This man really does know how to put on an act—or how else could he have become her husband?

"Dr. Shen, I have to say, you really are a good actor. Better than some famous stars out there."

Back in the private room, he had slumped right onto her. She’d honestly thought he was completely drunk. Turns out, the whole thing was just an act.

"If I didn’t put on a show, how was I supposed to get home? With the way Owen Shaw was going, if I didn’t pretend to be wasted, he’d have dragged me out drinking all night!"

Lauren Shaw smiled to herself, eyes lowered. "My uncle just wanted to get you drunk so he could figure you out."

Her uncle might look friendly and easygoing, but deep down, he was always scheming.

Back when her older sister got married and Xavier Quinn came home for the first time after, Owen Shaw hadn’t said a word—he picked up his glass and started knocking them back. Of course, he didn’t escape unscathed either; both he and Xavier Quinn ended up totally smashed.

They almost made a complete mess of themselves.

"Next time, I’ll set my uncle up with a few more blind dates."

Lauren Shaw glanced up at him and couldn’t help but giggle. "That’s savage. But you’re actually really nice, you know."

Thinking about what Huang Cui Rou had said back in the private room, she asked, "You didn’t let what my aunt said get to you, did you?"

"Not at all. Why would I care what she says?" Yancy Shaw was hardly going to let those kinds of people affect him.

He never worried about what irrelevant people had to say, but Lauren Shaw hated it, because it meant he might get stuck in the crossfire.

"That aunt’s been sparring with my mom for years. No matter the occasion, if we’re there, she’ll compare her daughter to me and my sister."

When she was little, her relationship with Vivian James had actually been pretty good. But as they grew older, and under Huang Cui Rou’s constant lectures, Vivian James began to pull away.

Even when they met, she always gave Lauren Shaw and her sister the cold shoulder—there was this inexplicable malice, leaving Lauren Shaw feeling helpless.

What used to be simple friendship ended up sacrificed to all that adult rivalry and competition.

Both of them had been drinking, and Lauren Shaw was talking a bit more than usual. Yancy Shaw was happy to listen patiently.

Unknowingly, they reached home.

Yancy Shaw took her hand and headed for the elevator.

Lauren Shaw clung to his side; she’d drank quite a bit herself tonight, but before, she hadn’t felt tipsy—maybe because she’d thought she had to stay sober with Yancy Shaw supposedly drunk. Now that she knew he’d been faking, though, the alcohol started to hit her.

"Yancy Shaw, was it love at first sight when you met me?" she said, looping her arms around his neck in the elevator, her rosy lips just a breath away from his.

It wasn’t like her to ask so bluntly, but with the alcohol in her system, nothing seemed out of bounds.

Before a drink she was a classy beauty; after a few, a wild thing.

Yancy Shaw simply couldn’t resist her when she got like this. Watching her intoxicated, slightly out-of-it expression, his lips tilted in a smile.

"Yeah, it was love at first sight."

"So you fell for my looks, Dr. Shen. Who knew you were such a flirt!" Right now, Lauren Shaw was the complete opposite of her usual self.

Her soft fingers traced the shape of his lips, outlining that normally restrained mouth.

"Has anyone ever told you your lips look irresistible?" Her voice, sultry and slightly nasal from the drink, was bewitching.

Her eyes gleamed slyly, like a little fox—utterly enticing.

Ding—the elevator stopped on their floor.

Lauren Shaw still clung to his neck, refusing to let go.

"Come on, let’s go home first." If they weren’t in the elevator, he’d already be teaching her a lesson for all this teasing.

But drunk as she was, Lauren Shaw was light as a feather and not listening to reason.

With a helpless smile, Yancy Shaw bent over and lifted her up, carrying her home.

Back at their place, he set her down on the sofa and was about to get up when Lauren Shaw wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him close.

Their eyes met—Lauren Shaw gave him a mischievous smile; even drunk, she was radiant as ever.

He couldn’t resist. Lowering his head, he captured her lips in a kiss.

Lauren Shaw’s hands roamed—she traced his abs, exploring up and down.

Yancy Shaw’s eyes darkened as his breathing grew ragged, his gaze fixed on the woman beneath him. "Shengsheng, if you keep this up, I won’t be able to hold back."

"Why can’t you hold back?" Lauren Shaw, confused, didn’t understand.

He took her hand and began guiding her down…

Lauren Shaw’s eyes narrowed, then she frowned: "How can you tease me like this? You’re so bad~"

She turned her head away, a flirtatious blush spreading across her cheeks.

Seeing her so out of it made her absolutely adorable, and Yancy Shaw suddenly wanted to tease her more.

He leaned down, nipping her earlobe, his voice low and husky. "Aren’t you curious how it feels after a drink?"

Lauren Shaw turned back to him, her gaze hazy, still dizzy from his kiss. Now he was stirring her up with even more teasing. She felt like she was on fire, desperate to get closer.

Throwing her arms around his neck, she tilted her head and kissed him eagerly.

Yancy Shaw’s eyes darkened further—right now, she was like a kitten, playful and touchy.

He caught her hand, grinning. "Shengsheng, I wish I could save this side of you forever."

Lauren Shaw hardly heard him, her head swimming as she felt herself lifted again, then sinking into a soft mattress.

The only light left in their bedroom was a warm glow from the bedside lamp.

With the help of a little alcohol, ‘Miss Goody-Two-Shoes’ showed a very different side—a discovery that left Yancy Shaw with a whole new impression of her.

He changed things up over and over…

That night, Yancy Shaw finally learned what ‘losing all restraint after drinking’ really meant.

Lauren Shaw gave him an unforgettable experience.

Afterwards, freshly showered, Lauren Shaw fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

Yancy Shaw watched her peaceful face, gently pulled her into his arms, and joined her in sleep.

——

The next morning, Lauren Shaw woke up feeling like her body was about to fall apart.

Flashes from last night came flooding back, piecing together in her mind.

Her cheeks instantly flushed red.

She glanced at the floor-to-ceiling windows, her mind involuntarily wandering to last night…

Oh god—what had she done?

The spot beside her was empty. Yancy Shaw had already gotten up for work.

She reached for her phone by the bed; several messages from Yancy Shaw were waiting on WeChat.

[There’s porridge in the kitchen. Have some when you wake up.]

[Was last night a little too much?]

[If you don’t have anything urgent today, just stay home and rest. Call me if you have a headache.]