“Young lady, you are truly beautiful. Wearing this outfit makes you look absolutely stunning.”
Aunt Zhao clicked her tongue in admiration.
Jiang Chen felt her cheeks warm from Aunt Zhao’s praise.
She stole a glance at the large floor-length mirror. The white mohair sweater felt soft to the touch, paired with a blue plaid skirt. Her long hair had been gathered up by Aunt Zhao into a neat bun, making her look sweet and demure.
“This outfit… must be quite expensive, right?”
She asked cautiously.
Although she had never worn expensive clothes before, the soft texture and fine stitching were clearly a world apart from the cheap garments she had worn previously.
Aunt Zhao scratched her head. “The master has high standards and good taste. Whatever he chooses is naturally the best.”
With that, she winked mysteriously at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen immediately understood, her cheeks flushing bright red.
That day, Jiang Chen felt quite comfortable.
The house was spacious. She and Aunt Zhao watered the flowers, harvested vegetables, and played with the cats and… the goose?!
“Why is there a goose?” Jiang Chen asked in surprise.
Aunt Zhao looked a bit embarrassed. “The master was unwell for a while, and I heard that goose meat stewed with snow clams can clear the lungs and replenish qi, so I bought it. Unexpectedly, this little fellow seems quite intelligent—it follows me everywhere and even helps chase away mosquitoes.”
“So, I felt this goose seemed almost human-like and asked the master for permission to keep it.”
Aunt Zhao giggled as she picked up the big white goose. “Its name is Zhao Fugui. I chose the name. What do you think? Not bad, right?”
“Zhao Fugui?” Jiang Chen was both amused and exasperated by Aunt Zhao.
“That’s right. I’m raising it like my own son now.” Aunt Zhao patted the goose’s wing. Strangely enough, the goose lowered its head and gently nudged Aunt Zhao’s arm with its beak, as if responding to her words.
Night fell, and Lu Jin still hadn’t returned.
Jiang Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
She tiptoed into the study like a thief.
Since childhood, she had loved reading.
But Chen Shuping was never willing to spend money on books for her. Growing up, she could only muster the courage to read books for free at bookstores or run errands for classmates in exchange for reading opportunities.
Gazing at the entire bookshelf filled with books, Jiang Chen’s eyes sparkled.
She inadvertently noticed her favorite book, The Roran Conjecture, on the top shelf.
Since Lu Jin hadn’t returned yet, it should be… fine if she secretly took a look at his book, right?
No sooner said than done.
She fetched a ladder and climbed up.
Carefully opening the glass cabinet, she slowly pulled out the book.
“You enjoy reading?”
A cool male voice sounded behind her.
Jiang Chen was startled.
Oh no, he caught her.
“No, I was just casually looking… you…” She turned around in a fluster, wanting to explain to the man. Unexpectedly, her foot slipped, and she instantly lost her balance.
She let out a gasp and closed her eyes in fright.
However, the expected pain never came. Instead, she fell into a firm embrace.
The man always carried a faint scent—cool, like a pine tree in the snow.
“Are you alright?”
He asked coldly.
“I… I’m fine. I’m okay, thank you.” Jiang Chen was so nervous she stumbled over her words. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take your book.”
Jiang Chen felt extremely embarrassed and instinctively tried to break free from the man’s embrace.
Lu Jin’s eyes flickered, and the arm around her waist tightened subtly.
Jiang Chen winced slightly in pain, immediately understanding the man’s meaning and instantly falling silent.
His large hand slowly wandered along her spine, finally coming to rest at her jaw.
Two fingers pinched her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Their eyes locked.
Jiang Chen looked at the man before her. He was still wearing his trench coat, having just entered the room. At this moment, his dark, indifferent eyes were filled with her timid reflection.
He spoke softly,
“I like how you’re dressed.”
Lu Jin’s praise was direct and straightforward, causing Jiang Chen’s face to flush bright red.
“Thank you…”
The man said nothing more, simply lifting the girl onto his lap and sitting down on the nearby sofa.
“Do you like reading?” he asked again.
“Yes,” Jiang Chen nodded honestly.
“Do the clothes fit?”
“Yes,” she nodded honestly once more.
Lu Jin curved his lips, pulling the girl even closer. “What about the clothes inside… do they fit too?”
After last night, Jiang Chen immediately understood the deeper meaning behind his words.
Her cheeks burned hot, the flush spreading all the way to her neck and back.
“How… how did you know my… my size?” she stammered, her face crimson, her voice as soft as a kitten’s meow.
Lu Jin lowered his head until their noses nearly touched.
“After touching you for so long last night, I naturally remembered.”
“You!!”
Meeting the man’s teasing gaze, Jiang Chen felt both embarrassed and angry. How could he say such shameless things so calmly?!
“You’re just a scoun… mmm…”
The sudden kiss caught Jiang Chen off guard.
Just as she tried to struggle and throw a punch, Lu Jin pulled her tightly into his embrace.
His large hand gripping her chin, she had nowhere to retreat, forced to tilt her head back and submit to his unrestrained invasion.
What a lingering, passionate kiss.
Jiang Chen felt her body growing weaker and weaker, the air nearly drained from her lungs. Finally, just as she was about to suffocate, Lu Jin ‘released’ her.
“Huff… huff…”
Her face flushed deep red, her entire body limp as she leaned against the man’s chest.
“Consider it a return gift,” Lu Jin said, clearly not yet satisfied. He touched the corner of his lips, smiling boldly.
“Wh… what return gift?” she gasped, still struggling to catch her breath.
“Forgot already? I said today I’d give you a gift.” Lu Jin seemed to be in a very good mood.
He handed over a tightly wrapped gift box.
“Open it.”
Jiang Chen unwrapped the box and instantly widened her eyes. “An admission letter?! This is fake… isn’t it?!”
“Look at the rest,” Lu Jin said, clearly very pleased with her reaction.
“My documents!!” Jiang Chen could hardly believe her eyes. “They’re all here.”
All her documents, including the admission letter, were intact and neatly arranged in the box. The only difference was that every name had been changed to Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen cradled these ‘treasures’ in her arms, turning them over and over, murmuring softly to herself, “Are these… real?”
She looked up anxiously at the tall man before her. “Who… who are you? How could you… do all this?”
Lu Jin curved his lips into a playful smile.
He slowly knelt down, gently pinching the girl’s soft cheek.
“Remember, I gave you this new identity. From now on, you belong only to me. Understand?”