Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 10

Only after getting in the car did Lu Luozhu find out who the other guests were for the variety show she was participating in.

Three families from different parts of the country had to fly to the local airport and then transfer to a bus to reach the filming location in a small town.

The host shoved the microphone in front of Lu Luozhu. “Are you nervous about filming a variety show for the first time? Our Ningning seems like a very cheerful kid.”

While waiting in the departure lounge, Lu Luozhu checked her phone and saw a balance of 250,000 yuan in her account. It wasn’t a huge sum, but it wasn’t insignificant either.

Based on the original owner’s spending habits, she would’ve blown through this money immediately—after all, as long as Qi Zi needed her pheromones, the cash would keep flowing in.

Lu Luozhu believed money was just a worldly possession, but she didn’t want to be completely penniless, reduced to a dependent canary.

Recalling the girl group that would later rise to fame in the original story, she went through several connections to get the phone number of the talent agency’s boss.

Silence filled the air around her. Only after finishing her task did Lu Luozhu look up, confused.

“What?”

The host’s smile was barely holding on as she repeated the question.

Hugging her child, who peeked out like a curious kitten, Lu Luozhu replied, “Nervous? Yeah, a little nervous.”

The host followed up, “Nervous about meeting the other families?”

Lu Luozhu: “Nervous about not taking good care of Ningning and getting scolded by our Teacher Qi when we get home.”

A flurry of ellipses flooded the live-stream chat.

“Damn, she’s really leaning into that sugar-baby life.”

Well, well, well. As expected of you.

The host: “…”

The host felt like she was about to have a heart attack but plastered on another smile. “It seems like Luozhu takes on most of the childcare at home. Could you share any parenting tips you’ve picked up along the way?”

This time, Lu Luozhu wasn’t zoning out—she was genuinely thinking about her experience raising Ningning.

Ningning was a very well-behaved child but also deeply insecure, always wanting to be held. At night, she’d sprawl on top of Lu Luozhu to sleep, making little swimming motions like a butterfly stroke…

Not just the host—even Ningning looked up at her mother with big, pleading eyes. QWQ

In the VIP lounge, Qi Zi tapped her fingers against the edge of her tablet. She wore sunglasses and a baseball cap, seated among a few other actors.

The film crew’s director had to change shooting locations and had booked flights to a famous water town in southern China.

Coincidentally, it was the same location as Lu Luozhu’s variety show, though the two sets were five kilometers apart, so they wouldn’t run into each other during filming.

Lu Luozhu gently kissed the top of Ningning’s head, soothing the child’s unease.

“Baby was raised so well by Teacher Qi. She’s such a good kid—I don’t really have any tips to share, since not every child is as well-behaved as the one Teacher Qi and I have.”

Host: ?

Qi Zi’s fingers paused mid-tap.

Bootlicker.

Hypocrite.

Yet the corners of Qi Zi’s eyes curled with faint amusement. She couldn’t help but feel pleased by Lu Luozhu’s words.

Meanwhile, viewers in the live stream were practically choking on the overwhelming “dutiful wife and loving mother” vibes radiating off Lu Luozhu.

“What do you mean ‘our baby’? You’re the stepmom—what right do you have to say that?!”

“Wait, is there a chance the baby isn’t even my wife’s biological child?”

“Raised by her side all along—not her own child, yet treated as her own. Lu Luozhu, this stepmother is truly shameless.”

“But the way the wicked stepmother kissed the baby’s forehead was so gentle. I wish my mom kissed me like that (breaks down crying).”

“Dammit, I didn’t come to this livestream looking for motherly love!”

Ningning, suddenly kissed by her mom, stretched out her little paws, ready to climb all over Lu Luozhu, only to be swiftly restrained by a single hand. She obediently clung to Lu Luozhu’s arm and peeked out with her tiny head.

Lu Luozhu held the little one in her arms, while the child clutched a small frog plushie.

They looked like an adorable set of nesting dolls.

Lu Luozhu’s “virtuous wife and loving mother” persona had won over a wave of fans, though most had initially come to the livestream to mock her. Yet, faced with the sight of the two quietly lost in thought—one big, one small—they found themselves at a loss for insults.

…

Meanwhile, on a plane.

Qian Qianqian was half-convinced, half-skeptical. “Maybe Madam really has changed.”

The omega put on an eye mask, reclined her first-class seat, and prepared to sleep, one earbud still in, the livestream quietly playing on her tablet.

Half a second later, Qian Qianqian’s face fell.

“How could she possibly have changed?!” Qian Qianqian’s expression twisted. “Someone said she invested 250,000 in some no-name small company.”

Her voice in first class was soft, but it was enough for Qi Zi to hear.

Qi Zi lifted her sleep mask with a finger, her gaze slightly dazed. After a pause, she turned toward Qian Qianqian.

“?”

Qian Qianqian was beside herself. “She’s got such a gambling addiction? Now, instead of gambling, she’s throwing money into reckless investments—utterly clueless but still obsessed. And she’s using all your earnings!”

She showed Qi Zi the email inquiring about the small company. Qi Zi stared at it for a few seconds before lowering her lashes.

Qian Qianqian expected her to say something, but Qi Zi simply pulled the sleep mask back down, turned on her side, and fell silent, as if slipping quickly into sleep.

As if none of this surprised her—as if it was all within her expectations.

Restless.

Ambitious beyond her means.

With no real talent yet dreaming of striking it rich through investments. Being adopted by a wealthy family had already used up all the luck she’d ever have in this lifetime.

What good could possibly come from someone like Lu Luozhu, who only knew how to rely on others?

Qi Zi removed her earbuds and replaced them with noise-canceling earplugs.

After lying on her side for a long while, she got up, walked over to Qian Qianqian, and leaned down to speak.

“Let her be. Consider it a hobby for Lu Luozhu.”

Qian Qianqian: “.”

Too busy scolding Lu Luozhu—forgot to scold you for being lovesick.

…

Lu Luozhu stepped off the plane and saw the other two families already waiting at the airport. Her eyes immediately landed on a stunning woman with voluminous waves and deep crimson lips, holding the hand of a little girl with twin braids.

Having read the show’s participant profiles on the flight, Lu Luozhu recognized her—An Song, a glamorous Hong Kong-style singer who had risen to fame in recent years, currently preparing for a world tour.

As formidable in personality as she was in her flourishing career, An Song gave Lu Luozhu only a fleeting glance before looking away.

Lu Luozhu’s smile didn’t waver. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Behind her, Ningning peeked out like a curious kitten, mimicking the gesture by stretching out a tiny paw to hold hands with the little girl beside An Song.

An Song’s younger sister was called Little Jasmine, with snow-white skin and jet-black hair, resembling a fairy-tale Snow White who timidly extended her tiny hand to hold Ningning’s.

“Hello~”

“Hi.”

An Song glanced at Lu Luozhu’s outstretched hand, her long, delicate lashes lifting slightly.

Lu Luozhu’s hand hovered mid-air for two seconds. Just as she thought An Song wouldn’t reciprocate and was about to withdraw, An Song finally reached out with deliberate slowness.

“Flattered.”

An Song had no respect for Lu Luozhu—someone who, despite having the looks to carve out a solid place in the entertainment industry through her own efforts, chose instead to cut corners. She bought her way onto shows, schemed her way into marriage, and by all accounts, had taken advantage of Qi Zi more than once after tying the knot.

During Lu Luozhu’s idol audition days, An Song had initially been drawn in by her beauty, only to quickly realize she was just another vain airhead.

The entertainment industry was never short of vain airheads.

But now, using her marriage as a publicity stunt? That was downright nauseating.

Unaware of An Song’s disdain, Lu Luozhu curved her lips into a polite, gentle smile.

“These two little ones seem to have a natural connection. They’ll definitely become good friends.”

An Song: “Ningning is indeed a sweet child. But you? You’re far from a good stepmother.”

Even someone as dense as Lu Luozhu couldn’t miss the hostility now, especially since this was being filmed live. The third guest and her daughter came jogging over with their luggage, sensing the tension from afar and immediately playing peacemaker.

Live chat comments exploded:
“Fight! Fight!”
“Queen behavior. LLZ is so fake.”

An Song waited for Lu Luozhu to slip up on camera, but instead, she bent down and picked up Ningning, who nestled into her arms without protest, nuzzling her face against Lu Luozhu’s.

Lu Luozhu lowered her eyes, feigning hurt. “Baby, someone said Mommy isn’t good. It makes Mommy’s heart ache a little… but it’s okay. Mommy won’t listen to them. Mommy only cares what Ningning thinks.”

Before her transmigration, she’d had heart problems—and now, she played the frail card convincingly.

An Song: ???

A green-tea act?!

Seeing her mother upset, Ningning immediately fretted, comforting her in a tiny voice, “Mommy good! Mommy and Mama are Ningning’s favorite people!”

Just off the plane, Qi Zi witnessed the scene: “…”

Her steps faltered as she watched Lu Luozhu’s tender embrace with the child from afar.

Qi Zi withdrew her conflicted gaze. In her hand was a stack of medical reports—under the “Heart” section, bold letters declared: Congenital Heart Disease.