The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 312: Group Photo

The two families came face to face, but as if by silent agreement, neither spoke a word of greeting.

Renee Jennings’s gaze fell on the matching dark circles under the eyes of Naomi Kenway and her husband. Her pupils dilated, her expression changing slightly.

’Shameless.’

She only dared to think those words.

After gathering all their luggage from the courtyard, Naomi Kenway’s family headed out.

Naomi Kenway remembered her travel tradition: having her family stand together and asking the photographer to take a photo as a keepsake.

These photos would be put up at home, and when Ian grew up, looking at them might help him remember the unique experiences of the trip.

The photographer smiled. "Your family standing side-by-side feels a bit too stiff. Why don’t you adjust your poses? You should try something new."

Ethan Shaw lifted Ian into his arms, scooted closer to Naomi Kenway, and wrapped his other arm around her shoulder, bringing the family much closer together.

Naomi Kenway tilted her head slightly to look. When she saw the dark circles under Ethan Shaw’s eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh. "They seem a little obvious. I should’ve used some foundation to cover them up for you; it would make you look more refreshed. But I don’t know if you’re okay with wearing makeup."

A smile touched the corners of Ethan Shaw’s mouth. "You have dark circles under your eyes too. I guess we’re matching."

Ian looked left, then right, and giggled. "Ian’s mommy and daddy are both pandas! What is Ian? Is Ian a little panda?"

Naomi Kenway and Ethan Shaw were both amused by Ian’s confused tone.

The next second, the photographer’s voice called out, "Great! I think these two are excellent!" He ran over excitedly. "Ms. Kenway, Mr. Shaw, what do you think? If you don’t like them, we’ll just retake them!"

Naomi Kenway looked over and saw two candid shots the photographer had captured: one was of her and Ethan Shaw smiling at each other, with Ian looking at the camera, adorably dazed. The other was of her and Ethan Shaw looking down at a confused-looking Ian, both of their faces holding doting smiles.

Naomi Kenway froze for a moment. "These are beautiful. Thank you."

Ethan Shaw’s voice held a note of pleasure. "I think they’re great, too."

In the past, the photo wall at home mostly had pictures of Naomi Kenway and her son. Now, he finally had a place in their family photos.

"What about Ian? Does Ian like them?" Naomi Kenway asked.

Ian nodded, his voice bright and clear. "I do!"

With the photoshoot over, Naomi Kenway and her family set off toward the village entrance.

"Is your leg feeling better?" Ethan Shaw asked from her side.

"Much better," Naomi Kenway nodded.

Fortunately, the village entrance wasn’t far from their lodging. After about a five-minute walk, they reached their destination. Margaret Jennings’s family was standing by the stone monument at the village entrance.

Carina Sanders was the first to spot Naomi Kenway’s family. She ran over, excitedly shouting, "Little Brother Ian!"

Ian wasn’t as timid and shy as he was at the beginning. He let Carina Sanders hold his hand, not forgetting to turn back and say, "Mommy, Daddy, I’m going to play with Sister Carina for a bit."

"I just saw a really pretty butterfly; it was so colorful. Come on, I’ll take you to see it. Don’t worry, Little Brother Ian, it’s just nearby. We won’t go far."

The two small figures receded into the distance.

Miles Sanders stood where he was, laughing. "Just a moment ago, she said she’d take me to see it, but the second she saw her little friend, she left her old dad in the dust. It seems our Carina really likes Ian!"

Margaret Jennings smiled in agreement. "Isn’t that the truth. At home, our Carina is always talking about how handsome and smart Ian is. She says she loves playing with kids like him."

"Our Carina is picky about looks. It’s the same when she watches cartoons. She’s said before that she doesn’t like watching ugly characters."

The couple chatted for a bit, then walked over toward Naomi Kenway and her family to greet them.

A moment later, the other guests arrived one after another.

The beautiful local girls began to dance again. Their vibrant costumes were eye-catching. As they spun on their tiptoes, the crisp sound of bells rang out, as pretty as a painting.

Naomi Kenway watched appreciatively. When it was over, she quickly applauded and praised, "That was wonderful."

Ethan Shaw, at her side, was lost in thought. His gaze was distant, and he seemed to have zoned out.

"Ethan, what are you thinking about? Was the dance good?"

Ethan Shaw snapped back to reality. Only a fleeting impression of the dance remained in his mind. He gave an objective evaluation: "Very spectacular."

Then he added, "But I still prefer watching you dance." His gaze faltered, and his tone turned sour. "I’ve watched the video of you and Rhys Quinn dancing together several times. You two really have great chemistry..."

He was annoyed with himself for not knowing how to dance.

"Me dancing with Rhys Quinn? Wasn’t that during the audition? How did you see it..."

"Rhys Quinn’s studio released a clip from the audition. A lot of netizens reposted it. You two danced really well..." The more he spoke, the sourer his tone became, his handsome eyes narrowing. "I wonder if you’d have that same chemistry dancing with me. Probably not..."

Naomi Kenway was amused and laughed. "What are you even talking about? Rhys Quinn and I were just partners. Don’t overthink it. If you want, I can dance with you, too."

After she said this, she saw that Ethan Shaw didn’t react. The memory of the only time she’d seen him dance surfaced in her mind. It was at Ian’s parent-child event at school. A rendition of "Two Tigers" had nearly made Ethan Shaw lose all face. His talent for dancing was absurdly bad, on par with his abysmal cooking skills.

Thinking of her own shortcomings, Naomi Kenway felt a little comforted. ’I guess no one is absolutely perfect.’

She couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter.

Ethan Shaw should have been angry, but looking at her smiling eyes, he felt all the negative emotions in his heart completely disappear.

Nathaniel stared blankly ahead, his gaze still lingering on the group of slender girls. He struggled to tear his eyes away from their slim waists, swallowing unconsciously.

Renee Jennings observed his expression and suppressed her anger as she asked him, "Nathaniel, are they nice to look at?"

Nathaniel snapped out of it and coughed unnaturally a couple of times. "Since they went to the trouble of preparing a performance, we should watch it carefully out of respect for them." He recalled the graceful dance moves, feeling quite pleased. "The average person really can’t pull off such a lively and uninhibited dance. It’s their ethnic advantage. They’re good-looking, with high-bridged noses and big eyes. Natural-born performers. And those long legs..."

Seeing that Nathaniel was actually starting to critique them, Renee Jennings could barely contain her fury. "Is that so? No wonder your eyes were glued to them."

Having been called out, Nathaniel was mortified. He put on a stern face and lectured her, "That’s all in your head. I wasn’t being nearly as dramatic as you claim."

He then remembered they were filming a show and put his arm around Renee Jennings’s shoulder to coax her: