Shen Jianing picked up a bucket and walked with careful elegance, not too fast and not too slow, his expression carrying a hint of effort but not enough to look ugly. He clearly knew where the camera was.

【Jianing is so gentle. He doesn't pressure the child at all.】

 【This is a normal parenting style.】 

【Compared with Shen Qingyu making four-year-olds analyse tasks…】 

【He didn't make them analyse. They analysed by themselves.】

 【Still weird.】 【Shen Jianing looks so soft.】

Meanwhile, Shen Qingyu had placed Xiao Chen in a child-safe seat under the shade beside Fang Yao and a child-safety staff member. Xiao Chen held his rabbit toy and stared at Shen Qingyu with an expression of grave betrayal.

The moment Shen Qingyu turned to leave, Xiao Chen's lips trembled. "Da…"

Shen Qingyu paused, then returned, bent down, and touched Xiao Chen's cheek. "Dad will carry water. You sit here and watch. I'll come back."

Xiao Chen grabbed his finger. "Da."

Shen Qingyu did not pull away immediately. He waited — one second, two seconds, three — and when Xiao Chen's grip loosened slightly, he said softly, "Good boy." Then he placed the rabbit toy into Xiao Chen's arms and stood.

Xiao Chen's eyes reddened, but he did not cry. He only stared at Shen Qingyu's back with tragic baby patience.

Xiao Nian watched this and sighed. "Xiao Chen is enduring separation."

"Duration predicted to be under two minutes," Xiao Heng said.

Xiao Nian nodded. "Dad should return before emotional collapse."

"Then we should work efficiently," Shen Qingyu said. The twins immediately followed.

At the well, Shen Qingyu filled one bucket halfway and handed it to Xiao Heng. "Can you carry this much?"

Xiao Heng tested the weight. "Yes."

Shen Qingyu filled another bucket with slightly less water and handed it to Xiao Nian. "Can you?"

Xiao Nian lifted it with both hands. His face remained sweet, but his brows tightened slightly. "It is acceptable."

Shen Qingyu took one full bucket himself. "We make more trips. Do not force yourself."

Xiao Heng nodded, and Xiao Nian looked at the bucket in Shen Qingyu's hand.

"Dad, your bucket is heavier."

"I'm an adult."

"Father says adults also need to avoid overloading."

"Your father says many things."

"Most are related to your health."

Shen Qingyu glanced at him, and Xiao Nian smiled innocently. "I am only reporting."

"Father instructed us to monitor Dad's fatigue," Xiao Heng added.

Shen Qingyu: "…"

From the shade, Fang Yao almost laughed. Lu Jingheng was not physically present, but his influence had arrived inside two four-year-old messengers.

"Monitoring noted," Shen Qingyu said calmly. "Move."

They moved — not fast, but steady. Shen Qingyu walked in front with the full bucket, Xiao Heng followed with his half-filled bucket held in both hands and his expression serious, and Xiao Nian walked behind him.

After five steps, Xiao Nian looked at the water surface in his bucket, then at Xiao Heng's, then at the path, then at the measuring jar. His eyes curved slightly, and Xiao Heng immediately noticed.

"What are you calculating?"

Xiao Nian whispered, "The rules say adults may carry one bucket at a time. Children may assist according to ability."

"Yes."

"It does not say children must carry water in buckets."

Xiao Heng paused.

"Lu Yinian," Shen Qingyu said from ahead, without turning around.

Xiao Nian blinked. "Dad, I haven't done anything."

"You were about to."

Xiao Nian sighed. "Dad understands me too much."

"This reduces your success probability," Xiao Heng said.

"Brother, you should support innovation."

"Unapproved innovation creates risk."

"Approved innovation?"

"Ask Director Zhou."

Xiao Nian's eyes lit up. When they reached the jar and poured the first round of water in, he immediately raised his hand. "Director Uncle."

Director Zhou, who had been watching from behind the monitor with interest, stepped forward. "Yes, Xiao Nian?"

Xiao Nian held his empty bucket with both hands, looking extremely obedient. "The rules say children may assist according to ability."

"Yes."

"If Xiao Chen cannot carry a bucket, can he assist emotionally?"

Director Zhou froze, and the nearby staff froze with him. Shen Qingyu slowly turned his head, and Xiao Heng closed his eyes briefly.

Xiao Nian continued with a serious face, "If Xiao Chen claps for us, does that count as family cooperation? And if there is a family-understanding section later, emotional contribution should also matter, right?"

Director Zhou stared at him. This child was four. Four. He had written variety-show rules for fifteen years, and for the first time he felt as though a kindergarten child was negotiating with his production format.

The livestream comments went mad.

【Hahahahahahaha emotional contribution!】 

【Xiao Nian is already bargaining with the director.】

 【He wants to include the baby's clapping as labour.】 

【This child has a future.】

 【Villain. Tiny villain.】

 【But he asked first! Shen Qingyu told him to ask before creating loopholes.】 

【He really obeyed and asked hahaha.】

Director Zhou cleared his throat. "Emotional support counts as encouragement, but it cannot replace water volume."

Xiao Nian nodded regretfully. "I understand."

Director Zhou thought the matter was over. Then Xiao Nian asked, "Can encouragement reduce time?"

Director Zhou: "…"

"Director, don't agree!" Zhao Kai shouted from the side. "If baby clapping reduces time, I'll start clapping too!"

Zhao Xiaoshi immediately clapped loudly. "Dad, I support you!"

"See?" Zhao Kai pointed at his son. "We also have emotional support!"

The courtyard dissolved into laughter, and Director Zhou rubbed his forehead. "No emotional-support time deduction."

Xiao Nian sighed. "Understood. The system does not reward morale."

"Return to original plan," Xiao Heng said calmly.

Xiao Nian nodded. "Plan B failed."

Shen Qingyu looked at him. "You had a Plan B?"

Xiao Nian smiled. "Not anymore."

Shen Qingyu did not believe him — not one bit.

Despite Xiao Nian's unsuccessful negotiation, Shen Qingyu's family progressed steadily. They did not rush and did not spill much. Shen Qingyu adjusted the water volume based on the twins' strength each trip, and when Xiao Nian's steps slowed slightly, he immediately reduced the water in his bucket. When Xiao Heng insisted he could carry more, Shen Qingyu checked his wrists first.

"You can carry more, but there is no need."

"Efficiency decreases," Xiao Heng said.

"Safety first."

"The risk is acceptable."

"Not to me."

Xiao Heng looked up, and Shen Qingyu's tone remained calm. "You are not here to prove strength. You are here to complete a task with me."

Xiao Heng was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, Dad."

The camera captured that moment clearly — no loud emotion, no exaggerated parenting speech, only a child who wanted efficiency and a parent who calmly redefined success. The comments slowed briefly.

【That sentence was… good?】 

【You are not here to prove strength. You are here to complete a task with me.】

 【Why did that suddenly hit me?】 

【This is actually a very stable parenting style.】 

【I thought he would push the kids to win.】 

【Same.】 

【Maybe he knows cameras are watching and is pretending.】 

【Then he's pretending better than many real parents.】 

【Don't be ridiculous. One sentence doesn't prove anything.】

One sentence did not prove anything. But the camera kept rolling, and small things accumulated.

When Xiao Nian tried to carry the bucket with one hand to look "cool," Shen Qingyu stopped him. "Two hands."

"But one hand looks more powerful."

"Two hands keep your shoes dry."

Xiao Nian looked down at his clean shoes and immediately used two hands.

When Xiao Chen began fussing under the shade, Shen Qingyu did not abandon the task in panic. He asked Fang Yao to bring the baby closer, then spoke to Xiao Chen between trips — "Dad is here. Wait two minutes. Good boy." — and Xiao Chen's eyes followed him every time. As long as Shen Qingyu looked at him and spoke, the baby endured.

The child-safety staff whispered, "He has a very strong attachment to Mr. Shen."

Fang Yao glanced at her, and the staff member quickly explained, "I mean a healthy one. He seeks reassurance, receives a response, and can tolerate short separation."

Fang Yao's expression softened slightly. "Yes."