Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Xu Yucheng originally thought that if he proposed to cancel the engagement, Lin Xi would definitely oppose it fiercely and even make a big fuss.

After all, with her proud and stubborn personality, if she knew that he had always disagreed with this marriage and had never liked her, she would be so ashamed and angry that she would make a big fuss and would explode in any way.

He had already prepared himself mentally. As long as he could get rid of this marriage that was not his own choice but was forced upon him, he would accept it and endure it even if Lin Xi beat him, scolded him, and humiliated him with the most unpleasant words.

But the development of the matter was far beyond his expectations. Or rather, it went so smoothly that even he was a little surprised.

Instead of making a fuss, Lin Xi...showed a heartbroken expression.

Those eyes that were always proud and bright lost their luster in an instant, leaving only broken confusion and hot tears.

Especially when thinking of her last gentle hug, although it was just a touch and then gone, Xu Yucheng could feel her slightly cool body temperature and the uncontrollable trembling of her body due to sadness.

Xu Yucheng subconsciously clenched the small velvet box in his hand. A strange feeling of pity and heavy guilt quietly grew in his heart.

But this faint emotion was like a candle in the wind, flickering for only a moment before quickly going out.

Whenever he thought about breaking free from his shackles and running towards the freedom he had longed for, and thought of the slender figure that occasionally flashed through his mind, the pity and guilt that had just emerged in his heart were immediately washed away by an irrepressible sense of relief and joy, as if they had never existed.

Thinking of this, as if to completely get rid of the last bit of shackles, Xu Yucheng lowered his eyes and looked at the small box in his palm.

The fingers that were originally clenched suddenly loosened, as if discarding something ominous. Xu Yucheng threw the box in his hand casually, and it drew a short arc in the air, and fell lightly into the depths of the dense holly bushes next to him, and was swallowed up by the night in a blink of an eye.

In the hall, the crystal chandeliers cast a bright and soft light, illuminating the elegant figures in their clothes.

In the reception room, the elders from the Lin and Xu families were chatting.

"Is Yucheng's teacher settled now?" Commander Lin put down the wine glass in his hand, his calm face showing no emotion.

Mr. Xu glanced at Commander Lin's expression calmly, knowing that he was unhappy with his late arrival and was bringing up the old matter again to take the opportunity to criticize him. His heart tightened involuntarily, and he hurriedly explained with a smile on his face.

"Everything has been settled in. We've sent someone to take care of him. News just came back that he's almost recovered."

"That's good." Commander Lin nodded and glanced at him calmly. "Yucheng has returned from France this time, and his knowledge and horizons have broadened considerably. However, when it comes to dealing with people... he still needs to learn more from you, his father. He needs to know his priorities."

There was no expression on his face when he said this, but when Mr. Xu heard it, he was startled and immediately became extremely alert.

"The Commander is right." Master Xu subconsciously bowed and said solemnly, "This child is young and inevitably has incomplete thoughts. I have already taught him a lesson and made sure to remember the Commander's teachings."

Seeing that he understood what he meant, Commander Lin said "hmm" lightly and stopped talking. The atmosphere fell into stagnation for a moment.

Seeing this, Mrs. Lin put down her teacup, patted Commander Lin, and smiled to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, this isn't your barracks. Don't act like you're lecturing me. Yucheng was a little inconsiderate, but ultimately, it's all out of his sincere respect for his teachers and his deep loyalty to his friends. Such qualities are truly precious."

Mrs. Xu, standing nearby, quickly chimed in, her tone appropriately affectionate, "That's right! Yucheng is thinking about Xixi the most. Knowing it was Xixi's birthday, he painstakingly prepared a gift long ago, hoping to make her smile tonight!"

Hearing this, Commander Lin's tense expression finally relaxed a little.

Mrs. Lin saw this and glanced at the crowd, then changed the subject at the right moment. "By the way, didn't Xixi say she was going to talk to Yucheng? Why haven't they returned yet?"

She turned to the maidservant standing beside her and instructed, "Go to the garden and look for the young lady. Tell them that everyone is waiting here, so that they won't be delayed."

The maid replied "yes" and quietly retreated.

Seeing this, Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu exchanged a subtle glance, their hearts finally settling, and the atmosphere in the hall lightened slightly. The two families were just resuming their conversation, discussing the date and guest list for the formal wedding banquet later that night, when there were two sudden knocks on the door.

Mrs. Xu's face lit up immediately, and she subconsciously straightened her sleeves. She stood up and said with a smile, "Xixi and Yucheng must be back. Let's go out together and don't keep the children waiting."

Everyone responded and stood up to leave.

However, when the door was opened, only Xu Yucheng walked in.

"Hmm? Yucheng," Mrs. Xu's smile froze for a moment. She looked behind her son, but couldn't see Lin Xi. She asked in confusion, "Why are you alone? Where's Xixi?"

Xu Yucheng was originally still immersed in the afterglow of finally gaining freedom and his anticipation for the future, but when he opened the door and was met with a room full of festive, expectant, and inquiring gazes, his originally heated mind suddenly calmed down.

"She..." His Adam's apple rolled, and he took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady. "Xixi...she suddenly felt a little unwell, and said she was going back to her room to rest."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Mrs. Lin was the first to react. The warm smile on her face was instantly replaced by worry. She frowned and spoke anxiously, "What's going on? You were fine just now!"

As she spoke, she moved automatically towards the door, obviously wanting to check on her daughter immediately.

However, Xu Yucheng's tall figure was blocking the door, motionless, just blocking Mrs. Lin's way.

Seeing him blocking her way so tactlessly, Mrs. Lin couldn't help but frown, and her tone was a little unhappy: "Yucheng, move aside, I'll go see Xixi." As she said that, she was about to reach out to push him away.

At this moment, Xu Yucheng suddenly raised his head. His voice was not loud, but it drowned out the noisy voices in the hall not far away and was clearly heard by everyone in the room.

"Dad, Mom, uncle, aunt... I have something to say to you." His eyes swept over the four elders one by one with a desperate determination, but when he met Commander Lin's cold gaze, he drooped his eyelids guiltily.

When Mrs. Xu heard this, her heart suddenly skipped a beat and she couldn't help but scold: "You kid! Can't you say it later? The most important thing now is to go and see how Xixi is doing!" As she spoke, she took a step forward and wanted to pull Xu Yucheng away.

But Xu Yucheng seemed to be nailed to the door, not moving a step. His voice became even deeper, "I can only say it now."

"You!" Mrs. Xu was choked by his stubborn attitude and her face turned pale.

Mr. Xu's expression also changed. He quickly glanced at Commander Lin next to him and saw that his face was cold and there was a layer of gloom in his eyes. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring straight at Xu Yucheng. He immediately knew that something was wrong.

He hurriedly stepped forward, eyebrows raised, and scolded sternly, "You bastard! Do you know the rules? The most important thing now is Xixi's health! You're blocking here..."

"Let him speak." Commander Lin's low voice was like a muffled thunder, instantly drowning out Mr. Xu's rebuke and making the entire hall suddenly quiet.

He stared at Xu Yucheng, enunciating each word with undeniable pressure, "I want to hear what he has to say!"

Seeing this, the other relatives and friends in the room exchanged glances and tactfully retreated.

This time, Xu Yucheng did not stop him and silently made room at the door.

Commander Lin calmly gave a wink to the old butler Quan Bo who was standing in the corner. Quan Bo understood and immediately walked quietly to the door. After the last guest left, he gently closed the heavy wooden door.

The door made a muffled sound, blocking out the noise from the outside world.

Commander Lin sat tall on the main sofa, like a silent volcano, his sharp eyes fixed on Xu Yucheng like a hawk.

"Okay, now that there are no outsiders around, what do you want to say?"

The Xu couple felt a strong sense of unease in their hearts, as if they had already anticipated what Xu Yucheng was going to say, and began to wink at him frantically.

But Xu Yucheng seemed to have seen nothing. Instead, he met Commander Lin's dangerous gaze, gritted his teeth, and then suddenly fell to his knees with a "thump".

"Uncle, aunt, dad, mom, Yucheng... Yucheng is unworthy of your uncle and aunt's love, and even less worthy of Xixi. This marriage... please forgive me, Yucheng is not worthy of it! I want to... cancel the engagement!"

As soon as the words fell, the whole room fell into silence, as if even the air had stopped flowing.

Mrs. Xu was so shocked that she covered her mouth, gasped, and her face turned pale.

Mr. Xu trembled all over, his fingers pointing at Xu Yucheng shook violently, his lips quivered, but he couldn't utter a word, his eyes were filled with shock, anger and great fear.

Mrs. Lin widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief.

Commander Lin, who was sitting in the main seat, said nothing and fell into a long silence.

Silence, a dead silence, a silence that seemed to have no end in sight.

It was unknown how long it took, so long that Xu Yucheng, who was kneeling on the ground, began to sway uncontrollably because of the sharp pain in his knees. Commander Lin's voice, which was so cold that it seemed to freeze people, finally rang out in the house.

"Cancel the engagement? Are you worthy?"