Mother and Daughter (Part 2)

After that day, Luo Sheng became even more proactive than before. Once, when Luo Quan brought his wife home to stay, he woke up a bit earlier in the morning and, passing by Luo Sheng's room, noticed that he was already awake.

Luo Quan rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Was this really his brother? Luo Sheng was standing in front of the mirror, meticulously combing his hair, with several neatly ironed outfits laid out on the bed. After finishing his hair, Luo Sheng began trying on the clothes one by one.

"Sheng, what are you doing?"

Luo Quan's sudden question nearly gave Luo Sheng a heart attack.

"Bro, don’t you know that scaring people can kill them?"

"No, Sheng, you’re the one who scared me!" Luo Quan ignored his brother's startled expression. "You’re actually wearing cologne? Styling your hair? Trying on clothes… I don’t care who you are, but get out of my brother’s body right now!"

Luo Quan’s reaction wasn’t unwarranted. His brother had never been one to fuss over his appearance, as long as he looked presentable.

Of course, Luo Quan was the last person who should be commenting on this, since Luo Tian’s habit of being unkempt was something he had picked up from him…

After that day, the relationship between Luo Sheng and Shen Qingyun became much more nuanced. Luo Sheng couldn’t tell if it was just his imagination, but he felt like he had never run into Shen Qingyun before, yet after that day, he seemed to see her everywhere on campus.

Of course, he didn’t know that these so-called coincidences were actually orchestrated by Shen Qingyun. After all, how many genuine coincidences could there really be in the world?

At the time, Luo Sheng only felt that their relationship was special, though he didn’t yet understand the concept of being "more than friends, but not quite lovers."

Time flew by during their university years. Qin Ni got married to Mo Changshan right after graduation, and Shen Qingyun didn’t pay much attention to her after that.

At graduation, Shen Qingyun had considered confessing her feelings to Luo Sheng, but her family had urged her to return to Shanghai immediately.

Shen Qingyun knew this was their way of pressuring her to fulfill the arranged marriage she disliked.

Confessing to Luo Sheng at that moment would have been inappropriate, as she wasn’t yet in a position to fully defy her parents.

"After graduation?" Luo Sheng was taken aback by Shen Qingyun’s question. "I’ll probably go home to help out. My brother has been hoping I’d step in to share some of the workload."

Luo Sheng was a highly career-driven person. While he appeared gentle and refined, in the business world, he transformed into someone decisive and sharp.

But Shen Qingyun knew that even with Luo Sheng’s excellence and the prestige of the Luo family in the Capital, her own family would likely not give up the arranged marriage.

The Luo family was indeed enviable, but the Shen family had no business ties with them. On the contrary, Shen Qingyun’s arranged fiancé’s family was not only a long-standing ally but also had intertwined interests with the Shens.

Both publicly and privately, the Shen family couldn’t abandon the long-maintained relationship for Shen Qingyun to marry Luo Sheng.

So, Shen Qingyun had to come up with a plan herself, and the most effective strategy was one word: delay.

Shen Qingyun contacted her family, expressing her willingness to stay in the Capital to expand the Shen family’s business there. The Shens had long wanted to establish a foothold in the Capital, but the city was a labyrinth of powerful families and complex relationships, no less intricate than Shanghai.

"If we can build connections in the Capital, it will only benefit our family," Shen Qingyun said earnestly to her parents over the phone. "Besides, many businesses here are eager to collaborate with those in Shanghai, and we’re the best partners for them. This is a great opportunity for us."

Her words eventually swayed her father. After all, there was no denying that establishing a presence in the Capital would be immensely beneficial for the Shen family.

In reality, though, Shen Qingyun was using her work as a cover for personal gain. By delaying the arranged marriage, she could also use the opportunity to grow closer to Luo Sheng.

Shen Qingyun didn’t agree with Qin Ni’s perspective during their university days. Qin Ni had once told her, "Since I’m the only child in my family and I’m serious about studying jewelry design, I’ll get married and have kids first. The family business will be mine eventually anyway!"

Shen Qingyun thought differently. She believed that her chosen partner had to fully recognize her worth, especially in families like theirs.

While social status was important, if she could show Luo Sheng her capabilities, someone like him would only value her more, given his personality.

In fact, Shen Qingyun’s mindset was quite similar to that of her two daughters, though she leaned more toward supporting Luo Sheng’s career. Life companionship was inevitable, but it wasn’t her top priority.

Her daughters, on the other hand, focused more on gradually integrating into their partner’s daily lives. As for careers… well, Mo Xuan didn’t have much of one to speak of.

With her parents’ support, Shen Qingyun stayed in the Capital, and her exceptional abilities allowed her to thrive.

Luo Sheng hadn’t expected Shen Qingyun to be so capable. He had privately instructed his team to offer her some assistance, but Shen Qingyun managed to establish herself in the Capital almost entirely on her own, relying only on the Shen family’s financial backing.

Shen Qingyun hadn’t been wrong. Luo Sheng admired and respected her abilities. As they interacted more through work, Shen Qingyun noticed a shift in Luo Sheng’s gaze—what had once been a flicker of emotion now carried admiration and affection…

As for the next step, Shen Qingyun hadn’t quite figured it out yet. But then rumors began circulating in the Capital that the Luo family was starting to look for a suitable wife for Luo Sheng.

When Shen Qingyun heard this, her expression darkened instantly. She had been taking things slow, hoping to gradually win him over.

After all, she had delayed for so long and achieved significant results, which had eased her family’s urgency about her returning to Shanghai for the arranged marriage.

Now, with whispers of the Luo family arranging a marriage for Luo Sheng, she couldn’t help but think, *What was all this effort for? Maybe I should’ve just made my move earlier!*

However, when she subtly brought it up with Luo Sheng, he simply smiled and said, "Don’t listen to the rumors. My family hasn’t arranged anything. My sister-in-law already has my nephew Luo Tian, and since I’m more focused on managing the business, they haven’t pressured me."

After saying this, Luo Sheng glanced at Shen Qingyun, hesitating as if he wanted to say something more, but ultimately kept it to himself.

Who would have thought that the decisive second son of the Luo family, so formidable in business, would become so awkward when it came to matters of the heart?

Seeing Mo Xuan sometimes made Shen Qingyun want to laugh. Her daughters and she shared such similar tastes in men. Mo Xuan was talented and brilliant, and while his memory loss was understandable, he had spent three years raising a child with her daughter, yet he remained hesitant, never taking that final step forward.

She even half-jokingly wondered if Mo Xuan was Luo Sheng’s son, given how similar their personalities were.

When she brought it up as a joke, Luo Sheng was so alarmed that he swore on his life and even offered to take a paternity test to prove his innocence!

Still, the marriage rumors gave Shen Qingyun a sense of urgency. She realized she couldn’t delay any longer. It wasn’t just about her family’s pressure—if the Luo family really arranged a marriage for Luo Sheng, all her efforts would be for nothing.

Back at her company, Shen Qingyun thought long and hard before calling in her secretary. "Help me investigate all of the second young master of the Luo family’s recent activities. Arrange for someone to follow him and report to me whenever he goes out for social engagements."

"Boss, what are you planning?" the secretary asked curiously. "Haven’t we always had a good relationship with the second young master? Did he… offend you?"

"That’s right, he offended me," Shen Qingyun replied with a smile. "So I’m going to punish him properly…"

By making him my husband.