After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Lauren Shaw followed them back to the Shaw family home.
Inside the car, Nina Shaw gazed silently out the window, saying nothing.
Mrs. Li wore a worried look as well. These days, she felt at ease with Lauren Shaw, but it was Nina Shaw who weighed on her mind. Thinking of Ning's hasty marriage to someone in Hong Kong, just as rushed as Sheng’s—but without Sheng’s good fortune—her heart ached.
Xavier Quinn was the eldest son of his family, but his birth mother had passed away and his father remarried. Rumor had it his stepmother was a tough character, and Nina Shaw’s life in the Qiao household was no picnic.
More than once, Mrs. Li had suggested to Mr. Li that they bring Ning back home. But there were too many complicated interests entangled between the two families—far more than she could decide alone.
Sensing the heavy mood inside the car, Lauren Shaw tried to lighten things up. She looked over and asked, "Sis, how long will you stay at home this time?"
Snapped back from her thoughts, Nina Shaw replied, "We'll see. For now, I’m not going back to Hong Kong."
Last night, for reasons unknown, Xavier Quinn had actually told her to stay in Ancheng as long as she liked—to only return if and when she missed him.
"Like I would miss him," she scoffed inwardly. "I’d rather stay in Ancheng every day. Who wants to go back to Hong Kong to see him?"
Mrs. Li smiled. "Your grandma talks about you every day. As soon as she heard you were coming back, she made Auntie Sun get up early to prepare all your favorite dishes…"
"I knew Grandma loved me best!" Nina Shaw said.
"Silly child," Mrs. Li sighed, "Everyone at home dotes on you. But some things…just aren’t up to us."
Nina Shaw wrapped her arms around her mother, leaning into her side. It always felt best being near her own mother.
Back at the Li home, they could hear the old lady’s hearty laughter from outside the door.
Owen Shaw, who’d been chatting with Grandma, instantly switched from cheerful to stern patriarch when the two sisters came in.
"So you two still remember the way home? Get married and you don’t even want to come back?"
The old lady smacked him on the back. "You’ve got some nerve scolding them. You’re not married yourself and barely set foot at home! How many times a year do you visit? Don’t you have any shame?"
Rubbing the sore spot, Owen Shaw protested, "Mom, do you have to hit so hard?"
"Yes! If anyone dares bully my precious granddaughters, I’ll be the first to stop them," Grandma declared, unwilling to let him lecture her two treasured girls.
Owen Shaw let out a long sigh. He was the elder here, yet there was no hope of saving face in this house. It was beyond frustrating.
Grandma beamed and beckoned, "Ning Ning, Sheng Sheng, come here to your grandma!"
The sisters grinned and hurried over. Lauren Shaw, barely suppressing her laughter, grinned gleefully at Owen Shaw’s expense.
Shuyun Moore had already returned to East China for work, so Owen Shaw stayed home to spend more time with the old lady.
Grandma hadn’t seen Nina Shaw in ages. Looking her up and down, she declared, "You’ve lost weight! Ning Ning, tell me the truth: is that rascal Xavi Quinn bullying you?"
Nina Shaw was left speechless, her mouth twitching at the blunt question.
Lauren Shaw couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning in to whisper teasingly, "Grandma’s hinting she wants a great-grandchild."
Just then, Lauren Shaw’s phone chimed with a new message. Her eyes suddenly darkened as she checked it; she turned and quietly headed for her room.
Noticing her mood shift, Nina Shaw followed.
In the bedroom, Lauren Shaw enlarged the photo on her phone: the man in it was unmistakably Yancy Shaw, and beside him, a woman—they walked into a hotel together.
The door opened. Nina Shaw stepped in. "What happened?"
"Yancy Shaw is trending online," Lauren Shaw replied directly, handing her the phone.
Nina Shaw recognized the woman next to him—she was a popular singer who’d recently left the entertainment industry due to family issues back home.
The glaring headline blared: SINGER QIN JIA—ROMANCE REVEALED.
It was a well-taken paparazzi shot: Qin Jia gazed at Yancy Shaw with tenderness, making them look every bit a head-over-heels couple. He, on the other hand, didn’t spare her a glance—but the article text ran wild with speculation.
Because Qin Jia was a singer, the story exploded online. The message had actually been sent to Lauren Shaw by Claire Xu.
Of course, she trusted her Yancheng. Stories online were all for attention—worlds apart from reality.
It was laughable: one photo and their imagination ran riot.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, Yancy Shaw was signing a contract in a hotel conference room. As he was about to leave, Qin Jia’s assistant, Huang Xiaotong, stopped him.
"President Shen, our company has arranged a lunch meeting for you today."
"No need. I don’t have time," Yancy Shaw declined, without hesitation.
Huang Xiaotong looked to Qin Jia. Unruffled, Qin Jia smiled. "President Shen, I was hoping to have lunch with you to talk more about the project."
"You can discuss all project matters directly with Assistant Cui," came his polite but unequivocal reply—each word making his refusal clear, yet never giving offense.
Qin Jia was a beauty who’d been in showbiz for years, never used to being brushed off.
"It’s our first time working together. Won’t you give me that much courtesy, President Shen?" Her meaning was obvious, but Yancy Shaw was notoriously immune to hints.
He glanced at his luxury watch, intentionally revealing the wedding ring on his finger. Qin Jia's face clouded as she caught sight of it.
"My wife is waiting for me at home, so I’ll be taking my leave."
Qin Jia, so confident in her own allure, fell silent.
After Yancy Shaw left, she frowned. "Didn’t you say he was single? Why is he married now?" Qin Jia shot an annoyed look at Huang Xiaotong.
Huang Xiaotong was flustered—she’d clearly heard President Shen was still unmarried just recently.
Chris Cooper gathered up the documents on the table, neither woman realizing he was still in the room—and that he’d overheard everything.
As he left, he kindly informed them, "President Shen is married—and very much in love with his wife."
He closed the door with a smile, ignoring the two women’s darkening expressions.
He thought to himself, glancing after President Shen’s hurried, eager steps, "Ah, he really is whipped."
Outside, Yancy Shaw immediately called Lauren Shaw.
Seeing his name light up her phone, Nina Shaw handed it over. "Your Mr. Shen is calling you."
Then she discreetly closed the door behind her, leaving her sister alone.
A trending story like that was obviously fake. Those two were perfectly happy on their own, no need for her to worry. She’d much rather go back to the living room and keep Grandma company.