After delivering his speech, Mo Qinglin returned to his room.

Mo Fan shut the door. Mandy Snow, looking thoughtful, eyed him. "Your cousin seems to listen to you quite well."

"Hmph, and what if he doesn't? He's a cripple—does he actually dream of stirring up any real trouble?" Mo Fan's tone dripped with barely concealed mockery.

"You certainly know him well," Mandy replied, "but let me remind you—not to judge him by appearances. Just because he seems powerless now doesn't mean you won't lose to him someday."

"Him? Don't underestimate me so much. I am, after all, the one holding the Mo family's reins."

"Oh, please. You're not the one calling the shots yet, so stop flattering yourself."

"Once that old man kicks the bucket, everything the Mos have will be mine. A cripple, and a naive young lady—what can they possibly do to fight me?"

"We'll see about that. For all you know, the old man might leave everything to Young Mo instead." Mandy struck a raw nerve with that comment.

Mo Fan's expression instantly darkened. "Don't tell me you don't want to take down the Shen family."

Mandy didn't respond, and Mo Fan poured a glass of red wine, handing it to her.

"From now on, we're in the same boat. Here's to a smooth partnership."

Mandy took the glass and drained it in one gulp.

…

Mo Qinglin sat alone in his room, listening to the conversation between the two. His fists were clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged, and he trembled uncontrollably.

It was a long time before the phone on his table suddenly rang, jolting him out of his daze. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He gasped for breath, stood up from his wheelchair, and picked up the phone. The caller ID was a string of unfamiliar numbers.

A faint smile played at his lips as he answered, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "How did you get this number?"

There was a brief pause on the other end before a rapid voice replied, "Come downstairs. I'm in the hotel parking lot."

The line disconnected immediately after.

Mo Qinglin stared at his now-silent phone and let out a soft chuckle. "So you've finally come to me."

He lowered his gaze to look at his legs. In truth, he'd discovered half a year ago that he could stand and, though it started with only a few tiny steps, he'd worked hard until he could now walk freely.

No one knew his legs had healed—no one but himself.

—

In the parking lot downstairs.

Yancy Shaw sat in his car, gazing calmly ahead. When Mo Qinglin rolled up in his wheelchair, Yancy Shaw curved his lips in a slight smile.

"Didn't expect you to reach out to me," Mo Qinglin said, his eyes smiling but cold.

Yancy Shaw's gaze was still cool, his tone unhurried. "Isn't this what you wanted all along?"

Mo Qinglin gave a measured smile but didn't reply.

Yancy Shaw continued, "First you did everything you could to get close to Shengsheng and draw my attention, then you started feeding me information about Mo Fan..."

He studied Mo Qinglin closely, who met his gaze fearlessly.

"So what's your real goal?" Yancy Shaw asked bluntly.

Mo Qinglin chuckled lightly. "Third Young Master Shen, you're even more perceptive than I thought."

At first, Yancy Shaw had lumped him together with Mo Fan—both schemers. But now he sensed a deeper secret in Mo Qinglin; his motives for seeking him out weren’t as simple as they appeared.

"Do you know why Mo Fan came to Ancheng?" Mo Qinglin asked meaningfully.

Yancheng stayed silent, his suspicions wary.

Seeing Yancheng's guarded look, Mo Qinglin shrugged and pressed on. "He wants to bring down the Shen family."

Yancheng smirked. "So what?"

"Believe it or not, Mo Fan's a despicable schemer. He'll do whatever it takes for his own gain." When Mo Qinglin said Mo Fan's name, raw hatred showed in his voice.

"And you want me to work with you against Mo Fan?" Yancheng wasn’t naive; he’d already guessed Mo Qinglin’s intent before coming.

"Exactly. You've seen my situation. There's no way I can take Mo Fan on alone."

"And you think I'd partner up with you just like that?"

"Whether you agree or not isn't important," Mo Qinglin said, his tone turning cold, "but let me make one thing clear—Mo Fan is already eyeing your family, and when the time comes, don't you think he won't go after Lauren Shaw too?"

Mo Qinglin knew that Lauren Shaw was Yancy Shaw's greatest vulnerability—and Mo Fan knew it too. Everyone had a weakness; once exposed, it became a fatal flaw.

At the mention of Lauren Shaw, Yancheng's face hardened at once, as if someone had struck a nerve.

He didn't stick around to hear anything more. Instead, he drove away immediately.

Mo Qinglin watched the car vanish around the corner, lips pressed into a tight line.

Yancy Shaw drove back to Lanyue Residence.

Lauren Shaw was lounging on the sofa watching TV. When Yancy Shaw came in, she got up to greet him. "Why are you home so late tonight?"

"Had something to take care of," he replied.

Sensing something was off about him, Lauren Shaw asked softly, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

She reached out to check his forehead but was gently caught. Yancy Shaw took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

She still found his mood odd this evening. "What's really wrong?"

"I’m fine, baby. Just let me hold you for a while." He wrapped her tightly in his arms.

Seeing him like this, Lauren Shaw obediently let him hold her.

After a while, he finally released her and headed to the bathroom to shower.

—

Yvonne Sung had been at the police station for twenty-four hours.

He’d expected Xue Qiang to pull some strings and get him out, but it hadn’t happened.

Lu Chaoran stood with arms crossed, watching him calmly.

"Wanrui has already stated officially this has nothing to do with them. It’s all your responsibility."

Hearing this, Yvonne Sung lowered his head, fists tightly clenched, voice strained. "I want to see Xue Qiang."

"I'll pass on your request, but whether he comes is up to him."

"This has nothing to do with me! Why should I take the fall for this?" Bloodshot, Yvonne Sung was obviously fighting to keep control.

Lu Chaoran had seen plenty like this and wasn’t the least surprised.

"If you know you’re the scapegoat, just tell me who’s really behind this. Otherwise, you might be facing prison."

Suddenly Yvonne Sung looked up, conflict clear in his eyes. "I don’t know. Xue Qiang told me to pick up that shipment. I want to see him! Tell him I know the truth about his daughter’s death. He’ll have to come see me!"

Lu Chaoran raised his brows. The Snow family’s mess just kept getting worse—one storm barely over before another hits.