Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

On the tenth day of May, the sky is clear and the air is fresh.

The sun sets in the west, the setting sun melts into gold, and dyes the sky a gorgeous crimson purple.

As dusk fell and the lights came on, the Lin Mansion, which had always been quiet and isolated from the world, was now bustling with activity.

In front of the cast iron carved gate of the mansion, there was a bustling crowd of people and a constant stream of cars. Distinguished figures from all walks of life in Shanghai came one after another, and a long line of cars of all kinds lined up in front of the gate.

The mansion was brightly lit, with an interweaving of light and shadow. The melodious music was accompanied by the faint sounds of laughter and the clinking of cups. In the warm evening breeze, a bustling scene of elegantly dressed people and a gathering of dignitaries emerged.

The reason why these prominent figures from all walks of life in Shanghai gathered here was because tonight was the eighteenth birthday of Miss Lin, the darling of Commander Lin, who was in charge of the entire Shanghai Military Region.

In the main building's lobby, where the lights were brightest, Commander Lin, who was always serious, was greeting guests with his wife.

Today, Commander Lin finally changed out of his crisp military uniform, which he seemed to have never taken off in front of outsiders. He wore a brand new long gown and jacket in the color of Tuanhefu, and held a shiny ebony stick in his hand. He was calm and his brows were relaxed. He was completely different from his usual cold and stern appearance that kept strangers away.

Mrs. Lin, who was accompanying him, was also wearing a brocade cheongsam of the same color as Commander Lin's robe. Her hair was tied up in a high bun, and a pair of emerald headpieces hung between her ears, so green that it seemed as if water could drip out of them. She was truly graceful and elegant, with extraordinary demeanor.

Perhaps it was really because people are in high spirits when they are happy. The couple's eyes and eyebrows were filled with joy and brilliance from the bottom of their hearts, making them look several years younger than usual.

The protagonist, the birthday girl, Miss Lin, had not come out yet, so the well-dressed guests naturally gathered around Commander Lin and his wife, complimenting them, greeting them, talking and laughing, and gossiping.

"The Lin Mansion is really bustling tonight. I'm afraid most of the people in Shanghai are here."

A burly middle-aged man in a black Mao suit looked up at the bustling hall, then turned to Commander Lin and sighed.

"That's right. When I came in just now, there were few familiar faces. Yet everyone kept saying 'I've heard so much about you'. I don't know what they were admiring." Before Commander Lin could say anything, a bearded man next to him spoke up first.

"Your Yanlin is a capable man beside the committee member and is very popular now. Of course they have to flatter you." Commander Lin smiled and shook his head.

"What's so hot about him? He's giving up the kingdom his father built for him and running so far away to work like a slave for others." The man in the Zhongshan suit curled his lips, then sighed and looked at Commander Lin with eyes full of envy. "It's better to have a daughter. She's considerate, unlike that brat who wants to go out as soon as he grows up... huh?"

He was talking to himself when he suddenly felt someone poking his arm. He stopped talking and looked at the bearded man next to him with some confusion.

Seeing that he hadn't reacted yet, the bearded man couldn't help but give him a look and shook his head slightly, signaling him not to speak anymore.

The man in the Zhongshan suit frowned in confusion and glanced at Commander Lin's expression out of the corner of his eye. He saw that the faint smile on his face faded, and a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. He couldn't help but be slightly startled.

He turned to look at Mrs. Lin next to him, and saw that the expression on her face was exactly the same as Commander Lin's. A light bulb went off in his head, and he finally realized that he had said the wrong thing, which had brought back the grief of Commander Lin and his wife for losing their son. He hurriedly tried to explain with some regret, "Commander, I'm not that..."

Seeing this, the bearded man immediately changed the subject and looked at Mrs. Lin beside him and asked, "Sister-in-law, why is Xixi not here yet? Today is her big day."

He stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Last time I saw her, she was still a little girl who loved to pull my beard. In the blink of an eye, she has grown into a big girl."

Mrs. Lin's expression brightened slightly when she heard this. She curled her lips and revealed a somewhat helpless smile, "She's upstairs getting dressed. She'll be down soon."

As she spoke, she turned to her husband and whispered, "Lao Lin, go and urge Xixi to come. Everyone is waiting for her."

"It's a girl's big day, so she should dress up nicely. You and the Commander shouldn't worry about it." A lady beside her smiled and took Mrs. Lin's arm. "It's already this late, why haven't the Xu family arrived yet?"

Mrs. Lin's attention was diverted by her, and she followed her gaze and scanned the hall. As expected, she did not see any members of the Xu family, and she couldn't help but frowned in displeasure.

What's going on with the Xu family? When the two families met a few days ago to discuss the details of announcing the engagement at the birthday party, Yucheng's face looked off and he was hesitant.

At that time, she just thought that he had just returned from France and had been drifting on the sea for more than half a month and had not yet recovered. Besides, Xixi was rarely in a good mood, so she didn't say anything more.

But today is such an important day, and not only did the Xu family not come early to help greet the guests, but even now it's still late and there's still no one to be seen. Could it be that they really don't plan to get married?

Mrs. Lin realized what she was thinking and shook her head quickly, throwing this ridiculous idea out of her mind, and couldn't help but complain in her heart.

It was all because her daughter had been saying things like "breaking off the engagement" and "whether to get married or not" all the time recently, which made her start to have all kinds of wild thoughts.

Given the status of her Lin family in Shanghai, if Xixi hadn't fallen for Xu Yucheng and was desperate for him, how could this child marriage have fallen into the hands of the Xu family?

If they hadn't wanted to keep their daughter at home for a few more years, the Xu family would have been eager to welcome Xixi into the family with fanfare. How could they have ever thought of canceling the marriage?

Thinking this in her heart, Mrs. Lin's expression couldn't help but relax a little, "Maybe it's stuck in traffic."

As she spoke, she smiled and turned to the maid behind her, instructing, "Go outside to greet Madam Xu and the others. The house is a bit messy today, so make sure they don't get lost."

The maid answered yes and turned to leave, but at this moment, the lights in the entire hall suddenly dimmed. Everyone in the hall screamed in surprise and subconsciously looked towards the staircase, the only place where the light was still on.

clatter! clatter! clatter!

The crisp and rhythmic sound of high heels came from the top of the stairs shrouded in a halo of light, knocking slowly and steadily in the silent hall and on everyone's heart.

A pair of silver shoes inlaid with tiny crystals stepped into the circle of light first, and then a slender and graceful figure slowly emerged from the darkness, step by step, until it was completely bathed in light.

In the spotlight, Lin Xi was wearing a striking bright red soft satin cheongsam. A golden phoenix with flapping wings was embraced by a peony embroidered with gold thread, and it exuded a warm luster under the light.

An exquisite white beaded shawl hung naturally from her arms, and the round pearls sparkled softly, perfectly balancing the richness of the cheongsam and making her skin look whiter than snow, brighter and more beautiful than ever.

She raised her chin slightly, and the lines of her neck were smooth and reserved, like an elegant swan.

Facing the burning gazes of the whole room, there was no trace of timidity on her face. Her steps were calm and steady, and her posture was natural and relaxed, as if this center of attention was where she belonged.

You could hear a pin drop in the hall, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the slowly moving red figure, watching her walk down the stairs as if leisurely strolling in the garden, each step taken in silent amazement.

It was not until she walked steadily between Commander Lin and his wife, put her arms around their arms affectionately, and called out "Dad, Mom" with a hint of coquettishness that the stagnant air in the hall seemed to thaw instantly and was replaced by a low, amazed discussion.

The lights came back on.

Lin Xi had a decent and calm smile on her face, calmly accepting the gazes from all directions.

However, her gaze quietly passed over the crowd in front of her and fell accurately on the gate - there, Xu Yucheng was hurriedly walking in with the Xu family.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment, and she suddenly curled the corners of her lips, with a meaningful glimmer in her eyes.

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small theater

Shop Assistant: Ms. Lin, your things are ready. Do you need to pack them?

Xixi: No need, I’ve already installed it (?????????????)*??*