Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 4

Lu Luozhu stared at the chat box for a long while. It wasn’t because there was much conversation—in fact, there was barely any. The original owner and Qi Zi hardly ever chatted.

The rest were just transaction records.

Lu Luozhu: “Don’t you want the little frog?”

She squeezed the frog plushie again, and it let out a crisp “ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.”

The little frog was so adorable. It was a shame Qi Zi didn’t like it.

Qi Zi hadn’t expected Lu Luozhu to reply. She stared at the message for a long moment, her expression growing increasingly unpleasant.

This was just unreasonable.

Twisting her words.

Qi Zi: “I don’t want any of it.”

The chat box didn’t immediately show a new message. Qi Zi quietly watched the still phone screen, feeling more and more irritated.

Qian Qianqian: “?”

Qian Qianqian: “Did Lu Luozhu ask you for money again? Last month, you gave her those high heels, and she didn’t even look at them before selling them at a second-hand luxury store to gamble. Lost everything in two rounds.”

“I could play better with my feet than she does.”

Qi Zi didn’t respond.

Qian Qianqian was shocked: “Wait, did she throw a tantrum at your workplace?! No way.”

Qi Zi still didn’t speak.

Qian Qianqian’s face paled. “She wouldn’t… threaten Ningning, would she?”

Qi Zi: “…”

Qi Zi didn’t know what she was expecting. Maybe she missed the days when they relied on each other as children. Maybe she actually thought the little frog was cute.

Or maybe… she found Lu Luozhu’s obedient act rather endearing.

Now that the enthusiasm had suddenly faded, it really didn’t sit right with her.

A few seconds later, a new message appeared in the chat box.

Lu Luozhu: “Don’t want any of it? I suppose our esteemed Teacher Qi has found a better alpha and no longer needs a temporary suppressant like me. You won’t even accept my after-sales service. What’s a poor canary like me to do? I’ll just have to grow old in misery with my little one.”

Qi Zi: “.”

Qian Qianqian glanced over, stunned: “What does she mean? Is she being sarcastic?”

Qi Zi didn’t know either. She found it troublesome.

Another message popped up immediately: “Teacher Qi, focus on your work. As for me, your wife without a bedmate, and our motherless child, we’ll just go home. When times get tough, I’ll sell the frog plushie. That should keep us going for a while.”

Qi Zi: “.”

Qian Qianqian: “?”

The sarcasm was practically oozing out!

Teacher Qi, Teacher Qi, why aren’t you saying anything?!

Teacher Qi was so angry she laughed.

After sending the message, Lu Luozhu grabbed Ningning’s clothes and picked her up.

In the car, Ningning said, “Mommy, I don’t want to go home.”

Lu Luozhu: “Hm?”

Ningning knew Mommy liked her now. Mommy was different from before. Tentatively, she voiced her thoughts: “Teacher Li… doesn’t like Ningning.”

Her voice was very small. Everyone around her had always told her to be a good girl—that only by being good would Mommy and Mother love her.

Ningning wasn’t Mother’s real child. She had always been different.

If Mother and Mommy didn’t like her, she wouldn’t get enough to eat, wouldn’t have nice clothes to wear, would have nothing. She’d have to scavenge for scraps.

Ningning hugged the frog plushie tightly.

Ningning 🥺 doesn’t want to scavenge 🥺

Lu Luozhu said, “You’ll sleep with me tonight. No one will bully Ningning.”

Lu Luozhu didn’t glance at Ningning the entire time, but his tone remained as gentle as ever. The little one in the child seat stared at her with big, watery eyes, and after confirming her mother wasn’t angry, rubbed her face with tiny paws.

Mhm, Ningning was Mommy’s favorite baby.

Lu Luozhu scrolled through his phone to check previous surveillance footage from the villa.

The tutor’s actions had been discreet. All the gifts Qi Zi bought for the child had been stored in the utility room—a space without cameras—so they could only review hallway footage for clues.

Perhaps Teacher Li was confident that Qi Zi’s busy schedule would prevent her from checking the toys. Even if some went missing, she could always claim they’d “broken.” After all, it was normal for children to be rough with their playthings.

The toys Qi Zi purchased were all exorbitantly priced brand-name items, not to mention limited-edition collaborations with luxury brands that would fetch high resale values.

Beyond that, Lu Luozhu discovered Teacher Li had also taken the gold longevity lock and other jewelry gifted to Ningning.

Qi Zi’s adopted daughter was common knowledge, and many people seeking connections would send gold or gemstone bracelets. With so many gifts, keeping track became impossible.

Lu Luozhu compiled all available surveillance clips into a single document.

When the car arrived home, Lu Luozhu flopped onto the sofa.

She transferred the 50,000 yuan Qi Zi had given her to the pawnshop owner to reclaim the high heels Qi Zi had originally gifted her.

Bank account: zero.

Teacher Li’s expression darkened. “Madam, the young miss didn’t complete today’s lessons.”

Lu Luozhu held a bowl of bird’s nest porridge brought by the housekeeper, reclining against the pillows with the pampered elegance of a caged songbird.

Lu Luozhu: “So what if she didn’t?”

The tutor’s sallow complexion looked even worse, her glasses obscuring her eyes as her thin lips pressed together tightly.

“Please don’t jeopardize the young miss’s future.”

The little one trembled at Teacher Li’s voice, on the verge of tears as she clutched her stuffed frog fearfully.

Lu Luozhu remained unruffled. “I only want our Ningning to grow up healthy. As for her future… if she takes to studying naturally, that’s wonderful. If not, then she’ll just have to…”

Teacher Li’s gaze grew increasingly disdainful.

A shallow, spendthrift waste—only her pretty face had allowed her to latch onto Qi Zi. Rumor had it she was adopted by the Lu family, hardly nobility from the start.

Lu Luozhu: “…Then she’ll just be bored counting money every day, with her biggest worry being where to vacation next.”

Teacher Li: “…”

The tutor’s face turned stormy. If the child showed no interest in learning, Qi Zi would surely terminate her employment—and that income…

“Other children her age are already begging to memorize texts. The young miss lacks any self-discipline.”

Lu Luozhu laughed. “If a three-year-old was demanding to study every day, Qi Zi’s first reaction wouldn’t be giving you a raise. She’d be clutching the kid while wailing, kowtowing with every step to beg the abbot for an exorcism.”

Qi Zi walked in right at that moment.

“Who’s kowtowing?”

“!”

Teacher Li tried to speak but was silenced by Qi Zi’s look, dismissed with a wave.

Qian Qian, overhearing, whistled. “Damn, Madam’s words are laced with venom.”

The tutor left silently, though not without muttering under her breath, “What does a stepmother know?”

Lu Luozhu lay curled up on the sofa wrapped in a blanket, having already finished most of her bowl of bird’s nest porridge.

The little one nestled beside her, wanting to snuggle up when Qi Zi approached but hesitating out of timidity.

Qi Zi ruffled Ningning’s hair, her lips quirking in a half-smile as she said, “Who was the one wailing to the heavens? Who was kowtowing with every step? Who was kneeling before the Buddha?”

Lu Luozhu had always had a weak heart and wasn’t good at arguing with others, so she could only resort to sarcastic remarks. Over time, whenever she got angry, she stopped speaking like a normal person.

Suddenly caught red-handed by her patron, the alpha’s phoenix eyes curved into a smile, as if no matter the time or place, this woman always appeared unflappable.

Then, with that same unflappable demeanor, she bit Qi Zi’s nape with her teeth and mumbled, “I wouldn’t know how.”

Qi Zi thought of this moment and shot Lu Luozhu a sharp glare.

Lu Luozhu didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed, smiling faintly as she said, “If I didn’t take good care of the little one, I’d wail to the heavens, kowtow with every step to apologize, and kneel before the Buddha to properly atone to my esteemed patron, Teacher Qi.”

Qi Zi didn’t take the bait, though her expression softened slightly.

She knew Lu Luozhu didn’t like children, and that the only reason she treated the child well now was to squeeze more money out of her.

This woman had never been an easy one to deal with—despite her current docile and charming act, behind the scenes, she’d curse Qi Zi as a useless omega whose pheromones didn’t function properly.

Qi Zi’s expression tightened slightly. “A production crew is coming tomorrow for a live recording. Just keep that in mind.”

Lu Luozhu: “Got it.”

Her gaze flickered to the small green frog gland patch on Qi Zi’s nape, and the amusement in her eyes deepened.

As expected, her patron still preferred an attentive little canary.

Qi Zi’s soft life was truly easy to exploit.

Noticing her stare, Qi Zi stiffened—though the alpha’s gaze was light, it felt tangible, trailing from her nape down to her already swollen scent gland, as if the slightest pressure would release its fragrant essence for the alpha to savor.

Disgusting!

The untouchable, lofty actress abruptly stood up. “I’m going to shower. You and the child should rest early.”

Lu Luozhu: “?”

She had wanted to discuss the matter of a tutor with Qi Zi, but seeing how Qi Zi had deliberately taken time to play with the little one before leaving—the child burying herself in Qi Zi’s chest, unwilling to budge—Lu Luozhu decided against bringing up unpleasant topics.

Instead, she bent down and stepped in front of Qi Zi. The alpha’s oppressive aura made Qi Zi’s hair stand on end, her gaze stiffly inching upward to meet hers.

“Did you bully Ningning? Don’t want me checking her?”

“No, Teacher Qi. Feel free to examine her.”

The penniless canary sighed softly. “I just wanted to clarify the terms of our agreement—when would you like the next mark? I’d like to prepare in advance.”

Her pockets were truly empty.