The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 66: Annie Is Not an Idiot

[Why is the person above so harsh on a kid? Isn’t it enough for him to just grow up happy and healthy? Why place such high demands on a child?]

[I just called him dumb and that’s considered harsh? Naomi Kenway’s fans never let anyone speak the truth. Since he’s a celebrity’s child with resources ten thousand times better than an ordinary person, why can’t he just study hard?]

...

The other young guests had already formed a circle.

Ian Shaw hadn’t moved yet.

Carina Sanders came over and took Annie’s hand. "Annie, let’s go play the game together! I’ll stay with you!"

Simon Sawyer walked over and handed Ian Shaw a wildflower. "I remember you really like this kind of flower. Annie, come with us!"

Naomi Kenway looked at the current stalemate. She knew her son would never participate in games without a parent present; it was an act that made him feel extremely insecure.

This wasn’t something that could be changed in an instant.

Naomi Kenway could only encourage and comfort Ian Shaw. "Son, don’t be afraid. Mommy will stand right here and watch you. I won’t leave your side for a second."

Ian Shaw lifted his eyes.

The tour guide also walked over to persuade him. "Annie, look, the other kids are all ready. Uncle Dalton is sure you can complete the mission, right? Besides, Annie, if you can’t complete the mission, you and your mom will have to suffer in a broken-down house."

Ian Shaw suddenly became agitated. "I don’t want Mommy to suffer!"

With that, he walked over to where the other young guests were standing. He stood in his spot, completing the circle.

The tour guide was stunned for a moment, then praised him, "Annie is willing to work hard for his mom. Annie is a little warrior protecting his mom, right?"

Ian Shaw nodded, his round face full of determination. "Annie can protect Mommy! Annie is a little warrior!"

Naomi Kenway watched all this with a gratified smile and walked over to stand beside Ian Shaw.

The moment Naomi Kenway was standing by his side, Ian Shaw’s heart suddenly settled.

Ruby Preston tried to pull Naomi Kenway over. "Nicole, it’s better if we stand a little further away. If we’re too close, we might distract the children. It wouldn’t be good if they forget their lines halfway through."

Ian Shaw glanced nervously at Naomi Kenway.

"He’ll be fine. I’ll just stand here to give my son a sense of security." Naomi Kenway held out her hand. "Go for it, son!"

Ian Shaw reached out and gave Naomi Kenway a high-five.

Renee Jennings watched Ian Shaw with great interest for a moment. Suddenly, she felt a little relieved. ’Though Nathan Lynch can be a handful, at least he isn’t a "dumb kid" like Ian Shaw. As long as a child can bring her glory, he’s a good child.’

’Actually, she didn’t quite understand why so many people were persuading Ian Shaw to compete. In her view, it didn’t matter whether he competed or not, since the outcome was already set in stone.’

What Chelsea Raines noticed was the matching parent-child outfits Naomi Kenway and Ian Shaw were wearing. ’They look nice, sure, but there isn’t even a single logo on them.’

’Thinking of this, Chelsea Raines felt a trace of disdain. When she bought clothes for herself and her son, she only ever bought famous, big-name brands. Otherwise, wouldn’t that just lower her status? Naomi Kenway is so rich, she can’t be wearing generic brands because she’s short on money. That must mean she doesn’t care about Ian Shaw or the show at all.’

Chelsea Raines couldn’t help but tug her sleeve up, exposing her designer watch to the camera.

Meanwhile, the poetry competition was still underway.

At the beginning, everyone thought Ian Shaw wouldn’t be able to recite a single line of poetry, but not only did he answer, he did so fluently and without hesitation.

Renee Jennings’s expression shifted slightly. ’It seems Ian Shaw isn’t as useless as I thought.’

After four or five rounds, the first to be eliminated was Jared Woods.

Chelsea Raines led Jared Woods back, a look of disbelief on her face. "What happened? Didn’t I tell you to memorize them ahead of time? Did you just eat all those ancient poems you learned?"

Jared Woods said pitifully, "I’m hungry. I couldn’t think of anything but chicken drumsticks."

Chelsea Raines was furious. For a moment, she actually regretted reporting his chicken drumsticks.

But in front of her child, Chelsea Raines would never admit she was wrong. She just kept scolding him for being useless.

Three minutes later, Carina Sanders was also eliminated. Margaret Jennings pulled her into a hug and coaxed her gently, "It’s okay, Mommy’s darling Carina, you already did great!"

In the end, only Simon Sawyer, Nathan Lynch, and Ian Shaw remained.

Simon Sawyer was the oldest, and Nathan Lynch was usually exceptionally hardworking, so it wasn’t strange that those two could recite so many poems. The surprising one was Ian Shaw, who looked so dazed.

Finally, only Nathan Lynch and Ian Shaw were left in the competition.

Nathan Lynch hadn’t expected Ian Shaw to be able to recite so many poems. Sweat was already beading on his temples, but when he looked at Ian Shaw, the boy was still calm, his chubby face expressionless as he recited the poems without a single mistake.

’Remembering his mother’s instructions, Nathan Lynch grew more and more flustered. What if he failed? He couldn’t fail...’

But the more Nathan Lynch told himself to hold on, the more jumbled his thoughts became. He no longer dared to look at Renee Jennings’s expectant gaze. Mona lowered his head, his mind suddenly a complete blank. He couldn’t remember anything.

The tour guide asked, "Mona, can you remember any more?"

Nathan Lynch shook his head.

Finally, the tour guide took Ian Shaw’s hand and announced, "The final champion of the poetry competition is—Annie!"

Ian Shaw immediately threw himself into Naomi Kenway’s arms behind him. "Mommy, we don’t have to live in the broken-down house! Mommy, Annie will protect you forever!"

A warm feeling flowed through Naomi Kenway’s heart. She smiled and said, "Mommy’s Annie is the best!"

"Wow! Annie is so amazing!" Carina Sanders praised, clapping her hands.

[Who was it that said Annie isn’t smart? Isn’t his huge vocabulary of ancient poetry proof enough?]

[Annie is a dark horse! Naomi Kenway is so low-key. Any other celebrity would have been bragging about it three times a day!]

[My darling Annie is not only cute but also so smart. I love him even more!! Of course, no matter what, this aunty will always love you, Annie!]

[Reciting ancient poetry only shows he has a good memory, right? You can’t say he’s smart!]

...

With a WAH, Nathan Lynch suddenly burst into tears without any warning.

Renee Jennings was startled by him. "What’s wrong, Mona?"

She was sulking because Mona hadn’t taken first place, but facing the camera, she still coaxed him, "It’s okay, Mona. Mommy believes you can definitely win first place next time!"

"I lost... I lost..."

[Mona is too fragile, isn’t he? It’s just a loss, right? None of the other kids are crying.]

[Mona is just obsessed with saving face. I guess he can’t handle losing. I’m not a big fan of kids like that.]

[Why do I feel like this is all Renee Jennings’s fault? She’s the one who kept drilling the idea that he must win into Nathan Lynch’s head, which is why Mona can’t accept it when he loses.]