Luo Jianguo sat beside Luo Qianqian's bed, with his head lowered, his eyes dull and his face cold.
"Ah." Luo Jianguo sighed and said guiltily, "I'm sorry for Weiwei."
Luo Qianqian sneered and said contemptuously: "Why do you feel sorry for her. You should feel sorry for me. I have been without a mother since I was a child."
Luo Qianqian felt so angry that her teeth were about to break when she thought about Luo Wei and Mo Huai getting together. She had been without a mother since she was a child. Wasn't she pitiful?
Luo Jianguo looked at Luo Qianqian with disappointment. He recalled that, at that time, he had secretly kept a concubine named Jiang Zhizhi, who became pregnant around the same time as Zhu Shulan.
Unexpectedly, both women went into labor on the same day. Jiang Zhizhi faced a difficult delivery due to severe bleeding. Before she passed away, she repeatedly pleaded for her daughter to be taken back to the Luo family and well cared for.
In his grief over losing his beloved Jiang Zhizhi, Luo Jianguo decided to deceive Zhu Shulan by switching their daughters. Zhu Shulan, weak and fainted, when she woke up the next day, Luo Jianguo had already swapped Luo Wei and Luo Qianqian.
Zhu Shulan sat on the hospital bed, playfully teasing little Luo Qianqian, thoroughly enjoying her time with the child.
At the door, Luo Jianguo stood with a solemn expression, his hands trembling as he held little Luo Wei. When Zhu Shulan turned her head and saw Luo Jianguo, he managed a strained, awkward smile.
Zhu Shulan's gaze then fell on the baby in Luo Jianguo's arms. Raising her eyebrows, she asked, "Who is she?"
A flicker of panic crossed Luo Jianguo’s face, but he quickly masked it and stammered, "This is the child of my business partner. He..."
Zhu Shulan looked puzzled and asked, "What's wrong with him? Why is the child in your hands?" She continued to tease Luo Qianqian as she spoke.
Luo Jianguo quickly explained, "He was in a car accident, his wife ran off with someone, and the baby is now an orphan. Can we adopt her?" He spoke rapidly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his tone tinged with nervousness.
Zhu Shulan stretched her neck to get a better look at the baby in Luo Jianguo's arms. The child seemed oddly familiar, and as little Luo Wei noticed the attention, she began to giggle.
Seeing this, Zhu Shulan’s expression softened. "Since she’s so pitiful and without parents at such a young age, our Luo family should adopt her," she said with a smile.
Luo Jianguo’s tense expression gradually softened, and he smiled, saying, “Really, honey? That’s great.” He embraced Zhu Shulan and gave her a kiss.
Zhu Shulan blushed and said, “This is a hospital, please be serious.”
Luo Jianguo didn’t understand why Zhu Shulan had liked Luo Wei so much when she was young but had grown to dislike her over time. He knew that much of the animosity stemmed from Luo Qianqian’s gossip and instigation. Additionally, Zhu Shulan's belief that Luo Qianqian was her biological daughter only intensified her resentment towards Luo Wei.
As a child, Luo Wei had been very strong. Zhu Shulan often resorted to cold treatment, and the stark difference in how she treated Luo Wei compared to Luo Qianqian left deep emotional scars on Luo Wei’s young heart.
Beatings, scoldings, withholding food, and confining Luo Wei to a small, dark room were all things she had endured. Yet, the emotional neglect and indifference had been the most damaging, shaping her sensitive, sentimental, and unpredictable nature.
Luo Jianguo, lost in thought, recalled the past. Gathering his composure, he spoke earnestly to Luo Qianqian, “You need to be kinder to Luo Wei in the future. She’s your nominal sister, and you’ve benefited from her identity over the years. Don’t make things difficult for her. Remember, she is also my biological daughter.”
Luo Qianqian rolled her eyes and replied with evident annoyance, “Am I really treating her so badly? I don’t think so.”
"I'm going to sleep, you can go out." Luo Qianqian ordered him to leave.
Luo Jianguo's status in the Luo family is well known. In the eyes of the Zhu family, he is a gigolo who has relied on women to achieve success.
Luo Jianguo sighed heavily, he stood up, turned off the lights in the room, and then walked away.
When Luo Qianqian saw Luo Jianguo come out, the disgusted look on her face had disappeared. She took out her cell phone from under the quilt and scrolled through the super topic of "Song of Youth" with a sharp gaze.
Of course she would go to support her idol's latest movie.
She opened Chi Yu's WeChat and the last message was from last month, ending with no reply from Chi Yu.
Luo Qianqian thought for a moment before typing quickly: Brother Yu, Fu Chen’s latest movie is out. Shall we go see it together?
After a few minutes without a reply, Luo Qianqian pouted in frustration. She angrily tossed her phone onto the bed and pulled the quilt over her head.
——
Mo Huai parked the car on the boulevard, and the girl in the passenger seat was fast asleep. He opened the passenger door, bent down, and carefully lifted her into his arms. Her peaceful sleeping face was a sight to behold.
As Mo Huai carried her toward the door, she stirred slightly, her brow furrowing as if she was about to wake up.
"Where am I?" Luo Wei mumbled, her eyes still closed.
"Home," Mo Huai replied with a gentle smile.
Luo Wei slowly opened her eyes as Mo Huai gently laid her down on the sofa. He looked at her with a soft expression and asked, "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Luo Wei nodded, still not fully alert.
At that moment, Luo Wei's stomach growled. She touched her belly and smiled sheepishly, "I think I'm hungry..."
Mo Huai chuckled, "It's normal for a pregnant woman to be hungry. Can you wait for me for fifteen minutes?" He affectionately caressed her head before heading to the kitchen.
Less than fifteen minutes later, Mo Huai returned with a bowl of non-fried tomato and egg noodles. Luo Wei's eyes lit up as she licked the corner of her mouth. "Wow, Brother Mo is amazing," she exclaimed, raising both thumbs up in admiration.
Mo Huai smiled at her enthusiasm, his expression warm. "Brother Mo only when you want to eat?" he asked playfully, referring to himself in the third person.
Luo Wei giggled and said, "No, no, you'll always be my Brother Mo." She playfully wagged her index finger.
Mo Huai placed the noodles on the dining table, then took out his phone, snapped a photo of the dish, focusing on the tomato and egg noodles.
Luo Wei walked over, bent down, and inhaled the aroma. It smelled delicious—he truly was a little culinary genius. In no time, she finished the large bowl of noodles, wiping her mouth with a satisfied smile.
After she finished eating, Mo Huai took the bowl to the kitchen to wash it.
In the kitchen, unbeknownst to Luo Wei, Mo Huai opened WeChat Moments and quickly typed a post with his slender fingers: "[Cook a bowl of noodles for the girl you love]," followed by a WeChat emoticon. He attached the photo he had just taken of the noodles and clicked send.
After posting, Mo Huai slipped his phone back into his pocket and returned to the living room. He gently picked up Luo Wei and carried her towards the bedroom.
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