After packing up, Shen Yanchén took the suitcase in one hand and held her with the other, leaning down to look at her.
"Let’s go."
Lauren Shaw nodded.
He opened the door. Three people stood outside.
The moment Lauren Shaw saw who it was, she froze on the spot.
Everyone exchanged glances, and the atmosphere instantly tensed.
****
"Mom, Dad, Sis, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?" Lauren Shaw sat on the sofa, feeling awkward.
She’d planned not to tell them for now, but fate just had to throw them together.
"Shengsheng, where are you going?" her mother asked, eyeing the suitcase by the door in confusion.
"If there’s something on your mind, talk to us. Don’t try to hide away by yourself. With us here, the Sung family wouldn’t dare do anything to you." Her father assumed Lauren Shaw wanted to run off and be alone.
She’d always been like this—bottling things up and enduring them on her own.
"Please have some tea." Shen Yanchén poured a few cups and set them in front of the family.
That was when the family finally noticed the unfamiliar man. They’d never seen him, and Lauren Shaw had never mentioned having a male friend like this.
Nina Shaw thought he looked vaguely familiar, but it wouldn’t be polite to ask directly.
"Sis, why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?" Lauren Shaw quickly shifted the topic to her sister, still unsure how she should introduce Shen Yanchén.
"Your sister was worried about you. The moment she heard what happened, she came right back," their mother explained.
Originally, Nina Shaw had planned to come back for her sister’s wedding, but instead she heard about the broken engagement. She’d always known just how much Lauren Shaw liked Yvonne Sung.
Nina Shaw knew her sister too well and could read her mind at a glance. Her intuition told her that something was different between Lauren Shaw and this man—she had noticed the two of them holding hands when she walked in.
"Shengsheng, aren’t you going to introduce him?" Nina Shaw looked at Shen Yanchén, who had stayed silent by her sister’s side.
Only then did Lauren Shaw’s parents turn their attention to Shen Yanchén.
They’d been so focused on their daughter, they hadn’t spared a glance for this gentleman.
"Hello, are you Shengsheng’s friend?" her mother asked with a smile.
All three family members now studied Shen Yanchén curiously.
There was a refined calmness about him—a sense of quiet dignity that put people at ease. He carried himself like someone from a prominent family, every gesture radiating understated elegance.
But appearances couldn’t be trusted. Just look at Yvonne Sung: outwardly a perfect gentleman, but rotten at the core.
Shen Yanchén glanced at Lauren Shaw; his eyes were nearly pleading for help.
Lauren Shaw’s heart was pounding so hard, she felt it might leap up her throat. Her parents and sister were all staring intently at Shen Yanchén.
"Shengsheng has never brought a male friend home before. You and our daughter must be very close, right? How long have you known each other?" her father asked.
"Dad, Mom, he’s not just a friend." Lauren Shaw bit her lip, then summoned her courage and spoke in a single breath, "He’s my husband—Shen Yanchén."
The three members of the Shaw family stared at her in shock. The room fell so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.
After ten long seconds, Shen Yanchén finally broke the silence.
"Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I’d planned to visit in person in a little while. I didn’t consider everything carefully."
Mr. and Mrs. Li were still absorbing what Lauren Shaw had just said and barely registered Shen Yanchén’s apology.
"Shengsheng, you’re not joking, are you? This isn’t something to kid about!" Mrs. Li looked at her daughter in disbelief.
"I know you’ve been upset lately, but if you’re doing this to get back at Yvonne Sung, there’s no need. This isn’t good for either of you. Marriage is no joke—it’s something to consider carefully."
Seeing how anxious her mother was, Lauren Shaw felt a pang of guilt. She knew her mother only worried she’d rushed into marriage out of spite for Yvonne Sung.
She sat down beside her mother, softly comforting her. "Mom, do I look like the impulsive type? Besides, Mr. Shen isn’t someone irresponsible. He helped me so many times—and when I had surgery a couple days ago, he was the one who took care of me."
Hearing she’d had an operation, her parents immediately turned worried. "Why didn’t you tell us? What was it for?"
"It was nothing major—just a minor issue, and I’m fine now, thanks to Dr. Shen’s care."
"You’re a doctor?" Nina Shaw looked at Shen Yanchén, suddenly remembering where she’d seen him before.
She’d worked at Ancheng First Hospital as an ophthalmologist, and she’d heard Shen Yanchén’s name—he was famous as the genius doctor of the medical world.
Shen Yanchén nodded, "Shen Yanchén, twenty-eight, a cardiac surgeon at Ancheng First Hospital."
"I’ve heard of you. The famous genius doctor. I used to be an ophthalmologist at First Hospital," Nina Shaw said, recalling how the hospital had no shortage of Shen Yanchén’s fangirls.
Nina Shaw then put two and two together—from her sister mentioning the growth in her chest and that she’d helped her book the appointment. Now everything made sense.
After hearing Nina Shaw’s words, Mrs. Li studied Shen Yanchén again. He really didn’t seem like an unserious person. Even just his demeanor outshone Yvonne Sung by a mile.
She sighed helplessly. The kids had grown up—they made their own decisions now. Sometimes, parents interfering too much only made things worse. She’d have to let go.
"Yanchén, do your parents know you and Lauren Shaw are married?" Mr. Li asked.
Shen Yanchén looked apologetic. "My parents don’t know yet, but I’ll tell them. When there’s time, I’ll arrange for both our families to have dinner together."
Mrs. Li sighed again. This marriage had happened so suddenly—young people just didn’t think things through.
When Lauren Shaw walked her family out, her mother looked as if she still wanted to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words.
Mr. Li patted his wife’s shoulder, reassuring her. "The way Yanchén looks at Shengsheng—there’s no mistaking that kind of genuine affection. Our daughter won’t lose out, being with him."
He’d spent half his life in the business world and could spot sincerity from a mile away.
The look in Yvonne Sung’s eyes when he saw Lauren Shaw was always calculating and impatient; Shen Yanchén’s gaze, in contrast, was filled with tenderness.
He hadn’t wanted to agree to Yvonne Sung marrying Lauren Shaw in the first place, but Lauren Shaw had been adamant—she wouldn’t marry anyone else, so he had no choice.
"They really were too impulsive. Deciding on marriage before even informing the families." Mrs. Li shook her head, her tone laced with helplessness—and a tinge of reluctant love.
After seeing her family off, Lauren Shaw felt as if a great weight had been lifted. She’d been agonizing about how to break the news—but now, it was done, and everything felt a little brighter.