After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 16

Slightly dazed, Sheng Yunjin’s lips parted as if to say something, but in the next moment, she saw Si Mu avert her gaze first.

A vague, indescribable feeling stirred in her heart. Sheng Yunjin lifted her eyes to gaze at Si Mu’s gentle profile before casually looking away as though nothing had happened.

Zhao Yuanqi, oblivious to the subtle tension between the two, continued dutifully introducing JM Company’s business operations to Sheng Yunjin.

Towards the end of the conversation, she tentatively brought up JM’s plans to venture into the fashion industry and their current search for potential partners in clothing manufacturing.

Sheng Yunjin listened attentively. She knew that if Zhao Yuanqi mentioned this, JM must genuinely be facing difficulties in this area.

Cross-industry collaborations were far from simple, and Sheng Yunjin could tell that although Zhao Yuanqi framed it as merely exploring co-branding opportunities with mid-range fashion labels, her words left room for more. Ideally, JM hoped to establish its own independent clothing brand—though achieving that would take considerable time.

Si Mu had been quietly listening to their exchange. Everything Zhao Yuanqi mentioned aligned with their current plans and challenges, though she had been careful not to reveal too much to Sheng Yunjin.

After all, this was their first meeting. Despite Sheng Yunjin’s offer of assistance, Zhao Yuanqi couldn’t be sure how much real authority the young heiress held, given she hadn’t officially taken over Ming Sheng yet.

Running her fingertip along the rim of her glass, Sheng Yunjin remained silent for a moment, making Zhao Yuanqi grow nervous. Had she overstepped? Maybe Sheng Yunjin’s earlier offer had just been polite conversation.

Exchanging a worried glance with Si Mu, Zhao Yuanqi subtly turned away from Sheng Yunjin’s line of sight and mouthed silently,

“Did I say too much?”

Si Mu shook her head slightly and offered a reassuring smile.

Whether or not Sheng Yunjin could help them, Si Mu didn’t mind. Just seeing her here today was enough to make her happy.

Meanwhile, Sheng Yunjin was mentally reviewing her past investments in the fashion industry, unaware that her thoughtful silence had been misinterpreted.

After recalling several relevant company names, she finally looked up at Si Mu and listed a few well-known clothing brands.

Si Mu was momentarily taken aback. She recognized every brand Sheng Yunjin mentioned—they were all established, high-end labels.

But…

Zhao Yuanqi also noticed the issue and hesitantly pointed out, “These brands… they’re all foreign, aren’t they?”

Sheng Yunjin nodded. “Yes, they originated overseas.”

Assuming their concern was about market compatibility, she quickly added, “Though they’re international brands, they have widespread recognition and acceptance domestically.”

Si Mu smiled wryly. “You’ve misunderstood, Miss Sheng. That’s not what we’re worried about.”

“Then what is it?” Sheng Yunjin was genuinely puzzled now.

Noticing the genuine confusion in her eyes, Si Mu explained, “These brands are all excellent, but we’re not confident about securing collaborations with overseas fashion labels at the moment.”

Although JM had gained recognition, it was still limited to the domestic market. After all, the brand was only seven years old, and breaking into the international scene wasn’t that easy.

Understanding the situation, Sheng Yunjin relaxed her expression, her eyes sparkling with confident amusement. “No need to worry about that. I hold shares in all these companies and can put in a word if needed.”

Zhao Yuanqi was even more surprised upon hearing this, as she distinctly remembered that Mingsheng Group didn’t have stakes in any of these brands.

Si Mu was the first to catch on. “Ms. Sheng holds personal investments?”

Though phrased as a question, her tone already carried certainty.

Sheng Yunjin smiled modestly. “Just some investments I tried while studying abroad—pocket money, really.”

Zhao Yuanqi, clicking her tongue in admiration, silently gave a thumbs-up, mentally apologizing for her earlier unfounded assumptions about Sheng Yunjin.

This was no naive rich girl—she was a low-key investment tycoon.

With the conversation reaching this point, Zhao Yuanqi became even more enthusiastic. She pulled Sheng Yunjin aside to a terrace balcony, first exchanging contact information before diving straight into discussing collaboration details.

A golden opportunity like this couldn’t be wasted. With an investment heavyweight like Sheng Yunjin on board, she and Si Mu wouldn’t have to scramble for connections anymore.

Though she didn’t know why Sheng Yunjin was being so accommodating, Zhao Yuanqi didn’t care. All she knew was that once this deal was sealed, she could finally take a proper vacation.

The three of them huddled on a terrace sofa, shielded by sunshade curtains. Discussing business at this otherwise inappropriate banquet suddenly didn’t seem so disruptive.

…

Most of the business discussion flowed between Si Mu and Sheng Yunjin. When it came to fashion, Zhao Yuanqi lacked Si Mu’s expertise, so their division of labor was clear: Zhao Yuanqi handled networking, while Si Mu dealt with the finer details.

The more they talked, the clearer Si Mu’s understanding of Sheng Yunjin became.

Whether it was fashion design, jewelry design, or domestic and international market trends, Sheng Yunjin could discuss them all with depth and clarity.

Si Mu quietly observed Sheng Yunjin as she eloquently analyzed the characteristics of several overseas brands and potential pros and cons of future collaborations, leaving no stone unturned.

This version of Sheng Yunjin was yet another side Si Mu hadn’t seen before—and it captivated her just as much.

Someone so effortlessly skilled in commercial investments had introduced herself earlier with nothing more than a bland “just an idler.”

The corners of Si Mu’s lips curled slightly, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

Adorable.

The word floated silently through her mind.

…

After meticulously analyzing every brand detail she could think of for another half hour, Sheng Yunjin finally paused, giving Si Mu and Zhao Yuanqi time to digest the information.

Silently pursing her lips, Sheng Yunjin felt a bit thirsty. Taking advantage of the moment when Si Mu and Zhao Yuanqi were deep in discussion, she was about to stand up to fetch a drink when she noticed Si Mu across from her pushing a glass toward her.

Sheng Yunjin froze for a moment. The person opposite hadn’t even glanced her way, engrossed in a low conversation with Zhao Yuanqi, yet her fingertips had unerringly slid the glass right to Sheng Yunjin.

A smile unconsciously tugged at Sheng Yunjin’s lips as she picked up the glass and gave it a light sniff. The clear, bubble-free liquid in the glass left her momentarily puzzled about what kind of drink it was.

Tilting her slender neck back, Sheng Yunjin downed nearly half the glass in one go.

As the liquid slid down her throat, her bright, peach-blossom eyes widened slightly in surprise as she looked at Si Mu across from her.

She had assumed it was sparkling wine, but it turned out to be plain water?

Licking her lips, the thirst now quenched, Sheng Yunjin glanced around, unable to figure out where Si Mu had gotten this glass of water from.

Noticing Sheng Yunjin’s movements from the corner of her eye, Si Mu roughly guessed what she was thinking, an inexplicable warmth flickering in her gaze.

The glass had been in Si Mu’s hand the whole time, filled with water from the start. Unless absolutely necessary for social occasions, she always substituted water for alcohol at parties and gatherings.

She hadn’t taken a sip from it yet. When Zhao Yuanqi had eagerly pulled them aside to discuss business earlier, Si Mu had instinctively brought her glass along.

Seeing how thirsty Sheng Yunjin looked after talking so much, Si Mu decided to offer her own glass.

Fortunately, Sheng Yunjin didn’t seem to mind, obediently picking up the glass and drinking from it.

…

After over an hour on the terrace finalizing the preliminary details of their collaboration, Zhao Yuanqi let out a relieved sigh.

By the time they returned to the main hall, the party was winding down, with noticeably fewer guests remaining.

After exchanging a few more words with Sheng Yunjin, Zhao Yuanqi was summoned by her sister who had been looking for her all evening.

Suddenly, only Sheng Yunjin and Si Mu remained in the quiet corner.

The purpose of attending tonight’s event had been more than accomplished thanks to Sheng Yunjin’s help, leaving Si Mu with indescribable feelings.

Beyond professional satisfaction, there was a deeper sense of fulfillment.

Previously, her knowledge of Sheng Yunjin had been limited to dreams. But now, she could clearly feel them gradually understanding each other.

Though she couldn’t help the growing attraction toward Sheng Yunjin, compared to mere physical pleasure, she far preferred and cherished this process of mutual discovery.

As for everything else—she wasn’t in a hurry.

She was confident that Sheng Yunjin would be hers.

…

Retrieving two glasses of red wine, Si Mu handed one to Sheng Yunjin under her questioning gaze.

“Thank you for your assistance, Miss Sheng.”

With that, Si Mu raised her glass and lightly clinked it against Sheng Yunjin’s.

Looking down at the shimmering red wine, Sheng Yunjin smiled meaningfully. “I thought the CEO didn’t drink?”

Meeting her dazzling gaze, the tips of Si Mu’s ears flushed slightly pink before she gently bit her lip in response. “Showing gratitude requires sincerity.”

With that, Si Mu took the lead in drinking her wine.

Sheng Yunjin watched the graceful curve of her pale neck, then found her gaze inadvertently drawn to Si Mu’s lips, now stained with the wine’s crimson hue.

Perhaps sensing Sheng Yunjin’s gaze, Si Mu’s lips curled slightly. Then, her crimson lips parted as a voice tinged with cool elegance yet carrying threads of tenderness sounded before Sheng Yunjin, “Miss Sheng, aren’t you drinking?”

Slightly dazed, Sheng Yunjin averted her gaze before somewhat hastily draining her glass.

She glanced outside, then gathered her courage and took two more steps toward Si Mu.

Only when she drew near did Sheng Yunjin realize she was slightly taller than Si Mu—just by about two finger joints’ height.

Si Mu didn’t reject her approach, merely gazing at Sheng Yunjin with indulgent patience. When she stopped, Si Mu asked softly, “What is it?”

Just as Sheng Yunjin was about to speak, another voice called her name from behind.

Turning briefly, she saw Lin Xiaoyu curled up on a sofa, waving her over.

Si Mu followed her gaze and naturally noticed Lin Xiaoyu’s gesture.

Pressing her lips together, Si Mu proactively asked, “Did you have something to say to me?”

Instinctively, Sheng Yunjin grasped Si Mu’s wrist—the skin beneath her fingers smooth and warm, sending a faint tremor through her heart.

With Lin Xiaoyu still calling her name persistently behind them, Sheng Yunjin smiled helplessly before lowering her eyes slightly and murmuring, “If you truly want to thank me… could President Si see me home tonight?”