The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Time passed second by second, and Jiang Duo's expression remained terrible, his eyes icy cold.

Having followed him for a long time, Yin Kuo naturally knew what kind of temper he had. Seeing him like this, he felt a chill in his heart and didn't dare to utter another word.

I just silently gave the little antique a thumbs up in my heart—

Awesome Plus!

……

The carriage was quiet, with only a faint woody fragrance.

Lin Ruochen glanced at Shen Ci through the rearview mirror. The girl was quietly gazing out the window, her profile appearing exceptionally soft in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He was completely different from the "little devil" he had imagined.

Throughout the journey, Lin Ruochen didn't say much, but every time he did, it was with just the right amount of concern.

Shen Ci responded politely, but was somewhat surprised.

She had originally thought Professor Lin would be a serious and rigid scholar, but she was surprised to find him to be so gentle and refined.

The car smoothly drove into the underground parking lot of Qinghe Banquet.

Lin Ruochen parked the car and opened the car door for Shen Ci again.

As Shen Ci got out of the car, the hem of her skirt accidentally brushed against the edge of the car door. She subconsciously reached out to smooth it down, but when she looked up, she met Lin Ruochen's deep gaze.

"Let's go." He turned his gaze away, his tone still gentle. "They've arrived."

Shen Ci followed him into the elevator.

The mirror-like elevator wall reflected the figures of the two standing side by side.

A few seconds later, with a "ding", the door slid open to both sides.

The corridor on the eighth floor is covered with thick carpets, making it feel completely silent when you step on it.

The waiter led them through several carved wooden doors, stopped in front of a private room, gently knocked on the door, and then pushed it open.

"Sir, Madam, please come in—"

The laughter and conversation inside the private room came to an abrupt halt.

Several gazes turned to the doorway. Shen Ci and Lin Ruochen stood side by side at the intersection of light and shadow. The moon-white satin and the dark gray casual suit, one soft and the other strong, gave people a strange sense of being a perfect match.

"Youyou is here!" Shen Xiaoming stood up first, his eyes showing a hint of relief and joy, but also a hint of nervousness that was not easily detected.

Shen Ci stepped inside, his back straight, and his gaze swept lightly across the private room.

Several elders sat around the mahogany round table. Aunt Lin sat beside her father, smiling gently at him. Beside her were an elderly couple with gray hair, presumably Aunt Lin's parents. Next to them was a middle-aged man with a calm demeanor and features somewhat similar to Aunt Lin's, exuding the authority of someone who had long held a high position.

The father's voice was a little strained: "Youyou, come here, let me introduce you—this is Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin, and this is your Aunt Lin's older brother, Lin…"

"Lin Ruoting. Just call me Uncle." The middle-aged man nodded slightly, his voice not loud, but carrying weight. "Sit down, don't be shy."

Shen Ci lowered her eyes, bowed her head and greeted him with the same dignified posture as when she greeted her elders in the old days: "Hello, Grandpa Lin, Grandma Lin, Uncle Lin, Aunt Lin."

Every gesture and movement was neither humble nor arrogant, as if it had been done a thousand times before.

Lin Ruochen reached out and moved the mahogany chair behind her back half a foot, his movements remarkably natural.

"Please sit down."

"Thank you, Professor Lin." Shen Ci bowed slightly, her skirt cascading down like water, spreading out on the chair.

Lin Ruochen sat down beside her.

The atmosphere in the private room became lively again. Grandma Lin took a liking to Shen Ci from the first moment she saw him. She asked him all sorts of questions gently, from his studies to his diet, her eyes full of loving care.

Shen Ci answered each question in turn, his tone gentle but not overly enthusiastic. His gaze occasionally met Lin Ruojin's, and he saw a hint of satisfaction in the other's eyes.

During the conversation, Shen Ci could tell that Aunt Lin's family had a very high social status.

Especially Aunt Lin's brother, Lin Ruoting—

According to my father, he is a high-ranking government official whom I have seen on television many times.

At this moment, Lin Ruoting sat opposite her, his demeanor calm and composed. He occasionally spoke a few words with Aunt Lin, using official jargon that Aunt Lin couldn't understand, yet every word he uttered carried weight with ease.

In terms of family background, the father is definitely marrying above his station.

Fortunately, there was no strict class distinction between officials and merchants in this world. Grandpa and Grandma Lin were also exceptionally open-minded about their children's marriages.

The dishes were exquisite, the conversation was pleasant, and when her father and Aunt Lin smiled at each other, their eyes were filled with tenderness, which reminded Shen Ci of her parents who had always been loving and affectionate in her previous life.

She smiled slightly, feeling much more at ease.

The night outside the window was deep, and the neon lights reflected on the glass, making the laughter inside the private room seem like it was from another world.

The dishes were served in rotation, and the mahogany round table was filled with exquisite porcelain plates.

Lin Ruochen picked up the serving chopsticks, took a piece of pastry from a small celadon dish, and gently placed it on the plate in front of Shen Ci.

"Try this."

His voice was clear and gentle, and his gaze fell on her face. "This lotus flower pastry is a specialty here. The production process is very complicated. It requires repeatedly rolling out thirty-six layers of dough, and the oil temperature and heat must be just right."

Shen Ci lowered her eyes, looking at the exquisite "lotus" in the plate.

The flaky pastry is layered and thin as a cicada's wing, with alternating layers of pink and white, as if it would crumble at the slightest touch.

"Thank you, Professor Lin," she said softly, picking up a piece of chopsticks with her fingertips and putting it into her mouth.

The flaky pastry melts on the tongue, slightly sweet but not cloying, with a subtle lotus fragrance and the richness of milk, sweet but not greasy, just right.

As a well-bred young lady raised with strict etiquette, she ate with her back straight and her movements unhurried. Every chew exuded elegance and composure ingrained in her bones, and even the curve of her lowered eyes appeared exceptionally serene.

Lin Ruochen watched quietly for a moment, his gaze lingering on her for a few seconds before he subtly looked away.

Lin Zhengting's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, finally settling on his younger brother's slightly upturned lips, his eyes darkening.

This meal lasted nearly two hours.

As the meal was ending, Grandma Lin held onto Shen Ci's hand tightly, saying, "Youyou, next time you come home for dinner, Grandma will make you dessert."

Grandpa Lin chimed in, "Your Grandma Lin can make osmanthus cake, water chestnut cake, and jujube paste pastry. They taste completely different from what you buy in the market. Youyou, you must come visit us more often when you have time."

"Thank you, Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin." She bowed slightly, her moon-white skirt gleaming softly under the lamplight.

As night deepened, the Lin family's black sedan slowly drove out of the hotel parking lot.

Grandpa and Grandma Lin sat in the back seat, the neon lights outside the car window shining brightly, making the elderly couple's faces glow.

"The young lady from the Shen family is truly lovely."

Grandma Lin held her husband's hand tightly, her voice full of lingering admiration, "It's been so long since I've seen such a beautiful and elegant child."

Grandpa Lin nodded repeatedly, his white eyebrows twitching: "Once Ruojin and Xiao Shen get their marriage certificate, this little girl will be our proper granddaughter! Our Lin family will finally have a sweet little girl again, unlike the eldest son's brat, who's always running around..."

The elderly couple talked back and forth, becoming more and more excited as they spoke, as if they were going to pick an auspicious day tomorrow.

In the driver's seat, Lin Ruoting gripped the steering wheel, his gaze fixed on the winding traffic ahead. A faint smile played on his lips, but his eyes held a deep, enigmatic meaning.