Shen Qingyun was not at all surprised by Luo Shiya's response.
Or rather, if she hadn't answered that way, she wouldn't be Luo Shiya.
"As long as you're happy..." Shen Qingyun let out a long breath. "If that's the case, I hope you'll consider your grandmother's words. Given your situation, I still hope you'll leave the Capital. You can always come back, and your father and I can visit you."
"Mom, don't bother with these empty promises," Luo Shiya said calmly, looking directly at her mother. "I once trusted you and Father the most, but now I only trust Xiao Xuan. Only he won't betray me."
"Is it just because of what happened back then?"
"Yes, just because of what happened back then."
Luo Shiya's voice was flat, without a trace of emotion. Shen Qingyun tried to read something in her eldest daughter's beautiful face, but found nothing.
"When you both abandoned me and Muqi, it was Mo Xuan who risked his life to save us, resulting in his injury. To this day, he hasn't recovered his memory nerves. I've tried many methods, but the doctors told me that such damage can only recover slowly. Even if he recovers, it's uncertain how long it will take for him to remember me and Muqi."
"I can't even use modern medical technology to forcibly awaken his memories, as the consequences are unknown, and I don't want him to suffer."
"When we were abandoned by the world and betrayed by our closest relatives, only Mo Xuan was there for us. So, whether through schemes or cunning, I will make sure he stays with us forever."
Shen Qingyun closed her eyes in pain. In Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi's world, Mo Xuan was their only light.
And their other relatives, including herself, were just that—relatives.
After that incident, Luo Muqi once painted a picture. The entire world was in black and white, except for a boy sitting on a tree eating melon, who was in color.
Shen Qingyun didn't dislike Mo Xuan; in fact, she was deeply grateful to him. Her coldness towards him came from being a mother.
She didn't want her two daughters to be so obsessed, to the point of madness, and do such things. But for Mo Xuan, they cared about nothing else.
Only Shen Qingyun knew that when Mo Jinpeng had schemed against Mo Xuan, Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi had already known and prepared in advance. Even that day, they had deliberately taken medication to ensure they would conceive Mo Xuan's children.
"As for leaving the Capital, I will. I've already purchased a seaside villa abroad; Xiao Xuan loves the ocean." Thinking of Mo Xuan, Luo Shiya's eyes filled with love and a touch of madness. "Any more questions? If not, I'll have Xiao Xuan bring the children down. As their grandmother, you have the right to see them."
Shen Qingyun looked at her daughter, sometimes finding it hard to understand her. But thinking of her own past relationship with their father, she could somehow empathize.
The Shen family wasn't some small household; their roots were just not in the Capital, but in Shanghai.
While the Luo family held significant status in the Capital, the Shen family held the same in Shanghai.
Shen Qingyun had never married into the Luo family for political or financial reasons; she had truly fallen in love with their father, Luo Sheng. Luo Sheng and Mo Xuan were similar—gentle, talented, and kind.
Luo Sheng's luck was better than Mo Xuan's; he had loving parents and a deep bond with his elder brother, Luo Quan. Mo Xuan had encountered Su Yanran, but Luo Sheng was fortunate to have only Shen Qingyun.
At the time, Shen Qingyun was engaged to another wealthy family in Shanghai, with whom the Shen family had a long-standing relationship. But Shen Qingyun didn't love that man, and he didn't love her; it was purely a marriage of convenience.
Shen Qingyun had done something quite scandalous for that era—she had gotten Luo Sheng drunk and had a physical relationship with him, resulting in the birth of Luo Shiya.
But now, her daughters were even more extreme, meticulously planning every step. They loved him to the point of madness, yet could also scheme and suppress their true selves to make him theirs completely.
"I want to talk to him alone," Shen Qingyun sighed. "Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for him."
Luo Shiya remained silent, staring at her mother for a long time.
"Alright," Luo Shiya stood up. "I'll take you to the study to talk."
"Shiya, whether you believe it or not, I love you very much," Shen Qingyun said with a painful expression, looking at Luo Shiya's back. "I won't pursue the matter with Mo Xuan anymore, but listen to your mother: no matter how powerful our family is, you should be more low-key for Mo Xuan's sake."
"I've never intended to flaunt it," Luo Shiya said without looking back, walking straight toward the stairs. "And I should thank you, Mother. Families like the Xiao and Cheng families—aren't they all troubles you've brought to me and Muqi?"
Shen Qingyun was momentarily speechless, then smiled wryly. At that moment, the door opened, and Luo Muqi walked in. Seeing her mother, Luo Muqi paused, then politely said, "You're here, Mom. I'm a bit tired, so I'll head upstairs."
Shen Qingyun's lips moved, but she only managed a bitter smile. "Then rest well. I'll just take a look at Wei and Xue before I leave."
The two daughters went upstairs together. Unlike their reaction to seeing her, Luo Shiya and Luo Muqi chatted and laughed, their conversation revolving around Mo Xuan.
Shen Qingyun watched her daughters disappear, then quietly took out a photo. In it, a young her smiled warmly, holding an infant, with a little girl in a princess dress standing beside her, smiling brightly.
On the other side, at Mo Corporation, Mo Qingqing's face was livid as she stared at her phone, her hands trembling with anger.
She never would have imagined that her younger sister had a hand in the recent scandal involving Xue Ming and Cheng Yuno breaking off their engagement!
Cheng Yuno had been relentless in attacking Xue Ming, with the Cheng family leading the public opinion assault. Xue Ming had initially stayed silent, knowing he was in the wrong.
But now, Xue Family's chain of supermarkets had been affected. For a family that relied on physical stores, continuing to stay silent would only worsen the situation.
Yet, Cheng Yuno was in the right, and they couldn't afford to offend the Cheng family. So, the Xue family decided to expose Mo Tingting. Though not a top-tier celebrity, Mo Tingting was a well-known second-tier actress with a sizable fan base. Involving the entertainment industry in this high-society drama only made things more intriguing.
The Xue family was ruthless—they paid people to leak that Mo Tingting had seduced Xue Ming to advance her career, bought trending topics, hired internet trolls, and even contacted Mo Tingting's rivals.
Just as things with Mo Jinpeng were starting to calm down, Mo Tingting was caught up in this mess. Given that Mo Tingting's connection to the Mo family had never been hidden, and the family had often used her celebrity status for marketing, this was a significant blow.
"What a fool!"
Mo Qingqing slammed her hand on the table, grabbed a cigarette from the box, and tried to light it, but the lighter seemed to be malfunctioning. In a fit of anger, she threw the lighter across the room.
Mo Yingying had originally wanted to inform the family about this, but with the Mo Jinpeng incident, she hesitated, feeling sympathy for her twin sister. Since the Cheng and Xue families hadn't initially exposed Mo Tingting, Mo Yingying had hoped it would blow over.
But because of her hesitation, Mo Qingqing was now caught off guard.
"What's the point of gaining control of the company if things continue like this?"
Mo Qingqing sat in her chair, breathing heavily, her eyes red. The Ye Family must have heard about this by now, and while they hadn't contacted her, she knew they wouldn't be pleased.
"No, I need to prepare..."
Mo Qingqing took the cigarette out of her mouth and played with it in her hand. After a while, she seemed to make a decision, crushing the slender cigarette and throwing it into the trash.
"The woman behind Mo Xuan—she might be able to help me..."