The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

"Uncle, I hope you can give this hairpin to the right person, instead of just giving it to a junior like this."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Ci took a half step back, clasped her hands together in front of her, and bowed slightly to Lin Ruochen.

She was impeccably dignified, and equally impeccably aloof.

"Professor Lin," she straightened up and looked up at him, changing her form of address, her eyes filled with a clear and open expression.

Thank you for your care and help with my studies this semester. I will live up to your and my family's expectations.

She paused, a slight smile curving her lips, her voice clear and crisp, "I will take every course in university seriously, and even if I don't achieve academic success in the future, I will have no regrets."

After saying that, she didn't give Lin Ruochen any more chance to speak. She turned around and walked out of the study, gently closing the door behind her.

With a soft "click," the study fell into a deathly silence once more.

Lin Ruochen remained in the same posture, still holding the hairpin in her hand, the coolness of the jade seeping into her palm.

He listened to the footsteps fading away outside the door until they completely disappeared at the end of the corridor before slowly lowering his head.

He looked at the hairpin in his hand, then suddenly chuckled softly and shook his head.

This young girl is truly meticulous.

Using academic studies as a shield and the expectations of elders as a cover, she shut down the slightest hint of ambiguity and probing he had just tried to break through with just a few words, leaving him no chance at all.

He raised his hand, his fingertips tracing the delicate and lingering lotus pattern embroidered on the hairpin shaft. The pattern was just like the thoughts he couldn't express at that moment.

The emotions in his eyes flickered in the dim light, eventually settling into a faint, self-deprecating smile.

Lin Ruochen put the hairpin back into the brocade box, turned around, and then stood by the window, gazing absently at the flickering fireworks outside.

He can wait.

Young love is always passionate and unreserved, but it is also the easiest to dissipate. Like the fireworks outside the window, no matter how brilliant they are, they are only a fleeting moment and will eventually fade into silence.

He didn't believe Shen Ci and Jiang Duo could make it to the end.

The Jiang family is one of the top financial groups in Beijing.

Jiang Duo is also the sole heir of the Jiang family.

Such a family home would be an unattainable luxury for some women, but for Shen Ci, it might very well become a magnificent cage in the future.

He was not surprised that Jiang Duo would like Shen Ci, just like himself—disregarding worldly norms and ethics, only wanting to keep her by his side.

Shen Ci's talent constantly challenges his understanding and always brings him surprises.

Her future should be about soaring in the vast sky, not about becoming a wealthy socialite and wasting all her talent in social gatherings.

Once she hits a wall and sees reality clearly, she will realize that she and Jiang Duo are really not suitable for each other.

All the "incompatibility" in the world is simply because she hasn't met the truly "suitable" person yet.

And he was willing to be the "suitable" person.

Even if it takes a long time to wait.

He was happy to do it...

As Shen Ci pushed open the door to the warm living room, the Spring Festival Gala host's enthusiastic countdown began playing on the television.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

Outside the window, dazzling fireworks cascaded down like a waterfall, illuminating the night sky as bright as day.

With deafening firecrackers, the new year arrived in a grand and spectacular manner.

Shen Ci and Lin Jin were given several thick red envelopes by their elders.

Just then, Lin Ruochen walked in from outside, his expression returning to its usual cool and gentle demeanor.

He walked up to Shen Ci and handed her a heavy red envelope.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Shen Ci raised her head, her gaze obedient and open, as if nothing had happened in the study.

Lin Ruochen looked at her, his eyes slightly darkening, and simply gave a faint "hmm".

Late at night.

This was the first time Shen Ci had stayed overnight at the Lin family's old house.

Lin Ruojin, carrying a small lamp, led her through the corridor to the room that Old Madam Lin had prepared for her long ago.

The room was covered with thick carpets, and an old-fashioned pear wood bed stood quietly by the window, exuding a faint woody fragrance that had accumulated over the years.

After washing up, Shen Ci turned off the light and sank into the soft bedding.

The surroundings quieted down, with only the occasional sound of firecrackers coming from outside the window.

Just then, the phone next to my pillow vibrated slightly.

She picked it up and saw Jiang Duo's video call invitation flashing on the screen.

Shen Ci pressed the answer button, and the screen light instantly illuminated her fair face.

Jiang Duo appeared on the screen, wearing a loose white shirt with the collar slightly open.

Under the light, his angular face had a thin blush than usual, and even the corners of his eyes revealed a hint of languid intoxication.

"Youyou, are you going to sleep?"

His voice was a little hoarse, as if it had been gently sanded, with an indescribable sexiness.

Shen Ci gave a soft "Mmm".

She looked closely at the screen and couldn't help but ask, "Have you been drinking?"

"I had some drinks with the elders."

Jiang Duo leaned slightly closer to the camera, his beautiful eyes staring straight at her, his gaze so intense it seemed to melt her.

His gaze swept around behind Shen Ci, landing on the carved pear wood bed frame and the antique window railings. He frowned slightly: "You're not home?"

"Today is New Year's Eve, and I'm staying overnight at the Lin family's old house," Shen Ci explained softly.

Jiang Duo, after drinking, was clearly more difficult to deal with than usual.

He was like a big boy begging for candy, constantly pleading with her in the video call that he wanted to see her, chatting on and on for ages without wanting to hang up.

Shen Ci smiled helplessly, decided to ignore him, sat up, and began to sort through the red envelopes given to her by the elders by the dim light of her phone screen.

She carefully squeezed the red envelope Lin Ruochen had given her, her fingertips rubbing against the paper.

Fortunately, there was only a thick wad of cash inside, nothing else.

She secretly breathed a sigh of relief and neatly folded the red envelopes on the bedside table.

Watching her carefully sort through the red envelopes on the other end of the video, Jiang Duo couldn't help but chuckle softly, his voice full of doting affection: "My Youyou, you're such a little rich girl."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Ci's phone vibrated.

WeChat transfer notification—Jiang Duo transferred 200,000 yuan to her.

Shen Ci: "..."

Jiang Duo's frustrated voice came from the other end, muffled, with a heavy nasal tone and a hint of drunkenness:

Why are there limits on WeChat transfers?

Shen Ci was startled and quickly returned the money to the drunkard across the street.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a low voice, her tone tinged with helplessness.

The man on the screen looked at the money she returned, not annoyed, but gazing at her with eyes so tender they could melt.

"Youyou," he said softly, his voice traveling steadily through the electricity into her ears, "Happy New Year."