Nathan Shaw was not the type to lose his temper easily, but if Mo Fan insisted on provoking him, then so be it—he’d give him what he wanted.
Mo Fan took a punch from Nathan Shaw that nearly knocked him off his feet. He staggered back several steps, barely regaining his balance before Nathan Shaw grabbed his collar and demanded through gritted teeth, “What do you mean by that?”
It wasn’t the first half of Mo Fan’s words that enraged him, but the second half—the part where he brought up the Shen family raising his child. That was the real trigger.
Mo Fan, however, seemed not the least bit afraid of death. The corner of his mouth curled in a mocking smile. “Was I not clear enough? Or is it you’re hard of hearing?” he sneered. “Didn’t catch my meaning?”
Mandy Snow tried to stop him sharply. “Mo Fan, that’s enough!”
Mo Fan just laughed, utterly unconcerned. Ever since they’d entered, he’d noticed that Mandy Snow kept staring at Nathan Shaw, eyes brimming with an all-consuming love.
And the more Mandy Snow looked at Nathan Shaw like that, the more Mo Fan wanted to provoke him.
Nathan Shaw looked up at Mandy Snow, then at Shen Siyi who was standing beside her. This was the first time the two had met since their divorce.
He felt nothing for her now. If anything, it was just Mo Fan’s provocation—the mention of the Shen family—that made him lash out.
Mo Fan maintained his mocking stare at Nathan Shaw, but his words were directed at Mandy Snow. “What? You still care about him?”
Mandy Snow said nothing—Nathan Shaw looked so different from the man she’d known. For over ten years, he’d always treated her with courtesy and distance. Even after learning Shen Siyi wasn’t his daughter, he’d never worn such an expression. Now, the murderous look on his face unsettled her deeply.
“You people shouldn’t show up in front of me ever again,” Nathan Shaw said, voice cold as ice, eyes boring into Mandy Snow with undisguised hatred.
Mo Fan, unfazed, seemed only to get more excited the angrier Nathan Shaw became.
“What’s wrong with me bringing my woman and child out for a meal? Are you just jealous of our happy little family of three?”
Nathan Shaw said nothing, just clenched his fist and slammed it into Mo Fan’s face again.
This time the blow was even harder—Mo Fan reeled back into a table, sending nearby patrons scrambling away from the commotion.
Bryce Shaw and Yancy Shaw watched impassively, as if at a sideshow. “President Mo, you’d better watch your tongue. We Shen men never hit women, but that doesn’t mean we won’t hit men,” Bryce Shaw said, raising his glass with an air of sophistication. Despite the chaos in the restaurant, he and Yancy Shaw remained calm and composed.
Blood dripped from the corner of Mo Fan’s mouth as he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Mandy Snow hurried to pull him away. “Let’s go,” she urged.
He shook off her hand, face full of aggrieved resentment. “Is this how the Shen family operates? Say a few words and you gang up on me? What, think you’re tough just because there are more of you…?”
“President Mo, if you want another beating, by all means, keep running your mouth. But you’d better watch what you say, otherwise, don’t blame us for ganging up on you.” Yancy Shaw’s voice was icy, making it clear: yeah, we’re picking on you—what are you going to do about it?
Mo Fan let out a cold laugh. “You think I’m afraid of you?”
With a crash, a wine glass smashed at his feet, and before he could react, Yancy Shaw lunged forward and kicked him to the ground.
Mo Fan crashed down, momentarily unable to get up again.
From above, Yancy Shaw looked down at him. “Since you claimed the Shen family raised your child for over a decade, then this kick wasn’t out of line, was it?”
The implication was clear: Mandy Snow’s mistakes would be paid back by him.
Nathan Shaw shot Mo Fan a look of utter contempt, as if he was beneath notice—not even worth another word.
Bryce Shaw sighed, shaking his head with helpless resignation as he looked at Mo Fan groaning on the floor. “President Mo, why did you have to provoke these two?” he tutted. “They’re the most hot-tempered guys in the Shen family. I’ll apologize on their behalf.”
Mo Fan struggled a few times, still unable to get up from the floor.
“Tsk tsk, look at the state he’s in. Somebody call an ambulance before someone ends up dead,” Bryce Shaw muttered, phone in hand, though he didn’t dial emergency services right away—instead, he looked toward Mandy Snow.
Only then did Mandy Snow, now trembling, hastily dial 120.
Bryce Shaw eyed Mo Fan on the ground with open disdain—he could still move, so clearly, they’d gone easy on him.
The three brothers had just been out for a simple drink, only to have the mood ruined by this idiot. What rotten luck.
After Mo Fan was sent to the hospital, a battery of tests revealed nothing serious—just some bruises and scrapes. Still, the humiliation of being beaten so badly in public was hard to bear.
He ground out, indignant, “I’m not done with the Shen family!”
Mandy Snow couldn’t help mocking him. “Oh, give it a rest—look at the state you’re in. Still talking big? You brought this on yourself, didn’t you?”
She hadn’t planned on getting involved, but Mo Fan wouldn’t stop showing off in front of them—and to top it off, he had to say those things, practically begging for a beating.
He really did have it coming.
—
After dinner, Lauren Shaw returned home to the sound of running water in the bathroom—Yancy Shaw was already back.
She shrugged off her jacket and immediately noticed a red smear on Yancy Shaw’s coat. Looking closer, she saw it was blood.
Her heart skipped a beat. Worried Yancy Shaw was hurt, she burst into the bathroom.
“Honey, are you okay?” She rushed in, eyes scanning him up and down, thoroughly checking for injuries, forgetting he was halfway through his shower.
After a full inspection, she found no wounds, and finally sighed in relief.
“What’s wrong?” Yancy Shaw asked, confused.
“I saw blood on your coat,” she said worriedly. “I thought you were hurt.”
He chuckled. “That’s not my blood.”
The tension melted from her shoulders at that.
Only then did Lauren Shaw realize she was standing in a steamy bathroom, surrounded by mist. Right there in front of her was Yancy Shaw’s sculpted abs—the deep cut of his V-line drawing her gaze downward. Her heart began to race; it felt like it might leap from her chest.
A wave of dizziness washed over her; she squeezed her eyes shut. “You… finish your shower. I—I’ll go out first.”
She turned away, moving painfully slowly, though her eyes couldn’t stop lingering on him.
Yancy Shaw reached out and boldly took her wrist.
“Let’s shower together. You’re already soaked.”
Before she could object, his hands were already exploring.
The steam in the bathroom thickened, and Lauren Shaw couldn’t control her racing pulse. Every time she stole another glance at him, her desire to cling to him only grew stronger.
Yancy Shaw’s eyes glittered with a teasing amusement, his low voice seductive and bewitching. “Baby, do you know how tempting you look right now?”
Lauren Shaw gazed back at him. The warm spray had dampened the hair on her forehead, plastering it to her cheek in a silent, wordless invitation…