She walked over to Owen Shaw and naturally took his hand, her voice gentle. “Yaowen, Sister-in-law asked you to go inside. She said she has something to talk to you about.”
Owen Shaw nodded slightly. “Alright.”
Their hands intertwined without hesitation, just like a couple who’d been together for decades.
Lauren Shaw gazed quietly at their retreating figures and lowered her eyes with a soft smile.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a call from Yancy Shaw.
“Shengsheng, have you eaten yet?”
Lauren Shaw had told him she’d be having dinner at the Shaw family’s tonight. At this hour, he must have just finished with work.
“I’ve eaten. What about you?” She answered while walking towards the parking lot—she’d have to drop by her studio later, since Mrs. Chen said she’d be coming by this afternoon to choose a dress.
Meanwhile, Yancy Shaw was sitting in a conference room, about to join another meeting. He’d been busy all morning and rubbed his brow with some fatigue.
“Not yet.”
Catching the tired note in his voice, Lauren Shaw asked, “Did you not sleep well last night?”
Yancy Shaw chuckled softly, “I can’t sleep well when you’re not here.”
This man—he always had a way of flirting with her when she least expected it.
They’d stayed up late talking last night; she’d fallen asleep first and didn’t know when he finally turned in. It seemed that side of him—a little clingy, a little vulnerable—appeared only when he was with her.
Who would’ve guessed that the man who always seemed cold and distant in public could be so gentle with his wife?
“Mr. Shen, President Qin from Longxin Realty is here,” Chris Cooper entered and reminded him.
Still holding his phone, Yancy Shaw didn’t hang up right away. Hearing Chris Cooper’s voice, Lauren Shaw said, “You’d better get back to work.”
As she was about to hang up, Yancy Shaw called her back. “Shengsheng.”
“Hm?”
“Wait for me to come home.”
Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I will.”
After the call ended, Yancy Shaw looked up at the person seated across from him.
Longxin Realty was one of the top real estate companies in Harbor City. Previously, Bryce Shaw had worked with them; this time, the purpose of visiting Harbor City was to secure a plot of land Bryce Shaw had admired for a new hotel project.
President Qin of Longxin was a young woman, the eldest daughter of the Qin family. Her father had recently been hospitalized for health reasons and was still undergoing treatment.
Yancy Shaw glanced casually at the people entering the room. When everyone had taken their seats, he looked to Chris Cooper and gave him a subtle cue to begin.
The lights in the conference room dimmed as Chris Cooper started his PowerPoint presentation.
With only the screen glowing in the darkened room, Chris Cooper explained the plans for the hotel. Yancy Shaw stayed silent, his long fingers resting on the table, idly drumming his index finger.
Facing him across the table, Qin Jia kept glancing at him, her mind clearly elsewhere, paying little attention to Chris Cooper’s speech.
Once the presentation concluded, the representative from Longxin expressed great interest in the project.
“The plan looks good, but I wonder—how do you propose dividing the shares?” Qin Jia’s sharp, businesslike gaze was fixed squarely on Yancy Shaw.
Yancy Shaw didn’t reply, his focus on the documents in front of him.
Chris Cooper answered, “Shen Group must remain the majority shareholder.”
A few seconds of silence hung in the air. The Longxin representative finally spoke: “President Qin hadn’t originally intended to sell this land. It’s only because of recent unforeseen circumstances that it’s reluctantly up for sale.”
Longxin had originally planned to build their own hotel, but a series of company setbacks forced them to put the land on the market.
“So you’re dissatisfied with the share distribution?” Yancy Shaw’s low voice resonated through the dim room, carrying a certain gravitas.
He looked unhurriedly across the table at the Longxin team, his tone calm yet dignified. “After all, Longxin isn’t the only company selling land in Harbor City. If you’re unhappy with the arrangement, perhaps we could find another partner.”
His meaning was obvious: if they thought the offer unfair, Shen Group could always buy land elsewhere—they’d put up the money, so why shouldn’t they set the terms?
The representatives were left speechless. Yancy Shaw, being an outsider, didn’t stand for the usual local posturing—they realized they couldn’t take advantage of him.
The Longxin team looked awkward, but Qin Jia remained composed.
“Mr. Shen is quite right. We didn’t give the share issue enough consideration. It’s our honor to have the chance to work with your esteemed company.”
She stood, offering a poised and elegant smile. With confidence and charisma, she extended her right hand to Yancy Shaw, her brows hinting at a touch of charm. “To a pleasant cooperation, Mr. Shen.”
Yancy Shaw’s expression stayed guarded, and he didn’t reach out. Sensing this, Chris Cooper quickly got to his feet and shook hands with Qin Jia on his behalf. “Looking forward to working with you, President Qin.”
Yancy Shaw didn’t like shaking hands with women—there was only one exception, his beloved Lauren Shaw.
With the deal settled, Yancy Shaw left the conference room straight away.
Chris Cooper politely addressed the Longxin executives. “Apologies, we have other work to attend to now. Please excuse us.”
Qin Jia watched Yancy Shaw stride out the door, a faint smile at her lips. Cold, aloof, and solitary—what an interesting gentleman, indeed.
“This Mr. Shen is truly something,” remarked her secretary, Huang Xiaotong, seated beside her.
Clearly sensing Qin Jia’s interest, Huang waited until the executives had dispersed before asking slowly, “Who exactly is this Mr. Shen?”
Having only recently taken over Longxin, Qin Jia didn’t know much about the details.
Huang Xiaotong didn’t know Yancy Shaw personally but had heard that all of the Shen family’s businesses in Ancheng were run by the second young master—talented, shrewd, and, most notably, still unattached.
“They say he’s the second son of the Shen family in Ancheng. Are you interested in him, President Qin?”
Qin Jia said nothing, but a hint of a smile played in her eyes.
Huang Xiaotong took the hint. “Mr. Shen and President Qin would make quite a pair.”
A secretary should always know how to please her boss, and sure enough, Qin Jia looked quite satisfied with that remark.
Truth be told, Yancy Shaw had caught her eye from the moment she walked into the meeting. There was something about his gentle tone on the phone earlier—she couldn’t help but wonder who he’d been talking to.
After leaving the conference room, Chris Cooper hurried after Yancy Shaw. Seeing how fast he was walking, he couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Shen, you don’t have any more meetings this afternoon. Why so rushed?”
“I’m heading back to Ancheng.”
Chris Cooper: “...”
“We still have to sign the contract with Longxin tomorrow morning...” he whispered.
“I’ll be back for that,” Yancy Shaw replied, not even slowing as he headed for the airport.
Chris Cooper could only sigh. Clearly, the boss’s heart was already homeward bound.
That evening, Lauren Shaw and Mrs. Chen attended a banquet together.
Today was the Hundred Days celebration* for a friend’s grandson. On the drive there, Mrs. Chen, sitting in the car, couldn’t help but sigh. “My friend’s younger than me, and yet she’s already gotten to be a grandmother before I have.”
Lauren Shaw could sense a hidden meaning in her tone.
Though Shen Sylvia Shaw was the eldest granddaughter of the Shen family, she and Mrs. Chen weren’t particularly close. In the end, it just couldn’t compare to a true blood bond.
*In Chinese tradition, a baby’s first hundred days are often celebrated with a family gathering and banquet.