The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 22: Establishing a Genius Persona

Since she didn’t have to scramble for breakfast, Naomi Kenway didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn, allowing herself the rare indulgence of sleeping in.

The clock read eight o’clock when Naomi Kenway opened her eyes. To her surprise, Ian Shaw was already awake, staring quietly at her with his big, beautiful eyes.

When he saw Naomi Kenway was awake, he gave her a sweet smile. His voice was soft and a little drowsy. "Mommy, good morning~"

"Did you sleep well last night?" Naomi Kenway couldn’t resist giving his soft, smooth cheek a gentle squish. It felt wonderful.

"I did." Ian Shaw thought back seriously. "I had a dream."

Naomi Kenway’s interest was piqued. "What kind of dream?"

"I dreamed about a gigantic beetle! It was my best friend, and we explored a jungle together!"

’The world of a child is always so strange and adorable,’ Naomi Kenway thought with a smile. "Is that right? That sounds pretty great. Congratulations on your new beetle friend."

"Alright, now we need to figure out what to do for breakfast." After putting on her jacket, Naomi Kenway asked him, "Annie, can you get dressed by yourself?"

"I can! Annie is a big boy!"

Naomi Kenway got out of bed. "Okay, Mommy’s going to go get breakfast ready."

When she reached the dining table, she found it already laden with a sumptuous spread of four dishes and two soups. It was completely unexpected; Naomi Kenway recalled that the previous day’s breakfast had just been steamed buns.

"Today’s breakfast is quite the spread."

The cameraman replied with a smile, "It’s the winner’s prize, after all. We couldn’t be too cheap with it."

Just as Naomi Kenway finished ladling out some soup, she saw Ian Shaw walking over, rubbing his eyes.

"All washed up?"

Ian Shaw opened his mouth, revealing a set of pearly white teeth. "Brushed them super clean."

"You’re so amazing, Annie! Just like a little grown-up!" Naomi Kenway praised him generously.

After breakfast, Naomi Kenway went to wash the dishes. When she returned to their room, she found Ian Shaw engrossed in a thick science book.

Naomi Kenway glanced over. It wasn’t a picture book, but a volume densely packed with text. She doubted her son could understand it; after all, he was still in preschool. But then she instantly recalled her dream, the one where she saw him winning science’s highest award at eighteen. ’This is more than just being a genius.’

In truth, it didn’t matter to Naomi Kenway whether he was a genius or not. She just wanted her son to be able to pursue his passions, to find a job he was interested in, and to live his life free from so many burdens.

Naomi Kenway sat down beside him. "Where’d you get this book?" She didn’t recall seeing any books like this in the earthen hut, and she certainly hadn’t packed one.

"The director gave it to me. Annie really likes it."

Naomi Kenway smiled and called out a "thank you" to the director.

[I knew Naomi Kenway was bad news. Now she’s using her own son to hype up this ’genius’ persona. Annie looks so obedient; he’s definitely being pushed around by Naomi.]

[I seriously suspect Naomi is secretly hiding a phone and reading the livestream comments. Last time, someone said Annie was too plain, and now she’s got him putting on this act.]

[Why are the comments above so harsh? Maybe Annie wanted to read it on his own?]

[Are you kidding me? A four-year-old kid who’d rather read a scientific classic than "The Three Little Pigs"? He probably can’t even read properly yet, right?]

[How is this any different from when I was forced to sit through math and astronomy class? Poor Annie!]

...

"Nina, you and Annie need to head to the village entrance to get your next task," a staff member said.

"Okay."

Walking along the country path, Naomi Kenway keenly observed that Ian Shaw didn’t seem very enthusiastic.

"I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go, I don’t want to go, Mommy..."

"Annie, listen to Mommy. The next task might be very difficult, and I’m honestly not sure I can do it on my own. So, can you help me?"

Naomi Kenway didn’t force him, speaking instead in a gentle voice.

Ian Shaw nodded slowly. He felt needed.

"With you here to help, I’m sure we’ll do great!" Naomi Kenway said with a smile.

Ian Shaw seemed inspired and nodded vigorously.

The earthen hut was quite a distance from the village entrance, but Naomi Kenway ran into a kind villager who gave them a ride.

Naomi Kenway and her son were the first pair to arrive. Only the guide was standing at the village entrance.

"Good morning, Annie. How was breakfast today?"

Ian Shaw, a tiny figure beside his mother, pulled on Naomi Kenway’s hand and took a step back, uncomfortable with talking to strangers.

The guide knew Ian Shaw was a very introverted child, so he pulled a piece of candy from his pocket. "Here, want some candy?"

Ian Shaw had absolutely no resistance to candy, but he still didn’t move.

Naomi Kenway smiled and ruffled his hair. "Go on, you can take it. Remember to say thank you to Uncle Dalton."

Only then did Ian Shaw shuffle over. "Thank you, Uncle Dalton."

Before long, the other guests arrived. Chelsea Raines and her son were the last to show up. It was obvious she had dressed up meticulously, sporting exquisite eye makeup and bright red lipstick.

Chelsea Raines walked with her head held high, teetering on four-inch stilettos. Her son, Jared Woods, stood beside her, looking somewhat disheveled. A button on his designer shirt was undone.

Chelsea Raines’s greatest pride was her exceptional beauty. She hadn’t come from a wealthy background; she had married into high society based entirely on her looks. She sauntered over to Renee Jennings’s side and, looking at Renee’s fresh and elegant face, couldn’t help but praise her. "Rachel, your makeup is gorgeous today!"

"Huh?" Renee Jennings covered her mouth in surprise. "But I’m not wearing any makeup."

"Really?" Chelsea Raines believed her without a second thought. "Your skin is in such good condition. I can’t see a single flaw. Do you have any skincare secrets?"

"I was born with it, but I’m sure a good maintenance routine would give you great results too," Renee Jennings said distractedly, her gaze drifting toward Naomi Kenway. She was considered a rare beauty in her circle... until she met Naomi Kenway.

Naomi Kenway had always possessed an exceptionally beautiful face, but her terrible control over her expressions—often twisting her features into ugly snarls—had always ruined that aesthetic. But now, standing there without a trace of makeup, her stunning beauty shone like a lustrous pearl that simply couldn’t be concealed.

’Is she really not wearing any makeup?’ Renee Jennings was skeptical. ’She probably just put on a "no-makeup" makeup look, just like I did.’

The young guests gathered together and began reciting the multiplication tables, with each child taking a turn to say a line. When it was Ian Shaw’s turn, however, he remained silent, just watching quietly with no intention of speaking.

"Annie, it’s your turn," Carina Sanders prompted.

Ian Shaw slowly shook his head, showing he wasn’t interested.

Nathan Lynch stared at him and suddenly blurted out, "Is it because you don’t know it?"

Jared Woods burst out laughing and pointed at Ian Shaw. "Dummy! Big dummy! A big, brainless dummy!"

Ian Shaw was already somewhat immune to this kind of behavior.

Carina Sanders gave Jared Woods a shove. "You’re the big dummy! Don’t you bully my little brother Annie!"

Jared Woods stumbled, shouting angrily, "You’re all ganging up on me! I’m telling my mom!"

"Hmph. All you know how to do is run to your mommy," Carina Sanders scoffed. She then took Ian Shaw’s hand. "Don’t be scared, Annie. I’ll protect you! It’s okay if you can’t recite the multiplication tables. It took me forever to memorize them. You’re only four years old. Jared Woods is just picking on you because he’s older!"