"Okay." The children replied in unison, all eager to go.
Shen Xi was also woken by the excited cheers, only to find a thin blanket had been placed over her.
It was a blanket she had specifically brought, fearing the children might get cold while sleeping in the air-conditioned car.
Little did she know, the children hadn't used it, but she was the first to benefit from it.
As soon as she sat up, she met Qin Si Ye's gentle gaze. "Awake?" kanδん
"Mhm." Shen Xi had already guessed how the blanket ended up on her.
She slowly folded it and placed it on her lap.
Just then, Yan Yan suddenly whispered, "Mommy, Daddy took your blanket from his bag just now and put it on you. You were asleep, didn't you feel cold?"
"No." Shen Xi's eyes flickered a few times, and she couldn't help but say to Qin Si Ye, "Thank you!"
Qin Si Ye's eyebrows rose. He leaned closer, whispering in her ear, "Why are couples so polite? You'd better not say those two words in front of others all day today."
"Oh." Shen Xi responded softly, then suddenly realized something was amiss.
What did he just say, "couples"? Wasn't this man going too far, clearly taking advantage of her?
But then again, he wasn't wrong. Weren't they both playing a fake couple for their three children today?
She couldn't possibly fall out with him over this. If other parents heard, wouldn't they laugh at the three children?
The anger that had just begun to rise gradually subsided as she calmed herself down.
At this moment, Teacher Li was already posing riddles at the front. The children were enthusiastically guessing. Chen Chen and Shuo Shuo had both guessed one correctly and received prizes from the teacher.
Yan Yan, sitting on Qin Si Ye's lap, was also listening intently, eager to win a small prize. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
Then, Teacher Li said, "Now I'll tell a slightly more difficult one. Please listen carefully, children.
It resembles a deer, a horse, a donkey, and a cow, but it's hard to say which it most resembles. It has the features of four animals combined, but it doesn't quite look like any of them."
As soon as the words fell, the car suddenly fell silent. The children were all pondering.
It seemed the riddle was quite challenging, as the children were stumped. Even the parents who had been secretly helping had few answers.
Qin Si Ye thought of the answer first and was about to whisper it to Yan Yan when Shen Xi tugged at him and shook her head.
She didn't want her children to win prizes through cheating. It would be meaningless and could foster bad habits in them, making them complacent and unthinking.
Qin Si Ye seemed to understand her intention and quickly swallowed the answer that was on the tip of his tongue.
At this moment, Yan Yan suddenly raised her hand and said loudly, "Teacher Li, I know the answer!"
"Alright, Shen Zi Yan, you tell us?" Teacher Li was surprised and looked at her with a kind smile.
"It's the Père David's deer, also called the 'Four Unlike'," Yan Yan stood up from Qin Si Ye's lap, her voice clear and childish.
"Correct! Very good! Shen Zi Yan, can you tell us how you thought of this answer?" Teacher Li walked over, handed her the prize, and asked curiously.
"Thank you!" Yan Yan took the prize, smiling happily.
She replied, "Because I usually like animals and have many animal books at home.
Once, I saw a description of the Père David's deer in a book, which mentioned its nickname, 'Four Unlike.' Combined with your riddle about resembling a deer, horse, donkey, and cow, but not quite like any of them, it must be the 'Four Unlike.'"
Yan Yan's voice was melodious, her language fluent, and her logic clear. Everyone was amazed by her words.
Teacher Li excitedly patted her head. "Excellent! Zi Yan, you explained it wonderfully."
She then scanned the car. "I propose we give a warm round of applause to Shen Zi Yan, who loves reading and thinking."
Immediately, the car erupted in thunderous applause.
"Thank you, everyone." Yan Yan gracefully turned and bowed to the crowd.
She then hopped back to Qin Si Ye, who proudly picked her up and placed her on his lap again.
Yan Yan turned her head to look at Shen Xi, whose eyes were curved with a smile. "Mommy, how was my performance just now?"