Professional Substitute

Chapter 8: Aunt's Arrival

Hey, buddy, weren't you always uninterested in women? How did you fall for me so quickly? This is unbelievable!

Mo Qinglan felt alarm bells ringing in her mind.

The heart-shaped paper was already full, so Gu Tianyi tore a strip from his notebook and wrote, "I can pay you according to your part-time wage."

In the past, if there was money to be made, Mo Qinglan would have agreed immediately. But today, Gu Tianyi seemed different.

Why was he inviting her to his birthday party? As a professional stand-in, Mo Qinglan knew she was always facing two potential pitfalls: one, she couldn't fall in love with a client, or she might end up losing both money and love, falling into an abyss; two, she had to guard against clients falling for her, as entanglements could be mentally exhausting.

"Is your birthday being held at home?" she asked cautiously.

Gu Tianyi wrote on the paper, "There will be a party at home, but I can go out."

Go out, just the two of them, to celebrate a birthday? Mo Qinglan felt increasingly uneasy. That day, Gu Tianyi spoke more to her than he had in the entire year.

"I need to sort out my schedule. Some housekeeping jobs have been arranged in advance, and I can't just cancel on them. But I promise, even if I can't be there in person, the gift will definitely be delivered." When she passed the note to him, Mo Qinglan looked up at him, her eyes clear and sincere.

Gu Tianyi's disappointment was fleeting, but he nodded heavily, mouthing, "I'll wait for your message."

Mo Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief, finally managing to bluff her way through. She absolutely couldn't go in person. As for the gift, she'd have to put some thought into it.

After the afternoon classes, Mo Qinglan declined Ruan Danfei's invitation to a pre-holiday celebration and hurried back to her single apartment. In no time, she transformed herself. She shed her youthful student attire for a more mature and sophisticated look, her hair pinned up with a wooden hairpin, a small scarf tied around her neck. This outfit made her look at least two years older. Because on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, she played the role of the wife of tough-guy dad Bai Ke, stepmother to Bai Xuebao.

A year and a half ago, Mo Qinglan went to an amusement park alone. After a thrilling roller coaster ride, she queued up for ice cream to calm her nerves. Looking down, she saw a cute little three or four-year-old tugging at her clothes, calling her "mommy." Mo Qinglan, having seen many news stories, guessed it was another case of parents losing track of their child while engrossed in their phones. Her heart melted at the sight of the adorable child.

She crouched down, her voice as soft and pleasant as cotton, "Sweetie, what's your name? Where are your parents?" The little one blinked big watery eyes and pouted, "Xuebao, my name is Xuebao. Daddy is over there." Xuebao pointed in a direction. No mommy? Mo Qinglan wondered, gently ruffling Xuebao's soft hair, "I'm not mommy, I'm aunty. How about aunty takes you to find daddy?" Xuebao, eyes fixed on her ice cream, swallowed and obediently nodded, "Okay."

Mo Qinglan bought two ice creams, one for each, and holding Xuebao's little hand, began the search for daddy. After searching around, there was no sign of him. Xuebao's short legs got tired after a while, so Mo Qinglan had to carry her. "Xuebao, looks like we'll need to ask for help from the staff."

Nearby, she found an amusement park staff member, and after a broadcast, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a buzz cut and jeans came over. He looked a bit disheveled, with a scratch on his face. Xuebao immediately spread her arms, joyfully calling "Daddy." The man picked up Xuebao, his eyes reddening, as if he'd found a lost treasure, kissing her face several times.

Inwardly, Mo Qinglan was exasperated. Where was he earlier? Losing a child, what a careless parent. "Daddy, I found mommy!" Xuebao exclaimed happily. "Not mommy..." The man finally remembered Mo Qinglan, and upon seeing her again, was visibly stunned, "Tha... thank you for taking care of my Xuebao. Let me add you on WeChat."

A flicker of disdain crossed Mo Qinglan's eyes. He hadn't seen her for half a day, and now, hearing Xuebao mention her, he wanted to add her on WeChat after seeing her face. Ha, his intentions were written all over his face.

"Having such an adorable child, you're really lucky, sir. You better keep a close watch, or you might not be so lucky next time." She subtly criticized him, watching his expression change, finally feeling a bit satisfied.

"Xuebao, aunty has to go now, goodbye." Xuebao burst into tears, shaking the man's arm, "Daddy, don't let mommy go." Seeing this, the man comforted the child and removed a watch from his wrist, "Since you won't accept my transfer, please accept this watch as my thanks."

Mo Qinglan squinted slightly. She was used to seeing "men of status." Sheng Yunzhou wore a Patek Philippe celestial watch, Yu Xiao wore a Vacheron Constantin, and this seemingly "ordinary" man wore an IWC pilot's watch, a classic model. Okay, her taste had been spoiled by handsome men. This man, although a bit older, had both looks and taste.

Mo Qinglan didn't accept it. A small woman who loves money, casting a long line to catch a big fish. "I helped Xuebao not for your reward. Take good care of her; our hour-and-a-half fate shouldn't go to waste."

The man's eyes flickered, and he suggested, "Miss, may I know your name? Would you mind sitting with us for a while, having a coffee?"

Since then, Mo Qinglan had gained a new identity. Every week, Bai Ke paid her 100,000.

Not far from the apartment entrance, a Volvo nanny car was parked. Keywords flashed through Mo Qinglan's mind: "Bai Ke, 35 years old, occupation unknown, financial status unfathomable. Full-time dad, tough yet tender." Mo Qinglan had tried to learn about Bai Ke's profession, but couldn't find anything online. But living in a heritage-protected villa area indicated his extraordinary status. Moreover, there were no assistants or housekeepers coming and going at his home.

While practicing her greeting phrases in her mind, a call came through on her phone. It was patron Bai Ke. "Ah Lan, there's something I want to tell you in advance. Xuebao's... aunt is coming and will be staying for a while. Today, she'll be picking Xuebao up with you."

Aunt? Xuebao's mother's sister? Hearing Bai Ke's hesitant tone, Mo Qinglan had a hunch—could she be here to take her job? Her head could be broken, blood could flow, but she couldn't tolerate having her job snatched away. She had already lost two major clients, and with a year left until her university graduation and achieving her financial goals, Mo Qinglan furrowed her brows.

The Volvo's door opened, and a woman in her thirties, dressed in plain white, stepped out. She crossed her arms, quickly sizing Mo Qinglan up from head to toe. Her gaze was full of offense.

"Good afternoon, may I call you Sister Cui?" Mo Qinglan greeted politely. She remembered Bai Ke mentioning that his wife had the surname Cui.

"We're not familiar, you can call me Ms. Cui." Her tone was also full of aggression. Mo Qinglan understood—this was a declaration of... territory.

"Alright, I'm fine with that." Mo Qinglan settled into the back seat, hands folded, eyes forward. Cui Jinshu started the car, still observing her through the rearview mirror.

"I really didn't expect that today's university students have fallen to the point of selling themselves? Your line of work, to put it nicely, is role-playing; to put it harshly, what's the difference between being a mistress, a third party...? At least a mistress has a title, what do you count as? My brother-in-law's age is more than enough to be your father, right? Oh, right, now he's your sugar daddy."

Humiliation, blatant humiliation. If it were a man spouting such nonsense, Mo Qinglan would have countless words to retaliate. Her relationship with Bai Ke was purely professional, with no inappropriate behavior. But if she said it, would anyone believe it? Moreover, the other party had a special status and a close relationship with Xuebao. Expecting sympathy from her was probably a big mistake.

"I never thought that doing domestic work, providing professional service and emotional value, is something inferior."