Caught off guard by how accurately she’d been read, Lauren Shaw fell silent.

Yancy Shaw didn’t seem upset at all. "Actually, my second brother brought this up with me before. I won’t ignore the family business, but it’s not the right time yet. Right now, I just want to do what I really want."

In other words, he’d take over the family business when the time was right, but since his second brother was doing well managing things, there was no need to worry for now.

After chatting for a bit, Yancy Shaw told her to go on to bed first, as he still had work to finish up.

"Go ahead and keep working. I’m happy just watching you from here," she replied, finding him especially charming when he was focused on his work.

Yancy Shaw let her be. When he finally finished, he glanced at the camera—Lauren Shaw had fallen asleep, her phone still propped at the same angle.

He watched her for a long while. Every night, after she drifted off, he’d quietly watch her like this until sleep finally overcame him as well.

The following morning.

Lauren Shaw got up early and headed to her studio. She was expecting to be interviewed at nine that morning.

The reporter was a young woman, clearly a recent graduate.

She lit up as soon as she saw Lauren Shaw.

"Hello, Senior! Do you remember me?"

Lauren Shaw looked at her, but didn’t recognize her.

The girl didn’t mind Lauren Shaw’s blank face. She introduced herself with cheerful confidence. "I graduated from An University. Remember that freshman orientation performance? When someone confessed to you on stage? That’s when I first noticed you—I always thought you were so brave…"

Lauren Shaw couldn't hold back a laugh—she hadn’t expected that incident from years ago to keep cropping up lately.

The girl was still rambling on when Lauren Shaw cleared her throat; she only then realized she’d been talking too much.

"My name’s Sophia Chandler, but you can just call me Siyao."

"I’m Lauren Shaw," she introduced herself simply.

"I know! I’ve watched all your competition videos. Honestly, senior, you totally hold your own beside all those celebrities."

That wasn’t just empty flattery; ever since the show aired, Lauren Shaw’s looks had won her a bunch of new fans, and business at the studio was booming. Everyone—Xiaomei, Sisi, and the rest—had their hands full.

Lauren Shaw smiled. "Shall we get started, then?"

—

After the interview, she walked Sophia Chandler out—and arrived just as a delivery guy pulled up out front.

"Excuse me, is Miss Lauren Shaw here?"

"That’s me."

He was holding a big bouquet of flowers and more than a dozen cups of coffee. He handed them all to Lauren Shaw.

"I didn’t order any coffee," Lauren Shaw said, baffled, making no move to take them.

"These were all ordered for you," the delivery guy explained, showing her the order—it had her name and address.

She finally took the flowers and the coffee.

There was a card tucked in among the petals. "Wishing Lauren Shaw happiness every day," it read.

Well, that was a little cheesy.

Could it have been Yancy Shaw? She only had a handful of close friends, but cheesy romance definitely wasn’t Yancy Shaw’s style.

Maybe he was trying to be romantic for once?

Wondering, she picked up her phone and sent him a message: [Got your flowers, but what’s the occasion today? What made you send me these?]

She took a deep sniff of the bouquet. She’d never really liked flashy red roses, but if Yancy Shaw sent them, she loved them anyway.

His reply arrived almost instantly: [Flowers? What flowers?]

Lauren Shaw’s heart skipped a beat. She snapped a photo of the roses and sent it over. [These aren’t from you?]

Yancy Shaw was busy and couldn’t call her, or she’d definitely hear some possessiveness in his voice.

[No, not from me.]

With his answer, the flowers suddenly felt far less charming.

Xiaomei took a coffee and grinned. "Sienna Shaw, your husband is so sweet—sending us all coffee, too!"

Sisi added, "So romantic! Flowers and coffee both—he must feel sorry you’ve been working so hard lately."

Maya Wells chimed in, "He’s really thoughtful…"

Lauren Shaw’s eyelid twitched.

Before she could respond, someone called her name from behind.

"Lauren Shaw."

Hearing his voice, the flowers in her hands instantly became an eyesore.

Xiaomei and the others looked curiously at the man in the doorway.

Yet another handsome, tall guy. Lately, a lot of attractive men had been showing up at their studio. Although he didn’t have Lauren Shaw’s husband’s commanding presence, by the look of him, he was likely from a wealthy family.

Ian Lawrence walked over to her.

She looked at him. "You sent the flowers?"

"Who else? You think your husband would send you this? Why not just consider me for a change? He doesn’t treat you well; you might as well divorce him and be with me instead."

His self-important tone made Lauren Shaw want to punch him.

She walked toward the door with the bouquet, pausing at a trash bin.

Ian Lawrence followed and, seeing what she was about to do, rushed to block her. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"I told you I’m married. What is the point of all this? Mr. Liang, you’re an adult, not a child. Can’t you act with a bit more maturity?"

Lauren Shaw had always treated him this way—stern and unimpressed—and that only made him like her more. It drove him crazy.

Still, he kept up his roguish, exasperating grin. "It’s just a bouquet. Need you lecture me every time?"

The last time he’d confessed to her—in front of all those people—she didn’t let him save even a shred of face. It hurt, but he couldn’t get over her.

"We can be ordinary friends. But please, don’t do these childish things again—I’m too busy for your games." She shoved the flowers back at him and strode toward the studio without another word.

Ian Lawrence stood there, totally dejected. He couldn’t understand why Lauren Shaw would rather marry a man who didn’t love her than give him a chance.

Sophia Chandler saw him looking so down and couldn’t help walking over and poking him.

He looked up, and Sophia Chandler’s eyes lit up. "I remember you—you’re the guy who got rejected when he confessed to senior in front of the whole school!"

Ian Lawrence: "..."

Honestly, was she trying to rub salt into his wounds? Couldn’t she be a little more tactful? His heart was already shattered.

"Do you want these flowers?"

Sophia Chandler glanced at the bouquet in his hands. "They’re pretty nice."

"All yours," Ian Lawrence said, thrusting the bouquet at her before turning and peeling out with a roar of his engine—leaving behind a bewildered Sophia Chandler.

She looked at the flowers, then over at Lauren Shaw. "It’s not the flowers’ fault, so I’ll just keep them. Hehe…"

Lauren Shaw returned to the studio with a dark expression. Xiaomei and the others didn’t dare say a word. Clearly, the coffee they’d been drinking hadn’t been a loving gesture from her husband, but a would-be suitor’s ploy.

Tsk—being this pretty sure brought its own set of troubles.