The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Half an hour later, Shen Ci stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

The designer's carefully styled updo completely fell apart, with a few strands of hair damp with sweat, clinging messily to the sides of the neck and collarbone.

The expensive haute couture gown was still barely hanging on her, the silk satin askew and teetering on the verge of falling.

And those parts exposed to the air—

Small patches of hickeys, bright red and glaring.

Shen Ci reached out and gently touched the spot on the side of her neck. The slight protrusion under her fingertips was both painful and incredibly hot.

She closed her eyes, and the images from just moments ago flooded back uncontrollably—

In the end, Jiang Duo gritted his teeth and restrained himself from continuing.

He whispered in her ear in a hoarse voice, "Youyou, I promised you I wouldn't actually touch you before our engagement."

The suppressed pain in that voice made her heart tremble more than any sweet words...

Warm water poured down from the showerhead, washing over my body and leaving fine streaks, sending a tingling sensation through me.

Shen Ci tilted her head back, letting the water flow over her eyebrows and eyes. In the rising steam, the mad kisses and touches from before seemed to still linger on her skin, impossible to shake off.

After changing her clothes, Shen Ci pushed open the bathroom door and came to the living room.

Jiang Duo also happened to come out of the bathroom in another room.

His hair was still dripping wet, and he was only wearing a loose black T-shirt and trousers, giving off a distinctly cool vibe.

It wasn't the refreshing coolness after a shower, but rather the damp, lingering coolness of being immersed in cold water.

Shen Ci paused, somewhat stunned.

Does his bathroom not have hot water?

The thought had barely crossed her mind when she suddenly seemed to understand something, and her ears instantly burned.

She lowered her head, staring at the tip of his slippers, unable to look at him any longer.

Jiang Duo walked straight toward her.

The coolness emanating from him became more pronounced as we got closer, yet his eyes held a warm and gentle warmth.

He raised his hand, his cool palm gently covering her freshly dried hair, and rubbed it a couple of times. His fingertips ran through her soft hair, causing her to flinch slightly.

"You barely ate anything at the birthday party," his voice had returned to its usual deep tone, though there was still a faint, almost imperceptible hoarseness at the end. "I'll make you a bowl of noodles."

His hands are so cold.

The coolness seeped through the hair to the scalp.

Shen Ci was slightly distracted by the sudden touch and nodded subconsciously.

It wasn't until she watched that tall, upright figure walk into the kitchen that she suddenly realized—

Does this pampered young master, who never lifts a finger, really know how to cook?

Not long after, Jiang Duo brought out two steaming white porcelain bowls and placed them steadily on the dining table.

Looking down, you can see that on top of each bowl of noodles lies a perfectly round, slightly charred fried egg.

Shen Ci picked up his chopsticks, took a few strands of noodles, blew on them, and put them in his mouth.

...It's edible.

But it really wasn't delicious.

There wasn't enough salt, so the noodles were overcooked and mushy. Apart from a few drops of oil, the broth had almost no other flavor.

She paused in her chewing and subconsciously looked up at the person opposite her.

Jiang Duo was looking at her, his eyes showing a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Seeing her hesitate, he suddenly reached out and pressed down on the back of her hand that was holding the chopsticks.

His palms had warmed up.

"If you don't like it," he said softly, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, "just eat a little. We'll go out to eat later. Or, I can call now and have a private chef come over."

Shen Ci looked at him, suddenly smiled, and gently shook her head.

This young master probably rarely cooks.

She could picture him in the kitchen, wearing an apron, clumsily frying eggs.

She lowered her head and picked up another mouthful of noodles.

Perhaps I was genuinely hungry, or perhaps I just didn't want to waste someone's kindness.

She ate very carefully, taking small bites at a time.

Strands of hair fell down with her movement, partially obscuring her profile.

She ate slowly and quietly, with only the softest, most delicate swallowing sounds occasionally breaking the stillness of the living room.

Jiang Duo was leaning back in his chair, but his gaze never left her for a moment.

Looking at her, he suddenly felt a strange sense of confidence in his cooking skills.

Maybe... it's not that bad?

This thought made him unconsciously sit up straighter, and he even felt a bit of anticipation, as if he wanted to take credit for something.

He lowered his head, picked up a mouthful of noodles, and put it in his mouth.

The next second, Jiang Duo stopped moving.

"..."

He chewed silently for a couple of moments, then swallowed in silence, his fingers tightening slightly as he held the chopsticks.

What...is this thing?

He looked up at the opposite side and saw that Shen Ci had already eaten quite a bit.

After a while, all the soft, overcooked noodles in the bowl were eaten, and she even ate the fried egg.

The warm soup noodles made my stomach feel much better.

Shen Ci put down her chopsticks, looked up, and smiled at him.

"I'm done eating," she said softly.

Jiang Duo looked at the empty bottom of her bowl, then at the almost untouched noodles in his own bowl, and felt a sudden pang in his heart.

He felt that the bowl of noodles he made was really unworthy of her stomach, but at the same time, he also felt a little bit of hidden, inexplicable joy.

Monday's PE class

The sun was so intense it felt like it was going to melt the playground.

During the break, the boys slumped in twos and threes under the shade of the trees by the playground, their sports clothes soaked with sweat and clinging to their bodies.

Yin Kuo sat down next to Jiang Duo, twirling a basketball in his hand, his mouth never stopping, chattering away.

A moment later, a fragrant breeze approached, and the class beauty walked over with several bottles of chilled mineral water in her hand.

She was slightly out of breath as she handed over the water, her tone casual, but the anticipation in her bright eyes was impossible to hide.

"It's really hot today, have some water."

Yin Kuo, being straightforward, took the bottle without a second thought, unscrewed it, took a swig, and turned to ask Jiang Duo, "Brother Duo, do you want some?"

Jiang Duo didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze remaining fixed on the phone in his hand, and coolly uttered two words: "No need."

The class beauty's hand, holding the water bottle, froze in mid-air. The light in her eyes dimmed instantly. She awkwardly withdrew her hand, made up an excuse, and turned to leave.

Looking at her lonely figure, Yin Kuo couldn't help but scoff and mutter in a low voice, "She's really throwing her charms at a blind man."

Ever since they found out that Duo Ge had a girlfriend, these girls seem to have started to get restless.

They used to think Jiang Duo was unattainable, but now that they see that even immortals can descend to earth to fall in love, their minds start to wander again, and they feel that they also have a chance.

Little did they know that Brother Duo's heart was already completely filled with the little antique, and he wouldn't even spare a glance for anyone else.

Yin Kuo shook his head, turned to look at Jiang Duo, and asked with a grin:

"Brother Duo, which stocks have potential lately? Could you give me some pointers?"

As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Jiang Duo's phone screen.

Just one glance.

Yin Kuo's expression froze instantly, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

If he wasn't mistaken—

The busy Duo Ge wasn't watching a candlestick chart or stock market index on his screen at that moment, but rather a short video teaching how to cook.

In the video, a chef wearing an apron is skillfully tossing a wok with a spatula, his movements fluid and graceful. A prominent title appears at the bottom of the screen:

[Even beginners can learn! Detailed tutorial on making braised pork ribs at home]

Yin Kuo: "..."