After the matter with Zhao Chunjun, Shen Qingzhou had a period of time without dealing with the court. Unexpectedly, he now had to return again. In the lawsuit against Qi Zheng, Shen was very confident about winning, so he didn’t take it too seriously. The only one who suffered was Rong Lun, who had been helping him tirelessly. Rong Lun had pushed aside all other matters at the law firm to fully devote himself to assisting Shen—this was truly reliable, revolutionary friendship.
Since summer was approaching, Shen Qingzhou wanted to build a swimming pool at home, so both adults and children would have an extra recreational activity, making the summer more comfortable. However, constructing a swimming pool at his house required Shen to personally oversee the process. Every inch of land at his home was carefully considered for feng shui and aesthetics, and hiring construction workers might damage the delicate balance.
So, with several construction vehicles arranged, Shen Qingzhou began preparing blueprints and purchasing materials to build the swimming pool at the back of the courtyard.
Buying materials wasn’t a problem—as long as there was money, everything could be obtained. The real challenge was the blueprints.
No matter how he designed it, Shen Qingzhou never felt it was perfect enough. He browsed countless reference images online but remained unsatisfied. Eventually, he had no choice but to hire several professional designers to help. After months of back-and-forth revisions, the blueprints were finally finalized.
Once the blueprints were ready, it was time to begin construction. However, since the children were still very young, the noise from construction might disturb their rest. Therefore, Shen Qingzhou temporarily halted the project, planning to resume it once the children grew a little older.
The lawsuit against Qi Zheng lasted nearly a year. In the end, Shen Qingzhou emerged victorious. Qi Zheng not only lost the case but also suffered financial losses and lost his job, ultimately falling into a state of destitution.
Perhaps this was the long-overdue retribution that had finally caught up with him—after harboring doubts and inflicting harm upon his own flesh and blood, justice had finally arrived.
As the saying goes, good and evil will eventually receive their due. Heaven’s justice is cyclical—just look up and see, has Heaven ever spared anyone? o(￣ヘ￣o＃)
The following summer, after the matter with Qi Zheng had concluded, Shen Xuan and Shen Jing had both learned to walk. Shen Jing’s steps were still unsteady, requiring the care of his older brother, while Shen Xuan constantly teased her younger brother for being clumsy, proudly darting around the house to show off her graceful gait.
Shen Jing couldn’t speak much yet and only knew a few words. He called everyone “Dad,” which worried Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao greatly.
Summer arrived, and the children had grown a bit older. Shen Qingzhou resumed preparations for building the swimming pool. Once it was completed, he planned to install a lock to prevent the young children from wandering into the backyard and falling into the pool. Thus, for most of the summer, he was busy with the pool project. Together with Du Xinling, he hired several workers to help, and eventually, the swimming pool was completed quite impressively.
Looking at the clear water shimmering in the backyard pool, Lin Qiao was eager to try it out. “I’m going to change into my swimsuit. You go help Mom take care of the kids,” she said, waving her hand at Shen Qingzhou.
Shen Qingzhou had seen her without clothes, in her underwear, and in all sorts of outfits, but he had never seen her in a bikini. Upon hearing her words, he refused to leave. He dragged a chair over, sat down with his arms crossed, and said calmly, “I’ll stay here and watch you swim.”
“Mom can’t take care of all three kids by herself,” Lin Qiao protested.
Shen Qingzhou replied indifferently, “Du Xinling is there too.”
“He’s busy with his girlfriend!”
“You introduced someone he didn’t like, and the one he chose, you don’t like. Didn’t you oppose their relationship in the first place? Why does he still need to spend time with her? Just break up already.”
Lin Qiao exclaimed in surprise, “You didn’t tell him I don’t like that girl, did you?”
Shen Qingzhou shrugged, “What are you afraid of? She’s not that great anyway.” He wore a look of disdain, as if to say, “If your own people are bad, why can’t others say so?”
Lin Qiao hesitated, “But he really likes her. If he likes her, let them be together. Why do you have to interfere so much?”
Shen Qingzhou calmly explained, “We’re business partners. His partner’s quality directly affects my work mood—I naturally have to get involved.”
Lin Qiao looked at him with a strange expression, hesitating for a moment before saying, “If you weren’t so… active every night, I’d seriously doubt if you’re gay…”
Shen Qingzhou hadn’t caught what she said at first, but when he finally understood, his face turned very dark. “Nonsense! You’ve been reading too many weird novels online, and your brain’s gone bad. I think staying home taking care of the kids all day has messed with your head. You should go back to work tomorrow.”
Lin Qiao immediately replied, “Great! I’ll go back to work, and you take care of the kids.”
“…” Shen Qingzhou was speechless and finally said, “Aren’t you going swimming? Go change.”
Successfully distracted, Lin Qiao excitedly ran back into the house to change. Shen Qingzhou, having achieved his goal, sat on the chair eagerly waiting for her return, anticipating the sight of his wife in a swimsuit. Though his mind was filled with fantasies, his expression remained calm and composed—truly a master of self-control.
Though he played it well, he was caught off guard when Lin Qiao appeared. Not because she looked stunning, but because she looked… underwhelming.
Lin Qiao hadn’t put on a swimsuit at all. She came out in shorts and a T-shirt, ignoring Shen Qingzhou’s expression as she jumped straight into the water, swimming around like a fish. She wasn’t fast—more like slowly splashing around, which was more playing than swimming.
“How come…” Shen Qingzhou stood up and crouched by the poolside, watching her. “How come you’re dressed like this?”
Lin Qiao briefly replied while splashing around, “What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?”
Shen Qingzhou looked at her in disbelief. “Didn’t I tell you to change? Why are you wearing this? Isn’t it the same as not changing at all?”
Lin Qiao stopped and leaned against the edge of the pool, brushing water from her hair as she looked at him. “What’s wrong with this? What was I supposed to wear?”
Shen Qingzhou replied naturally, “Of course you should wear a swimsuit when swimming.”
Lin Qiao was taken aback, then realized what he meant and awkwardly said, “A swimsuit? No way.”
“Why not?” Shen Qingzhou frowned and pressed further.
Lin Qiao exhaled and said, “I… I…”
“Which one? Is it your period? If it is, why did you even get in the water?”
“No! It’s…” Lin Qiao hesitated.
Seeing her hesitation, Shen Qingzhou urged impatiently, “Just say it directly! What’s there we can’t talk about? We’re in this relationship.”
Lin Qiao thought about it—after all, there was nothing about her that he hadn’t seen. She no longer hesitated and said bluntly, “My stretch marks from pregnancy are too ugly. I don’t want to wear a swimsuit that shows my stomach—I can’t stand it.”
“…” Shen Qingzhou’s lips twitched. “So that’s why.”
Lin Qiao looked up at him and asked, “What did you think? You’ve seen them before. They’re scary and ugly!”
Shen Qingzhou said, “You should go to a beauty salon sometime. There must be ways to treat them.”
Lin Qiao frowned, “No way! I’m scared it’ll hurt.”
Shen Qingzhou replied, “Who said it hurts? You can use topical treatments.”
“Those don’t work. Ugh, forget it! It’s not like it affects anything—I just won’t wear a revealing swimsuit,” Lin Qiao said again before diving back into the water and calling out to him, “You coming in? The water’s really cool down here.”
Shen Qingzhou looked at his shirt and long pants and shook his head. “I’ll pass. I’ll go help Mom with the kids.” He stood up to leave.
But Lin Qiao, quick as lightning, swam forward and grabbed his ankle. As he looked down in confusion, she laughed loudly, “Come down and keep me company!” With that, she pulled hard, and Shen Qingzhou’s foot instinctively moved, causing him to fall into the pool.
Shen Qingzhou had always been unguarded around Lin Qiao, instinctively yielding to her physically. That was why he had been pulled in. If it had been anyone else, he probably wouldn’t have budged, let alone been dragged into the water.
Soon, Shen Qingzhou’s neatly pressed shirt and trousers were soaked through. The leather shoes made him uncomfortable in the water, but he had already fallen in, and going back up would surely upset her. So, he stayed in the pool, playing with her in his heavy formalwear.
As he adjusted his posture, Shen Qingzhou felt a hand grasp his. He turned and saw Lin Qiao swimming close. Her lips, damp from the water, met his in a kiss. The warmth of her lips instantly erased any complaints he had. With his feet adjusting in the water, his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.
Each was casting their own “spell,” and it was impossible to resist. So they gave in to the moment. The swimming pool, originally meant for cooling off in summer, gained a new, more intimate purpose. As Lin Qiao clung to Shen Qingzhou, she could feel the heat rising beneath her. As their passion grew, the man’s sensitive response to their intimacy became evident. The fresh underwater kiss left both of them a little out of control.
It was a long, long time before Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao finally parted. He held her tightly around the waist, pulling her close. His breath was heavy, his gaze deep and mesmerizing, the desire in his eyes unmistakable.
Unable to help herself, Lin Qiao covered his eyes with her hand, half-teasing, half-scolding, “Be a little more reserved.”
Shen Qingzhou shrugged, “I’m kissing my own wife in our own swimming pool. Why should I be reserved?”
Hardly had his words faded when a leisurely voice interrupted, “Son, a little more restraint, please. Look at your son and daughter—hahaha.”
Xie Jiayi’s laughter sent chills down their spines. Shen Qingzhou and Lin Qiao quickly separated, turning their gazes toward the edge of the pool. There stood Xie Jiayi, flanked by two baby strollers. Shen Xuan and Shen Jing sat inside, while the eldest child, Shen Ning, stood beside them, eyes wide in shock.
After a moment of silence, it was Shen Ning who spoke first. He coughed and said, “Dad, I didn’t see anything,” then quickly turned to Xie Jiayi and said, “Grandma, I’m going back to do homework!” and ran off in a flash.
Lin Qiao, utterly embarrassed, sank into the water. Shen Qingzhou, worried she might suffocate, pulled her up. She glared at him with a mix of frustration and embarrassment, and together they awkwardly climbed out of the pool.
Xie Jiayi gazed at the couple with a meaningful expression. After a moment, she said, “Maybe I showed up at a bad time, but the kids really missed you two. They kept crying. If I hadn’t just seen you like that, they probably would still be crying.”
Lin Qiao immediately turned her back to Xie Jiayi and hurriedly said, “I’m going to change. I’ll come take care of the kids right away,” and ran off—her speed rivaled that of Xiao Ning.
Shen Qingzhou lazily climbed out of the pool, shaking the water off his body. He looked at his mother and said, “You sure know how to pick your timing.”
Xie Jiayi covered her mouth and giggled, “Oh my, you young people are full of passion—I understand. It was my mistake, my mistake. I promise not to do it again next time.”
Shen Qingzhou eyed her doubtfully. Though she verbally promised not to, her expression clearly said, “Next time, I’m doing it again!”
Sighing helplessly, Shen Qingzhou walked past them toward the house. “I’m going to change,” he said casually.
Xie Jiayi naturally didn’t object. Although it was summer, she still worried her son might catch a cold. But her grandson had other ideas. Xiao Shen Jing, sitting in his stroller, called out in his baby voice, “Dad!”
Shen Qingzhou paused, turned to look at his youngest son, who kept calling out, “Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad!” as if trying to earn a reward.
For some reason, hearing his son call him like that made it impossible for him to take another step. Yielding to his heart, he returned to his son’s side, crouched beside the stroller, and gently touched his cheek. “What do you want, calling Dad?”
The little boy reached out his hands. Shen Qingzhou looked at his wet clothes and explained, “Dad’s too wet right now. Wait until I change, and I’ll pick you up.”
But the little boy didn’t understand. He stubbornly reached out, demanding a hug. Seeing this, the little girl, not wanting to be left out, also began calling “Dad!” in chorus. The scene became a duet, heartwarming and touching.
Xie Jiayi smiled slightly and asked, “Do you think it’s troublesome?”
Shen Qingzhou paused, then looked up at his mother and asked, “Was I like this when I was little?”
Hearing this, Xie Jiayi recalled with emotion, “You, when you were little, didn’t have the fortune of calling Dad. You only called ‘Mom’ all day long—and you were even more clingy than these two.”
Shen Qingzhou didn’t bring up the past with his father, which might sadden his mother. He changed the subject, “So, did you think I was troublesome back then?”
Without hesitation, Xie Jiayi replied, “Of course not. Not at all.”
Shen Qingzhou stood up and smiled, “I’m the same as you.”
Xie Jiayi was momentarily stunned, then smiled genuinely from the depths of her heart. In this world, very few people are denied the right to become parents—almost everyone can become one. When we become parents, we take on a new responsibility. The threshold for accepting that responsibility is low, but very few truly do it well. When we become parents, perhaps we can’t be perfect, but we can always do our best.
Children cannot choose whether or not they want to be born into this world. As parents, all we can do is ensure they never regret being born.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage