The Road to a Divine Harem Starting with a Stepmom Companion

Chapter 23: Entertaining Stepmom with Cheerful AnticsNôv(el)B\\jnn

He returned safely to his cozy home, shared with his stepmom.

Compared to other women, his stepmom held a far more significant place in his heart. That’s why Cao Shaoyang unhesitatingly left the two new acquaintances behind and rushed home to be with her.

Having left the house at 10 a.m., he arrived back at 5:30 p.m. The sun hadn’t set yet.

Opening the door, he saw his stepmom, dressed casually in a relaxed outfit with an apron, busy in their open kitchen.

Cao Shaoyang beamed widely and called out as he walked in, “Stepmom, I knew you’d already be making dinner at this time. You’re the best! Having a stepmom like you is like having a treasure. Love you!”

Liu Xiaofei shot him a playful glare. “Flattery will get you nowhere. You must be tired from being out all day. Take off your shoes, lie on the couch, and relax for a bit. Play with your phone if you like. Dinner isn’t ready yet. If you’re hungry, there’s some fresh cake I made today in the fridge. You know where it is—help yourself.”

“Got it, stepmom!” he replied cheerfully.

What others might find nagging felt like the warmth of home to Cao Shaoyang.

He happily grabbed a box of strawberry-flavored cake from the fridge and devoured it before even reaching the couch. Tossing the empty box into the trash, he shouted over a compliment about the cake to his stepmom.

After lounging on the couch for only a moment, he suddenly sat up straight.

“Oh no! I forgot to freshen up,” he thought. “I smell like the scented lotion from earlier—if I can smell it, so can she. Better deal with this before it raises questions.”

With that, he approached his stepmom, hovering nearby under the guise of offering help, though his “help” was more of a hindrance.

She nearly chased him out of the kitchen with a spatula in mock annoyance.

When she didn’t address his smell, Cao Shaoyang decided to bring it up himself. “Stepmom, can’t you smell the sweet, milky scent on me?”

Without looking up, she replied casually, “I can smell it.”

“Aren’t you curious where it came from?” he pressed.

This time, she turned to face him, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. “You think I wouldn’t recognize the milk-scented lotion from a spa?”

Though her remark carried a hint of disdain, Cao Shaoyang quickly gave her a thumbs-up. “Stepmom, you’re amazing! You figured it out instantly.”

He continued, “Let me tell you, I found an absolute gem today! It was my first time visiting a bathhouse, and it’s so different from bathing at home. Afterward, my skin felt so smooth, like I could slide five meters across the floor if I tried!”

Initially indifferent to his excitement, Liu Xiaofei couldn’t suppress a laugh at his dramatic analogy.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Sliding five meters? Did the spa attendants lather you with oil or wax you like furniture?” she teased.

Feigning indignation, Cao Shaoyang rolled up his sleeves and struck a comically determined pose. “You don’t believe me, do you, stepmom?”

She smiled faintly, saying nothing, but her expression conveyed all the disbelief she needed.

Cao Shaoyang decided to put on a show. Stripping down to his boxers, he announced, “Fine, stepmom, watch me prove it!”

Taking a few steps back, he prepared to “slide” across the floor.

“Shaoyang, stop! Stop right there!” she cried, alarmed. “You’re not seriously doing this, are you? Fine, I believe you! Please, don’t hurt yourself on the wooden floor.”

Cao Shaoyang knew she cared too much to let him go through with it. Grateful for the excuse to stop, he relented.

Taking her hand, he pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I knew you’d believe me, stepmom.”

Then he grinned mischievously. “When are you free? Let’s go to the bathhouse together. I’ll scrub your back!”

“Heh heh!” Liu Xiaofei, as Shaoyang’s stepmom, easily saw through his intentions.

“What kind of dream are you chasing? Men’s and women’s baths are separate. Your little scheme is doomed to fail.”

While Liu Xiaofei busied herself preparing dinner, Cao Shaoyang stuck close to her like a shadow, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and trailing her every move. “But that’s different, stepmom! We could always book the whole place, right?”

“Then not only could I scrub your back, but I could also give you a massage!”

He painted an idyllic picture for her, but his ambitious plan came crashing down midway, as Liu Xiaofei firmly shot it down.

“No way! Do you have any idea how much it costs to book a bathhouse? Even if you have money to spare, you can’t just spend it like that.”

“Either way, I absolutely won’t agree to such a waste of money.”

Cao Shaoyang licked his dry lips and conceded, “Alright, I’ll listen to you, stepmom. But what should I do if I just want to experience bathing together with you?”

Out of excuses, his true intentions were laid bare!