No sooner had they walked in than Li Qiuqi waved them over from across the room.

Lauren Shaw took a seat. Lately, Li Qiuqi's spirits had visibly improved—she'd even put on a little weight after the new year. Mrs. Chen used to complain that she was too thin and had arranged for the housekeeper to prepare her delicious meals every day. She’d always tried to watch her figure before and would only eat simple light meals, but when it came to good food, her willpower was no match.

Li Guangliang hadn’t reached out to her since getting out of prison. She had no idea where he was or what he was up to.

But perhaps that was for the best; they could go their separate ways in peace.

Her life now was immeasurably better. The Shen family had healed old wounds in her heart, helping her forget many unhappy memories. In its own way, that was a kind of luck.

Tonight, Li Qiuqi had had a few glasses of red wine and, loosened by drink, was chatting nonstop, leaning against Bryce Shaw with the coquettish airs of a woman in love.

It was obvious Bryce Shaw’s heart was melting for her.

Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but chuckle, teasing, "Chloe Shaw, when are you and Second Brother planning to get married? We’re all waiting to drink your wedding wine."

She’d watched every twist and turn of Li Qiuqi and Bryce Shaw’s relationship. With love so real and strong, how could anyone deny it? If it wasn’t true love, why would they stand by her side, even at the cost of their own interests?

Bryce Shaw looked at Li Qiuqi with hopeful eyes—he’d leave marriage matters up to her.

Li Qiuqi smiled, "I’ll let him decide."

Bryce Shaw practically glowed with joy. "Then let’s get our marriage license first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Already? Isn’t that a bit fast?"

"Of course! I need to learn from Yancy Shaw. He only needed a few meetings to win over Shengsheng so easily."

Bryce Shaw glanced meaningfully at Shen Yanchen. Lauren Shaw quickly dropped her gaze, cleared her throat, and elbowed Shen Yanchen. "Did you really have it that easy winning me over?"

Of course it hadn’t been easy. He’d put in an enormous amount of effort, making sure all the stars aligned. Luck, timing, effort—he’d held onto every piece.

"For me, what matters isn’t the process. All that matters is that you’re mine now."

Oh my, Bryce Shaw was getting a generous helping of that syrupy sweetness tonight.

With laughter and banter, the whole table’s mood stayed cheerful and lively.

After they finished eating, Shen Yanchen went to the restroom while Lauren Shaw waited outside. Li Qiuqi and Bryce Shaw had to leave early for something urgent.

Shortly after Shen Yanchen left, Lauren Shaw ran into Mandy Snow. Judging by her appearance, she’d just finished dinner herself.

Mandy Snow had spent the evening dining with a business partner, but after hours of talks, no agreement had been reached.

Back when both the Shen and Xue families supported her, she’d never experienced exhaustion like this. After her guest left, she sat at the table lost in her thoughts, unable to recover.

When Lauren Shaw and her group arrived, Mandy watched their easy camaraderie, smiles and laughter filling the room, and bitterness welled up inside her.

As it happened, Mandy's table wasn’t far from theirs, though they hadn’t noticed her at all.

Now Mandy Snow’s face was shadowed with resentment. The weight of the Snow family’s downfall had obviously worn her out—just a few days and she already looked years older.

But Lauren Shaw hadn't forgotten what Mandy had done. She looked at her without warmth.

Mandy Snow sneered, "You’re really doing well for yourself, aren’t you? Seeing me like this must make you happy."

Lauren Shaw was utterly unmoved by the sarcasm, scrolling through videos on her phone with a casual voice, "You brought this on yourself. How is any of it my problem?"

What irked Mandy Snow most was Lauren Shaw’s unbothered, breezy demeanor, as if nothing in the world could affect her.

Grinding her teeth, resentment burning inside her, Mandy spat out, "Your arrival ruined everything for me! Tell me, how could I not hate you?"

That was just absurd. Lauren Shaw leveled her with a cool gaze. "None of it ever belonged to you to begin with. If something is truly yours, no one can steal it away from you. If you've lost it, maybe it was never yours at all."

The identity of ‘Sister-in-law of the Shen family’ was hers only by deception, and now she was blaming Lauren Shaw for taking everything from her? How unreasonable—there was no point in arguing with someone like this.

Already on edge due to the Snow family troubles, Mandy Snow flared up at Lauren Shaw’s words, her hatred growing. She could no longer care about the setting—her voice rose sharply as she glared at Lauren Shaw.

"That’s nonsense! You framed me! After I left the Shen family, you just slid right into my place..."

The more she ranted, the more vicious her glare became—if looks could kill, she’d have shredded Lauren Shaw by now.

"And Shen Yanchen isn’t any better—ruining the Snow family wasn’t enough for him, he’s even driven my brother mad! The Shens are all rotten to the core—snakes and rats, every last one of them..."

Her fury boiled over, all her usual pride gone, replaced by nothing but jealousy and malice. She dragged not only Lauren Shaw but all the Shen family into her tirade.

"Smack!" Lauren Shaw slapped her across the face, her eyes cold. "Are you finished yet?"

She’d never wanted to start a scene like this, but she’d put up with Mandy Snow’s antics for long enough. Daring to insult the Shen family right to her face—wasn't she asking for it?

Mandy Snow stared at her in utter disbelief, clutching her stinging cheek. "You dare hit me?"

"Yes, I hit you. This slap is for my big brother—as he never hits women."

With those words, Lauren Shaw stepped forward and delivered a harsh slap to the other side of Mandy’s face. The impact left her reeling, her cheeks aflame.

"This one's for the Shen family. You’ve slandered them."

Before Mandy could react, Lauren Shaw raised her hand and slapped her again.

"And that’s for your insults to me just now."

Mandy Snow was left grimacing in pain, but she refused to back down. She lifted her hand to strike back but found her wrist caught in a vice-like grip.

She looked up right into Shen Yanchen’s frosty, intimidating eyes—so cold they sent a chill down her spine.

Lauren Shaw, seeing him arrive, softened and called out, "Darling."

Shen Yanchen flung Mandy’s hand away. She lost her balance and stumbled several steps back.

He took Lauren Shaw’s hand, examining it with a frown. "Your palm’s all red—does it hurt?"

Lauren Shaw shook her head. "No. My hand aches, but her face hurts worse. In fact, I’m feeling pretty good right now."

Looping her arm through his, Lauren Shaw cast a glance at Mandy Snow, whose eyes still brimmed with resentment.

Shen Yanchen’s warning glare was enough to make Mandy avert her gaze—she didn’t even dare look at him.

She’d always been afraid of Shen Yanchen. Even back in the Shen household, she knew his methods far surpassed those of Nathan Shaw and Bryce Shaw, something her later experiences only confirmed.

Shen Yanchen’s voice was dark as thunder. "Miss Xue, there are still plenty of old scores between you and the Shen family. Do you want to settle them all now?"