The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

A month later, "Hengji" opened, and the things it sold shocked the entire Jiangnan city.

It was something called "soap," with a lustrous color and a delicate fragrance. It was far superior to ordinary bath soap or regular soap for bathing and cleansing.

Even more remarkably, Xie Shuheng also launched a liquid called "Floral Water," packaged in an exquisite glass bottle. It repels mosquitoes, relieves itching, and refreshes the mind, quickly becoming a rare and sought-after item among wealthy women in Jiangnan.

Xie Shuheng has memories of his previous life.

He knew many skills that the ancients did not.

He knew about saponification, distillation and extraction, which spices could fetch exorbitant prices, and which small items could earn a lot of money in a short period of time.

Countless letters from home arrived in the capital.

The first letter was written by Xie's father, and it was stern in its wording, asking him why he was staying in Jiangnan and not returning home. The imperial examination was just around the corner, and he could not treat it lightly.

Xie Shuheng glanced at it and then burned it over the candle flame.

The second letter was written by my mother, every word filled with tears, saying that my father was furious and demanded that he immediately return to the capital to apologize.

Xie Shuheng remained silent for a long time before finally burning it.

The third letter, the fourth letter... urged him to return to the capital to prepare for the exam, and urged him not to ruin his future.

Each letter was heavy, carrying the family's expectations and pressure.

Xie Shuheng opened and read each letter, then threw them one by one into the brazier.

The servant boy, Zhu Yue, stood to the side, looking at his young master's silent profile in the firelight, and felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He thought his young master had probably gone mad.

Instead of being the eldest son of the Minister of War, he chose to become a money-grubbing merchant in this small Jiangnan town for the sake of the Shen family's daughter.

If this matter were to reach the capital, it would be enough to bring shame upon the Xie family and ruin the young master's reputation.

Xie Shuheng simply watched the last spark in the brazier die out, then turned and walked to the desk, where a stack of account books recorded the income of "Hengji" over the past month.

— Enough to buy medicinal herbs for another three months.

But that's still far from enough...

He picked up his pen, made a mark on the ledger, turned to another page, and his eyes fell on a few lines of newly drafted recipes.

However, the truth will eventually come out.

Even though Xie Shuheng had Physician Wu conceal the ingredients of the pills, the "Hengji" business was still very profitable, with every penny going to the most expensive pharmacies in the city.

And those medicinal herbs—all of them are holy remedies for heart ailments.

Furthermore, Xie Shuheng was sending invitations to the Shen residence every few days, so even the most oblivious person should have noticed something was amiss.

Minister of War Xie Lin, without informing his eldest son Xie Shuheng, personally wrote a letter and dispatched his trusted confidant by express horse to deliver it to the Shen family in Jiangnan.

The letter was extremely authoritative, first mentioning Prefect Shen's reputation and achievements, then "casually" pointing out that Shen's ancestors had also had some scandals, and finally shifting its tone—

"My son has been causing trouble in Jiangnan for too long. If he has overstepped his bounds, I hope Lord Shen will discipline him strictly. If this jeopardizes his future, I, Xie, though far away in the capital, will have no choice but to intervene."

Prefect Shen held the letter in his hand and sat in his study all night.

As the lamp oil burned out and dawn broke, he tucked the letter into his sleeve and told no one.

But Shen Ci eventually found out.

She sent her personal maid to the "Hengji" shop to hand Xie Shuheng a plain note.

The note contained only one line of neat handwriting: "Tomorrow at 9:00 AM, in the back garden of the Shen residence, I look forward to seeing you."

Xie Shuheng held the plain paper in his hand and stood under the sycamore tree in the backyard of the shop for a long time.

The autumn sun shone through the branches and leaves onto his face, flickering and dappling, and he suddenly felt a panic in his chest.

He went the next day.

The back garden of the Shen family mansion was not large, but it was extremely elegant, with a pond of withered lotus and a few old osmanthus trees.

Shen Ci sat in the waterside pavilion, still covered by that veil, only revealing a pair of clear, bright eyes.

A cup of tea was placed in front of her, prepared for him.

"Please have a seat, Young Master Xie."

Xie Shuheng sat down opposite her, his gaze fixed on her the entire time.

Shen Ci did not give him a chance to exchange pleasantries.

She looked up at him, her voice soft and clear:

"No wonder my condition has improved recently; it turns out those pills... are so expensive."

Xie Shuheng froze.

"Thank you, young master," Shen Ci lowered his eyes slightly, "I know you have unparalleled talent and will surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors and become a high-ranking official."

"You shouldn't have spent so much energy on my illness. In the end, you'll only be branded as disloyal, unfilial, and indulging in lust."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, and when she spoke again, her voice was even colder:

"Furthermore... Young Master Xie, my daughter has no feelings for you, nor will she ever have any. From today onwards, I will no longer take those pills. Please... return to the capital."

The autumn wind swept through the waterside pavilion, lifting a corner of her veil to reveal a patch of pale skin on her chin.

Although she wore a veil, her aloof demeanor when politely declining was exactly the same as the expression she had when she had repelled him at her sister's birthday party in her previous life.

That was a memory etched into his very bones.

Xie Shuheng looked at her and suddenly smiled.

He slowly stood up, but his gaze did not fall on Shen Ci's face. Instead, it passed over her and fell on the rugged artificial mountain outside the waterside pavilion.

"Father," he said loudly, "now that you have come to Jiangnan, why hide behind the artificial hill and eavesdrop? Show yourself."

The air suddenly froze.

A moment later, a cold snort came from behind the artificial hill.

Xie Lin walked out, dressed in a black brocade robe, his face ashen.

He was accompanied by Prefect Shen, who looked at his daughter with a worried expression.

"Youyou..." Prefect Shen called softly, his eyes filled with heartache.

Shen Ci gently shook her head, indicating to her father that she was alright.

She looked at Xie Shuheng, and a ripple finally appeared in her eyes, perhaps even a hint of reluctance.

Xie Shuheng just smiled, a smile that carried a kind of desperate, reckless madness.

He looked at his father and spoke slowly and deliberately:

"My son is in love with the Shen family's daughter; heaven and earth bear witness."

"My staying here is entirely my own wishful thinking, and has nothing to do with the Shen family, let alone Miss Shen."

"Whether she marries me or not in the future, I will stay here, watch her take her medicine, and watch her live."

Xie Lin was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his hand pointing at him was shaking:

"You...you've lost your mind! For a sickly child, you've thrown away your future and the Xie family's reputation. Guards! Take the young master back with you!"

At his command, four burly servants emerged from behind the artificial hill. They were Xie Lin's personal guards from the capital and strode toward the waterside pavilion.

Xie Shuheng laughed even harder.

He lowered his head and slowly pulled something out of his sleeve—

It was a short dagger, the blade no more than the length of a palm, yet it gleamed with a chilling light.

"Heng'er!" Xie Lin exclaimed in shock.

"Thank you, young master!" Shen Ci took a step forward abruptly, her veil billowing in the wind, revealing her panicked face.

Xie Shuheng glanced at her.

That gaze was incredibly deep and tender, as if it wanted to etch her image into his very soul.

Then he looked away, turned to Xie Lin, and smiled nonchalantly:

"Father, your mind is made up."

Before he finished speaking, he turned around and plunged the dagger into his own chest.

With a muffled "thud," the sharp blade pierced flesh.