Dressed as the Scumbag Alpha Mom of the Tragic Female Lead (ABO, GL) - Chapter 89

Chapter 89

“Hmph, so who’s your wife, me or Gu Lingjun? It’s our celebration banquet today, and you actually went to see Gu Lingjun first.”

Zhuang Qi, holding a daughter in each arm, looked unhappy. Zhao Zi, in a black evening gown with her dark hair pinned up, appeared refined and elegant, much more mature than six years ago.

“If Lingjun wasn’t staying here so I could drop by, I wouldn’t even bother with your banquet. It’s full of the stench of merchants and fake pleasantries—you think I enjoy this?”

While interning at Moray, Zhao Zi studied for her master’s and later worked there as a project director. This meant long-distance separation from Zhuang Qi, even after marriage, until Moray prioritized its domestic branch this year. Zhao Zi was transferred back as a manager, finally reuniting their family of four.

She was still a doctoral student, exuding a strong scholarly aura.

Zhuang Qi didn’t mind much else, but she was annoyed that Zhao Zi remained close with Gu Lingjun. In her eyes, Gu Lingjun hurt her best friend—how could her wife still treat her like a sister?

Though she said this, she didn’t actually stop Zhao Zi from being friends with Gu Lingjun. Their kids got along well, but she had to warn her daughters not to mention Little Zao in front of their godmother.

“Hmph, don’t call me money-grubbing, as if Moray doesn’t make money, like it’s all charity. I know Moray’s profits ranked top three among pharmaceutical companies last year. Gu Lingjun’s got some skills, huh?”

Zhao Zi glanced at her, taking their younger daughter from her arms. “Don’t talk about this in front of the kids.”

“Fine, I won’t… But tell me honestly, did Gu Lingjun come back for Chuxie? How’s it so coincidental she’s staying here?”

Zhao Zi rolled her eyes. “This is the Gu family’s hotel… Did you see the sign outside? Gu Family Grand Hotel. What coincidence? She’s been here over a month—your launch wasn’t even announced then.”

“She’s been back over a month?” Zhuang Qi recalled something. “Oh, those weekends you went out were to see Gu Lingjun?”

“What else? We’re promoting low-side-effect suppressants and mark-cleansing agents domestically now. Of course she’s back to plan.”

Zhuang Qi grew worried. “What if Chuxie runs into her?”

“No way. You’re on the second floor, and Lingjun’s in the top-floor presidential suite with a private elevator. She won’t come down unless…”

“Sister Zaozao, Sister Zaozao!”

Zhao Zi’s words were cut off by their daughter. Zhuang Shiwan, their older daughter, sharp-eyed, spotted the pair—a tall figure and a small one—before the adults did.

“Wait, Wanwan—”

Her daughter squirmed to get free, and Zhuang Qi quickly set her down. Then she and Zhao Zi saw, down the long hallway, at the corner some distance away, two figures: a tall adult in a black suit and a child in a white dress, clinging tightly to their leg.

“Holy—”

Realizing who they were, Zhuang Qi couldn’t help but curse. Zhao Zi was stunned, but Zhuang Shiwan happily ran toward Jiang Chuxie.

“Godmother, Sister Zaozao!”

“Didn’t you say they wouldn’t meet?”

Zhao Zi was embarrassed. “Accidents happen. How could I predict this?”

“Sister…”

Zhuang Shiyi, their two-year-old, saw her sister run and anxiously wanted to follow.

“We’d better check on them quickly, make sure nothing happens.”

With her long legs, Zhuang Qi caught up to her daughter in a few strides. Zhuang Shiwan, picked up again, still wanted to reach Zaozao. Closer now, Zhuang Qi noticed something off. The pair stood like statues—Jiang Weizao clung to Jiang Chuxie like a koala, while Jiang Chuxie stared down another hallway, silent, as if she didn’t hear Zhuang Shiwan or feel the child on her leg.

Zhuang Qi’s heart sank, a possibility flashing in her mind.

“Wait,” she stopped her wife, whispering, “Gu Lingjun wouldn’t let Little Zao out alone, right?”

As they spoke, Gu Lingjun appeared at the hallway’s end.

With that familiar voice, the figure Jiang Chuxie knew so well came into view. In that moment, her eyes saw nothing else, her ears heard no other sound. Intense emotions surged from her chest to her throat, making her frown reflexively.

Six years later, this person still provoked such a strong reaction, which frustrated her. Perhaps because this frustration was so intense, she forced down the ache in her throat, ignored the urge to flee, and held her gaze steady, meeting Gu Lingjun’s eyes with absolute calm.

She should be good at cold detachment—it was a habit she’d developed in this world to protect herself. Gu Lingjun had once made her lose that skill, but now, she remembered how to handle pain.

Gu Lingjun froze upon seeing her. They stared at each other for a long time, neither speaking, until faint voices of a little girl came from the other end of the hallway.

Jiang Chuxie didn’t react, but Gu Lingjun snapped out of her daze and walked toward her.

“Chuxie, it’s been a while… Are you doing okay?”

Jiang Chuxie’s narrow eyes squinted slightly, a faint smile on her lips. “I’m doing pretty well. You… seem to be doing fine too.”

The words “You’re still alive” stuck in her throat. For six years without news of Gu Lingjun, she often wondered if she’d died at some unknown time or place.

At first, those thoughts kept her up at night in agony. But gradually, she stopped worrying, thought of it less, and thought of Gu Lingjun less.

Gu Lingjun forced a smile, but it looked strained. Jiang Chuxie looked down at the girl on her leg, speaking kindly but distantly. “Little one, your mom’s here. You can go back with her.”

This was Jiang Weizao, Gu Lingjun’s daughter.

Besides a distant glimpse at her birth, Jiang Chuxie hadn’t seen her since. The Gu family allowed visits, even two months a year with her, but Jiang Chuxie never went.

If Gu Lingjun wanted her to forget the child’s mother, what meaning did the child hold? Jiang Chuxie didn’t want to see her and was afraid to.

But she no longer thought of harming Jiang Weizao. Those ideas, now absurd to her, were cruel. Back then, she seemed… unable to control herself.

Seeing her calm reaction and hearing her flat words, Gu Lingjun’s faint smile faded. Afraid Jiang Chuxie would notice her unease, she quickly bent down, hiding her expression, and spoke gently to her daughter. “Zaozao, come back with Mommy.”

Jiang Weizao turned to Gu Lingjun, her face pressed against Jiang Chuxie’s pant leg, her small arms wrapped around it. Tilting her head, she said, “It’s Mommy.”

Gu Lingjun felt a twinge of embarrassment, reaching to pull her daughter off. “Mommy’s here.”

Confusion crossed Jiang Weizao’s calm face, but seeing Gu Lingjun’s demeanor, she obediently let go. Her rabbit plushie, held by the ears, dragged on the floor. Gu Lingjun picked her up, gently dusting the toy.

“Didn’t we say to treat your rabbit friend well? Don’t let it touch dirty things on the ground.”

Jiang Weizao’s eyes stayed on Jiang Chuxie. “If the rabbit gets dirty, it can be washed.”

“You still need to protect it. Washing it too much will ruin it.”

“If it’s ruined, buy another.”

Gu Lingjun looked helpless. “Zaozao…”

Jiang Chuxie studied Jiang Weizao’s appearance, surprised. The novel’s heroine was pure and delicate, supposedly like Gu Lingjun, but this girl’s upturned eyes and cool, indifferent expression had none of that soft charm.

A six-year-old maintaining such a calm, almost cold demeanor and tone was remarkable, and her personality seemed to challenge Gu Lingjun.

But Jiang Chuxie had no intention of digging deeper or wondering why they were here. It was the Gu Family Grand Hotel—nothing strange about them staying here. She wasn’t so self-absorbed as to think Gu Lingjun came to see her.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll go.”

Gu Lingjun opened her mouth but only managed a quiet “Okay.”

She’d returned over a month ago. Her old apartment in B City, long unused, was too much trouble to clean, so she brought Jiang Weizao to the hotel. She didn’t know Hardcore would hold its launch here, but she couldn’t deny hoping to catch a glimpse of Jiang Chuxie after learning about it.

The launch was June 1, and she wasn’t sure she’d survive the May curse to see it.

Jiang Chuxie nodded politely and turned toward Zhuang Qi. Gu Lingjun watched her back, hearing her call Zhuang Shiwan’s nickname brightly as the girl shouted “Godmother” and leapt into her arms.

“Mommy?”

Gu Lingjun realized her eyes were wet when her daughter touched her cheek. She quickly turned away, forcing a light tone.

“Zaozao, you’re not being good. Didn’t Mommy tell you not to run off? If a bad person took you, Mommy would be so worried.”

Jiang Weizao looked at her, then at Jiang Chuxie, puzzled. “Why doesn’t Mommy hug me but hugs Wanwan?”

Gu Lingjun faltered but quickly answered, “Wanwan’s younger than you…”

“What does age have to do with it?”

Her six-year-old was tough to fool, often leaving Gu Lingjun at a loss for words.