The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Jiang Duo's eyebrows and eyes softened slightly from the heat, but the dark fire in his eyes burned even more fiercely.

Shen Ci subconsciously stepped back, her back pressed against the cool pool wall, with nowhere left to retreat.

"What are you hiding from?"

He stopped in front of her, his voice low and husky, carrying the dampness of water.

Shen Ci looked up at him, her eyelashes still glistening with tiny water droplets, her eyes glazed over like a cat that had just woken up.

Jiang Duo's Adam's apple bobbed, and he reached out and braced himself against the pool wall beside her ear, trapping her in this small world.

The aroma of medicine, the heat, and the crisp scent of snow pine emanating from him mingled together, making one feel dizzy.

"Why are you soaking here all alone?" He leaned down, his nose almost brushing against hers. "Where are Xie Shuyun and the others?"

"They went to the hot springs outside, but I was afraid of getting cold, so I didn't go with them."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Duo's gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks for two seconds before he chuckled softly.

He reached out and gently brushed his fingertips against a tiny teardrop at the corner of her eye, his movements incredibly tender.

The light brown medicinal soup covered her chest, the surface of the water rippled slightly, making that patch of skin appear even whiter and smoother, like fine mutton fat jade soaking in a warm teacup, dazzlingly beautiful.

Water droplets slid down her collarbone and disappeared into the water, leaving a glistening trail.

He restrained himself from looking away, his gaze finally settling on her slightly lowered eyelashes.

She was still a little sleepy, her eyes filled with a hazy, moist look, like flower petals after being battered by rain, so soft they were almost unrecognizable.

Jiang Duo's eyes darkened, and his hands, which were braced against the pool wall, tightened, his knuckles turning white.

Unable to resist any longer, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Shen Ci closed her eyes, not daring to look directly into the desire in his eyes.

The gaze was so intense, it felt as if it could set her body, which was immersed in the medicinal soup, on fire.

His kiss was light at first, like a test, or perhaps a tender gesture, his lips pressed against hers, lingering and caressing.

But the moment Shen Ci tilted her head slightly in response, that restraint shattered completely.

He held the back of her head, deepening the kiss, his tongue prying open her teeth, swallowing all her sobs with irresistible force.

The air was filled with the aroma of herbs and the steam rising from the water. In this small hot spring, only the soft sound of water and the intertwined breaths remained.

Shen Ci's fingers gripped his shoulder tightly, her knuckles turning white, then gradually lost strength, and she clung to him softly.

She felt like a medicinal herb in a pool, being boiled and simmered by his fire, until even her bones turned to water.

Jiang Duo's hand slid down from her waist, the warmth of his palm making her tremble slightly.

He chuckled softly, his lips moving to her ear, his breath hot: "Youyou, why are you trembling..."

Shen Ci felt her whole body burning up, as if she were about to melt in the medicinal soup.

She opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound, a burst of laughter suddenly came from not far away, faintly approaching through the flowers, trees, and gauze curtains.

Jiang Duo paused, and the darkness in his eyes suddenly deepened.

He pulled Shen Ci out of the hot spring with his arm.

The medicinal soup dripped down her calves, leaving dark watermarks on the bluestone slab.

He grabbed a bathrobe draped over the side and wrapped it tightly around her, tying the straps tighter and tighter still, covering her completely.

Just as they finished doing all this, the curtain was lifted, and Xie Shuheng, Yin Kuo, and Yu Xingye walked over.

"Brother Duo!" Yin Kuo waved casually, his usual smile on his face. "We haven't played cards in ages, let's go to the card room later."

"Okay." Jiang Duo's expression remained unchanged, his voice steady. He simply reached out and pulled Shen Ci closer to his side. "Let's go, let's go together."

He led Shen Ci in that direction, his pace neither hurried nor slow, as if nothing had happened.

Xie Shuheng lagged half a step behind, his gaze involuntarily falling on Shen Ci.

Her hair was wet from the hot spring, with a few strands of black hair sticking to her cheeks, making her skin appear even whiter.

The most striking feature was her lips—severely swollen and red, with a slight sheen at the corners, clearly indicating what she had been through.

Xie Shuheng paused slightly, his eyes darkened, then he casually looked away, but his hand, hanging by his side, clenched slightly more silently.

……

Shen Ci returned to the changing room first, changed into dry undergarments, and was about to take out the sauna suit from the closet when the curtain was lifted and Xie Shuyun and the others also returned.

"Achoo—" Tang Ziying sneezed, shivering in her bathrobe.

Xie Shuyun's lips were frozen purple. She leaned close to Shen Ci, her teeth still chattering: "Taking a bath while enjoying the snow scenery... it's really romantic, but it's too cold. I feel like I'm about to catch a cold."

Seeing that Shen Ci was about to get the sauna suit from the closet, she grabbed her hand and said, "We're not wearing these today. I've prepared some nicer ones."

A short while later, a servant from Xie Garden pushed in a small cart with more than a dozen sets of clothes neatly hanging on it.

Han Xiaoqian reached out and touched it; the silk fabric slid through her fingertips, shimmering and sparkling. She exclaimed in surprise, "This is... Hanfu?"

Xie Shuyun nodded proudly, her eyes sparkling: "These were all handmade by a designer, even more realistic than those in TV dramas. I've always wanted to wear them, but I never had the chance. Since there are a lot of girls here today, let's all wear them together, and we're sure to look great in the photos later."

As she spoke, she picked out a bright red dress with intricate peony embroidery on the hem, which made her skin appear as white as snow when she held it up.

Tang Ziying chose a light purple one, while Han Xiaoqian opted for apricot yellow.

Shen Ci's gaze swept over the dresses and finally settled on a light green dress.

She went behind the screen to change, the silk feeling slightly cool to the touch, sliding down her skin.

When she finished dressing and stepped out from behind the screen, she looked in the mirror, tied up her long hair, and inserted a simple hairpin. She was completely stunned.

This dress gave her the illusion of returning to her previous life.

When they came out of the changing room after changing their clothes, several boys were still waiting outside.

Upon seeing Tang Ziying, Yin Kuo couldn't help but complain, "Why did it take so long? I was waiting to play cards. What are you dressed like? Are you going to perform in an opera?"

Xie Shuyun glared at him from behind, and was about to say that he had no taste when Shen Ci came out from inside.

Jiang Duo was leaning against a pillar, casually raising his eyes, but the moment he saw Shen Ci, his eyes suddenly darkened.

It turns out there really are people who can wear such classic and intricate dresses so beautifully.

Even Xie Shuheng, who had been standing silently to the side, froze slightly when he saw Shen Ci.

These days, he keeps having the same dream.

The woman in my dream is dressed in ancient clothes, sometimes painting at her desk, sometimes embroidering by the bedside.

When she got tired of embroidering, she would put down her needle and thread and gaze at the orchids by the window, lost in thought, for a long time.

In his dream, he could never see the woman's face clearly, as if he were looking through a layer of fog that could never be cleared.

I only vaguely felt that the outline was very familiar, so familiar that it made my heart ache.

But the moment Shen Ci stepped out in that green dress, the fog dissipated.

The woman in the dream finally had a face.