It seems that when someone is unconscious, sweet words are useless—you need to say something that truly provokes them.

There was a knock on the office door.

Yancy Shaw was sorting through patient files. He looked up to see Aaron standing at his door.

"Mr. Shen, do you have a moment? I'd like to talk." Aaron got straight to the point. Compared to his slick manners on the basketball court, in private he seemed noticeably more genuine and gentle.

Already guessing the reason for Aaron's visit, Yancy Shaw raised an eyebrow and glanced at the time. "Sure, let's find somewhere else to talk."

The office wasn’t the place for business negotiations.

A short while later, Yancy Shaw and Aaron sat face-to-face in a nearby café. Every move that Yancy Shaw made exuded a subtle air of refinement. Aaron couldn’t help but think that a man like this seemed wasted as a doctor—he should be dominating in the business world.

"Thank you very much for saving my daughter," Aaron began. "Originally, I had already decided on a partner for the distribution rights, but now I've changed my mind."

Yancy Shaw looked at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.

"To be honest, I wasn’t too satisfied with your company’s offer. Wanrui’s price was three times higher than yours." Aaron gave him a meaningful look.

"So?" Yancy Shaw’s expression remained calm, betraying not the slightest hint of emotion.

"I’m a businessman—we’re supposed to care only about profits. But when I saw my daughter collapse, I realized what truly matters."

He had lost both his wife and son. He used to think his heart had hardened to stone, but seeing Faye lying in that hospital bed proved otherwise.

"Your brother is exceptional. I really admire his drive."

Yancy Shaw nodded in agreement. "He’s always been exceptional."

A smile of genuine appreciation appeared in Aaron’s eyes. "There’s a strong bond between you two brothers, Dr. Shen. And you have a business mind too."

"When it comes down to it, I'd still rather hold a scalpel than negotiate all day." Yancy Shaw replied with a touch of humor.

—

As dusk fell, Mandy Snow arrived at the hospital.

She carried a bouquet of fresh flowers and walked into Bryce Shaw’s hospital room.

Spotting Li Qiuchi in the room, she paused for a moment before greeting her with a smile. "Miss Li."

Li Qiuchi didn’t know Mandy Snow well—only that she was the Shen family's eldest sister-in-law. She nodded politely in response.

"Yubai, how are you feeling? Any better?"

"A little better."

Mandy Snow breathed a sigh of relief, though she still sounded disappointed. "I’m sorry—the negotiations with MK fell through yesterday."

"That was pretty much expected," Bryce Shaw replied. He knew Aaron and Old Xue were close and doubted there was much chance this time, so he hadn't held out much hope.

Mandy Snow was a little surprised by his attitude. "I know you’ve put a lot of heart into securing the distribution deal lately. If it hadn't been for your accident, you might have landed the partnership."

Bryce Shaw didn’t respond. He just gazed at her thoughtfully and rubbed his brow.

Li Qiuchi thought his head was aching again, so she spoke up: "Work can wait. Focus on your health—worry about the rest when you’re feeling better."

To Li Qiuchi’s obvious concern, Bryce Shaw replied, "Alright, I’ll listen to you." He turned to Mandy Snow. "The company will have to trouble you for a while, big sister-in-law—I’m not fit to handle things right now."

That was the sentence Mandy Snow had come for. She was elated, though she managed to keep her expression calm.

"I’m just filling in for now—you need to get well soon."

After Mandy Snow left, Yancy Shaw returned to the hospital with good news.

MK had finally decided to hand the distribution rights over to the Shen family.

Lauren Shaw was still in a bit of a daze when she heard. Not until Yancy Shaw told her himself did she really believe it.

Mrs. Chen praised Lauren Shaw, saying how amazing she was. The Shen family had looked certain to fail, but with Aaron’s sudden change of heart, everything had turned around. It was a real surprise.

"I knew it was right to let Shengsheng go with them!" Mrs. Chen said proudly to Shen Wenting.

"So you deserve some credit too," Shen Wenting chimed in, joining in the praise.

Just a couple of days ago, the two of them had been at each other’s throats. Now, they seemed as harmonious as husband and wife from a stage drama.

Nobody else knew the real reason for the dramatic shift, but Lauren Shaw did. She moved closer to Yancy Shaw and whispered, "Actually, Aaron changed his mind because he cares about his daughter."

Yancy Shaw gently ruffled her hair. "Faye is his illegitimate daughter."

Illegitimate daughter?

Lauren Shaw suddenly understood. "No wonder Faye always seems so melancholic."

Eighteen-year-old girls should be lively and bright, but Faye had a kind of world-weariness well beyond her years.

"Aaron is the sole heir of his family. He had a son and a wife, but his son died in a car accident five years ago, and his wife passed away from illness earlier on. It wasn’t until three years ago that he found out about Faye, who had been living elsewhere all this time."

Everyone has their weakness, and for Aaron, it was Faye. After the shock of losing his wife and son, he thought nothing could affect him—until he discovered he had a living child he’d never known.

With no other heirs, Aaron wanted Faye to be his successor, but she was still young and couldn’t help being a bit rebellious.

Lauren Shaw collected her thoughts. "So because Aaron keeps pushing her to grow up, Faye has become so cold and distant."

Yancy Shaw didn’t disagree.

So when Faye almost died because of her illness, Aaron finally began to reassess his priorities. Faye’s refusal to take her medicine or speak wasn’t just defiance—it was her way of resisting, but Aaron just didn’t see it.

Suddenly remembering something, Lauren Shaw looked up at him. "Why did Yvonne Sung join Wanrui Group?"

The last time she’d run into Yvonne Sung, it struck her as odd, but she hadn’t thought much of it. Now, hearing he was working with the Snow family—didn’t that mean he must be close with Eva Snow?

Yancy Shaw had told her about the Snow family’s affairs before. Now that MK’s partnership had gone to the Shen family, it was likely the Xues wouldn’t let this slide.

"The Sung family was acquired by Dingfeng; of course he feels resentful. If I’m not mistaken, he probably knows who Dingfeng’s CEO is."

Lauren Shaw looked at Yancy Shaw anxiously. "If he knows, would he try to hurt you?"

She knew Yvonne Sung was the type to play dirty. He’d already held a grudge against Yancy Shaw because of their past. If he found out that the Sung family’s bankruptcy had something to do with Yancy Shaw, who knows what tricks he’d try next.

Just thinking about that troublemaker made her teeth itch. She couldn’t understand what she’d been thinking back then—how had she ever liked him?

Seeing her so worried, Yancy Shaw reassured her. "Don’t worry, he can’t do anything to me."

The Snow family wasn’t easy to deal with. In fact, Yvonne Sung probably didn’t even realize he was being used as a pawn.