Shi Erxiu, taking advantage of Su Qing’s inattention, pulled her son closer, "Keep a close eye on her, and don’t let that girl stay in a hotel. That would cost a fortune."
"With that money, she might as well spend it on showing some filial piety to me."
"Moreover, your girlfriend is used to throwing money around, a bad habit our family does not indulge in. Once you two are married, you need to keep her in check. It’s best if both of you hand over your money to me, and I’ll save it properly for you."
Zheng Zhanpeng replied impatiently, "Mom, listen to yourself. Su Qing and I haven’t even set a wedding date yet, and you’re already thinking about the future."
Shi Erxiu frowned, "I’ve seen Su Qing’s clothes in your wardrobe. She’s already living with a man, who else would she marry if not you?"
Zheng Zhanpeng continued, "Nowadays, people in the city don’t think like that. It’s not only possible to break up while being together, but even after marriage, people can still get divorced."
"Besides, Su Qing’s family flat out disagrees with our relationship."
Upon hearing this, Shi Erxiu immediately bristled like an angry cat, "My son is so outstanding, and her family still disagrees? You should know how popular you are in our area. When I was at home, hearing that you were a handsome college student, countless suitors came to propose..."
Thinking about how her son, who made her especially proud, was being criticized and picked apart filled her heart with anger, making her even less fond of Su Qing.
"They might look down on you, but Su Qing is still head over heels in love with you..." Shi Erxiu smirked proudly. "I can tell that Su Qing really likes you."
Zheng Zhanpeng nodded in agreement. Indeed, Su Qing was deeply in love with him, otherwise, she wouldn’t be so compliant.
Suddenly, an idea struck Shi Erxiu, and she leaned closer to her son, whispering softly, "I think we should do this..."
"Mom, that doesn’t seem right." Zheng Zhanpeng’s eyes widened as he hesitated.
Shi Erxiu, frustrated at her son’s reluctance, hit him twice, "If Su Qing gets pregnant, her family will have no choice but to accept the marriage, even if they were against it."
"And it’ll save a dowry."
Zheng Zhanpeng: "...."
"Son, you know our family’s situation...."
----------------------
Lately, Su Li lived a comfortable life. Besides managing the Su Group, she had developed a small hobby.
The Secretary General in Su Li’s secretarial office was startled to discover that their boss had recently taken a keen interest in various Taoist Xuanxue cultures.
The subtle force she had perceived in her Conscious Sea now only allowed her to absorb stray water energy from the air, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t approach it from other angles.
This world too had its share of Xuanxue cultures, although many had declined due to societal advancements, resulting in a society without belief.
But disbelief does not mean these had never existed.
Exactly because Su Li could now absorb stray water energy from the air, it proved that even though it was the dharma-ending age, Spiritual Energy still existed in this world.
The Su Family was wealthy, and with just a word from Su Li, people eager to please her and those with ties to the Su Family naturally delivered whatever she needed.
In her office, Su Li flipped through the latest batch of miscellaneous books handed to her. Most discussions within were superficial, but, fortunately, she came across a reliable Daoist Scripture.
This Scripture was briefly described in a worn-out book, which Su Li glanced over without giving it much thought.
However, just those few sentences on the Nameless Dao Scripture suddenly triggered the Spiritual Energy within her body.
Su Li suddenly felt a slight stir in the book within her Conscious Sea, it was a very subtle movement, but she sensed it.
There seemed to be a tacit understanding between them, akin to how a mental method required techniques to unleash the greatest energy of martial arts.
Su Li took interest, dedicating all her energy to studying the Nameless Dao Scripture, though she never neglected her attention towards her daughter.
It seemed to be reaching the time in her past life when Su Qing would stealthily return home to steal the household register.
This time, she wondered how Su Qing would choose. Would she still commit such a defiant act under the explicit opposition of her family?
However, Su Li waited and waited but Su Qing never returned. It wasn’t until her subordinates handed her the Zheng Family investigation report that she learned her daughter was being bolder than in her previous life.
The first outrageous act Su Qing committed in her past life was to steal the household register from home and secretly marry Zheng Zhanpeng.
But in this life, she had gone a step further by getting pregnant before marriage.
Su Li didn’t know that her arrival had already altered the initial trajectory.
Su Li didn’t have the genuine affection for Su Qing that her original self possessed and her harshness towards her was real.
Although the original self opposed her daughter’s choice of marriage, she did not force Su Qing into such a desperate situation as to surrender everything.
Su Qing still enjoyed all the glory of the Su Family and shared a sweet and loving relationship with her boyfriend, making Zheng Zhanpeng and the Zheng Family in no hurry at all.
But everything changed the moment Su Li arrived.
First, Su Qing was forbidden from accessing any of Su Family’s resources, followed by a statement issued by the Su Group.
These developments alarmed those with ulterior motives.
It was some time after the Su Group issued their statement that Zheng Zhanpeng even became aware of it.
He learned of it through a classmate who worked at a company that had some business dealings with the Su Group.
Although Zheng Zhanpeng graduated from a prestigious university, his college days were unremarkable, offering no extraordinary experiences or achievements, making him noncompetitive compared to outstanding graduates from equivalent institutions.
Major conglomerates were out of reach for him with his credentials, and small companies were beneath him, as he prided himself on being a graduate of a prestigious university.
After a lengthy search, it was only through Su Qing’s connections that he found a job at a moderately sized company.
Naturally, he, who had no contacts within major companies like the Su Group, was blissfully unaware of the statement issued by the Su Group.
And so was Su Qing, unknowingly.
In order to demonstrate her resolve to her family, Su Qing even resigned from her position as a division manager within one of Su Family’s branches and instead joined another smaller company, a move she never mentioned to her boyfriend.
Zheng Zhanpeng’s classmate from college had always had some frictions with him.
Zheng Zhanpeng disliked the other’s nonchalant and libertine demeanor, while the other looked down on Zheng Zhanpeng’s pretentious airs.
At a certain class reunion, everyone was flattering Zheng Zhanpeng, particularly envious of him for having a girlfriend who was an heiress to a large conglomerate.
Indeed, securing such a relationship could save them decades of struggle.
This classmate couldn’t stand it, "His girlfriend isn’t the heir of the Su Family anymore. I heard Mr. Su directly declared that his daughter pursued true love, so she has no ties with the Su Family anymore."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhanpeng’s previously light-hearted mood vanished entirely, prompting him to consider the idea his mother had been boastingly suggesting to him lately.
If Su Qing was pregnant...