The antique girlfriend of a chaebol heir

When the ultimate physical beauty and the aloof and otherworldly soul are perfectly blended, the resulting visual impact and heart-stirring feeling are enough to make anyone fall for them.

Jiang Duo looked at her.

They were caught in a dilemma.

He wanted to hide her away, not wanting anyone to see her like this; yet he also wanted to take her out, to let everyone know that she was his…

The grand banquet hall was brightly lit and filled with elegantly dressed people.

Numerous well-dressed men and women were scattered throughout the spacious hall, some chatting quietly in twos and threes, others exchanging pleasantries while holding wine glasses, creating a lively and extravagant atmosphere.

When Shen Ci, arm in arm with Jiang Duo, slowly walked into the hall from the entrance, the originally noisy space seemed to be briefly silenced.

Almost everyone's gaze fell upon them, their eyes filled with curiosity, amazement, and a mixture of enigmatic scrutiny.

In the crowd, Xie Shuheng's gaze was instantly captured by that slender figure.

It took him a long time to finally manage to forcibly look away from Shen Ci.

He lowered his eyelashes and took a sip of red wine from his glass.

The rich liquor slid down my throat, but it couldn't suppress the sudden surge of bitterness in my heart.

He hadn't seen Shen Ci outside of school for a long time.

Since that hot spring party, Jiang Duo has been extremely protective of her.

He simply didn't have a proper opportunity to speak to her alone.

Inside the banquet hall, the guests' eyes frequently fell on Jiang Duo.

The reputation of the Jiang family's heir is legendary in the industry, and countless people are eager to find an opportunity to greet him and make an appearance.

After all, if they could establish a relationship with Jiang Duo, even if it was just to become acquainted with him and gain some opportunity to cooperate with the Jiang family, it would be entirely beneficial to their business.

But this young master Jiang was as cold as ice, with a layer of frost that never melted in his eyes. Anyone who approached him would only make a fool of themselves. So even though they were itching to talk to him, very few dared to actually go up and strike up a conversation.

But gradually, the astute guests noticed something was amiss—Young Master Jiang seemed much gentler than usual today.

Someone mustered up their courage, approached with a wine glass, and respectfully called out "Young Master Jiang." They expected to be met with a cold reception, but to their surprise, Jiang Duo slightly turned his head and nodded indifferently.

The man was flattered and quickly exchanged a few more pleasantries. Although Jiang Duo didn't talk much, he wasn't impatient and occasionally responded with a word or two, giving the man the illusion of being bathed in a spring breeze.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the hall, and gradually, more and more people gathered around.

"Young Master Jiang, your female companion tonight has a truly outstanding presence. From a distance, I thought she was some big star."

A middle-aged man smiled and offered a compliment, but his eyes held a hint of probing.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Duo's lips curved into a very faint smile.

The smile, though faint, softened his otherwise stern face.

He nodded slightly, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around him to hear clearly:

"Thank you. This is my girlfriend, Shen Ci."

He spoke the word "girlfriend" with remarkable naturalness, even with a hint of barely perceptible tenderness and pride.

The people around them exchanged a knowing glance.

Another person chimed in, praising, "Young Master Jiang is so lucky! Miss Shen is so beautiful; you two are a match made in heaven."

Jiang Duo's smile deepened, and he even took the initiative to clink glasses with the person who had praised Shen Ci.

Everyone present was shrewd, and after several rounds of probing, the guests gradually figured out what was going on.

The reason why this Jiang family heir, who is usually cold-hearted and indifferent to social interactions, is patiently standing here today, responding to these tedious compliments one by one—

It was clearly to give his girlfriend, who was beside him, a legitimate opportunity to gain exposure in this circle.

The melodious and cheerful sound of a symphony began.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xie Shuyun wearing an extremely luxurious haute couture gown, walking gracefully down the magnificent spiral staircase from the second floor.

When she reached the center of the banquet hall, a group of young men and women surrounded her, chattering and flattering her.

It took her quite a while to deal with those people, then she pushed through the crowd and walked straight to Shen Ci's side.

"Shuyun, happy birthday." Shen Ci spoke first, a soft smile curving her lips.

Xie Shuyun's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward to gently hug Shen Ci.

She rested her chin on Shen Ci's shoulder, her voice filled with undisguised intimacy: "Youyou, thank you for coming to my birthday party."

After saying that, she took a half step back, put her hands on Shen Ci's shoulders, looked him up and down, and exclaimed sincerely, "You look so beautiful today. Even I, a woman, am captivated."

Shen Ci felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, her ear tips turning slightly red, and she replied softly, "You are beautiful too."

Xie Shuyun immediately raised her chin and snorted smugly, "Of course."

Her charming yet confident demeanor made Shen Ci's lips curl into a smile.

Xie Shuyun took Shen Ci's arm, turned her head, her eyes slightly upturned, and looked at Jiang Duo with a mischievous smile:

"Would you mind if I borrowed your girlfriend for a while?"

"Go ahead." Jiang Duo raised his hand and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Shen Ci's ear, carefully instructing her:

"Don't drink too much. Call me if you need anything, and I'll come over anytime."

Shen Ci nodded. "Okay, I understand."

Xie Shuyun clicked her tongue and exaggeratedly shrugged her shoulders: "Alright, alright, we'll just be apart for a little while. Don't worry, Young Master Jiang, I'll definitely return your man to you unharmed, not a single hair will be missing."

Jiang Duo then looked up at Xie Shuyun, a cold smile curving his lips, and said indifferently, "That would be for the best."

Xie Shuyun rolled her eyes, tightened her grip on Shen Ci's arm, and turned to leave, muttering under her breath, "Youyou, look at him, still the same old him..."

After a while, Xie Shuyun, arm in arm with Shen Ci, skillfully moved through the elegantly dressed women's area, introducing her to several familiar young ladies and socialites.

"This is the second young lady of the Qin family. She loves collecting antiques and calligraphy and paintings. You two must have something in common."

"This is Mrs. Zhou; and this is the youngest daughter of the Qian family, who just returned from England..."

Shen Ci nodded in greeting, a perfectly timed smile playing on her lips, neither humble nor arrogant, gentle yet confident.

Xie Shuyun watched from the side, her eyes full of smiles.

Although she was young, as a princess of the Xie family who was carefully raised, she had an extremely accurate eye for people.

The way Jiang Duo looked at Shen Ci during this time, that deep-seated favoritism, was definitely not just a fling.

He was clearly treating Shen Ci as his fiancée with great seriousness.

Since Jiang Duo is so keen to cherish Shen Ci, she, as a friend, naturally wants to pave a more solid path for Shen Ci.

Youyou will eventually have to step into this circle and deal with these interpersonal relationships and undercurrents.

Rather than leaving her in a passive position later, it's better to introduce her to more people and pave more paths for her now.

Just as Xie Shuyun was enthusiastically pulling Shen Ci along, preparing to introduce her to a few familiar elders, a tall figure suddenly walked over from not far away.

"Shuyun, your mother is looking for you in the inner hall. She says it's urgent."

Xie Shuheng stopped in front of the two of them, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Shen Ci, and spoke in a flat tone.

Upon hearing this, Xie Shuyun frowned slightly, turned to look at Shen Ci, and said with a hint of apology, "Youyou, wait for me here for a moment, I'll be right back."

"Okay, go ahead." Shen Ci nodded with a smile.

Only after Xie Shuyun's figure completely disappeared around the corner did Xie Shuheng step forward, his deep gaze fixed on Shen Ci, his voice low and tinged with barely perceptible tension:

"Can we talk privately?"

Shen Ci's smile vanished instantly. She took a half-step back, preparing to find an excuse to refuse him outright, when she saw Xie Shuheng take out his phone and hold the screen up to her face.

The screen displays a photograph of an ancient painting.

A painting of orchids.

Shen Ci's gaze fell casually on the screen, but the moment she saw the painting clearly, a storm suddenly surged in her originally calm eyes.

The brushstrokes, the ink washes, and even the barely noticeable hand-painted seal in the corner of the painting all exuded a sense of familiarity that only she knew.

Xie Shuheng took in her reaction.

He slowly put his phone away, his gaze fixed intently on her face, and the long-standing suspicion in his heart finally came to an end at this moment.

He spoke again, his voice low and firm, with an almost coaxing seriousness:

"Now, can we talk alone?"