abcnovels
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Remove The Mask Before Sleeping
Last night, Su Wei talked to Xu Xiaoxiao about it. He suggested that she quit the show, but Xu Xiaoxiao firmly disagreed. She knew that most people commented negatively on her, but if she ran away from it, it would only get worse. She wanted to show everyone, especially herself, that she was a person who did not quit very easily. She believed that if she was patient, Tutu would definitely come to like her.
Xu Xiaoxiao didn’t want to quit, so Su Wei did not press her.
The fishpond in Lan Village wasn’t a real fishpond at all. It was an artificial reservoir which wasn’t very deep and wasn’t very large. The water used to be stagnant so there were no fishes in the pond. But the Festival group had cleaned and changed the water in it. They also had kept the water running and put some fishes in the pond for the families. This was the only pond in the village with fishes.
Wheatley’s family was planning to make steamed bass for lunch, so Wheatley’s parents brought Wheatley along to catch a fish.
As a fitness coach, Mike’s physique was simply amazing. The man was wearing shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt, and his well-defined pecs and abdominal muscles gave the impression that he was strong and reliable.
Nannan was beside Mike, looking like a little bird in contrast to his large frame. Wheatley and Nannan held hands.
“Auntie, there’s fish here.” It seemed that Wheatley and Nannan were very close.
“You two be careful. There are reeds down there. Don’t cut your feet.” Mike stood behind the two and watched them.
After all, one was a child star and the other ran a business of children’s clothing. They both knew how to appear in front of the camera.
[Xu Xiaoxiao should learn from Nannan. She’s so competent as a stepmother.]
[If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have never realized that Nannan isn’t actually Wheatley’s biological mother.]
Xu Xiaoxiao’s eyes were filled with envy. ‘They were both stepmothers, but how did she get along so well with her stepdaughter?’
She wondered if girls were easier to deal with. Tutu was willful and mischievous. The more she compared the children, the more she lamented the difficulties she faced with Tutu. Her patience was wearing thin.
“Wheatley, be careful of the reeds.” Nannan grabbed Wheatley, who was still walking towards the middle of the pond. Wheatley felt that Nannan did it on purpose.
After the broadcast had ended yesterday, Mike had taken a bath. Nannan had cut some fruits and warmed some milk for Wheatley. When she had passed them to Wheatley, the child had made a face and hadn’t even thanked her.
Wheatley could not be bothered to continue pretending. A 13-year-old girl could be pretty smart. Whether it was her as a child star or a businesswoman who live streamed her business, they both knew the value of one’s image in the media. It was always useful to create a positive image and gain lots of followers. And they were proven correct. Besides the Li family, the Wheatley family was the next in line for being the most popular among the audience.
However, it was quite tiring to keep pretending. Therefore, as soon as the live broadcast was closed, the two of them reverted to their normal selves.
“No one saw you. You didn’t even need to cut those fruits,” said Wheatley.
“Do you really think that was for you? Your dad wants to eat it after his bath,” Nannan put down the fruit platter on the table forcefully and returned to her room.
“Remove the fake mask before going to bed. Also, Ms. Nan, please regulate your acting tomorrow. Don’t call me ‘baby’ so often. It makes me retch. I am afraid I might actually vomit,” said Wheatley to Nannan.
Nannan snorted coldly and did not bother to reply. She had been married to Mike for two years. She knew better than anyone else how chaotic the family actually was.
Every day at seven in the morning, the two of them changed into loving mother and daughter again. Nannan felt as though she was going to suffer from split personality if this went on
Wheatley frowned and shook off Nannan’s hand. “I will be careful, Auntie,” she said. “You should be careful, too.” Then she shook her hand off of her.
[Nannan is so nervous about Wheatley.]
[Wheatley is indeed the nation’s daughter.]
[It’s really not bad for a stepmother to be able to do this.]
[This mother-daughter pair is becoming popular.]
[Did anyone notice Mike’s muscles? Wow, he looks so manly.]
[He’s the boss of the Max Fitness chain. He’s a living signboard himself.]
[Xu Xiaoxiao is here. Will she be hurt to see Wheatley and her daughter getting along so well?]
[If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to meet them.]
Sure enough, Xu Xiaoxiao chose a spot on the other side of the pond, which was almost ten meters away from Wheatley’s house. She knew the audiences in the comments would definitely be praising Nannan and badmouthing her.
“Hi!” Xu Xiaoxiao did not expect Nannan to call her.
Xu Xiaoxiao didn’t respond. She knew it was rude but just this morning, the Li family had rejected her. The audiences always shamed her. She couldn’t take it anymore.
Wheatley also called out to Tutu enthusiastically. “I have a lot of fish here!”
Tutu’s face brightened up. He ran over to them. He rushed so fast that he fell in the water.
Xu Xiaoxiao was scared out of her wits. She quickly followed the boy into the water to help him. But the boy pulled so hard that she fell on her face. He swam towards Weatley.
Xu Xiaoxiao stood up and tried to clean herself. Her clothes and hair were wet. Water dripped down her face, disguising her tears.
[The brat is a little too much.]
[I’m starting to pity Xu Xiaoxiao, too.]
[It’s so embarrassing.]
[There is just too much effort in marrying into a new family.]
[That’s right. Look at what the child has become.]
[The Festival Group actually broadcasted this. Aren’t they afraid of the impact on society?]
[They probably didn’t have time to cut it, or maybe they didn’t expect Tutu to be so brutal.]
Tutu’s chuckle echoed in the air above the pond. Xu Xiaoxiao could only cover her face as she crawled ashore. She got up and ran towards the road leading to the village entrance.
“I’ve chased the bad woman away!” Tutu laughed. He had no guilt for what he did. On the contrary, he was happy and proud of himself that his trick had succeeded.
“Tutu, your aunt ran away. Is she alright?” Wheatley was satisfied when she saw Tutu messing with his stepmother. She wished she could mess with hers. But outside, she faked concern.
“She must be. She’s too thick-skinned to take a hint.” Tutu didn’t believe that Xu Xiaoxiao would ever leave even if his grandmother insulted her in front of the whole family.
Nannan felt very sad. She suddenly wanted to be friends with Xu Xiaoxiao. She felt that this will be her life in the future. Even though Wheatley wasn’t as brutal as Tutu yet, she felt that she might face the same situation one day.
“Nannan, go and take a look. That’s not the way home.” Michael’s words were just what Nannan wanted to hear.
“Okay. Wait for me, alright?” Nannan hugged her husband and stepdaughter before she followed the path Xu Xiaoxiao had taken.
[Michael wants Nannan to go and check on Xu Xiaoxiao?]
[Let’s just wait and see. If something really happened...]
...
The netizens also realized the seriousness of the problem. They didn’t want to attack Xu Xiaoxiao anymore.
[I’d better go to Xuanxuan’s live broadcast room. The Li family is preparing to cook.]
[Goodbye, sisters.]
[I’m going too]
One-third of the fans, who were originally on Wheatley’s channel, went to other live-streaming channels when they saw Nannan leaving.