Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Incredible

“Mom, Ian can hold on!”

Even though Ian Shaw said so, Naomi Kenway still wasn’t completely at ease. She shifted her left hand higher to support his back, making her grip more secure, and she finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Mindful of Ian Shaw on her back, Naomi Kenway’s pace wasn’t very fast.

[Ian is so smart, hahaha. This way they can grab two more balls than the other teams, saving them several trips.]

[He’s only four and already so clever and nimble. He’s going to be incredible when he grows up. I’ve noticed that even though Ian is quiet and doesn’t talk much, he’s really intelligent and very methodical. Let’s see who dares to call Ian dumb in the future!]

[But Ian really doesn’t seem gifted when it comes to academics. The other kids have walls that can’t even fit all their award certificates. Rachel even showed off several trophies Mona has won. Ian’s side of things looks… a little lacking in comparison.]

[Let me say it again, maybe they don’t show off Ian’s awards because they’re low-key. Besides, you can tell from Ian’s actions that he’s a very smart kid. There’s no ’lacking in comparison.’ We should be more tolerant and kind to children. Academic performance isn’t everything.]

…

Renee Jennings had already completed two laps. When she glanced over and saw that Naomi Kenway had only finished one, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of smugness.

Naomi Kenway had unexpectedly overtaken her in the last boat race. This time, she wouldn’t let “first place” slip through her fingers again.

Simon Sawyer’s hands were bigger, allowing him to hold two colored balls at once. However, he was also a bit heavier, making it more strenuous for his mother to carry him. But with the right to choose their house on the line, she gritted her teeth and ran with all her might.

Margaret Jennings doted on her daughter the most. She didn’t dare to run, only walk slowly.

“Mom, we have to go faster, or we’ll end up in a rundown house!” Carina Sanders urged, clutching a colored ball.

At her daughter’s urging, Margaret Jennings started to run, picking up her pace considerably.

Chelsea Raines was already out of breath after just a few steps. She had arrived in high heels, but the production team had given her a pair of sneakers for the competition. They didn’t chafe her feet, but she still struggled with the weight on her back.

“Jared, you must weigh at least sixty pounds, right? You’re about to break Mommy’s back. You have to eat less when we get home.”

Jared Woods’s little face scrunched up. “No! Mommy, you need to work out when we get back! Otherwise you can’t even carry Jared.”

“This isn’t about whether Mommy works out or not. Carrying you is just exhausting. You need to eat fewer snacks when we get back. Eating so much junk food is not good for your health at all!”

“I said no!”

[LOL, the other teams are all busy grabbing colored balls, and Chelsea Raines is over here arguing with her son. Jared is such a little foodie, but being overweight isn’t good for his health.]

[Rachel is running so fast, like a blur. Mona is doing great too, he’s so quick at grabbing the balls. Maybe she’ll be the winner this time!]

[Not necessarily. Ian is holding three colored balls in one trip, and Simon’s team is also pretty fast. It’s really hard to say who’ll get first place.]

[Go, Nina! I’m looking forward to the surprise you and Ian have in store!]

…

Four minutes passed, and the competition entered its most intense phase.

The tour guide shouted into a megaphone, “One minute left! Everyone, try to make two more trips!”

Chelsea Raines really couldn’t go on. She put Jared Woods down and bent over, gasping for air. “I can’t… Mommy can’t walk anymore…”

Jared Woods stomped his foot. He had always been spoiled. “Then what are we going to do? I don’t want to live in a rundown house! There are spiders in it!”

Chelsea Raines pushed him away and shook her head. “This is just the first round. Let’s wait for the second one. Maybe we’ll have a chance to make up some points then. Mommy really can’t walk anymore.”

“Can’t walk anymore?” the tour guide asked.

Chelsea Raines nodded and, resigned to her fate, led Jared Woods back to the starting point. She was drenched in sweat and sat right down on a rock, her previous mysophobia completely forgotten.

After catching her breath, Chelsea Raines sized up the other contestants. Renee Jennings was running the fastest, constantly urging Mona to move quicker.

The other contestants were all a bit slower, especially Naomi Kenway.

’Looks like Rachel is bound to be the winner this time,’ Chelsea Raines thought to herself.

The red bucket was right in front of her. Chelsea Raines leaned forward slightly, and in the next second, her eyes flew wide open, as if she had seen something utterly unbelievable.

’Why are there so many colored balls in Naomi Kenway’s bucket?’

She glanced at the production crew nearby. ’She didn’t cheat, did she?’

She was filled with indignation. ’Why does Naomi Kenway always pull these kinds of tricks, completely trampling on the fairness of the competition?’

Compared to the frantic energy of the other contestants, Naomi Kenway’s pace was much slower. After all, she cared more about her son’s safety than winning or losing. Nothing was more important than that; she wouldn’t gamble with her son’s well-being.

Ian was holding a few colored balls, but his curious gaze kept wandering to the surrounding scenery. “Mom, the tide is coming in!”

He was talking about the sea in the distance.

Naomi Kenway looked over too and chatted with him for a moment.

’Fun first, competition second.’

Seeing Naomi Kenway’s unhurried pace, Renee Jennings felt even more reassured. She subconsciously slowed down a bit, as she no longer perceived Naomi as a threat.

Margaret Jennings and her daughter brushed past Naomi Kenway and her son. She called out a reminder, “Nina, you need to run! You’re too slow!”

Naomi Kenway smiled. “I don’t dare run too fast with Ian on my back.”

Margaret Jennings was slightly taken aback. In every previous challenge, Naomi Kenway had always gone all out, but now, carrying Ian, she had become so cautious. Margaret gained a new understanding of Naomi.

“Counting down. Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

Holding a pocket watch, the tour guide blew the whistle hanging around his neck. “Time’s up!”

As Renee Jennings watched Mona toss the last colored ball into the bucket at the final second, she let out a sigh of relief.

The joy of impending victory surged through her heart, and a smile spread across Renee Jennings’s face. She put Mona down and gave him a hug. “Mona, that was great! We’re the best!”

The sudden warmth left Mona unsure how to react. The moment he realized his mother was being affectionate only because of the competition, much of his elation faded.

Naomi Kenway carefully set Ian Shaw down, then took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Ian’s face.

But as soon as the handkerchief touched Ian’s face, he took hold of her hand.

Ian’s small hand clutched the handkerchief. His beautiful, big eyes blinked as he earnestly and intently wiped the sweat from Naomi Kenway’s forehead.

“Ian?”

“Mommy worked harder, so I have to wipe your sweat first.”

Naomi Kenway froze, letting him wipe her forehead carefully. Then, she took out another handkerchief and wiped his cheeks.

“Everyone worked hard. Now, I’m going to check the number of colored balls in each team’s bucket.”

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