Stepmom Alpha’s Guide to Raising Kids - Chapter 7

Lu Luozhu couldn’t help but laugh.

100,000 yuan?

Was that even considered money to Qi Zi?

Lu Luozhu wasn’t entirely sure how much Qi Zi earned from her writing, but she knew the daily income reached heights unimaginable to most people.

Now, offering her just 100,000 yuan was admittedly a bit stingy, but Lu Luozhu didn’t let it show on her face.

Qi Zi: “What, is it not enough?”

Lu Luozhu simply smiled and then served her another bowl of chicken soup.

“Of course not. I’m already happy that my dear benefactor is giving me some pocket money.”

Qi Zi’s expression stiffened slightly, her grip tightening around the white porcelain spoon.

The meal continued in silence.

Ningning knew the rule of not speaking during meals, though no one at home enforced it. Sensing the atmosphere at the table, she quietly ate with her spoon.

Qi Zi watched as the alpha wiped the child’s mouth and hands, barely eating herself while making sure the little one was full.

Her gaze toward Lu Luozhu grew increasingly strange.

This was odd—Lu Luozhu wasn’t like this before.

She used to hate children.

Yet now, she was willingly wiping soup from Ningning’s lips with her fingers.

What a hypocritical liar.

Qi Zi let out a cold hum, though her eating pace gradually slowed.

After the meal, Lu Luozhu took the initiative to toss all the dishes into the dishwasher. “Does my dear benefactor have anything else to say to me?”

A fashion magazine lay on the table, its cover featuring a newly released wristwatch from a luxury brand.

The design was simple yet elegant, but unlike the usual business-like black, white, or gray dials, this one came in a distinctly girlish pink.

Of course, the price wasn’t cheap either.

It was practically impossible to buy at retail.

The alpha before her played the role of the perfect homemaker flawlessly—her fair, slender fingers holding a soft cloth as she wiped the table, though her gaze lingered on Qi Zi with deliberate allure.

Seductive eyes, full of charm.

This was hardly the demeanor of someone genuinely focused on chores.

More like a fox spirit putting on an act.

The more Qi Zi watched, the more irritated she became, recalling how the alpha had once privately mocked her pheromones.

Lu Luozhu had always despised her scent, making unreasonable demands before every marking.

The faint light in Qi Zi’s eyes dimmed as she silently flipped the magazine face-down on the table and turned to leave.

“It’s not like you’d keep anything I give you anyway. Clearly, you don’t actually care for them.”

Qi Zi ascended the stairs toward her bedroom, halfway up before realizing Lu Luozhu hadn’t called after her.

Her gaze flickered as it passed the entryway, where—right beside the shoe cabinet—stood the high heels she had once gifted Lu Luozhu.

She hadn’t sold them?

Qi Zi’s heart skipped a beat.

Pausing on the landing, she pretended to glance back casually, expecting to see Lu Luozhu’s usual look of impatience or disdain. Instead, she found the alpha bending down to wipe Ningning’s face.

Lu Luozhu didn’t seem the least bit upset about not receiving a gift, as if her earlier request had been nothing more than an offhand remark.

“Be good, Ningning. Let’s go for a walk in the yard, okay?”

“I wanna bring Froggie with me!”

Ningning scrambled onto Lu Luozhu like a kitten.

Qi Zi rolled her eyes: Are you a little monkey or what?

Lu Luozhu seemed to notice someone’s gaze upon her from above. Puzzled, she looked up and immediately met a pair of eyes as dark as ink.

The alpha wore a gentle, faint smile at the corner of her lips, as if her greatest wish in life was to stay home and take care of her wife and children.

“Patron Sister?”

“Don’t call me that. Even you must find that term nauseating.”

“Then I’ll have to call you Teacher Qi. Considering most of your fans call you ‘wife,’ while I can casually choose from countless polite titles, it seems my status is indeed a notch higher than your fans. They must be dying of envy.”

Qi Zi: “.”

There she goes again with the sarcasm.

…

That night, Ningning slept with Lu Luozhu. Without the presence of a tutor in the mansion, even the air felt fresher.

Early the next morning,

Lu Luozhu, the little golden canary, obediently dressed up and knocked on her patron sister’s door, only to find her missing.

The room was empty, clearly untouched by the housekeeper yet.

Before transmigrating into the book, Lu Luozhu had lived a carefree life, likely due to her heart condition making her move slowly at everything. The maids at home couldn’t stand it and would swiftly tidy up her sheets and quilts for her.

Over time, Lu Luozhu had picked up some housekeeping skills.

Humming a tune, the alpha neatly folded the blankets, smoothed out every wrinkle on the sheets, opened the window for ventilation, and let sunlight spill onto the pale silk bedding.

She didn’t know all of this was being faithfully recorded by a camera hidden in the corner.

She certainly didn’t know her casual actions would be streamed directly to Qi Zi’s phone.

Qian Qianqian knocked on the door with a sour expression, “Is Madam awake yet?? The film crew is waiting for you outside.”

In the living room, the little one sat on a plush rug hugging an AI puppy. Perhaps because the robotic dog lacked fur, Ningning seemed a bit afraid of its smooth, artificial surface.

Ningning mustered her courage: “Woof woof.”

AI Puppy: “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that. Could you repeat it?”

Ningning: “Woof woof woof woof woof.”

AI Puppy: “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that. Could you repeat it?”

The host couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Live chat: “??????”

“Sweetie, wake up! This stupid thing is bullying you!!”

“I told you AIs are planning to start a war and destroy the world (I’m reporting this to the central government—)”

“Honestly, this is stepmom Lu Luozhu’s fault for not checking the toy properly before buying it, right???”

“Great, just great. The wicked woman found another underhanded way to bully our baby.”

Unaware of the live chat’s discussions, Lu Luozhu descended the stairs in her feather slippers to find a crowd filming the scene.

Qian Qianqian expressionlessly briefed her on the day’s schedule,

“The program will document your daily life. I’ve made you a shopping list—just take Ningning to the mall and buy everything on it.”

She shoved a sticky note into Lu Luozhu’s hand, her eyes warning, “Don’t you dare cause any trouble.”

The manager’s glare was so sharp it seemed interacting with Lu Luozhu alone shortened her lifespan. Before Lu Luozhu could respond, Qian Qianqian had already turned away to prepare a bottle for the child.

The alpha in her sleep robe leaned casually against the railing—a beauty resting by the balustrade, yet her words were anything but gentle.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll whisper in Qi Zi’s ear and get you fired?”

Qian Qianqian paused mid-step, giving her a look that screamed, Am I insane, or are you?

The filming crew’s audio equipment was top-notch, broadcasting every word of their exchange live.

“Ohhhh! It’s starting, it’s starting! The villainess can’t hold back anymore.”

“LMAO, do you even know who you’re talking to? How many agents in the entertainment industry can compare to Qian Qianqian?”

“The agent’s expression is killing me hhhhhh Lu Luozhu really overestimates herself.”

Lu Luozhu: “Do you know why I was late earlier?”

Qian Qianqian: “?”

Lu Luozhu tossed the pile of laundry draped over her arm into the hamper. “I was cleaning my workstation. Ever cleaned yours? Oh wait—you don’t even have the right to call that room a workplace. No wonder you’re jealous and throwing shade at me.”

Qian Qianqian: “……?!”

Are you out of your mind?

Live chat erupted:

“First time hearing someone refer to a bedroom as a workstation…”

“Perfect. The agent’s reaction deserves a spot in the Beijing Film Academy’s acting textbook.”

“Agent: Stop randomly turning this into a competition, damn it!”

Before the livestream even ended, the hashtag #CleaningMyWorkstation was already trending in the top three.

Netizens had never seen someone flaunt being a kept woman so shamelessly.

Yet Lu Luozhu, the center of the storm, seemed utterly unaware of how explosive her words were. After breakfast with Ningning, she carried the little one in one arm and clutched Qian Qianqian’s shopping list in the other as they headed to the mall.

The cameras followed Lu Luozhu’s retreating figure, and viewers quickly recognized the high-end mall she entered. Those unfamiliar with luxury gawked at the brands, unable to recognize a single one.

A mall without chain bubble tea shops or bargain stores? They wouldn’t be caught dead in such a place.

Ningning rested her chin on Lu Luozhu’s shoulder. “Mama looking at phone, not looking at me, aw.”

Lu Luozhu’s account held 100,000 yuan—enough to cover everything on the list if spent frugally. That is, until a debt collection notification suddenly popped up on her phone.

A WeChat message flashed: Lu Luozhu, time to pay up. Don’t tell me you forgot about the IOU you signed with me six months ago.

Another followed: Seriously, I lent you that money as a friend. You wouldn’t want me posting this on Weibo and embarrassing us both, right?

The final message: When are you paying back the 98,570 yuan you owe me? I’ll round it down—just 98,500 is fine.

Lu Luozhu: “.”

Ningning sensed her mother’s tension, her eyes welling up like two poached eggs. 🥺

Mama seems sad, aw.

The kitten nuzzled her neck.

Mwah.

Lu Luozhu’s neck was now slick with slobber. Expressionless, she zoomed in on the IOU—the handwriting matched the original owner’s.

The original Lu Luozhu had been addicted to gambling, though she never ventured into high-stakes casinos. Private poker games in the entertainment scene, however, were a different story.

Without hesitation, Lu Luozhu transferred the 98,500 yuan. The recipient froze for several seconds before accepting.

Wait—you’re actually paying?! I thought you’d drag this out forever.

Lu Luozhu: “Of course it has to be repaid. My worth is quite high—did you really think a mere 100,000 yuan could get me on Weibo’s trending list? Though my agent would be more than happy to take this deal. Next time you have such an offer, don’t come to me. I’ll give you her contact instead.”

A question mark slowly appeared in response.

Lu Luozhu’s account still had 1,500 yuan left. She put away her phone and kissed Ningning’s little kitten-like face.

Lu Luozhu said gently, “Mommy won’t look at her phone anymore. Mommy will look at Ningning. What does Ningning want to buy?”

On the livestream, Ningning poked at a sticky note with her tiny finger, pointing at the simplest two words: “Ningning wants a horsey, mua~”

Chanting “horsey,” Ningning swayed back and forth on Lu Luozhu’s arm, her eyes now brimming with a child’s willfulness rather than the nervousness she had shown when they first met.

Such a well-behaved child, like a little angel, made one instinctively want to fulfill her every wish.

The livestream comments scrolled rapidly: “Aaaah, buy it for her, buy it for her!”

“Auntie has a horsey at home, sweetie, how about you come to Auntie’s place? (opens burlap sack)”

“Speaking of which, children’s items in malls like this must be crazy expensive. Envious of those born with a silver spoon.”

The little one was clearly no stranger to this place. She slid down from Lu Luozhu’s arm and tugged her straight into a high-end leather goods store.

The camera followed them inside, capturing Ningning hugging the neck of a small horse plushie, nuzzling it like a kitten—

“Mommy said if I’m good, she’ll buy me a mua~ Ningning is very good.”

Lu Luozhu: “…”

The sales associate recognized Ningning and enthusiastically introduced the item. Lu Luozhu didn’t even dare ask the price, discreetly checking the brand’s official website instead.

Good grief—900,000 yuan.

Some golden canaries think a 100,000-yuan trending spot is beneath them.

She’s worthy of one worth 900,000.