The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

After the afternoon classes ended, Shen Ci received a message from Lin Ruochen.

She stood in front of the dark brown wooden door and gently knocked.

"Please come in."

The voice from inside the door was gentle and warm. She pushed the door open and entered, and a faint scent of ink and old books wafted towards her.

Lin Ruochen's office was more spacious than she had imagined.

On the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that line three walls, classics, historical texts, philosophical works, and various calligraphy copybooks are arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion. On the desk by the window, there is a Duan inkstone, a wolf-hair brush, and an unfinished piece of running script on a sheet of Xuan paper.

Several paintings and calligraphies hang on the wall, including ink landscapes and meticulous flower-and-bird paintings. The most eye-catching one is a "Red Cliff Ode" in the slender gold script, which is sharp and unrestrained yet elegant.

"Professor Lin, you wanted to see me?"

Lin Ruochen was standing behind the large desk, beckoning to her to come closer.

"Youyou, come here."

Shen Ci followed his instructions and walked to the table, looking down at him.

On the large table, a very intricate paper-cutting work lay quietly. The red paper was as thin as a cicada's wing, and the hollowed-out patterns were so complex that they took one's breath away. Next to it was an exquisite fish lantern. The bamboo frame was extremely fine, and the water ripples painted on the lantern surface were so lifelike that they seemed to be about to swim at any moment.

"Does it look good?" Lin Ruochen's voice sounded particularly gentle in the quiet office.

"It's very beautiful."

Shen Ci sincerely praised it, his gaze lingering on the fish lantern for a moment.

This fish lantern reminded her of the Lantern Festival in her previous life. Although she couldn't go out to participate in the lantern festival due to health reasons, her father would always make her a few fish lanterns by hand, which were much more exquisite than the one on the table.

Are you interested in learning these things?

Shen Ci was slightly taken aback, raised her head, and looked at him with some confusion.

Lin Ruochen's gaze fell on her face, looking at her clear and beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and he patiently explained, "The school has recently started recruiting new members for clubs, you should have seen it."

He looked away and gently tapped the fish-shaped lantern with his fingertip. "I know that most of you young girls are interested in dancing and singing."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat serious: "But I'd like to recommend something else to you."

"Starting this semester, the Department of History, the Department of Fine Arts, and the Department of Chinese Language and Literature will jointly organize an intangible cultural heritage club."

He took a booklet with an antique binding from the bookshelf. "The school leaders attach great importance to this project. They will not only invest a lot of money, but several professors, including myself, will also be involved."

He opened the album, which contained many photographs: cloisonné enamel bottles with silver wire, screens woven with kesi (silk tapestry), purses made of Suzhou embroidery...

"Unlike other clubs," Lin Ruochen looked up at her, "the members of this club must be personally selected by us professors."

"Later members will have the opportunity to visit intangible cultural heritage works in person, learn and study with the inheritors, and then regularly hold exhibitions on campus to promote it to other students." He closed the booklet, "Some of the people we selected are good at painting, some are well-versed in history, and some are skillful..."

He suddenly smiled, looking at her with a gentle yet firm gaze. "Your calligraphy is excellent, so I'd like to recommend you for the competition. Youyou, are you interested?"

Shen Ci lowered her eyelashes, but a ripple of indescribable emotion stirred in her heart.

She herself came from a distant era, and most of the objects in front of her, which are called "intangible cultural heritage," are nothing more than ordinary things from the past to her.

She knew these skills were dying out, and that someone was doing everything they could to preserve them.

She has a deep-rooted familiarity and love for them, and now, in this era, being able to contribute to the intangible cultural heritage of Hongyang is a rare opportunity for her.

Almost without hesitation, she raised her head, her eyes clear: "Professor Lin, thank you for your recommendation. I would like to participate."

Lin Ruochen looked at her, the smile on his lips deepening.

He reached out, but paused in mid-air before gently placing his hand on her shoulder. Through the thin summer fabric, the touch was as light as a falling leaf.

"Then don't sign up for other clubs for now," he said, his voice even softer than before, as if it were a promise between them alone. "Go back and wait for my message."

After speaking, Lin Ruochen glanced at the watch on his wrist.

"It's getting late," he said. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll drive you out to eat."

"No need, Professor Lin," Shen Ci said with a slight bow, her tone respectful and polite. "Please continue with your work. My roommate is waiting for me in the cafeteria; she's probably already gotten my food."

Lin Ruochen looked at her quietly, his gaze lingering on her face for a long time. After a while, he slowly spoke, his voice low and calm: "...Then, next time."

"Okay, goodbye Professor Lin."

Shen Ci bowed slightly, a proper and respectful gesture of a junior to a senior.

The door closed gently behind her.

Lin Ruochen remained standing in the same spot, looking at the door panel, then looking down at his hand that had been suspended in mid-air and had ultimately only patted her shoulder.

His knuckles curled slightly as he turned to look out the window—

The slender figure was walking through the sycamore-lined path, her steps light and quick, the ends of her hair fluttering gently in the wind.

When he turned around, his gaze fell on the fish lamp on the table. His eyes deepened, and though there was no ripple, there was an undercurrent of emotion.

The silk lantern's gauze fluttered slightly in the breeze.

The candle wick wasn't lit, so even if the koi was put into the water, it could only enjoy its freedom for a moment, and would ultimately never be able to swim out of that square pond...

When Shen Ci entered the cafeteria, it was the busiest time of evening.

Yu Nuo and the others had already secured a corner spot. Seeing her approach, they quickly pushed the plates towards her, saying, "Hurry up and eat, it's getting cold."

The plate contained stir-fried seasonal vegetables, bright green, as well as tomato fish chunks with a glossy red sauce and tender white fish meat—all her favorite dishes.

"Thank you." Shen Ci sat down opposite him and picked up her chopsticks.

Chu Xuanxuan bit the straw, making a gurgling sound as she sucked the pearls in her milk tea cup: "What did Professor Lin want to see you about? Why are you being so mysterious?"

Shen Ci swallowed the food in her mouth and said truthfully, "It's nothing, just wanted to talk about the intangible cultural heritage association and ask for my thoughts on whether I want to participate."

"Intangible cultural heritage?" Chu Xuanxuan wrinkled her nose. "You mean... things like paper cutting, carving, clay sculpting, and stuff like that?"

Shen Ci: "These should be included."

"Hmm, it seems quite suitable for you." Chu Xuanxuan was clearly not very interested in this intangible cultural heritage club. Linking her arm with Li Yueran's, she said with a look of longing, "We've already decided to join the Hanfu club. Wouldn't it be so beautiful to take pictures of us in flowing Hanfu on campus? Plus, we can easily get credits—it's perfect!"

Yu Nuo looked up, her expression unusually serious: "I'll put aside these clubs for now. The student council elections start next week, with written tests and interviews. I want to take advantage of these few years in university to challenge myself and hone my skills."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, revealing the sharpness of a newborn calf.

Shen Ci listened quietly while eating.

She really loves this world and the free and vibrant atmosphere of university life.

Here, there are no worldly shackles, and no one dictates that girls must take a certain path once they reach a certain age.

Every girl can plan her future without any constraints, just like they are right now.

This kind of freedom, undefined and unconstrained, is wonderful.