The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Bai Yifeng clutched his neck and turned around in astonishment. Before he could even see who it was, a dark figure rushed over and kicked him hard in the face.

The crisp sound of his nasal bone breaking was clearly audible. Bai Yifeng was thrown into the air, crashing into the coffee table behind him. The sound of shattering glass mixed with his screams echoed throughout the room.

Shen Ci forced herself to maintain a sliver of clarity, her gaze piercing through the blurry light and shadow, and she could vaguely make out the figure in front of her.

Her chapped lips moved slightly as she managed to utter a few words: "Thank... Senior..."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable, as if sandpaper had been rubbing against a tabletop.

Upon hearing this faint call, the surging ferocity in Xie Shuheng's eyes instantly froze.

He turned around abruptly, strode over to her, and squatted down beside her.

Looking at the girl curled up on the thick carpet, her right hand still tightly clutching the blood-stained embroidery needle, her whole being as fragile as porcelain that could shatter at the slightest touch, Xie Shuheng felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart tightly.

He even felt that he had kicked too lightly.

Without hesitation, he took off his coat and carefully draped it over Shen Ci, wrapping her up completely.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

At this moment, her nerves, which had been stretched to the limit, finally relaxed a little, and Shen Ci fell forward uncontrollably.

Xie Shuheng reached out and steadily supported her.

"My father...is on the first floor, this is troublesome..."

Xie Shuheng tightened his arms and picked her up.

"You should go to the hospital right now. Don't worry, I'll have someone go find your father immediately."

As he spoke, Xie Shuheng carried Shen Ci to Bai Yifeng's feet, who was lying on the ground.

He looked down at the person beneath him, his eyes as cold as ice-cold knives, his tone icy: "What kind of medicine did you give her?"

Bai Yifeng was in a terrible state, pressing his bleeding neck with one hand and covering his face with the other.

He trembled like a leaf, all traces of his previous arrogance gone, and could only answer cautiously and tremblingly:

"It's...it's just a regular sleeping pill. She probably didn't drink much, otherwise she would have been unconscious by now..."

"A sleeping potion?" Xie Shuheng's voice was soft, yet sharp as an ice-cold blade.

Bai Yifeng shrank back, his back pressed against the edge of the shattered coffee table, unaware that shards of glass had pierced his flesh.

"Thank you, Young Master Xie, I didn't know she was one of your people. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to do it even if you gave me ten lives—"

"Dare not?" Xie Shuheng sneered.

He raised his foot and kicked him hard in the back of the knee.

Bai Yifeng screamed and fell to his knees, his forehead hitting the floor with a dull thud.

"This kick is to pay for what she owes you." Xie Shuheng's voice was eerily calm. "We'll settle the rest later."

He stopped looking at the figure curled up on the ground, picked up Shen Ci, and strode towards the door.

At this moment, Bai Yifeng felt both fear and regret.

He couldn't afford to offend Yin Kuo, let alone Xie Shuheng.

Just who exactly is this Shen Ci?

Why are all the top young masters in Beijing protecting her like the apple of their eyes?!

……

The Maybach roared along the road.

Xie Shuheng sat in the back seat, letting Shen Ci lean on his shoulder.

Her forehead rested against the crook of his neck, her breath hot and long, her whole being as light and airy as a leaf blown away by the wind.

Shen Ci felt extremely dizzy, her whole body was in a daze, and her consciousness was floating in the darkness.

In a daze, she felt as if she had returned to her boudoir in her previous life.

That was when she was at her wit's end, and she was just as unable to wake up.

Xie Shuheng gently patted her shoulder, his voice low and gentle: "We'll be at the hospital soon, just hang in there a little longer."

Shen Ci slowly turned her head, her hazy gaze falling on his face, already in a dreamy, half-awake state.

Xie Shuheng squinted slightly, took out his phone, and flipped through the photo album to find the ancient painting he had treasured for a long time.

He brought the screen close to her eyes, coaxing her softly, "Shen Ci, have you seen this painting before?"

Shen Ci's gaze fell on the screen, and without the slightest hesitation, she answered softly, "I...have seen it."

Xie Shuheng's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to ask where she had seen her before, an even more outrageous answer exploded in his ears—

"This is... something I drew."

Xie Shuheng: "..."

He assumed she was just under the influence of the drug and completely confused.

But the next second, Shen Ci raised her trembling finger and gently touched a petal of an orchid on the screen, saying haltingly, "The color here is darker... because my blood stained it..."

As soon as she finished speaking, her hand fell limply to her side, and she completely lost consciousness.

Xie Shuheng stood there, frozen.

After a long time, he looked down at the person in his arms. Her pale face was pressed against his chest, and her eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes. She was as quiet as an ancient painting.

Her words were absurd.

But what she said sounded so true...

Xie Shuheng held her tightly in his arms, his chin resting on her forehead, feeling her faint breath brush against the side of his neck.

He murmured softly, "Is that so..."

When Shen Xiaoming arrived at the hospital at breakneck speed, Shen Ci was already lying on the clean white hospital bed, having completed the basic examinations, and was sleeping peacefully.

Shen Xiaoming pushed open the door and went in, his footsteps unconsciously becoming lighter.

He saw a young man sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning slightly forward, his gaze fixed intently on his daughter's face.

His gaze was so earnest that even he, as the father, was momentarily stunned.

Hearing the noise, Xie Shuheng stood up and nodded politely: "Hello, Uncle Shen."

Shen Xiaoming arrived in a hurry, his heart pounding the whole way, still unaware of what had happened.

All she knew was that someone had intended to do something to her daughter, and that the young man in front of her had saved her in time and escorted her all the way to the hospital.

He looked at his daughter's pale face, her expression filled with undisguised worry and lingering fear, but he still didn't forget to thank the young man in front of him.

"Shen Ci and I went to the same school, so you don't need to be so polite with me," Xie Shuheng said softly, his tone steady.

As they were talking, Shen Ci, lying on the sickbed, suddenly stirred restlessly.

She seemed to have dreamt of something extremely terrifying while she was unconscious; her brows were tightly furrowed, her pale lips trembled slightly, and she mumbled something incoherently.

Seeing this, Xie Shuheng quickly sat back down on the edge of the bed and gently patted her shoulder through the blanket as if to comfort her.

"It's alright, I'm here."

His voice was low, with an almost instinctive gentleness.

Shen Xiaoming stood aside, watching his actions, and was slightly stunned.

They were both men; how could he not see that the man in front of him probably liked his daughter?

He looked at Xie Shuheng carefully.

He is undeniably good-looking, with delicate features and a composed demeanor.

But Youyou is only a freshman in college, it's a bit too early for her to be in a relationship.

Shen Xiaoming sighed inwardly, his gaze complex.

Just as Shen Xiaoming was pondering to himself, Xie Shuheng finally heard Shen Ci calling out the name intermittently in his nightmare.

"Jiang Duo..."

She was calling Jiang Duo's name.