The anger drained the color from Zoe Carter’s face, but she dared not utter another word—she knew the Shen family was not to be trifled with.
After Zoe Carter left, Lauren Shaw took Yancy Shaw’s arm and continued shopping.
Ahead of them was a woman with a young child in tow. The little girl glanced up at them, her head slightly raised. “Hello, Uncle and Auntie!”
Her childish voice was absolutely adorable.
Lauren Shaw felt a wave of tenderness. She waved at the little girl. “Hello there!”
The chubby little girl’s round cheeks made Lauren Shaw especially fond of her.
She squeezed Yancy Shaw’s hand and asked, “Honey, do you want to have a child?”
Yancy Shaw gazed at her intently, his expression grave. “Sheng Sheng, I don’t want kids right now.”
“Why not?”
Didn’t most couples start thinking about kids as soon as they got married? Children were so cute—how could he not want one?
“If you’re worried about carrying on the family line, there’s no need. The Shen family will not lack heirs.”
Lauren Shaw fell silent. Her mind replayed his words—he didn’t want a child. They’d never discussed this before, so she hadn’t known how he felt.
Truth be told, she had always really liked kids.
“Sometimes I think, if we had a child between us, it would be wonderful.” The house would feel livelier that way.
“Sheng Sheng, we’ve only been married a little over a month. I don’t want anything to disrupt our life together right now.” He admitted his selfishness—he wanted Lauren Shaw’s whole heart to himself. For now, children were simply not on the table.
Hearing his explanation, Lauren Shaw dropped the subject. She did like children—but she wasn’t saying she needed one right this moment.
Since Yancy Shaw felt that way, they could wait. Now simply wasn’t the best time to start a family.
Their conversation quickly moved on.
As they passed the family planning section, Lauren Shaw stopped. She remembered they were almost out at home.
A little embarrassed, she pointed at the shelf. “Um, honey, we’re out of those at home.”
Yancy Shaw pushed the shopping cart forward. “Then grab a few boxes.”
Lauren Shaw glanced around. There weren’t many people nearby, but just the thought made her cheeks burn.
She hastily tossed a few boxes into the cart and walked ahead of him, acting nonchalant.
“Sheng Sheng.” Yancy Shaw called out to her.
She turned back, feigning casualness. “Yeah?” She noticed he was inspecting a box in his hand. “What is it?”
“You grabbed the wrong type.” Yancy Shaw chuckled. While she fumbled in embarrassment, he seemed completely unfazed.
Lauren Shaw looked confused. “You don’t like this brand?”
“No,” Yancy Shaw leaned over and whispered in her ear, “It’s the size—it’s too small.”
Lauren Shaw froze, her cheeks turning crimson all the way to her ears. She hadn’t even realized these things came in different sizes.
Yancy Shaw stopped teasing her, swapping out the boxes himself.
“Dr. Shen?” Mona Lane, watching all of this, was completely stunned.
At first, she thought she must be mistaken, but it really was him.
For such an elegant man to be shopping for family planning products in public—the sight was truly something else.
Yancy Shaw met her gaze coolly, then grabbed a few boxes in the correct size and joined Lauren Shaw.
“Dr. Lin.” Lauren Shaw greeted her perfunctorily, her smile less than friendly.
Knowing full well the little tricks Mona Lane had tried with Yancy Shaw, Lauren Shaw felt nothing but dislike for her.
Mona Lane smiled. “Miss Li, you seem to be in good spirits lately.”
Her words were an obvious reminder of the incidents from before, but Lauren Shaw didn’t take the bait. She beamed, “That’s all thanks to my husband—he always provides emotional support and helps me solve all kinds of problems.”
Deliberately showing off in front of Mona Lane, she figured as long as Mona Lane was watching, she’d show her just how happy she was.
Lauren Shaw took Yancy Shaw’s hand; he intertwined his fingers with hers.
“It’s getting late—let’s head home before you get hungry again.”
Lauren Shaw smiled. “Okay.”
As the couple disappeared behind the shelves, Mona Lane finally looked away, though jealousy smoldered in her gaze.
—
Back at home, Yancy Shaw was chopping vegetables while Lauren Shaw busied herself washing them.
Recalling what had happened earlier at the supermarket, Lauren Shaw asked, “Does Mona Lane live nearby too?”
Zoe Carter showing up was probably a coincidence, but there was no way Mona Lane’s sudden appearance was accidental.
“Yeah, she does.” Yancy Shaw had only learned that recently from Henry Mills.
Lauren Shaw really didn’t care for Mona Lane’s approach. If Yancy Shaw wasn’t married, maybe her persistence would seem romantic. But now that everyone knew Yancy Shaw was married, Mona Lane’s actions seemed shameless.
She remembered the trouble Mona Lane caused when Yancy Shaw had gone to East China. Her uncle had even called to complain to her about it. Still, she was satisfied with how Yancy Shaw handled it.
But seeing Mona Lane today really soured her mood.
“She’s certainly persistent—still chasing you even after you got married.”
Yancy Shaw laughed. “See? Your husband’s got irresistible charm.”
He was teasing, but he wasn’t wrong; with looks like his, how could anyone not be tempted?
She wanted him all to herself—she didn’t want anyone else giving him a second thought.
Thinking of today’s news, she asked, “Did you hear about the Sung family getting acquired?”
Yancy Shaw paused, then nodded slightly. “I did.”
“Do you know who the founder of Apex International is?”
Apex International had made a splash in Ancheng’s business world these last two years, but nothing was known about its founder. No one could even uncover the company's origins—everyone assumed it must have powerful backers to be so mysterious.
“Do you want to know?” Yancy Shaw glanced at her, his voice low.
Lauren Shaw looked at him, curiosity shining in her eyes. “I do.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “But you’ll have to reward me.”
Lauren Shaw couldn’t help smirking—this man was getting bolder, always demanding some kind of reward.
Resigned, she cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss. “Now will you tell me?”
Yancy Shaw raised an eyebrow, never pausing in his slicing. “Apex International is actually a Shen family business. The founder is me.”
Lauren Shaw: “……”
She was completely stunned, wondering if she’d heard him wrong.
“You’re saying you founded Apex International?”
“Yes.”
Yancy Shaw answered with total seriousness.
Lauren Shaw found it unbelievable. “But aren’t you always at the hospital? How could you run such a big company?”
She couldn’t imagine how he managed to juggle it all.
“I leave Apex International to others. Unless it’s something crucial, my involvement isn’t needed.”
He’d always been a business prodigy. Even though he hadn’t managed the company directly these last few years, he’d quietly given Bryce Shaw plenty of advice behind the scenes.