"Tell me, why can't Second Brother and Sister Qiuchi be together?" In the car, Lauren Shaw finally voiced the question that had been bothering her.

Tonight, Li Qiuchi kept insisting there was too great a gap between them. Sheng couldn’t understand—why should feelings be weighed by such things?

"Shengsheng, we can’t meddle in other people’s business. Everyone has their own struggles." Yancy Shaw’s warm palm covered the back of her hand, his touch calming her heart.

Yes, everyone’s circumstances are different. She couldn’t judge others by her own outlook.

Lauren Shaw turned to look at Yancy Shaw. "What about you—if it were you, what would you choose?"

"I wouldn’t choose," he replied, gazing at her with deep affection. "Because you’re right here by my side."

No one understood better than him how much it had taken for them to end up together. He wouldn’t choose, because if it were up to him, he’d do anything to keep her in his life.

Moved, Lauren Shaw laced her fingers tightly with his. Yes—back then, Yancy Shaw had gone to so much effort to win her over. It was clear: someone who truly loves you will always find a way.

—

At that moment, every light in the Snow family’s house was blazing.

From the second branch’s rooms came the occasional choking sobs. For a late hour, it was unusually lively—tonight promised to be a sleepless night.

During her time in Country F, Eva Snow had lost weight, her skin had darkened, and there was a scar on her forehead. It had scabbed over now, but still made one wince to look at it.

Once the pampered princess of the house, now in just a month she’d been reduced to this state. Xue Qiang and his wife’s hearts ached for her.

"How could my poor daughter have suffered so much?" Fang Lin wept, clutching Eva Snow tightly in her arms.

"Enough! She’s home, isn’t she? Stop the wailing—it’s disgraceful." Old Master Xue barked from beside them. He felt no pity for Eva Snow—he saw it as consequences of her own making. He was no fool.

"Dad, Yueyue is your granddaughter! If you don’t feel sorry for her, can I not even have a cry?" Fang Lin retorted, angered.

Old Master Xue said nothing further. Instead, he turned his gaze to the silent elder son, Xue Wenchang.

"Wenchang, come to the study with me."

Though the Xues were a prestigious family, it was well-known that Old Master Xue valued sons far above daughters. Xue Qiang only had Eva Snow, while the family had just one male heir, Sean Snow. Naturally, the old man valued his eldest son the most.

Unlike Xue Qiang, Xue Wenchang was shrewd and ruthless. He ran most of the family business.

Years ago, the Xues hadn’t exactly played fair in business, but in recent years they’d gradually cleaned up their act, and most past misdeeds were all but forgotten.

Inside the study, Xue Wenchang closed the door. The old man’s expression turned grave.

"I’ve heard people are still investigating that thing from back then. Have they found out anything?"

"Don’t worry, Dad. I handled everything flawlessly. No matter how hard they dig, nothing leads back to us."

The old man sighed, his eyes growing cold. "We should never have let that child go all those years ago."

"My fault for not acting quickly enough—he managed to escape," Xue Wenchang admitted, a cold light in his eyes.

"Forget it. So much time has passed; there’s nothing more they can dig up. Tell Qiang and his wife not to provoke the Shen family. They’re not someone we can afford to cross." The more satisfied he was with his eldest, the more disappointed he felt toward his youngest. How could two sons from the same parents be so different?

"How’s Mandy doing in the Shen household?"

Xue Wenchang reported honestly, "Rumor has it the Third Young Madam of the Shen family isn’t easy to deal with. Xue Qiang’s family never gets the upper hand with her, and even Mandy is regularly outmaneuvered."

"Hmph. Just a yellow-haired girl—how formidable could she be? They just lack brains, that’s why they keep losing out!" The old man, who had seen it all, scoffed. The Shens, in his eyes, were all tough opponents.

"You’re right, Dad. The Shengmei Group’s product launch is soon, and Mandy enjoys a solid position there. But..."

"But what?"

"The Shen family still doesn’t quite trust her with the family business. She’s capable, but that Chen Xiaoqin keeps blocking her path."

Xue Wenchang knew full well the situation, but for the Snow family, only maximizing benefits mattered—Mandy’s happiness didn’t.

"After so many years, she should've gotten something out of marrying into the Shen family," Old Master Xue muttered darkly. His original intent had been to use Mandy to gain control of the Shens, but in the end, she’d hardly gained a foothold.

—

The product launch was set for 3 p.m. that afternoon.

By 1 p.m., all the models had arrived at the venue to get ready. Today, Lauren Shaw wore a crisp white suit, her long hair elegantly pinned up. Her refined features gave off a gentle confidence.

Everything was in place; all that remained was for the event to begin. But she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling something was about to happen.

Li Qiuchi noticed her pacing around backstage and called out, "Stop hovering in front of me. You’re making me dizzy." Qiuchi was already done with hair and makeup, and dressed in the show’s sample outfit.

"I can’t help feeling unsettled," Lauren Shaw admitted.

Qiuchi teased, "You’re just too nervous—reminds me of my first day filming."

Lauren Shaw shook her head. It wasn’t nerves—she genuinely had a foreboding sense, like something was going to happen today, and it made her restless.

She stopped a passing staff member and asked, "Are all the models here yet?"

"Everyone’s here—just doing makeup now." The answer let Lauren Shaw breathe a little easier.

Qiuchi pulled her to sit on a bench. "Take a break. You’ve been running around nonstop—you need a rest."

"I just can’t relax," Lauren Shaw sighed, propping her chin in her hand as she stared at Qiuchi.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside. "Something’s wrong! A few of the models just started vomiting—they must’ve eaten something bad."

The words made Lauren Shaw’s heart skip a beat. Of all things to worry about, this had to happen.

"What’s going on?" Lauren Shaw raced backstage. The affected models looked awful—pale, weak, barely able to stand.

"We don’t know. Just stomach pain, that’s all," one replied feebly.

Lauren Shaw checked the time. It was 1:30, ninety minutes until showtime. But in their condition, there was little hope they’d recover in time.