After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 17

The distance between them was so close at this moment that Si Mu could faintly catch the subtle fragrance emanating from Sheng Yunjin.

The scent was unfamiliar—not like any perfume Si Mu had encountered before.

Yet it was also familiar, so familiar that every deep night in her dreams, she would be enveloped in such an embrace.

Her thoughts drifted slightly. Si Mu lifted her gaze to meet Sheng Yunjin’s eyes, only then noticing the faint trace of nervousness hidden deep within them.

The grip on her wrist was gentle. Feeling the warmth of Sheng Yunjin’s palm, Si Mu softly replied, “Okay.”

Joy brimmed in Sheng Yunjin’s eyes, and she unconsciously tightened her grip a little.

“Then don’t forget to wait for me after the banquet ends.”

As she spoke, she seemed to realize she was getting too excited and quickly loosened her hold, careful not to squeeze too hard.

When her palm withdrew, there were no marks left on Si Mu’s fair, slender wrist.

Sheng Yunjin exhaled in relief. Having received Si Mu’s confirmation, she finally turned and walked toward Lin Xiaoyu.

Si Mu watched her retreating figure from behind.

Her tall, graceful silhouette moved lightly under the flowing gown, and the delicate butterfly bones peeking through her black hair were breathtakingly beautiful.

Slowly withdrawing her gaze, Si Mu lowered her eyes to look at the wrist Sheng Yunjin had just held, her lips curling into an involuntary smile.

…

Sitting on the sofa, Sheng Yunjin gradually steadied her still-racing heartbeat.

Seeing her approach, Lin Xiaoyu handed her a plate of small desserts while scooping up a bite for herself.

“Running around all night—I’m starving.”

Sheng Yunjin accepted the plate but didn’t eat. She wasn’t particularly hungry and simply set it aside before asking, “How did things go after working all night?”

She knew Lin Xiaoyu had been busy lately preparing for her new company. Many attendees tonight were investors in the entertainment industry, and some executives had even brought their top talents to network.

This was a great opportunity for Lin Xiaoyu.

Swallowing her food, Lin Xiaoyu grinned. “Plenty of gains.”

Though she had only taken over the company recently, she had already rebuilt the original makeshift team from scratch. With her resources and connections, restarting the company wasn’t difficult.

Raising a brow, Sheng Yunjin chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Congratulations.”

Lin Xiaoyu clinked glasses with her, then glanced toward the direction Sheng Yunjin had come from earlier.

No one was there now, but she remembered Sheng Yunjin had been engrossed in conversation with someone earlier—so much so that she had to wave repeatedly to get her attention.

“Was that JM’s CEO Si Mu you were talking to earlier?”

Sheng Yunjin nodded. “Yeah, you still remember her?”

After all, they had only met once at the mall half a month ago. She hadn’t expected Lin Xiaoyu to recall Si Mu.

Shooting her a mildly exasperated look, Lin Xiaoyu wrinkled her nose. “My memory’s great, okay? Besides, I’ve always admired women who are both gorgeous and capable.”

Amused, Sheng Yunjin teased, “Sounds like you know her pretty well?”

Lin Xiaoyu gave a light hum. “Of course I do. CEO Si Mu is the investor for my company’s first TV drama.”

Leaning lazily against the backrest of her chair, Sheng Yunjin looked surprised at the question. “What investor?”

Thinking she was asking about the TV series, Lin Xiaoyu replied with evident pride, “Next month, our first drama produced under Qingguo Entertainment will start filming.”

To showcase her capabilities, Lin Xiaoyu deliberately added, “From the script to the director, even the lead actors—I was involved in selecting everything.”

Clapping half-heartedly, Sheng Yunjin continued probing, “Is JM the investor for this drama?”

Though slightly dissatisfied with her reaction, Lin Xiaoyu patiently answered, “Yes, I just met JM’s vice president earlier. We had a chat and reached a friendly cooperation agreement.”

Lin Xiaoyu’s first project was a modern drama where the female lead played a white-collar worker who would need to wear various accessories. This necessitated finding a jewelry brand as an investor.

JM, positioned as a mid-range jewelry brand, had gained popularity among young women in recent years due to its creative designs and branding—perfectly aligning with the female lead’s character. Hence, Lin Xiaoyu proactively approached Zhao Yuanqi to discuss collaboration.

The outcome was mutually beneficial, with both parties reaching a preliminary agreement.

Sheng Yunjin glanced around but didn’t spot Si Mu this time. Given the size of the Sheng residence, she guessed Si Mu might be resting elsewhere or catching up with other guests.

At the very least, Si Mu wouldn’t break her promise and leave Sheng Yunjin behind to go home alone.

Unable to find her, Sheng Yunjin felt a pang of disappointment, and a sudden thought crossed her mind. She turned to look at Lin Xiaoyu beside her.

Under the gaze of those mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes, Lin Xiaoyu felt no sense of flirtation—only an eerie discomfort.

Exaggeratedly shaking her arms, Lin Xiaoyu scooted away, her lips twitching. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t look at me like that.”

“When does your drama start filming? Can I visit the set?” Sheng Yunjin asked.

Lin Xiaoyu eyed her suspiciously. “You’re acting weird.”

Sheng Yunjin feigned innocence. “How so?”

Rolling over, Lin Xiaoyu leaned in so close that Sheng Yunjin nearly swatted her away—only for Lin Xiaoyu to retreat again.

“Do you like Si Mu?”

Sheng Yunjin, who had just relaxed, was startled. Her strikingly beautiful face flushed crimson. “What did you say?!”

Noticing her intense reaction, Lin Xiaoyu kindly handed her a glass of juice but maintained her skeptical gaze.

As Sheng Yunjin drank, Lin Xiaoyu began analyzing her suspicions, her tone inexplicably resentful. “I knew something was off when we met at the mall. It was your first time seeing her, yet you were unusually nice to her.”

“Besides, if it was the first meeting for both of you, why did she give you a gift? I spent so much at her store, and she didn’t even offer me a trinket!”

Lin Xiaoyu shot Sheng Yunjin a resentful glance.

Sheng Yunjin downed the entire glass of juice in one gulp. Though her expression gradually calmed, her heart still raced wildly, her mind replaying Lin Xiaoyu’s words: “You like Si Mu.”

Lin Xiaoyu noticed her silence but only grew more impassioned, voicing her grievances one after another. “Take today, for example. You weren’t interested in my company before, but the moment you heard JM invested in the production team, you got all excited.”

Sheng Yunjin was still calming her emotions when Lin Xiaoyu suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. “You’re heartless! Now that you’ve met a new pretty sister, you don’t love me anymore.”

She even faked a few exaggerated sobs, deliberately pitching her voice higher.

Thoroughly disrupted by this unreasonable display of grievances, Sheng Yunjin chuckled helplessly. “Stop making baseless accusations, will you?”

She poked Lin Xiaoyu’s shoulder with a look of disdain.

“Get up now. If you dare smear your lipstick on me, you’re dead.”

Pouting, Lin Xiaoyu lifted her head like an abandoned young bride, sniffling dramatically.

“Then promise me one thing, or I’ll wipe my snot and tears all over your dress.”

Sheng Yunjin gave her a look of utter disbelief—here was someone dressed like an exquisite Barbie doll, yet threatening her best friend with such vicious words!

“Fine, fine, I promise,” Sheng Yunjin relented with a nod, despite her obvious exasperation.

Lin Xiaoyu’s expression instantly brightened, as if her earlier tearful act had been nothing but Sheng Yunjin’s imagination.

Grinning, she leaned in closer. “Come work for me.”

Thinking she must have misheard, Sheng Yunjin asked again, “What did you say?”

“Join my company as an artist. Work for me.”

Lin Xiaoyu maintained her cheerful smile, though her fingers clutched desperately at Sheng Yunjin’s dress, afraid her friend might bolt.

Leaning back against the seat with arms crossed, Sheng Yunjin was utterly baffled. “All this fuss just for that?”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded shamelessly, her tone unapologetic. “You promised just now—no takebacks!”

“There are so many fresh graduates from acting schools. Why me?” Sheng Yunjin couldn’t comprehend.

Studying her expression, Lin Xiaoyu sensed an opening—knowing Sheng Yunjin well, this reaction meant there was still hope.

“You’re gorgeous, Xiao Jin. After reviewing countless resumes, I realized my standards have been ruined by you—no one else compares.”

Step one in persuading Sheng Yunjin: flattery.

Complimenting anything else was useless, but praising her looks never failed.

Sure enough, the exaggerated praise softened Sheng Yunjin’s expression.

Her refined features brimming with satisfaction, she lifted her chin and laughed. “Go on.”

Lin Xiaoyu continued eagerly, “You’ve got popularity too. That music MV you starred in? It’s racked up hundreds of millions of views on K-Site, with the entire comment section raving about your looks.”

“Besides, launching a newcomer isn’t easy. What if I invest all this effort, only for some bombshell scandal to surface later? All that work would go to waste.”

Newcomers might have fresh resumes, but companies only see one side of them. Who knows what they’ve done in the past—or what they might do in the future? Those risks are unpredictable.

None of this had ever crossed Lin Xiaoyu’s mind before. She had only thought about using resources to promote people, believing that making them famous would bring in money.

But after interacting with several high-level executives in the industry these past few days, she realized that the most volatile and unpredictable factor was the artists themselves.

After much deliberation, and just as the company’s talent director dug up Sheng Yunjin’s MV online and brought it to Lin Xiaoyu—claiming that her looks were exceptional and her face had the makings of a star—they came to ask for Lin Xiaoyu’s opinion on whether to use resources to recruit her into the company.

At that moment, Lin Xiaoyu’s thoughts began to stir.

Who could she trust more than Sheng Yunjin?

Looks were one thing, but character was beyond question. More importantly, Sheng Yunjin herself was solid capital!

Glancing at Lin Xiaoyu, who was looking at her with pitifully cute pleading eyes, Sheng Yunjin remained silent for a moment.

Working for her wasn’t out of the question. Sheng Yunjin had actually been thinking about finding something to do these past few days.

Any job was better than managing a company, at least.

“I could, but… I don’t know how to act,” Sheng Yunjin said, resting her chin on her hand with a troubled expression.

Eyes lighting up, Lin Xiaoyu waved her hand dismissively. “That’s no problem at all! We’ll just hire a few acting coaches for you to learn from.”

Afraid Sheng Yunjin might back out, Lin Xiaoyu added some flattery, “People online keep saying all the ugly kids of capitalists are flooding into the entertainment industry. Let’s show them that there are still pretty sisters among us capitalists!”

Sheng Yunjin was so flattered she nearly lost her bearings, but she didn’t forget that she’d been manipulated.

“Seems like you’ve already mastered the ugly capitalist mindset,” she remarked.

Lin Xiaoyu just smiled, not bothering to deny it.

…

As the banquet neared its end, Sheng Yunjin found Si Mu by the courtyard fountain.

At the time, Si Mu was saying goodbye to Zhao Yuanqi. Seeing Sheng Yunjin approach, she asked, “Are we leaving now?”

Sheng Yunjin shook her head.

Up close, Si Mu noticed her complexion was slightly flushed, and the corners of her eyes carried a hint of intoxication.

Concerned, Si Mu reached out to steady her by the waist, catching the faint scent of alcohol. Her brows furrowed slightly. “Did you drink a lot?”

Sheng Yunjin only nodded without speaking.

Her slightly blurred gaze lingered on Si Mu’s exposed shoulders. It was past ten at night, and though it was summer, the late-night breeze carried a slight chill.

Her fingers brushed against the back of Si Mu’s hand as she murmured, “Let’s go upstairs and change first.”

With that, she took Si Mu’s hand and led her back inside.