Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 52

The plane slowly descended onto unfamiliar land. The moment Lu Luozhu stepped out of the cabin, she caught a whiff of the familiar air.

Ningning obediently clung to Lu Luozhu’s shoulder, her pitch-black eyes curiously taking in everything around her.

“Mommy, this is so special too! Everyone smells like cumin lamb~”

“…Keep your voice down.”

The little country bumpkin who’d never seen the world kept looking around in awe.

Lu Luozhu held her child tighter.

The filming location chosen by the production team was a country Lu Luozhu had once lived in. After achieving financial freedom, she had found a nice spot here.

She had bought a seaside estate for retirement, filled with trumpet vines and roses.

An Song noticed Lu Luozhu’s nostalgic yet complicated gaze. “Have you been here before?”

Lu Luozhu: “I have… maybe?”

An Song: “Maybe?”

From the airport to the hotel check-in, Ningning spent the entire ride with her hands pressed against the car window, forehead glued to the glass, occasionally letting out awed squeals like an uncultured little monkey.

Eventually, Lu Luozhu forcibly strapped her into the child seat.

Ningning: “QWQ”

Unlike her uncultured child, Lu Luozhu lounged leisurely in the backseat, looking completely at ease—as if she had come home.

And why wouldn’t it feel like home? It just wasn’t the home of this lifetime.

Lu Luozhu mused that maybe, once everything was settled, she should buy a house in a nice retirement spot too.

But that wasn’t something a broke person like her could afford to think about.

In the Baby Go Forward! livestream:

“Damn, sis is so calm. Has she been to Country L before?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. With Lu Luozhu’s shallow, gold-digging persona, if she had, wouldn’t she be bragging nonstop?”

“Three days on a tour group, a lifetime of pretending to be worldly.”

“LMAO, show some mercy with that mouth of yours, commenter above.”

“The local language isn’t all English—I’m already cringing in advance.”

Upon arriving at the hotel arranged by the production team, the front desk staff asked something in the local language.

An Song replied fluently, her pronunciation smooth and pleasant. “Thank you. The hotel’s butler service has always been a favorite of mine.”

As a regular guest of this five-star hotel, An Song was upgraded to a suite for free. Lu Luozhu stood by, holding her child, while Ningning grabbed a strand of her mother’s hair and started braiding it.

Noticing Lu Luozhu’s waiting gaze, An Song felt the urge to tease her. “Don’t understand?”

Lu Luozhu: “?”

An Song caught Lu Luozhu’s momentary confusion and sneered. “Well, you’ve barely been abroad before. Did your beloved Teacher Qi not hire you a translator? Or is the Lu family in trouble, and you’re no longer the favorite?”

Her words dripped with venom the moment she opened her mouth.

Lu Luozhu slowly snapped out of her daze, realizing the other woman’s mocking tone. The crew around them was already sweating bullets.

A cameraman eager for drama pointed his lens straight at Lu Luozhu and An Song.

Ningning blinked in confusion, looking between the pretty lady and her clearly distracted mother.

The livestream chat froze for a second, sensing the tension.

Bai Rui stepped in to mediate. “It’s not a big deal. I’m not familiar with the local language either.”

Lu Luozhu pondered thoughtfully: “If you’re referring to the six grammatical errors in those two short sentences you just uttered, then yes—I genuinely couldn’t understand what you were saying.”

“I get that daily conversation doesn’t require strict grammar, but I can’t help feeling bad for your former language teachers. For their sake, I hope you never mention their names in public—lest they become infamous in education circles.”

An Song: !!!

Bai Rui, attempting to mediate: ?

Do you realize you’re asking to get punched?

Lu Luozhu sighed. When she first arrived here, she had stayed at this hotel for two months and became familiar with the front desk staff. Now, everything had changed.

She checked in smoothly and had the bellhop take her luggage upstairs, while Ningning tried to kiss a small golden mermaid statue mouth-to-mouth in the corner.

Lu Luozhu scooped up her child. “Time to go upstairs. No experimenting with lesbianism at your age.”

Ningning toddled over: “Awoo!”

“Hey, wait—” An Song caught up, noticing the unnatural pinkish marks on Lu Luozhu’s wrist. “What happened to your arm? It was fine during the last show.”

Lu Luozhu’s arm was now held by another alpha. Despite her sharp tongue, An Song’s attention was oddly fixated on Lu Luozhu.

There was something about her—a strange magnetism that made you want to punch her while simultaneously making it impossible to abandon her.

An Song examined the marks closely. “Looks like a stick-and-poke tattoo? No, probably not. Did you get hurt?”

She brought Lu Luozhu’s arm closer until her eyelashes nearly brushed the skin. The warmth of another alpha’s breath ghosted over Lu Luozhu’s arm.

Goosebumps rose on Lu Luozhu’s skin. “I may be a lesbian, but I’m not into alphas. Goodbye.”

An Song’s hands hung empty. “!”

Damn it.

She must be insane to care about Lu Luozhu.

That woman didn’t deserve sympathy.

In the “Baby Go Forward” livestream chat:

“Holy sh1t, is the gold-digger actually pulling this off???”

“LMAO, An An’s face looks like she just swallowed a fly.”

“An An was genuinely concerned about the marks on Lu Luozhu’s arm, only to get accused of being an alpha-harassing alpha.”

“Am I the only one low-key shipping An An and that gold-digger?”

“Girl above, your taste is too chaotic. @Qi Zi, what do you think?”

“Local here quietly piping up—An Song’s two sentences did have six grammatical errors. Unless Lu Luozhu made a wild guess, she might actually know her stuff.”

Viewers debated fervently as the cameras moved from the lobby to the upper floors.

Unnoticed by anyone, a tall omega in a baseball cap stepped out of a car at the hotel entrance, pushing a small suitcase.

The omega in the pink cap handed over a bank card to check in, upgrading the suite for her little canary.

“Please put me next to Room 218.”

Her voice was muffled by the mask. With sunglasses perched on her nose and the cap shadowing most of her face, her attire seemed even more peculiar.

If it weren’t for the legally compliant identification documents, anyone would think she was some kind of criminal.

The hotel front desk verified the omega’s identity and smoothly checked her in.

Inside the confined high-speed elevator, Qi Zi pulled down the white mask covering her nose and mouth, meeting Qian Qianqian’s hesitant gaze.

Qi Zi: “I’m not comfortable leaving Luozhu alone abroad.”

Qian Qianqian’s lips twitched. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for her.”

Qi Zi tugged her pink baseball cap even lower—on its side was her signature.

The one who had wanted the autograph was Lu Luozhu, but after actually receiving it, she had instead placed the cap on Qi Zi’s own head.

A faint blush tinged Qi Zi’s usually cool and aloof cheeks.

“She’s… nice.”

As Qi Zi’s manager, Qian Qianqian had to consider her career trajectory.

“Forgive me for being blunt, but being with Lu Luozhu isn’t a good choice. She can’t offer any advantage to your career. On the contrary, the Lu family’s affairs will only drag you down.”

The manager’s words sounded heavy in the gold-lined yet slightly cramped elevator, devoid of much emotion—but Qi Zi knew she was speaking the truth.

“Lu Luozhu saved me,” Qi Zi murmured, fingers twisting together like a lovestruck teenager. “For saving my life, I should repay her with my…”

Before she could finish, the elevator doors slid open, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

Qian Qianqian stood frozen inside, despairingly pulling out her phone to search: What traditional Chinese medicine cures lovesickness?

The omega, tangled in complicated emotions, ended up staying in the room next to Lu Luozhu’s.

The layouts of the two rooms were similar, and while the hotel’s soundproofing was decent, pressing an ear to the wall still allowed faint murmurs and movements from next door to be heard.

Qi Zi opened the schedule sent by the production team and clicked on the first activity of the day—taking photos at a church, to be scored by netizens.

The local church was a tourist hotspot, bustling with visitors daily, making photography amidst the crowds quite the challenge.

Neither Lu Luozhu nor Qi Zi were religious—when visiting such places before, they had mostly gone as sightseers.

Qi Zi had once shot a magazine cover at that Gothic-style church.

Qian Qianqian stood by the doorway, watching her usually ice-cold, untouchable actress—now crouched with her ear pressed to the wall like some lovestruck fool.

Qian Qianqian: Has the world gone mad, or have I?

The eavesdropping omega paid no mind to outside judgment.

Her lashes lowered, trembling faintly with each breath.

Beneath the gland patch covering her scent gland, an unbearable itch flared.

So swollen. So itchy.

Her nails scraped lightly over the patch, doing nothing to ease the discomfort—only making it worse.

Qi Zi exhaled a scorching breath.

“Quiet,” she hissed, signaling Qian Qianqian to stop with a sharp gesture. “Lu Luozhu’s changing next door.”

Qian Qianqian silently cursed. “I should record you right now—blackmail material for future pay negotiations.”

But more shocking than Qi Zi’s complete character collapse was the realization that Lu Luozhu spoke the local language surprisingly well.

In Qian Qianqian’s mind, Lu Luozhu had always been a smooth-talking illiterate.

Just a wall apart.

Alpha was clad in a black nun’s habit, the white collar like the first snowfall of winter, accentuating her porcelain complexion.

She walked slowly toward the full-length mirror, its golden frame adorned with retro scrollwork, adding a solemn yet mysterious aura to her presence.

Lu Luozhu quickly changed into the long robe prepared by the production team and stepped out of the bedroom, facing the camera held by the crew.

The pitch-black robe enveloped her slender, toned figure.

The dark fabric resembled the deepest night, while the oversized white collar stood out starkly. The stiff craftsmanship formed a perfect curve around her neck, with delicate lace trim along the edges. Matching the collar were the white cuffs, their metallic buttons serving as the finishing touch.

Though the outfit was meant to be austere and dignified, on Lu Luozhu, it carried an indescribable allure.

A silver cross hung at her chest, swaying slightly with each step.

The beautiful nun had exceptionally graceful hands.

But Lu Luozhu’s attention wasn’t on the newly donned habit—her gaze was fixed on the wall connecting to the next room.

She could hear the live broadcast.

Was it just her imagination?

Ningning had been dressed as a little angel, complete with a pair of wings studded with rhinestones.

Ningning: “Mommy is so pretty!”

With a giggle, she ducked under the nun’s skirt.

Lu Luozhu: “…”

……

Before the grand Gothic cathedral, its towering spires pierced the sky. The intricate carvings on the high turrets glimmered in the sunlight, while stone gargoyles perched at various heights, watching the tourists who had gathered to take photos.

Pushing open the heavy wooden doors adorned with massive bronze rings, Lu Luozhu’s fingers brushed over the relief carvings.

She wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about religion, but she used to come here often to stroll and feed the pigeons. Returning to this familiar place now, she felt a more complex emotion than the average visitor.

Maybe in this lifetime, she’d even have the chance to live here.

Dressed in the black-and-white nun’s habit, Lu Luozhu carried little angel Ningning into the church.

The surrounding tourists immediately noticed their unusual attire.

Gasps of admiration rose around them, and a few bold onlookers even considered asking for their contact information.

Moving past the crowd, they entered the main hall, where rows of wooden pews stretched before them.

At the very front, a slender woman knelt in prayer, eyes closed.

No disturbance behind her could shake her devout focus.

After negotiations with the local church, the production team had secured permission to film here.

The fact that Lu Luozhu could wear the nun’s habit for photos was likely due to the generous donation the crew had made.

Bai Rui and An Song had chosen to shoot in the church’s back garden and beneath the relief carvings, respectively. As people from the entertainment industry, their understanding of photography far surpassed that of ordinary tourists.

Lu Luozhu didn’t know much about it, but having spent so much time with Qian Qianqian, she had picked up a few basics.

The most important thing was to interact with the setting.

Lu Luozhu mused that if she kept filming like this in a church, she probably wouldn’t make it to heaven after death.

But it didn’t matter—because when Lu Luozhu died, she didn’t go to heaven or hell.

She transmigrated into a book.

Lu Luozhu suppressed the smile tugging at the corners of her lips and shifted her gaze to the slender female figure sitting in the front row.

The tall, austerely dressed alpha in nun’s robes walked to the front. She bent down with a smile.

“Excuse me, could I trouble you for a moment?”

The tourist who had been praying stiffened slightly, and Qi Zi’s fingers curled unconsciously from nervousness.

Had she been discovered? That shouldn’t be possible—she had been careful.

She wasn’t even wearing her usual clothes and had sprayed omega scent suppressant.

Was Lu Luozhu’s nose that sharp?

There was no way she could have caught her scent.

Qi Zi maintained her prayer posture, but her tension had already betrayed her true identity.

Maybe Lu Luozhu hadn’t recognized her and was just striking up a conversation with someone approachable…

Qi Zi thought to herself, beads of sweat forming on her forehead from anxiety.

Perhaps noticing Lu Luozhu’s actions, the surrounding people turned their attention toward them. Qi Zi kept her head lowered, making it impossible for anyone to see her face.

A nun in a modest robe and a devout believer knelt before the towering golden cross at the front.

No embellishment was needed—the scene was breathtakingly beautiful. But Qi Zi had no room for romantic thoughts right now; she was only nervous.

If Lu Luozhu found out she had secretly followed her, would she be angry?

And if she was, how could Qi Zi make it up to her? There might be genuine affection between them, but Qi Zi didn’t believe Lu Luozhu’s love for her would cross certain boundaries.

Stalking someone was inexcusable, no matter the reason.

Qi Zi knew this well, which was why she was afraid—why she hesitated.

Even knowing Lu Luozhu would be furious if she found out, she had still followed without hesitation.

Ever since that fire, she hadn’t been able to bear being apart from Lu Luozhu.

Without her by her side, flickering orange flames would dance before her eyes, burning away all reason.

The omega pheromones in her body endlessly cried out for her mate—longing, yearning.

Even now, despite using suppressants, the moment she caught the alpha’s bergamot scent, her own pheromones instinctively tangled with it.

Like a lovesick woman who hadn’t seen her wife in centuries.

“Miss?”

Lu Luozhu’s amused voice drifted down from above. “Would you mind taking a photo with me? As thanks, I can give you a little gift.”

Little Angel Ningning: “Sister, you look just like my mo—”

The little angel was muffled by the nun’s hand.

Little Angel Ningning: “Mmph—!”

Qi Zi decided to play the ostrich and pretended not to hear.

The silence lasted only a moment before Lu Luozhu’s soft laughter reached her ears.

“It’s a shame that such a beautiful lady came to pray alone without her partner. If I were your lover, I’d be heartbroken.”

The pure-hearted nun lowered her head, her white collar brushing against the devout believer’s shoulder.

The surrounding noise faded, leaving only the resonant tolling of the church bell.

The alpha’s voice was lost in the chime, audible only to the person closest to her.

“Qi Zi, can’t you bear to be apart from me?”

Qi Zi: !!!!

The photo was perfectly captured—the alpha nun in the frame held a Bible, reciting its contents in the local language. The devout believer sitting before her remained faceless, but her straight spine and slightly raised chin revealed how enthralled she was.

Had the angle shifted, one would surely have seen the pious believer’s face and her rapt gaze fixed on the saintly young lady.

In the live chat of Baby Go Forward:

“Ahhhhhhh! Lu Luozhu is too mesmerizing! Is she really a nun and not some devil from hell sent to bewitch hearts?”

“Confirmed: Lu Luozhu is a succubus. Someone fetch holy water and a cross to exorcise her!”

“Am I the only one curious about what the believer she found looks like? From the back, she seems stunning.”

“Sniff… I noticed a detail—when Lu Luozhu leaned down to speak to that girl, the latter’s shoulders stiffened suddenly.”

“LMAO, a succubus from hell barging into a church to snatch someone.”

“Since when do hellish succubi come with their own little angels?”

@LuLuozhu: Please support the voting, everyone! (Heart emoji) [Image][Image][Image]

Unlike other vote-begging comment sections, Lu Luozhu’s was a bizarre spectacle.

“Is this the attitude you take when asking for votes? Sit beside me and recite the Bible to me right now.”

“@QiZi, honey, come quick—your wife is getting cozy with someone else!”

“Any fanfic masters out there? I’ve already drafted 300,000 words in my head.”

“Honestly, everyone else wears a nun’s habit properly, but you make it look like a □□ outfit. You’re going straight to hell when you die (cat nibbling paw emoji).”

“Who else gets it? That defined waistline, those elegant fingers, those cold, detached eyes—Sister Nun, whip me with your lash!”

“No wonder Lu Luozhu can live off soft money. If she dressed like this in front of Qi Zi every day, who could resist?”

…

The online voting continued. Lu Luozhu had changed out of her eye-catching nun’s habit and now sat shoulder-to-shoulder with her little believer.

Alpha and omega pressed close, facing a towering golden cross beneath a dome painted with religious imagery.

They chatted about topics that would send them straight to hell.

Lu Luozhu grinned at the flustered omega.

“So, what you’re saying is—you were on a business trip, but coincidentally arrived at this church right when I was filming, coincidentally sat in the first pew, and coincidentally got picked up by me?”

Qi Zi’s face burned crimson. “Not here… The church is sacred. You can’t—”

Lu Luozhu: “Who knew my sugar mommy was so conservative? Lesbians can’t enter churches, but priests can have little boys—”

A hand suddenly clamped over her mouth.

Qi Zi glared. “Shut up!”

Her words dripped venom.

Lu Luozhu obediently fell silent.

A warm, wet sensation spread across Qi Zi’s palm.

She’d been licked.

In such a holy place?!

Lu Luozhu had the audacity of a dog.

Qi Zi’s face cycled between red and pale. After cautiously scanning the surroundings and confirming no one had overheard, she grabbed Lu Luozhu’s hand and dragged her out through the back door.

“You’re definitely going to hell when you die,” Qi Zi warned. “I was just praying for God to bless…” our marriage, so we wouldn’t divorce.

Having already died once, Lu Luozhu had little interest in religious dogma.

In the quiet alley behind the secluded church, there was no filming crew following them for live broadcasts, nor any noisy passing tourists—only white doves flying overhead.

Qi Zi’s gaze fell on Luozhu’s burned wrist and forearm, then quickly withdrew as if scalded.

The doves cooed on the metal railings, their red eyes curiously observing the entangled humans.

“Your uncle will be in prison for at least a decade—they won’t let him off easy. The Lu family wasn’t directly implicated, but they’ve suffered heavy losses. Professor Tao’s case has been solved, and your uncle is the prime suspect.”

Qi Zi’s voice was soft. “I know you had a hand in this. Thank you.”

She looked up to meet Lu Luozhu’s earnest gaze. “If it weren’t for Professor Tao, I might not have been able to attend university. The week before the incident, he transferred a large sum of money to cover my tuition.”

“I’ve thought before that if I hadn’t chosen acting, life might have been easier financially. But I figured if I could become an actor someday, I’d earn more.”

Qi Zi was naturally reserved, unable to voice much longing or affection openly. She could only tuck her love into straightforward words.

“I want to be an actor so I can earn more—enough to take care of those who’ve been good to me.”