Chapter 9

After shopping, Shen Qingqing was finally a bit tired. She smiled and said to Yan Li, “Manager Yan, that’s it for today. Please help me send these things back. We can find a place to eat later.”

Yan Li is skilled at reading people’s expressions. Although Mrs. Zhou doesn’t show it, she dotes on her son, as evidenced by the large number of clothes she bought today.

It seems that Mrs. Zhou plans to spend time alone with her son, and as a well-mannered person, Yan Li decides not to disturb them.

She nodded and said, “Okay, Mrs. Zhou, we will go do other things first. Don’t worry, we’ll deliver everything you bought today to your house without missing anything.”

Shen Qingqing finally felt relieved when she saw the mall staff leave with her purchase.

At first, she appreciated the VIP service, but soon felt overwhelmed, as if she were letting the staff down by not spending more.

Shen Qingqing felt a pain in her feet and sat down with Zhou Jiayan to rest.

Opening her phone, she began reviewing photos of Zhou Jiayan taken today.

Zhou Jiayan really looked great in the photos. Shen Qingqing thought that if she weren’t a star, she’d enjoy being a baby blogger.

She then opened Weibo, which she had rarely used since arriving. She selected nine photos and posted them in a nine-square grid.

Her haters immediately began to criticize her.

[Yo, posting photos of my kids now to look good.]

[The child is cute, but you are disgusting.]

[Don’t post it, or I might start insulting the kid.]

But before they could continue, they were flooded with comments from “baby-raising” fans.

[Ahhh, Yanyan is so cute!]

[Shen Qingqing is also good at taking photos! She looks better than in the live broadcast.]

[Cute baby, mua!(╯3╰), I also hope Qingqing will share more in the future.]

The haters were left stunned. What was happening? Had the situation changed?

Of course, Shen Qingqing didn’t have time to read the comments. She remembered her “cheap husband” and the promise she made to him last night to take good care of Zhou Jiayan. She thought it would be perfect to send him these photos now.

She opened WeChat and saw that Zhou Yexuan’s contact was pinned to the top, making it easy to find.

Zhou Yexuan’s profile picture is a formal photo of him in a suit and tie, which looks serious and imposing. His name is also his real name.

Shen Qingqing didn’t want to communicate much with her “cheap husband,” so she quickly selected a few photos of Zhou Jiayan and sent them to him, along with a message:

Qingqing: I took Yanyan out shopping today and bought her a lot of cute clothes. It’s nice to change the style occasionally.

After waiting five minutes and receiving no reply, Shen Qingqing was happy. As expected, such a busy man didn’t often check WeChat, so she didn’t have to worry about awkward conversation.

Just as she opened a review website to look for a place to eat tonight, she felt a small hand poking her back.

Turning around, she saw Zhou Jiayan, who seemed to want to say something but was hesitant.

Zhou Jiayan, a polite and reserved child, found it difficult to urge someone, as it felt impolite. But after thinking about what happened at the amusement park, he wondered if his stepmother might make another excuse not to go.

After some hesitation, he finally spoke up, “You promised me you’d take me to the figurine store.”

Shen Qingqing seemed to suddenly remember. She patted her forehead and said, “I almost forgot. It’s only an hour before dinner. Let’s make it quick.”

She poked Zhou Jiayan’s puffed-up little cheeks and teased, “Little idiot, just say what you want to say. Don’t hesitate. It’s troublesome to keep guessing.”

With that, she stood up, grabbed Zhou Jiayan’s hand, and led him to the toy store downstairs. Zhou Jiayan, feeling the warmth of her hand, lowered his head, wondering if he should just speak directly…

The model shop was large and offered a variety of items, but Shen Qingqing had little interest in anime or games, so she felt a bit bored.

However, when she turned around, she saw Zhou Jiayan smiling widely, genuinely happy. His usual mature and composed demeanor had disappeared, and he acted like a true five-year-old, happily hugging toys and pressing his face against the glass windows to admire them.

This sight made Shen Qingqing laugh out loud, but she wasn’t a “perfect mother.” When Zhou Jiayan was having the most fun, after choosing several figurines, she said, “You can only get one figurine for your effort today. Choose which one you want.”

At these words, Zhou Jiayan’s bright smile quickly faded.

He realized his stepmother couldn’t be so kind.

When the viewers in the live broadcast room saw this, some of them laughed while others expressed sympathy.

[Hahaha, is Zhou Jiayan’s happiness turning into sorrow?]

[Zhou Jiayan: The adults’ tricks are too deep!]

[Wow, my baby, Yanyan, please be my child. Internet Mommy wants to give you the entire figurine store!]

Zhou Jiayan was stunned for a moment before speaking again, “You’re bullying me! How can you only buy one?”

Shen Qingqing felt no guilt. She had left enough room when she first promised, and said, “I only said I’d take you to the figurine store if you changed your clothes. I never promised I’d buy you anything. I’m very kind to buy you a figurine now.”

Zhou Jiayan, with his sharp memory, quickly recalled Shen Qingqing’s words and realized he had been tricked.

He clenched his fists, feeling hopeless. Even though he was only five years old, he now understood that the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie.

He wanted to explode, but he had to admit he was stupid for not noticing the loophole in Shen Qingqing’s words.

A few minutes later, Zhou Jiayan loosened his fists. With a look of grief and indignation, he began returning the figurines in his basket to their original places.

Seeing Zhou Jiayan’s expression, Shen Qingqing felt a bit guilty. Had she made him learn the cruelty of life too soon?

When Shen Qingqing noticed Zhou Jiayan struggling to choose between the last two Ultraman figures in the basket, an idea crossed her mind.

It would be better to trade one of the figures for a “little child laborer,” as it seemed like a great deal.

With a smile, Shen Qingqing asked, “Yanyan, do you want both of these?”

Zhou Jiayan looked up at her with eyes full of longing but denied it politely, saying, “I’m just deciding which one is better.”

Amused, Shen Qingqing squatted down to meet his gaze. “You can only get one figurine for your afternoon labor, but if you help me with one more thing, I’ll get both. How about that?”

Zhou Jiayan, though doubtful of his stepmother’s proposal, couldn’t resist wanting both figures. “What do I need to do?”

Shen Qingqing, sensing his impatience, quickly explained, “If you pack our luggage for the trip tonight, you can have the other figure. Sound good?”

Zhou Jiayan hesitated but, eager for the two figures, nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, I promise.”

He looked so pitiful, as though he had sacrificed a lot.

Shen Qingqing bought both figures, but when they were ready to leave, Zhou Jiayan insisted on carrying them himself, refusing to let go of the Ultraman figures.

“Yanyan is a little man, he can carry them himself.”

Looking at his determined expression, Shen Qingqing felt helpless. He didn’t seem tired at all.

She thought back to her own childhood when she won first place in a dance competition. Her parents had rewarded her with a Barbie doll, which she held tightly until she got home and carefully placed in a locker.

Forget it, if the child wants to carry them, so be it.

After purchasing the figures, Shen Qingqing took Zhou Jiayan to a favorite Italian restaurant.

However, as they entered, she was surprised to see a familiar face—the heroine of the book, Shen Linyan.