When Yancy Shaw emerged from the operating room, it was already nine at night.
There’d been an emergency surgery that afternoon, and he’d left his phone in his office, so he didn’t know if Lauren Shaw had tried to call him.
He shrugged off his lab coat and was about to open the office door when Mona Lane called out.
“Doctor Shen!”
He glanced at her nonchalantly. “Something you need, Dr. Lin?”
Mona Lane handed over the coffee she’d been holding.
“You’ve been working nonstop since this afternoon. You must be exhausted.”
Yancy Shaw took the coffee, but didn’t drink any. He replied coolly, “It’s a doctor’s duty.”
He turned to go inside, but Mona Lane trailed after him. “It’s getting late, and I don’t think you’ve eaten. How about we grab dinner together? I haven’t eaten either.”
“No need. Someone’s waiting for me at home.” Yancy Shaw checked his phone—nothing, not a single message. A trace of disappointment flickered in his eyes.
Mona Lane caught his expression in full.
Earlier that afternoon, she’d come by his office and heard the phone buzzing in the drawer. The moment she saw the caller ID, she’d felt an overwhelming surge of jealousy.
Little White Rabbit.
Staring at those three characters on the screen, she’d lost all restraint and composure. Without hesitation, she'd answered the call herself.
She’d always thought that a man like Yancy Shaw would never truly fall in love, so she was willing to wait for him. As long as there was no other woman at his side, she believed she still had a chance.
But reality was cruel—there was already someone else. She was dying to know: who exactly was this woman called ‘Little White Rabbit’?
Picking up his car keys, Yancy Shaw noticed Mona Lane still standing there, and frowned.
“Not heading home yet, Dr. Lin?”
Snapped back to herself, Mona Lane forced a stiff smile. “Ah—yeah. I’ll head out then. See you tomorrow.”
She shuffled out of the office in a daze.
She hadn’t gone far when she heard the on-duty nurse call out, “Drive safe, Dr. Shen!”
Glancing back, she saw the nurse holding the coffee she’d just given Yancy Shaw.
When Yancy Shaw called, Lauren Shaw was still in her studio.
The screen lit up and she froze for a few seconds before answering.
“Sorry, I was in the OR all afternoon and just got off work.”
Hearing his explanation, Lauren Shaw visibly relaxed.
“So you haven’t had dinner?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Me neither. Let’s eat together.” Oddly enough, her sour mood from the afternoon was suddenly swept away by this call.
That woman who picked up his phone earlier had really gotten under her skin. Before Yancy Shaw called, she’d wanted to ask who it was. But hearing his voice now, she realized there was no need.
Dr. Shen was honest and aboveboard—he’d never lie to her.
She trusted him, completely.
No little trick would ever come between them.
When Yancy Shaw arrived, she was clutching several design drafts. “Which one do you think Mom would like?”
“Each one has a different style and uses different materials. I have no idea what she’ll prefer, so I just designed a few options. You can help pick.”
She stood by the desk, hands braced against the edge.
Yancy Shaw stood behind her, his hands also resting on the edge, practically caging her in his arms.
He listened patiently as she explained, eyes lingering on her face, watching her quietly.
Her every tiny movement seemed to spellbind him like a sorcerer’s charm, drawing him in deeper.
Her soft, faintly reddened lips looked positively irresistible.
When Lauren Shaw finished, she instinctively glanced up at him—only to find herself enclosed in his arms. If she moved just a little, they’d be touching.
She shifted slightly, her lips brushing the edge of his, breathing in the scent that belonged to him.
Blushing, she quickly turned back to the desk and her design drafts.
“Which one do you think fits best?”
Yancy Shaw looked at her flushed cheeks, his smile deepening, and randomly picked one.
Lauren Shaw asked again, “And what material do you think works?”
He laid the draft down, wrapped his arm around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. The scent on her was intoxicating.
Being this close, he only wanted to be even closer.
“No matter how you design it, Mom will love it—because it’s yours.”
Held close, Lauren Shaw could feel the strength in his arms. She drew a steadying breath. “That’s your opinion; it doesn’t mean Mom will think the same.”
“I can speak for her.”
His hand tightened slightly at her waist, pulling her closer still.
“Mrs. Shen, it’s late—time to go home.”
His low, magnetic voice brushed her ear. This man was tempting her at every turn.
She curved her lips into a smile, reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist. “But Dr. Shen hasn’t had dinner yet. Why the rush to go home?”
Though officially married, right now the two of them felt much more like a pair of lovers caught up in new romance. The air between them turned charged and teasing.
Just then, Lauren Shaw’s stomach gave a loud growl.
“No dinner—I’m starving.”
Yancy Shaw let out a soft laugh in his eyes and took her hand. “Let’s fix that first.”
After eating, they returned home. Lauren Shaw went off for a shower while Yancy Shaw called Mrs. Chen.
“Mom, did you stop by to see Shengsheng today?”
“That’s right. There’s a dinner party next week, and I went around to a bunch of shops but couldn’t find a dress I liked. Then I thought, hey, my daughter-in-law’s a designer—might as well ask her!”
Actually, Mrs. Chen had her reasons. She trusted Lauren Shaw’s style, and her designs were uniquely elegant. Just last time, the dress she made had drawn tons of compliments.
This time, Mrs. Chen wanted to show off a little since it was designed by her own daughter-in-law.
“What? Are you unhappy I asked Shengsheng to design for me?”
Seeing Yancy Shaw silent, Mrs. Chen misunderstood and thought he didn’t want her bothering Lauren Shaw.
“That’s not it.”
He wasn’t against the idea—he just didn’t want his Little White Rabbit overworked. Tonight, seeing her still at the studio so late, he couldn’t help but feel worried for her.
Satisfied that he wasn’t upset, Mrs. Chen chatted for a bit more before hanging up.
Immediately after, a few new messages popped up on WeChat.
They were from Bryce Shaw.
[Is your sister-in-law having some trouble lately?]
[Heard the garment factories in Ancheng are refusing her orders.]
[Did she offend someone?]
Looking at Bryce Shaw’s messages, he remembered how Lauren Shaw had seemed troubled these past few days. He’d asked her about it, but she'd brushed it off as nothing major.
Most of Ancheng’s garment factories were actually owned by the Snow family. It didn’t take a genius to guess who was behind this.
His slender fingers moved quickly across the screen.
[Help her deal with it.]
A few seconds after he sent the message, a call came through.
“Our company’s preparing a show about original design. I think your sister-in-law would be perfect for it.”
Yancy Shaw didn’t say anything.
Bryce Shaw continued, “She’s family. It’s only right I help her. No need to thank me.”
“Just make sure she doesn’t feel pressured by it.”