Lauren Shaw pulled her car over, got out, and walked toward the scene.

Yancy Shaw was kneeling on the ground, performing CPR on an unconscious man.

A passerby was holding an umbrella over him.

In the crowd, some people were filming the scene with their phones, while others were calling for an ambulance.

The man on the ground showed no response. Yancy Shaw took out a handkerchief from his pocket, placed it over the man's lips, and bent down to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Throughout the rescue, every move Yancy Shaw made was composed and compelling. He was locked in a race against death.

Standing among the onlookers, Lauren Shaw watched Yancy Shaw’s desperate efforts to save a life, and suddenly understood why he chose this profession.

To save a life is a merit greater than building a seven-story pagoda*; her Yancy Shaw was someone with boundless love in his heart. (Seven-story pagoda: a Buddhist phrase meaning saving a person earns immense virtue.)

A minute later, the man on the ground finally stirred.

The surrounding crowd erupted in applause.

Just then, the ambulance arrived.

After he and the paramedics lifted the patient onto the stretcher, Yancy Shaw turned around, scanning the crowd for Lauren Shaw.

Lauren Shaw walked over and took his hand. "I'm right here."

Yancy Shaw patted her head. As he noticed her hugging his arm, he gently pulled his hand away, "I'm all dirty."

The rain and kneeling had soaked his knees. His pants clung uncomfortably to his legs.

"It’s not dirty," Lauren Shaw insisted, holding his hand even tighter, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Smiling, Yancy Shaw ruffled her hair and led her back to the car.

Back at home.

They had hardly changed their shoes when Claire Xu called.

"There’s always some scoundrel out to get you," Claire Xu quipped.

Hearing Claire Xu's voice, Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but laugh. Whenever she was feeling down, Claire Xu always found a way to cheer her up.

"Some people are just too rotten to fix," Lauren Shaw replied.

"Seems like the buzz has died down since this afternoon, almost like someone’s deliberately suppressing it," Claire Xu commented, sensing something off, though she couldn't quite pinpoint it.

"That’s because the company stepped in," Lauren Shaw replied, glancing meaningfully at Yancy Shaw.

Seeing he was still lingering in the living room, she nudged him: "Go take a shower already."

Claire Xu couldn’t help but tease, "Oho~ telling someone to hurry up and shower? What’s the rush?"

The seasoned gossip gleamed in her voice.

Since Lauren Shaw's phone was on speaker, Yancy Shaw overheard it. He looked at her with a mischievous glint, his eyes brimming with playful heat. She pretended not to notice.

After Yancy Shaw finally disappeared into the bathroom, Lauren Shaw relaxed and started talking.

"Qingqing, you’re missing something," she said.

"What am I missing?"

"A man." If only Claire Xu had a man, maybe she wouldn’t spend all day teasing her.

Claire Xu snorted, "Nothing escapes you! What would I do without you?"

"Don’t flatter me. But seriously, Dr. He from next door isn’t bad. How about you consider him?"

"Shengsheng, you’re stealing bamboo shoots from the panda!" (Internet slang: meaning someone is stealing the limelight or advantage, playfully scolding a friend for making a move.)

After a bout of laughter, Claire Xu cleared her throat and got down to business.

"Tomorrow is Ian Lawrence’s birthday, and he wants me to invite you too."

"Why would he want me there? I’m not going," Lauren Shaw refused flatly.

Claire Xu had anticipated her reply, but Ian Lawrence had been pestering her lately. All her current projects involved him, and with little else to do, he’d been turning up at her office almost daily—a real headache.

"I already told him you’re happily married, so he shouldn’t bother you. He said he only wants to apologize and be friends."

"Friends? Apologize? Since when did he change his ways?"

"If you don’t go, he’ll keep hounding me. He’s driving me crazy," Claire Xu pleaded.

Lauren Shaw hesitated, then asked, "Where’s his birthday party?"

"At his family home. He’s inviting a bunch of Ancheng’s smart young crowd."

"Alright, we’ll go together," Lauren Shaw agreed. After all, he wouldn’t pull any crazy stunts at his own birthday party. She’d made things clear to him, and he wasn’t stupid.

After her shower, Lauren Shaw stretched out on the bed and told Yancy Shaw about tomorrow’s birthday party.

"You’re going to a birthday party tomorrow?"

Lauren Shaw recounted the situation. "He’s been pestering Claire Xu nonstop. If I refuse, she’ll have an even harder time. I don’t want her to be caught in the middle."

Yancy Shaw said nothing.

Lauren Shaw thought he minded, and offered, "Why don’t you come with me?"

"What’s his name?"

Though Yancy Shaw never took over the family business, most of Ancheng’s wealthy heirs still knew his reputation. He kept a low profile, but that didn’t mean he lacked influence.

Caught off guard by the question, Lauren Shaw answered truthfully, "Ian Lawrence. Do you know him?"

She remembered that if not for choosing medicine, Yancy Shaw could easily have become one of the city’s most prominent young leaders.

"Never met him," Yancy Shaw replied, then rolled over and pinned her beneath him, "Wife, about last night..."

Feeling his hands start to wander, Lauren Shaw let out a helpless protest.

She playfully punched his chest. "Come on, can’t you let me rest a few days?"

Yancy Shaw lowered his head and gave her pale shoulder a soft nip. His voice was husky, "Whenever I touch you, I just can’t resist... I want you every single day."

"You’re awful..."

Any further words were lost to his movements, until everything melted into the rhythm of shallow gasps.

......

Lauren Shaw didn’t wake until noon the next day.

Facing her reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help but sigh, a blush rising at the memory of last night’s frenzy.

That damned man had stood right where she was now, held her chin, and made her look at herself in the mirror...

So much for not minding her going to the party. Glancing at the cluster of dark red marks scattered across her skin, she gave a helpless laugh—such a possessive man.

Wearing a dress was out of the question now, but at least this wasn’t any grand event.

How had she never noticed how sneaky Yancy Shaw could be?

Claire Xu called, saying it was time to pick out a dress.

Lauren Shaw slipped into a cream-colored qipao, buttoning it up to her chin and draping a shawl over her shoulders—a cool, elegant look.

After applying a light touch of makeup, she headed out.

While picking outfits, Claire Xu eyed her strangely. "You’re wearing that?"

Lauren Shaw nodded. "Is there a problem?"

"Not really. It just doesn’t seem like birthday party attire."

Lauren Shaw shrugged. It was still better than letting everyone see the love bites on her neck.

Ian Lawrence’s birthday was set at the Lawrence family estate.

Seated in Claire Xu’s car, Lauren Shaw couldn’t shake the feeling the drive to the Liang house looked familiar.

It was the same road to the Shen family’s place. She hadn’t visited the Shen home in quite some time.