After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 21

“Do you need any help?”

Noticing Sheng Yunjin’s amused gaze still lingering on her, Si Mu awkwardly changed the subject before rolling up her sleeves with deliberate focus.

Sheng Yunjin’s eyes unconsciously followed the movement.

Si Mu’s fingers were fair and well-proportioned, her nails neatly trimmed into smooth curves. The faint tendons on the back of her hand became visible as she moved.

A very pleasing pair of hands.

The thought crossed Sheng Yunjin’s mind before she could stop it.

Meeting Si Mu’s obvious eagerness to assist, Sheng Yunjin paused for a moment before handing her two eggs.

“Then I’ll trouble CEO Si for help,” she said, placing a small bowl in front of her.

“Just whisk the eggs. I’ll make stir-fried tomatoes with eggs next.”

Nodding calmly, Si Mu lowered her gaze to the eggs in her palm, contemplating how to crack them smoothly.

This was actually Si Mu’s first time in a kitchen.

Fresh out of university, she had been too busy learning the ropes at the company, surviving on convenience store meals or takeout.

Later, when she started her own business, she became even more swamped, sometimes skipping meals altogether.

Now, though her career had stabilized, cooking had never been a necessity.

Breakfast was just milk, lunch was usually takeout ordered by her secretary, or occasionally a meal at a restaurant downstairs with Zhao Yuanqi if she had time.

As for dinner—unless it was a scheduled business dinner, Si Mu simply didn’t eat.

Hence, her kitchen remained spotless.

Glancing at Sheng Yunjin, who had already turned back to her cooking, Si Mu pressed her lips together and tapped an egg against the rim of the bowl.

The egg white and yolk slid neatly into the bowl. Si Mu arched a brow, relieved.

Not so hard after all.

She recalled Zhao Yuanqi once joking about her disastrous first attempt at cooking—a sandwich for an ex-girlfriend that nearly “blew up the kitchen.”

At the time, Si Mu had scoffed, labeling Zhao Yuanqi a kitchen hazard.

Now, she felt vindicated.

Cooking was clearly simple.

Tossing the shell into the trash, Si Mu picked up the second egg, replicating the same motion with careful precision.

Crack.

Half the shell plopped straight into the bowl.

Si Mu frowned at the mess of egg and shell, momentarily stumped.

Sheng Yunjin was still calmly stir-frying, the aroma of the dish already filling the air.

Biting her lip, Si Mu eyed her egg-smeared fingers and decided to wash them first.

By the time Sheng Yunjin glanced over again, Si Mu was intently fishing out bits of shell with a pair of chopsticks.

Caught in the act, Si Mu averted her gaze and briskly dumped the shell into the trash.

“…It fell in by accident.”

Suppressing a smile, Sheng Yunjin chose not to call her out.

“Mhm, no worries. I do that all the time too.”

Taking the bowl and chopsticks, she whisked the eggs with practiced ease.

“CEO Si, do you prefer your stir-fried tomatoes with eggs sweet or savory?”

Pulling tomatoes from the fridge, Sheng Yunjin made casual conversation.

“Savory.”

As she bent down to wash, the apron strings behind her automatically tightened, accentuating Sheng Yunjin’s slender waistline.

Si Mu stood nearby, her gaze involuntarily drawn to that delicate, narrow waist.

After cutting the tomatoes into pieces and setting them aside on a plate, Sheng Yunjin turned around with a sweet, soft smile. “What a coincidence, President Si and I share the same taste.”

As she spoke, she seemed to recall something and casually remarked, “That girl Lin Xiaoyu doesn’t like salty flavors, so I always have to make two versions of this dish.”

The smile on Si Mu’s face faded slightly. She lowered her eyes, her tone so indifferent it seemed like an offhand comment.

“You and Miss Lin are very close.”

Unaware, Sheng Yunjin nodded and joked, “Yeah, after all, we relied on each other for so many years abroad.”

A flicker passed through Si Mu’s lashes. Only now did she realize—Sheng Yunjin had gone abroad with Lin Xiaoyu.

Seven years. She hadn’t even seen Sheng Yunjin in person during that time.

Yet someone else had been by her side, studying and living together overseas.

A sour ache welled up inside her. Si Mu pressed her lips together, the faint smile on her face no longer sustainable.

The silence around them grew palpable, and this time, Sheng Yunjin immediately noticed the shift in Si Mu’s mood.

She stepped closer, bending slightly to meet Si Mu’s downcast gaze.

“President Si… is something wrong?”

A light, fresh fragrance drifted into Si Mu’s senses as Sheng Yunjin approached. Raising her eyes, she met Sheng Yunjin’s slightly flustered expression.

Curving her lips into a smile, Si Mu looked directly into those mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes and softly said,

“You can just call me by my name.”

Sheng Yunjin blinked, then nodded instinctively. “Alright. You can call me Sheng Yunjin too.”

Si Mu’s deep, focused gaze held a tenderness like flowing water. Every time their eyes met, Sheng Yunjin felt as though she might drown in them.

By the time she regained her senses, Si Mu had already picked up the plate and walked toward the living room.

Watching her retreating figure, Sheng Yunjin felt a fleeting illusion—as if she had seen this scene long ago.

……

At the dining table, Si Mu poured the aerated wine into glasses and raised hers to clink with Sheng Yunjin’s.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Shaking her head, Sheng Yunjin took a small sip.

Si Mu watched her movements, waiting until she had swallowed before asking, “Do you like it?”

Seated across from each other, under the soft glow of the lights, Si Mu’s gaze seemed infinitely gentler.

It nearly made Sheng Yunjin misunderstand the meaning behind her words. “It’s nice… though I don’t know much about wine.”

Si Mu smiled. “Neither do I. But if you like it, I can send you more in the future.”

Sheng Yunjin nodded blankly. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but ever since their conversation in the kitchen, Si Mu seemed even gentler toward her.

Chiding herself internally for overthinking, Sheng Yunjin couldn’t help but be drawn to this tender side of Si Mu.

As Si Mu took a bite of the dish, Sheng Yunjin asked expectantly, “Is it good?”

Nodding, Si Mu replied with a smile, “Very delicious. It suits my taste perfectly.”

The double emphasis on “very” made Sheng Yunjin beam with delight.

She attributed it to the universal joy of any cook receiving praise for their skills.

Across from her, Si Mu gazed at her radiant expression, her own heart softening a little.

As they ate and chatted, Sheng Yunjin shared the results of last night’s meeting with Si Mu and handed over the materials she had printed out in advance.

When Si Mu saw the thick stack of documents, realization dawned on her.

She recalled their phone call that afternoon when Sheng Yunjin had mentioned going to bed late the previous night.

Now, looking at these materials, everything became clear.

Her fingers tightened unconsciously around her chopsticks. Si Mu opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but words failed her.

She wasn’t incapable of polite business talk, but faced with Sheng Yunjin, who had gone above and beyond to help her, Si Mu found herself speechless.

When she first founded JM, it was both the most fulfilling and the most difficult period of her life.

Back then, she and Zhao Yuanqi had co-founded the company. Zhao Yuanqi wasn’t trained in jewelry design—she had invested in JM partly out of friendship and partly to prove to her family that she wasn’t just a spoiled socialite.

During that time, aside from designing, Si Mu had to handle hiring, liaising with manufacturers, maintaining connections, and attending endless social gatherings.

She was naturally reserved and taciturn, so in the beginning, Zhao Yuanqi had taken the lead in networking. But Si Mu knew they were both the same deep down.

No one was born suited for this kind of work, so eventually, Si Mu learned to play the game—how to negotiate over drinks, how to be diplomatic.

Because she knew that no one would help them without reason.

Every favor came with a price, clearly marked and waiting to be paid.

But now, she looked at Sheng Yunjin, whose clear eyes were smiling at her.

She wanted to ask—what was the price Sheng Yunjin wanted?

Why had she barged into Si Mu’s dreams without reason?

Why was Si Mu the only one who remembered those intoxicating, surreal dreams?

…

Taking a slow breath to steady her turbulent emotions, Si Mu met her gaze and finally spoke softly.

“Thank you.”

Unaware of her thoughts, Sheng Yunjin just smiled carelessly. “No need to thank me. I was just bored at home anyway.”

Si Mu didn’t respond. After a moment, she said quietly, “Staying up late isn’t good for your health.”

Sheng Yunjin blinked, then remembered mentioning her late night during their call.

Rubbing the tip of her nose, she nodded obediently under Si Mu’s serious gaze.

“I’ll be more careful in the future.”

…

After dinner, Sheng Yunjin led Si Mu to the living room.

An unknown variety show played quietly on the TV as Si Mu sat on the sofa, carefully reviewing the documents.

Not wanting to disturb her, Sheng Yunjin settled by her feet and unpacked the desserts she had brought—a box of assorted Swiss rolls, a slice of mango mille-feuille, and a box of nama chocolate.

After a moment’s thought, she opened the mille-feuille.

“Want to try some?”

Si Mu shook her head without looking up, about to decline, when a small forkful of cake was suddenly held up to her lips.

Because of their positions, Sheng Yunjin had to tilt her head back to look at her, while Si Mu, from her higher vantage point, caught an inadvertent glimpse of the delicate curve of skin exposed by Sheng Yunjin’s low neckline.

Flustered, she averted her gaze, her ears burning as she parted her lips and accepted the bite from the fork.

The sweet and tangy layers of the mille-feuille cake at the entrance had lost all appeal to Si Mu, her throat feeling unbearably dry.

She picked up the glass of water on the table and drained it in one go. Only when her senses returned did she realize Sheng Yunjin was still watching her.

“…What?”

Si Mu spoke with a hint of guilt.

Smiling, Sheng Yunjin reached out and gently brushed the corner of her lips.

“Here, you got some on you.”

Sure enough, her fingertips came away with traces of white cream. Si Mu felt the lingering warmth where Yunjin had touched her lips before blushing and grabbing a napkin to wipe her fingers clean.

Her hand now held, Sheng Yunjin belatedly realized her action might have been too abrupt—but thankfully, Si Mu didn’t seem to mind.

Gazing at Si Mu’s delicate, composed profile up close, Yunjin silently traced the cool, elegant lines of her face in her mind.

“Ms. Si, don’t you like sweets?”

After just one small bite of cake, Si Mu had already downed an entire glass of water.

Keeping her expression carefully neutral, Si Mu nodded stiffly.

“Mhm, I don’t like things too sweet.”

Sheng Yunjin tilted her head curiously. “Then why did you give this to me?”

Once Yunjin’s fingers were clean, Si Mu forced herself to focus only on her face.

“Kids usually like sweets.”

Frowning instinctively, Sheng Yunjin leaned even closer.

“Are you treating me like a child?”

Though reluctant to admit it, Si Mu maintained her stern tone. “Age-wise, you are practically a kid to me.”

She was a full eleven years older than Sheng Yunjin.

Every time she remembered that gap, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Eyes narrowing slightly in disagreement, Sheng Yunjin knelt on the carpet, bracing her arms on either side of Si Mu, slowly locking eyes with her.

Si Mu recoiled, afraid of accidentally touching something she shouldn’t.

Just as she was about to tell Yunjin to back off, the sudden address caught her off guard.

“Xiao Mu.”

Her startled gaze met Sheng Yunjin’s—so close now that Si Mu barely registered the proximity.

“Why call me that all of a sudden?”

That nickname—only the Sheng Yunjin from her dreams ever used it.

In reality, Si Mu was the older one. By all logic, Yunjin shouldn’t be addressing her like this.

Shrugging, Sheng Yunjin’s beautiful eyes glimmered with deliberate mischief.

“So, you’ll stop treating me like a kid.”