Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 31

Lu Luozhu was kissed by Qi Zi for the first time—soft lips brushing against her cheek.

Light and ticklish.

Like a timid little bird, tentatively pecking at a human with its tiny beak.

Lu Luozhu’s breath hitched. “Did I manage to cheer you up?”

Qi Zi leaned back on the sofa, cradling Lu Luozhu’s face as she continued planting small, delicate kisses.

A soft, kitten-like whimper escaped her throat.

Only then did Lu Luozhu realize how much Qi Zi resembled Ningning—their mannerisms were nearly identical in certain details.

If not for the fact that Qi Zi’s abnormal pheromones made it impossible for her to conceive normally, Lu Luozhu might have suspected Ningning was actually Qi Zi’s secret love child.

Both were like fluffy little animals.

So adorable, so tempting to tease.

The night breeze whispered through the air, the distant sound of ocean waves clear and serene.

The omega narrowed her eyes, nuzzling against the alpha. Just being close to her eased the tension in her nerves.

Should they mark her here?

Qi Zi wasn’t mentally prepared.

Nor was she physically ready.

She didn’t understand—she was a little afraid.

“Since the gift has been delivered, I won’t disturb Teacher Qi’s rest any longer. Goodnight.”

Lu Luozhu withdrew from Qi Zi with perfect propriety, as if she hadn’t just been the one acting recklessly.

More courteous than the most seasoned hotel attendant.

Qi Zi froze, the weight on her body suddenly gone. Her earlobes throbbed painfully.

The heavy antique earrings dangled from her ears, the golden moon emblem gleaming brilliantly.

Qi Zi: “You—”

Lu Luozhu dutifully retrieved a gland patch from the drawer—a cartoon bear-shaped one—and pressed it firmly over the omega’s scent gland.

Her fingers brushed lightly over the delicate, swollen gland, smoothing out the edges of the patch.

Qi Zi’s lashes fluttered as she quietly sucked in a sharp breath.

Lu Luozhu’s movements were too practiced, too efficient—Qi Zi almost wished she would slow down.

“Thank you for the gift. I love it.”

Before leaving, Qi Zi called out to her, speaking earnestly, “You’ve worked hard taking care of Ningning. She really likes you too.”

As a reward, Qi Zi pulled a check from her pocket, swiftly folding it into a paper airplane before tossing it toward Lu Luozhu.

The airplane traced a graceful arc through the air—undoubtedly the most expensive paper airplane in the world.

Lu Luozhu caught it with both hands, raising an eyebrow at the sum written on it—enough to buy several pairs of earrings.

“Thank you for your generosity. I’ll treasure it dearly—every night, after purifying myself with incense and changing into fresh robes, I’ll take it out to admire and appreciate it.”

Qi Zi: “…”

There she went again, speaking nonsense.

As the locked door clicked shut, the vast hotel suite was left with only Qi Zi inside.

The heat in her body refused to cool despite the crisp air conditioning.

The longer Lu Luozhu was gone, the more the surrounding warmth seemed to wrap around Qi Zi like an inescapable net.

She rubbed her earlobes, weighed down by the heavy earrings, still tingling from the memory of Lu Luozhu’s tongue.

Maybe she should take a shower.

Reason told her to step under cold water, suppress the strange sensations, and return to normal.

But her body felt unbearably languid. Instead, she pulled a blanket over her head, pretending nothing had happened.

Perhaps she should have asked Lu Luozhu to stay the night.

Qi Zi thought bitterly to herself—she should just see how long Lu Luozhu could keep up this considerate act around her.

Wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, Qi Zi curled into a ball before finally giving up on sleep. She grabbed her phone and took a mirror selfie of the earrings dangling from her ears.

@QiZi: Thanks for the gift. [Image]

Qi Zi rarely posted on Weibo herself—most of her updates were managed and reposted by her agent. Her fans had long been starving for content.

“Ahhh, what?!”
“Wait, who gave you these? It couldn’t be Lu Luozhu, right? @LuLuozhu, say something, you freeloader!”
“I know this one! Last time I saw these earrings was in a private museum in Europe. Heard the family went bankrupt and sold off a bunch of antiques cheap. Never thought I’d see them on Qi Zi’s Weibo.”
“Calling her ‘Qi Zi’ is too distant. She’s my wife—her name is just too easy to claim. I’m already drooling.”
“Fine, as a solo stan, I’ll reluctantly take a bite of this Zhuzi CP sugar.”
“CP fans are ecstatic! I’m totally here for the big star x caged canary dynamic. Lu Luozhu’s actually kinda sweet when she’s not stirring drama.”
“Yeah, ‘not stirring drama’—if you ignore the fact that her mouth only spews nonsense.”
“Ugh, stop hyping Lu Luozhu already. Her acting is painful to watch, and she disrespects seniors on variety shows. She should just go home, live off her sugar mommy, and raise kids instead of embarrassing herself in the entertainment industry.”

Qi Zi scrolled through the comments with satisfaction. Spotting a few hateful remarks about Lu Luozhu, she swiftly deleted them and blocked the users.

……

“Stop being so lovesick! Snap out of it!”

Qian Qianqian paced anxiously around the room, only to spot Lu Luozhu lounging by the shore, casually playing catch with Ningning.

Under his sister’s expectant gaze, An Song reluctantly pulled out a small ball and joined in.

The director stood awkwardly by the door while Qian Qianqian shook Qi Zi by the shoulders.

“What’s your status? What’s this show’s caliber? Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to make a cameo? The studio didn’t even prepare a contract—you can’t just act on whims!”

In utter despair, Qian Qianqian pulled out a bottle of Xiaoyao Pills from her pocket and downed a handful. “Lu Luozhu’s corrupted you. You weren’t like this before.”

The director clasped his hands meekly in front of him, looking every bit the timid pushover.

“If it’s just a brief cameo, it shouldn’t affect Teacher Qi’s image…”

Qian Qianqian shot him a glare, and he promptly shut his mouth.

“And that Weibo post last night—I don’t even want to scold you. Do you think your reputation is too clean? Are you deliberately feeding ammo to gossip accounts?”

After her furious rant, Qian Qianqian collapsed onto a wicker chair like a deflated balloon, waving weakly. “Whatever. I give up. Do what you want. I’ll call the studio to draft a contract.”

Throughout it all, Qi Zi sipped her coffee quietly, the earrings Lu Luozhu had gifted her the day before still adorning her ears.

Paired with her exotic long dress, she carried an air of mystery—like an ancient high priestess.

Staring at Qi Zi’s flawless face, Qian Qianqian found herself unable to scold her further.

“You really like those earrings that much?”

“Not really. They’re a bit heavy and don’t match my usual style.”

“Then take them off. Can your hands go two whole minutes without touching them?”

Qi Zi: “…”

Qian Qianqian let out a despairing sigh.

The usually cool, composed, and rational award-winning actress—how could she lose all reason just from being sweet-talked by that vixen Lu Luozhu?

—A bewitching concubine leading the nation astray.

…

The island filming continued.

An Song: “You’re feeling better now?”

Lu Luozhu picked up the little one who was trying to bury herself in the sandpit. The child squirmed in her arms, whimpering in reluctance.

“I am indeed better—just to the point where if my condition flares up again, you’ll have to perform CPR on the spot. By the way, do you know how to use an AED? I heard universities both here and abroad teach it. Time to test your academic skills.”

An Song: “…”

She shouldn’t have asked.

Bai Rui smoothed things over. “I saw on Weibo that Lu Luozhu recently got a beautiful jade necklace. I took a big bite of dog food scrolling through those posts—so envious!”

Lu Luozhu smiled. “Just my year-end bonus from work.”

An Song & Bai Rui: ?

What year-end bonus?

Do sugar babies even get year-end bonuses?

Distracted for a moment, Lu Luozhu let the little one slip from her arms and dive back into the sandpit, determined to dig her way to the other side of the earth—like a tiny burrowing animal.

When the host arrived, the conversation was still stuck on the “year-end bonus.” The host, visibly puzzled, redirected the topic to the day’s challenge.

Lu Luozhu held up her task card, which read: “Save a restaurant on the verge of bankruptcy.”

Her nails scraped against the card’s surface as she scooped Ningning up to show her the words.

Ningning could recognize most of the characters but blinked blankly, as if needing her mom to translate.

Lu Luozhu peeked at the other two’s task cards.

An Song’s read: “You are a picky diner.”

Bai Rui’s read: “A seafood supplier with an overstocked warehouse.”

After comparing their cards, the three of them stared at each other like confused little chicks. “Huh?”

The host briefly explained the rules: Lu Luozhu had to keep the failing restaurant afloat, An Song had to nitpick as much as possible, and Bai Rui had to offload her surplus frozen seafood.

Too much frozen seafood would inevitably tank the restaurant’s reputation for freshness, while the picky diner would skew customer ratings.

Tucking the card into her pocket, Lu Luozhu carried Ningning on her hip toward the restaurant set up by the crew.

The place was open to the public but temporarily rented for filming, with a few customers already dining inside.

As the host announced the start of the game, An Song rubbed her hands in anticipation.

Lu Luozhu tied on a frilly pink apron covered in bows and clipped a fluffy octopus hairpin in place—looking utterly ridiculous.

“This game is stacked against Lu Luozhu. Neither side wants the restaurant to succeed.”

“Hard not to think the crew did this on purpose lol.”

“I can’t focus on the show—I’m too obsessed with Qi Zi’s earrings!”

“So those earrings Qi Zi wore yesterday… were they a gift from Lu Luozhu after she won them at auction?”

“The ultimate love story of exchanging gifts! These two really know how to play the game.”

“Lu Luozhu’s skills are truly top-notch. She used tactics to make Qi Zi’s child like her, and after Qi Zi gifted her a necklace worth over 90 million, she could use part of the money to return the favor—her emotional intelligence is off the charts.”

“Is she still the same Lu Luozhu from before? I suspect she’s been body-snatched (nibbling fingers).”

Unaware of the barrage of comments in the live stream, Lu Luozhu pulled out her laptop and swiftly designed a restaurant flyer, her movements so practiced it was as if she’d been possessed by a corporate drone.

She printed the flyers using the restaurant’s printer.

Bending down, Lu Luozhu waved her hand. “Sweetie, Mommy’s about to go bankrupt.”

The little one’s eyes widened, her mouth gaping open wide enough to fit an egg.

“Does Ningning have to go beg for food? Don’t worry, Ningning will work hard to earn money and take care of Mommy!”

“I’ll give my little frog to Mommy to keep safe. Mommy can sell the little frog if she needs to, QAQ.”

As she spoke, the child mimed shaking a begging bowl.

Lu Luozhu: “…”

“No, Ningning is going to hand out flyers.”

In the Baby Go Forward livestream:

“That’s too much—child labor? Reporting this right now.”

“Ughhh, the little one in her pink apron—I could kiss ten of her in one go.”

“How can a child as adorable as Ningning even exist? Lu Luozhu, how dare you have such a sweet baby and a great wife? How dare you?! (screams)”

Under the camera’s watchful eye, Ningning walked to the crowded tourist area, pulled out a flyer, and tiptoed to stop a young woman.

In her tiny, milky voice, she said, “Big sister, my mommy’s family is going bankrupt. Can you come eat at our place?”

The chosen lucky passerby: !!!

Ningning spoke with utmost seriousness. “If no one comes to eat, Ningning and Mommy will end up homeless, QAQ.”

“New restaurant opening—all dishes 12% off, unlimited seafood, yay!”

The chosen lucky passerby: !!! I’ll go!

Ningning’s two little pigtails swayed with every step. If someone rejected her, she’d rub her cheeks and pep-talk herself.

Ningning can do this!

Ningning has to protect this family!

……

Meanwhile, Lu Luozhu was in the kitchen prepping ingredients.

Most of the kitchen’s stock was seafood. Having previously worked in a barbecue shop, she was adept at handling seafood. The restaurant had one chef and one front-desk staff.

Lu Luozhu needed to finalize the menu.

The kitchen and dining area were separated only by a curtain. Customers ordered at the front, and the kitchen started cooking upon receiving the order.

A customer had ordered a seafood salad.

Lu Luozhu checked the menu, then swiftly prepped the black tiger shrimp, squid, and scallops—cleaning and cutting them with practiced ease before neatly arranging them.

The chef blanched the ingredients, then plated them with baby corn, lettuce, and arugula in a glass bowl, finishing with a drizzle of dressing.

Before serving, Lu Luozhu tasted it. The flavor was balanced—not too sweet, not too bland. No flaws, but no standout qualities either. It was a dish suited for those watching their weight.

As she continued working, a customer’s critical voice carried from the front.

“You didn’t mention salad dressing on the menu. I can’t eat salad dressing—get your head chef to remake this for me.” The picky customer’s tone was slightly haughty, as if gracing the restaurant with her presence was a favor in itself.

“And why is there sesame oil instead of olive oil? For a restaurant, this is so careless. I’m leaving a bad review.”

The receptionist hurriedly went up to explain, “I’m sorry, ma’am. We’ve just opened, and the menu isn’t fully prepared yet…”

“That’s your problem. What does it have to do with me?”

The customer wearing a baseball cap tapped her fingers impatiently on the table.

Long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles made a rhythmic tapping sound on the wooden surface. Perhaps because those fingers were too beautiful, it was impossible to feel annoyed—instead, one felt compelled to do everything possible to satisfy her.

The baseball cap obscured most of her face, and the moon-shaped earrings dangling from her earlobes peeked faintly through her hair.

The sweet, fragrant scent of pear blossoms mixed with sea breeze was intoxicating. It seemed she didn’t actually have an issue with the salad—it was more like she had a grudge against the owner.

The receptionist was at a loss.

An Song, who had just entered the shop: ?

If you’re here to pick faults, then what am I here for??

Bai Rui: ?

This wasn’t in the script.

A hand rested on the young receptionist’s shoulder. “Go back. I’ll take it from here.”

The young alpha owner, dressed in a pink bow, stood before the picky customer.

“I apologize for the poor experience. How about I make you a new one?”

Familiar fingers picked up the glass bowl.

“Is this how your restaurant operates?”

The mysterious customer’s voice was soft yet alluring. “When a dish is wrong, does the customer only get a meaningless apology?”

Sophistry.

But the omega didn’t care.

The mysterious customer propped her chin on one hand, amused. “As the owner, shouldn’t you take responsibility for your employee’s mistake?”

Unreasonable.

Clearly here to provoke.

A fox’s tail swayed playfully.

Lu Luozhu chuckled softly and set down the glass salad bowl. “You’re absolutely right. It was my oversight that caused you this unpleasant experience.”

The alpha’s voice was gentle and indulgent.

Not angry—as if coaxing someone.

“How about I treat you to a drink instead?”

Two bottles of beer were placed on the wooden table. Qi Zi’s fingers touched the icy bottle and recoiled slightly.

Drinking?

Omegas couldn’t drink. Alcohol affected pheromone secretion.

“W-well, never mind. I’m not unreasonable.”

Qi Zi’s previously cold, critical tone faltered now.

Lu Luozhu: “Alright then.”

One bottle was taken away, leaving only a lonely one on the table.

The cap was popped open, and Lu Luozhu inserted a straw.

She raised the bottle, clinking it against the edge of the salad bowl.

“My apologies.”

The omega’s gaze was fixed intently on the alpha’s face. Maybe it was the natural intoxication of beer, or perhaps the way the alpha’s throat moved as she swallowed—so tantalizing.

Qi Zi completely abandoned her earlier intention to nitpick. Her dark eyes never left Lu Luozhu. As half the bottle disappeared, Qi Zi grew uneasy and whispered, “Lu Luozhu, stop drinking.”

Before transmigrating into this novel, alcohol had been practically off-limits to Lu Luozhu—just the smell made her body ache.

After transmigrating, things had improved. A single beer wouldn’t burden her much.

The frothy taste of beer lingered on her tongue. She narrowed her eyes, still savoring the flavor, when suddenly the straw was yanked from her mouth.

“Has the customer forgiven me?” The alcohol made Lu Luozhu’s voice hoarse, her teasing tone causing Qi Zi’s face to flush instantly.

She had been picking fights in Lu Luozhu’s shop just to mess with the little songbird who’d left early yesterday.

She’d wanted to provoke Lu Luozhu, to see her angry—but she never expected Lu Luozhu would drink as an apology.

Qi Zi panicked, like a fox caught after wrecking the house, tucking its tail between its legs.

Lu Luozhu set down the half-empty beer bottle and leaned lazily against the counter.

“Seems our generous customer has forgiven me. I thought I’d have to down a few more pints before you’d reluctantly let me off the hook. But our esteemed guest must have a rare kindness in her heart—I’m deeply moved. How about I cover all your expenses tonight?”

Qi Zi couldn’t make out what Lu Luozhu was saying, only watching her flushed lips part and close.

Her throat went dry. She pressed her lips together, swallowing hard.

Before she knew it, instinct took over—she leaned in and kissed her.

A fleeting touch, gone as soon as it came.

Less a kiss, more like a pampered pet mustering the courage to nip its owner.

This was the second time Qi Zi had kissed Lu Luozhu first.

She’d meant to tease her, to see her drop the gentle act—but Qi Zi was the one who faltered first.

Reason screamed at her instincts in her head.

Lu Luozhu wiped the corner of her mouth, where pheromones lingered.

“Sorry, but we run a respectable business here. No physical services.”

Like the most proper server in the world, Lu Luozhu picked up the glass bowl of seafood salad, then slid a business card from her pocket toward Qi Zi.

“If you have those kinds of needs, you can call this number at night. I’ll come running.”

She disappeared into the back. Qi Zi couldn’t bring herself to look at the card bearing her name and number.

Her face burned hot and cold. If she weren’t sitting, her legs would’ve given out.

An Song raised a hand solemnly. “Production team, can I report this shop for suspected indecent transactions? I have evidence.”

Bai Rui, devouring the drama from the corner, covered her kid’s eyes.

Wow.

ZQL is wild.

The Baby Go Forward livestream flooded with question marks and exclamation marks.

“Girls, am I seeing things?! That mysterious customer in the baseball cap was Qi Zi!”

“She’s so in love—my wife is even wearing the earrings Lu Luozhu gave her!!”

“Qi Zi’s picky act is peak tsundere. This isn’t some unreasonable customer—it’s a proud little cat waiting to be pampered!!”

“My cat looks at me exactly like this when I forget to give her treats, waaah!”

“Turns out the untouchable ice queen of the entertainment industry isn’t so cold after all. Qi Zi tugging Lu Luozhu’s sleeve to stop her from drinking? Adorable.”

“Props to the production team for getting Qi Zi on board.”

That night, #Qi Zi Picky trended in the top three. Some curious netizens clicked in, ready to mock her attitude—only to stumble out clutching their bamboo ship meals in confusion.

“Is this really a kid’s show and not a dating show?”

“Director, please switch genres. Kid shows have no future—romance is what we really want.”

The online discussions grew increasingly heated, bringing immense attention to the production team.

Qian Qianqian, who had been lying ill in bed, suddenly sat up in shock. Upon seeing the show’s data, she finally felt somewhat relieved.

As the restaurant closed for the night, Lu Luozhu was the last to step out from the kitchen, rubbing her sore shoulders and arms.

She bent down to pick up the little one who had been handing out flyers all day and strolled along the beach with them. Under the moonlight, the sand shimmered with a delicate glow.

Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.

Lu Luozhu glanced toward the horizon and realized rain was coming.

The little one was about to tumble headfirst into the hole dug earlier in the day when Lu Luozhu grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into her arms.

Being a stepmother wasn’t easy. Lu Luozhu couldn’t say she particularly liked children, but when she saw her own acting spoiled, she found it hard to summon any feelings of dislike.

Ningning was adorable.

She wondered if Qi Zi had been this cute as a child.

Her phone buzzed in her apron pocket. Holding the child with one arm, Lu Luozhu picked up the phone with her free hand and answered the call.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Lu Luozhu waited patiently.

As the seconds ticked by, the person on the other end seemed to finally gather their courage. After an awkward cough, they spoke:

“Hello boss, do you offer… those kinds of services? What are your rates? Do you do house calls?”

Holding the child, Lu Luozhu laughed, “What services exactly?”

The caller: !!!!!

Lu Luozhu: “If the customer doesn’t make it clearer, how am I supposed to know what you need?”