After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 29

The phone rang while Si Mu was working in her office.

JM had held discussions with overseas partners the previous week and established preliminary cooperation directions. The next step was joint design collaboration between both parties.

Si Mu had been busy with this matter recently. Although she no longer stayed late at the office voluntarily because of Sheng Yunjin, she still brought work home after dinner to continue working.

So when she received a call from Si Zhong, she was momentarily dazed—it had been over a month since she last visited home.

“Hello, Grandpa.”

Her greeting was immediately interrupted.

The call wasn’t from Si Zhong himself, but from the family housekeeper using his phone.

“Miss Si, please come to the hospital right away! The old master fainted in his bedroom!”

Si Mu stood up at once, her brows furrowing. “Which hospital?”

As she listened, she grabbed her coat and car keys, heading out the door.

It turned out that the housekeeper had gone to the market earlier. When she returned and found no one in the living room, she initially didn’t think much of it, assuming Si Zhong was resting in his bedroom.

But as she was putting away groceries in the kitchen, she suddenly heard a loud thud. Rushing to the bedroom, she found Si Zhong collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

After immediately calling an ambulance, the housekeeper contacted Si Mu.

Driving to the hospital, Si Mu’s expression was grim, her eyes reflecting urgency and worry.

On the way, she received a call from Zhao Yuanqi and briefly explained the situation.

She had left the company in such a hurry that she hadn’t had time to inform her secretary. As a result, Secretary Sun had to take the documents requiring signatures to Vice President Zhao Yuanqi.

By the time Si Mu arrived at the hospital, Si Zhong had already been taken into the operating room. Staring at the illuminated surgery sign, she pressed her lips together tightly, saying nothing.

The housekeeper, relieved to see Si Mu, offered a few words of comfort before suddenly remembering something. She asked if she could return home first—she still needed to prepare lunch and deliver it to Si Ying at school.

Si Ying had just started her first year of middle school. Si Zhong had enrolled her in a local public school, chosen for its proximity to home.

Out of concern for the girl, who had grown up in a remote area and might lack proper nutrition, Si Zhong had arranged for the housekeeper to prepare lunch daily and deliver it in a thermal lunchbox so Si Ying could have a warm, nutritious meal, even though the school had its own cafeteria.

Si Mu nodded in acknowledgment and sat alone on the waiting room chair, her gaze fixed on the operating room doors as she waited silently.

…

The surgery lasted about three hours. Watching as the nurses wheeled Si Zhong into the ward, the weight in Si Mu’s chest finally eased slightly.

The doctor explained Si Zhong’s condition—he had fallen from the bed, fracturing his lower leg, and had lost consciousness after hitting his head on the floor.

Fortunately, the head injury was minor. Given his advanced age, a severe impact could have had unpredictable consequences.

After settling the medical fees, Si Mu arranged for a caregiver to assist in looking after Si Zhong.

Sitting by the hospital bed, she gazed at her grandfather’s frail, unconscious face and sighed quietly in her heart.

She wasn’t particularly close to Si Zhong. Before college, she only visited him on weekends with her parents.

After starting university, Si Mu was busy with her studies, only returning during winter and summer breaks. Later, when she began her own business, her visits became even fewer.

Once her company stabilized, Si Mu once suggested buying another apartment in her neighborhood so Si Zhong could move in. She could hire a caregiver to look after him, which would give her peace of mind.

The neighborhood where Si Zhong currently lived was quite old, with inadequate infrastructure, and it was far from where Si Mu resided. Sometimes, buried in work, she even forgot to visit.

Now, watching her only remaining family lying in a hospital bed, Si Mu couldn’t quite describe the complicated, painful feeling in her heart—only that she, as a younger family member, might have truly neglected the old man.

…

After keeping vigil by the bedside for three hours, Si Zhong finally regained consciousness.

With fractures in his leg, steel plates and screws implanted, and an injury to the back of his head, he seemed to have aged several years at once—no longer the spirited man he once was, his hair now grayer.

Si Mu slowly raised the hospital bed and poured some warm water to help him drink.

“Grandpa, how are you feeling?”

Si Zhong smiled at her, his voice aged but still strong as ever. “I’m fine. This old man’s still tough.”

Then, glancing around, he added, “You’ve been spending money recklessly again, haven’t you? Why book me a private room?”

Si Mu set the cup aside, unfazed. “A quiet environment is better for your recovery.”

Si Zhong sighed helplessly. “I don’t know who you take after. Our family has had generations of scholars, yet here you are, a businesswoman.”

Si Mu pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Looking down at his elevated leg, Si Zhong chuckled bitterly.

“Ah, I don’t know what happened—my leg suddenly cramped today, and I lost my balance getting out of bed. Guess you really can’t fight old age.”

Si Mu gave a faint smile in response. “Since you’ll have limited mobility for a while, call for help if you need anything. I’ve hired a nurse to take care of you—focus on recovering first.”

Si Zhong nodded, then suddenly remembered something. “Could you take care of Xiao Ying for now? I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone at home.”

Si Mu paused briefly before nodding under the old man’s hopeful gaze.

Mentioning Si Ying seemed to lift Si Zhong’s spirits. Lying quietly in bed, he continued, “Who knows how long this leg will take to heal? The weather’s about to turn cold—pack some of her autumn clothes when you go back.”

“That child doesn’t talk much, quite introverted. In that way, she’s a lot like you.”

Si Zhong laughed heartily while Si Mu listened quietly.

“Oh, and she has midterms coming up. If you have time in the evenings, help her with her studies—her English and math aren’t great…”

“…Ah, that child has suffered too much in the past…”

As they chatted, Si Zhong’s voice gradually softened, and soon he drifted back to sleep under the influence of the medication.

Si Mu tucked him in and checked the time—it was already four in the afternoon.

After giving instructions to the caregiver, Si Mu left the hospital.

On the way back, she hesitated for a moment before sending a message to Sheng Yunjin.

…

When Si Mu arrived home, only the housekeeper was there, tidying up.

Pushing open the door, she glanced inside. She wasn’t familiar with Si Ying’s room at all, but after a brief hesitation, she asked the housekeeper to pack a few sets of Si Ying’s clothes.

By half past five, Si Mu drove to a nearby school.

It was peak dismissal time, and the roads were congested. Frowning, she finally managed to find a parking spot after some difficulty.

Stepping out of the car, she joined the crowd of middle-aged parents waiting to pick up their children.

This was an old residential area, and most of the students here were local kids.

Dressed in elegant clothes and high heels, Si Mu stood out conspicuously, her presence both striking and out of place.

Though her car was a low-key black, the prominent emblem unmistakably revealed its luxury.

Just standing there for a short while drew numerous curious glances.

So, when Si Ying stepped out of the school gates, she spotted Si Mu immediately.

Standing aloof, her hair fluttering slightly in the evening breeze, Si Mu’s light-colored dress swayed gracefully with the wind.

Gripping the straps of her backpack, Si Ying instinctively bit her lip and walked toward Si Mu with her head lowered.

Si Mu scanned the crowd, her brows slightly furrowed, unable to pick out Si Ying among the sea of students.

It wasn’t until a small figure approached her that she looked down in surprise.

Bending slightly, Si Mu explained in a soft voice, “Grandpa had a fall and needs to stay in the hospital for a while. Would it be okay if you stayed with me during this time?”

Under Si Mu’s gentle gaze, Si Ying’s expression flickered with hesitation before she nodded quietly and murmured a soft “Okay.”

Following Si Mu, Si Ying climbed into the car.

Fidgeting as she fastened her seatbelt, Si Ying stole a glance at Si Mu in the front seat before her eyes inadvertently drifted to the window.

All around were students from her school, and a few of her classmates stood not far away, watching with envy, whispering among themselves.

Si Ying knew what they were looking at.

The luxurious car.

The beautiful, refined Si Mu.

And her—Si Ying.

…

The car slowly pulled away, leaving the school behind.

Si Mu drove in silence while Si Ying sat in the back, even her breathing unconsciously subdued.

At a red light, Si Mu glanced in the rearview mirror.

Seeing Si Ying quietly fiddling with her backpack straps, she asked, “What would you like for dinner? How about home-cooked dishes?”

After a pause, she added, “Or hot pot? Barbecue?”

Though Si Zhong had taken Si Ying in two years ago, Si Mu had barely interacted with her and knew little about the girl.

She had no experience with children Si Ying’s age, so she could only try to recall what she herself had been like at that time.

Hearing this, Si Ying turned to look at her before finally speaking softly, “Either is fine.”

Si Mu nodded, and as the car started moving again, she mentally planned to find a restaurant near home for dinner.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Si Mu glanced at the lit screen.

Her expression unconsciously softened as she answered the call. Remembering something, she put on the Bluetooth earpiece lying nearby.

The call was from Sheng Yunjin, who had just seen Si Mu’s message after class.

—”Sorry, I have something urgent to handle this afternoon. Shall I send a driver to pick you up tonight?”

Taking a sip of water from her cup, Sheng Yunjin dialed Si Mu’s number.

“Hello, just finished class?”

Si Mu’s unusually gentle tone made Si Ying in the backseat instinctively look up.

Through the rearview mirror, she could clearly see the expression on Si Mu’s face.

Tender and doting, with an unmistakable warmth in her smiling eyes.