Chapter 30 Part 1

Perhaps because of the news that Zhou Yexuan was going to stay in China permanently, Shen Qingqing had a restless night.

She dreamt of many different scenarios. In her dreams, the usually handsome yet cold man would turn into a lustful demon and pounce on her. Though it wasn’t enough to wake her multiple times, it still took a toll on her mental state.

After a restless night, Shen Qingqing was finally woken up by Zhou Jiayan, who was sleeping beside her. The little boy’s hair was messy, with two strands sticking up. “Wake up, it’s already 7:30. We’re going to be late!”

“It’s only 7:30? That’s early,” Shen Qingqing mumbled sleepily. She wanted to sleep a little longer, but logic reminded her that they were still filming the show, and today was the last day.

With Zhou Jiayan’s urging, she finally got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes.

Shen Qingqing, who always prided herself on her appearance, was horrified. She was always perfect, but now there was a flaw!

And it was all because of Zhou Yexuan! It was his fault for telling her last night that he was moving back and rambling about “getting along well.” He had caused her nightmares all night.

In an instant, countless thoughts filled Shen Qingqing’s mind. She had to find a way to get revenge!

Of course, she couldn’t let herself appear on camera with dark circles under her eyes. Normally, she preferred light makeup, but today, she took out her foundation and concealer to cover up the imperfections.

However, this made little Zhou Jiayan, who was waiting to go out, very anxious.

He checked his watch and urged Shen Qingqing. Seeing her still calmly applying mascara, he said impatiently, “We’ll be late in ten minutes.”

Shen Qingqing turned to look at the anxious child and said calmly, “Alright, alright, don’t rush me. I won’t be late. And as a gentleman, how can you be so impatient when waiting for a woman?”

Zhou Jiayan groaned, “This has nothing to do with being a gentleman. We just have to be on time.”

Getting lectured by a child, Shen Qingqing gave in and quickened her pace, finishing her makeup in five minutes.

In fact, she had already calculated the time and knew she wouldn’t be late—she would arrive just on time. But since the child was so anxious, she decided to accommodate him.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed her makeup wasn’t perfect. If she had more time, she could have done better. However, seeing how anxious Zhou Jiayan was, she decided to let it be. After all, she was a mother.

Today, Shen Qingqing and Zhou Jiayan were wearing matching mother-son outfits—yellow sportswear covered in small mushroom patterns, making them look very cute.

The two walked into the living room and saw that everyone else had already arrived and was almost done with breakfast.

Even Xie Bing and his mother, who were usually the last to arrive, had already eaten most of their meal. Xie Bing’s chubby son even let out a loud burp.

Seeing them enter, Xie Bing joked, “Haha, for once, we’re not the last ones today. I thought Junjun and I were the only ones who liked sleeping in, but it seems like you two do as well.”

Xie Bing looked at them with a sense of camaraderie.

Shen Qingqing didn’t mind his comment since she did enjoy sleeping in. The only reason she had been getting up early these past two days was that she had been sleeping well.

However, Zhou Jiayan, who was always disciplined, couldn’t accept being seen this way. He glanced at Shen Qingqing with a hint of resentment.

Yesterday, he was seen as a smart and mature kid, and today, he had turned into a lazy one who nearly arrived late for class.

Shen Qingqing felt the weight of Zhou Jiayan’s gaze but considered herself innocent in the matter. If anyone was to blame, it was her ex-husband for calling so late at night.

If Zhou Jiayan wanted revenge, Shen Qingqing wouldn’t mind helping him.

Of course, Shen Qingqing felt the need to explain. After all, she hadn’t stayed in bed on purpose. “Sister Xie Bing, I didn’t sleep well last night. It was because Yanyan’s father called us so late at night.”

She had nightmares the whole night, but she didn’t mention that part.

As soon as she spoke, everyone around her looked at her strangely.

Shen Qingqing was confused. Did she say something wrong?

Finally, Xie Bing laughed and said, “Haha, I know you and Yanyan’s father have only been married for less than two years. It’s normal for a young couple. We understand.”

Xie Bing’s smile became even more ambiguous.

Shen Qingqing’s eyes widened—she had been completely misunderstood!

Meanwhile, the audience in the live broadcast room started laughing.

[Wow, I didn’t expect to be fed this much romance so early in the morning.]

[Wait, didn’t Mr. Zhou leave the day before yesterday? Why is he calling already?]

[I remember last night, after Mr. Zhou called Yanyan, Shen Qingqing turned off the live stream, saying it was private. I was wondering what secrets he could be telling a child, but now it makes sense!]

[So Yanyan was just an excuse? Mr. Zhou’s real reason for calling was his wife.]

[See? The couple I ship is totally real!]

Shen Qingqing wanted to say something, but she realized that trying to explain would only make things worse.

So, she decided to keep quiet and eat.

Luckily, the mission was about to start. Zhou Jiayan, who prioritized the task ahead, ignored Shen Qingqing’s laziness and ran to the breakfast table to get food. He quickly finished eating.

Seeing this, Shen Qingqing sighed internally. Kids really are hard to control once they grow up.

She then walked to the table, served herself a bowl of porridge, took two eggs and a plate of side dishes, and started eating at a steady pace.

Her posture was elegant, but her eating speed was not slow, so when Director Xu Xiang entered the room and announced that breakfast was over and the day’s task was starting, Shen Qingqing had just finished. She put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a tissue.

Then, she smiled at Zhou Jiayan, who had finished eating several minutes earlier, and proudly said, “I told you not to worry, but you didn’t believe me. See? I wasn’t late. I guess I have great time management skills.”

Zhou Jiayan clenched his fists, turned his head, and said nothing. It was obviously because of him that she wasn’t late!

Out in the courtyard of the Zhuangyuan Mansion, Xu Xiang held a loudspeaker and announced, “The first episode of the show has entered the final recording stage. Today is our last mission. I hope everyone can stay in top form and give it their best.”

“Over the past few days, you have experienced the culture and customs of Zhuangyuan Town, but this place is also an important agricultural and livestock production base. So today, we will head outside the city and witness the journey of food from the land to the table with our own hands.”

No one was surprised by Xu Xiang’s announcement. In last season’s show, the production team had taken the guests to explore mountains and the sea. Today, they were heading to the farmland.

However, Xu Xiang’s next words left everyone dumbfounded.

“I believe the young guests are already comfortable with their mothers and have formed a great bond. So, today, we will be switching things up—everyone will take turns caring for a different child!”

[The production crew is at it again. I knew today wouldn’t be that simple.]

[I think some children might not be able to go to the fields even with their mothers there. The production team even switched the mothers!]

[Xu Xiang just wants to cause trouble. You can tell he enjoys watching kids cry and mothers panic.]

[I believe the production team wants the children to experience different parenting styles, and for the mothers to understand other kids. People are overthinking it.]

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s eyes widened. The children looked upset. Ao Liangjun, the most mischievous one, clung to Xie Bing’s leg, crying, “Mom, I don’t want to leave you!”

Song Yiyi immediately burst into tears, and the other children didn’t look happy either.

Shen Qingqing glanced down at Zhou Jiayan, expecting a reaction. However, his little face remained calm, as if he wasn’t at all bothered by their impending separation.

The words she had planned to use to comfort him got stuck in her throat. This little brat! Did he not care about being with her?

She suddenly felt a little hurt. Had her efforts in the past few days been wasted?

Zhou Jiayan, unaware of his stepmother’s complicated thoughts, remained composed. Unlike the other children, he didn’t see a big deal in being apart for a few hours. They would reunite once the task was done.

However, as he watched other mothers crouch down to comfort their kids, he felt a slight envy.

Would his stepmother comfort him too?

He turned his head quietly, glancing up at Shen Qingqing, only to find her standing stiffly, looking completely unbothered.

As expected, she didn’t care about him at all. She wasn’t even a little worried about being separated. Considering how affectionate she was towards Shi Shuang yesterday, she probably wished for a soft and sweet little girl instead.

Thinking of this, Zhou Jiayan felt a bit annoyed.

Regardless of the guests’ willingness, the task had to proceed.

The mothers and children drew lots to determine their pairings for the day. The results were:

Shen Qingqing & Liang Tianyi Shen Linyan & Ao Liangjun Xie Bing & Ying Shishuang Mo Man & Song Yiyi Cui Xia & Zhou Jiayan

Some were happy, while others were disappointed.

The happiest was Xie Bing. She immediately hugged Ying Shishuang tightly. “I always wanted a sweet little princess, but ended up with a naughty boy like Ao Liangjun.”

Seeing his mother, who had just been comforting him, now grinning ear to ear, the chubby boy protested, “Mom, you’re bullying me! Am I still your lovely baby?”

Xie Bing, still holding Ying Shishuang, laughed. “I finally have a little princess!”

Everyone around them chuckled knowingly.

Shen Linyan also smiled, but inside, she was annoyed. Why was she paired with the most troublesome kid?

She knew she wasn’t the most patient person. Even dealing with the obedient Liang Tianyi sometimes tested her limits, let alone a little troublemaker like Ao Liangjun.

Most importantly, Liang Tianyi was paired with Shen Qingqing. She recalled how Shen Qingqing won Liang Tianyi over at the Italian restaurant with just a few words. Would she try to brainwash him again?

But since the results were set, she had no choice but to accept them and suppress her irritation.