The Useless Stepmom Brings Her Kids to Reality TV Shows to Photograph Them

117 That Harmless Face

“Yes, I’ll tell Jiejie about that.” Li Yanchen flicked Lin Wan’s forehead gently. “Mrs. Li, you worry a lot about a lot of things.”

“Fine. I am going to go back to sleep now. Go and tell Tutu and Jiejie. They will be together.”

“I’ll go now.”

Tutu and Li Zekai were tired of playing. They sat on the small stones by the pond.

“Jiejie, my grandma wants to invite your family to our place for a meal. Can you come with your family after I come back from my father’s place? I will be there for three days.” Tutu didn’t like Xu Xiaoxiao but he missed his father. He wanted to listen to his father tell him stories before he went to sleep at night.

“Is that where your dad and Auntie Xu Xiaoxiao live? So, it will be just the three of you?” Jiejie was concerned.

“Yes. Grandma Wen will cook for us. Dad said he can’t be home during the day because of work so he can only accompany me at night. Xu Xiaoxiao will accompany me during the day.” Tutu’s head lowered.

Li Yanchen approached and sat in front of the two children. “Jiejie, tell Tutu about what you and Auntie Lin found out. About the milk powder.”

Li Zekai explained everything to Tutu. The child was stunned.

Tutu started crying. “Am I going to die, Jiejie?”

Li Zekai calmed him down. “Don’t cry. If you cry, bad people will find out.”

“Daddy, before we left, Auntie Lin said that we have a very mysterious mission today. Is it to beat up bad people?” Li Zekai imagined himself as a hero and rubbed his little hands.

‘What was he thinking about?’ Li Yanchen knocked on his youngest son’s forehead.

“Listen to me, both of you. Tutu, you are going to your dad’s place tomorrow, right? Don’t make a fuss. Don’t drink any milk powder she gives you. When the surveillance camera is installed in the living room, Xu Xiaoxiao will still give you milk powder. You just pretend to drink it, alright? When she isn’t looking, spit it out in a Tupperware and hide it in the living room. The next day, call Jiejie and invite him over to your grandma’s house to play cricket.” Li Yanchen was sure that Xu Xiaoxiao would attempt to give Tutu milk powder once again. He needed to find evidence. Without evidence, Su Wei would never believe that Xu Xiaoxiao meant to harm Tutu.

“Tutu won’t die if he drinks milk powder again, right?” Tutu was worried.

“Just pretend to drink it. Don’t swallow it. Then, spit it into a bottle, or a Tupperware and hide it. You can throw the rest away,” instructed Li Zekai.

“Don’t be afraid, Tutu,” said Li Zekai, trying to comfort his friend. “You like detective games, right? Just think of it like a game. If you succeed and do it properly, you can expose the bad Auntie and she will be gone from your life.”

Li Yanchen and Li Zekai comforted Tutu. After a while, Tutu said, “Alright.”

At The Sweetheart Inn, Xia Mo started the live broadcast without Lin Wan. Since the netizens had already seen her face once before, she didn’t bother to hide it.

[I thought the channel would stop broadcasting. Thank god, it’s back!]

[Ahhhh, why is it only Xia Mo? Where’s Xiao Huan?]

“Hello everyone! Something came up so Xiao Huan had to leave. It will be only me, today,” Xia Mo explained.

[Xiao Huan is gone? We know we were out of line. We are very sorry. It won’t happen again. Please ask Xiao Huan to come back once again.]

“Xiao Huan will be back. She had a pressing engagement at the last minute. Don’t worry, she will be back tomorrow,” Xia Mo responded.

“We are making the Caramel Cheesecake today. I might not be able to reply to the comments in time. Please be patient.”

[Okay. Sister, you can start.]

[I believe that Xiao Huna will not go back on her word.]

[Xia Mo, will this cake be at the shop for sale? Can we book it online?

“Yes, of course. You can book a spot,” said Xia Mo, while kneading the dough.

Without Lin Wan, the number of people online had been reduced by half. Xia Mo persisted until the end. She signed off and then called Lin Wan.

Lin Wan was eating barbecued meat on the Tree Hill, plugged the earphones in her ears and walked to the side to accept the call.

“The live stream was not as good without you. There were only a few people today. Are you still at the Tree Hill?”

“Yes. We are having a barbecue. I will be returning early tomorrow morning. Do you mind coming to my house to do the livestream?”

“I absolutely don’t mind. I want to learn from you so I will follow you anywhere.” Royal Water Bay Villas were very near to her shop. Xia Mo was willing to follow Lin Wan even if it was another city.

“Alright. See you tomorrow.”

Xu Xiaoxiao had held herself back all afternoon. She finally decided to approach Lin Wan and talk a little.

“Lin Wan, have a taste of this! They roasted a few skewers of pork.”

Lin Wan hesitated for a moment. She had been ignoring Xu Xiaoxiao. It wasn’t because she was unfamiliar with her. When she looked at Xu Xiaoxiao’s seemingly harmless face and remembered the milk powder incident, it boiled her blood.

“It’s quite delicious.” Xu Xiaoxiao held the pork belly and tried her best to be polite.

“Wanwan,” called Li Yanchen. He knew what was going on in her mind, so he gave her a look.

“Ah, Li Yanchen is calling me. Thank you for the skewer,” said Lin Wan and walked away toward the children.

“Brother, your wife is very aloof. Xu Xiaoxiao took the initiative to make conversation and Lin Wan just ignored her. She didn’t seem too happy about it,” said Su Wei, standing up for Xu Xiaoxiao.

Xu Xiaoxiao tugged at the man’s clothes, trying to get him to stop talking.

“My wife is not very talkative. It’s her nature. You already know her from the Lan Village. We only gathered here because of the children,” said Li Yanchen, defending Lin Wan.

Su Wei’s words made Xu Xiaoxiao even more embarrassed.

“Don’t say anything anymore.” Xu Xiaoxiao bit her lips.

“Daddy, are the chicken wings ready?” Li Zekai’s arrival eased the awkward atmosphere.

Li Yanchen looked at the smoking wings. “Almost.”

“It smells so good!” exclaimed Li Zekai, taking one.

“Be careful. It’s hot,” warned Li Yanchen.

“Jiejie, come here quickly! Aunt Lin’s rabbit looks good,” Tutu shouted.

Lin Wan sat among the children and casually picked a few green foxtails to make them into the shape of rabbits. When she was young, she would go to the fields with her grandmother and the ridges would be filled with green foxtails. Her grandmother would always pick a few to make rabbits for her. Lin Wan learned how to do it, too.

The green foxtail was soft, and the little rabbit she had made swayed in Tutu’s hand.

Tutu raised the rabbit to show Li Zekai.

...

“They really look like little bunnies!” Li Zekai exclaimed. “Auntie Lin, make a few more!”

Li Zexuan and Li Zexin had only seen Lin Wan gather a few foxtails a moment ago. They hadn’t expected a rabbit to be made out of them. Although it was just a simple rabbit that anyone could make in an arts and craft class, they felt it was different because it was made by Lin Wan

Li Zexuan wanted a rabbit for himself, too. But he was embarrassed to admit it. He wasn’t a child, after all. When Lin Wan came up to him to give him one, he raised his chin.

“So childish,” he said briskly.

Lin Wan pulled back her hands but Li Zexuan had already grabbed the small foxtail rabbit from her hands. “I will accept it since you worked so hard to make it.”