The Road to a Divine Harem Starting with a Stepmom Companion

Chapter 3 - Wanda Plaza

Chapter 3: Wanda Plaza

Buzz!

A tingling sensation surged straight from the tailbone to the crown of the head.

Liu Xiaofei, sitting there, froze, stiff with tension. But then she thought about her tightly pressed legs under the table. If Shaoyang noticed, would he misunderstand and think she was wary of him? Would it hurt his already cautious and fragile efforts to connect?

After hesitating for a few seconds, Shaoyang still hadn’t retrieved the egg from under the table. Concerned about hurting his sensitive feelings, Liu Xiaofei gingerly parted her legs slightly.

The boiled egg wasn’t far from her, but the narrow space under the table wasn’t ideal for her tall 1.8-meter frame. She had to move carefully and slowly.

Right at the time when he was about to hook the egg and save it into his hand, a snow-white leg with a little coolness crossed the tip of his nose, and his original rhythmic breathing was interrupted by this sudden change.

He tilted his head slightly to observe the sudden change. His breath hitched.

“Hiss!”

Returning to his seat and placing the retrieved egg into his mouth, Cao Shaoyang couldn’t shake the image of Liu Xiaofei’s bold black-and-white attire.

Her style was daring, not just in clothing but also in actions.

When he finished eating and was about to leave, Liu Xiaofei seemed to muster her courage. She finally spoke, “Shaoyang, for now, your college entrance exams are the most important. It’s not that you’re forbidden from thinking about certain things or exploring them, but this isn’t the right time. The priority now is preparing for the exams. Everything else can wait, okay?”

His movement paused, his eyes darting thoughtfully.

Was there a hidden meaning in her words? Could it mean he’d have freedom after the exams?

Silently, he lamented the misfortune of the original owner of this body. Just a bit more… so close!

But who was Cao Shaoyang?

A man with a god-tier system. Building a harem and winning hearts was his mission.

There was no way he’d let a woman lead him by the nose.

Based on Liu Xiaofei’s attitude over the past few days and her actions this morning—especially how she opened the door to guests, seemingly inviting trouble—he had pieced together a clear understanding.

If he didn’t want to be controlled, he’d need to take the initiative.

Without giving her a chance to continue her long-winded persuasion, he stepped forward assertively, wrapping his arms around her to silence her objections.

A long silence followed.

“Little Mom, I think you’re wrong,” he finally said.

“Wrong? How so?” Liu Xiaofei, panting slightly, her eyes now shimmering with an unplaceable emotion, asked.

“This kind of long-term, repressive study routine doesn’t make the feelings disappear. On the contrary, the more you suppress them, the stronger the impact. A restless mind could actually hinder study effectiveness.”

“Boom!”

Cao Shaoyang mimicked an explosion with his hands, even adding sound effects.

“Isn’t there an old saying? It’s better to channel than to block. I think after so much suppression, it’s time to release some tension. It might even lead to better results!”

“Little Mom, you wouldn’t want me to implode from all this pressure and mess up my review sessions, would you?”

The mention of his grades immediately put Liu Xiaofei on edge.

She silently berated herself. Why hadn’t she thought of this?

After all, Shaoyang was still just a young man. It was impressive that he’d held back for this long. If his natural instincts were repressed to the breaking point in this critical period, the consequences would be devastating—not something she wanted to see.

“Then what do you suggest? How about a dredging method?”

Liu Xiaofei nervously asked in a soft voice what Cao Shaoyang thought they should do.

As he leaned down to whisper in her ear, Cao Shaoyang couldn’t hide the sly, triumphant grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“No way!”

“Little Mom~ you don’t want…”

“Five days? Two days! Four days? Three days! Deal!”

Before she could protest further, ignoring her exasperated glare, he mischievously gave a playful squeeze to the soft curve bottom of her. Laughing loudly, he grabbed his backpack from the entryway and dashed out the door.

Cao Shaoyang’s rented apartment was in an upscale neighborhood near his school, with only one unit per floor. Though his family’s wealth could have easily bought the place, it was rented instead since he’d only need it for the three years of high school. After his college entrance exams, they’d move on, making a purchase unnecessary.

Still smirking from his small victory, Cao Shaoyang pressed the elevator button.

Once at school, the day blended into a rhythm of back-to-back intense review sessions, leaving little sense of time.

Eventually, the bell rang for the end of the school day.

Cao Shaoyang’s class wasn’t one of the elite, high-pressure cram classes. Most students there weren’t aiming for top-tier universities like 211 or 985 schools, so the overall stress level was more manageable. Evening self-study was optional.

[985 and 211 means “world first class university“]

Having eagerly anticipated this moment all day, Cao Shaoyang naturally chose to skip the evening session.

Over the past three years, the original Cao Shaoyang had kept a low profile and hadn’t formed close friendships. Now, during these final days, even the less studious classmates avoided disturbing others’ study time.

Interactions among students were minimal.

Despite being widely recognized as the most handsome boy in their senior year, Cao Shaoyang wasn’t approached much. This was partly because he made an effort to stay out of everyone’s way.

After all, it was the original Cao Shaoyang who was close to these classmates, not the current him, a reincarnated soul.

Moreover, with the college entrance exams drawing near, everyone would soon go their separate ways. There likely wouldn’t be any lasting connections, so he saw no value in maintaining superficial relationships.

With his light backpack slung over his shoulder, he strolled out of the school gate under the watchful gaze of the security guard.

Although the school was only a few hundred meters from his apartment, Cao Shaoyang decided not to go straight home.

After walking some distance, he flagged down a taxi by the roadside.

Instead of sitting in the front seat, he opened the back door and climbed in.

The driver glanced at him, noting his student uniform, and asked, “Where to, young man?”

Cao Shaoyang pulled out his phone, unlocked it with a fingerprint scan, and gave the driver a polite smile before replying.

“To Wanda Plaza in the city center, please.”

[Wanda Plaza is a multi-functional complex in China that combines retail, leisure, hotels, and residential into a single business district.]

After giving the address, he lowered his head and began fiddling with his phone.

Seeing that Cao Shaoyang wasn’t in the mood for conversation, the driver didn’t press further. Flipping his “vacant” sign, he hit the gas and drove off.

Cao Shaoyang wasn’t trying to act aloof, he simply had preparations to make.

Using a restaurant review app, he scrolled through the ratings of upscale Western dining establishments, planning his next move.