A slow grin spread across Eva Snow’s face, but her gaze toward Lauren Shaw sharpened. If it weren’t for the cameras overhead, she’d probably be showing her true, nasty colors again.
“I have this habit—whenever I’m out of ideas, I like to chat with people.”
“That’s a pretty unique habit,” Lauren Shaw replied drily, offering a couple of perfunctory chuckles.
Unbothered by the tone, Eva Snow pressed on, “I really enjoy the design industry. I joined this competition just to push my skills further. What about you? Why’d you sign up for the show?”
Lauren Shaw instantly picked up on her underlying insinuation—this woman was obviously baiting her, hoping she’d walk right into a trap.
But Lauren Shaw wasn’t about to fall for it.
“Honestly, I just want to see where I’m still lacking, connect with more designers, and learn as much as I can…” Lauren Shaw said solemnly, weaving a perfectly diplomatic answer.
She was just telling people exactly what they wanted to hear. Her whole strategy was to stay smooth and non-committal.
After listening, Eva Snow kept probing, “Word is, the organizers invited you directly by phone. Do you know someone on the committee?”
Ah, so this was the real trap she’d been waiting to spring.
“No, I don’t know anyone on the committee,” Lauren Shaw replied calmly, effortlessly redirecting the topic.
“But I heard your Snow family’s been in fashion for years. What’s your take on the industry, Miss Xue?” Lauren Shaw wasn’t stupid; she wasn’t about to step into her pitfall.
Seeing that Lauren Shaw refused to play by her script, Eva Snow began to lose her cool. Ignoring Lauren Shaw’s question, she pressed even harder.
“Miss Li, your brand’s only been around for three years, but the competition has a rule—brands must be at least five years old. I’m very curious, how did you manage to get in as an exception?”
Lauren Shaw had seen this coming, so she’d already planned her response from the moment she walked in.
“I’m curious about that myself, but didn’t you already ask me? Seems like there’s no need to ask again today, don’t you think?” Lauren Shaw said with a polite, insincere smile.
Tension crackled between the two under the watchful eye of the camera. The production crew could already sense the atmosphere growing prickly.
A sudden knock broke the standoff.
Lauren Shaw frowned and glanced at the door. Was she that popular? Why were people stopping by one after another?
She opened the door to find Yana Quinn, clutching a cup of coffee with a soft, gentle smile.
“Lauren Shaw, I know you're super busy tonight, so I made you some coffee.”
Too good to be true, Lauren Shaw thought impassively.
Yana Quinn’s hand hovered midair, still offering the coffee as Lauren Shaw made no move to accept it.
“Miss Li really is popular—someone even brings her coffee,” Eva Snow remarked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
At that, Yana Quinn's smile faltered.
The situation had gotten awkward. Lauren Shaw wondered why none of these people ever seemed to sleep at night.
“Miss Xue, you’re here too?” Yana Quinn’s voice had a touch of unease—a faint guilty conscience, plainly written on her face.
“Of course, I’m just here to have a chat with Miss Li. What about you, can’t sleep?” Eva Snow shot Yana Quinn a cold glare.
Last time, because of her, Eva Snow had been embarrassed at the Shen house; Yancy Shaw still bore a grudge. This woman was clearly using her as a pawn.
“N-no…” Yana Quinn faltered under her gaze, gripping the coffee tightly.
Suddenly, the door next door flung open. Chloe Shaw stood there in her pajamas and a face mask, glowering impatiently.
“Seriously, you two. Can’t you think about others? It’s the middle of the night and all I can hear is you lot squabbling. What’s your deal?”
Yana Quinn, always careful to keep a low profile, didn’t dare provoke Chloe Shaw. She forced a smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to disturb your sleep. I’ll head down now.”
She turned to go downstairs.
Noticing that there were no cameras in this corner and that Yana Quinn was still holding the coffee out toward Lauren Shaw, Eva Snow gritted her teeth and suddenly stuck out her foot...
“Ah!”
“Watch out!”
“Thud!”
Yana Quinn stumbled over Eva Snow’s outstretched foot, the coffee flying from her hand in an arc toward Lauren Shaw.
Chloe Shaw reacted quickly, grabbing Lauren Shaw’s wrist and pulling her back. Lauren Shaw herself moved fast too, yanking Eva Snow along with her.
In the flurry, the coffee fell to the floor. Lauren Shaw and Chloe Shaw narrowly avoided disaster, but Eva Snow and Yana Quinn weren’t so lucky.
Thrown off balance, Yana Quinn tumbled backwards. Scalding coffee splashed over her hand, instantly reddening the skin.
Eva Snow fared little better—coffee spilled all over her clothes. She wasn’t burned, but her outfit was now covered in stains.
With a dark expression, Eva Snow glared at Lauren Shaw, her teeth clenched. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Lauren Shaw shrugged helplessly. “You saw how chaotic it was. If I hadn’t pulled you back, you and Yana Quinn both would’ve hit the floor together.”
Yana Quinn, sitting dazed on the ground, gave Lauren Shaw a resentful look.
Chloe Shaw snorted, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Someone’s really living up to her name as the ‘long-legged monster’.”
“Who are you talking about?” Eva Snow snapped back, well aware Chloe Shaw was needling her, but too stubborn to admit it.
Chloe Shaw looked at her meaningfully. “Oh, just the ‘long-legged menace’. I never said it was you—why are you so jumpy?”
Staff hurried upstairs, having heard the commotion. Seeing the mess, they immediately guessed what had happened.
With so many women under one roof, drama was inevitable. By now, they were all used to it.
Once the staff finished cleaning, Chloe Shaw lingered for a moment.
With no cameras around, not many people really knew what had happened just now.
“What was that about? Were those two coming to mess with you on purpose tonight?”
Chloe Shaw had only just finished showering and was getting ready for bed when she’d heard the noise—what a lively night.
“Pretty sure it was a setup. One’s all hands, the other all feet, but in the end, they both got burned.” Lauren Shaw recalled the look on both women’s faces—one ashen, one green with rage. What a show.
Chloe Shaw caught her eye and the two of them shared an unspoken smile.
“Want to come hang out in my room?” Chloe Shaw gestured inside.
Lauren Shaw considered, then nodded, following her in.
Chloe Shaw’s room was bigger than hers, and included a balcony with two chairs and a round table.
There was a bottle of red wine on the table; a goblet sat nearby, still holding a few sips.
“Want a drink?” Chloe Shaw offered.
Lauren Shaw shook her head. “Gotta finish my project—it’s going to be a late night.”