The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Inside the grand banquet hall of Tinglan Mansion, the lights were on, and glasses clinked in celebration.

As Shen Ci and her father Shen Xiaoming stepped into the hall, a burst of laughter came from the center of the crowd.

"Your daughter is stunningly beautiful; if she becomes a big star someday, don't forget to look after us uncles and elders!"

The girl being complimented stood in the brightest spot, her slender figure outlined in a champagne-colored dress, the rhinestones on the hem shimmering slightly as she raised her glass.

"Uncles and elders, you're joking. Xiaoyu was just lucky to get Director Sun's appreciation and sign a contract for the lead role."

The voice was sweet and clear, with a perfectly soft and delicate tone at the end.

Before long, Shen Yu affectionately took her father Shen Xiaocun's arm, walked through the crowd, and went straight to Shen Xiaoming and his daughter.

"Xiao Ming!" Shen Xiaocun laughed loudly, extending his hand from afar. "Your business has been booming lately, but you haven't been as close to us as before. If it weren't for Xiaoyu's talent, we might not have been able to invite such a big shot like you this time."

His palms were warm and dry, but his grip was strong, and Shen Xiaoming felt his knuckles ache from being squeezed.

"Cousin, what are you saying?" Shen Xiaoming subtly withdrew his hand. "I've just been too busy lately, running around everywhere, and I really haven't been able to find the time."

"busy?"

Shen Xiaocun raised an eyebrow, a cryptic glint in his eyes. "I thought that after you married the Lin family's darling daughter, you looked down on us poor relatives."

He glanced around casually, feigning nonchalance. "Huh? Why didn't your wife come today? Could it be... she looks down on our little gathering?"

"Ruojin went to a meeting out of town and won't be back for a few days," Shen Xiaoming explained patiently.

Shen Xiaocun shook his head, drawing out his words dismissively: "You spoil your wife too much. Women are better off staying home to be good wives and mothers; what's the point of showing your face in public?"

Today was, after all, a celebration banquet hosted by his cousin. Shen Xiaoming knew the occasion well and really didn't want to argue with him at this time, so he chose to remain silent, only lowering his eyes slightly and not saying a word.

Shen Xiaocun turned his gaze to Shen Ci, who was standing quietly to the side, and casually asked, "Youyou is a freshman in college now, right? Does she have a boyfriend?"

Shen Ci pursed her lips and shook her head politely and restrainedly.

Seeing this, Shen Xiaocun turned to look at his daughter beside him, his face showing undisguised pride and smugness.

"That's why I say little girls don't need to go to such good schools. Look at my Xiaoyu, I haven't spent much money on her all these years, but she's still successful and will become a big star in the future."

At this point, as if remembering something, he turned to Shen Yu and instructed, "Xiao Yu, if you know any suitable young men, introduce them to your cousin. It's harder for a girl to find a partner in a few years when she's older."

Shen Yu smiled and nodded in agreement, replying softly, "I know, Dad, I'll keep an eye out for Youyou."

This barbed "concern" finally ended as they turned to toast other guests.

Watching his cousin's departing figure, Shen Xiaoming gently patted Shen Ci's shoulder, his tone filled with comfort and helplessness: "Youyou, don't take it to heart. Your uncle and the others have always been like this. You're still young, your studies should be your priority. Don't let these gossips affect you."

"Dad, I know." Shen Ci nodded obediently, her eyes calm as still water.

The noise in the banquet hall seemed to be shut out by an invisible barrier.

Shen Xiaoming lowered his eyes and looked at his daughter's calm and even somewhat transparent profile. A complex ripple of emotion welled up in his heart.

Since his divorce from Shen Ci's biological mother, Shen Yu and her mother have frequently visited Shen Ci in the manner of elders, showing their "concern".

However, beneath that facade of concern and care, there is often a lot of sarcastic and gossipy talk.

Shen Xiaoming occasionally overheard some of these words outside the door, and found them grating, but out of consideration for their kinship, he couldn't bring himself to confront them directly.

Moreover, her daughter has an eccentric personality and doesn't have many friends her age. She is quite close to Shen Yu on a regular basis.

If he, as a father, were to deliberately sow discord between the two sides, it would only make him appear to be making a mountain out of a molehill and being overly suspicious.

Fortunately, the daughter suddenly learned to distinguish right from wrong and began to distance herself from the mother and daughter without making a sound.

Looking into his daughter's calm eyes, Shen Xiaoming sighed deeply in his heart and made up his mind.

While blood ties and kinship certainly exist, the ultimate goal of human interaction is to feel comfortable and at ease.

Since my cousin's family always has a habit of elevating themselves by belittling others, then from now on, we should each go our own way and just maintain a semblance of a peaceful existence.

The banquet hall remained noisy.

A waiter carrying a silver tray quietly approached Shen Ci's side, bowed slightly, and politely asked in a soft voice, "Miss, what would you like to drink?"

Shen Ci lowered her eyes, her gaze sweeping lightly over the crystal-clear glass on the tray.

Except for the glass of orange juice at the very edge, the rest were all full-bodied red wine.

She reached out, took the glass of orange juice, nodded slightly to the waiter, and whispered, "Thank you."

In a corner not far away, Shen Yu's gaze remained seemingly fixed on Shen Ci.

When she saw Shen Ci take a small sip of the orange juice, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down completely.

She quickly lowered her head, and under the guise of adjusting her skirt, she took out her phone from her handbag and rapidly typed a message on the screen.

"She's already drunk it. You promised me, and you have to keep your promise."

Just a few seconds later, the phone screen lit up, and a new message popped up:

"Bring her to room 908 upstairs. Filming for the TV series can start this month."

Looking at the words on the screen, Shen Yu gripped her phone tightly, her chest heaving violently as she took a deep breath.

She will graduate from the performing arts program at the art school in six months.

Although she is pretty, she is not particularly outstanding in appearance.

In this industry, and with no connections in her family, she couldn't even meet the directors, let alone become a leading actress.

Unexpectedly, half a month ago, Bai Yifeng, the young master of the Bai family, suddenly came to our door.

The man solemnly promised that as long as she could help him drug Shen Ci in a crowded place and successfully deliver her to him, he would use his resources to make her the female lead in a TV series.

Shen Yu certainly remembered Bai Yifeng.

At Shen Xiaoming's wedding last time, she witnessed this young master Bai trying to flirt with Shen Ci, only to be kicked hard by the heir of the Yin family.

She was standing in the crowd when she saw Shen Ci take a half step back with a cold face, and watched the young master of the Yin family protect her behind him. She couldn't tell whether she felt envy or jealousy.

They're both daughters of the Shen family, so why?

So when Bai Yifeng proposed that deal, she only hesitated for a moment.

She knew that medicine was no good.

Bai Yifeng is the kind of person who is always restless when he can't have something, and he will be even more determined to get back what he has been humiliated in public.

Shen Ci followed him; what good could possibly come of it?

But so what...