t even need to stay in hotels, as both the Qin and Liu families have their own villas in that country.

But as parents, they could never let their guard down at any time.

In the end, they still decided to go!

It’s just that the location has changed.

Instead of a foreign country, they decided to go to a place called Mo City, which was in the northern part of Hua Country and renowned for its tourism industry.

Winter was very cold, but summer was cool, with an average temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. It’s completely different from the scenery in Jiang City, which was in the southern part, and has its own charm compared to the bustling capital.

As for going abroad, they could wait until the children were a bit older. If they want to broaden their horizons with different experiences, they could always go abroad later. It’s better to explore the vast land of the country for now.

True wealth lies in knowledge and cultivation, not in how many places one visited or what one played with as a child.

The Qin family, as an old aristocratic family, has long had their own insights into children’s education.

During this time, the parents of the Qian and Liu families have undoubtedly learned a lot, so they have no objections to changing locations.

Liu Yanzhi’s grandfather felt more at ease knowing it was domestic travel. He also reminded himself that he wasn’t too old to move around and that traveling from the capital to the destination wouldn’t be too much trouble for him.

Since it had been a while since he last saw Liu Yanzhi, Grandpa Feng also wanted to see his grandson. So, they arranged to meet in Mo City.

Only Xu Wenyin was surprised when she found out it would be Mo City.

What a coincidence!

Because this was Xu Wenyin’s hometown, the real one’s hometown!

Xu Wenyin was born in Mo City, and her parents and grandparents were all native residents of Mo City.

Unfortunately, Xu Wenyin’s relationship with her relatives was indeed average.

Her mother passed away from illness when she was seven years old, and her father had an accident when she was ten. From then on, little Wenyin lived with her grandparents.

However, before she reached adulthood, her grandparents passed away one after another, and the same fate befell her maternal grandparents.

Because her mother married far away, Xu Wenyin wasn’t very familiar with her maternal relatives. Moreover, the relatives on the Xu family’s side considered Xu Wenyin an unlucky star, someone who brings bad luck to her family, so they treated her with not just indifference but also disdain.

During Spring Festival, whenever those relatives came to Grandpa Xu’s house for dinner, they wouldn’t allow Xu Wenyin to sit at the table with them, fearing she would bring bad luck.

So, after Xu Wenyin got into university, apart from going to Mo City every year to pay respects to her deceased parents and elders, she never went back to her hometown, not even during Spring Festival.

She basically worked outside to earn more money.

Until……

Xu Wenyin gave birth to Xu Youyou in Yu County before she passed away.

Initially, the police contacted Xu Wenyin’s uncles by phone, hoping they would adopt Xu Youyou.

Unfortunately, they hung up the phone before the police could even finish explaining the situation.

In the eyes of those relatives from the Xu family, they never wanted to have anything to do with Xu Wenyin, whom they considered an unlucky star. To them, she died, and that was it. But to have an unintended pregnancy and leave behind a daughter?

Such a disgrace!

They didn’t even consider whether they could afford to raise the child. This daughter caused her mother’s death right after being born, she must be an unlucky omen as well. Absolutely couldn’t be kept!

At that time, Yu County was overwhelmed with its own affairs, and everyone was too busy to deal with the situation of a newborn baby. So, they simply sent Xu Youyou to an orphanage.

After that, those relatives from the Xu family never came to ask or show any concern, as if Xu Wenyin never existed.

After becoming Xu Wenyin, the system never once thought about contacting those relatives.

The system wasn’t human. While the original Xu Wenyin might have felt a tinge of sadness for her relatives, the system simply disregarded them altogether.

She wasn’t lacking in love, so why bother finding any shameless relatives?

It’s best if they never bother each other for the rest of their lives, and they definitely shouldn’t come looking for her and Youyou!

But in the eyes of those relatives, Xu Wenyin should have been dead for several years. If they accidentally met……

Hahaha, it would definitely be hilarious! Maybe they would faint on the spot from the shock?

The matter of relatives flashed through Xu Wenyin’s mind, but she didn’t care or worry about it at all. Now, the bigger question was whether she should go with them or not.

If she goes, she had to be in public for about eight hours, subtracting roughly two and a half hours of her original time, she would need about five and a half hours, which was equivalent to 5.5 points.

If calculated for a week, which was seven days, that would be…… 38.5 points! Rounded up, it’s 40 points!

That’s almost one-third of the system’s total points.

No, no, absolutely not!

Finding an excuse to not go wasn’t difficult. Everyone knew she was a single mother and taking care of a child was hard work and time-consuming. But would Youyou feel lonely?

The other kids all have their family members with them, but she doesn’t have anyone.

【Wenyin, are you available to go?】

Qin Yiren privately chatted with Xu Wenyin.

【If it’s inconvenient, it’s okay. I will definitely take good care of Youyou!】

Xu Wenyin was deeply touched by her best friend’s thoughtfulness. She also believed that if she entrusted Xu Youyou to Qin Yiren, she would surely be well taken care of, but……

【A week won’t work, but can two days in the middle be okay?】

Xu Wenyin’s mind quickly provided the calculation.

On the day of their departure, Xu Wenyin figured she could take advantage of the free two-plus hours to accompany the others to the airport, then find a hotel nearby to check in after they left.

The next evening, she planned to use the remaining free time to fly to Mo City. Since it would be late at night, there wouldn’t be much need for entertainment. Just saying hello to Qin Yiren and the others would be sufficient. However, she estimated that the process would still require some points.

On the third day, she planned to spend the whole day playing with Youyou, which would consume around five to six points. Then, on the fourth day in the morning, she would use the remaining free time to stay at the airport on Mo City’s side. On the fifth day, she would fly back.

With all factors considered, at most, she would need one more point, totaling around seven to eight points, to ensure she could spend three days seeing Youyou. This plan also included one full day of spending time with her child.

Coming up with such a plan, she’s indeed a legendary time management master!

But if someone else knew Xu Wenyin’s thoughts at this moment, they would surely ask in surprise, ‘Why go to such lengths just to spend one day with the child? Isn’t it a waste of precious points? Who knows if there are more important things ahead? Is it worth it?’

‘It’s worth it!’ Xu Wenyin would definitely respond this way.

As long as she’s willing, then it’s worth it!

The Qin family also had a villa in Mo City. Qin Yiren instructed the butler there to prepare everything before they arrived.

The villa was spacious, so accommodating these few people wasn’t a problem at all.

They didn’t need to bring much else, just a few pieces of clothing would suffice. In fact, they could even go without, as Mo City had plenty of shops.

In short, for people like Qin Yiren, as long as they had their phones, that’s all they needed for the trip!

———pr

At the airport security checkpoint.

“See you, Mom~”

Carrying her little yellow duck backpack, Xu Youyou waved goodbye to Xu Wenyin with a smile.

Her mother said she’d come over tomorrow night, and they could chat on the plane later, so even if it was Xu Youyou’s first time flying, she wasn’t afraid at all.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of Youyou.” Qin Yiren held one hand of each child, without carrying any luggage, as if they were just going out for a stroll— no— she had even less with her than if she were going out for a stroll.

On the side, Mother Liu and Mother Qian also expressed their willingness to help.

In fact, it’s just for this segment of the journey on the plane. Once they landed, the Qin family’s butler would send people to pick them up, and at the villa, there were household staff to take care of everything. There’s really nothing much to worry about.

Even on the plane, they’re all seated in first class, with top-notch service.

“Thank you all for your help.” Xu Wenyin smiled and thanked everyone. She also mentioned in the group chat that she could only come over tomorrow night, and everyone understood.

Previously, Mother Liu and the others had suggested that Xu Wenyin hire a helper to ease her workload. Although they didn’t know the specifics of Xu Wenyin’s assets, they knew she had good computer skills and could earn a decent income online.

However, Xu Wenyin declined the suggestion.

Her reason was that she wasn’t accustomed to having strangers in her home, but in reality, it was because of her secrets.

This also leads to Xu Youyou sleeping alone at night. It was fine during the day when she was at daycare, but on weekends, she spent most of her time alone.

On the contrary, Xu Youyou looked forward to her daily training sessions and classes the most, including having meals together at Qin Yiren’s house, which made the little one even happier.

Because there were many people and it was lively.

Xu Youyou was a sensible child. She never complained about it and never pestered Xu Wenyin to accompany her.

Now, seeing Xu Youyou obediently waving goodbye, a sudden thought flashed through Xu Wenyin’s mind.

Would it have been better if she had found a family with both parents for Xu Youyou in the first place?

At this moment, she truly felt that her decision to lie and become Xu Youyou’s mother just to gain favorability was too hasty.

Not all adoptive parents were as bad as Zhou Weimin.

If she had been smarter and tried to thwart Zhou Weimin’s plans from the beginning, and then found a pair of kind-hearted, well-off parents for Xu Youyou, perhaps things wouldn’t be like they are now. She wouldn’t have to worry every day whether she had enough time to be a mother, and she wouldn’t have to occasionally lie and deceive people.

Xu Youyou couldn’t even fully enjoy going out to have fun.

She was such a good child, but because of one lie, she lost many aspects of a normal childhood.

Was this the price of lying that the teacher talked about back then?

She seemed to understand the true meaning of that warning now.

“Mom?”

As Xu Youyou walked into the security checkpoint and looked back to wave again, she noticed that Xu Wenyin seemed a bit absent-minded. What’s wrong with her mother? Was she too tired?

Unexpectedly, Xu Wenyin immediately regained her vitality the next moment and waved her hands vigorously toward Xu Youyou. “See you tomorrow, Youyou!”

“Uh-huh!”

Xu Youyou quickly dismissed Xu Wenyin’s fleeting expression as a figment of her imagination and happily walked forward hand in hand with Qin Yiren.

She wondered if her mother had ever been on a plane before. She made a mental note to tell her mother all about the experience of flying later!

———pr

“Wow~, it’s really not hot at all!”

After admiring the beautiful scenery in the sky, Xu Youyou felt the long-lost coolness as soon as she stepped out of the airport.

Because the summer in Jiang City was just too hot, the children had much less time to play outdoors.

When they went to training, they would break into sweat with just little movements, and the instructor didn’t dare to push them too hard.

But Mo City was completely different.

The temperature was just right, neither too cold nor too hot. Some people even wore long sleeves.

Afraid that the children might not adapt at once, the adults had them all wear an extra jacket before getting off the plane. Initially, Xu Youyou was worried it might be too hot, but she was surprised to find it very comfortable indeed.

“Mom, make sure to bring extra clothes tomorrow~”

After experiencing the magic of temperature firsthand, Xu Youyou never forgot to remind Xu Wenyin in her mind. Although her mother said she’s a fairy and wouldn’t get sick, but……

It’s still better to wear a little more!

“Got~ it~” Xu Wenyin replied, drawing out her words. She had already checked into the hotel next to the airport long before Xu Youyou and the others boarded the plane. She immediately returned to Xu Youyou’s mind.

Throughout the journey, she listened to the little one’s amazed exclamations.

She’s indeed a child, even a cloud could make her happy for a long time.

After getting into the car arranged by the butler, the group arrived at the Qin family’s villa in Mo City in no time.

The household staff there had everything prepared well in advance. They had barely gotten out of the car before the meal was ready, and there was plenty to eat, including local specialties from Mo City.

Xu Youyou particularly liked the sweet and sour pork dish, which was delicious!

The little one ate four pieces in one go. If it weren’t for Qin Yiren’s intervention, she probably would have kept eating.

“Mom, you must try this sweet and sour pork tomorrow! It’s so delicious!”

Watching Xu Youyou chewing on her food like a little hamster, Xu Wenyin smiled and said, 〖Definitely! Mom will learn how to make this dish later and cook it for Youyou when we come back, okay?〗

“Okay!”

Xu Youyou’s eyes lit up with a smile, which made Qin Yiren think she really liked the dish. She thought about asking the chef to make it again for dinner.

Although it’s a bit greasy, they don’t eat it every day, so having a few pieces occasionally shouldn’t be a problem.

———pr

In the afternoon, feeling a bit tired from the flight, they didn’t plan any activities and let the children take a nap first, while the adults chatted in the villa’s garden.

This cool weather was perfect for enjoying a little break with a cup of afternoon tea.

Liu Yanzhi’s grandfather’s plane was scheduled for three in the afternoon. Qin Yiren had already informed the butler earlier, and he would handle everything when the time came.

Unlike the lively Jiang City, as one traveled to Mo City, there was a sense of leisure permeating the air, as if everything had slowed down.

The three mothers lazily half-lay on the armchairs, inexplicably feeling as if they had stolen half a day of leisure. However, this sense of leisure was quickly shattered.

The butler hurried to the garden, speaking quickly but very clearly, “Miss, it seems that Little Miss Youyou isn’t feeling well. I’ve already arranged—”

The butler’s words were cut short because upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Qin Yiren quickly rushed towards the room where Xu Youyou was.

At noon, Lu Chenjun and Xu Youyou slept together. He was also the first to notice that Xu Youyou’s breathing sounded abnormal, so he quickly called for someone.

Seeing his mother approaching, Lu Chenjun became even more anxious. “Mom, Xiao Lu is sick!”

Looking at Xu Youyou lying on the bed, there was a slight abnormal flush on her small face, and her mouth was slightly open, emitting rapid breaths that were clearly audible.

Despite the commotion in the room, Xu Youyou showed no response at all.

Qin Yiren suddenly became anxious too!

“Where’s the doctor?!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the family doctor rushed in with a medicine box.

After taking Xu Youyou’s temperature, examining her tongue, and conducting several other procedures, the doctor indicated that it was a slight fever caused by the change of environment. He assured them that it wasn’t a major issue, but because Xu Youyou’s a child, they still needed to be cautious.

As she had briefly left the child’s side during her sleep, Xu Wenyin who returned to see Xu Youyou’s condition and heard the doctor’s words was extremely shocked!

Plane! Where’s the plane to Mo City right now? Where is it?!

If it weren’t for her remaining composure, Xu Wenyin would have directly performed a great show of transforming into a person right then and there!