Chapter 596 First Line of Gossip Shen Qingling's apartment balcony faces a park. The winter moonlight casts long shadows on the dark tiles, and two opened bottles of red wine sit on the small square table.
Gu Luo gently swirled the wine in his glass, the liquid gleaming a dark purple in the moonlight. He looked at Shen Qingling beside him, who was gazing at the moon with her chin resting on her hand, and finally asked the question he had been holding back for half an hour: "Don't you have a good relationship with your family?"
Shen Qingling's nonchalant tone when she told Luo Liang, "Grandpa let me raise him freely," stirred something within him.
After all, after tonight, this girl will be one of his own, and he has no reason to ignore her problems.
Shen Qingling's expression remained unchanged. She simply raised her hand and downed the glass of red wine in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down her throat before she spoke softly, her voice like ice bathed in moonlight: "It's hard to say whether it's good or bad. It's quite simple to put it into words."
She picked up the bottle and poured herself a refill, her fingertips tracing the label on the bottle: "My mom had a severe hemorrhage when she gave birth to me, which damaged her body so she could never have another child. Her marriage to my dad was just a business arrangement; there was no affection between them, and they went their separate ways afterward... I told you last time that my dad has quite a few illegitimate children outside of marriage, a total of seven, four of whom are sons."
When she said the words "illegitimate child," her tone remained flat, but she gripped her wine glass even tighter: "I am the only direct descendant of the Shen family, but those old folks in the family all hope to bring the illegitimate child back to inherit the family business. After all, in their eyes, male offspring are the most precious, at least they won't hand over the family business to others."
Gu Luo paused, finally understanding why the eldest daughter of the Shen family had pursued him all the way to Caizhou, while there had been no response from his family.
This is a brand that's waiting for her to "mess around" and make a mistake, so that they can conveniently push their illegitimate child into the spotlight.
Just as he was about to speak, Shen Qingling suddenly laughed, her peach blossom eyes curving into crescents, with a hint of self-mockery: "But my mother's family isn't easy to deal with either, they've been keeping this matter under wraps. So, my family is hoping I'll go astray, the crazier the better, even my grandfather, who loves me the most, turns a blind eye—the more outrageous I am, the more reasons they can find to sideline me and bring the illegitimate child back."
"So what do you plan to do?" Gu Luo took a sip of red wine, the warmth spreading through his chest. He leaned forward, his voice deep and earnest: "No matter what, I, Shu Ning, Shu He, Shu Ling, Xiao Man, and Xue Xue will support you."
At the same time, he added in his mind, "And Little One too."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingling tilted her head slightly, the moonlight falling on her long, curled eyelashes like scattered silver.
She scrutinized Gu Luo's face, from his high nose to his tightly pursed lips, then suddenly a sly smile appeared on her face. She reached out and poked his cheek: "He's mine, and no one can take him away. I wasn't confident before, after all, those old foxes in the family are hard to deal with, but now..."
Thinking of Luo Shuling's carefree, innocent, and harmless smile, her voice became somewhat relaxed: "Now that you've helped me, the Shen family will be mine sooner or later."
Of course, "you" here mainly refers to Luo Shuling.
Although Gu Luo didn't fully understand her plans, he still raised his glass and said, "We'll do our best."
Two crystal glasses clinked gently, producing a crisp sound. The two drank it down in one gulp. The rich aroma of the wine spread on their tongues, mingling with the gentle moonlight, and the atmosphere gradually warmed up.
After a few rounds of drinks, Shen Qingling's cheeks were flushed with a drunken blush. She rested her chin on her hand, looked at Gu Luo with hazy eyes, and said in a rare soft voice, "Gu Luo, could you... be a little gentler later?"
"Cough cough..." Gu Luo choked on the red wine and quickly nodded, "Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Before he finished speaking, he stood up, bent down, and picked Shen Qingling up in his arms.
She was lighter than he had imagined, nestled softly in his arms, her warm breath brushing against his neck.
Gu Luo walked straight towards the bedroom, his steps extremely light, afraid of shaking the person in his arms.
Reaching the bedside, he gently lifted Shen Qingling onto the soft bedding. Remembering how she had fled in panic that afternoon, he knew she would be shy on her first time, so he casually pressed the light switch on the wall.
The room was plunged into darkness in an instant, with only the moonlight filtering in from the window casting faint outlines on the two faces.
Shen Qingling's breath hitched slightly, and she subconsciously gripped the bed sheet beneath her, but she couldn't avoid Gu Luo's approaching figure.
Soon, soft murmurs and gentle sounds filled the room, mingling with the occasional chirping of insects outside the window, rippling gently in the moonlight.
...... ......
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