The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

Shen Ci's cheeks flushed instantly. She hurriedly pulled up her slipped pajamas, her fingertips trembling slightly as she buttoned up the collar one button at a time.

"I'll take care of the rest myself."

Jiang Duo did not insist further.

He shoved the ointment into her hand.

"You apply it first," he stood up, his voice a few decibels lower and hoarseer than before, "I'm going out... for some fresh air, I'll come back in a bit."

He stood up, his breathing was a little heavy, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

The door closed gently.

In the corridor, Jiang Duo leaned against the cold wall, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes.

He was relieved that he hadn't lost control.

Night deepened.

After reviewing the last document in the room, Jiang Duo glanced at his watch.

It's past midnight.

After taking a shower, he returned to bed wearing loose loungewear, his back gently leaning against the wall.

Separated by only a wall, Shen Ci should have been fast asleep long ago.

He was just about to lie down and rest when a very soft gasp came from next door.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.

Jiang Duo immediately threw off the covers and hurried to Shen Ci's door.

"long?"

He lowered his voice and called out softly.

There was no response from inside the door.

He then bent his fingers and tapped very lightly twice on the door.

It remained deathly silent.

Jiang Duo's hand covered the metal doorknob, and he gently pressed down—

The door was not locked.

He pushed open the door and, using the dim light filtering in from the corridor, quickly walked to the bedside.

Shen Ci lay flat on her back with her eyes tightly closed, her eyelashes trembling violently, and a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead.

She was trembling slightly, clearly trapped in a deep nightmare.

Jiang Duo's heart clenched suddenly.

He knelt on one knee at the edge of the bed, took her cold hand in his, gently stroking her palm with his fingertips, and softly called out:

"Youyou, wake up... Youyou..."

Shen Ci suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving violently.

She was breathing heavily, and it took her a long time before her gaze slowly focused on his face.

"...Jiang Duo?"

"it's me."

Jiang Duo got up and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out and helped her sit up, letting her lean against him. He gently patted her back with his warm palm to help her catch her breath.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Shen Ci nodded, her face extremely pale.

In her dream just now, Bai Yifeng's face and that fat businessman's face appeared alternately. They had disgusting smiles on their faces and relentlessly pursued her in the endless darkness, making it impossible for her to escape.

"Youyou, don't be afraid, I'm right here beside you."

Jiang Duo reached out and pulled the blanket over her, wrapping her in his arms and gently resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Yoyo, shall we go see a movie together?"

His voice was deep and calm, carrying a soothing power.

Shen Ci was stunned for a moment, her mind still a bit fuzzy, thinking he meant going to the movie theater.

She glanced out the window instinctively; it was pitch black. "Now? Isn't that too—"

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Duo had already gotten up and picked up a remote control from the bedside table.

He pressed a button, and a very faint mechanical sound came from the top of the wall directly opposite the head of the bed. A white curtain slowly fell down.

The film is a romance movie from many years ago, with a soft, warm yellow hue on the screen.

The male and female leads argue in the rain, then make up. The dialogue is slow, and the background music is like flowing water.

It's very soothing and hypnotic...

The next morning.

Shen Ci woke up groggily from her sleep.

Perhaps it was the effect of the movie last night, but she slept soundly until dawn without having any more nightmares.

But it seems she didn't make it to the end of the movie; she fell asleep without realizing it.

Shen Ci tried to sit up, but found that her waist was tightly restrained by a strong arm.

She paused for a moment, then turned her head—

She then realized that she was completely nestled in Jiang Duo's arms.

His chin rested on the top of her head, his breathing even and deep; he was clearly still fast asleep.

His pajamas were open at the collar, revealing a section of his collarbone, which rose and fell gently with his breathing.

Last night... they actually slept in the same bed.

Shen Ci's back straightened instantly.

She could clearly feel the warmth of his chest behind her, burning hot against her through two thin layers of clothing, making her ear tips tingle.

She stood stiffly, trying to get up.

But the arm around her waist seemed to have a mind of its own, tightening its grip the moment she moved slightly.

She was completely embedded in his burning chest, her back pressed against the curve of his waist and abdomen, and her legs were gently held in place by his bent knees, unable to move.

"..."

Shen Ci held her breath and dared not move again.

The morning light grew brighter, filtering through the gaps in the curtains and slowly moving across the blankets.

Shen Ci stared at the light, counting the rhythm of his heartbeat, one, two, three... Suddenly, the arm around his waist loosened for a moment.

Before she could even catch her breath, the hand slowly moved up her waistline, finally landing on her shoulder and gently pressing down, as if to confirm that she was still there.

Then he tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer, and nuzzled his chin against her head, finding a more comfortable position.

Shen Ci's ear tips turned completely red.

"Jiang Duo..." she said softly, her voice trembling at the end.

The person behind him paused for a moment.

Jiang Duo's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

A thin mist still lingered in his newly awakened eyes, his gaze somewhat unfocused, but it suddenly cleared the moment it focused on her profile.

"……long?"

His voice was hoarse with the peculiarity of early morning, and the fingers resting on her body unconsciously moved down an inch.

I touched something soft.

Shen Ci trembled all over, and her voice shook.

"Jiang Duo... loosen your grip for a moment."

Jiang Duo then realized just how intimate their posture was.

He almost immediately released his grip, carefully withdrawing his arm, and asked nervously, "Youyou, did I touch your wound?"

He clearly remembered that after Shen Ci fell asleep, he was afraid that she would still have nightmares, so he lay down next to her at a distance.

He originally planned to go back to his room after she fell asleep.

Unexpectedly... he eventually fell asleep.

Freed from restraint, Shen Ci sat up, the blanket slipping off her body.

She didn't look at him, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the blanket.

"I...I'm going to wash up."

"Um."

Jiang Duo's voice came from behind him, sounding even hoarser than before.

Shen Ci walked to the bathroom door, paused for a moment as if possessed, and turned around—

Jiang Duo was still sitting on the bed, the blanket piled up around his waist, his hair a little messy.

He was looking down at his hands, palms up, fingers slightly curled, as if savoring a certain tactile sensation.

Noticing her gaze, he looked up, and their eyes met.

The morning light fell perfectly on his face, softening his features, but his eyes were as deep as an unyielding pool of ink.

Shen Ci quickly looked away, opened the door, and fled inside.

The moment the bathroom door closed, she leaned against the door, panting heavily, her cheeks burning hot.