The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Shen Xiaoming coughed lightly, put down his chopsticks, and said in a very soft voice, "It's Sunday today, I'm not going to work... Your Aunt Lin is coming over at noon to have lunch with us."

After he finished speaking, he looked up at his daughter, his eyes filled with obvious anxiety and ingratiation, like a child who had done something wrong, afraid that he might detonate a landmine at any moment.

Shen Ci paused for a moment, her fingers holding the coffee cup.

According to the original owner's remaining memories, the "Aunt Lin" mentioned by her father was the person he had wanted to remarry in recent years.

The woman is about the same age as my father, works in a government department, and is a typical educated woman. She has devoted herself to her career all these years and remains unmarried with no children.

In his father's eyes, he and Aunt Lin got along very well, and she was a rare good match; but in the original owner's heart, this Aunt Lin was an "intruder" who destroyed the family.

The original owner's disgust for her was almost ingrained in her bones. Every time Aunt Lin came to the door, the original owner would definitely make a scene—either smashing bowls and chopsticks, making sarcastic remarks, or even slamming the door and going back to her room, never letting the meal go in peace.

It is precisely because of those chaotic experiences in the past that my father is now walking on thin ice.

Shen Ci looked up and saw the fine lines at the corners of Shen Xiaoming's eyes, as well as his fingers that were slightly tightening around the edge of the table.

"Okay," she said.

Shen Xiaoran paused, as if he hadn't heard clearly: "...What?"

"I said okay." Shen Ci picked up the fried egg with her chopsticks, her tone indifferent. "Come on, it's just a matter of having another pair of chopsticks."

Shen Xiaoming opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbed, but in the end he just lowered his head, poked at the food on the plate with his chopsticks, and after a long while he finally hummed in agreement.

He did not relax because of his daughter's calmness at that moment.

He knew his daughter's temper all too well; the calmer the weather, the more it felt like a sweltering afternoon before a storm, making it hard to breathe.

He subtly raised his eyes and quickly glanced at his daughter's expression.

She was drinking coffee with her head down, her eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes, her expression indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.

That's perfectly normal.

She's so normal, it's unlike her.

Shen Xiaoming felt his heart pound even higher, and even thought that his daughter was preparing a big move.

He put down his chopsticks and cleared his throat: "Youyou... if you don't want to, Dad... Dad can tell Aunt Lin we can do it another day..."

"Dad." Shen Ci raised his eyes, his gaze calm as still water. "Let's eat, the coffee's getting cold."

It tastes even worse when it's cold...

Shen Xiaoming's remaining words were stuck in his throat, neither able to swallow nor spit them out.

He forced a smile, picked up his chopsticks again, but the food tasted bland.

For a moment, only the soft clinking of porcelain spoons against bowls and plates could be heard on the dining table.

He glanced at his daughter several more times, and each time he saw that she looked perfectly normal, and even poured half a cup of coffee into his cup.

This unusual thoughtfulness sent a chill down his spine, and his heart pounded in his chest, hanging precariously in mid-air.

—What exactly is this girl up to?

Around noon, the doorbell rang.

Shen Xiaoming almost reflexively jumped up from the sofa and quickly went to open the door. Lin Ruojin stood outside the door, carrying several heavy bags in her hands, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

"Old Shen, can you take this for me?" She handed over the bag, her voice tinged with laughter. "I bought pork ribs and sea bass, and—" she glanced down and rummaged through the bag, "strawberries and cherries that Youyou loves."

Shen Xiaoming quickly took it, and as he turned around, his gaze unconsciously drifted to his daughter beside him.

Shen Ci also arrived at the entrance hall at this moment, watching Lin Ruojin change her shoes, then smiled slightly and said softly:

Hello, Aunt Lin.

Lin Ruojin abruptly stopped changing her shoes, freezing in place.

She instinctively turned to look at Shen Xiaoming, her eyes filled with astonishment and confusion, as if silently asking, "What's wrong? Did your daughter take the wrong medicine today?"

After all, in her memory, Shen Xiaoming's daughter had always treated her with disdain, so this sudden politeness was even more unusual than the sun rising in the west.

Shen Xiaoming was also taken aback, then awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth, shook his head, and indicated that he didn't know the situation either.

Having spent many years in government, Lin Ruojin quickly regained her composure and smiled as she said, "Youyou looks great today."

She carefully hung up her coat, then took out an apron from the bag, tied it neatly around her waist, and turned to walk towards the kitchen: "Old Shen, I'll take care of the fish. You soak the ribs in water first."

A few minutes later, she came out of the kitchen again, her voice gentle, "Youyou, I've washed the fruit. You can eat first; the meal will be ready soon."

She spoke to Shen Ci in a very natural tone, as if those unpleasant farces from the past had never happened.

Shen Ci said "Thank you, Aunt Lin," her eyes remaining calm and composed.

Shen Xiaoming stood there, looking at the kitchen and then at his daughter, his heart pounding even harder.

This is really unusual.

A rich aroma soon filled the kitchen.

Before long, Lin Ruojin had prepared four dishes and a soup, with a perfect balance of meat and vegetables, and the dishes looked, smelled, and tasted delicious.

In her previous life, Shen Ci was physically weak and was always surrounded by a group of maids and servants who served her. Even her water and medicine were brought to her lips, so she never lifted a finger to do housework, let alone cook.

But out of basic courtesy, she stepped forward and said softly, "Let me help."

She imitated how others looked in her memory, carefully helping to clear the dishes and then placing the plates on the table one by one.

These seemingly simple household chores were nothing short of a mini-earthquake in the eyes of Shen Xiaoming and Lin Ruojin.

—This girl actually helps with clearing the dishes?

You know, when Lin Ruojin used to come to our house, let alone help out, Shen Ci would even deliberately slam the bowls and chopsticks loudly. Every time, she would suddenly slam the door and enter the room while we were eating, leaving the two of them sitting awkwardly facing each other in the living room.

Shen Ci seemed oblivious to their odd behavior. She placed the soup spoon in the bowl, then sat down. Looking up, she saw them still staring blankly and paused slightly, asking, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" Shen Xiaoming quickly shook his head, took a big bite of rice, but almost choked and coughed while covering his mouth.

Lin Ruojin quickly regained her composure, smiling as she handed him a glass of water, her gaze constantly drifting towards Shen Ci. She remained composed, her expression unchanged, and said gently, "Youyou has grown up and become more sensible."

His tone carried a hint of genuine relief, but also a touch of cautious probing.

Shen Ci hummed in agreement, picked up a piece of broccoli with her chopsticks, and chewed it slowly.

Shen Xiaoming secretly raised his eyes and exchanged a glance with Lin Ruojin.

They both saw the same shock and confusion in each other's eyes—

Could it be that the sun really did rise in the west?