Chapter 397: Chapter 399: Social Climbing

Caleb Bishop reached out to smooth Penny Morgan’s hair when he suddenly heard Jeanette Kensington cry out sharply:

“Caleb!”

Caleb Bishop frowned and looked back at her.

Jeanette Kensington knew she had overreacted. ’Don’t overthink this,’ she told herself. She walked over and said, “Look what a mess you’ve made of her hair. Little girls like to look pretty. Here, let me do it.”

Caleb Bishop nodded and put Penny Morgan down.

Jeanette Kensington hugged the little girl and fixed her hair, her voice gentle. “Your name is Penny, right? That’s such a cute name, just as cute as you are. How old are you?”

“F-five years old.”

“Oh, you’re already five! You look a little younger than that.” Jeanette Kensington smiled and patted Penny’s head. “You’re so pretty. Can I hold you for a moment?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the little girl nodded.

Jeanette Kensington carefully picked up Penny and nuzzled her cheek affectionately. “I like you so much. Would you let us be your trial parents? We can play games together and win prizes. Will you play with us?”

Penny’s crying gradually subsided, and she nodded.

The tour guide smiled and clapped. “It looks like Jeanette and Caleb are great with kids! Congratulations, you’ve passed the test! Little Penny Morgan will now officially join your team and become a member of your family!”

Applause broke out. Holding the child, Jeanette Kensington smiled and nodded. “Thank you,” she said.

Catching sight of Naomi Kenway and her family approaching, she subtly shifted closer to Caleb Bishop.

[Jeanette and her fiancé are so good with kids! Little Penny stopped crying right away. What are you two waiting for? Get married and have one of your own! With his talent and her beauty, your child would be gorgeous!]

[I never noticed before, but Jeanette Kensington is so jumpy. Why did she suddenly shout like that? What if she’d scared the child?]

[Little Penny really looks like Nina, doesn’t she? They have a resemblance. It’s so weird. Penny and Ian don’t look much alike, but she really does look like Nina.]

[Jeanette is so gentle. I don’t understand how anyone could spread baseless rumors about her being a bully. It’s complete nonsense!]

[Penny is so cute. She must be the child of a non-celebrity, right?]

[I just saw President Shaw staring at Penny, too. Do you think he also noticed how much she looks like Nina?]

[Penny’s appearance fulfilled a small wish of mine. I was always wondering what a daughter between Nina and President Shaw would look like, and now I can finally picture it.]

…

*

After all the guests had arrived, the tour guide led them to a luxurious yurt. They lifted the flap and saw that the interior was opulently decorated.

The tables were laden with koumiss and various dairy products. There was also beef jerky and other desserts.

They were greeted by a young man named Andar, who was wearing the same traditional attire as the tour guide.

“Hello and welcome. It was a long journey, so you must be tired. We’ve prepared some delicious food for you, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.”

Andar spoke clear and fluent Mandarin. When asked about it, he explained that he had worked in Veridia for a few years.

Caleb Bishop picked up the bottle of koumiss. He rose slightly and poured a glass for everyone, excluding the children.

When it was Naomi Kenway’s turn, his expression remained unchanged as he smiled slightly and said, “Could you pass your cup over here a bit? I can’t quite reach.”

“Don’t bother. I’ll get it myself.”

“It’s no trouble.” Caleb Bishop remained motionless, still holding the bottle out.

Naomi Kenway frowned slightly, struggling to hold back her anger. ’Facing Caleb Bishop, the bastard who betrayed me, I just can’t stand the sight of him.’ All she felt when she saw him was disgust, nothing more.

Naomi Kenway didn’t move her cup, and the atmosphere grew tense.

Ian couldn’t help but speak up. “Mister, you’re so shameless. My mommy already said she wants to pour it herself. Why won’t you put the bottle down?”

Before Caleb Bishop could say a word, Jeanette Kensington lost her patience. “Caleb is just trying to be nice! Ian, how can you talk like that? Who taught you to be so rude?”

“My son is just over four years old. Are you really going to pick a fight with him?”

“I’m helping to discipline him.”

“And who are you to discipline him?”

“As his auntie, of course.”

“But he doesn’t have an auntie. It’s common knowledge that I’m an only child. Miss Kensington, if you’re that desperate for relatives, perhaps you should consider adopting one from an orphanage.”

Jeanette Kensington’s gaze darkened as she looked at Naomi Kenway, her lips pulling into a stiff, forced smile.

Ethan Shaw placed a glass of koumiss in front of Naomi Kenway. He shot Caleb Bishop a cool glance. “Don’t trouble yourself. You can keep that bottle for yourself.”

At this, Caleb Bishop could only retreat to his seat in embarrassment.

[Jeanette Kensington really loves to claim people as relatives, huh? She randomly started calling Naomi Kenway ’sister’ before. Calling a stranger so intimately the first time you meet… shouldn’t you keep some distance? Maybe she already knew who Naomi was and couldn’t wait to start sucking up?]

[Jeanette Kensington just loves claiming relatives. On another show, she called one of the judges ’Uncle,’ but the guy said he didn’t even know her. I felt secondhand embarrassment for her!]

[I mean, still, wasn’t Naomi Kenway a bit too rude? She wouldn’t even give him that little bit of face?]

[There were several seats between Caleb Bishop and Naomi Kenway. Naomi probably just didn’t want to bother him, but who knew he’d be so stubborn? Caleb Bishop really can’t read the room!]

[I feel like there’s more to it. And it seems to me that Naomi Kenway really hates Jeanette Kensington and Caleb Bishop. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my imagination…]

[You’re not the only one. The vibe between those three is so weird. It feels like there’s some deep, bitter history there. Jeanette is claiming to be family, Caleb is trying way too hard to be helpful, and Naomi looks like she despises both of them…]

[It’s perfectly normal for Naomi to dislike them. From what I’ve seen, rich people have no patience for social climbers who are obviously trying to suck up to them!]

…

After the long journey, the guests helped themselves to some of the food on the table.

Ian stared longingly at the koumiss on the table. Amused, Naomi Kenway picked up her chopsticks and dabbed a single drop onto his lips.

Ian licked his lips, and his little face immediately scrunched up. “Hiss… it’s spicy…”

Naomi Kenway handed him a cup of water. “Did it taste good?” she asked.

Ian nodded, then shook his head. “It tastes like milk, but it’s also a little spicy.”

“That’s because it’s koumiss. At its core, it’s still alcohol, so it has a bite.”

Ian snuggled into Naomi Kenway’s arms and nodded.

Naomi Kenway affectionately tapped his nose. “You should probably stick to milk tea.”

Someone from the side offered them a few pieces of beef jerky. It wasn’t just Naomi Kenway; Ethan Shaw frowned as well.

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