Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Protection

Naomi Kenway looked at the camera, smiled slightly, and gave a simple greeting. “Hello, everyone. I’m Naomi Kenway. Welcome to Ian’s and my livestream.”

She gave a slight nod, and Ian Shaw, understanding his cue, took the initiative to greet everyone. In his small, childish voice, he enunciated each word seriously, “Hello, everyone. I’m Ian Shaw.”

[So cute! Look at his chubby cheeks, I just want to pinch them!]

[The mother and son are both so good-looking! And it says here there are no beauty filters on.]

[I followed you here from the main reality show stream! Go, Nina and Ian! I’ll always support you!]

[It looks so hot where you are! Nina, take care of yourself and Ian, don’t get heatstroke! Looking forward to seeing more amazing moments from you on the show!]

[Nina, what do you think of X Province? Are you getting used to it? How are you adapting to the climate and the food?]

…

A slow smile spread across Naomi Kenway’s face as she read the heartwarming comments on the screen. She picked a few questions and gave brief answers. Then, she held up one of the local watermelons to introduce it. Remembering everything the village chief had just told them, she recited the unique selling points of X Province’s watermelons, adding plenty of her own insights.

[That watermelon looks so delicious! It’s huge! Is it really only a few cents a pound? That’s so cheap!]

[Drop the link! Quick!]

[Watermelons this good shouldn’t be left to rot in the fields. As soon as the link goes up, I’m buying ten to send to my relatives!]

[Naomi Kenway isn’t exaggerating. They really are that sweet. I had some when I was traveling in X Province once.]

[Ian is being so good, just sitting there on his little stool. I want to hear him talk! Nina, you should let Ian introduce the watermelons too.]

[He’s a four-year-old kid, what does he know? You guys are being ridiculous.]

[How is that ridiculous? Over on Renee Jennings’s stream, Mona is doing introductions! Mona is even reciting classical poetry on stream. And then there’s Jared, who’s putting on a whole watermelon-eating performance on Chelsea Raines’s stream. Compared to them, Ian is just too wooden!]

[Why is Ian Shaw always so quiet? Who’s he putting on that long face for? I don’t like sullen kids. Even if a kid like that is smart, they’re probably not mentally healthy!]

[I’m looking forward to Ian’s introduction.]

[Why do people always use ’being a fan’ as an excuse to make demands?]

…

The viewer count slowed to a crawl after hitting twenty thousand. Most of them were viewers who had come over from the official *Super Mom* livestream. ’The production team probably didn’t do any extra promotion,’ Naomi Kenway thought.

More and more viewers in the comments were asking for Ian to introduce the watermelons, and it was hard for Naomi Kenway not to notice, especially with some harsh words mixed in. As the number of viewers grew, the comment section became a mixed bag.

With so many people in the livestream, it was inevitable that a few haters would show up. Naomi Kenway usually didn’t care about these kinds of insults, but she would absolutely not stand for anyone mocking her son!

Naomi Kenway subconsciously tilted her body, trying to block Ian from seeing the vicious comments. She called over a nearby staff member, her previously bright expression turning cold. “Kick out all the users who are maliciously trashing Ian.”

Whether those trolls were being intentionally malicious or not, Naomi Kenway didn’t want Ian to see any more of those comments. Ian was a sensitive child; if he knew that some people didn’t like him, there was no telling how long he’d be upset.

The staff member was stunned for a moment, then agreed and began moderating the chat.

Naomi Kenway’s mood soured. She rarely brought Ian to offline events, largely because she didn’t want her son to be subjected to the court of public opinion at such a young age. She didn’t want to expose Ian to this kind of negativity.

Before long, the chat was much cleaner. Naomi Kenway turned to Ian Shaw beside her. “Ian, it’s pretty hot here. How about you let the camerawoman take you over to play under that tree?”

Ian Shaw said suddenly, “Mom, I want to introduce the watermelons, too.”

Naomi Kenway paused, then asked him seriously, “Why?”

’Of course Ian Shaw had seen the comments. He never cared what other people thought, only what the people he cared about thought. All the other kids were good at putting on a show, but he just didn’t like to talk. If the viewers all liked the other kids… what about Mom? Would she start to like the other kids more, too?’

An inexplicable panic coiled in his heart. Ian Shaw still remembered those days before. He had fought so hard for this affection, and he didn’t want to lose it.

Naomi Kenway’s voice was gentle as she stroked his hair. “You saw the comments, didn’t you? I’m sorry, Ian. Mom is so sorry that you have to face the public’s critical gaze at such a young age…”

While filming the main show, they couldn’t see the live comments at all. Naomi Kenway had been thoroughly enjoying the time with her son, trying so many new things together. She had never livestreamed before, so the sudden barrage of comments was a rude awakening. She had been careless.

“No.” Ian shook his head. “Mom, it’s not because of the comments. Ian… Ian doesn’t want Mom to hate Ian…” Caring too much always led to a fear of losing what you had. He began to seriously question himself. “Is Ian stupid? Ian doesn’t like to talk, and Ian doesn’t like playing with other kids…”

“No, of course not,” Naomi Kenway said quickly. “Why would you think that?” She cupped Ian’s face in her hands and said earnestly, “Ian, you will always be Mom’s pride. There’s no rule that says a child has to be talkative or love to perform. You are one of a kind.”

Naomi Kenway enunciated every single word.

Ian Shaw saw an extraordinary seriousness in Naomi Kenway’s eyes, and his gloomy mood vanished completely. He hopped off the stool and threw himself into her arms, nodding emphatically. “Mhm!”

[Some people are just so heartless. Look how scared you’ve made him! Will you not be happy until you’ve made Ian cry?]

[Whether the kid wants to do an introduction or not is up to him! Why are so many people trying to pressure him into it?]

[Renee Jennings is over there using Mona’s poetry recital as a gimmick, while Naomi Kenway is here protecting her child at every turn. The difference between them is night and day!]

[It’s Ian’s right to be who he is. I read the other day that some highly intelligent kids don’t talk much simply because they find conversations with others boring and can’t find common ground. Just like Nina said, every child is unique. It’s not like they’re all supposed to grow from the same cookie-cutter mold, are they?]

…

The comments from a moment ago had deeply affected Naomi Kenway. She had wanted a staff member to take Ian to play somewhere else, but Ian refused, saying he liked being by his mom’s side.

So, Naomi Kenway pulled Ian into her lap.

Ian knew what Naomi Kenway was worried about. He leaned his head in close and said earnestly, “Mom, I really don’t care what they think. Ian just needs Mom to love Ian forever.”

A wave of warmth washed over Naomi Kenway, and she gently stroked Ian’s head.

“Sorry for the delay, everyone.”

Naomi Kenway returned to introducing the watermelons. “Feel free to place an order and try them. They’re incredibly sweet, I promise you won’t be disappointed!”

A staff member whispered something in Naomi Kenway’s ear. She nodded. “Okay, we’ll start with an initial batch of one thousand.”

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