After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 27

About twenty minutes later, Teacher Chen was the first to leave the classroom.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyu said goodbye to Si Mu and then headed toward Teacher Chen.

She needed to check on how Sheng Yunjin was doing with her studies.

Inside the classroom, Sheng Yunjin limped slightly as she put on her shoes, then grabbed her phone from the corner and walked out while checking it.

She hadn’t paid attention to the time during class and wasn’t sure if Si Mu had already gotten off work.

“Here, wipe your sweats.”

The sudden voice made Sheng Yunjin, who had been replying to Si Mu’s message, freeze for a moment.

She looked up at Si Mu standing before her, blinking in slight confusion.

Then, instinctively, she raised a hand to cover her face.

She had spent the entire afternoon following the teacher’s instructions—jumping, stretching, even doing splits and backbends, movements she hadn’t attempted in years. She was drenched in sweat and must have looked utterly disheveled…

Watching her reaction, Si Mu couldn’t help but chuckle.

She gently took hold of Sheng Yunjin’s wrist and lowered it.

“Isn’t it a little late to hide now? I’ve been watching for a while.”

Sheng Yunjin let out a groan of despair. Teacher Chen had been so strict during class that she hadn’t dared slack off for even a second.

And now Si Mu had seen her in such an embarrassing state.

Si Mu smiled at her, then used a tissue to carefully wipe the sweat from her forehead.

“You worked hard.”

Hearing this, Sheng Yunjin lifted her gaze. Maybe it was because Si Mu’s expression was too gentle, but she suddenly felt a little self-conscious.

This isn’t like me at all, Sheng Yunjin grumbled inwardly.

“How’s your foot? I noticed you were walking a little strangely earlier.”

Sheng Yunjin followed her gaze and glanced down at her feet, then shook her head. “My foot’s fine. The way I’m walking… well, it’s because the teacher made me do splits this afternoon…”

She stuck out her tongue slightly, as if instinctively trying to justify herself in front of Si Mu.

“I haven’t practiced these basic moves in years, so I’m a bit out of shape.”

Si Mu nodded, curious. “You’ve studied dance before?”

At this, Sheng Yunjin grinned brightly. “I trained for a few years when I was younger. I was even on my high school cheerleading team.”

Si Mu looked at the spark of pride in her eyes and didn’t hesitate to praise her. “That’s impressive.”

The sincerity in her voice made Sheng Yunjin unexpectedly shy, and she murmured, “If there’s a chance, I’ll dance for you sometime.”

Si Mu used her fingertip to brush away a smudge of dust on Sheng Yunjin’s neck, her lips curving slightly.

“Alright, I’ll look forward to it.”

Perhaps from the exertion, Sheng Yunjin’s cheeks were flushed, her peach-blossom eyes glistening with moisture. The messy bun on her head only added to her charm, giving her a wild, untamed beauty that was undeniably captivating.

Suddenly remembering something, Sheng Yunjin apologized sheepishly.

“Sorry, I had my phone on silent and missed your call. You had to wait so long for me.”

She had just noticed the timestamp on Si Mu’s message—it had been half an hour since it was sent.

Which meant Si Mu had been waiting for her all this time.

Si Mu shook her head and reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Sheng Yunjin’s ear.

“It’s okay, shall we go now?”

Sheng Yunjin nodded, walking out while chatting with Si Mu, her tone carrying obvious closeness and a hint of unconscious coquetry.

“Alright, where are we going to eat? I’m starving.”

“Ugh, I feel like this afternoon’s class was more exhausting than a whole day at the gym.”

Si Mu glanced sideways slightly, listening attentively to her rambling.

By the time Lin Xiaoyu returned after seeing Teacher Chen off, she was met with this scene.

Putting everything else aside, the two of them—one cool and gentle, the other radiant and lively—though different in temperament, looked perfectly harmonious standing together.

Sighing inwardly again, Lin Xiaoyu felt it was necessary to find a proper time to have a serious talk with Sheng Yunjin.

If she was really going to start dating, then Lin Xiaoyu would have to adjust the company’s training plan for her.

They had promised to build their careers together, yet here her teammate was, veering off into romance.

What kind of mess was this? Sigh…

Steeling herself against her complicated feelings, Lin Xiaoyu walked toward them.

“Keep up the good work. Teacher Chen just told me you have quite a bit of talent.”

She patted Sheng Yunjin’s shoulder, but as soon as she withdrew her hand, she met Si Mu’s gaze.

Though her expression and eyes were calm, Lin Xiaoyu couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an unspoken message behind them.

Telling herself she was probably overthinking it, she reluctantly pulled her hand back.

Sheng Yunjin lifted her chin proudly. “There’s nothing I, Sheng Yunjin, can’t accomplish if I set my mind to it.”

Lin Xiaoyu flashed her a perfunctory fake smile in response.

Internally, she was screaming.

How was she supposed to become a mega-star if she was about to fall head over heels in love?!

With Si Mu present, Lin Xiaoyu couldn’t say much, so after exchanging a few casual words, the three of them took the elevator downstairs together.

While waiting for the elevator, Sheng Yunjin looked down at her white T-shirt, her expression complex and restrained.

Noticing this, Si Mu, standing beside her, asked softly, “What’s wrong?”

Sheng Yunjin hesitated before replying quietly, “I feel like I’m covered in sweat…”

Shifting uncomfortably, she felt miserable.

She had never been this disheveled before—the sticky, damp sensation was unbearable.

Si Mu paused thoughtfully before suggesting gently, “There’s a shower in my office’s rest area. You can freshen up there. I also have spare clothes.”

Sheng Yunjin’s eyes lit up. “I want to shower.”

Si Mu smiled. “Alright, I’ll take you.”

Lin Xiaoyu, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, sighed silently and spoke up before they could.

“I’ll head out first. My dad’s waiting for me at home for dinner.”

The three parted ways on the 39th floor, and Si Mu led Sheng Yunjin back to the company.

Turning on the office lights, Si Mu opened the door to the rest area and turned to Sheng Yunjin. “Go ahead and shower. I’ll find you some clothes.”

Eagerly nodding, Sheng Yunjin hurried into the bathroom.

Watching her retreating figure, Si Mu couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Rummaging through the wardrobe, she pulled out a light-colored dress she hadn’t worn yet.

Knocking on the bathroom door, Si Mu passed the clothes through the gap.

“Is this dress, okay? I haven’t worn it yet.”

A damp arm reached out to take it, steam and mist billowing out as Sheng Yunjin accepted it. “It’s fine, thank you, Xiaomu.”

Si Mu withdrew her hand, paused, then murmured with reddened ears, “I didn’t prepare any undergarments here, so you’ll have to make do with wearing your original ones for now.”

Sheng Yunjin glanced at the underwear hanging on the rack and sighed helplessly. “Alright.”

…

Changed and ready, Sheng Yunjin stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped over her head as she dried her hair and surveyed the layout of the lounge.

Connected to Si Mu’s office, the space wasn’t small but was simply furnished—just a single bed, a sofa set, and a wardrobe.

Si Mu’s cheeks flushed inexplicably as she watched Sheng Yunjin wearing her clothes.

Suddenly, her gaze landed on Sheng Yunjin’s feet.

Remembering something, she turned and walked toward a drawer.

A moment later, she knelt before Sheng Yunjin with a box of band-aids.

“Take off your shoes.”

Sheng Yunjin stared blankly at her actions before finally realizing.

Once the shoes were off, she guiltily met Si Mu’s eyes, looking at the soaked gauze wrapped around her toes.

Frowning, Si Mu reached to remove it, but Sheng Yunjin dodged.

“I can do it myself—”

Her words trailed off weakly under Si Mu’s stare.

Gripping the ankle beneath her palm, Si Mu warned coolly,

“Don’t move.”

Sheng Yunjin didn’t dare resist, but her neck grew increasingly red under Si Mu’s ministrations.

The waterlogged gauze was peeled away, revealing a roughly two-centimeter-long cut along the side of her toe. Though no longer bleeding, the skin around the wound had turned pale from soaking.

Blaming herself inwardly for not reminding Sheng Yunjin earlier, Si Mu pressed her lips together and carefully applied a band-aid.

“I don’t have any medicine here. We’ll properly dress it when we get home.”

Sheng Yunjin nodded obediently.

…

On the way back, Sheng Yunjin eyed the familiar scenery curiously. “Where are we going to eat?”

Si Mu answered succinctly, “Home.”

“Huh?”

Turning to Si Mu, who was focused on driving, Sheng Yunjin hesitated. “You’re cooking?”

Si Mu caught her tone and felt a flicker of irritation.

Even if she couldn’t cook, why did Sheng Yunjin sound so reluctant?

Raising a brow, Si Mu glanced at her. “Is that a problem?”

Sheng Yunjin laughed awkwardly and quickly backtracked. “No, no! I’ll eat whatever you make.”

With a light hum, Si Mu stopped teasing her. “I ordered takeout. We’ll eat at home—your wound needs tending first.”

A smile tugged at Sheng Yunjin’s lips as she chuckled softly. “Oh.”

…

After tending to the injury at home, the two had dinner together.

Before leaving, Si Mu turned to Sheng Yunjin, who had come out to see her off. “Are you going to the company tomorrow?”

Blinking, Sheng Yunjin replied, “Yes.”

“Then I’ll pick you up again?”

Nodding, Sheng Yunjin’s eyes brightened. “Okay.”

Si Mu looked at her smiling face, his fingers twitching slightly at his side. Eventually unable to resist, he raised his hand and gently touched Sheng Yunjin’s head.

Meeting her puzzled gaze, Si Mu withdrew his hand and said nonchalantly, “See you tomorrow then, I’ll head back first.”

Distracted by his words, Sheng Yunjin smiled and replied, “Goodbye.”