Mother and Daughter (Part 3)

Luo Sheng couldn't figure out how, after drinking a bit too much during a business dinner, he ended up sleeping in a hotel room, stark naked, with Shen Qingyun by his side.

"You're awake?" Shen Qingyun seemed to have just woken up as well, stretching lazily as she sat up. "Don't worry about it. I happened to pass by yesterday and saw you were drunk. We're both adults; let's not overthink it."

But how could Luo Sheng not overthink it? He swore he would marry Shen Qingyun and even declared that he was willing to accept any punishment for what had happened.

"Don't worry, your intentions are enough. I won't blame you," Shen Qingyun replied with a gentle smile, offering no further explanation. Her plan had succeeded. She knew Luo Sheng's personality well and was aware of his feelings for her.

More importantly, the unresolved matters in Shanghai and the pressure from her parents made it impossible for her to agree to Luo Sheng's proposal. However, this situation was enough to keep him tied to her. After all, while emotions alone might not bind a playboy, a tangible relationship would work perfectly on someone like Luo Sheng.

She had spent enough time with him to understand exactly what kind of person he was.

Then, Shen Qingyun discovered she was pregnant. She hadn't expected to conceive on the first try!

As a result, Shen Qingyun cut off all contact with everyone and went into hiding to give birth to her child, Luo Shiya. At the time, whether she was a wealthy heiress or not, her actions were considered highly unconventional.

In fact, when Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi later caused trouble, the person who reacted the least was their mother, Shen Qingyun. After all, what she had done back then wasn't much different from their actions.

After giving birth to Luo Shiya, Shen Qingyun returned to Shanghai with her baby in her arms. When her father saw her holding the child, he was furious.

"The situation is what it is. No matter how angry you are, I already have a child," Shen Qingyun said calmly, cradling baby Luo Shiya and gently playing with her. "And it's not like I just picked any man. Luo Sheng, the second son of the Luo family in the Capital, is far better than the man you wanted me to marry."

No matter how much her parents tried to persuade her, Shen Qingyun refused to back down. In her eyes, she had found the man she loved, and his family background was no less prestigious than the Shen family's.

However, the situation became a scandal. The eldest daughter of the Shen family getting pregnant out of wedlock was a slap in the face to her fiancé's family, and the news quickly spread throughout Shanghai's upper-class circles.

Shen Qingyun had no regrets. All her life, she had followed her parents' arrangements, even considering marrying the fiancé she had no feelings for and living out her life that way.

But she had met Luo Sheng. Her love for him, her resentment toward the arranged marriage, and her frustration with her parents' stubbornness gradually pushed the already somewhat obsessive Shen Qingyun to the edge.

It wasn't entirely her fault; her father was also a stubborn man, which made the marriage arrangement even more unbearable for her.

In the end, Shen Qingyun had a falling out with her family. She handed over the Shen family's businesses, which she had meticulously managed, and returned to the Capital with Luo Shiya. To her surprise, Luo Sheng was waiting for her at the airport.

Luo Sheng didn't look well. His eyes were bloodshot, his face unshaven, and he reeked of alcohol. Shen Qingyun was taken aback when she saw him, but before she could react, he pulled her and the baby into a tight embrace.

"Have you lost your mind? How could you keep something this big from me?"

As businesspeople, even though the Luo and Shen families had little interaction, Luo Sheng had connections in Shanghai through his business partners. It was through them that he learned Shen Qingyun was not only pregnant out of wedlock but also embroiled in a bitter conflict with her family.

More importantly, ever since Shen Qingyun disappeared, he had been searching for her, but she had vanished without a trace.

Unlike Mo Xuan, who had no resources to rely on when Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi went missing, Luo Sheng had money and connections. Yet, despite his efforts, he found nothing, which left him deeply disheartened for a long time.

"Well, I'm back now, aren't I?" Shen Qingyun chuckled awkwardly. "Look, this is your daughter."

What followed went surprisingly smoothly. Even though Shen Qingyun had cut ties with her family, she was still the Shen family's eldest daughter. The Luo family matriarch personally reached out to the Shen family.

The details of their negotiations were unknown, but while Shen Qingyun no longer managed the Shen family's business in the Capital, she still received annual dividends and had a say in certain projects.

Shen Qingyun finally married Luo Sheng and later gave birth to their second daughter, Luo Muqi.

After their marriage, Luo Sheng remained busy with work, and Shen Qingyun, wanting to ease his burden, offered to share some of his responsibilities.

In her eyes, being born into the Luo family meant Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi would never want for anything materially. The children were well cared for, with the best food, clothes, and education, allowing her to spend more time supporting her husband's career.

However, she overlooked the fact that parental companionship was sometimes more important than material wealth, which later led Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi to develop an intense dependency on Mo Xuan.

In some ways, her actions also influenced her daughters...

"Are you worried about Mo Xuan?"

After sending their daughters off at the airport, Shen Qingyun returned home and was caught off guard by Luo Sheng's question.

"Shouldn't I be?" Luo Sheng gave his wife a meaningful look. "Haven't you ever worried about him? The poor kid has parents like that, and now his grandmother has passed away."

"Are you serious? Shiya and Muqi practically treat him like their own treasure!" Shen Qingyun laughed. "Look at all the trouble our daughters have caused for him. And you're worried about him?"

"I did some digging. Mo Xuan's phone was custom-made by Shiya, and it has a tracking and listening device..."

"What?" Shen Qingyun stood up abruptly. "How do you know that?"

"I asked around. Those two can hide things from others, but not from me," Luo Sheng said with a resigned shake of his head. "This is all your fault. Ever since they were little, you've had people watching me—my assistants, drivers, even our housekeeper received red envelopes from you."

"Now, instead of learning anything useful, they've picked up your scheming ways and taken them to a whole new level!"

Shen Qingyun quickly softened her tone. "Oh, honey, I was just worried about you!"

"Enough of that!" Luo Sheng rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. After all these years of marriage, I've come to accept your controlling nature. But think about Mo Xuan. He has to deal with both our daughters at once. I can't even imagine what else they've done!"

"Hmm, you're right..." Shen Qingyun pondered for a moment. "Honey, where did Shiya and Muqi get that custom phone made?"

"It was at..."

Luo Sheng was about to answer but then stopped himself. "Wait, what are you planning?"

"Oh, I've been reflecting on my behavior. It's not right to have people watching you all the time," Shen Qingyun said earnestly. "So, I thought I'd get a custom phone made for you. That way, I won't have to keep handing out red envelopes to everyone around you."

"Dream on, Shen Qingyun! We're talking about Mo Xuan here!"

"I am talking about Mo Xuan. Isn't he the one using that phone?"

A week later, when Shen Qingyun handed Luo Sheng the custom-made phone with a beaming smile, he felt like slapping himself.

Why did he have to open his big mouth!