The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Shen Ci lowered her head, picked up a piece of cooked green vegetable, and put it in her mouth.

She could feel the ebb of those gazes, and she could also feel the faint, persistent stares falling on her from the side.

The four-person table next to them was so close that she could even smell the crisp, fir scent emanating from Jiang Duo, mingling with the spicy aroma of the hot pot and wafting over her.

The two were only half a meter apart, yet it felt like an invisible dividing line between them.

She really didn't want too many people to know about her relationship with Jiang Duo, including her roommates.

My thoughts drifted away amidst the boiling red oil.

The original owner was described very little in the storybooks, almost just mentioned in passing.

According to the book, the original owner's father's business was affected, and he almost went bankrupt.

But now, upon careful consideration, is Jiang Duo really the only one who harmed the original owner's father?

not necessarily.

My roommates mentioned in casual conversation that Jiang Duo comes from a prominent family and has many admirers at school, including many wealthy heiresses.

The original owner's family background was far inferior to those rich young ladies. She clung to Jiang Duo's side and had long become a thorn in their side.

After the original owner and Jiang Duo break up, those who have been eyeing the situation might take the opportunity to attack the original owner and kick him when he was down.

Now, she and Jiang Duo are bound to break up sooner or later.

In that case, to avoid becoming a target for those people, the fewer people who know about her relationship with Jiang Duo, the better.

The other three girls at the table were sitting upright, even unconsciously holding their breath.

Who would have thought that several big names, rarely seen on university campuses, were sitting right next to them?

This feeling of being enveloped by the aura of an idol is like a dream.

However, the girls were still self-aware.

They knew in their hearts that after today, after this meal, they would still be two parallel lines, and would never intersect in the future.

So, after secretly admiring the superior looks of the big shots for a while, they quickly adjusted their mindset, ate and drank as usual, and the atmosphere soon returned to the relaxed and lively mood typical of girls.

Chu Xuanxuan was the first to look away, took out a small velvet box from her bag, and opened it with a "snap." Inside lay a crystal bracelet, which refracted tiny specks of light under the warm lights of the hot pot restaurant.

"Happy birthday, Yue Ran!" She raised her hand and shook it.

"Thanks, sister!" Li Yueran took it and eagerly put it on her wrist.

Yu Nuo then took out an exquisite figurine box from her bag, opened the lid, and inside was an anime girl in a uniform, with such exquisite details that even the folds of her skirt were lifelike.

"It's a limited edition," Yu Nuo pushed up her glasses, "I saved up the money I would have spent on takeout meals to buy it."

"So cute, Nuonuo, I love you!" Li Yueran rushed over and hugged her.

When it was Shen Ci's turn, she gently took a wooden box out of her bag. The moment she opened the lid, a delicate and pleasant scent of dried flowers quietly wafted out, neutralizing the strong smell of hot pot around her.

There was a sachet lying in the box.

On a moon-white satin background, a crabapple tree is in full bloom.

The petals are a gradient of colors, from dark to light, as delicate as if they had been kissed by the spring breeze.

The flower stamens are delicately outlined with gold thread, and the veins of the leaves are embroidered with silk threads of varying shades of green, with even the touch of pale yellow at the tips of the leaves perfectly rendered.

The edge of the sachet is also decorated with a circle of fine seed embroidery, like a row of tiny pearls.

"Xiao Ci," Li Yueran's voice changed, "this is... the one you've been embroidering in the dorm lately?"

She had seen Shen Ci sitting in a chair in the dormitory, fiddling with something with her head down. At the time, she glanced at it and thought it was just ordinary cross-stitch, so she didn't pay any attention.

Only when I held it in my hands did I realize that the crabapple blossoms were actually embroidered—not the neat grid of cross-stitch, but real embroidery done with needles instead of pens.

The layers of the petals, the flow of light and shadow, and even the dewdrop that is about to fall are all vividly depicted.

"It's so beautiful..." Li Yueran murmured, her finger hovering in mid-air, afraid to touch it. "It's even more beautiful than what I've seen on TV."

In her previous life, Shen Ci often embroidered small items for her elders. She always felt that when giving gifts, the sentiment was more important than the monetary value.

Shen Ci: "I hope you like it."

"Of course I love it!" Li Yueran exclaimed excitedly, her face flushed. "It's so perfect hanging on my Hanfu! No, no, it's so beautiful, I can't bear to hang it on my clothes. What if someone steals it?"

She held it carefully, as if it were some rare treasure.

The other roommates eagerly gathered around, and only after Li Yueran had finally admired the box enough did they take turns receiving it and examining it closely.

"These stitches..." Chu Xuanxuan gasped, "Xiao Ci, are you a fairy?"

"Junior," a voice suddenly interrupted from the side, "Could I borrow this sachet to take a look?"

Yin Kuo came over at some point and sat down next to Li Yueran, smiling innocently.

Before receiving the sachet, he thought it was something like cross-stitch. But since it was embroidered by his "sister-in-law," he wanted to take a look, and he figured Brother Duo would be interested too.

But when he actually held it in his hands, he was stunned.

The sheen of the satin, the delicacy of the silk threads, the intricate stitches—this is no ordinary cross-stitch; it is clearly a professional embroidery technique.

He didn't understand these things very well, but his intuition told him that this was not a simple matter.

"Dude, look." He subconsciously tilted the box containing the sachets towards Xie Shuheng.

Xie Shuheng was drinking water with his head down when he heard this and looked up.

He had some knowledge of antiques and embroidery; he'd seen his grandmother's collection since he was a child. His gaze fell on the crabapple blossoms, and his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly—

Using a variety of stitches, such as flat stitch, satin stitch, rolling stitch, and seed stitch, and layering colors, the delicate beauty of the crabapple blossoms is embroidered with the artistic conception of an ink painting.

What's even more remarkable is the color scheme: crimson, rouge, magenta... the transitions are so natural, it's as if it were all done in one go.

The embroidery is truly exquisite.

He didn't say anything, but simply pushed the box towards Jiang Duo.

Jiang Duo lowered his eyes.

His gaze lingered on the crabapple blossoms for a long time, so long that Xie Shuheng thought he was about to say something. But he simply looked at them quietly for a while before looking away.

Xie Shuheng turned his head, his voice calm yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of inquiry: "Where did you learn embroidery, Shen?"

"When I was little," she put down her chopsticks, her voice steady, "I learned it from my grandma."

The original owner's grandmother was born in Jiangnan and loved embroidery; the original owner had learned a little bit—this is the truth.

"Suzhou embroidery?" Xie Shuheng pressed.

"...I guess so." Shen Ci nodded slightly. "My grandmother was from Suzhou."

Xie Shuheng didn't say anything more, but just glanced at her. His gaze was as deep as an ancient well, making it impossible to discern the emotions beneath.

Yin Kuo scratched his head and awkwardly handed the sachet back to Li Yueran: "Sister-in-law... junior sister is so skillful, amazing!"

Li Yueran carefully closed the box as if it were a precious treasure, then held it in her arms and wouldn't let go.

Sitting next to Shen Ci, Chu Xuanxuan was already incredibly envious. She rested her chin on her hands, staring at the box, her voice filled with envy and anticipation: "Xiao Ci, this sachet is so beautiful! Could you embroider one for me next time it's my birthday?"

Shen Ci looked into her bright eyes and nodded gently, "Of course. I remember you like roses the most, so I'll embroider roses for you next time."

"You're so amazing!" Chu Xuanxuan was so excited she almost jumped off her chair. She hugged Shen Ci's neck and planted a kiss on the cheek. "I love you to death!"

"Snap—"

A sharp cracking sound came from the table next to me, as if something had been broken.

Shen Ci's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously turned her head to the side.

Jiang Duo was holding two bamboo chopsticks that had been broken into four pieces.

His expression was calm, even indifferent, as if the crisp sound just now was merely an illusion.

Xie Shuheng raised his eyes, his gaze lingered on Jiang Duo's face for a moment, and then he lowered his head as if nothing had happened.

Yin Kuo and Su Cheng looked at each other, neither daring to utter a sound.