After hanging up the phone, Lauren Shaw found herself unexpectedly irritable.

Before she knew it, she had wandered back to the cardiology wing. She thought she must be bewitched—why was Dr. Shen always on her mind?

Remembering that Yancy Shaw was probably still in surgery, she turned to leave in the other direction.

A female doctor called out to her.

"Are you Ms. Li?"

Lauren Shaw looked at her with a touch of confusion.

The woman looked about her age, wore a white coat, had refined features and a trim figure, all topped with strikingly bright eyes that sized her up without restraint.

That gaze made Lauren Shaw uncomfortable—a touch of blatant hostility.

"Yes, and you are?" In her memory, she had never met this woman before.

"Mona Lane, ophthalmologist. I'm Dr. Shen's colleague." Her words landed heavy with emphasis.

There’s a certain undercurrent to rivalry between women. Lauren Shaw might not know her, but she could still sense the animosity in Mona Lane’s look. She found it rude and off-putting.

Lauren Shaw just smiled politely, deciding she had nothing to say to Dr. Lin, and headed for the elevators instead.

Mona Lane quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Are you here looking for Dr. Shen?" Mona Lane said bluntly, her attitude frosty.

"Dr. Lin." Henry Mills called out, walking over from a short distance. When he saw Lauren Shaw, he was a bit surprised. "Miss Li, what brings you here?"

Lauren Shaw nodded with a small smile. "Just had a minor procedure today."

Seeing her in hospital clothes, Henry Mills immediately understood. "Remember to rest up after surgery. Which ward are you in? I’ll walk you back."

"Dr. He, since when are you so attentive to patients?" Mona Lane scoffed, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Well, you know how it is—I can’t help myself when I see a beautiful woman. Serving beauties is my greatest honor!" Henry Mills winked playfully at Lauren Shaw.

Mona Lane snorted and looked ready to retort, but Henry Mills said to Lauren Shaw, "Let me walk you back."

Lauren Shaw nodded and followed him toward the elevators.

"Dr. Lin’s a huge fan of Dr. Shen," Henry Mills explained. "She can be a little sharp. Just ignore her."

Lauren Shaw chuckled lightly. "No worries. I was getting bored in my room and ended up here without realizing it."

"Dr. Shen is still in surgery. He’s the hospital’s rising star—lots of procedures require his expertise. He was supposed to be off today but got called back for an emergency."

They chatted for a while until someone called Henry Mills away, leaving Lauren Shaw to head back to her ward alone.

"Lauren Shaw?" Someone called her name from behind.

She turned to see Zoe Carter.

"So it really is you." A look of mean-spirited satisfaction appeared on Zoe Carter's face.

"It’s all your fault my son hasn’t come home for days! Now he’s on the verge of cutting ties with his own father."

Lauren Shaw felt completely baffled. What did any of this have to do with her? How was she to blame for her son?

"Thanks to your darling son, I’ve been dogpiled with insults lately." Lauren Shaw fixed Zoe Carter with a cold stare. This was a hospital—she had no desire for a shouting match here.

But Zoe Carter didn’t care about appearances. She pointed right at Lauren Shaw’s nose and shouted, "Everyone, come look! Here’s Shaw family’s precious young lady—no manners at all. Like this, who but our Sung family would even want her?"

Lauren Shaw was fuming, and the anger made her chest ache fiercely.

Zoe Carter, however, refused to stop. At home, Su De'an had been venting his frustrations at her, saying her words had been too harsh the other day. On top of that, Yvonne Sung and Su De'an had been at odds for days, barely speaking. Zoe Carter placed all the new and old grudges squarely on Lauren Shaw. She just couldn’t let it go.

Her loud scolding quickly drew a crowd.

With arms folded smugly, she looked at Lauren Shaw with undisguised glee. "I think you should go apologize and make peace with Yuche. The two of you should hurry up and get married—it’d be good for both the Su and Li families. Otherwise, your reputation will be in tatters. Who would want you then?"

"I would."

A rich, magnetic voice rang out. Lauren Shaw looked over and froze at what she saw.

Zoe Carter glanced over too, then sneered. "You would?" Her gaze raked over Yancy Shaw with open disdain.

He had the looks, she had to admit, but he was only a doctor. Nowhere near her son’s level—or so she thought.

"Dr. Shen, you don't need to mind her. Let's go." Lauren Shaw tried to pull Yancy Shaw away.

Except she found he wouldn’t budge an inch.

His gaze only grew colder—enough to chill the air.

Zoe Carter faltered under that icy stare but kept up a show of bravado, "Did you see what’s all over the internet lately? This woman’s a homewrecker! You really want her?"

"Enough! When did I ever wreck anyone’s home? Stop spreading lies about me!" Lauren Shaw shouted, voice trembling slightly, not yet fully recovered and already out of breath.

Yancy Shaw squeezed her hand, signaling for her to stay calm.

"Madam," he said coolly, "do you have any evidence that Miss Li destroyed someone’s relationship?"

"I—" Zoe Carter’s tone faltered. She clearly didn’t.

"If you have no proof and still slander her, that’s defamation. Miss Li can report you to the police."

"As for the baseless rumors online," Lauren Shaw added, her gaze icy, "I’ve already made a report. Anyone who spreads libel won’t get away with it."

The mention of calling the police finally shut Zoe Carter up. She forced an awkward smile, "Just joking around! Don’t take it seriously—I talk fast, that’s all. Don’t let it get to you."

She turned to leave, clearly spooked by Yancy Shaw’s words.

What a troublemaker, Lauren Shaw thought.

After Zoe Carter left, Yancy Shaw still hadn’t let go of her hand.

Lauren Shaw called out softly, "Um, let’s head back to the room."

Yancy Shaw nodded, finally releasing her. Together, they walked back to her ward.

At dusk, the fading sunlight streamed in through the window, catching on his figure and stretching his shadow out long behind him. He still hadn’t taken off his white coat, and Lauren Shaw found there was something impossibly appealing about the scene.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, with the casual familiarity of two people who had known each other for years.

Yet, they’d met only days ago.

"I’m okay," Lauren Shaw said with a smile.

"Don’t let what happened earlier bother you. I won’t take it seriously."

Yancy Shaw paused in the hallway, turned, and looked at her. "But what if I do take it seriously?"

Lauren Shaw looked up at him in disbelief.

His voice softened: "No matter what you think, I meant what I said. If it troubles you, Miss Li, just pretend I never said it."

Coming from the ever-gentle and poised Dr. Shen, Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but feel both surprised and quietly delighted.

If marriage was a must in life, and her partner could be Dr. Shen—then she’d say yes in a heartbeat.