“I’m nothing but a plaything in bed to you.” Shen Manting glared at him with tears streaming down her face. “You’ve always loved Ye Youyou, yet you despised her in equal measure for so many years because of Guan Kai. I feel sorry for you!”

Shen Luo’an clenched his fists and stared at Shen Manting. He hissed through gritted teeth, “Shen Manting!”

Shen Manting sniggered and wiped away her tears. “What now? Are you preparing to hit me?”

Shen Luo’an strode towards her quickly. Shen Manting’s expression changed. She shouted, “What do you want from me, Shen Luo’an?”

However, Shen Luo’an remained silent.

Shen Manting felt a surge of panic in her heart.

What… was he trying to do?

Shen Manting’s body responded faster before her brain could decide on a fight-or-flight reaction. She turned around and broke into a run.

The park was vast. Shen Manting stumbled and staggered across the expanse, running as fast as she could.

“Stop!” Shen Luo’an hadn’t expected such a startling reaction from Shen Manting. “I won’t hit you. Stop right there!”

Of course she wouldn’t stop. Instead, she picked up her pace and sprinted forward.

Shen Luo’an grew frustrated as he struggled to catch up with her extraordinary speed.

She was agile and moved swiftly. Before long, she had already fled through the bushes and was nowhere to be seen.

Shen Luo’an’s head was pounding. He yelled, “Wait for me. I’ll promise you anything you want. I never knew you thought about me that way deep inside, Manting. Wait for me!”

1

Shen Manting heard his voice from behind her. Her heart trembled slightly.

But she didn’t stop. She soon ran out of the park onto the road.

After running for some distance, she suddenly heard Shen Luo’an shouting, “Get out of the way!”

Then, she heard the sound of a car horn.

An oncoming car was honking frantically at her.

Shen Manting was startled and turned to her side.

The glaring headlights made her eyes burn with pain.

She squinted her eyes instinctively.

When the oncoming sports car collided into her, a thought flashed across Shen Manting’s mind: It’s time to end this once and for all.

From a distance, Shen Luo’an saw the car hit her. His pupils shrank in horror. He screamed at the top of his lungs, “Shen Manting!”

His desperate scream traveled into her ears.

Shen Manting heard a cracking sound coming from her body. Then, she felt a piercing pain spread all over her body.

She was hurting badly.

Was she going to die at last?

–

Mrs. Shen finally managed to lull the infant to sleep. Yet, the infant started to wail loudly as soon as she walked out of the room.

His cries came so suddenly that she was taken by surprise.

She hurried over to the infant and cradled him in her arms, cooing to him and caressing him gently.

She noticed that the infant’s cries sounded a bit unusual this time around.

His little face was flaming red and he kept waving his fists furiously in the air.

She coaxed him, hugged him, and fed him milk, but he wouldn’t stop crying.

Mrs. Shen grew so anxious she almost broke into tears. For the first time, she sat on the sofa helplessly with the infant in her arms, feeling desperate.

“When are you coming home?”

Mrs. Shen stomped her feet in frustration. She picked up her phone and dialed Shen Luo’an’s number.

The ringing tone went on for a long time, as if there was no one on the other end of the line. Finally, he answered before the call automatically hung up.

“Hello? Luo’an!”

“Mother…” Shen Luo’an’s voice was trembling, choked with emotion.

Mrs. Shen became tense. “What’s the matter?”

However, before Shen Luo’an could say anything, the sound of him sobbing out of devastation traveled through the line.

Mrs. Shen was startled. She immediately panicked and shouted into the phone, “What’s the matter? What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Shen Luo’an took a few deep breaths. Then, he regained his composure and assured Mrs. Shen, “It’s all right. Take care of the baby. We won’t be coming home tonight.”