The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Winter is the perfect time to eat hot pot.

Jiang Duo led Shen Ci through the noisy hall and into the deepest part of the corridor.

When the waiter pushed open the carved wooden door, Shen Ci was stunned.

The private room was large, with a round mahogany table in the center that could seat ten people.

"Sit down."

Jiang Duo had already sat down by the window, his coat draped over a hanger, wearing only a black turtleneck sweater.

Shen Ci chose a seat diagonally opposite him, and as soon as she pulled out the chair, Jiang Duo stood up.

I walked around half of the round table and sat down next to her.

Shen Ci moved half an inch to the side, and he followed, his shoulder touching hers, their thighs faintly pressed together through the fabric.

His body temperature was always higher than hers, like a small heater, so hot that half of her body stiffened.

"Could you please not stand so close?" Shen Ci whispered. "The table is so big."

Jiang Duo didn't answer, but reached for the teapot.

His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles. He poured water slowly, and the water made a crisp sound as it flowed into the glass.

Then the hand didn't retract, but instead covered the back of her hand.

Shen Ci's fingers curled up slightly.

"Why don't you want to sit next to me?" he asked, his voice low and sounding especially close in the enclosed space.

Shen Ci tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't.

She looked up at him. Jiang Duo was tilting his head, his dark eyes reflecting the light of the chandelier, a faint smile playing on his lips.

That gaze was so direct that she subconsciously lowered her eyelashes and stared at the grain of the wood on the table.

"Shall we have hot pot?" she said. "And please don't touch me like that."

But after she finished speaking, Jiang Duo's thumb continued to draw circles on the back of her hand, again and again.

Then the caressing stopped, and he leaned closer, and Shen Ci could smell the faint scent of mint water on him.

"We haven't eaten together for over a week."

He speaks slowly, and each word is pronounced very clearly.

Shen Ci felt his gaze fall on her face, as if it had a real weight, making her cheeks burn.

"You still won't go public," he continued. "At school, you hang out with your roommates in the cafeteria every day, leaving me all alone."

"Won't you let me touch you a few more times to ease my longing?"

His tone was almost aggrieved, if it weren't for the mischievous smile in his eyes that betrayed him.

"I feel like you've become even more shameless than before."

Her voice was barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Jiang Duo was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

He leaned back, his smile widening as the corners of his eyes curved into a beautiful arc.

"Because if I take one step closer to you," he said, tapping her delicate wrist twice with his fingers, "you have to take two steps back."

"If I weren't a little shameless, it would be hard for me to get anything out of you."

Listening to him talking nonsense with a straight face, Shen Ci's ears turned a little red.

"Alright," Jiang Duo reached out and ruffled her hair, his movements swift, withdrawing his hand before she could react. "I won't tease you anymore."

A moment later, the waiter knocked on the door and came in to serve the hot pot. The red broth was bubbling with white foam, while the clear broth had a few pieces of scallion and goji berries floating on top.

Jiang Duo picked up the serving chopsticks, placed a few slices of beef rolls into the boiling broth, and added in a low voice, "To be honest, you're a freshman, but you seem busier than me right now."

He did a quick mental calculation:

Shen Ci comes to the inner painting studio every weekend without fail to study.

Moreover, since she joined the intangible cultural heritage association, her free time has significantly decreased.

Because of her outstanding performance in several club activities, Professor Lin personally appointed her as the club president.

Now, she not only has to coordinate the club's daily activities, but also frequently work with her advisor to plan new intangible cultural heritage experience projects.

Jiang Duo suddenly realized that Shen Ci and Lin Ruochen spent more time together each week than he did with Shen Ci.

Fortunately, Lin Ruochen was just her elder...

The meat slices quickly changed color and curled up.

Jiang Duo scooped out the cooked beef and placed it on the empty plate in front of Shen Ci.

The beef was very tender, and the sesame sauce was very fragrant; she ate with great concentration.

The warm yellow light in the private room and the rising steam from the hot pot blurred her features, making her appear even more gentle.

They are incredibly well-behaved.

Jiang Duo watched her eat in small bites, and his heart felt gently filled with something, a gentle, lingering sense of satisfaction.

After a steaming hot pot meal, Shen Ci felt a warm glow in her stomach, which made her feel comfortable all over.

If no one around her were to make unwanted advances towards her, that would be perfect.

Just as she was silently grumbling to herself, Jiang Duo's phone, which was placed on the table, vibrated.

He picked up his phone and glanced at it; the screen displayed a WeChat message from his father:

Don't come back tonight.

Jiang Duo raised an eyebrow slightly.

My father called me this morning to ask him to come home tonight. Why has he suddenly changed his mind?

He immediately had a guess in his mind, tapped the screen with his fingertip, and replied:

"Did my mom come home?"

A few seconds later, the other end only sent a brief "hmm" and then there was no further response.

Looking at that lone "hmm" sound, Jiang Duo couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips, indicating his understanding.

In the months since his mother left, his father has been completely distraught, probably reaching his breaking point...

He didn't understand before.

Why would an adult become like this because of another person's absence?

Looking at the woman beside him, Jiang Duo suddenly understood.

He didn't know when he started to fall completely in love with her.

The girl was perfect without a single flaw; she was cold-hearted, impervious to water and fire, and invulnerable to swords and spears.

Such a woman is too easy to arouse a man's innate destructive and conquering desires.

Yet, she also possessed the reserved and aloof qualities of a lady from ancient times, along with intelligence, insight, and skillful hands.

A man's fleeting impulses in love, and his deep needs over the long years—both can find their ultimate attraction in Shen Ci alone.

She's not clingy, nor does she act unreasonably. She just stays there quietly, yet you feel that as long as she's there, your heart has a place to belong.

Falling in love with her is really an easy thing.

Jiang Duo stared intently at Shen Ci, his gaze unwavering.

He suddenly realized that one day he too would become anxious and insecure.

The possessiveness he once despised now entangles his heart like vines, suffocating him.

He really wanted to mark her and declare his ownership to the whole world.

Those unpleasant thoughts surged in my chest, almost bursting through the gates of reason.

Shen Ci seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

Their eyes met, and she was startled by the look in his eyes—his gaze was intense and unwavering, his deep eyes churning with dark emotions, much like a hunter who had been lurking in the shadows for a long time, finally locking onto his prey, with undisguised aggression.

Shen Ci felt a little flustered under his gaze, and her originally cool voice unconsciously tightened, with a slight tremor that she herself did not realize.

"...What's wrong?"

Jiang Duo took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the violent urge to devour her.

He didn't answer, but simply raised his hand again, his palm landing on Shen Ci's soft, long hair.

"Can I mess it up?"

He asked in a low, hoarse voice.

"What?"

Shen Ci didn't react for a moment, and tilted her head slightly to look at him.

Jiang Duo didn't speak again, but lowered his eyelashes and ran his slender fingers through her cascading hair, gently picking up and ruffling the strands of soft, long hair.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, yet they carried a strange tenderness, as if he were handling a rare treasure, or as if he were covering her inch by inch with his own breath.

Shen Ci froze, even her breathing became soft, letting him mess up her hair slightly.

After playing for a while, Jiang Duo seemed to finally be satisfied. He patiently straightened the strands of hair that he had messed up and tucked them back behind her ears.

Shen Ci: "..."