Chapter 218: Chapter 218: Farewell

[The production team is so cruel! They know our Rachel is timid, but they’re still making her quarantine in Room Five? What are they trying to pull?!]

[Even though Renee Jennings is obviously faking it, it’s still better to be cautious. This is just her getting what she deserves. Who told her to play the victim all the time? To think she’d even try to win the audience’s sympathy by having a pity party against a child!]

[What about Nathan? A kid that young can’t be away from his mom, can he?]

…

The other guests then headed to their respective classrooms.

When no one else was around, Naomi Kenway asked Ian Shaw if Renee Jennings’s arm had anything to do with him.

Naomi was a little hesitant as she asked, finding it hard to believe.

Ian didn’t hide it. “Don’t worry, Mom. It’s just a little potion to torment her. The effects will last about half a week, and they’ll change based on her emotions. The more intense her feelings, the worse the symptoms will get. It’s not contagious, so don’t worry. Ian won’t put everyone in danger!”

’So this really was the ’gift’ Ian gave me.’ Naomi couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. She knew Ian was much smarter than she imagined. After all, he was a future science prodigy who had won the world’s most prestigious scientific research award at a young age.

Seeing Naomi’s silence, Ian grew anxious. “Did I make you unhappy, Mom? Was it wrong of me to act on my own?”

“No.” Naomi smiled and rubbed Ian Shaw’s little cheek. “Mom finds it very satisfying. Thank you, Ian.”

With Renee Jennings absent, Naomi Kenway took on the responsibility of teaching both language arts and math to the first graders.

After a full day of getting to know one another, the children’s wariness toward Naomi Kenway had vanished, replaced by affection and fondness. When the bell rang to end class, the children gathered around her as if by unspoken agreement to listen to her stories about Veridia. They tilted their heads, listening intently, their dark eyes filled with curiosity and longing.

Suddenly, a clean, dark-skinned hand offered her two small, slightly greenish fruits.

Naomi paused. “Are these for me?”

He nodded.

Naomi recognized him. “You’re Sonny?”

He nodded again, a shy look on his face.

From the other children’s gasps, Naomi realized these wild fruits were probably difficult to pick. It was a very precious gift.

Naomi accepted them with a smile. “Thank you, Sonny. I love your gift.”

“You’re welcome,” Sonny said. “My hand is all better now. The ointment you gave me worked really well, Ms. Kenway. Grandpa told me I had to thank you properly.”

He then offered her a piece of cured meat wrapped in a plastic bag, holding it out carefully. “This is for you, too.”

This time, Naomi didn’t accept it. “I don’t need it, you should keep it for yourself so you can grow big and strong.”

Sonny shook his head, insisting, “No, it’s for my teacher.”

He spoke each word with exceptional earnestness.

The director standing nearby spoke up. “Please accept it, Ms. Kenway. Think of it as a souvenir. It’s a chance to taste our local specialty.”

Naomi finally accepted it and said earnestly, “Thank you. I’ll be sure to enjoy it when I get home.”

Sonny seemed very happy.

[The kids here are so well-behaved! I haven’t seen a single brat. They’re all so sensible and obedient!]

[Sigh, almost all of them are ’left-behind children’ living with their grandparents. They have to shoulder heavy responsibilities at a young age. They can’t afford to be willful when there’s no one around to spoil them!]

[Naomi Kenway really is so gentle. I used to think she was just putting on an act, but I can feel her sincerity when she’s with the kids. She’s definitely a very kind person, taking care to be mindful of every child’s feelings. All the kids here love her. It’s hard not to become a fan.]

[I agree with the comment above. Naomi is not only kind but also emotionally stable. At least she’s not like a certain other guest who flies off the handle over nothing. I understand her less and less… ]

[Why is everyone in the stream praising one person just to bash another? Get your facts straight, please. Our Rachel has made a lot of charitable donations. She’s not like Naomi Kenway, who acts like a saint on the show but is actually a total cheapskate who wouldn’t give a dime. The difference is obvious when you compare them.]

[Is the person above trying to guilt-trip us?]

*

In the evening, the school bell rang, signaling the end of Naomi Kenway’s teaching duties.

The children were all extremely sad to see her go. They crowded around Naomi, telling her how much they would miss her and giving her many handwritten letters.

Naomi felt a pang of sadness herself. “We’ll definitely have a chance to see each other again. You must take good care of yourselves and study hard…”

The other young guests were also saying goodbye to their classmates. Having spent two days together, the children had grown attached to one another. Carina Sanders’s eyes welled with tears.

Jared Woods wanted to leave some souvenirs for his classmates. After thinking long and hard, he suddenly stripped off all his clothes down to his shorts and tossed the pile to the other kids. “My mom says these clothes are really expensive! Remember to sell them for cash. They aren’t comfortable to wear—they just look nice but are totally impractical. Only the brand name is worth anything. Make sure you sell them and buy food!”

Just as Chelsea Raines walked in, she saw Jared Woods, nearly naked and surrounded by a crowd, bending over to take off his shoes.

For a moment, Chelsea Raines thought she had walked in on a bullying incident. She rushed over, agitated. “Jared Woods, what are you doing?!”

“I want to leave my clothes for them to buy food. These shoes are pretty valuable, too…”

Chelsea Raines was both amused and exasperated. “Giving them these clothes isn’t appropriate.”

Jared Woods felt an itch on his stomach. He looked down and saw a huge mosquito bite. He scratched it, but it was still itchy.

Apparently, giving away his clothes really wasn’t a good idea.

Jared Woods glanced at Chelsea Raines and found a new option.

On Chelsea Raines’s wrist was a luxury watch, which she had been allowed to keep because it had no communication functions.

Before Chelsea Raines could react, the watch was swiped from her wrist. Jared Woods handed the watch over and put his clothes back on.

She had owned that watch for a long time. Because it was so expensive, Chelsea Raines often wore it to show off her status.

Her heart ached at the loss, but she was too embarrassed to ask for it back. Chelsea Raines was so furious it felt like her insides were twisting.

A teacher saw what happened and handed the watch back. “This is far too valuable. We can’t accept it.”

Just as Chelsea Raines was about to take it, she heard Jared Woods say, “It’s a souvenir! The price doesn’t matter.”

Chelsea Raines was starting to suspect that Jared Woods existed just to be her nemesis.

*

Before they left, the question of what to do with Nathan Lynch became a problem, and the guests gathered to discuss it.

Renee Jennings was forced to quarantine in Room Five, so Nathan Lynch couldn’t be with her for the time being. The director, considerate of the boy’s feelings, asked him softly, “Nathan, your mom has something to take care of and can’t go home with you right now. Would you like to keep staying in the tent with the ’uncles,’ or would you prefer to go with one of the other ’aunties’?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep