After the police hauled the gang of thugs away, Lauren Shaw turned to Yancy Shaw. She jogged over, took his hands in hers, and anxiously looked him over. "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.

His moves had been so fierce when fighting just now that she couldn't help but worry he'd injured himself.

Yancy Shaw caught her hands and wrapped them around his waist. He looked down at her gently. "Don't worry. They didn't even touch me."

Hearing this, Lauren Shaw finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Off to the side, Claire Xu coughed lightly—they really didn't care if there were outsiders around when showing off their affection.

Feeling the awkwardness growing, Claire Xu wondered if she should find an excuse to disappear. "Uh, I'll head home first. I don't want to disturb you two, hehe."

She turned to leave, but Lauren Shaw was worried about her going home alone. So she pulled her along and had her get into Yancy Shaw's car.

In the car, Claire Xu pretended to fall asleep the entire time. She had zero interest in being the third wheel.

Suddenly, Yancy Shaw seemed to remember something. He asked, "Has Henry Mills been staying at your place lately?"

Claire Xu's eyes snapped open. She wondered what he meant by this.

"Old Mr. He called and asked about him, so I'm just checking."

Previously, Old Mr. He had tried setting Henry Mills up on a blind date, but Henry Mills refused to go. So the old man called Yancy Shaw to see if he knew what was going on.

Old Mr. He and Shen's grandfather had been close friends for years, and Yancy Shaw had grown up under his watchful eye. Since he knew Henry Mills and Yancy Shaw were good friends, he often asked Shen for updates on Henry Mills.

Claire Xu mumbled, "Oh."

Tonight, Henry Mills had gone back to his family's place. Strangely, now that Henry Mills wasn't around, Claire Xu didn't feel like going home at all. She'd gotten so used to his presence that the house felt too empty without him.

Lauren Shaw tried to keep the conversation going. "Is Henry Mills's family complicated?"

She was really asking on Claire Xu's behalf. Hadn't Henry Mills's mother gone looking for her a while back? And just tonight, Claire Xu was still fretting—who knew what his mom really thought of her?

Yancy Shaw smiled knowingly, glancing at Lauren Shaw with a hint of amusement. He raised his voice a little so Claire Xu could hear every word.

"The He's are a simple family. Just Henry Mills, his younger sister, and their parents who get along very well. You don't need to worry that Claire Xu will suffer by being with Henry Mills. He'll protect her."

"Who needs his protection?" Claire Xu huffed, turning to look out the window. The corners of her lips curled up ever so slightly.

Lauren Shaw just smiled, saying nothing more.

After dropping Claire Xu off, Lauren Shaw leaned back in the passenger seat, her head turned to look at him. Her beautiful eyes smoldered with a lazy allure—utterly irresistible.

Yancy Shaw's lips curved into a contented smile. He turned toward her, fixing her with a serious gaze. "Shengsheng, don't look at me like that. It feels like you're inviting me."

Lauren Shaw blinked in confusion. "Inviting you to what?"

He chuckled softly and leaned in to whisper against her ear, his voice low and seductive. "Inviting me to spend the night with you..."

Lauren Shaw's cheeks flushed at once. She playfully hit his chest with a small fist. "You're so bad!"

Maybe it was the wine, but even her words were tinged with a tender softness. Every little movement seemed meant to tease him, making his heart race—he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in her right there in the car.

Yancy Shaw took her hand and kissed it tenderly. "Baby, I love you so much."

She was the one who'd had a bit to drink tonight, but it felt like he was the one drunk on her now. His sweet words made her fall deeper for him without even noticing.

"Say more, hubby. I love hearing it." Lauren Shaw pouted like a spoiled child, throwing her arms around his neck, begging for more sweet nothings.

Yancy Shaw cupped her face, his dark eyes filled with longing, like a deep lake threatening to swallow her whole.

"Do you love me?" he asked, earnestly, like a child asking for candy.

Lauren Shaw buried herself in his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. She nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "I love you so, so much. I never want to be apart from you—not in this life, not in the next, not in any life after that."

Her answer delighted Yancy Shaw so much he wished he could meld her into his very bones.

It was a long while before he finally let go of her, started up the car, and drove them home.

Lauren Shaw gazed out at the city lights flashing past the window, memories of how she and Yancy Shaw met and fell in love running through her mind like a movie reel. They had only been married a few months, but it felt like they’d spent a lifetime together.

"Hubby, what if we hadn't gotten married back then? What if I'd ended up with someone else and missed out on you? Wouldn't that have been such a shame?"

The thought struck her suddenly. If she hadn't met someone as wonderful as Yancy Shaw, she would never have known how incredible it felt to be truly loved.

"We never would have missed each other," he replied quietly, lips curving into a gentle smile as he drove, eyes steady on the road ahead.

"I'm just saying, hypothetically," Lauren Shaw insisted, tilting her head to look at him.

"How could I ever let you marry another man? Unless you didn't feel anything for me." He’d had this thought before—even if she didn’t love him, he wouldn’t have given up so easily. He would have tried everything.

"How could I not feel anything? If that really happened, you could just seduce me." Lauren Shaw giggled, thinking that with a face like his, nobody could resist his advances.

Yancy Shaw couldn't help but laugh. "Then should I start seducing you now?"

"Sure, it's not too late at all." Lauren Shaw didn’t even notice how the smile on his face deepened.

A little bunny like her could never outplay a cunning wolf like him.

She had no idea how she ended up being carried into the house, or how she lost herself in his arms again and again...

One by one, her clothes fell away, replaced by the heat of his body against hers. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with tears, the corners reddened, completely bewitching him.

That night, Lauren Shaw slept deeply in his embrace, her eyes gently closed, damp eyelashes sparkling with a few remaining tears, delicate and beautiful.

He’d thoroughly exhausted her—and the way she gazed at him, tipsy and dazed, those misty eyes burning with longing, made him lose all sense of restraint. In those moments, her little teeth left playful marks across his neck.

His sweet little bunny could show her claws sometimes. He found it utterly adorable.

—

The phone on the nightstand buzzed a few times. Yancy Shaw glanced at it and quietly slipped out to the living room, taking the call.

It was Yuan Ran. Yancy Shaw called him back.

"Third Young Master, I've found the person who hit Second Young Master."

The living room was silent. Yancy Shaw paused briefly, his voice low and steady, "Where are they?"

"Down by the docks."

Wind whistled through Yuan Ran’s end of the call. He was hidden in the shadows, eyes cold as he watched the scene unfold.

He had actually been tailing Brother Hong, and when he saw him park here, he followed him in—only to stumble upon this unexpected lead.

Yancy Shaw warned, "Don't make a move yet. Call Lu Chaoran."