After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 44

Holding Si Mu for a while longer, Sheng Yunjin checked the time before gently getting up. She picked up Si Mu’s nightgown from the foot of the bed—discarded the night before—and blushed as she prepared to put it on.

Last night, to seduce Si Mu, she hadn’t even bothered grabbing her pajamas from the bathroom, simply wrapping herself in a towel before jumping into bed.

As the soft fabric settled against her skin, Sheng Yunjin suddenly hissed lightly.

She lowered her gaze and tugged at the neckline of the nightgown.

Si Mu had actually bitten her hard enough to break the skin!

…

Whether from embarrassment or irritation, Sheng Yunjin’s cheeks flushed crimson, her peach-blossom eyes glistening with moisture.

Grumbling, she flopped back onto the bed—though her movements were still careful, not making a single sound.

Si Mu was still sleeping peacefully, her face now nestled into Sheng Yunjin’s pillow, likely having unconsciously sought out her scent. Only half of her cool, composed profile remained visible.

Sheng Yunjin lay beside her, staring unblinkingly at her sleeping face.

Though still a little miffed, she decided not to disturb her now.

She’d just bite her back after Si Mu woke up!

With a huff, she planted a light kiss on Si Mu’s cheek before rolling out of bed.

…

Tiptoeing into the walk-in closet, Sheng Yunjin leisurely browsed the clothes—only to discover that one side of the wardrobe held two identical sets of every outfit.

The entire wall of clothing was arranged this way.

A smug smile tugged at her lips as she realized Si Mu’s little scheme.

She’d even prepared matching couple outfits.

Chuckling to herself, Sheng Yunjin picked out a loungewear set and changed into it, then grabbed the matching one hanging beside it.

She’d make Si Mu wear this later.

Humming cheerfully, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up, though brushing her teeth and washing her face proved slightly challenging with just one hand.

As she reached for a towel to dry her face, she instinctively glanced at the mirror—and froze.

Eyes widening, she pushed aside the strands of hair framing her neck. Reflected in the mirror, her fair skin was dotted with a trail of vivid red love bites.

Flashes of last night’s memories surfaced in her mind.

Her lips curled into a faint, self-satisfied smile.

Of course. She was this gorgeous, with such a perfect figure—and Si Mu adored her. There was no way her seduction could’ve failed.

…

After changing into a high-necked top, Sheng Yunjin quietly slipped out of the bedroom.

It was only seven in the morning, but Sheng Yunjin was an early riser—this was actually later than usual for her.

A quick scan of the kitchen had her shaking her head in amusement.

Her girlfriend really did seem to live above earthly needs.

The spotless kitchen was pristine—not a single spice or cooking utensil in sight.

Rubbing her stomach, she decided to head downstairs and whip up some breakfast.

After last night’s exhaustion, she doubted Si Mu would wake up without an appetite.

…

While cooking, it suddenly occurred to her—there was someone else in Si Mu’s household.

Pausing, she prepared an extra sandwich.

The dough she had just kneaded in the bread machine was reshaped into small portions, wrapped, and tucked into the fridge.

Sheng Yunjin guessed that Si Mu was probably still asleep at this hour. The sandwich could wait for now—she’d come back up later to make sure Si Mu got to taste the freshly baked croissants she’d made.

Before heading upstairs, Sheng Yunjin made a quick detour to her walk-in closet.

The jewelry cabinet was filled with all kinds of gems, most of which were new collections regularly sent by luxury brands.

After some careful selection, she picked out a simple yet elegant bracelet that still carried an air of luxury.

…

As she carried the breakfast upstairs, Sheng Yunjin quietly wondered to herself—maybe she should just move in with Si Mu from now on.

The thought alone made her chuckle.

Living with her girlfriend? Just the idea made her happy.

…

After setting the breakfast on the dining table, Sheng Yunjin checked the time and knocked on Si Mu’s bedroom door.

The door opened after just one knock.

Seeing Si Mu already dressed and seemingly in the middle of freshening up, Sheng Yunjin didn’t think much of it and handed her the small box in her hand.

“A gift for you. We’ve known each other for so long, and I still haven’t given you a proper welcome present.”

With a soft smile, she bent slightly and placed the box into Si Mu’s hands, which were nervously clutching the hem of her clothes.

Si Mu held the obviously expensive packaging, her lips parting slightly—but after a long pause, she still said nothing.

Unbothered, Sheng Yunjin just smiled and added, “I made breakfast. Come join me if you’re hungry.”

With that, she turned and walked away first.

Si Mu stood at the doorway, watching her tall, graceful figure retreat, a deep sense of inferiority welling up inside her.

Sheng Yunjin was so beautiful, so wealthy, and always knew how to make Si Mu happy when they were together…

But what about her?

Would she only have the courage to approach Si Mu if she became someone like Sheng Yunjin?

She wanted to share everything with Si Mu, to tell her about the little joys in life, to have the same kind of close friendship Sheng Yunjin had with her.

But someone like Si Mu always made her feel unworthy, as if she were out of reach.

If only… she really were Grandpa’s granddaughter.

Instead of being stuck in this awkward position.

…

Lowering her gaze to the jewelry box in her hands, Si Mu slowly opened it.

The diamonds on the bracelet sparkled under the morning light. Si Mu bit her lip hard.

She didn’t want this. What she wanted… was to be like Si Mu.

But…

Staring at the extravagant, expensive bracelet, she still didn’t have the courage to refuse it outright.

This was the first time she had ever owned something so luxurious.

…

First, Sheng Yunjin peeked into the bedroom—sure enough, Si Mu was still fast asleep.

She gently closed the door again and returned to the living room.

Halfway through breakfast, Si Mu finally came over.

Noticing the three servings on the table, she hesitated before asking,

“…What about Auntie?”

Sheng Yunjin took a sip of her freshly warmed milk and replied, “She’s still sleeping. Let’s eat first.”

Si Mu glanced toward the bedroom, then slowly took a seat across from Sheng Yunjin.

She had been staying at Si Mu’s place for a week now, but this was the first time she’d seen food on the dining table.

Breakfast was always something the driver bought for her on the way to school. Si Mu had even given her extra money, saying it was for school expenses.

The amount was staggering—when Si Mu first handed her the envelope, she was shocked.

There was enough inside to last her an entire year at school.

Si Zhong would usually give her pocket money, but compared to what Si Mu gave, it was truly a drop in the bucket.

She had heard from Si Zhong that Si Mu had started her own business and was now the CEO of a major company.

Before this, Siyin hadn’t really grasped what that meant, as she had only met Si Mu a handful of times over the past year.

Every time they met, it was at Si Zhong’s house.

Back then, Siyin had simply thought she was incredibly beautiful—and also very aloof, her expression always restrained, her words few and far between.

Once, Si Zhong had remarked that Siyin was quite similar to Si Mu in that regard. At the time, Siyin had glanced at Si Mu secretly, feeling an inexplicable happiness at the compliment.

Later, Siyin overheard one of Si Zhong’s maids mention that she had once taken a photo of Si Mu’s car to show her son.

Her son had said that Si Mu’s car was worth over ten million.

Ten million…

Siyin’s eyes had widened when she heard that.

She thought to herself that she would never see that much money in her entire life.

After moving into Si Mu’s home, Siyin became even more reserved, though beneath her timidity lay a mix of insecurity and a strange, secret pride.

…

This past week, Si Mu had taken her—along with Sheng Yunjin—out to dinner at different restaurants every evening.

Each time, the restaurant and the dishes were different.

But one thing remained the same, Siyin thought to herself as she lowered her gaze to the breakfast in front of her.

They were all expensive.

Back at the hospital, Si Mu had said she didn’t know how to cook and didn’t want to waste time on it.

At the time, Siyin had wanted to speak up—to say that she actually could cook.

Back when her parents had fallen ill, it had been Siyin who cooked and cared for them.

But Si Mu had left quickly that day, and Siyin hadn’t mustered the courage to say anything.

…

Sheng Yunjin’s breakfast was simple—bacon and scrambled egg sandwiches, warm milk, and a fruit platter.

Siyin nibbled slowly at her sandwich, hesitating before finally speaking in a quiet voice.

“…Did you make this?”

Sheng Yunjin took a bite of mango and looked up at her. “Yeah, why? Does it not suit your taste?”

Siyin shook her head, her face flushing slightly.

“…But… your house doesn’t have these things…”

Sheng Yunjin chuckled. “My place does. I live downstairs, remember?”

Siyin’s face turned red with embarrassment as she lowered her head, chewing her food in small bites.

She had instinctively assumed that all of this had been bought from outside. With someone as wealthy as Sheng Yunjin, Siyin had thought for sure she wouldn’t know how to cook either.

When she heard it was homemade, her first reaction had been disbelief.

…

Sheng Yunjin didn’t dwell on her reaction, simply assuming the girl was just shy.

Getting up from her seat, she headed back to the bedroom to check if Si Mu was awake yet.

“…Then, if you can cook, why do you eat out at restaurants every day?”

A hurried question suddenly came from behind her. Sheng Yunjin frowned slightly and turned to look at Siyin.

Clutching the still-warm milk cup tightly, Siyin kept her gaze averted, not daring to meet Sheng Yunjin’s eyes.

After a brief pause, though she found the question odd, Sheng Yunjin answered gently.

“Because I have classes every day. I’m tired and don’t feel like cooking.”

With that, she gave a polite smile and walked away.

What she said was indeed true. Although Sheng Yunjin could cook, she didn’t do it often—only when she was in a good mood and had spare time would she step into the kitchen.

Lately, she had been leaving early and returning late every day for training sessions at the company. Why would she exhaust herself by spending time and effort cooking?

…

Si Ying remained seated in her spot. Only after Sheng Yunjin left did the tension in her palms, gripping the cup, ease slightly.

She still didn’t believe Sheng Yunjin’s words. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Sheng Yunjin just wanted an excuse to spend time with Si Mu.

How exhausting could training sessions be?

She attended classes every day too, yet she still felt capable of going home and cooking herself.

It was just that Si Zhong doted on her and wouldn’t let her do it.

…

Glancing at Sheng Yunjin’s empty plate across the table, Si Ying bit her lip and averted her gaze.

What did it matter if she was rich? She still lacked manners.

Finishing a meal at someone else’s home and not even bothering to clear the dishes.

As if she had finally uncovered a flaw in Sheng Yunjin, a secret delight flickered in Si Ying’s heart. She silently scorned and condemned her.

Then, her eyes drifted to the breakfast set aside for Si Mu, and worry crept in.

There were no kitchen appliances in Si Mu’s home to reheat food, and by now, the breakfast was nearly cold.