Sheng Mumu was conflicted. Responding with "Hello, how are you" seemed too aloof. Responding with "Hello, darling" felt too intimate. Before she could say anything, Qi Mo's magnetic, pleasant voice came through, vibrating her eardrums until they nearly melted.
"There's a cocktail party the day after tomorrow. Come with me. Dong Tezhu will pick you up then. Get yourself ready."
After hanging up, Sheng Mumu pondered for a long time over what Qi Mo meant by "get yourself ready."
What did she need to prepare for?
After some careful consideration, she came to the conclusion—it was time to act.
She had to be ready to perform!
Since they were in a contractual marriage, of course they had the obligation to pretend to be loving in front of others, to avoid revealing any cracks.
In order not to reveal any nervousness at the cocktail party, Sheng Mumu opened her phone and searched for information on Qi Mo online.
As she typed in Qi Mo's name, she gave an embarrassed little laugh.
She had been here for so long, only thinking about eating and drinking, yet hadn't bothered to learn anything about what kind of person Qi Mo was.
How careless. She had forgotten to investigate her food, clothing, and shelter.
What she didn't know shocked her when she found out.
Qi Mo's background was outstanding to the point of eliciting universal envy.
At 23, Qi Mo had shown great talent in IT. The software he wrote himself was purchased at a high price by a foreign company, earning him his first pot of gold.
After that, he started a company focused on computer software. The company gradually developed into a group and became a diversified internet enterprise.
Strangely, during the years the company was rapidly developing, Qi Mo never appeared publicly at any occasion.
It wasn't until he was 32, when the company went public, that he first appeared in front of the media.
After the IPO, the company hit the daily limit 20 days in a row, instantly making him the nouveau riche of the Beijing social scene.
A handsome new tycoon suddenly came into view, attracting endless discussion.
Many elite young ladies of Beijing's prominent families flocked to him, hoping to become the enviable Mrs. Qi.
It was around then that Qi Mo announced to the outside world that he had an 11-year-old son.
Later came the low-key news of his remarriage this year.
The news mentioned that his new Mrs. Qi came from an ordinary family background.
Sheng Mumu scrolled on her screen and opened a discussion thread.
—"Does anyone have a photo of Mrs. Qi from the second marriage? I'm dying to know what she looks like!"
—"There's no information to be found online about Qi's first wife. His second wife probably won't show her face in public either."
—"I just heard that Mrs. Qi is an ordinary nobody. Does the Cinderella story really happen in real life?"
—"Get real. Cinderella may have been impoverished, but her father still had a title. Don't be fooled by fairy tales."
—"No matter what she looks like, one thing's for sure—she must have saved the Milky Way in her last life, hahaha."
—"She must be sly, think about it. So many women want to marry Qi Mo, yet an unknown woman with no background or face to show somehow snagged the position. She must be extremely crafty to capture a man's heart like that!"
—"It must be a marriage of business and political interests. She probably doesn't want to reveal her background so they say she's a nobody. I bet she's an ugly daughter of some high official. Most likely a fat woman."
Sheng Mumu sat up in bed, her expression solemn.
It seemed the cocktail party the day after tomorrow would be her first public appearance as Mrs. Qi.
She must not give these online trash-talkers an opportunity to criticize her.
She had to make a beautiful appearance!
She had to act lovingly with her pretend husband!
The next day, Sheng Mumu had the housekeeper drive her to a beauty salon. She got a full makeover from head to toe.
When she left the beauty salon, her hair to her toenails smelled fragrant.
Qi Mo's assistant Dong Tezhu had contacted Sheng Mumu. From him she learned that this cocktail party was a social gathering for the wealthy with a touch of charity. Many of Beijing's rich would be there with their families.
She had seen this kind of cocktail party before in TV shows and novels.
The men would talk business over drinks while the women competed over beauty and gossiped.
However, to Sheng Mumu, going to the cocktail party was like "going to work."
Qi Mo provided her with a superior material lifestyle, and she simply had to properly play the role of his wife.
It was equivalent to working.
Dong Tezhu said there would be a lot of media there, specifically to take pictures of the legendary mysterious Mrs. Qi.
To firmly rely on her "boss", she had to perform well.
Sheng Mumu deeply understood this principle.
Appearing in front of the cameras, she had to look beautiful above all.
Sheng Mumu looked exactly like the original owner, just with a completely different style.
The original owner's wardrobe was mostly filled with gentle, girl-next-door items.
Sheng Mumu preferred the Hong Kong-inspired style of red lips and big waves.
She picked out a flowing dark red dress that highlighted her curves without being overly revealing.
There was some traffic on the way to the cocktail party. By the time she arrived, Qi Mo was already inside.
The grand banquet hall was lavishly decorated in gold and jade.
Men and women dressed in their finest were scattered about in groups of two or three.
Some spoke in hushed voices:
"Do you think Mrs. Qi will show up today?"
"I bet not. Rumor has it she's an ugly nobody. She probably can't even fit into a formal dress." The speaker covered her mouth and tittered.
A young woman brushed her hair and said in surprise,
"Can you really trust rumors? If that's true, I'm going to try my hardest to become Mrs. Qi the third."
"Forget it. So many elite young ladies are waiting for Qi Mo to get divorced. You won't even make the list."
"The version I heard is different. They said she's just an ordinary person."
"If she's not beautiful, yet Qi Mo was still willing to marry her, tsk tsk, that woman must be very skilled in capturing a man's heart."
"Pfft, who doesn't know Qi is a workaholic? She's just a stepmother. How much could he love her? He just picked a random woman to come back and take care of his son."
"Hehehe, possible..."
The laughter stopped abruptly as everyone's gaze focused in unison toward the banquet hall entrance.
A beautiful woman was standing there, holding up her skirt.
The attendant opened the banquet hall door and walked alongside Sheng Mumu, guiding her, "Mrs. Qi, Mr. Qi is over there."
From afar, Sheng Mumu immediately recognized Qi Mo.
In the crowd, he stood out with the most outstanding temperament and handsomest appearance. Very recognizable.
Qi Mo held a wine glass, surrounded by a group of people flattering him. His expression was aloof and indifferent.
Different from when she had seen him last time.
The Qi Mo today exuded the elite successful businessman vibe from head to toe.
The well-fitted suit highlighted his straight, tall figure even more.
Graceful and refined in speech and movement, yet vaguely emitting a coldness that kept others at arm's length.
Sheng Mumu didn't pause and walked toward Qi Mo.
Along the way, she attracted many gazes.
The long dress accentuated her sensual curves. The neckline wasn't too low, alluring without being vulgar.
Her chestnut hair cascaded down, curled into big waves at the ends, swept to one side to reveal her jade-white neck. Scarlet lips beckoned lusciously, sexy but not cheap.
The banquet hall lights had a built-in soft focus effect that made her seem to glow all over, tiny specks of light glittering in her eyes.
Qi Mo's gaze happened to sweep over.
Their eyes met, and Sheng Mumu slowly raised the corners of her lips.
Dimples appeared as she smiled faintly. Absolutely breathtaking beauty.
Qi Mo's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.
This was the first time he had seen her dress up like this.
Previously, she had always appeared before him with a gentle image, often wearing light pink, sky blue, or duck yellow.
The Sheng Mumu in the red dress now radiated dazzling brilliance. Captivating from every angle.
Her curled hair ends traced lively arcs through the air as she walked.
Sheng Mumu came over, slipped her snow-white arm around his neck, and called in a sweet voice that even she found saccharine, "Darling~"
