Twenty minutes later, everyone confirmed their tasks and left the courtyard, heading in all directions.
"Miao Miao, did you notice? An'an has been following you." Cui Mantong said to Fang Miao Miao, carrying a small bamboo basket.
Fang Miao Miao turned around and, as Cui Mantong had said, Wen Yan'an had been trailing behind her since they left the courtyard.
She didn't believe this little brat missed her. After all, she knew very well that the little brat didn't have much affection for her original self.
When she was reading in her previous life, she had quite liked Wen Yan'an. The child was very intelligent. Although he didn't study university courses at five or become a famous hacker at seven, he was significantly more advanced than his peers.
However, as the saying goes, when God closes a door, he often opens a window. Wen Yan'an was intelligent, but quiet. More accurately, he was emotionally detached. He didn't feel much for anyone, including his father, Wen Zhiyan.
She felt sorry for this little guy when reading the novel, but now she was part of the situation. Frankly, she didn't believe she could use her love to "reform" the child and make him as lively as other children.
The best state for her and Wen Yan'an was to be like ordinary people. She felt this was best for everyone, which was why she decided to be a "lazy" stepmother.
"Miao Miao, why don't we ask him?" Cui Mantong felt a bit awkward at this moment. She thought Miao Miao's relationship with her stepson wouldn't be as disharmonious as rumored online, but now it seemed to be just as the rumors suggested.
"Little friend Wen Yan'an, are you lost?"
Wen Yan'an stood on the ladder and looked up at Fang Miao Miao, who was much taller than him. "No, I know the way."
Fang Miao Miao raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were reluctant to leave me, so you followed me."
"You!" Wen Yan'an's eyes widened, and he looked at the smiling woman before him in disbelief. How had he never noticed how thick-skinned this woman was before?
"What about me?" Fang Miao Miao's teasing spirit resurfaced. "Am I wrong?"
"Not at all." Wen Yan'an snorted and turned his head. "Books say that standing high allows one to see far. If I go to the mountain, I can quickly see the paths of the entire village."
A hint of surprise and admiration flashed in Fang Miao Miao's eyes, but she still bent down and whispered a few words in Wen Yan'an's ear.
"You, you, you." Wen Yan'an gritted his teeth and clenched his chubby fists. After saying, "I don't want to talk to you," he ran off.
His appearance and his retreating back looked like a hasty escape.
[Does anyone understand lip-reading? Tell me what Fang Miao Miao said to An'an.]
[Me, me, me, I saw it.]
[I'll trade ten years of my roommate's single life for this lip-reading.]
[I saw it too! I recorded it and replayed it repeatedly. Guess what Fang Miao Miao said?]
[Hurry up and tell us! Don't make me kneel and beg you!]
[I guess she said something like, 'Little one, your ears are red?']
[Bingo, that's exactly what she said.]
[So, little An'an is shy?]
[Definitely. Look at that fleeing back. When the online version comes out, watch closely. Little An'an's ears are red all over. So cute.]
"Miao Miao, you did that on purpose," Cui Mantong said, looking at Wen Yan'an's retreating figure, suddenly enlightened. "You're quite mischievous."
"Children, aren't they just for playing with?" Fang Miao Miao grinned mischievously. "Don't you think he's cuter when he's like this than when he's so composed?"
Cui Mantong stroked her chin, a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Suddenly, she clapped her hands. "I think you're right. Sisi at home is also like that, very refined and looks like a little adult. She's not fun at all."
"Right? Children grow up fast. If you don't play with them now, you won't have the chance later."
The two women whispered to each other for a long time, then exchanged smiles, as if they had reached some sort of agreement.
[These two women don't look like good people.]
[Children are for playing? Hahaha, I agree too. I have nothing to do at home all day and I love teasing my kids. They're so much fun.]
[It's one thing for FMM to pick on her stepson alone, but she's even instigating others. That's disgusting.]
[Her intentions are obvious to everyone. Children are for playing? Of course, they're not playing with their own children. The most venomous heart belongs to a woman. Fang Miao Miao's heart is more poisonous than the five poisons.]
Under the strong offensive of the anti-fans, the passers-by tacitly fell silent.
Guided by the staff, Fang Miao Miao and Cui Mantong found Wen Yan'an sitting on a pavilion, holding a small stone and murmuring softly.
"Not to mention, An'an is really smart."
Fang Miao Miao smiled knowingly. "He is indeed quite smart."
He just wasn't very willing to communicate with others. She was already wondering if her cheap husband, Wen Zhiyan, agreed to let her bring Wen Yan'an to the variety show to help him overcome his reluctance to be around others.
Logically, he should be in school at five, but she had never read anything in the books about Wen Yan'an attending school.
"I've memorized it."
As the two were chatting happily, Wen Yan'an's voice suddenly cut in.
"Memorized it?" Cui Mantong was somewhat surprised. After all, although Hongshan Village had many left-behind children and elderly people, there were quite a few winding paths in the village.
How could he have memorized them all in such a short time?
"Let's go."
Fang Miao Miao glanced at him and asked slowly, "Go where?"
"Isn't your task to prepare dinner ingredients?" Wen Yan'an said, pursing his lips.
"What's the hurry?" Fang Miao Miao patted the stone bench of the pavilion. "Come, sit. This beautiful scenery, wouldn't it be a shame not to appreciate it?"
"Aren't you afraid of losing?" Wen Yan'an remembered that her favorite thing was to compete with others, and she had to win in everything. In the past, she would never have had time to sit here leisurely.
"Lose what?" Fang Miao Miao let out a scoff, propping her chin with one hand, her gaze fixed on the sky outside the pavilion.
Blue sky and white clouds.
The distant mountains rose and fell in a continuous chain, giving a feeling of vastness and comfort, as if any difficulty was insignificant in the face of these mountains.
"So comfortable."
Outside the pavilion, the sun blazed, while inside, a gentle breeze mingled with the scorching heat of the sun.
Cui Mantong, after sighing, suddenly remembered something. "Tsk, what a pity. I wonder what Sisi is up to now."
"Why don't you go find your child?"
Cui Mantong shook her head without even thinking, resigned. "Forget it. With the care of the production team, Sisi should be fine. I trust the production team."
Wen Yan'an, sitting up straight beside them, looked at the two who had already forgotten their task and shook his head helplessly. A maturity not belonging to his age appeared on his chubby baby face: Is someone not only getting lazy but also trying to make everyone around them lazy?