He strode in wearing a garish floral shirt, black shorts, and oversized sunglasses perched on his nose. Behind him trailed a pack of equally flashy rich boys, all swagger and no substance.
Song Qi Nian's breath caught in her throat. She recognized him instantly - the man who had attacked her near the bridge. Even though he'd worn a helmet then, that distinctive scar near his eye and along his cheekbone was unmistakable.
She noticed Shen Ke Qin's lips curl with disgust at the newcomer and gave her a gentle nudge.
"What is it, sister-in-law?" Shen Ke Qin turned to her.
"That man - who is he?"
"Him?" Shen Ke Qin's voice dripped with contempt. "That's my second uncle's bastard son, Shen Qiwen. He's been Lin Qiu Tong's faithful dog for years."
Seeing confusion flicker across Song Qi Nian's face, Shen Ke Qin laid out the family tree.
The Shen family matriarch had three sons: the eldest, Shen Zhengcheng, was Shen Ke Qin's father and worked as a lawyer. The middle son, Shen Zhengming, held shares in Dingsheng Group. The youngest, Shen Zhenghao - Shen Chi Yan's father - had vanished years ago after cutting ties with the family.
Shen Zhengcheng had two children: his son Shen Liye worked as a metallurgical engineer, while his daughter Shen Ke Qin was still completing her university studies.
Shen Zhengming's family was more complicated. He had three daughters with his first wife, but Shen Qiwen - his only son - was the product of an affair. He'd brought the boy home fifteen years ago, dropping him like a bomb into their lives.
In a family as traditional as the Shens, Shen Qiwen's very existence was a scandal that had nearly destroyed them. The matriarch had collapsed from the shock when she found out.
Though she hadn't formally disowned him, she never accepted him as a true grandson either.
The family barely acknowledged Shen Qiwen's existence, which explained why Song Qi Nian had never heard of him until now.
Three years had passed since Lin Qiu Tong's accident, during which Shen Qiwen had disappeared overseas. Now that Lin Qiu Tong was awake, he'd crawled back too.
Shen Qiwen... Lin Qiu Tong's lapdog? Song Qi Nian's heart raced as realization struck. That incident at the bridge hadn't been an accident - he'd meant to hurt her.
"Sister-in-law, why are you asking about him? Did he do something to you?"
The question made sense. Song Qi Nian rarely showed interest in anyone outside her immediate circle of family and Shen Chi Yan. Her sudden curiosity about Shen Qiwen, given his reputation and loyalty to Lin Qiu Tong, had set off alarm bells in Shen Ke Qin's mind.
Song Qi Nian hesitated. If she told Ke Qin about the bridge incident, there'd be hell to pay. But what if Shen Qiwen retaliated against Ke Qin? And Shen Chi Yan would only accuse her of causing trouble again.
"I don't know him," she said, shaking her head.
"Good. Keep it that way. He's not someone you want to know."
The words had barely left Ke Qin's mouth when Shen Qiwen appeared, draping his arm over her shoulder with casual familiarity.
"Little sister Ke Qin, miss me?"
Ke Qin shoved him away, her face twisting with revulsion. "Don't touch me! And I'm not your sister."
"Oh, you wound me!" Shen Qiwen clutched his chest theatrically. "Here I am, bringing you gifts from abroad, and this is how you treat me?"
"Like I care about your gifts."
"The Pacific Ocean can't match the depth of my sorrow."
As they traded barbs, Shen Qiwen's narrow eyes settled on Song Qi Nian. His lips curved into a smile as he stepped toward her.
In perfect synchronization, Shen Ke Qin and Guan Ming Xu moved to block his path.
Shen Qiwen stopped short, then threw his head back laughing, slapping his thigh. "What's this about? I just noticed an unfamiliar beauty and wanted to say hello."
"She's my brother Shen Chi Yan's wife," Shen Ke Qin growled, fixing Shen Qiwen with a cold stare. "So don't even think about it."
Shen Qiwen arched an eyebrow, shrugging. "Ah, so this is Fifth Sister-in-law. Beautiful - Fifth Brother got lucky."
At those words, Guan Ming Xu's fists tightened until his knuckles went white.
"Come on, relax. I mean no harm," Shen Qiwen said. "Since we happened to meet here, why not play a few rounds?"
Guan Ming Xu stepped forward. "Fine. I'll play with you."
"Nobody asked you, brute." Shen Qiwen brushed him off before turning to Song Qi Nian with a practiced smile. "I want to play against my Fifth Sister-in-law."
Song Qi Nian was still processing his challenging stare when Shen Ke Qin cut in with a snort. "Fine then. Let's play, sister-in-law!"
Song Qi Nian stood frozen.
"If we're playing, let's make it interesting. Set some terms," Shen Qiwen pressed.
"What exactly do you want?" Shen Ke Qin's eyes narrowed to slits.
"Best two out of three. If Sister-in-law wins, I'll do whatever she says. But if I win..."
A sly grin spread across his face as his gaze lingered on Song Qi Nian. Sure, she was pretty, he thought, but nowhere near Tongtong's league.
"Grandma's 88th birthday is on the fifth next month. I want Fifth Sister-in-law as my date."
The room erupted. Shen Ke Qin and Guan Ming Xu exploded simultaneously.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Guan Ming Xu nearly struck him. "Wanting Xiao Nian Nian as your date!"
"You're delusional!" Shen Ke Qin jumped in. "You just want to embarrass Grandma and my brother!"
Shen Qiwen let out a dismissive snort. "Those are just the stakes if I win. What's wrong? Scared you'll lose?"
Shen Ke Qin bristled at his taunt - she'd never backed down from him before. "Afraid? Ha! I'm just worried my sister-in-law will make you cry."
"So are we doing this or not?"
Song Qi Nian reached for Shen Ke Qin's arm, trying to pull her back from this rash decision.
Too late. Shen Ke Qin was already rolling up her sleeves. "Game on! Whoever backs down loses! Show him what you've got, sister-in-law!"
Song Qi Nian wanted to scream, [Sweet Ke Qin, maybe ask me first next time?!] But before she could get a word out, someone shoved a pool cue into her hands.
Shen Ke Qin gave her arm an encouraging squeeze. "Sister-in-law, billiards is nothing. You won't lose, right?"
Song Qi Nian couldn't find the words.
With a heavy sigh, she gripped the cue. As she leaned down to line up her shot, Shen Qiwen's smirk widened. "Fifth Sister-in-law, you break."
His smug face made her grip tighten on the cue. She glanced at where he stood, mentally working out the angles.
"Everyone back up!" Shen Ke Qin whipped out her phone. "I'm recording my sister-in-law's first billiards match. Go destroy him!"
While Ke Qin filmed, Guan Ming Xu circled around taking photos of Song Qi Nian from every possible angle.
Song Qi Nian had never played before, but she'd watched others. She bent over the table, lined up her shot with a red ball, and struck with conviction.
Her movements were quick and focused. For a moment, everyone thought they might be witnessing a secret pro in action.
Then the ball shot straight off the table, followed by a piercing scream.
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