The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

When Shen Ci pushed open the office door, Lin Ruochen was standing with his back to her in front of the wall covered with calligraphy and paintings.

"Professor Lin." She stopped at the doorway, her voice softening, "Did you call me here for something?"

Lin Ruochen turned around upon hearing the sound, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

A perfectly timed smile curved his lips, his brows and eyes relaxed, as if he were once again the gentle and refined man he once was.

He pointed to the chair next to him, "Let's sit down and talk."

She walked in, her gaze sweeping over the wall, but her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

Next to the previous "Ode to the Red Cliff" in the slender gold script, another piece of calligraphy has been hung side by side without anyone noticing.

The handwriting was incredibly familiar; it was a casual sketch she made during her first calligraphy class.

She never imagined that he would solemnly frame that calligraphy and hang it alongside his own copybook.

The two calligraphy frames were exactly the same size, hanging side by side on the wall, like a pair forcibly put together... She couldn't find the right words, she just felt something was off.

"The matter of the intangible cultural heritage association has been officially approved."

Lin Ruochen's voice drew her attention back to the club, "The club's first activity is scheduled for this Saturday."

Shen Ci nodded and obediently replied, "I understand."

As she lowered her head, her neckline opened slightly.

Lin Ruochen's gaze involuntarily fell on the outside of her neck.

Although it was mostly obscured by a few strands of hair, a faint, ambiguous red mark could still be clearly seen.

Lin Ruochen's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his eyes instantly darkened.

He stared at the red mark, his voice lower and hoarse: "What happened to the red mark on your neck?"

Shen Ci was stunned for a moment, and those absurd images flashed through her mind instantly.

Her expression changed slightly, and a hint of unnatural guilt flashed in her eyes. She forced herself to remain calm and replied, "It's an allergic reaction. It's a little itchy, and I probably scratched it myself."

Lin Ruochen didn't speak, but just stared quietly into her eyes.

His gaze was as deep as a bottomless lake, as if it could see through all her pretenses and lies.

The air became thick and oppressive at that moment, so much so that Shen Ci almost thought he would actually expose her lie.

In that suffocating silence, Lin Ruochen suddenly smiled.

"Next time, be careful to avoid allergens..."

He looked away, his tone returning to its usual calm: "Later, a teacher will add the members to a group chat, where the detailed activity schedule will also be posted."

Shen Ci secretly breathed a sigh of relief and got up to leave.

Just as she stood up, Lin Ruochen, who was sitting in the chair, looked up at her.

"long……"

His voice was very deep.

"You have a great talent for calligraphy. I hope that you will focus on your studies during your four years of university."

Shen Ci smiled and took it as a typical admonition from an elder to a younger person.

"I know. Thank you, Professor Lin."

The door closed gently.

The smile on Lin Ruochen's face vanished instantly.

He remained in that position for a long time until the footsteps in the corridor completely disappeared.

He closed his eyes, slammed his arms heavily on the table, pressed his thumb and forefinger firmly against the bridge of his nose, and rubbed from his brow down to his eye sockets, his knuckles turning white from the force.

……

Back in her dorm, Shen Ci received a friend request on her WeChat app – the note read "Liu Qinglan, Professor of History," and the profile picture was a blurry landscape painting.

She accepted the request, and almost immediately the other party sent a message: "Hello Shen Ci, I am the instructor of the Puhua Intangible Cultural Heritage Club. I'm adding you to the group now."

Immediately afterwards, Shen Ci was pulled into a group chat called "Puhua Intangible Cultural Heritage Society".

Members of the club were gradually brought in.

After about half an hour, the group finally quieted down.

Shen Ci glanced at the list; there were eighteen people in total—including three instructors, such as Lin Ruochen, and fifteen student members.

After reading it, she put her phone aside, picked up a small mirror from her desk, and looked at her neck.

The red mark has faded considerably, with the edges blurred into a pale pink. It's estimated that it will disappear completely in less than two days.

But the moment her gaze fell upon that faint mark, the absurd and enchanting scene of that night uncontrollably resurfaced in her mind.

She subconsciously bit her lower lip, a feeling of indescribable relief welling up inside her—thankfully, Jiang Duo had restrained himself at the last moment and hadn't continued.

Otherwise, her already dwindling innocence would likely be completely destroyed in this out-of-control tug-of-war.

"ha!"

Shen Ci's hand trembled as someone slapped her on the shoulder, and she almost dropped the mirror.

She turned around and saw Chu Xuanxuan bending over with a smug grin on her face.

"You scared me to death."

"Who told you to stare at yourself in the mirror like that?"

Chu Xuanxuan leaned closer, her gaze falling on the side of her neck. "Your allergy hasn't healed yet?"

Shen Ci subconsciously pulled her collar up a little.

"If I didn't know you didn't have a boyfriend," Chu Xuanxuan drawled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I would have thought this was left behind by your boyfriend."

Shen Ci's ears burned, and a blush quickly spread across her cheeks.

She opened her mouth, but before she could think of a reply, Chu Xuanxuan had already changed the subject on her own.

"Xiao Ci, do you have anything else planned for tonight?"

"……No."

"Could you join us for a social gathering?"

"A social gathering?"

"that is……"

Chu Xuanxuan leaned closer mysteriously and whispered something in a low voice.

Shen Ci gradually understood—

Yu Nuo had admired a senior in high school who was a year ahead of her. Now that they were in the same university, that admiration had quietly blossomed into a secret crush.

This so-called social gathering, ostensibly a normal get-together between a male dormitory and a female dormitory, was actually an attempt to set up roommates and create opportunities for them to meet.

"It's common for dormitories to socialize in colleges, there's nothing wrong with it."

Chu Xuanxuan straightened up, shrugged, and said, "Actually, Yu Nuo and that senior are just one step away from confessing their feelings. But knowing Yu Nuo's personality, who knows how long she'll be stuck in this unrequited love? She might even get beaten to it by another girl. Let's give her a push."

Seeing Chu Xuanxuan's expectant eyes, Shen Ci nodded gently: "Okay, I'll go."

According to Chu Xuanxuan's serious "strategic plan" in the dormitory, if Yu Nuo dressed too formally and too beautifully tonight, it would inevitably seem deliberate and would easily make that senior feel guilty.

To help their best friend cover up, the other girls in the dorm should dress up a bit and strive to be "understatedly elegant".

Shen Ci originally planned to go out in her tracksuit, but Chu Xuanxuan grabbed her arm and coaxed her for more than ten minutes before she finally gave in and changed into a knee-length dress with a beige coat over it. She also changed her hairstyle for the first time.