Chapter Forty-Six: Swim Trunks-Drama Queen Becomes a Wealthy Stepmother and Rises to Fame with Her Kids in the Entertainment Industry(The meaning of "porridge, porridge, porridge.")

"How could I mind? Of course I don't," she replied.

The way things unfolded was entirely different from what Yu Xin had anticipated. Though she felt awkward inside, she could only endure it and pretend to be familiar with Su Wan-ning.

Soon, the children returned with their purchases and gathered with the parents, eagerly displaying their "spoils" before the camera.

As soon as the swimsuits were revealed, Su Wan-ning was the first to exclaim in delight.

"How beautiful! Did you two pick this out for me? You have such good taste!"

She was not exaggerating in the least—Sui Sui and Nian Nian had chosen the prettiest swimsuit in the supermarket for her: an off-shoulder design with ruffled skirt, in a fitted blue style, making her look like a fairy straight out of a Disney movie.

Even before she put it on, one could already imagine how lovely she would look.

Beside her, Yu Xin's face fell. "This… I know I like pink, but this outfit is just too…"

Da Xi, with a hopeful yet anxious expression, asked, "Sister, don't you like it?"

Yu Xin immediately shook her head. "No, I like it a lot!"

As if. Such an ugly style, paired with a full set of pink accessories—wearing it would make her look like a joke!

The most eye-catching, however, was Ming Ming. After he casually pulled out a pair of black men's swim trunks from among his toys and snacks, Feng Rui's eyes instantly reddened.

"How am I supposed to wear this?"

[Laughing so hard, Ming Ming is just too adorable.]

[Why not let Feng Rui try them on?]

[Even if Feng Rui isn't happy, there's no need to cry—it's not a big deal, kids don't know any better.]

Ming Ming didn't understand why Feng Rui suddenly started crying. He nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "You told me to pick the cheapest one! This is the cheapest!"

Feng Rui had planned to use this opportunity to show off her great figure, but she couldn't very well tell Ming Ming directly on camera to buy her a bikini.

So she came up with a plan: she told Ming Ming to just get her the cheapest one, and that the leftover money could be spent on snacks and toys, to which Ming Ming happily agreed.

She had assumed that, since bikinis used the least fabric, they would be the cheapest. Never did she expect that Ming Ming would bring back a pair of men's swim trunks.

[This is hilarious—Feng Rui tried to be thrifty for once and stepped right into a pit.]

[Now what? Feng Rui has nothing to wear.]

Fortunately, Yu Xin came to the rescue, lending Feng Rui the spare swimsuit she had bought for Da Xi.

Da Xi was older, and the swimsuit was quite stretchy. Feng Rui tried it on in the restroom and it fit her well enough.

However, children's swimsuits are conservative in style. Feng Rui's long, slender legs were covered down to just above her knees, and her upper body was wrapped up from shoulders to hips. Only her chest stood out awkwardly, making her look neither sexy nor shapely, but rather a bit ridiculous.

Alone in the restroom, Feng Rui was so angry she nearly ground her teeth to powder.

Once in the water, Ming Ming stuck close to Feng Rui. He couldn't swim and wore a float ring, but couldn’t stop flailing about.

Feng Rui, already resentful, quickly lost her patience. After her gentle admonitions were ignored, she grabbed Ming Ming’s leg under the water—where the cameras couldn’t see—and pressed him down hard.

"Ah!"

Ming Ming let out a brief cry, his body sinking uncontrollably as he desperately clung to his float ring.

With children and adults playing noisily all around, the scene was so chaotic that hardly anyone noticed Ming Ming's cry.

However, not far away, Su Wan-ning, who was underwater helping Nian Nian adjust her swimsuit, took note.

She immediately swam toward Ming Ming and grabbed Feng Rui’s hand under the water.

At first, Feng Rui thought it was Ming Ming, but when she saw Su Wan-ning surface, she was startled.

Meeting Su Wan-ning's sharp gaze, Feng Rui promptly turned and swam away in the opposite direction.

Su Wan-ning didn’t make a scene. She helped Ming Ming steady himself in his float ring.

"Are you alright? Did you swallow any water?"

Ming Ming shook his head. "Aunt Su, I think something like seaweed just wrapped around my leg underwater!"

[How could there be seaweed in such shallow water?]

[Where’s Feng Rui? Why isn’t she, as his stepmother, taking care of Ming Ming when he gets tangled up?]

"It's alright, why don't you play over here? The water is shallow," Su Wan-ning said, pushing Ming Ming to the shallow end.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Yang Yang, wearing a float ring, tilted his head and fell asleep right there.

[What’s up with Yang Yang? He’s been listless all day and now he’s fallen asleep while swimming?]

[He’s so cute! Is it really that comfortable to sleep in the water?]

[Is Yang Yang sick? He’s really not himself today.]

Yin Shan-shan woke Yang Yang and explained with a smile to the camera, "He was mischievous last night and didn’t sleep well."

Yang Yang rubbed his eyes without defending himself.

He’d been working on problems late into the night, made many mistakes from fatigue, and was scolded by Yin Shan-shan until midnight; naturally, he hadn’t slept well.

[Poor baby, let him go back to sleep.]

[Yin Shan-shan is so gentle. If I’d acted up like that as a kid, my mom would’ve hit me.]

"Alright then, he’s obviously too tired. I’ll take him back to rest, you all go ahead and play," Yin Shan-shan said.

As soon as she finished, Feng Wei chimed in, "I'll go back too!"

Seeing everyone’s attention on her, Feng Rui forced a smile. "I’m not really into water, and Ming Ming can’t swim. He almost choked just now, so I’ll take him back first."

"I don’t want to go! I want to play here with Aunt Su!" Ming Ming, the little tyrant, rolled his eyes, slapped the water loudly, and refused to leave with Feng Rui no matter what.

"Be good, Ming Ming. Let’s go back and I’ll make you something delicious."

"Nothing you make is as tasty as Aunt Su’s food! I’m not going back with you!"

Giving her no face at all, Ming Ming insisted. Before he could say anything worse, Feng Rui had to back down.

"Could I trouble you to watch him for a bit, then?"

Su Wan-ning smiled with her lips but not her eyes and nodded. Feng Rui slunk away, leaving with Yin Shan-shan.

Now, only Su Wan-ning and Yu Xin remained in the water. Yu Xin swam over to Su Wan-ning, smiling as she spoke.

"I heard from Yang Yang earlier that he was the first to notice that blue swimsuit. He wanted to buy it for Shan-shan, but your two little ones snatched it up. Kids do have good taste."

Yu Xin was clearly insinuating that Sui Sui and Nian Nian, being younger, bullied Yang Yang.

But Su Wan-ning was having none of it.

"Yang Yang is a thoughtful child. If he really wanted that swimsuit, he probably didn’t say so. My daughter and son only picked it because they didn’t know. Otherwise, they would have let their brother have it."

[That’s true, I can vouch for it—Yang Yang didn’t say he liked that swimsuit when they were shopping!]

[If he didn’t speak up, how could he expect his younger siblings to just know and give it to him?]

[Su Wan-ning has a sharp tongue! Yu Xin was just making conversation, there was no other meaning.]

Yu Xin quickly agreed, "I didn’t mean anything by it, don’t take it the wrong way."

Su Wan-ning’s face remained impassive. "I’m not taking it any way. I just don’t want the kids to feel upset, or for the viewers to misunderstand."