Reborn As the Ex-wife of the Paranoid Male Lead

When the awards were over, Zhen Meilie and Jian Zicheng walked off the stage.

The first person to come up to them was Jian Shiwu, curious: "Dad, mum, how come I didn't know when you guys made the donation?"

Zhen Meili rubbed his little head, with a smile on her curved brows, and said angrily, "This is all between us adults. You children know what to do, you just need to take care of your own studies."

Jian covered his head and muttered, "At least tell me."

"What?"

Zhen Mei Mei looked at him jokingly: "You're still worried about the money."

Jian Shiwu exclaimed, "I wasn’t."

The school wanted to showcase the school's faculty to the parents, but also wanted them to have a look at the quality of the food in the school cafeteria.

Then Jian Shiwu found out that each class was divided into a fixed area, and within that area there were different foods.

Lui Heng said, "Some of the food in there is made by the canteen aunties, and some of it is made by our parents themselves and brought in."

Jian Shiwu was overcome with emotion: "It's not easy for parents to prepare for sports day."

"No." Lui Heng scratched his head and said with a sigh, "The teacher told us a while ago that parents should bring at least one handmade food item.

Jian Shiwu smiled and said, "Forget it, let's just consider it a full meal."

They walked to the designated area of the class, Jian Shiwu's eyes subconsciously swept over the crowd and suddenly spotted a problem: "Where is Shen Cheng?"

Lui Heng came over and looked around and replied, "I think he left when the awards were being presented, he said he had something to do, and would be back later."

Jian Shiwu unconsciously frowned.

To be honest, he had been worried about Shen Cheng from the time of the run, although they all said that Shen Cheng's wounds were almost healed, but perhaps based on some of his previous life's understanding of Shen Cheng, he could see that Shen Cheng's face did not look good at that time.

Jian Shiwu whispered, "Could it be that he went to the infirmary?"

Lui Heng at first wanted to say he was sensitive, but hesitated after seeing Jian Shiwu's serious expression, but in the end he took his hand and said, "Since he didn't tell you, then he must not want you to know."

Jian Shiwu moved with a start.

"You are not aware of Shen Cheng's character, dead strong." Lui Heng smiled, "Let's just wait here for him to come back!"

Jian Shiwu's hand curled up as the his friend took it, and finally nodded, "Okay!"

They went back to the front, Zhen Meili and the girls were already waiting in front, the school this time in addition to the buffet also served a lot of cakes and zongzi of all flavors.

Zhen Mei Li had two zongzi inside her plate, she smiled and said, "Come over here son and get the ones you like to eat."

"Okay!"

Jian Shiwu took some dumplings and went back to the dining spot, but unexpectedly found Annie and Qiao An sitting inside the corner, there were many parents coming to this parents' meeting, almost everyone's parents were there, rows and rows were filled, some parents would watch their children eat and give dishes in passing, admonishing, "Eat more."

All of this isn’t a common thing in the West.

Anne sat in the corner, she moved gracefully with her bread, glanced at it disdainfully and retracted her gaze to continue eating.

Qiao An ate his meatballs, looking somewhat emotionally at a mother helping her child pick at a fish splinter, and spoke, "How envious, you know, when I was eight I was a picky eater and thought a piece of meat was not good, and as a result my father sent someone to supervise me, and I had to nibble on bread for two whole months."

A sneer curled the corner of Anne's mouth, "That’s you."

Qiao An raised an eyebrow, "It seems Lady Elizabeth has been very good to you."

Anne paused in her movements, a low mood crossing her delicate pretty face but soon she raised her head in a condescending manner and hummed softly, "Of course all my mother does is for my own good."

So to be very strict with her, ah.

Turning her head to look at the mother and daughter not far away, the mother barking down at her, the woman was plain looking and dressed in ordinary clothes, but the way she just sat there alone, whispering to her child made Anne inexplicably unable to look away.

She thought of her own mother in a trance.

The noble and elegant Duchess of Elizabeth, should love her too, which is why she always looked at her with a cold stare.

"Anne, have you learnt what your etiquette teacher taught you?"

"You represent the House of Elizabeth, so do the best you can in everything you do."

"Anne, don't let me down, it's all for your own good."

There seemed to be many people who loved her.

They called her with respect and flocked to her with eagerness, the glorious surname of Elizabeth gave her glory and became a shackle that could not be tied, her mother never smiled at her, she fought to win, thinking that if she won she would be recognized and get the attention, she gritted her teeth and tried to hold the trophy to get her mother's praise, only to hear through the door.

"Anne is indeed good, but she's still a far cry from the Eiffel's daughter."

No one seemed to love her.

A lot of people did it in the name of love, but their eyes were so devoid of affection and cold that it scared her.

Qiao An bit into his meatballs and enquired, "Your mother did spare time to raise you, in Chinese terms, in a brocade?"

Anne's long eyelashes fluttered, "Well ......"

It was as if she had gotten a lot and as if she had gotten nothing.

She looked down at the meals on the table, which were more than a star and a half behind her usual meals at home, but when she looked up at the pair of mothers not far away, her heart couldn’t contain the despondency.

Qiao An moved closer, “You want to eat too?"

Annie's body stiffened and the noble little girl raised her pretty swan neck and hummed softly, "How could I possibly want to eat something like that, childish."

...

"Qiao An, Anne!"

The sound of someone calling came from not far away.

Qiao An waved, "Here!"

Jian Shiwu took a small step over, "Can we sit here?"

"Sure."

They had not prepared a lot of home-made food because they had come in a hurry, they had frozen it at home and had asked the canteen staff to heat it up before bringing it over.

Jian Shiwu placed the roast pork in the middle and was generous: "You guys try it too, my mum's roast pork is super delicious!"

Qiao An was the most enthusiastic: "It smells so good."

Jian’s pride was sky high as he gave him a piece, "Don't mention it!"

"Thanks bro!"

Annie sat frozen in place, unprecedentedly unmoving, she wasn't able to make herself at home like Qiao An, the situation made her uncomfortable and she was already thinking about how to find an excuse to retreat, however, before she could say anything, a woman's voice came from next to her, "Are you Annie?"

Annie looked up to meet Zhen Meilie and nodded subconsciously.

Many adults had approached her before, mostly because they were vying for the Dukes' interests and wanted to get something out of being on good terms with her, and having heard that Jian’s family was also in business, from past experience, these had made the girl somewhat accustomed to them.

She waited for Zhen Meili to speak in the usual customary way, but was surprised when the woman said, "You've dropped your headband."

Anne froze.

Zhen Meilie picked it up from the side of the chair, smiled at her and said, "Is this it?"

The thin black hairband was held in that pale, slender hand, and Anne somehow begun blushing as she took it with her head down and said softly, "Thank you."

Zhen Meili said, "You have to eat later, do you need me to pull your hair up for you?"

Annie pursed her lips with some shyness, "How embarrassing is that."

"What's to be embarrassed about, you can't easily tie your hair yourself without a mirror, can you?" Zhen Mei had a comb in the bag she carried with her, she took it out and had Annie sit up straight next to herself, then carefully combed the soft blonde hair, her movements were gentle, because she was close, Annie could still smell a faint fragrance, very warm, a very reassuring smell.

Growing up, her mother had never brushed her hair.

Zhen Mei tied a ponytail for her and asked in a low voice, "Is this good?"

Anne was a little uncomfortable: "Good."

Next to her, Jian Shiwu bit into his red meat, "Mum, why are you so good at that, I haven't seen you tying people's hair often before."

Zhen Melie spat at him, "I didn't have the chance, if only you were a daughter!"

His father chimed in, "That's true, your mother wanted a girl when she was pregnant and kept saying it would be a daughter, even... ahem."

She and her best friend Shen Youting made a verbal agreement on a baby marriage. The result was that both families were born as boys.

Zhen Meili gave her husband a white look and said with satisfaction, "I've passed my daughter addiction of sorts."

Looking at the little girl next to her, who was as delicate as a doll, Jian Zighen teased, "Such a beautiful girl doll as a daughter, you have taken advantage of her!"

Zhen Meilie looked down at Annie with a smile, "Then consider it my reward for brushing your hair, do you like it?"

Annie was a little stunned as she listened to them talking.

In fact, her Chinese wasn't that good at times and she could only listen in a daze, although she didn't understand, and although these people didn't have the same complimentary and intimate words on their lips as those before, their eyes were full of friendliness, the kind of warmth that was...very gentle.

"Hmm." Anne lowered her head and she heard herself whisper in a very breathless tone, "I like it "

Zhen Meili laughed.

The table was hot with roast pork, and a few pieces were chucked into Annie's bowl by Zhen Meilie who said, "Try it, it's my own home made, see if it's to your liking."

Jiam smiled at Annie from across the table, "It's even better with rice!"

In the evening of autumn, the temperature dropped, and it was a little cold, but inside the small canteen, people still came and went, the bustling noise seemed to break the solemnity of autumn.

The two transfer students, who had been sitting in the corner out of place from the others, were also gently wrapped up in the hot, earthly atmosphere, and they sat there as if they had blended in with the crowd for the first time.

...

Halfway through the meal, Shen Cheng came back.

Jian Shiwu beckoned for Shen Cheng to come over to eat with him, and Zhen Mei Mei even made a point of opening the last layer of the lunchbox and said, "Auntie has specially saved one for you."

The corners of Jian’s mouth twitched: "Mom, how many surprises do you have that I don't know about?"

Zhen Meilie glared at him.

The father looked at his wife as she was busy greeting the children and said cheerfully in a lowered voice next to him, "She used to say that you were the only child in our family, but now it's better, it looks like there are several children."

Jian sputtered.

In his heart he said, "Save your breath, Dad, these people are the best of the best, we can't be with them, we are just supporting roles.

...

When the meal was over, it was time to take pictures.

Each class has a camera to take pictures of each pair of parents and children as a souvenir, after all, it is a very rare event, there is a commemorative meaning.

When it was Jian Shiwu’s turn, him and his parents posed in front of the cafeteria under the wutong tree stand, the photographer has not had time to press the shutter yet, Zhen Meili said: "Wait a minute."

There were people bustling around, children and parents with smiling faces, and in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, there was also a silent corner.

Father Jian waved over to the other side, calling Shen Cheng familiarly, "Son, come here."

A little far away, the teenager over there looked up and before he had time to react, Jian Shiwu had already trotted over, panting gently, his big eyes shining brightly: "Shall we take a picture together?"

There were only three children in the whole class who were left alone.

Jian Shiwu pulled Shen Cheng to stand over, Zhen Mei walked a few steps, pulling the two transfer students one by one to the side, arranging the standing, Annie constrained to straighten her hair, her fair face flushed with scarlet, Qiao An also unprecedentedly did not have the usual heartiness, even if he was slow, he realized the significance of this group photo, and even buttoned the collar of the school uniform when others did not notice.

The photographer looked somewhat hesitantly at the neatly arranged six people: "Are they... also your family's children? Are they all together?"

Father Jian smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Just as the photographer was about to press the shutter, Lui Heng ran over from a short distance away, his face beaming with joy: "A group photo, let me take with you!"

Jian waved at him and pointed to another vacancy beside him: "Come on!"

The photographer corrected his position and whispered, "It's time to take the picture, come on, someone smile, cheese!"

"Cheese!"

All eyes were warm with laughter, and as the click of the camera fell, the school bell of the school building rang out just in time, leaving a thick stamp in the good old days of youth.