The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Shen Xiaoming looked the young man up and down in the lamplight.

To be fair, the young man in front of me is indeed one in a million in appearance.

He stood there, tall and straight, with an exceptionally handsome face, his eyes and brows exuding the unique nobility and composure of a scion of a high-ranking family.

Even when simply standing there quietly, their every gesture exudes an undeniable depth and sophistication.

Shen Xiaoming has always appreciated outstanding young people, and he likes the kind of juniors who have an inherent arrogance and a sharp edge in their eyes.

But the premise is—

This person wouldn't be thinking of kidnapping his daughter.

"Young man," Shen Xiaoming said, "let's go outside and talk."

"Okay, Uncle Shen, please lead the way."

The 24-hour coffee shop at the entrance of the residential area was lit with warm yellow lights, and faded Christmas stickers were pasted on the glass door.

There weren't many people around at night.

Shen Xiaoming looked around and walked straight to the booth against the wall at the back.

"Sit down." He raised his chin and gestured to Jiang Duo, who had followed him in.

Jiang Duo sat down, keeping a fist's distance between his back and the back of the chair.

He took off his coat and draped it over the back of the chair, revealing a dark gray sweater underneath. He rolled up the sleeves to his forearms, exposing a section of his wrist bone.

"What would you like to drink?"

"An iced Americano will do," Jiang Duo replied, leaning slightly forward. "Thank you, Uncle Shen."

Shen Xiaoming glanced at him.

My initial impression was that he was neither arrogant nor humble, and was fairly polite.

When the waiter brought over the coffee, Shen Xiaoming got straight to the point and asked:

How old are you?

"Twenty-one," Jiang Duo said, taking the coffee cup with both hands. "I'm a junior in college, at the same school as Youyou."

She's two years older than Youyou and is still a student.

Shen Xiaoming picked up his hot latte and took a sip.

The sweetness of the milk foam couldn't mask the bitterness of the coffee. He frowned and put the cup down.

"When did you and Youyou start dating?" he asked, choosing his words carefully.

Jiang Duo's finger stopped on the side of the cup, and he looked up at him.

"It was the summer before Youyou started college," he said, his voice steady, "that we started dating."

It's been quite a while.

Shen Xiaoming did the math in his head—it's been almost half a year.

Youyou kept it a secret very well.

If she hadn't witnessed them kissing downstairs today, she doesn't know how long she would have kept it a secret.

It's true, daughters are no longer under their fathers' control once they grow up.

Before this, he had always been worried that Youyou and the young master of the Xie family were getting too close.

The Xie family is of too high social standing, and Xie Shuheng's mind is too deep.

In short, it's very unsuitable.

But the young man before me...

Shen Xiaoming then looked up and sized up Jiang Duo.

He was drinking coffee with his head down, his eyelashes casting a small shadow under his eyelids, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with each swallow. His overall demeanor suggested a wealthy and influential family.

Shen Xiaoming sighed deeply, his sigh revealing the helplessness and worry of being a father.

He looked at the tall, handsome young man before him and said in a heavy tone, "Youyou is already an adult, and I shouldn't interfere too much in her feelings."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"But I divorced her biological mother when she was young."

"She's impulsive and insecure," he continued, his voice growing hoarse. "Before, whenever I came home late from work, she would sit on the sofa waiting for me, her eyelids drooping from exhaustion, but she wouldn't go to sleep, afraid I'd leave like her mother and never come back. She seemed cold on the surface, but inside..."

Shen Xiaoming stopped, his fingers gripping the rim of the cup tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"My heart is warmer than anyone else's, and I'm more afraid than anyone else."

He raised his eyes and, for the first time, looked at the young man opposite him without scrutiny or hostility.

There was pleading, vulnerability, and a father's unique, almost humble expectation in his eyes.

"I'm afraid she'll fall in love too easily and get hurt in the future. Because people's hearts are the most fickle thing."

Jiang Duo listened the whole time.

Until Shen Xiaoming finished speaking his last sentence.

He straightened his back slightly, his gaze meeting Shen Xiaoming's without flinching, his voice steady yet carrying a resounding strength:

"Uncle Shen, once I give my heart away, I can never stop."

His eyes appeared even darker under the light, yet they shone with an astonishing brightness.

"I have a special affection for Youyou, and she is the only one for me."

The coffee shop suddenly fell silent.

The other customers in the corner had already left, and the staff member behind the bar was looking down at his phone, the blue light of the screen flashing.

Shen Xiaoming stared at him for a long time.

The young man opposite me sat upright, his gaze calm, like a tree with its roots firmly planted.

"She's the only one I can't have," Shen Xiaoming repeated, his voice as soft as a sigh, "Do you know how heavy those four words are?"

"I know," Jiang Duo replied without hesitation.

He met Shen Xiaoming's scrutinizing gaze, his deep eyes showing no sign of backing down, but rather growing even more determined.

"I will always protect her and safeguard her. Wherever she is, my heart will be there. If she takes a step back, I will take two steps forward. If she closes the door, I will wait outside until she opens it a crack, and then I will squeeze in. Even if she only loves me a little, I will repay her tenfold."

Shen Xiaoming stared intently at the young man before him, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the calm exterior and see into the very essence of his being.

After a long while, Shen Xiaoming's taut jawline finally relaxed slightly.

He picked up the slightly cooled coffee on the table, took a small sip, and used this action to conceal the complex emotions surging in his eyes.

When he put the cup down again, most of the defensiveness in his eyes had faded, replaced by a very soft sigh.

"Young man, let me make this clear. I won't stop you, nor will I make any decisions for you. But if you dare to distort even the slightest word you say to me today, or if you let her shed another tear..."

Shen Xiaoming stared into Jiang Duo's eyes and added, word by word, "I will never let you off easily."

Facing Shen Xiaoming's extremely imposing gaze, Jiang Duo stood up, solemnly bowed deeply.

"Don't worry, Uncle Shen."

Jiang Duo raised his head, his eyes clear and open. His voice was not loud, but it was resolute. "What I, Jiang Duo, say today comes from the bottom of my heart. If I break this oath, may Heaven punish me to live out my days alone."

……

As night deepened, only a warm yellow floor lamp remained in the living room.

Shen Ci was sitting quietly on the sofa when she heard a noise coming from the entrance hall and immediately looked up.

Shen Xiaoming changed his shoes and walked over. Seeing his daughter's longing look, the lingering helplessness in his heart softened.

He stepped forward, gently patting her shoulder with his broad hand, his tone unusually gentle and relieved: "Don't just sit here. That young man is good. Since he's interested, your father won't object to you two dating. But you're both still young, so be careful not to let it interfere with your important matters."

After explaining all this, Shen Xiaoming glanced at the clock on the wall and gently urged, "It's getting late, you should go to bed early too."

Shen Ci obediently responded.

After Shen Xiaoming's door closed gently, she stood alone in the dimly lit living room, her heart filled with mixed emotions, as if a spice jar had been overturned.

She didn't know what her father and Jiang Duo talked about or what consensus they reached.

Looking at the settled situation before her, she knew better than anyone else that from this moment on, she and Jiang Duo had truly become a legitimate couple.