The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

The night was quiet.

Jiang Duo returned to the car and casually closed the door.

The carriage was dimly lit and quiet. He leaned back in his seat, took a watch out of his coat pocket, and casually tossed it onto the leather seat next to him.

He had taken it off specifically before going into the coffee shop with Mr. Shen.

Those in the know can estimate the market value of this watch with just a glance.

If Shen's father recognizes the watch and deduces his true identity, what awaits him will not be recognition, but endless fear and vigilance.

How could a father as protective of his daughter as Shen Xiaoming possibly entrust her to a man with such a complicated background?

Therefore, he cannot gamble.

Jiang Duo's slender fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel, a faint smile curving his lips.

Fortunately, he won his gamble.

Now, even Shen's father has tacitly approved of their relationship without knowing the details...

Jiang Duo tilted his head slightly, his silhouette hidden in the darkness revealing an almost obsessive certainty.

Now that the biggest obstacle has been quietly removed, the next step is to naturally bring Shen Ci completely into our territory.

Engagement, marriage—making Shen Ci completely and utterly belong to him alone...

early morning.

Shen Xiaoming tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

"Still thinking about Youyou?"

Lin Ruojin didn't turn on the light, but found his hand in the darkness, and their fingers intertwined.

"Xiao Ming, Youyou is all grown up now. It's normal for her to have a boyfriend when she goes to college. You can't keep her tied to your side for the rest of your life."

Shen Xiaoming gave a muffled hum.

"Didn't Ruochen say on the phone last time that Youyou's overall grades were the best in the entire department last semester?"

Lin Ruojin turned to the side, using the faint moonlight streaming in from the window to look at her husband's tense profile, and gently comforted him, "Youyou knows what she's doing, she can prioritize, and it won't interfere with her studies. You don't need to worry so much."

Shen Xiaoming didn't say anything, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. Of course he knew his daughter was very outstanding, but while he understood this rationally, he just couldn't get over that emotional hurdle.

"Oh, right," Lin Ruojin said, as if she had just remembered something, her tone tinged with curiosity and inquiry, "What's Youyou's boyfriend's name? Since they're from the same school, Ruochen must have met him. I'll find a chance to ask him about him another day, to see what kind of boy he is. I need to check his character and family background."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoming sat up from the bed.

He pressed his throbbing temples in frustration, his brows furrowing into a tight knot.

"His name is Jiang... what was it again?" He tried hard to remember.

"Look at my brain! I was so angry that I didn't even hear the full name!"

He turned his head and looked at his wife in the dim light, his eyes showing a hint of helplessness and compromise: "Forget it, don't bother your brother. Otherwise, it might get back to Youyou, and she'll think I'm meddling. Let's not make a fuss about this for now."

Seeing her husband's expression—wanting to make a decision but unable to bring himself to do it, and only able to sulk in silence—Lin Ruojin couldn't help but chuckle.

She sat up as well, rested her head on Shen Xiaoming's shoulder, and obediently replied, "Okay, I'll listen to you and not make a fuss for now."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze tracing her husband's furrowed brow in the dim light, her tone clear and insightful, "Let's enjoy a sweet romance during our university years."

She paused, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and murmured, "What do young people say these days? Oh, right, it's called 'living up to one's youth.'"

The four words "live up to your youth" were like a gentle spring breeze, instantly dispelling the gloom and depression that had been lingering in Shen Xiaoming's heart.

He carefully pondered his wife's words, and the little girl who always followed behind him and called him "Daddy" in her soft, sweet voice had unknowingly grown into a graceful young woman.

Yes, her youth has just begun, and it should be vibrant and bright. Why should I use the anxieties and worries of the older generation to constrain her?

The feeling of "my own cabbage being eaten by a pig" finally turned into a relieved sigh after his wife's gentle comforting words.

As Shen Xiaoming closed his eyes, the image of his daughter walking side by side with that "Jiang something" involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful; they make a good match when they walk together.

I have to admit, Youyou has pretty good taste...

The next day, Lin Ruojin left for work early in the morning.

Shen Xiaoming had arranged to have lunch with his business partners. Since it was still early, he sat in the living room flipping through a financial magazine.

"Ding-dong—"

The crisp sound of the doorbell suddenly rang in the quiet living room, and Shen Xiaoming paused slightly as he turned the pages of his book.

Who could it be at this time?

He walked to the door with a puzzled look, peeked out through the peephole, then raised an eyebrow and opened the door.

Jiang Duo, dressed in a black coat, stood tall and straight, steadily carrying two exquisite gift boxes in his hands.

Seeing the door open, he greeted him with a gentle smile, "Good morning, Uncle Shen."

Shen Xiaoming stepped aside and said in a nonchalant tone, "Come in."

As he spoke, he took out a pair of brand-new men's slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them next to Jiang Duo's feet.

Jiang Duo changed his shoes and walked into the living room. He gently placed the things he was carrying on the floor and said politely, "This is my first time here. I didn't know what Uncle Shen usually likes, so I took the liberty of buying tea and red wine. I hope you don't mind."

"You're still in school, don't waste money."

Shen Xiaoming habitually adopted the airs of an elder, his brows furrowing slightly, but when he caught a glimpse of the gift boxes out of the corner of his eye, he nodded inwardly.

Regardless, this kid is polite and knows how to behave appropriately; he's quite sensible.

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Shen Ci walked out wearing loose loungewear.

When her gaze fell on Jiang Duo, who was sitting on the living room sofa, she was momentarily dazed and even stopped in her tracks.

Shen Ci: "..."

Has this person already openly and legitimately "given a visit"?

Jiang Duo's gaze froze the moment Shen Ci appeared.

He had never seen Shen Ci like this before.

She was wearing a light pink cartoon loungewear set with a rabbit with droopy ears printed on it, and one of her trouser legs was rolled up. She looked at him with a confused expression.

It's like a kitten that's suddenly been taken out of its nest and hasn't quite figured out what's going on.

All defensiveness and distance disappeared.

At this moment, she is soft, languid, and exudes a kind of harmless cuteness.

Jiang Duo felt as if his heart had been gently bumped by something soft, and even his breathing slowed down.

The smile in his eyes deepened instantly, his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, and he uttered a soft, gentle call:

"Youyou, come here."

Shen Xiaoming stood aside, looking at his daughter's dazed and adorable appearance, and then at Jiang Duo's familiar and doting gaze.

My back molars suddenly felt sore.

They haven't even started anything yet, and they're already being so lovey-dovey in front of him. It's really... too much of an eyesore!