"I belong to you. If you want to look, then look openly. There's nothing you can't see," Yancy Shaw said in his usual doting tone.

Lauren Shaw found herself growing more and more fond of this feeling, and this side of Yancy Shaw captivated her.

To hide her fluster, she lifted the covers and got out of bed. "I'm going to make you some breakfast."

Yancy Shaw saw right through her little ploy, but didn't call her on it.

By the time he finished getting dressed and came out, Lauren Shaw had already prepared breakfast.

Simple egg sandwiches, and she had even warmed up some milk.

Her cooking wasn't anything impressive, but she could manage a few basic dishes. After all, a competent wife should take care of her husband's daily needs—this, she was determined to learn bit by bit.

"I only know how to make some simple things, but I'll learn to cook better over time."

"You don't have to go out of your way to change. If you don't know how, I can do it. From now on, let me handle the cooking."

Whether he meant what he said or not, Lauren Shaw felt genuinely warmed by his words.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Claire Xu calling.

"Who's calling?" Yancy Shaw asked.

"Claire Xu. She said she wants to go see a movie."

Yancy Shaw nodded. "Do you need me to drive you?" He picked up his car keys, ready to head to work.

"No need. I'll go later."

…

Lauren Shaw arrived at the spot Claire Xu had messaged her. Claire Xu was holding a coffee in one hand and a milk tea in the other, waving at her as she approached.

"So, what's going on between you and Yancy Shaw now?" Claire Xu asked.

Lauren Shaw took a sip of the milk tea and gave her a puzzled look. "What's going on? Nothing much, really."

"Seriously? Are you telling me you two haven't done... that?"

"Done what?"

Looking as if she knew everything, Claire Xu leaned in with a wicked grin. "Are you saying Dr. Shen has... some kind of issue?"

Lauren Shaw choked on her milk tea and started coughing violently.

"Why are you so jumpy? Did I guess right or something?"

"Claire Xu, can you be a little more appropriate?"

Claire Xu really was something—there was nothing she wouldn't dare ask.

Claire Xu chuckled. "I'm just curious! At night, do you and Dr. Shen really just stay up talking, under the covers and all?"

As if that could happen! Lauren Shaw was soft and fragrant—even if she were a man, she wouldn't be able to resist herself, let alone Dr. Shen sharing the same bed.

Lauren Shaw shot her a withering glare, which only made Claire Xu laugh more heartily.

"All right, all right, I'll stop teasing. What movie do you want to watch…"

After buying their tickets, Lauren Shaw headed to the restroom. When she came back out, she heard a commotion.

"Are you blind? You saw me and still ran into me?"

"You're the one who's blind! I was just standing here and you barged into me." That was Claire Xu's voice.

Lauren Shaw stepped outside and saw Claire Xu arguing with another woman.

The other woman wasn't easy to deal with—she wore sunglasses, an expensive dress, and had an air of elegance, but her words were sharp and aggressive.

Claire Xu was a model, so getting into disputes in public places like these could easily land her in the gossip columns if someone snapped a photo.

Lauren Shaw walked over and asked softly, "What's going on?"

Before Claire Xu could answer, the other woman sneered, "Oh, and you brought backup?"

Claire Xu looked ready to retort, but Lauren Shaw held her back.

"There are a lot of people around. Try not to say anything—you don't want it caught on camera," she whispered.

Claire Xu glanced around—sure enough, passersby were watching them curiously.

"I was just standing here. She blindly walked right into me, and the coffee spilled on her dress by accident."

The woman's dress was now stained.

If the other woman had spoken civilly, Claire Xu wouldn't have argued, but she started off with insults—Claire Xu wasn't about to take that lying down.

"I'm sorry, how much was the dress? We'll pay for it."

"Pay? Ha! Do you even have enough money to pay for this?" the woman refused to budge.

Claire Xu was glaring so hard it looked like she'd burn a hole right through her.

"Yueyue-jie, I've been looking all over for you!" A girl ran over.

Trailing behind her was Sean Snow.

The moment Sean Snow saw Lauren Shaw, he froze in surprise.

The woman instantly dropped her domineering act, clinging to Sean Snow's arm and whining, "Ge, they ruined my dress! My aunt gave it to me, and this is my first time wearing it."

Claire Xu snorted, "You ran into us yourself. It's nothing to do with us. Maybe you should get your eyes checked—I'll even pay for your exam!"

"You…" The woman's temper clearly dulled now that Sean Snow was here.

"You two are bullying Yueyue-jie. You think she's a pushover just because she's nice!" The girl next to her glared at Lauren Shaw and Claire Xu.

"Cousin, tell security to throw them out!" she pleaded to Sean Snow.

To their surprise, Sean Snow ignored her.

Instead, he looked at Lauren Shaw and greeted her, "Saozi." (A respectful way to address a friend’s wife, literally 'sister-in-law'.)

Lauren Shaw responded coolly with a nod.

"My friend accidentally spilled coffee on this young lady's dress. How much was it? We'll pay you."

"It's fine, really, it's no big deal," Sean Snow said. He turned to the woman and spoke sternly, "Yueyue, apologize."

Yueyue looked at him in disbelief. "Why should I? She got my dress dirty—why do I have to apologize?"

At last, a reasonable person.

Claire Xu stood with her arms crossed, fanning the flames. "I was just standing here. You're the one who walked into me and then called me blind. Now, who's really blind here?"

Yueyue’s face turned crimson, but she refused to apologize.

"I'm sorry about this. Let me apologize on her behalf," Sean Snow said genuinely.

Lauren Shaw smiled faintly. "It's nothing serious, Mr. Xue, really, no need to apologize."

Claire Xu glanced coldly at Yueyue. "At least the brother knows right from wrong, unlike some people."

Yueyue stormed off in a huff. Sylvia Shaw shot them a glare before chasing after her.

Feeling a bit awkward, Lauren Shaw looked at Sean Snow. "Aren't you going to check on her?"

"No need. That’s just how she is. She'll get over it soon."

Lauren Shaw didn't say anything more, taking Claire Xu's hand and leading her away.

"So when did you meet that handsome guy?" Claire Xu asked.

"He's a friend of Yancy Shaw's."

Claire Xu nodded knowingly. Then, as if something occurred to her, she asked, "Have you met your in-laws yet?"

Lauren Shaw shook her head. She hadn't really thought about that yet.

"What do your parents think of Yancy Shaw?"

"They like him well enough. They're pretty satisfied with him for now," Lauren Shaw said, remembering their attitude.

"Then you’d better get ready to meet your in-laws soon."

Lauren Shaw looked at her. Honestly, she knew next to nothing about Yancy Shaw’s family, except that both his parents were alive and his household was probably quite comfortable.

Claire Xu continued, "I'm not trying to doubt Dr. Shen's character or anything—since you're already married, you should really take the time to get to know his family too. He's a good guy, but having in-laws who are fair and reasonable makes things even better."