After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 10

Warm fingertips brushed against the nape of her neck. Sheng Yunjin raised her gaze through the mirror before her to look at Si Mu standing behind her.

The woman lowered her eyes slightly, her expression focused and earnest, her movements gentle and meticulous as she fastened the necklace.

Her gaze traced every inch of Sheng Yunjin’s face, and as she felt her own uncontrollable heartbeat, a strange wonder filled her chest.

She thought—she must have known her before.

She just didn’t remember.

Just like…

Sheng Yunjin lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the ring on her left hand.

Just like how she couldn’t recall how this spell had come to be.

There had to be a reason.

…

Si Mu’s fingers moved slightly, lightly touching the bamboo leaf pendant resting against Sheng Yunjin’s fair neck before softly saying, “All done.”

Following her gesture, Sheng Yunjin couldn’t help but touch the pendant as well. The cool bamboo leaf pressed against her skin, bringing a soothing chill.

Through the mirror, she met Si Mu’s eyes and asked curiously, “Is this necklace not for sale?”

Earlier, when she had asked the shop assistant to take it out, the assistant had clearly hesitated. And upon reflection, Sheng Yunjin noticed that the necklace wasn’t even priced.

Si Mu gazed at her bright, captivating eyes, her cheeks warming slightly as if recalling something.

She averted her gaze briefly before lying smoothly, “This necklace is too plain—it doesn’t have any special design or meaning, so it was just put on display. Originally, we didn’t plan to sell it.”

After a pause, Si Mu added, “If Miss Sheng likes it, consider it a gift from me.”

Sheng Yunjin studied Si Mu, who suddenly seemed a little flustered, then nodded ambiguously. “I see.”

“I really like this necklace.”

“Thank you, President Si.”

…

Lin Xiaoyu, who had finished picking out her items, called Sheng Yunjin over from another section. Watching her walk away, Si Mu unconsciously let out a quiet sigh of relief.

In truth, that necklace had been placed in the store deliberately.

It wasn’t entirely a lie to say it was just for display—but it wasn’t only for display.

The bamboo leaf pendant on the necklace had been carved based on the exact pattern of the mark over Si Mu’s heart.

At first, Si Mu had intended to keep the pendant as a memento for herself. But as time passed, she grew increasingly certain that Sheng Yunjin existed in this world—and that she would meet her someday.

So later, she had it made into a necklace and placed it in the bustling shop.

For some reason, she felt that if Sheng Yunjin ever came here, she would recognize the pendant.

But years passed, and the necklace remained in the most inconspicuous corner of the display case, untouched by anyone.

…

Snapping out of her thoughts, Si Mu watched as Sheng Yunjin paid at the counter nearby. Her friend glanced curiously at the necklace around her neck.

—“You spent so long picking, and this is what you chose?”

—“Yeah, what’s wrong with it?”

—“It’s so plain. You’ve been acting weird all day.”

—“Weird how? I think it’s nice.”

—“First that plain ring, now this necklace… Since when did you like this kind of style?”

—”Style isn’t fixed anyway. As long as I like it.”

—”That’s true too.”

…

After returning from the outskirts, Si Mu caught a chill.

She reclined against the bed, her jade-like face free of makeup. The usual coldness and stubbornness that filled her brows had completely faded, leaving only an air of fragility and vulnerability.

A maid by her side carefully fed her medicine. Si Mu swallowed the bitter concoction spoon by spoon without changing her expression. Only when she heard movement at the door did her delicate, long lashes tremble slightly as she lifted her gaze.

Sheng Yunjin stepped inside, standing a few paces away as she quietly observed Si Mu’s complexion. “Are you feeling better?”

Once the bowl of medicine was finished, the maid took the empty bowl and withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room.

“A little better.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse. Si Mu paused mid-sentence, then simply looked up at Sheng Yunjin with a faint smile at her lips.

Sheng Yunjin’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as she stepped forward, her fingertips landing on Si Mu’s slender, pale neck. The touch of her jade-like fingers was as cool as ever, but Si Mu paid it no mind, merely tilting her chin up slightly in response to the gesture before reaching up to grasp Sheng Yunjin’s palm.

“What have you been up to?”

Not wanting her to dwell on her condition, Si Mu changed the subject to divert Sheng Yunjin’s attention.

Beneath her palm, the porcelain skin bore several bruised fingerprints. Sheng Yunjin thought she shouldn’t have killed that man so easily—she should have tortured him properly, made him wish for death.

A gentle tug at her sleeve made Sheng Yunjin lower her eyes to meet Si Mu’s gaze. She allowed herself to be pulled down to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I went to see the local magistrate to inquire about the bandits in this area. Then I wiped out all the bandits nearby.”

Si Mu was momentarily stunned. Sheng Yunjin had stayed with her here for over a decade, never once revealing her identity as a cultivator to outsiders. Apart from the servants in the Si household, no one else knew of her true nature. Even those servants were bound by Sheng Yunjin’s spells, unable to speak of it.

But now…

“By exposing yourself like this, won’t it bring trouble?”

Si Mu was worried. She feared that other unscrupulous cultivators might come after Sheng Yunjin. There were always greater powers beyond what one knew. She had no understanding of Sheng Yunjin’s abilities, nor whether there might be others stronger than her.

“If I’m exposed, then so be it. Perhaps I should have revealed myself sooner. That way, out of fear, they wouldn’t dare harm you again.”

Her tone was casual, indifferent even, yet her words never failed to move Si Mu. After more than ten years of companionship, she had finally taught Sheng Yunjin to care for her.

But what she wanted was more than just care.

…

Outside the window, a light rain continued to fall. Sheng Yunjin stood by the window, gazing at the bamboo grove dampened by the droplets.

“The storybooks in the study say that great love means holding all living beings in your heart. I think… I still can’t comprehend the ‘great love’ my master spoke of before his passing.”

After learning that she had eradicated the mountain bandits in the vicinity, the county magistrate had been praising her celestial grace for eliminating a major scourge for the local people.

Yet Sheng Yunjin felt not the slightest stir in her heart upon hearing this.

Because she knew—she had done it all for Si Mu.

She cared nothing for those common folk.

…

Si Mu had been quietly watching her silhouette when she was startled by the words. Biting her lip to steady herself, she replied, “What’s written in storybooks isn’t necessarily true.”

Sheng Yunjin nodded absently, folding her arms as she leaned sideways against the windowsill, her dark tresses swaying gently in the breeze.

“There will be time. I’ll try to understand what true compassion is, what it means to have affection.”

Her voice was light and ethereal, but when it reached Si Mu’s ears, it sent an involuntary flutter of panic through her, gripping the edge of the blanket tightly.

“Are… are you thinking of leaving?”

Her voice came out hoarse, trembling with tension. Si Mu’s gaze remained fixed on Sheng Yunjin’s figure, her restrained expression on the verge of tears.

Sheng Yunjin seemed not to notice. Tilting her head, she focused on the view outside the window, then lifted a fingertip into the drizzle. “I promised you—I would stay with you for this lifetime.”

Si Mu stared at her intently, her eyes reddening with suppressed emotion.

“Right. You must remember—you promised me.”

…

Lowering her eyes to rein in her turbulent emotions, Si Mu clenched her fists tightly. After a long pause, she spoke to Sheng Yunjin, “Could you give me a token?”

“A token?”

Sheng Yunjin turned to her in confusion.

Si Mu smiled gently and explained, “Like in the storybooks—if I hold a token from you, no matter where you are, as long as I prick my finger and let my bl00d fall on it, you’ll sense that I’m searching for you.”

Sheng Yunjin considered this, then shook her head. “You’re right—not everything in storybooks is real.”

Si Mu was puzzled by her words, but before she could ponder further, Sheng Yunjin turned back to the window.

A few breaths later, a bamboo leaf still glistening with raindrops floated mid-air.

Then Si Mu watched as Sheng Yunjin performed an unfathomable technique—in the blink of an eye, the leaf drifted down before her.

Hesitantly, Si Mu reached out, and an utterly ordinary bamboo leaf settled into her palm.

“This is…?”

Sheng Yunjin glanced at the green in her hand and said softly, “Keep this leaf with you. From now on, no matter how far apart we are, if you call my name, I will hear you.”

Si Mu looked at her curiously. “I don’t need to bleed on it?”

Sheng Yunjin might have smiled—or perhaps it was just Si Mu’s imagination.

“No need. It carries a drop of my heart’s bl00d—that’s enough.”

……

Another message buzzed on her phone. Si Mu glanced down and replied with a resigned sigh.

When she looked up again, Sheng Yunjin had already left the shop with her friends.

Standing motionless, Si Mu watched her retreating figure, biting her lip in hesitation. In the end, she didn’t follow.

Touching the mark over her heart, she silently whispered Sheng Yunjin’s name twice.

They would meet again.

…

Driving to an old residential district, Si Mu rubbed her throbbing temples and sighed before stepping out of the car.

She knocked on a door, holding a bag of fruit bought from the shop downstairs, waiting quietly for it to open.

Click.

The door swung open, revealing a girl with a ponytail who timidly looked up at her before stepping aside. “Sister,” she said softly.

Si Mu’s smile faltered for a moment before she patiently corrected, “Xiaoying, you should call me auntie.”

From the living room, Si Zhong chuckled heartily. “Look at you, kid—Xiaoying was trying to make you sound younger, and you’re not even happy about it?”

Si Mu smiled and set the fruit on the table. “Grandpa, I’m already thirty. Xiaoying’s barely a teenager—it’s only right she calls me auntie.”