He focused on driving, while Lauren Shaw gazed quietly at him. The lines of his face, illuminated by the night, were especially captivating. She hadn’t had a drop of alcohol tonight—so why did she feel so lightheaded?

It had to be because her Mister Shen was simply too attractive; she was falling for him all over again, completely helpless to resist.

"What did you give them as an incentive?" she asked, propping her chin up with one hand, a hint of mischief in her brows. Even her voice was soft and sweet, making Yancy Shaw’s heart melt.

He was clearly in a great mood. The way he looked at her radiated nothing but affection. After a pause, he replied mysteriously, “That’s a secret. Not telling you.”

Hmph, so many secrets. If he didn’t want to say, fine—she wasn’t that curious anyway.

Lauren Shaw pressed her lips together. “So, are you done with business in Harbor City?”

“Not yet. I still have to go back tomorrow to sign the contract.”

So he’d come all this way just to get everything ready for the proposal?

The car glided into the complex’s underground garage. After parking, Yancy Shaw unfastened his seatbelt, leaned over, and braced his arms on her seat, trapping her within his embrace.

Faced with his suddenly much-closer, devastatingly handsome face, Lauren Shaw had to hold her breath; her eyelashes fluttered without her realizing.

This man was definitely getting more and more dangerous.

“Baby, I want to kiss you.” It had only been two days, but he missed her so much he could hardly stand it.

“Here? Isn’t this… not really the place…”

But Yancy Shaw didn't give her a chance to refuse. He tipped up her chin and kissed her, softly at first, then deeper, until Lauren Shaw was left breathless and her heart was racing. Only then did he let her go, nibbling gently at her earlobe, his lips teasing her skin.

His kisses made Lauren Shaw tremble all over. She clung to the last shreds of self-control, pushing back against him, "No…"

"I want to try it here in the car. Can I?" His hand gently played with her hair, voice a siren call pulling her under.

"No, let’s go home." This was the building’s underground garage after all—doing something so daring here was a bit much!

With a smile, Yancy Shaw unbuckled her seatbelt and scooped her out of the car.

……

Early the next morning, Yancy Shaw set out for Harbor City. Lauren Shaw was up early too—she had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for her new store to attend.

On the plane, Xavier Quinn glanced at Yancy Shaw sitting next to him, noticing how energetic he looked. He couldn’t help but tease, “Looks like someone overindulged last night.”

Yancy Shaw, who had been absorbed in his files, raised his eyes and shot back, "What, did you go hungry then?"

Xavier Quinn just smiled, delighted for his friend. Last night, it seemed, had been a very good one.

Chris Cooper, meanwhile, sat slumped and miserable—a perpetual third wheel in love stories like theirs, always getting a mouthful of dog food* whether he wanted it or not. (Dog food: Chinese Internet slang for being force-fed public displays of affection.)

"The fat man doesn't know what the hungry man suffers," he muttered to himself. (A Chinese idiom meaning those who are well-off don’t understand others’ hardship.)

"I looked over the Shen Group and Longxin Real Estate agreement," Xavier Quinn said. "W&Q Group bought a 10% stake, add to that the 5% from Shen Group and that’s a total of 15%."

Xavier Quinn was a businessman through and through; everything was about profit.

Although Shen Group remained the largest stakeholder, the fact that Yancy Shaw was willing to offer him an extra 5% stake still surprised him. But after witnessing how much Yancy Shaw doted on Lauren Shaw, he realized he himself couldn’t compare.

"The Shen family has interests in many industries, not just hotels. There’s a reason I’m giving you that 5%," Yancy Shaw explained. "You’re Lin Ning’s husband, and she’s Lauren Shaw’s sister—which makes her my sister too. That 5% isn’t a gift for nothing."

Xavier Quinn understood exactly what he meant. He’d dealt with Bryce Shaw before; none of the Shen family were soft. They acted unconcerned about profits, but in reality, they were shrewd beyond belief.

"Lin Ning is my wife. She’s more important to me than anyone," Xavier Quinn said, the sentiment meant both for Yancy Shaw and for himself. In two years of marriage, she’d long since become irreplaceable in his life.

Yancy Shaw only smiled. Whether or not Xavier Quinn and Lin Ning were truly in love wasn’t his concern. What mattered was: if Lin Ning was unhappy, Lauren Shaw would be upset. And if Lauren Shaw was upset, so was he.

So the best thing was to fix issues at the root.

……

Lin Ning was staying in Ancheng, not following Xavier Quinn back to Harbor City; she wanted to spend some time at home with her family.

Lauren Shaw’s brand had just opened a store on the first floor of Ring City Tower—a milestone, as it was her first location in Ancheng.

The ribbon-cutting would be held at 10 a.m.

Mrs. Chen arrived early; there was no way she’d miss her daughter-in-law’s grand opening.

Lin Ning and Mrs. Li arrived together, spotting Mrs. Chen at the store entrance, chatting with a few other wealthy ladies.

When Mrs. Chen saw Mrs. Li, she welcomed her with heartfelt enthusiasm.

"Come sit here, in-laws!" Mrs. Chen pulled out a chair for Mrs. Li, her warmth drawing envy from the other ladies. Normally, Mrs. Chen had a reputation for being aloof; who’d ever seen her pull chairs for anyone else? Mrs. Li couldn’t help but laugh politely, “No need to fuss, really, I can seat myself.”

"No need to be polite—sit, please!" Mrs. Chen insisted, surprisingly down-to-earth with Mrs. Li, who in turn felt genuinely pleased by her attitude.

The opening ceremony began. Lauren Shaw faced the guests with confidence, her poised, easygoing manner making everyone feel at ease.

Mrs. Chen was radiant with pride. Her whole expression seemed to say, ‘See? My daughter-in-law is amazing.’

The store’s preparations had started a month prior; due to some setbacks, the grand opening had been postponed until now.

After the ceremony, Lauren Shaw sat beside Lin Ning, who was genuinely happy to see her growing more accomplished every day.

"Our Sheng Sheng is a famous designer now. How impressive!"

Lauren Shaw leaned closer to her sister, feigning a sulk. "Jie, don’t tease me! I’m nowhere near a famous designer yet."

"You’ll get there. You’re wonderful," Lin Ning replied, sincere and generous with her praise. In her eyes, her little sister was indeed the best.

Lauren Shaw rested her head on her sister’s shoulder, her heart full. "Thank you, jie."

Watching her daughters, Mrs. Li couldn’t resist teasing, "Sheng Sheng, you’re a grown woman now—how can you still be so clingy with your sister? People are watching!"

Mrs. Chen laughed, “It just shows how close they are. You’re so lucky to have two talented daughters.”

With Mrs. Li, Mrs. Chen fully embodied her role as the perfect mother-in-law. Her fondness for Lauren Shaw naturally extended to respect for Lauren Shaw’s whole family.

Mrs. Li now felt completely reassured about her daughter’s spontaneous wedding. Seeing how Mrs. Chen cherished Lauren Shaw, all her past worries seemed utterly unnecessary.

Lin Ning smiled quietly. Seeing her sister so happily married filled her with joy, even as she couldn’t help but feel a little bittersweet about her own situation.