A look of admiration appeared in Margaret Jennings's eyes. "Oh... I didn't realize you were so concerned about Annie, Rachel. It must be a lot of trouble for you to bring him food."
"That poor child, Annie, has had such a hard life. I just can't bear the thought of him going hungry. He's about the same age as Mona, and when I look at Annie, it's like I'm seeing Mona..."
Renee Jennings lowered her head, glancing sideways to make sure the camera caught it, then raised a finger to dab the corner of her eye. "The first time I saw Mona, he was also so thin and small, and all alone. Seeing Annie now... it's like I'm seeing Mona from back then."
Margaret Jennings comforted her, "Mona is doing great now. You've done a wonderful job, Rachel. As for Annie..."
Margaret Jennings's brow furrowed. She trailed off, suddenly at a loss for words when it came to Annie. After all, with an irresponsible mother like Naomi Kenway, Annie's life was certainly difficult.
She had no choice but to change the subject. "I heard the breakfast the production team prepared is pretty simple, but there was a serving of steamed buns. I imagine they went to you, Rachel."
"Steamed buns?" Renee Jennings thought for a moment and frowned, glancing down at the plain steamed bread in her hand. "Steamed buns? Pearl, you must be mistaken. There weren't any steamed buns, it was all plain steamed bread."
"Oh, really?" Seeing that Renee Jennings's expression didn't seem fake, Margaret Jennings pressed her temples and smiled. "Perhaps I misremembered. Oh..." Her gaze was suddenly drawn to the area under Renee's eyes. "How did you get such dark circles? Rachel, did you not sleep well last night?"
"Oh..." Renee Jennings quickly covered her eyes. "I can't believe you noticed even after I was so careful with my makeup, Pearl. I really didn't sleep well last night. Mona is a bit shy with strangers and always has trouble sleeping in new environments, so I was up half the night telling him fairy tales."
"Carina is always pestering me for stories, too. Do you have any good introductory fairy tales to recommend, Rachel?"
Renee Jennings froze for a moment, then forced a casual smile. "I just make them up as I go. I don't have any particular recommendations."
"It's getting late." Renee Jennings said, making a quick excuse. "I should get going, my son is waiting for me at home."
Margaret Jennings gave her a gentle smile and politely said goodbye.
As Renee Jennings turned away, she felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of bringing food to Ian Shaw. 'Naomi Kenway doesn't care about him at all. This is the perfect chance to show some kindness and win the boy's heart.'
Margaret Jennings stared in the direction Renee Jennings had gone and asked the cameraman beside her, "Did Renee Jennings go the wrong way?"
Renee Jennings's house was at the north end of the village, and Naomi Kenway's was at the west end. But Renee was now walking west.
'Renee Jennings claims to feel such pity for Annie, but is she really going to deliver breakfast to someone else's child first? Her own son, Mona, is at home hungry...'
Margaret Jennings couldn't make sense of it, but she had a faint feeling that Renee Jennings's relationship with Nathan Lynch wasn't as wonderful as the public believed.
[Mona is such a handful. It can't be easy for Rachel being a stepmom! Her patience is amazing. If it were me, I don't know if I could spend half the night coaxing a child to sleep.]
[Rachel is the model of a good mother—beautiful and kind-hearted. Someone as motherly as her is perfect for a parenting show. Scum like Naomi Kenway should be kicked off!]
[I don't really agree with the comment above. Who's to say Naomi Kenway has no motherly love? She got up super early to get breakfast for her kid. She was the first one of all the guests to wake up!]
[Rachel's heart was in the right place, but too bad Naomi Kenway, for once, got up early today. This trip is going to be a waste. I just saw that the number of breakfasts is limited. Rachel took two portions, so doesn't that mean the last person to arrive won't get any?]
[Wonder who the unlucky soul who gets there last will be.]
*
「At 5:40 AM」, Ruby Preston rushed to the east end of the village where the meals were distributed, only to find the large table completely bare. There was no food in sight.
She wasn't one to oversleep, but a small problem had come up that morning. Simon Sawyer had caught a chill and had an upset stomach, so Ruby Preston had to give him some medicine before leaving the house.
'It was fine if she didn't eat, but how could her son go without food when he had an upset stomach?'
Ruby Preston looked at the staff member standing by the table and asked, "Am I too late?"
The staff member explained that all the breakfasts had been claimed and suggested she could get some food from Renee Jennings's house.
Ruby Preston was sharp; she instantly understood that Renee Jennings had taken extra food.
'The number of breakfasts was limited, yet Renee Jennings took an extra portion. This newcomer is so inconsiderate!'
Ruby Preston's initially excellent impression of Renee Jennings soured. Now she just seemed petty and immature.
She composed herself and strode quickly in the direction of Renee Jennings's house.
*
Renee Jennings arrived at Naomi Kenway's earthen hut. She reached for the wooden door, but just as she was about to knock, it swung open with a CREAK. A look of astonishment crossed Renee's face. 'Did Naomi already leave? Who else would leave the front door open? Or does she just not lock her door at night?'
The courtyard was spotlessly clean, without a single leaf on the ground. It was a far cry from what Renee Jennings had imagined.
Before Renee could reach the inner room, the door curtain was pushed aside, and Naomi Kenway's vibrant, beautiful face appeared. Her eyebrow twitched when she saw Renee, as if she, too, was a little surprised.
Relieved to see that she hadn't left, Renee Jennings still wondered why she was up so early. She voiced her question, "Why are you up so early?"
"I just came back from the restroom." Naomi Kenway's eyes swept over Renee Jennings from head to toe. "What are you doing here?"
Hearing that Naomi Kenway had only gotten up because she needed to use the restroom, Renee Jennings completely relaxed. She smiled amicably, her voice soft and gentle. "Nina, please don't be so distant. I really want to be friends with you."
Naomi's gaze sharpened, but it returned to a look of placid indifference in an instant.
'If not for my awakened consciousness, I'd probably be fooled by Renee Jennings's facade too. She's nothing but a venomous snake disguised as a harmless rabbit.'
Pinned by Naomi Kenway's gaze, Renee Jennings felt a prickle of unease. For the first time, she felt like someone was seeing right through her. Thankfully, the intense stare quickly shifted away.
"Nina, aren't you going to invite me in?"
Naomi Kenway shot her a smiling glance, her tone a mix of truth and jest. "The house is full of dust. It's not a suitable place for you."
It was a clear dismissal. Renee Jennings didn't press the issue, but she asked another question. "Where's Annie? How come I haven't seen him?"
'I went to all this trouble to bring food. If Ian Shaw doesn't even see it, all my effort will be for nothing.'
At the mention of her son, Naomi Kenway's previously indifferent expression instantly hardened, her gaze becoming as sharp as a sword.
"What do you want with my son?"
'She didn't mind playing along with the female lead's petty games, but Ian Shaw was her bottom line. A line no one was allowed to cross.'