Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 36

The script for Burning lay on the coffee table as Qi Zi flipped through it page by page.

Zhou Fan watched her nervously. “If you have any concerns, feel free to point them out. We’ll make revisions accordingly.”

Lu Luozhu, cradling Ningning, dozed off on the sofa, showing no intention of joining the discussion.

Had it not been for Lu Luozhu’s earlier involvement in negotiating the investment with Zhou Fan, everyone would have assumed she was merely Qi Zi’s kept lover.

Now, said “kept lover” was nearly bored to sleep.

Qi Zi couldn’t take it anymore. “If you’re going to sleep, go home.”

The two—one big, one small—leaned against each other, cheek to cheek, breathing evenly.

Lu Luozhu cracked an eye open briefly before closing it again.

“The script is fine. When does Teacher Qi plan to start filming? Six months should be enough to wrap up in time for next year’s mid-year award nominations.”

The alpha had everything meticulously planned.

Qi Zi clenched the script. “You’re not acting in it?”

Lu Luozhu almost laughed. “If I were cast, forget award nominations—we probably wouldn’t even pass the initial review. The industry praises Teacher Qi for being meticulous and demanding when it comes to her work, but it seems that’s not entirely true. If I could win an award, pigs might fly, and Ningning could graduate kindergarten and take the college entrance exam right after.”

Qi Zi: “…”

Zhou Fan: “…”

Qi Zi took a deep breath, resisting the urge to hurl the script at Lu Luozhu’s face.

How did Lu Luozhu manage to spike her bl00d pressure with just a few words?

Qi Zi’s role in the film was that of an architect investigating a condemned building, with several standout moments where she single-handedly took on a real estate conglomerate.

Lu Luozhu remarked, “There’s a likable supporting role in the film. I think Qi Xin would be a good fit.”

With that, she carried Ningning out of the artist’s studio.

She had other matters to attend to.

“Hey, wait.”

Qi Zi grabbed her, fingers brushing against the inside of Lu Luozhu’s wrist.

Suddenly, an electric current shot up her arm, and Qi Zi jerked her hand away as if burned.

“I’ll act for free, but you—”

Qi Zi looked fierce, as if she were about to hiss and puff up like an angry cat.

“Don’t think that just because I’m on set, I won’t have time for you.”

Lu Luozhu: ?

Qi Zi enunciated each word deliberately. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t assume that once I’m filming, I won’t keep tabs on you or that you can slack off on the agreement.”

Lu Luozhu blinked, momentarily lost.

Qi Zi gritted her teeth. “If I need you, you’d better show up immediately. Otherwise, don’t expect me to keep shooting.”

Adorable.

Trying so hard to appear intimidating, yet she was just a fluffed-up ball of fur.

Her words were commanding, but her eyes kept sneaking glances to gauge Lu Luozhu’s reaction.

Lu Luozhu arched a brow, her expression gentle and warm. “I won’t disappoint you, Madam.”

Qi Zi: “That’s more like it.”

Lu Luozhu vanished down the hallway. Qi Zi stood rooted in place for a long while, only turning back to the studio after the elevator reached the ground floor.

Online, the second episode of Baby, Charge Ahead aired, quickly climbing into the top three trending topics.

“…Lu Luozhu, honestly—such a pretty face, but why did she have to open her mouth?”

“Didn’t notice during the livestream, but seeing Lu Luozhu protect Ningning’s little seashell now is seriously cool!”

“Slowly typing out a question mark—is Soft Rice A climbing walls over there?”

“Actual wall-climbing, nice nice nice, such agile movements, truly a role model for our generation.”

“Gahahaha laughing until I sound like a chicken, you married AOs shouldn’t act like you’re having an affair!”

The second episode’s live viewers exceeded 20,000, with the popularity still climbing.

Most were just there for the spectacle, casually throwing shade at Lu Luozhu.

“Lu Luozhu and that staff member in the baseball cap seem way too intimate. I refuse to believe there’s nothing between them.”

“With such a beautiful wife at home, still fooling around outside? What’s wrong with you @Qi Zi”

“Why is everyone else taking care of kids while Lu Luozhu gets to attend auctions…”

“Total favoritism here.”

“Don’t force the hate upstairs. The whole internet knows Lu Luozhu’s current status comes from being a kept woman. So, what if she spends my wife’s money?”

“Over 90 million… Lu Luozhu really knows how to inflate her own worth.”

Lu Luozhu never read online comments. She was currently livestreaming herself cooking for Qi Zi.

Qian Qianqian rushed home from the studio upon seeing Lu Luozhu’s livestream notification, fearing she might cause trouble.

In the quiet, tidy kitchen, Lu Luozhu wore a pink apron, handling ingredients with practiced ease. The silver kitchen knife in her hand deftly sliced open the chicken’s abdomen, her fingers in black rubber gloves moving with elegant precision.

Those same graceful hands removed the chicken’s innards and intestines, washing the edible gizzard, heart, and liver in a separate bowl.

Their three-year-old sat at the kitchen island, chin propped in hands, watching mom cook. A small frog plush rested on the child’s head—two pairs of eyes intently observing Lu Luozhu.

“You can eat now~”

The child reached for the discarded yellow chicken fat, only to have their hand lightly tapped by Lu Luozhu’s chopsticks.

“Ow!”

This was the scene Qian Qianqian walked into.

Sunlight haloed the alpha’s head as ivy climbed the villa windows outside. The alpha worked contentedly, preparing soup for her beloved.

The filming crew focused their lenses on the alpha’s movements, who showed no trace of nervousness under scrutiny.

Qian Qianqian thought she’d entered the wrong house.

“Why the sudden livestream today?”

“Sis, Madam got a sponsorship deal…”

Qian Qianqian’s breath caught. “What brand?”

The staff member pointed at the silver knife in Lu Luozhu’s hand. “A niche domestic brand with decent reputation. Madam had been using it even before the endorsement.”

Qian Qianqian was speechless. With Qi Zi’s status, she could easily endorse diamond-encrusted knives, let alone obscure brands.

Having grown accustomed to Qi Zi’s luxury lifestyle, seeing Lu Luozhu endorse some no-name brand gave her an inexplicable pang of sympathy.

Closing her eyes briefly, Qian Qianqian asked, “What’s the endorsement fee?”

The staffer held up two fingers.

“2 million?” Qian Qianqian shook her head disapprovingly. “Too low.”

Though her words were critical, privately she thought 2 million wasn’t bad for someone like Lu Luozhu—an artist with no notable works and nothing but scandals.

“No.”

“Could it be 200,000?” Qian Qianqian inwardly scoffed. “Not bad, at least it’s enough to cover two semesters of my child’s kindergarten tuition.”

The staff member remained silent. Qian Qianqian’s gaze gradually turned strange. “20,000? Are you trying to treat me like a beggar?”

“Miss, it’s 2,000. Considering the conversion rate of Madam’s account, 2,000 per ad is already quite good. The brand even threw in a brand-new set of knives.”

Qian Qianqian’s throat tightened, as if she was about to cough up bl00d.

2,000 yuan?

She wouldn’t even bother picking up 2,000 yuan if it was dropped on the ground.

Lu Luozhu adopted a live-stream-first, edit-later approach. Tomorrow, she would post a ten-minute edited video to her account.

With practiced ease, she used a cleaver to chop the chicken wings, legs, and br3ast into pieces—her movements clean and precise, without the slightest hesitation, clearly the work of someone who spent a lot of time in the kitchen.

She cut ginger into chunks, added scallions, and blanched the chicken in boiling water.

A strand of long hair slipped from behind her ear, partially obscuring the alpha’s strikingly beautiful eyes.

“No way, sis, you can actually cook?”

“Lu Luozhu’s hands are perfection—let me lick them.”

“Bet none of you saw this coming, but my wife eats well every day.”

“That pink apron is adorable. Ugh, I want to see you wearing just the apron.”

Lu Luozhu smiled faintly. “How did you know I only wear an apron when cooking at home for my wife?”

“!!!!!”

Qian Qianqian: ?!

The cameraperson’s pupils trembled, but their grip on the equipment remained rock steady.

The camera panned over a transparent piggy bank on the storage shelf, inside which was a stack of red bills and a few scattered coins.

Ningning, probably bored by the cooking, hugged the piggy bank to her chest and pressed her little face against its ear.

“Aww.”

The livestream chat’s attention was immediately captured by the piggy bank.

Lu Luozhu squinted at the comments. “The piggy bank? Oh, that’s my private savings and Ningning’s kindergarten tuition.”

The chat erupted in disbelief. Qi Zi had spent 90 million on an imperial jade necklace for Lu Luozhu—how could her private savings amount to just a measly handful?

Unfazed, Lu Luozhu smoothly recited the cleaver’s ad copy, ignoring the barrage of probing questions.

She transferred the chicken to a clay pot to simmer. The broth was clear, with a thin layer of pale yellow oil floating on top.

Lu Luozhu added a few medicinal herbs, stirred with a ladle, and covered the pot again.

While the soup simmered, she stir-fried a few side dishes, her movements fluid and graceful.

Gradually, the troublemaking comments dwindled. Most of the viewers had come to learn cooking techniques, and an even larger portion were simply there to admire Lu Luozhu’s hands.

Her fingers, clad in black disposable gloves, gripped a plump section of lotus root as her soft, soothing voice filled the livestream.

“Choose lotus roots that are plump with short, thick segments. Ones that are too thin or long are underdeveloped and will have inferior texture.”

“Blah blah blah I don’t understand any of this, I just want stepmom to touch me with those gloves on.”

“Keep it PG, thanks.”

“Putting aside the scandals, I’m really into Lu Luozhu’s vibe. Officially a fan now.”

Qian Qianqian watched helplessly as Lu Luozhu’s livestream grew increasingly popular, the viewer count eventually surpassing 20,000. Then, a wealthy fan sent a gift worth 5,000 yuan across all platforms.

The screen was flooded with gift effects, making it impossible for Lu Luozhu to ignore.

A user with the ID “Did the Bamboo CP Sweeten Today” typed a message in the public chat: “The food is ready. Time to call Qi Zi back for dinner.”

As a top-tier fan, Lu Luozhu could receive half of the gift revenue—a hefty 2,500 yuan.

Another contribution to Ningning’s tuition fees.

“If it’s a request from a big fan, I can’t refuse,” the alpha sighed. “But it’s Qi Zi’s work hours. If I disturb her, she might scold me.”

Just as Qian Qianqian fully expected Lu Luozhu to bend for the gifts, she dialed Qi Zi’s private number.

And indeed, Lu Luozhu put on a reluctant expression, picked up her phone, tapped a few times, then cradled it between her ear and shoulder. With one hand holding a lotus root and the other a knife, she deftly peeled it.

Lu Luozhu’s side of the conversation echoed through the livestream.

“Hello, darling. The food’s ready—do you have time to come home and eat?”

She sliced the peeled lotus root into chunks, expertly mixing a sweet and sour sauce. Her voice dripped with affection, as if she were truly speaking to her beloved.

“No time to come back?” A perfectly measured sadness flickered across her brows and eyes. “I understand work keeps you busy, but you still need to eat. Your health can’t take this. I made you chicken soup—should I bring it to you?”

“Don’t want to trouble me? Alright then.” The person on the other end seemed to make a promise, and Lu Luozhu’s face instantly brightened. “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come home early today. Ningning and I miss you so much. I’ll show you my new apron.”

The livestream chat exploded with rapid-fire messages—endless strings of “Aaaaaah!”

“You call each other ‘darling’ in private?! I’m deceased!”

Gifts poured in like a river, and the backend revenue skyrocketed.

Qian Qianqian’s expression gradually twisted.

Something was off.

Very off.

Leaning against the kitchen island, Lu Luozhu fiddled with the pink bow on her apron, feigning shyness. “Darling, don’t say things like that on the phone. I’m live right now—it’s embarrassing.”

The chat erupted again: “Aaaaaah! As a VIP, there’s nothing I shouldn’t hear!”

Lu Luozhu flipped her phone screen-down on the counter, her smile laced with playful coyness. “Alright, back to cooking.”

But the next second, a familiar, sweet scent drifted through the air. Unthinkingly, she looked up—and met a pair of utterly humorless eyes.

Off-camera, Qi Zi held up her phone. The latest call log showed an incoming call from a collaborator three hours ago.

The young, icy-faced actress mouthed silently: Who were you just talking to?

Lu Luozhu’s hand, mid-slice, jerked. The sponsor’s knife clattered onto the cutting board.

Qian Qianqian mimed: You’re on your own.

Lu Luozhu: “!”

……

Rewind three hours earlier.

After Lu Luozhu left, Qi Zi stayed in the studio to discuss film crew details with Zhou Fan. Without an established production team, most connections had to be pulled by Qi Zi herself—luckily, she had no shortage of contacts.

Before leaving, Qi Zi stopped the director.

“Where’s the upfront funding for the crew coming from?”

Zhou Fan blinked at her, confused. “President Lu provided it.”

When Qi Zi first heard the title “President Lu” from someone else, she couldn’t immediately place who it referred to. She mentally ran through all the investors surnamed Lu she knew, but none matched. Combined with Director Zhou’s bewildered expression before her, an improbable thought surfaced in her mind.

She only knew Lu Luozhu wanted her to act for free, but had Lu Luozhu really provided the nearly million in upfront funding?

How was that possible?

Qi Zi probed, “Which President Lu are you referring to?”

Thinking Qi Zi’s aristocratic family was particular about titles, Zhou Fan quickly corrected himself, “Should I say Mrs. Qi instead?”

Even taking her wife’s surname.

Qi Zi: “…”

After seeing Director Zhou to the elevator, Qi Zi was left alone in the studio with the regular office staff, as her manager had hurried off upon seeing the news of Lu Luozhu’s live stream.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket—a message from her private doctor at the sanatorium, urging her to return for an IV drip.

With Lu Luozhu’s daily companionship, her hormonal issues had improved significantly. She no longer needed Lu Luozhu’s mark every few days, perhaps because the last marking had been so thorough that traces of the alpha’s pheromones still lingered in her glands.

As the assistant drove the car into the sanatorium, Qi Zi remained seated in the back, reluctant to get out. This was the car Lu Luozhu often used, jokingly called the “Imperial Consort’s Chariot” by her. Qi Zi had later gifted it to Lu Luozhu, though she rarely drove it.

“Ms. Qi, we’re here.”

Leaning back, Qi Zi asked, “What do you think of Lu Luozhu?”

The assistant, who had been with Qi Zi for years and witnessed her rise from obscurity to fame, had initially disapproved of her marriage to Lu Luozhu. But once Qi Zi set her mind on something, not even eight donkeys could pull her back.

“Madam seems… different from before.”

“How so?”

“More cutting, but her words aren’t as grating as they used to be. She hasn’t been pressuring you for money or resources either.”

Qi Zi nodded thoughtfully, a strange sensation stirring within her—as if the current Lu Luozhu was the little Zhu Zhu she once knew, while the person she married had been someone else entirely.

Back in the sanatorium, the cold IV fluid seeped into Qi Zi’s veins through the needle in her left hand. The glands on the back of her neck grew warm—unnoticeable in the studio, but the black car saturated with Lu Luozhu’s bergamot pheromones had left her body simmering with heat, as if on the verge of demanding another alpha’s mark.

Damn this body.

Reason told her there were no supernatural occurrences—the alpha was still that same annoying alpha. Yet her emotions and physical impulses screamed that she wanted to see Lu Luozhu now.

If it made her happy, giving her more money was fine.

As long as she stayed away from vices, Qi Zi didn’t mind her savings going down the drain.

[The streamer you follow, “Bamboo’s Home Cooking,” has gone live! Come join~]

Her phone screen lit up with the notification. Almost involuntarily, Qi Zi opened Lu Luozhu’s live stream.

The alpha, clad in black rubber gloves, smoothly recited her sponsors’ lines. Her slender, elegant fingers gripped a stainless steel knife, tendons faintly visible under the gloves—a picture of restrained allure and cool detachment.

Qi Zi’s ears flushed slightly pink.

The cold medicine injected into her body further blurred the consciousness of the already weak omega.

Holding the IV bag, she slowly walked to the chamber storing the alpha pheromones.

She retrieved the extracted pheromones of Lu Luozhu first, then pulled out a sterilized syringe from the drawer.

The rich citrusy bergamot pheromone was drawn into the syringe, like a concentrated scent bomb.

Qi Zi’s fingers trembled slightly. The instinctive urge to get closer to an alpha made her knees rub together faintly.

She was sick—this was a normal reaction, nothing more.

The alpha’s character still needed evaluation and consideration; he wasn’t someone to rely on.

This wasn’t love, just impulse, just mutual exploitation.

Beads of sweat covered Qi Zi’s body. Her left hand was immobile, forcing her to rely solely on her right hand for every movement.

The sharp needle pierced the gland on the back of her neck, sending a jolt of pain through her.

Her left hand, weak and useless, could only rest limply on the armrest of the chair.

From her phone came the familiar voice of the alpha—deliberately warm, with a hint of a playful tone that Qi Zi adored.

The omega couldn’t quite make out the cooking steps through the barrage of comments, so she focused instead on Lu Luozhu’s face.

The alpha’s pheromones surged through her body.

She wanted to be held so badly.

How pathetic.

Her legs weakened, her back unable to straighten.

As half the syringe’s contents entered her system, Qi Zi gasped for air, pressing the back of her head against the wall, her neck arching high like a swan caught in a stranglehold.

Merely sitting in the confined car filled with alpha pheromones had thrown her straight into heat…

Her arms felt so empty, so desperate for an embrace.

Helpless, Qi Zi could only wrap one arm around the blanket Lu Luozhu had used before, curling pitifully into the chair as she clutched it to her chest.

The small IV bag emptied quickly.

The nurse noticed Qi Zi’s abnormally flushed face and wanted to examine her further, but Qi Zi politely declined.

“I have things to do. I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

The omega could barely walk straight, stumbling out unsteadily, still gripping her phone as the livestream continued.

Standing in the parking lot, she had plenty of cars to choose from, but her body’s instincts drove her straight into the black sedan.

The assistant, reviewing her schedule, startled. “Ms. Qi?”

Qi Zi suppressed her voice. “Take me to Lu Luozhu.”

She was having another episode—

a bad one.

It was time for the alpha to fulfill his duty.

The assistant watched as her boss sat expressionless in the backseat, hugging the blanket tighter and tighter, nearly crushing it into a ball.

She must be furious—had the missus upset her again? The assistant sighed inwardly.

Ms. Qi treated her wife so well, so why did the missus always cause trouble?

The livestream’s audio continued to play from the phone.

As the car stopped in front of the villa, Qi Zi was about to step out when she heard Lu Luozhu’s voice through the stream—

“Hey, darling, the food’s ready. Got time to come home and eat?”

“I know you’re busy with work, but you still need to eat. I made you chicken soup—come back soon and have some. Or should I bring it to you?”

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you to come home early today, my dear. Both Ningning and I miss you terribly. I’ll show you my new apron when you get back.”

Qi Zi’s hand trembled slightly as she held her phone. She minimized the live stream interface and carefully checked her call history, but no matter how thoroughly she searched, she couldn’t find any record of Lu Luozhu calling her.

There were no WeChat records, no phone number records either.

Neither on her personal phone nor her work phone.

Just who was Lu Luozhu calling?

The impulses within her body made her usually indifferent expression turn even fiercer.

Dark clouds gathered between the omega’s brows.

In truth, in a corner where her assistant couldn’t see, she secretly took a deep breath of the scent lingering on the blanket.

She hugged the blanket tightly, as if Lu Luozhu were holding her.

Now, her alpha had started spouting nonsense again.

Qi Zi strode into the villa, ignoring the gazes of others as she raised her phone, catching the look of guilt and shock on Lu Luozhu’s face—she’d been caught red-handed.

The alpha quickly ended the livestream. Getting caught spreading rumors about her boss behind her back—this was trouble.

Making money really wasn’t easy.

“Darling, let me explain—”

The alpha in front of her trembled pitifully, slipping into the act faster than a professionally trained actor.

The piggy bank their child was clutching held 2,000 yuan in cash and a handful of loose coins.

On the way here, Qi Zi had seen the message from her agent—Lu Luozhu had taken on an ad for just 2,000 yuan, money that had to be saved for their child’s tuition.

A minor celebrity who had to scrape by on 2,000-yuan ads—where would she get the funds to invest in Qi Zi’s film?

A pang of bitter heartache flashed in Qi Zi’s eyes.

If Lu Luozhu wanted to go into business, perhaps she could introduce her to some industry heavyweights, guide her toward projects that wouldn’t end in losses.

The sweet-talking alpha took the omega’s hand, bending down to press a kiss to her cheek.

“I was wrong, I didn’t mean to. Blame it on me being too desperate to save up for our baby’s tuition, blame it on me being too clingy—I couldn’t bear to be apart from my sugar mommy for even a second.”

Half-truths and lies spilled effortlessly from her lips.

Qi Zi didn’t pull away from the kiss.