Talk is cheap, actions speak louder than words.
When Sheng Mumu returned to the villa, she still brought breakfast for Qi Shaobai.
Not long after she entered, Qi Mo received a phone call from the resort, saying he had to go out again to deal with some work matters.
Sheng Mumu and Qi Shaobai were already used to Qi Mo's busyness.
In the past, Sheng Mumu always felt that the world of the rich must be leisurely and carefree.
At the very least, they don't have to work as hard as ordinary people, and have plenty of time to enjoy life.
But in Qi Mo, she saw the opposite.
It seemed like there were always endless projects to handle, meetings to attend, and social engagements to keep up with...
Even with thousands of elites in his conglomerate, no one could make decisions in his place.
At least until Qi Shaobai grew up to stand on his own, he still had to stand alone at the top.
After breakfast, Qi Shaobai lazily leaned on the living room sofa playing with his phone, having nothing to do.
Seeing Sheng Mumu pacing back and forth in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with a worried look, he suddenly spoke up,
"My dad should be back soon. Just sit and wait for him."
Sheng Mumu slowly turned her head, "???"
Seeing Qi Shaobai's expression, as if he had eaten too much dog food, she understood instantly.
"Pfft~"
He thought she was impatiently waiting for his dad, which was why she was pacing around.
Sheng Mumu didn't bother explaining that she was actually thinking about Yueji Flower Shop opening a new branch.
After all, maintaining a loving couple image with Qi Mo wasn't bad.
Especially after finding out about Qi Shaobai's background.
She thought that if she could provide Qi Shaobai with a warm and harmonious family atmosphere, it might make up for some of the deficiencies in his childhood.
Sheng Mumu pursed her lips and knitted her brows, letting out a sigh with a deliberate worried look.
"Alright."
She looked just like a newlywed wife worried about her husband working too hard.
Qi Shaobai was stunned for a few seconds before continuing to play with his phone.
But Sheng Mumu's thoughts were no longer on the flower shop.
She suddenly wanted to pay more attention to the aloof and prickly young master in front of her.
She hugged a pillow and sat cross-legged on the single sofa across from Qi Shaobai, leaning slightly towards him,
"Stop playing with your phone. I want to talk to you."
Qi Shaobai looked up, "What is it?"
Sheng Mumu's expression was serious.
"To be honest, I always thought you were an ill-mannered brat who liked to argue with people,"
Qi Shaobai looked confused as he listened to Sheng Mumu continue,
"After getting along these days, I realized you actually have many good qualities."
Qi Shaobai: "???"
Sheng Mumu said sincerely, "For example, you're straightforward, tactful, and—"
"Wait," Qi Shaobai interrupted her, looking at her suspiciously with a raised brow, "Just say it straight if you want me to get you some snacks, or if you want me to accompany you to the flower market?"
Sheng Mumu: "..."
Qi Shaobai: "Or did you want me to be your assistant again?"
Sheng Mumu: "Can't I just sincerely compliment you?"
She was always good at praising others.
For a sensitive teenager like Qi Shaobai, more praise could only be beneficial.
But she didn't expect that in Qi Shaobai's eyes, she was just a stepmother who only ordered him around.
Qi Shaobai said with difficulty, "Instead of praising me, just order me around. I'm more used to that."
Sheng Mumu was stunned for a moment.
Then, as if making an important decision, she cleared her throat with a smile and said,
"There's still time, you'll get used to it slowly."
Qi Shaobai was even more confused.
What exactly did she want to say?
Sheng Mumu sat up straight, taking on her rare adult demeanor, and said slowly,
"Before, I was busy with the flower shop, and busy being lovey-dovey with your dad since we just got married. I didn't pay much attention to you."
"Starting today, I'm officially taking on the burden of being a stepmother. I won't spoil you anymore, nor will I indulge you."
She had made up her mind to take the stepmother role seriously, one day at a time.
"When did you ever spoil me?" Qi Shaobai said with a wry smile.
"That's not important," Sheng Mumu waved her hand. "What's important is that from now on, you'll be in your last year of high school soon. And your dad is so busy with work. Caring for your studies will be my responsibility."
Qi Shaobai looked complicated, "..."
The sudden concern made him not know how to react, yet it also brought a subtle warmth to his heart that he couldn't describe.
After a while, though his expression was still disgusted, his tone was gentle as he spoke,
"Do whatever you want, you can try to manage me. But let me make this clear first, don't expect me to call you mom. I really, really can't say it."
At seventeen, it was no longer an age where he could easily accept calling a stranger by that name.
Sheng Mumu was stunned for half a second before her eyes crinkled into a smile. She said,
"With your 6-foot frame, it would be hard for me to get used to you calling me mom too."
They both laughed after she finished speaking.
The weather today was gloomy. Qi Shaobai planned to stay in the villa all day without going out.
So Sheng Mumu went to the resort hot springs alone to enjoy some leisure time.
"Mrs. Qi, this way please."
"Thank you."
The resort manager respectfully stood by Sheng Mumu's side, introducing the services and facilities of the private hot spring pools with the snowy mountains in view.
He was afraid he hadn't properly received the chairman's wife, and his words were full of caution.
Seeing the young chairman's wife smile back and say "thanks for your hard work," the manager finally breathed a sigh of relief. He left after instructing the staff outside to be fully prepared for any needs the chairman's wife may have, and to not make any mistakes.
Wisps of steam rose from the surface of the hot spring water.
The open wooden house structure allowed the distant bird calls to faintly reach her ears.
The tranquil and exquisite courtyard was surrounded by trees, with scenic views all around.
Sheng Mumu slowly lowered one leg into the comfortably warm water, then slipped her whole body in.
She leaned against the side, fiddling with the small wooden buckets floating on the water surface.
As her body warmed up, her fair cheeks also gradually flushed redder than usual, adding a touch of charm.
There were over ten white porcelain plates on a table by the hot spring.
They held bird's nest, various desserts, steeping tea, iced fruit juice, and more.
The variety was so extensive that it seemed if she had any needs at all, anything could be delivered with just a ring of the bell.
Since coming to this world,
she had truly experienced the power of money.
In the past, she had seen many successful businessmen at work.
But those were basically within the range she could imagine, nothing too outrageous.
Now, occasionally hearing the numbers Qi Mo mentioned during phone calls.
Or having assistants and housekeepers arrange everything perfectly wherever she went, with the staff ready to serve her.
All this was reminding her that she had fallen into a wealthy family's dream beyond her past reach.
At first, it was inevitably not easy to get used to.
She wasn't the type who liked ordering people around.
She always wanted to avoid causing others trouble as much as possible.
Later, she realized,
her polite rejections actually made those who were paid to work conscientiously feel uneasy.
Gradually, she became more and more able to accept the identity of a wealthy madam.
She also vaguely understood why Qi Mo always appeared cold and stern, dignified and profound.
For someone in his position of power for so long, being chummy with subordinates would be harder for people to accept than keeping a distance.
When she left the hot springs, it was already close to 5 pm.
Sheng Mumu didn't want to drive back. She slowly walked towards the villa, wanting to enjoy the scenery of this newly built 6-star resort along the way.
She had just walked out of the hot spring entrance when a voice suddenly called out, stopping her.
"Mrs. Qi—"
