Chapter 84 – Extra: Shen Ning × Lu Fengge
Shen Ning cleverly changed the subject. “Lu Fengge, this child came after I confessed to you. He was conceived on the premise of love. You don’t have any objections now, right?”
Lu Fengge had no objections. He had never had any. He only hated himself for not being attentive enough—letting his wife carry two babies and still get overstuffed from eating. How uncomfortable Shen Ning must have been.
Shen Ning said, “Don’t talk nonsense. I wasn’t uncomfortable. You’re the one who tricked me into coming out to ‘digest’ the food.”
Lu Fengge led Shen Ning into the lounge. He had set it up after Shen Ning’s second false pregnancy, and it turned out he’d done the right thing. The lounge had a soft bed and a Luohan chair—both soft and firm—good for resting and for coaxing people.
Lu Fengge poured Shen Ning a cup of warm water to aid digestion and held his hand, walking him around in circles.
Shen Ning said, “I want to lie down and sleep.”
“Okay.”
Lu Fengge stayed by the bed, staring at Shen Ning without blinking. A pregnant belly that’s full shouldn’t be rubbed. Though Shen Ning was only three months along and there was no need to be this nervous, there were two gestational sacs inside him. Lu Fengge had engraved every precaution into his mind.
Yawning, Shen Ning grabbed Lu Fengge’s hand and placed it on his own belly. “You’ve wanted to touch it for a long time, haven’t you? You don’t have to be so careful. Compared to your two babies with such weak presence, what’s inside right now is mostly sweet-and-sour pork. Are you sure you need to be this cautious with a bowl of sweet-and-sour pork?”
Lu Fengge: “……”
Lu Fengge carefully touched Shen Ning’s belly through his clothes, utterly unlike the way he’d grip Shen Ning’s waist in bed. Luckily, these past three months they’d each been busy with their own work and hadn’t had time to hug much.
Shen Ning being pregnant with twins was a huge sensation in both the Shen and Lu families.
His parents, his younger sister and brother-in-law all moved as a group to settle in Nan Cheng, practically wanting to take Shen Ning home to live with them.
Lu Fengge almost couldn’t withstand the pressure and was on the verge of “losing his wife.” Just as he was packing up to go live long-term with the Shen family, at that critical moment Shen Ning’s younger sister also got pregnant. Shen Ning told his mother to prioritize taking care of his sister—daughters needed their mother more. He himself would be fine with Lu Fengge taking care of him.
With his wife pregnant during the rise of his career, Lu Fengge clearly spent more time at home, but the expansion of his business empire never slowed.
This era was full of opportunities. Lu Fengge had timing, location, and people on his side; both his ability and his luck stood out among the best. All the companies he founded after marriage—Shen Ning held half the shares in every one of them.
As for the companies he had owned solely before marriage, during one equity change he directly altered the structure so that Shen Ning held 99%.
According to the marriage alliance agreement, once Eldest Lu and Second Lu were born, they would already hold in their hands the company jointly operated by the Shen and Lu families. For now, Lu Fengge managed it on their behalf; in the future, it would all be given to the children.
A young father raising two children had no reason not to work hard.
Two gestational sacs meant separate placentas—fraternal twins. By eight months, ultrasounds could clearly tell they were two brothers who didn’t look much alike; presumably one would resemble Shen Ning and the other Lu Fengge.
Lu Fengge worked hard on his own, but in the evenings, by the bedside, his prenatal education for the children consisted of teaching the two brothers to get along harmoniously: don’t develop a competitive mindset, don’t fight over nutrients—especially don’t fight over their mother’s nutrients.
Shen Ning said, “You say this every day. You might end up with two sons who have no ambition at all. Not a single one to inherit the family business—your fellow CEOs will laugh at you.”
Lu Fengge often felt that Shen Ning’s logic could veer off at unimaginable angles. He spoke grandly: “Let them laugh. I’ll just work a bit harder, live a bit longer—still go to work at seventy or eighty, easily support them until they’re fifty. At fifty, one understands one’s destiny; after that, they can just muddle along.”
“You’re right.” Once ancient sayings were brought out, Shen Ning felt Lu Fengge was a great talent, and that everything he said was right.
Ever since Lu Fengge had been “unbanned” from using idioms, he had mastered the art of attracting his wife.
Shen Ning said, “That sounds so hard for you. In the future the internet will be very advanced—people all over the country will know you’re still working at eighty and can’t retire.” Honestly, that would be a bit embarrassing. With Lu Fengge constantly in the news, Shen Ning decided he himself should keep a lower profile.
Lu Fengge’s prenatal education was very effective. The two brothers maintained synchronized growth, with no obvious imbalance in nutrient supply.
Their birth was also very smooth, precisely on the due date.
Lu Fengge held each child up for Shen Ning to see. Shen Ning stared at Lu Lou for a moment and said, “Your son looks like he couldn’t even be bothered to inherit spiritual vitality.”
He really did look very laid-back. Shen Ning felt he’d better work hard in the future too.
Father Shen comforted his son. “Don’t be so pessimistic. We don’t have the genes of male bees.”
Shen Ning asked what male bees were. Father Shen slipped up—he rarely mentioned other spiritual races. “They’re the diligent bee folk from legend. Occasionally, one or two lazy ones appear.”
Shen Ning nodded. “You can tell me; I’ll listen and won’t tell anyone else. Since these two kids don’t have spiritual vitality, the secrets of our Flower Deity clan end here.”
Father Shen nodded, looking lovingly at his two grandsons. “Being ordinary people is the best. Grandpa hopes you’ll be safe and sound all your lives.”
Mother Shen made a pair of longevity locks and placed them in the babies’ swaddling clothes.
Shen Ning’s Chinese was very good, but his literary depth still couldn’t match Lu Fengge’s. He increasingly felt Lu Fengge was a great talent who had merely chosen to go into business. With love-tinted glasses on, he said, “You name them.”
Lu Fengge wanted to completely dispel Shen Ning’s idea of repaying favors. He said, “Let’s call them Shen Lou and Shen Yushu.” The second one was more delicate—Yushu suited him well.
Shen Ning said, “My sister’s child has the Shen surname. Let these two take yours.”
At this moment, he truly hadn’t had children to repay favors—but the Shen family owing the Lu family many lives in the past was also a hard fact.
A surname alone could hardly repay such deep kindness. He just hoped the Lu family would have more members.
Shen Ning said, “Let’s do it this way. When they officially live off their parents someday, they won’t disgrace the Shen family.”
Lu Fengge: “…That’s true.”
Lu Fengge’s father looked at the young couple, then at the two sleeping grandsons, and was utterly speechless.
Just as Lu Fengge decided to revise his heir training plan, the brotherly harmony between his two sons seemed to last only until the moment they were born.
Bottles had to be fed at the same time; baths had to be given at the same time. Lu Fengge couldn’t manage two children by himself—Shen Ning had to help.
The baby who had been underweight at birth caught up to peers within half a year.
After turning one, the children’s learning ability strengthened. Both brothers showed strong interest in learning. Seeing a little prodigy playing piano on TV, they wanted to learn. Seeing elderly men exercising in the park, they wanted to follow along and practice boxing.
Shen Ning was dumbfounded. The two sons, at such a young age, already had the same drive to strive as Lu Fengge.
He loved dressing his sons up. The two suspender-clad toddlers sat side by side: one playing the piano properly, the other flipping through picture books. Guests would get envious just looking.
Shen Ning said to Lu Fengge with relief, “We married early and had kids early—you might be able to retire at forty.”
Lu Fengge was very satisfied. “Ningning, your genes are amazing.”
Shen Ning said, “Likewise.”
Many people gradually become irritable while raising children, but Shen Ning grew gentler with his kids.
His quirky logic showed only when facing Lu Fengge. With the children, he was gentle and wise; both sons adored their dad.
Lu Fengge completely and patiently accommodated Shen Ning’s logic, selfishly not wanting others to see Shen Ning’s adorable side. Outsiders spoke of Shen Ning as gentle, refined, and brimming with talent. Only Lu Fengge knew how much effort Shen Ning put in—he even cleared two rooms just to store Shen Ning’s calligraphy practice works.
When the twins turned three, Shen Ning got pregnant with a third child.
Shen Ning was even more shocked than the first time. What shocked him was that he’d once casually joked about giving Lu Fengge three children—and it had actually come true?
“Lu Fengge, your ancestors are something else,” Shen Ning said.
Lu Fengge no longer doubted life because of such “repaying favors” remarks. Whether Shen Ning loved him or not—he knew very clearly.
A good husband would even go along with his wife’s words. “Right, I rely entirely on my ancestors’ blessings. Can you sit down while you talk? The floor was just mopped.”
Whether wealth or love, the ancestors had indeed played a part. Lu Fengge calmly acknowledged the fact. His ancestors provided the conditions; how he lived was his own ability.
Shen Ning said, “Do you think the eldest and second will like a new member?”
Lu Fengge said, “I’ll go talk to them.”
Both Lu Lou and Lu Yushu said they were very happy to have a new little friend. In front of both dads, they even made wishes that the new little friend would be very cute and call them “big brother” in a sweet voice.
Little Lu Lou looked up at his dad. “Do wishes like that work?”
Shen Ning said, “Depends on whether your ancestors can hear you.”
Little Lu Lou asked, “Where are the ancestors?”
Shen Ning said, “In the sky. Or maybe outer space.”
Little Yushu said rationally, “Sound can’t travel in a vacuum. The ancestors won’t hear us.”
Sure enough, the ancestors didn’t hear them.
The new little brother was cute—cute, but not very sweet. His little fists were hard.
When big brother and second brother practiced taekwondo, he lay nearby watching, flipping and rolling along with them.
Seeing that his youngest liked to follow along, whenever the eldest and second practiced strength training, Lu Fengge would put him aside to observe.
After praising the two older ones as teachable, the coach turned around and saw that the youngest had exceptional natural talent. His eyes lit up.
Lu Xiao saw his two brothers sparring with each other and couldn’t wait to join in—brave and fearless, without protective gear. Even the nanny couldn’t grab him.
Then he was unexpectedly punched once by each brother and burst into tears.
Lu Xiao: “……”
Lu Lou: “……”
Lu Lou said, “Little brother, hit back. Aim here.”
Lu Xiao responded with an “oh,” doing exactly as his brother said.
Lu Lou said, “You’re hitting too hard. Second brother, demonstrate once.”
Lu Yushu didn’t understand where to demonstrate and smacked the little brother’s butt.
Lu Xiao immediately hit back.
In a family of three brothers, not fighting was basically impossible. After fighting, they’d wail loudly. When they saw Lu Fengge come home and then looked at their bruised siblings, they cried even louder out of guilt.
The eldest and second were crying. The third was crying too—and even louder.
With three kids wailing, Lu Fengge’s head was about to explode. Shen Ning was on a business trip, and Lu Fengge had signed a written guarantee that he could take good care of the three children.
He asked what had happened, but none of his sons paid him any attention.
Lu Fengge put his hands on his hips. He was tall and had to bend ninety degrees to get close to the three kids, trying to mediate. “Whoever stops first gets a Bubble Castle.”
“An hour of cartoons?”
“A track toy train?”
Still useless.
Lu Fengge lowered his voice. “Keep crying and I’ll hit you.”
Just then, Shen Ning happened to return. The moment he opened the door, he heard that line. Looking again at his injured sons, he said in disbelief, “Lu Fengge, you hit the kids at home?!”
Lu Fengge was utterly wronged, at a loss. “I didn’t. I didn’t.”
