After Becoming the Mother of the Scumbag Stand-In Female Lead - Chapter 5

“Xiao Mu, let’s not sleep tonight, okay~”

Her waist was tightly encircled by the person behind her, the delightful sensation of soft, fragrant skin pressing against her own making Si Mu’s heart melt involuntarily.

The person behind her continued to cling and whisper sweet nothings, occasionally pressing light kisses against her shoulder. The warm breaths, tender kisses, and silky strands of hair swaying against her chest—everything was coaxing Si Mu to agree to her request.

As her body gradually flushed with warmth, Si Mu gently pinched the other’s soft cheek and murmured in feigned annoyance, “You can’t go too far…”

She stole a kiss on the lips, pausing just as their tongues began to deepen the embrace.

Sheng Yunjin grinned at her playfully, her usually alluring peach-blossom eyes now brimming with affection and a shimmer of desire, making them even more captivating as they gazed at Si Mu.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you…”

Before Si Mu could respond, her lips were tenderly captured once more.

She melted into Sheng Yunjin’s embrace, slender arms weakly draped over her shoulders.

As her waist trembled uncontrollably, Si Mu’s focus scattered completely, aware only of being enveloped in familiar warmth.

“You clearly love it too…”

Mischievous hands wandered along her waist, and as her earlobe was gently nibbled, the last thing Si Mu remembered was a soft chuckle by her ear.

……

By the time she woke, the sun was already high.

Lying quietly in bed, Si Mu couldn’t stop replaying the dream’s vivid details in her mind.

Sheng Yunjin.

Sheng Yunjin.

Sheng Yunjin.

Beneath the covers, her legs curled up slightly as she shut her eyes, forcing herself to stop dwelling on it.

After a while, she got up and fetched fresh lingerie and a nightgown from the walk-in closet, her ears tinged pink as she headed to the bathroom.

…

Buzz buzz.

Her phone on the coffee table chimed. Stretched out on the balcony flipping through a magazine, Sheng Yunjin paused, glanced at the caller ID, and tapped the screen.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be at work? What’s with the free time to call me?”

Lin Xiaoyu on the other end choked back a retort, envy creeping into her voice at Sheng Yunjin’s leisurely tone. “It’s Saturday, you know? Even corporate drones get a break.”

Sheng Yunjin lazily turned a page and hummed in acknowledgment. “My bad. Haven’t stepped out in days—lost track of time.”

Since confirming her father Sheng Mingzhao’s stable health, she had holed up in her apartment, claiming she needed to adjust to the time difference.

Watering plants, browsing magazines, keeping an eye on the stock market, and occasionally whipping up desserts—life couldn’t be more relaxed.

Lin Xiaoyu, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. Her father’s idea of grooming her to take over the family business didn’t involve handing her the CEO title outright.

“Start from the bottom and learn the ropes,” he said, promptly assigning the heiress to the sales department.

She had no experience in this—her overseas education was in management, with some dabbling in finance (courtesy of Sheng Yunjin) and a brief, unserious stint in dance.

So, during this time, she had been stumbling through her work and learning at the company, clocking in and out from nine to five every day. After just over half a month, Lin Xiaoyu couldn’t help but notice how much more haggard she looked when she glanced in the mirror.

“Sales department? So, what have you learned so far?”

Sheng Yunjin took a sip of tea from her cup. Though she didn’t entirely agree with Uncle Lin’s approach to training his daughter, it was ultimately a family matter. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided not to voice her objections.

“I’m not really sure. It’s only been half a month—I haven’t learned much yet. The mentor assigned to me first taught me some common sales pitches, then how to tailor the approach based on the client’s background, blah blah blah…”

Chuckling at Lin Xiaoyu’s dispirited tone, Sheng Yunjin chimed in, “As long as you’ve thought it through. If you really feel it’s not a good fit, you should talk to your dad. You don’t have to start from the bottom.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded emphatically in agreement. That was exactly what she had been thinking. She had originally planned to storm into her father’s office first thing Monday morning and demand a transfer, but after some deliberation, she decided to get her best friend’s opinion first.

Ever since they were kids, Sheng Yunjin had been her role model—whether it was eating, drinking, or having fun, Sheng Yunjin had always led the way. Lin Xiaoyu, being naturally soft-spoken and gentle, had grown especially reliant on her over the years.

In her heart, their bond was deeper than that of sisters—even though they weren’t related by bl00d.

Otherwise, when Sheng Yunjin had decided to study abroad, Lin Xiaoyu wouldn’t have followed her without a second thought.

“Xiao Jin, come out and go shopping with me! I haven’t been out since we got back!”

Now that the serious talk was over, Lin Xiaoyu was eager to drag her best friend out for some fun. The life of a corporate drone just wasn’t for her—she was much better suited to being a carefree young lady.

Stretching lazily, Sheng Yunjin rose from her lounge chair and grinned. “Alright, fine. Considering how much you’ve suffered, I’ll foot the bill for everything today!”