A Beijing socialite stole my boyfriend; she went crazy after I got married.

"Try it. This cheese tart is a family recipe passed down through generations. You can't find it anywhere else."

Aunt Wang warmly handed chopsticks to Jiang Chu and then served two bowls of thick eight-treasure porridge. The red beans and glutinous rice were simmered until very soft, and the red dates were plump, making it look incredibly appetizing.

Jiang Chu thanked him, picked up a piece of baked bun, and took a bite.

With a crispy crack, the outer crust crumbles, while the cheese filling inside has just the right amount of saltiness and richness.

The milky aroma bursts on the tongue, warm and comforting, instantly dispelling the chill.

"tasty!"

Jiang Chu's eyes lit up.

"Then eat more!" Aunt Wang smiled at her, then turned to Xie Jing, "When the young master first came to our family, he also liked to eat these..."

Jiang Chu couldn't help but show curiosity.

Seeing that she wanted to listen, Aunt Wang couldn't help but tell her about the past.

The Xie family patriarch used to have a light palate, so the meals were rather bland. When Xie Jing first arrived, he couldn't get used to it and felt there wasn't enough meat and the carbohydrates were tasteless.

Aunt Wang sighed, "Back then, the young master's Mandarin wasn't very good. He stared longingly at the empty plate, and the eldest son couldn't stand it. He said his younger brother was growing and should be given more meat, so he asked us to make another plate and bring it over. The old man slammed his chopsticks down at the table, saying we couldn't spoil him, and he brought up all sorts of 'self-discipline and propriety.' The eldest son got angry too, saying he'd brought the child all the way back, and he couldn't even get enough to eat. He said, 'Are you short of a few dollars? Otherwise, I'll pay.' The old man said, 'There's so much left over, who can blame him if he doesn't eat it? Why does he insist on eating meat? Isn't all your money mine anyway?' And that's how the father and son started arguing."

Jiang Chu: "..."

Jiang Chu looked at her boyfriend in shock, "You were still holding back in your description of your father."

Xie Jing shook his head. "There are far more outrageous reasons for arguing than this, I'm too lazy to even mention them."

Jiang Chu sighed, "I'm increasingly glad I don't know him."

Aunt Wang watched the young couple talking, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "Young master, do you still remember what happened back then?"

Xie Jing sighed, "I remember this. The two of them kept repeating the same few sentences."

Aunt Wang shook her head. "The eldest young master and the old master have argued about this several times, and we remember it all."

She paused, then looked at Jiang Chu, her tone becoming slightly mischievous, "Later, one afternoon, the young master came to the kitchen with several hundred-yuan bills in his pocket. He told us that he hoped we would cook more meat for him in the future, and that if he didn't have enough money, he would call his mother to ask for more."

Jiang Chu was somewhat surprised and turned to look at Xie Jing: "Did your mother give you money?"

"Yes," Xie Jing explained in a low voice, "Before coming here, my mother exchanged some cash. She always felt that her child should carry some money when going out, but it wasn't a lot..."

After all, even private jets need to declare large amounts of cash to customs.

For someone like Sigrid, the fact that the Xie family is wealthy is one thing, but whether she wants to give money to her children is another.

Jiang Chu thought about that scene and couldn't help but chuckle. "Pfft, it's so cute how that kid was, talking so seriously back then!"

Aunt Wang laughed too, "That's right, the young master was so serious back then. He wasn't even as tall as the stove, but he was giving out money with a very serious face, like a little adult. I put it back to him and told him that he didn't need it and that he could come to us if he got hungry."

She paused for a moment, then added, "But you know what, this trick actually works!"

Grandpa Xie eventually found out about this, and was furious. He finally added meat to the table.

Jiang Chu: "...He just felt embarrassed, like it would be too shameful for you to ask Sigrid for money, right?"

Xie Jing gave her a thumbs up.

Jiang Chu: "..."

Jiang Chu: "No way, just how handsome was your dad back then? How could your mom have fallen for him?"

Xie Jing sighed helplessly, "I'll show you photos from over thirty years ago. I think they were just like that. Maybe my mom has her own ideas. Besides, he's not the same person in front of me as he is in front of my mom."

Jiang Chu continued listening to Aunt Wang's story while eating.

"Then he started elementary school," Aunt Wang sighed with heartache. "Back then, the old man hired several tutors and teachers, putting him through the wringer every day. The young master was exhausted by the end of the day, going to school during the day and having classes at night. So he ate a lot every day, but because of the high energy expenditure, he remained thin for those years. He only grew taller, but his face was all thin. Sigh, look at him now, busy with company matters all day, and he's still so thin..."

"Hahaha," Jiang Chu teased her boyfriend, "If Aunt Wang's standard is the amount of body fat—"

She heard that people who like to work out often don't like being told they're thin.

Jiang Chu: "Well, you do seem quite thin, lol."

Xie Jing raised an eyebrow. "Your weight is a fraction of mine."

Jiang Chu rolled her eyes at him. "How much taller are you than me? Your bones are much heavier than mine, okay?"

"Oh dear, you too," Aunt Wang quickly gave her two more flatbreads. "Miss Jiang, you should eat more. Look at you, you're even thinner than him!"

Xie Jing casually cast a subtle glance at him.

Jiang Chu: "..."

After finishing that bowl of piping hot, thick eight-treasure porridge and the crispy cheese flatbread, she felt warm all over and couldn't wait to do some exercise.

The chill from the cold wind blowing in the yard was completely dispelled.

Xie Jing exchanged a few words with Aunt Wang, then led Jiang Chu out of the side room and back to a large flower hall next to the main hall.

The underfloor heating here is excellent; as soon as you enter, the crisp, dry winter air is instantly replaced by the warm scent of wood.

His phone vibrated.

Xie Jing took it out and glanced at it. "I'm going to take this call."

Jiang Chu nodded.

It's quite remarkable that they've been shopping together for so long without being interrupted by work.

Xie Jing took a couple of steps away with his phone in his hand.

"explain."

The man's voice rang out in the quiet flower hall, the previous relaxation gone, replaced by its usual deep and cold tone.

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to be reporting an extremely urgent international business matter.

"Have the legal department go directly through the Ministry of Commerce. Yes, not through local intermediaries. Eight percent? Tell them I'm not doing charity; 5.5% is my bottom line. If they don't agree, spread the word that Tianyu is preparing to contact them..."

Xie Jing took two more steps away as he spoke.

"...Keep an eye on it...Keep the draft shallow, and don't let the closing price pull up too badly. I need to see that hedging report before the market opens next Monday."

Jiang Chu was also pacing around in the flower hall.

She stopped in front of a carved mahogany display cabinet and examined the items displayed on it.

In the most prominent position at the top, there is a bronze incense burner from the Xuande period.

It is an old artifact left over from the dynasty before that. The shape is stable and square, and the patina has an extremely warm chestnut color. The bridge handles on both sides have smooth lines.

The incense burner is no longer used for burning incense, but because of its age, there is a faint fragrance of sandalwood permeating the bronze.

Next to the incense burner are a pair of large blue-and-white porcelain plates from the previous dynasty.

The plate is decorated with a scene from a traditional Chinese opera. The characters' faces are extremely lifelike, and the lines of their clothing are neat and crisp. The unique emerald blue color is exceptionally striking under the warm light, and the glaze is as bright as autumn water.

Looking further down, on the table sits an old Duan inkstone, purplish-blue in color, with flowing clouds and flying cranes carved on its surface. The craftsmanship is extremely fine, and there are even a few very faint traces of ink remaining on it.

Jiang Chu had taken some art appreciation courses, and she couldn't help but be amazed by what she saw.

If these items are genuine... any one of them, if placed in a Sotheby's or Christie's spring auction, would likely fetch a dizzying number of bidders.

She couldn't help but move closer and was shocked to find that these items, which could be considered national treasures, were displayed nakedly on the mahogany shelves without any dust covers or glass cases.

Even the rosewood carved armchair on the table had such a shiny patina on its armrests that it was clearly a regular seat and a frequently used chair.

This isn't just an old house; it's practically a living, breathing private museum.

The owners seemed to completely disregard these priceless treasures, treating them like ordinary pots and pans, casually tossing them outside to collect dust.

"...Let's do it this way."

Xie Jing put away his phone, turned around, and saw Jiang Chu staring blankly at the Xuande incense burner, her beautiful watery eyes filled with shock.

He strode over, his long legs carrying him. "Like this? Want to move it to your room?"

Jiang Chu: "?"