Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 55

Lu Luozhu lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped out through the ornate carved doors.

Everyone in the grand hall turned their eyes toward her. Lu Luozhu fluttered her feathered fan and smiled shyly.

She was undeniably beautiful—mesmerizingly so.

But perhaps a little too mesmerizing, always making people forget she also had a sharp tongue that never backed down.

Lu Luozhu: “I know I’m stunning, but if you keep looking at me like that, I’ll just assume you have improper thoughts.”

The alpha in the exquisite green dress swayed her fan made of white ostrich feathers, every glance and smile exuding charm.

Her dark eyes swept over the crowd, catching gazes filled with admiration—or those that hadn’t yet turned exasperated.

Lu Luozhu delighted in the frustration of those who wanted to hit her but couldn’t.

What a wicked personality.

Qian Qianqian closed her eyes in despair, while the director beside her signaled the cameraman to focus the lens on Lu Luozhu—especially on her waist, tightly cinched with ribbons.

A corset was torture for most, but the effect was undeniably striking.

An Song’s gaze lingered subtly on Lu Luozhu’s waist. Where others might only see a delicate, willowy figure, Lu Luozhu’s corset revealed the disciplined contours of muscle beneath the intricate fabric—hinting at well-defined abs.

To secure her “soft life,” Lu Luozhu had put in the effort to stay fit within her means.

An Song glanced at Lu Luozhu, then at herself.

She really had been slacking on her workouts.

The realization that she might be lacking in comparison made An Song’s expression shift slightly. With a soft huff, she refused to look at Lu Luozhu anymore.

Lu Luozhu: “…?”

The stunning alpha in green seemed well aware of the attention she commanded, lazily leaning against the long banquet table.

Her fingers curled around an intricately cut crystal glass, where liquor clinked against ice, releasing a faint aroma of figs.

The sweet scent of the dessert wine drifted through the opulent hall as Lu Luozhu took a sip, the shimmering liquid clinging to her crimson lips.

“Wasn’t the ball supposed to start? Why the delay?”

The host, momentarily entranced by the sight of the alpha drinking, cleared his throat and announced the beginning of the dance.

At the chime of the brass bell, the crowd sprang into motion.

Lu Luozhu wasn’t in a hurry to find a partner. Instead, she lazily picked up a piece of cod pie and brought it to her lips.

The cod, baked with local cheese sauce, released an intoxicating aroma that made one want to devour even their own tongue.

The crispy exterior gave way to tender, melt-in-your-mouth fish—almost as delicious as her Teacher Qi.

Lu Luozhu chuckled at the absurd thought, resting against the chair as she watched An Song and Bai Rui quickly pair up, while Ningning took on the role of judge.

Dressed in a little angel’s white gown, Ningning held a ribbon-trimmed magic wand and sat primly on a high-backed velvet chair.

Her pair of bright black eyes remained fixed on her mother, practically wearing her favoritism on her sleeve.

Lu Luozhu wasn’t in a hurry to find a dance partner, but Ningning was already anxious.

Now, An Song and Bai Rui were awkwardly dancing the waltz together, while Bai Mianmian and Little Jasmine were huddled close, leaving Lu Luozhu standing alone in place.

She looked utterly pitiful.

In the live chat of Baby Go Forward:

“I’m dying of laughter. If Lu Luozhu hadn’t gone to eat the cod pie, she might’ve already snatched one of the guests as her dance partner by now, hahahaha. The production team is really stirring the pot.”

“Am I the only one who thinks Lu Luozhu just doesn’t want to participate in the game? She’d rather eat cod pie…”

“That freeloader seems to have adapted pretty quickly. That lazy, carefree demeanor makes her look like a spoiled young lady raised in seclusion. I’m in love! Any fanfic writers out there? QAQ”

“This freeloader is clearly slacking off—proof the show is rigged. No way I’d believe there’s no script here.”

The alpha stood alone under the enormous, dazzling crystal chandelier, the diamond pendant adorning her dark hair shimmering brilliantly.

Languidly waving her ostrich-feather fan, she stepped onto the terrace.

Beyond the manor rented by the production team stretched an endless field of roses.

Budding roses swayed gracefully under the moonlight.

Ningning couldn’t sit still any longer, frantically blinking at Lu Luozhu.

Mom, you’ve got to step up!

Go steal someone else’s dance partner!

Ningning’s worry was written all over her face, her pretty little features scrunched up like a bun.

Mom’s not in a hurry, but her baby is!

Ningning was too short—perched on the high-backed chair, her feet couldn’t reach the ground, leaving her little legs dangling in midair.

Lu Luozhu was a cold, heartless mother, seemingly oblivious to her child’s distress. She lifted the layers of her skirt and descended the spiral staircase, wandering into the rose field.

The rich, intoxicating fragrance of roses enveloped her as the camera crew followed at a distance, their black lenses trained on the fluttering silhouette of Lu Luozhu’s retreating figure.

At the foot of the stairs, Lu Luozhu turned and smiled faintly at the cameraman.

“Go film someone else. I have private matters to attend to.”

The cameraman, holding the heavy equipment, stared at her in confusion, not understanding her meaning.

When he looked back again, Lu Luozhu had already vanished at the end of the snow-white spiral staircase.

She seemed both mischievous and infuriating.

The cameraman had encountered divas before, but none who disregarded every rule as blatantly as Lu Luozhu.

Yet everyone was willing to make way for such an outrageously stunning beauty.

Passing through an untouched corridor, Lu Luozhu stopped at the edge of the rose bushes, where an omega in a silver mask stood behind a Roman column.

Her pristine satin dress flowed with an expensive luster under the moonlight.

The omega’s lips were pressed together shyly, her eyes hidden behind the silver mask.

She pinched the hem of her skirt delicately, as if worried the costly fabric might snag on the thorns—or perhaps silently reproaching the alpha for making her wait.

“Sorry I’m late. The production team held me up.”

Lu Luozhu wasn’t particularly fond of the show’s arranged games, but if they gave her an excuse to spend more time with her omega, that wasn’t so bad.

Omega’s cold fingers were enveloped by Lu Luozhu’s silk-gloved hand, their ring fingers adorned with dazzling diamond rings.

“To please Teacher Qi, I even specially eloped.”

The little golden canary shamelessly boasted of her achievements, her fingers tracing across the palm of the beautiful noble lady, causing the latter’s body to stiffen with a tingling sensation.

“Silver-tongued devil. I hate that gossip-mongering tongue of yours the most.”

Despite her displeased words, Qi Zi naturally grasped Lu Luozhu’s hand.

In her previous life, Lu Luozhu’s health hadn’t been good, limiting her to less physically demanding hobbies—dancing certainly not among them.

Her steps were clumsy, nearly stomping on Qi Zi’s feet every few steps. The omega glared at her, though the silver mask made the fox-like grimace appear somewhat endearing.

“You know I’m just an uneducated fool, only good at serving others. Something as refined as dancing is naturally beyond me. I beg Teacher Qi’s indulgence.”

The alpha leaned down to nuzzle against Qi Zi’s crimson ear tip while speaking modest words.

Her fingers lingered at Qi Zi’s waist, casually slipping the bamboo whip used as a prop into her hand.

“They say strict teachers produce outstanding students. If Teacher Qi doesn’t mind, you could teach me dancing… strictly.”

Qi Zi’s body stiffened further. Fortunately, the mask concealed her expression—her cheeks beneath burned scarlet as she ground her molars fiercely.

Qi Zi thought the barrage comments were right—Lu Luozhu was indeed the entertainment industry’s number one succubus.

…

As the dance music grew more passionate.

An Song and Bai Rui’s steps transitioned from slow to fervent.

Little Mianmian and Jasmine, completely inept at dancing, held hands and frolicked together.

Perched high on a tall-backed chair, Ningning wore an expression of anxiety and distress.

Where on earth had her mother gone?

Was mother even properly playing the game?!

Ningning’s small face soured like a bitter melon. She worried—if her other mother found out about this half-hearted participation, would she angrily kick mother out of the house?

Mother had no money—Ningning would ultimately have to support her.

The child heaved a long sigh, swinging her short legs midair with exaggerated woe.

In the “Baby Go Forward” livestream:

“Where did Lu Luozhu disappear to? Did she think winning was impossible and sneak off?”

“Damn, that’s so on-brand for Lu Luozhu. That freeloader looks like she’d ditch any responsibility.”

“An and Bai Rui’s dancing posture—I laugh every time. Neither can dance, An’s feet must be swollen from all the stomping lol”

“Wait—the camera flashed past something. I think I saw people in the rose garden below! Offering good money for the crew to point a camera there!”

“Thought I imagined it—there really are people below??”

As demands to see the garden flooded the barrage, the confused but compliant crew redirected a camera to the terrace, capturing a panoramic view of the garden below.

The classical garden bloomed with roses of varied hues—predominantly purple Damask roses, moonstone-white roses, and passionately blazing red roses named “Bride.”

The alpha in a vintage green gown danced with a silver-masked woman in white along the pebbled path of the rose garden.

At a glance, it was clear the woman in white was the more skilled dancer.

Every time the alpha stepped on her partner’s foot, her leg would receive a light tap—prompting her to immediately correct her posture.

The snow-white dress flowed like liquid moonlight as Lu Luozhu kept whispering into the woman’s ear, their clasped hands tightening with each word.

Then, reluctantly, the silver-masked woman pressed her lips against the alpha’s cheek.

The entire rose garden paled in comparison.

Lu Luozhu murmured, low enough for only the two of them to hear, “Don’t we look like we’re eloping under the moonlight?”

“We’re not that kind of improper relationship,” Qi Zi corrected. “We have a marriage certificate, held a wedding, and even have a child.”

The usually aloof and noble omega, under the alpha’s insistence, had ultimately become the proactive one.

Her pheromones wrapped around the alpha without restraint. Several times, Lu Luozhu wanted to end this clumsy dance, but each time, the omega forced her to continue.

The alpha often felt like the girl from the fairy tale, doomed to dance in red shoes.

Yet whenever she met Qi Zi’s restrained yet affectionate gaze, she couldn’t help but indulge her a little longer.

“One more kiss,” Qi Zi muttered hoarsely, “and you’ll dance with me for five more minutes. Deal?”

From the terrace, a camera quietly captured the two dancing in the moonlight.

Even after the brass bell chimed again, signaling the end of the game, the pair in the rose garden showed no intention of stopping.

At first, only the cameraman was filming, but soon An Song, Bai Rui, little Jasmine, and Bai Mianmian tiptoed over, craning their necks for a front-row view of the drama.

Ningning, perched on a high-backed chair, fiddled with her fingers and swung her magic wand restlessly.

This was bad. Really bad.

Mom was definitely going to be scolded by Mother.

Ningning propped her cheeks on her tiny hands, already picturing her mother kicking Mom out of the house.

Sigh. There was nothing for it—Ningning would just have to collect bottles to support Mom once she was homeless.

The child’s face was full of worry as she imagined her mother’s future life on the streets.

Meanwhile, in the rose garden, Lu Luozhu suddenly sneezed. As the dance ended, she rubbed her nose—just in time to receive another kiss on the cheek from her patron.

“Your service was satisfactory,” Qi Zi murmured against her shoulder, voice laced with mischief. “As a reward… I’ll transfer the deed of my current residence to your name.The house Qi Zi lived in was worth a fortune—enough to cover all the penalty fees Lu Luozhu had spent on her.

Having rewarded her canary, the patron stepped out of Lu Luozhu’s embrace, lifting her skirts as she hurried away from the garden.

The award-winning actress had no intention of letting the cameras capture her dancing any longer.

Sated on alpha pheromones, the omega reclined on a chaise lounge, picking out luxury items that would suit Lu Luozhu.

At least she had some consideration.

Pleased with the attention, the actress was generous. Her fingers brushed over a freshly plucked red rose—its name, “Bride”—before she brought it to her nose for an elegant sniff.

The taste was decent, but not as pleasant as the pheromones from an alpha.

Standing on the gravel path after being used and discarded, Lu Luozhu looked up to see a row of curious, gossipy heads peering at her.

Lu Luozhu: “…”

Holding up the hem of her dress, she ascended the spiral staircase. Only then did the people on the terrace, who had been looking around, finally avert their gazes.

Before the host could even speak, Ningning, acting as the referee, suddenly rushed into Lu Luozhu’s arms like a little cannonball—

Her chubby little fists clenched in frustration as she pounded Lu Luozhu’s legs.

The little dumpling was practically fuming.

“Where did Mommy go just now?”

The more Ningning spoke, the angrier she got, until she ended up crying out of sheer frustration.

Lu Luozhu wiped her child’s tears, thinking to herself—Ningning and Qi Zi weren’t even bl00d-related, so why were they both such crybabies?

“I was dancing too just now, but Ningning couldn’t see me.”

Lu Luozhu’s indifferent attitude only made Ningning even more upset. Seeing that she was about to shed more “little pearls,” Lu Luozhu quickly continued wiping her child’s tears with a handkerchief.

The endless stream of tears soaked through the handkerchief. Helpless, Lu Luozhu glanced toward the camera, knowing full well that another embarrassing moment of her child’s would soon be added to the archives.

Her Teacher Qi, of course, couldn’t care less about trivial household matters.

“If Mother finds out—hic—she’ll definitely be angry—hic…”

Lu Luozhu: “Your mother probably won’t be angry.”

In fact, she’d be thrilled.

But the game’s outcome wasn’t determined by whether Lu Luozhu had danced or not.

In the end, Lu Luozhu became the only unlucky participant who failed to complete the challenge.

With a smile, Lu Luozhu took her seat, indifferent to the game’s results, and was the first to dig into the food.

At least she’d managed to eat the fish pie while it was still hot—now it wasn’t as good as when it had just come out of the oven.

However, thanks to the figs soaking longer in the sweet wine, the fruit wine tasted much better than it had when she was dancing.

An Song sat down beside Lu Luozhu. “Who was that person you were dancing with just now? Let me guess—must’ve been an omega, right? Tsk, your seduction skills are truly unmatched. Even in the middle of a game, you still found time to attend to your partner.”

If it had been anyone else, there’d have been no need to wear a mask.

But judging by the omega’s familiar poise and the perfectly fitted silver mask, her identity was obvious.

Lu Luozhu spread butter and blueberry jam on a slice of bread. “If you knew the price I fetch, you’d genuinely think I’m living the high life. But…”

Lu Luozhu had a knack for sarcasm the moment she opened her eyes each day. The second she turned her head, An Song immediately sensed danger and tried to cut her off.

“But with looks and a personality like yours, I doubt you’d ever find an omega willing to keep you. What a shame—though I do understand your envy. Still, people are different. If you can’t live off someone else’s wealth, don’t fret. You’ve got other talents.”

An Song: “…”

In the Baby Go Forward livestream chat:

“Holy hell, did she really just say that? Does Lu Luozhu even hear herself? Telling An An to become a sugar baby—is she insane? Does she think everyone’s as shameless as her?”

“If I had Lu Luozhu’s mindset, I could succeed at anything.”

“Please, this gold-digging alpha. Can you stop promoting such toxic values? Don’t you know many viewers are minors? What if they actually go out looking for sugar mommies?”

“Don’t worry, upstairs. If even An An can’t freeload off Lu Luozhu’s words, let alone you or me…”

“LOL @Qi Zi, was that you dancing with the mask just now?”

“In this world, only Ningning gets hurt.”

As the one who lost the game, Lu Luozhu accepted the punishment of making midnight snacks for everyone without complaint.

She went to the manor’s kitchen to prepare ingredients for baking cookies.

In the quiet, empty kitchen, Lu Luozhu leaned against the stainless steel counter, her phone wedged between her ear and shoulder.

On the other end came an androgynous voice with a slight mechanical tone.

“Boss, the Lu family is investigating Lu Luozhu and Qi Zi’s adopted daughter. They’ve already obtained the girl’s DNA and can run comparisons anytime.”

Lu Luozhu’s hand paused while cutting butter. She’d long been prepared for the Lu family targeting Ningning. Obtaining someone’s DNA wasn’t difficult—just pluck a hair with its root or collect some nail clippings…

Her voice turned noticeably colder, “Have you still not found the address I asked you to investigate?”

The person on the phone hesitated for a few seconds before responding, “Boss, the parameters you gave are too vague. There were countless fire incidents over twenty years ago. This investigation is like searching for a needle in a haystack…”

Lu Luozhu cut off the private detective’s words. Her businesslike tone was sharp and decisive, completely different from her usual cheerful demeanor.

“I can increase the payment. Make sure you’re worth your price.”

“Yes, boss. I’ll work overtime to investigate immediately.”

Hanging up, Lu Luozhu placed her phone face down on the metal counter.

She put on gloves and began kneading cookie dough. Qi Zi liked chocolate-flavored cookies, but eating chocolate at night could affect sleep.

Lu Luozhu unilaterally decided to use cranberries instead.

Hmm, maybe add more butter—hopefully enough to satisfy the award-winning actress.

Perhaps Lu Luozhu’s recent actions had been too obvious, as the Lu family had noticed her investigating her own origins.

As she smoothed the cookie dough and sliced portions onto the baking tray, her frown never eased.

A sudden thought occurred to her: what if she hadn’t transmigrated into a book, but rather traveled to a parallel world?

In her original world, she hadn’t married Qi Zi.

She’d left the Lu family early, achieved financial independence through entrepreneurship, then retired here…

Setting the baking tray in the oven and adjusting the temperature, Lu Luozhu suddenly chuckled.

How absurd. She wouldn’t dwell on unverifiable hypotheses. Right now, she needed to focus on the present.

The most pressing matter was the Lu family—like rabid dogs ready to strike at any moment—and she needed to make the first move.

When the golden butter cranberry cookies emerged crisp from the oven, Lu Luozhu let them cool before arranging them in bamboo baskets.

Humming a tune, she lightly carried them upstairs, leaving a portion at each person’s door.

The most perfectly shaped batch went to her patron sister.

The alpha, radiating the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies, knocked on the door. With a pink-bowed apron around her neck, Lu Luozhu herself resembled an exquisitely wrapped gift more than the cookies she carried.

The door opened slightly, revealing Qi Zi wrapped in a bathrobe.

Lu Luozhu: “I just received a call from the doctor. I need to mark you every three days to soothe the restless pheromones in your body. I hope you’ll cooperate with the treatment process.”

Lu Luozhu wasn’t lying, though it was merely the doctor’s verbal suggestion.

“Madam, the child has grown up and can sleep alone now.”

Pushing the door open wider, Lu Luozhu squeezed into the room. “I’m more worried about you than the child, because our madam is someone who won’t follow medical advice. As your partner, I need to supervise you at all times.”

Qi Zi, with water droplets dripping from her hair, instinctively wanted to kick him out.

Her thin robe concealed nothing beneath, water trickling from her hair down her neck and disappearing along her chest.

So tactless.

Insatiably greedy.

He’d already transferred the house under her name, yet tonight he was still so eager to offer his services…

Qi Zi hooked a towel with her finger and tossed it at Lu Luozhu’s face.

“What are you standing there for? Go dry my hair.”