He wasn’t a lustful man by nature, but in front of her, every single one of his defenses had crumbled.

He’d never imagined himself obsessed over a woman, but after meeting her, he finally understood what it meant to like someone—what it meant to love.

Lauren Shaw had been waiting for his next move, but seeing him only quietly staring at her, she grew impatient and shifted her hips with a coquettish tone, "Honey, I want to cuddle with you."

Yancy Shaw, utterly unable to resist her teasing, picked her up and carried her straight into the bathroom—

……

……

Early morning. Lauren Shaw was jolted awake by a knock on the door.

When she woke, the spot next to her was empty. Who knew till what hour they were tangled up last night—she still felt completely drained, too worn out to even care about the knocking. Turning over, she tried to go back to sleep.

A few minutes later, the knocking sounded again. This time, she rubbed her temples in frustration, a headache stirring.

Mrs. Chen's voice drifted in. "Shengsheng, are you awake yet? Come have lunch!"

Hearing Mrs. Chen, Lauren Shaw shot upright, instantly banishing all traces of sleep.

She almost forgot: Mrs. Chen had stayed over last night too.

Wait, did she really sleep until noon?

After a quick wash, she opened the door to find Mrs. Chen on the sofa, watching her with a beaming smile as delicious smells drifted from the kitchen.

"I knew you’d be starving when you woke up, so I asked the driver to bring our housekeeper here. From now on, she’ll cook for you both so you won’t go hungry."

Lauren Shaw’s smile froze; grateful as she was, she felt uneasy about accepting such kindness, but seeing Mrs. Chen’s joy, she really couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

"When Yancheng left this morning, he specifically told me not to wake you. Said you were exhausted from last night."

Well, exhausted she definitely was, but hearing that from Mrs. Chen’s mouth made her squirm a little.

"I have a friend meeting me for an art exhibit this afternoon. Come with me, won’t you? I’ll introduce you to my circle of old friends."

Since the two of them had simply registered their marriage, without a proper wedding, Yancy Shaw had been planning to hold one but work kept getting in the way. Now that she finally had a free afternoon herself, Lauren Shaw agreed to go along.

The exhibit was at Ancheng Art Exchange Center, featuring nearly a thousand works—including several by famous painters—so it had drawn plenty of wealthy socialites.

At 2 p.m., Lauren Shaw accompanied Mrs. Chen to the gallery. The moment they stepped out of the car, they bumped into an acquaintance.

"Mrs. Shen, what a surprise to see you at an exhibit today," greeted Zhao Juan, wife of Xue Wenchang, patriarch of the Snow family.

Mrs. Chen was a familiar face in high society: gracious, easy to get along with—though it helped, of course, that she stood behind the powerful Shen family. Everyone wanted to curry favor.

Inside the exhibition hall, many society ladies greeted her the instant they saw her.

Lauren Shaw stayed at her side, holding her arm affectionately as Mrs. Chen introduced her to everyone who stopped to say hello. It was clear to all: Lauren Shaw enjoyed quite a high status within the Shen family.

"Ah, Mrs. Shen! What an honor to see you here," said Mrs. Zhu with a radiant smile.

Today’s exhibit was sponsored by the Zhu family, so as the hostess, Mrs. Zhu had personally invited Mrs. Chen.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mrs. Chen turned to Lauren Shaw. "Shengsheng, this is Mrs. Zhu."

It was only now that Mrs. Zhu noticed Lauren Shaw. She vaguely remembered seeing her at the banquet last night, but just knew she was Third Young Madam of the Shen family. Remembering that her own daughter might soon join the Shens through marriage, her tone warmed instantly.

"So this is Third Young Madam? My, you’re truly beautiful. Third Young Master is a lucky man to have such a lovely wife."

Mrs. Zhu did have a way with words, much smoother than her daughter Zhu Yurou. If not for overhearing their conversation once, Lauren Shaw might have thought Mrs. Zhu was just genuinely close to Mrs. Chen.

Hearing Lauren Shaw praised, Mrs. Chen visibly glowed with pride.

Led by the staff, they began to admire the art displayed before them.

"This one’s wonderful," Mrs. Chen said, pausing in front of a particular painting.

Mrs. Zhu beamed with pride. "You have a keen eye, Mrs. Shen. This is my daughter’s work. She once won an international award, but after taking over the family business, she gave up painting."

"What a pity. Your daughter must be truly exceptional," Mrs. Chen mused, already probing for eligible young women to match up with her own rebellious son.

Before Mrs. Zhu could reply, a new voice cut in. Turning, they saw Zhu Yurou approaching with poise.

Lauren Shaw couldn’t help laughing to herself—so the mother and daughter were fishing together today.

Mrs. Chen was surprised to see Zhu Yurou. "Miss Zhu?"

Her impression of Zhu Yurou was quite good, and after that glowing introduction, she felt even more satisfied.

Lauren Shaw’s gaze lingered on Zhu Yurou, her smile not quite reaching her eyes—just a trace of chill beneath the surface.

She had seen through Zhu Yurou’s schemes. To marry into the Shen family, this mother and daughter had schemed every possible way. She wondered how Bryce Shaw would take the news.

Mrs. Chen and the others enjoyed a lively conversation. Not wanting to interrupt, Lauren Shaw excused herself and strolled away to look at other exhibits.

Seeing her leave, Zhu Yurou found an excuse and followed.

Lauren Shaw didn’t care for their ploys. She was here for the artwork, to relax and search for inspiration.

Zhu Yurou caught up to her, her voice turning sincere. "Miss Li, can we talk somewhere private?"

Lauren Shaw had guessed her intentions and didn’t beat around the bush. "If you have something to say, just say it. There’s nobody else around."

Zhu Yurou hadn’t expected her to be so blunt, but there was no need to hide her intentions anymore.

"Let’s make a deal. If you help me marry into the Shen family, I’ll make sure you have a solid footing on the international stage."

Shengmei Group hadn’t been in fashion for long, but Feican was one of the top luxury brands in the country—Zhu Yurou did have the clout to back her claim.

Lauren Shaw raised an eyebrow. The offer was tempting, to be sure.

But it wasn’t a deal she wanted.

"Miss Zhu, some things aren’t meant to be traded. There are things that can’t be swapped for profit, like sincerity, love, loyalty… Those matter more to me than any bargain."