It was nearly ten o’clock, yet the banquet hall was still abuzz with liveliness.
Clusters of guests chatted in small groups, the air thick with the pleasant aroma of wine.
Qin Jia held a wineglass in her hand, scanning the room. When she spotted Bryce Shaw, a smile flickered across her face as she walked over.
“President Shen,” she said, raising her glass and taking a delicate sip.
She looked around curiously. “I haven’t seen Miss Li around tonight. Isn’t this her event? How come she hasn’t made an appearance?”
Bryce Shaw glanced at her nonchalantly. If Lauren Shaw wasn’t here, he was still holding down the fort. This woman just liked to stir up trouble.
Before he could reply, Qin Jia continued, “Miss Li really lacks manners, leaving all her guests hanging like this.”
A voice sounded out behind her, “So Miss Qin is this concerned about me? I’m flattered, truly.”
Qin Jia turned and saw Lauren Shaw standing there, radiating self-confidence. The dignified long dress she’d worn had been altered into a short skirt—an alluring touch of coolness that instantly stole the show.
At her side stood the person Qin Jia had always longed to see.
Lauren Shaw nestled close to Yancy Shaw, the two of them making a strikingly compatible pair.
Bryce Shaw grinned, enjoying the show. Honestly, Yancy Shaw clearly had a strong survival instinct—one phone call and he’d rushed over, terrified that someone might bully his wife. Here he was, standing firm by her side.
Qin Jia gazed longingly at Yancy Shaw; even in front of so many people, she didn’t hold back. “Young Master Shen, it’s been so long.”
That look annoyed Lauren Shaw—her hands itched to put Qin Jia in her place.
At Lauren Shaw’s side, Yancy Shaw inclined his head, his tone cool and distant. “Miss Qin, we just saw each other two months ago.”
He tightened his grip around Lauren Shaw’s waist, as if making it crystal clear that he was already spoken for.
Qin Jia’s smile faltered into awkwardness.
She’d carefully crafted her makeup tonight just to outshine Lauren Shaw, all for Yancy Shaw’s sake. Now, after finally getting a chance to see him, he still kept her firmly at arm’s length—she could hardly mask her embarrassment.
Forcing another smile, she said, “Did we? I don’t really remember.”
Yancy Shaw shot her a cool glance, remaining silent.
Lauren Shaw stifled her laughter and whispered a few words to Yancy Shaw. When he nodded, she turned to mingle with the other guests.
After Lauren Shaw walked away, Bryce Shaw looked Yancy Shaw up and down with a teasing grin, handing him a glass of red wine. “Lauren Shaw must have a lot of sway—just one call and you dropped everything to come running.”
Yancy Shaw didn’t take the wine. “I’m driving tonight. No drinking for me.”
Bryce Shaw muttered under his breath, finding him increasingly infuriating.
“Suit yourself. I’ll go entertain the guests,” Bryce Shaw said, glancing meaningfully at Qin Jia before strolling off.
Yancy Shaw’s gaze darkened as he looked at Qin Jia.
She smiled back confidently. “Young Master Shen, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Are we that close?”
His voice was gentle, but his words hit like ice. No matter how near she stood, there was still a sense of insurmountable distance—her confidence withered under his frostiness.
Qin Jia pressed on calmly, “Why keep me at a distance? Didn’t we work together before?”
“Does working together mean we’re close?”
His words were light, but the skill with which he could drive someone mad was unparalleled.
She could barely keep her composure now, her graceful façade crumbling. Not willing to concede, she pressed, “Then what, in your eyes, counts as being close?”
Yancy Shaw didn’t answer. Instead, his gaze drifted toward Lauren Shaw in the distance, his eyes filled with deep affection—there was no room for any other woman.
Qin Jia had already gotten on Lauren Shaw’s nerves, and displeasing his Sheng Sheng meant displeasing him, too.
“There’s really no need for us to be close.”
What an unyielding, untouchable attitude.
The more he kept his guard up, the more she wanted to conquer him.
Refusing to back down, she asked, “But we did work together! Don’t you think that makes us somewhat close, Young Master Shen?”
“Not at all.”
Yancy Shaw replied calmly, entirely unmoved by whatever look she was giving him.
Qin Jia let out a nonchalant laugh. He was truly straightforward—even his rejections had poise. Any other woman might have slunk away, wounded, but Qin Jia remained right by his side.
“I really envy Miss Li. She gets to have a man like you.”
Looking at his noble, handsome face—even as he flatly rejected her—she couldn’t help lingering, drawn to him despite knowing he didn’t belong to her.
Yancy Shaw’s tone grew even colder, “I think I’ve made myself very clear. Miss Qin, please don’t appear in front of my wife again. Of course, I can’t control your freedom, but please watch your words—anything my wife dislikes, so do I.”
He paused, his voice sharpening with warning: “If you’re hoping to keep working with the Shen family, you’d better mind your tongue.”
He really didn’t offer even a shred of courtesy.
Yet Qin Jia wasn’t angered by his words—if anything, she looked at him with amused playfulness. “Are you warning me because you’re afraid I’ll come between you and your wife?”
Yancy Shaw’s expression turned ice-cold. “By all means, try.”
With that, he took his gaze off her and strode toward Lauren Shaw.
Such a devoted man was rare—Qin Jia watched him return to Lauren Shaw’s side, noticing how different his gaze was when he looked at Lauren Shaw compared to herself.
She tipped her head back, finishing her drink in one gulp, a wry smile curling on her lips.
Lauren Shaw glanced over and saw Qin Jia drinking alone, looking utterly dejected.
“What did you say to her?” she asked softly, turning to Yancy Shaw with a faint, teasing smile.
“Nothing much.” His gentle voice—and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Lauren Shaw—overflowed with tenderness.
Qin Jia felt bitter inside. With the one you love, even the coldest person has a soft side—but that side would never belong to her.
Lauren Shaw didn’t press further, already guessing most of what he’d said. Whether Qin Jia took it to heart was her own business.
A while later, Qin Jia’s secretary Huang Xiaotong approached her, looking worried. “President Qin, your father just called—he wants you to hurry back to Gangcheng.”
“Why?”
“He said: Don’t mess with another man’s wife. The Qin family can’t afford this sort of humiliation.”
Heh—how had her father learned of this? Qin Jia glanced again at the elegant, noble man in the distance, his gaze tender and affectionate, but never for her.
Yancy Shaw—a man both ruthless and gentle. Yet his gentleness belonged to one person alone; for everyone else, he was merely a stranger passing by.
She hadn’t expected that he would go so far as to inform her father about what happened.