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

Chapter 438: Don’t Girls Like Pretty Hairpins?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Mrs. Zhou called Lin Wan. Lin Wan hadn’t expected that within a few hours, the situation had completely changed. Mrs. Zhou was in a very bad position right now.

Mrs. Zhou’s voice choked on the phone. She was crying.

Lin Wan was helpless.

Fortunately, this time Mrs. Zhou was just venting, and she didn’t ask Lin Wan to visit Royal Water Bay again.

After hanging up, Lin Wan’s first reaction was to leave the group chat. However, when she was about to click the option, she hesitated. In the end, she chose to mute the notifications.

Li Zekai and Auntie Huang came back from shopping for groceries.

The little boy was carrying a lot of stuff in his hands. He was happy to see that Lin Wan was home.

“Auntie Lin, you’re back!” Li Zekai looked up at her happily. Lin Wan put down her phone and helped the kid with the grocery bags.

Aunt Huang followed behind. She was panting.

“Auntie Huang, slow down,” Lin Wan was afraid that Aunt Huang might fall.

“Jiejie was in a hurry to come back. He was able to walk so fast with so many things in his hands. I’m getting old, I think.” Auntie Huang put down the bags.

“Young man, Auntie Huang is worried about you. Walk slowly. The road is slippery in winter. What if you fall?”

“I know, Auntie Lin. Look, we bought so many things. Guess what these are!” Li Zekai opened the bag with a flourish.

“Ta-da!”

Looking at the glittering pile of trinkets, Lin Wan asked, “What is this?”

Li Zekai lined them up one by one. Only then did Lin Wan realize that they were hair pins in various colors.

“Don’t girls like pretty hairpins? I don’t have as much money as my older brother. My money is only enough to buy these hairpins. I used my savings from my piggy bank. I bought so many of them, and they’re all for you,” he said happily.

“So many?”

“Yes, I chose them all by myself. Auntie Huang definitely didn’t help. This one can match your white dress, this little flower can match your yellow dress, this ping-pong-looking thing can match your sports outfit…” Li Zekai hadn’t picked them randomly. He had thought about each one carefully.

“Wow… you know so much about hairpins. Who taught you all this?” asked Lin Wan.

“Huanhuan, Miaomiao, Chunchun… They told me all about it. I also saw them flipping their hair during class to show off their hairpins. I asked them why girls like to keep long hair. They said that long hair can be styled in many different ways and hair pins look pretty on them.”

Li Zekai thought about the upcoming New Year. Everyone would exchange gifts. He had asked his female classmates what they liked.

Auntie Huang was dumbfounded.

“Jiejie, you told your classmates about this?”

“Not exactly. We usually don’t talk about giving gifts. We only mention it during holidays and festivals. Xiao Hu even gave Miaomiao a plush toy, but she didn’t like it. So, I thought that girls might not like plush toys, so I didn’t get Auntie Lin one.” Li Zekai nearly let slip who had girlfriends in his class.

Lin Wan was speechless.

“But Miaomiao wore the hairpin that Xiao Yao gave her. She wore it on her hair, which means she likes hairpins. They’re really pretty.”

“Jiejie, have you given gifts to girls in your classmates?” asked Auntie Huang.

Li Zekai shook his head. “Of course not. I only share food with them. Gifts are for important people. Also, my pocket money is only enough to buy gifts for Auntie Lin.”

Lin Wan felt touched.

The kid had spent all his allowance to buy her gifts.

“Thank you,” said Lin Wan gratefully. “Did you get anything for Mr. Li?”

“My dad has a lot of money. He doesn’t need me to give him gifts.” Li Zekai hadn’t even thought of his father.

Lin Wan felt bad. Once Li Yanchen found out about this, he would be jealous again.

“Jiejie, when we go shopping tomorrow, buy something for your father too.” “I don’t have money anymore.” Li Zekai patted his empty pockets.

“I’ll pay, and you can choose. Just say it’s from you.”

Li Zekai thought about it. “But I don’t want to give him gifts. He’s never given me any.”

Lin Wan was speechless.

Lin Wan recalled an old saying about a wheel of fortune turning and paying back for one’s deed.

She really wanted the children to be more affectionate toward Li Yanchen, but they were unwilling.

“Auntie Lin, look, we bought a lot of groceries too. This is the crucian carp that you like, this is the beef rib-eye steak that Brother Xinxin likes, and this is the sunny-side-up egg that Auntie Huang loves…”

“They all look great,” said Lin Wan.

“I’ll go prepare dinner.” Auntie Huang picked up the bags and went into the kitchen.

In the yard, only Lin Wan and Li Zekai remained.

Li Zekai pulled out a deck of cards from a small drawer under the stone table. There were idioms written on the cards.

“Auntie Lin, let’s play idiom cards.”

Lin Wan really wanted to lie on the mat and bask in the sun, but since her stepson wanted to play, she felt bad to refuse, especially when he had bought her so many hairpins.

“Sure.”

Fortunately, Li Zekai was considerate. After half an hour of playing, he saw that Lin Wan was almost slumping. “Auntie Lin, I’d like to read for a while by myself. ”

Lin Wan struggled to stay awake. “Sure. I will also take a break.”

The sunroom was warm, and it was great not having to work in this kind of weather.

Lin Wan really wanted to lie down on the heating pad. She opened the music player and closed her eyes.

Assistant Qin and Secretary Han entered Li Yanchen’s office.

“Boss, do you want us to remove the trending topic from the internet?” Assistant Qin asked.

“No need. You can’t see Lin Wan’s face in the video anyway,” Li Yanchen said.

“But it’s clear that it’s Madam,” Secretary Han said.

“Obviously. Why else would you two come to me if it wasn’t?” Li Yanchen stared at Secretary Han.

“Boss, you can leave these matters to me in the future. Didn’t I handle them before? If you intervene, it might make me appear incapable,” said Assistant Qin. He had experience dealing with gossip and rumors.

“Yes, I’ll inform you if there’s a need.” Li Yanchen nodded. “Do you two have any other matters to discuss?”

The room fell silent for a moment.

“No, we just wanted to check in on you.” Secretary Han and Assistant Qin exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads. “We’re leaving. If you need anything, please call us.”

Assistant Qin felt a bit disheartened.

“Old Han, do you think I might get laid off? I used to be a manager of Mr. Li’s household, but now they don’t need me for anything.”

Every day when Assistant Qin woke up, he could see news about the economic downturn, and companies announcing layoffs..