Chapter 24 Part 2

Not only did Shen Qingqing find this amusing, but viewers in the live broadcast chat also began to mock Xu Xiang.

[Fans who were annoyed by Xu Xiang, come take a look! It’s rare to see Director Xu bootlicking like this.]

[Haha! I used to think Director Xu was fearless when dealing with celebrities, but now I see it was just because the past guests weren’t important enough!]

[So the strong-willed Director Xu has finally bowed to capitalist advertisers.]

[I took a screenshot! If my idol ever gets bullied by Director Xu again, I’ll post this picture of him groveling as revenge!]

[Why is everyone so focused on this middle-aged, balding Director Xu? Am I the only one noticing how gentle and polite Mr. Zhou is? He really carries himself like the heir of an aristocratic family, not some nouveau riche.]

[+1 to the comment above, I’m also swooning over Mr. Zhou’s face!]

Xu Xiang was smart enough to understand that Zhou Yexuan wanted some time alone with his family, so after a few more compliments, he excused himself. “Mr. Zhou, I won’t keep you any longer. It’s time for us to eat too, though unfortunately, we only have boxed lunches and instant noodles.”

As they watched Xu Xiang wobble down the stairs with his beer belly, Shen Qingqing thought to herself that, given his physique, having a big meal wouldn’t do him any good. He’d be better off eating a vegetable salad and taking a walk instead.

Once the production crew left, only Shen Qingqing, her family of three, and the set-up cameras remained on the observatory.

Zhou Jiayan, still in his growing years, had been energetic all day and was now starving. He ran over to the stone table, his eyes widening in delight at the feast. “Wow, this looks amazing!”

Despite his hunger, he was well-mannered and wouldn’t pick up his chopsticks without permission from the adults.

Seeing his eager expression, Zhou Yexuan couldn’t bear to make him wait any longer. “It’s getting late. Let’s start eating so the production team’s efforts don’t go to waste.”

Zhou Jiayan clapped his hands happily at this.

The three of them sat down around the stone table, forming a triangle, which naturally led to them sitting next to each other in pairs.

Shen Qingqing focused on her own food, while Zhou Yexuan’s attention was on Zhou Jiayan. Since he took great care in preparing the child’s meal, Shen Qingqing was happy to enjoy some peace and quiet.

The restaurant chosen by the program team was indeed excellent. The dishes were not only beautifully presented but also delicious. Even Shen Qingqing, who usually disliked noodles, found herself eating a few extra bites of the local specialty noodles.

Still, she felt a bit guilty about consuming too many carbohydrates, so to balance things out, she decided to eat some high-protein foods like blanched shrimp.

However, she had always found peeling shrimp too troublesome. Unlike some celebrities who made their assistants do it for them, she preferred either buying pre-peeled shrimp or avoiding them altogether.

As she glanced around, she noticed a plate of peeled shrimp next to Zhou Jiayan’s small bowl. Zhou Yexuan, usually so composed, had rolled up his sleeves and was meticulously peeling shrimp for his son.

His long, slender fingers moved skillfully, stained slightly pink by the shrimp juice. He peeled each one perfectly and placed them neatly on the plate.

But Zhou Jiayan was too busy gnawing on a chicken leg to eat the shrimp.

Shen Qingqing suddenly felt unfairly treated. Why did this little brat get freshly peeled shrimp while a beauty like her was ignored?

Of course, remembering how she had once stolen Zhou Jiayan’s ice cream and ended up with gastroenteritis that night—and with a stern figure like Zhou Yexuan here—she knew better than to steal food from the child again.

So, she decided to take another approach.

When Zhou Jiayan finished eating his chicken leg, Shen Qingqing smiled sweetly and asked, “Yanyan, who do you think contributed the most to today’s meal?”

Zhou Jiayan had no doubts and quickly replied, “The biggest contributor is definitely you. Yanyan knows this.”

Shen Qingqing nodded in satisfaction. “Since I contributed the most, shouldn’t you repay me?”

Because he was so happy today, and with his father around, Zhou Jiayan’s usual wariness of his stepmother lessened. The honest boy thought for a moment and realized that his stepmother had helped him win first place, yet he hadn’t thanked her properly.

So, Zhou Jiayan tilted his head, looked at Shen Qingqing with his big, round eyes, and asked, “How can I repay you?”

Shen Qingqing thought the little guy was quite tactful today, but she pretended to be calm and nonchalant. “Yanyan, it’s simple. I won’t make it hard for you. You don’t need to do anything difficult for me. Just peel ten shrimp for me.”

She didn’t directly say she wanted Zhou Yexuan to peel the shrimp. If she had, it would turn into a deal between her and Zhou Yexuan, which she wanted to avoid unless necessary.

Besides, Zhou Yexuan would likely reject her outright, embarrassing her in front of the cameras.

She trusted that Zhou Jiayan, with his usually sharp mind, would figure out the simplest solution—giving her the plate of shrimp peeled by Zhou Yexuan.

The audience in the live stream quickly caught on to Shen Qingqing’s intentions and began to comment:

[I think Shen Qingqing is tricking the kid into giving her the heart-shaped shrimp that his dad peeled.]

[Shen Qingqing is something else. Her husband peeled the shrimp, and instead of asking directly, she’s trying to get them through the kid.]

[I hope Yanyan won’t fall for it and makes her peel them herself. She’s not a three-year-old, why does she need pre-peeled shrimp?]

[Am I the only one who thinks Shen Qingqing is talking to Zhou Jiayan, but actually hinting at Mr. Zhou to peel shrimp for her?]

[This CPF thinks Qingqing is just acting coy to remind Mr. Zhou indirectly.]

[No matter her intentions, I hope Yanyan refuses her outright!]

Just as everyone was debating, little Zhou Jiayan did something unexpected.

He put down his chopsticks, stretched out his chubby little hands, picked up an unpeeled shrimp, and started peeling it himself.

He smiled shyly at Shen Qingqing. “Okay! Yanyan should really repay Mom. I’ll peel shrimp for you, but I’m not very good at it, so please don’t be grossed out.”

Then he began peeling. However, unlike Zhou Yexuan, who peeled whole, clean shrimp, Zhou Jiayan’s attempt was disastrous—tiny pieces, half-peeled shells, and a mess that made the shrimp look completely unappetizing.

As he peeled, he counted. “One, two… ten.”

After finishing the tenth shrimp, Zhou Jiayan sighed in relief. He handed the plate to Shen Qingqing, smiling shyly. “I know they don’t look great, but I tried my best.”

He even held out his little hands. “Look, my hands are all red from peeling the shrimp shells.”

Then he looked at Shen Qingqing with bright, expectant eyes, waiting for her to accept his “filial piety.”

Shen Qingqing’s smile froze.

Inside, she was screaming. On one hand, she found the child unbearably cute. On the other, she was frustrated—why had his usually smart brain become so stubborn at this moment?

Did he do this on purpose?

The audience in the live stream erupted into laughter.

[Genius move. He completely turned the tables on her.]

[Shen Qingqing didn’t expect the child to be so literal and peel them himself.]

[He’s very filial, but the end result is… yikes.]

[Will she eat them? Hahaha, this was her own request!]

Zhou Yexuan, who was sitting nearby, found the whole situation amusing. He had easily guessed Shen Qingqing’s plan and had even considered ways to stop Zhou Jiayan from giving away the shrimp he peeled.

But he hadn’t expected this unexpected “surprise.” When he saw Zhou Jiayan deliberately crushing the shrimp while peeling them, he knew the child had done it on purpose.

He glanced at Shen Qingqing with interest, waiting to see how she would handle the plate of shrimp.

Shen Qingqing didn’t want to accept it, but she was the one who had made the request, and the child had followed through. If she rejected it now, he would be sad.

She imagined his bright eyes dimming with disappointment and felt a pang of guilt.

Just a few days ago, she had already let little Yanyan down.

After hesitating for a long time, Shen Qingqing finally took the plate from Zhou Jiayan.

Looking at the broken, unappetizing shrimp, she closed her eyes in silent agony.

Her reaction delighted the audience once again.

[Hahaha, she totally played herself.]

[That face of regret is priceless.]

[I thought she would refuse, but she actually took them!]

[Don’t celebrate just yet—let’s see if she actually eats them.]

After Zhou Jiayan handed over the plate, Zhou Yexuan calmly took out a tissue and wiped his son’s sticky hands. Of course, he was still watching Shen Qingqing’s reaction from the corner of his eye.

So, what would she do?

Would she refuse? Or would she eat the messy, broken shrimp her son had so lovingly prepared?

Compared to his father’s subtle observation, Zhou Jiayan was much more direct. As his father wiped his hands, he kept his eyes fixed on Shen Qingqing and eagerly said, “Try them! See if they taste good! These are shrimp that Yanyan peeled with lots of love. I think they’ll taste even better!”

Shen Qingqing was shocked! She had originally thought that if no one was supervising, she could just leave it there. Besides, since this shrimp was prepared with so much love, why didn’t Zhou Jiayan give it to his dear father instead?

But in the end, it was her own idea, so she had to bear the consequences. She had always been someone who took responsibility for her actions.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Qingqing reminded herself that this was the child’s way of expressing kindness. So, she reached out with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of shrimp, and put it into her mouth.