She sat quietly, listening as Bryce Shaw spoke of the past, a heavy feeling weighing on her heart.

"I still remember right after Grandpa passed away. He was injured then, and he locked himself in his room, refusing even to let doctors in. My parents worried he’d have a breakdown, so they arranged for a psychologist, but he refused to see anyone."

"Later, he sorted things out on his own and finally came out. He told us he wanted to become a doctor. My parents didn’t object to his decision—anything that could help him move on from that shadow was a good thing."

"These years, he’s always lived with guilt, blaming himself for not saving Grandpa…"

As Bryce Shaw spoke, his eyes gradually reddened. It was obvious how much he cared for Yancy Shaw, and how Grandpa’s death had left a deep mark on him.

For all these years, Yancy Shaw had lived in pain, so on the anniversary of his grandfather’s death, she could completely understand his state of mind.

"Lauren Shaw, there's actually something I want your help with—that's why I asked you to come."

Bryce Shaw hesitated.

"Just say it. I’ll help however I can."

If it was within her ability, she would definitely help.

"Yancheng actually has a good head for business, but his grandfather’s death hit him so hard he has no desire to be part of all those underhanded schemes."

Lauren Shaw had already guessed as much from his words.

"You want him to give up medicine and take over the family business?" She voiced what Bryce Shaw was hinting at.

Bryce Shaw was surprised she’d seen right through him. What a clever woman.

"Exactly. Right now, a lot of people are eyeing the Shen family. I don’t know when disaster might strike. I talked to Yancheng about this before, but he wants nothing to do with it."

As the Shen family’s second son, he himself was rather exasperated—his older brother was obsessed with research, his younger brother with saving lives, so the massive family business had fallen squarely on his own shoulders. He was run ragged, too busy even to find time for romance.

In other families, brothers would fight tooth and nail for the family fortune—his, on the other hand, seemed like they couldn’t wait to shove the whole estate onto him.

Sigh… frustrated.

"I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do about that. I can’t control what he wants. I won’t force him to do something he doesn’t want to, and I believe if you were in my place, Second Brother, you wouldn’t either."

She felt sorry for Yancy Shaw. She would never make him do something he was unwilling to do—unless he decided it himself.

Bryce Shaw nodded in agreement, his gaze toward Lauren Shaw laced with respect.

No wonder Yancy Shaw was doing better and better these days—he had such a wise and thoughtful wife by his side.

Bryce Shaw smiled, then changed the topic, asking about her plans for the future.

She spent about an hour in the office. When she came out, everyone was staring at her with odd looks.

But Lauren Shaw didn’t give those people a second thought.

Bryce Shaw stepped out of the office, checked his watch, and told Chris Cooper, "I’ll be heading out for a bit. Call me if anything comes up."

He took a couple of steps, then looked at Lauren Shaw. "Need me to drive you back to your studio?"

Lauren Shaw shook her head. "No, I’m fine on my own."

But in the eyes of the company staff, their conversation seemed to suggest something else entirely.

There was no doubt: office gossip would be all about this tomorrow.

Still, Lauren Shaw mostly worked at her own studio—her visits to Shengmei Group were only occasional.

That evening, she returned home.

As soon as she stepped through the door, a delicious aroma greeted her.

After switching shoes, she walked into the kitchen to find Yancy Shaw in a grey sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his well-built arms, and wearing an apron.

The apron, a soft pink one she’d bought last time at the supermarket. She hadn’t expected a man could wear pink so effortlessly—a gentle dash of color that suited him perfectly.

Lauren Shaw said nothing, simply leaned against the fridge door, watching him quietly.

He held a knife, deftly chopping vegetables.

Every movement was precise, graceful.

His hands were beautiful—long fingers, distinct knuckles, and nails clean and well kept. She couldn’t help but think back to that hospital visit, when his hands had first caught her attention.

"You’re back." Yancy Shaw glanced up, catching her staring with a dazed, entranced look. His eyes curved up with a smile.

Lauren Shaw was startled, like she’d been caught peeking, instantly a bit flustered.

She shifted her gaze to the neat slices of meat he'd just cut.

"Your knife skills are impressive," she said—not just flattery, but genuinely amazed.

Each piece of meat was perfectly even, each the same size and shape—unsurprising, given the handiwork of a genius surgeon.

"Back when I was studying overseas, I actually trained with this—you had to get every cut to precise measurements…"

Before he finished, she suddenly wrapped her arms around him from behind.

Startled, Yancy Shaw stiffened, sensing something off in her embrace.

He lowered his voice, gently asking, "Did someone bully you today?"

"No," Lauren Shaw replied, hugging him even tighter, her voice muffled.

Even though she already knew his past, hearing Bryce Shaw talk about it still made her heart ache—especially when she imagined what he'd gone through. The pain was indescribable.

"It must have been really hard for you back then, huh?"

He understood exactly what she meant. Feeling her arms tightening around his waist, he let out a light laugh. "Shengsheng, if you keep hugging me this tightly, I won’t be able to breathe."

"Oh?" Lauren Shaw quickly loosened her grip, and the wave of emotion she’d been riding ebbed away.

"Sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away. Don’t mind me," she mumbled, scratching her head.

Turning to face her, Yancy Shaw reached out and gently patted her head. "The past is over. Having you now is the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me."

Lauren Shaw tilted her head up, seeing the deep affection in his gaze. Rising on tiptoe, she pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Husband, if there’s anything on your mind, you have to tell me. Whatever happens, I’ll always be here with you."

Her voice was soft, but it sent ripples through his heart.

He thought back to the time he’d shut himself away from the world, not wanting anything or anyone. He didn’t know what changed, but he hoped he'd never go back to that place. Things were always better after being spoken out loud—bottling them up only made them harder to bear over time.

Yancy Shaw's dark eyes were like deep water, reflecting her radiant smile—beautiful and captivating.

"Alright, I promise, Shengsheng."

Lauren Shaw beamed.

"Go watch some TV while I finish making dinner," he said, his voice soothing and steady, stirring her heart.

"Okay." Lauren Shaw obediently left the kitchen.

Even after more than a month of marriage, she still felt like a young girl in love whenever she was with him.

She flopped onto the couch, her cheeks burning. Taking a deep breath, she thought, Well, that’s hopeless—I fall for him a little more every time, swept up by his gentle touch.