Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

“Excuse me, sir, I think my ‘madam’ already has a dance partner.”

Upon seeing the person's face clearly, the green-eyed officer's smile vanished instantly, replaced by an expression of displeasure at being offended.

He slightly raised his chin, glancing sideways at Shen Jingyuan, his tone revealing a touch of aristocratic arrogance.

"Sir, according to the rules of the ball, when inviting a dance partner, one must follow the order of arrival."

Shen Jingyuan remained motionless, calmly meeting the other party's provocative gaze, and said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant, "You are right."

He paused here, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Lin Xi's hand, which he held tightly in his palm, before continuing, "But, for my own wife, this rule probably doesn't apply."

Hearing his declaration of sovereignty, a dangerous glint flashed in the White Russian officer's green eyes. He took a half-step forward, closing the distance between them, and gave a forced, insincere smile.

"Oh? Madam?" the White Russian officer said, raising an eyebrow and casting a rather pitying glance at Lin Xi behind Shen Jingyuan, his tone full of provocation.

"I have never seen a gentleman who would leave his wife standing aside at a ball, ignoring her completely."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyuan's brow twitched slightly, and he subconsciously turned his head to look at Lin Xi's expression. Seeing that her eyes were lowered and she did not seem to be displeased by the White Russian officer's provocation, he breathed a sigh of relief without making a sound.

“My wife should naturally be accompanied by me.” Shen Jingyuan withdrew his gaze from Lin Xi’s face and met the White Russian officer’s provocative eyes without flinching.

"Your Excellency seems... to be overconfident in yourself." The White Russian officer was intimidated by the coldness in Shen Jingyuan's eyes and subconsciously straightened his back, trying to use his uniform to intimidate him.

Shen Jingyuan did not back down and retorted sharply, "Whether you are confident or not is none of your concern."

Their eyes met in mid-air, as if sparks were flying.

After a few seconds of stalemate, the White Russian officer suddenly chuckled and turned his gaze to Lin Xi, who was being protected by Shen Jingyuan. His eyes were subtle and his tone was cunning.

"In that case, why don't we respect Madam Li's own wishes and listen to her choice?"

Shen Jingyuan's heart tightened, and he unconsciously slowed his breathing, tightening his grip on Lin Xi's fingertips. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with a tension he himself was unaware of.

Lin Xi, who had been silent all along, slowly raised her head. Her gaze swept over the White Russian officer's face, which held an air of certainty, and lightly met Shen Jingyuan's eyes. She arrogantly raised her chin and gave a cold snort.

Shen Jingyuan felt a sudden tightness in his heart and subconsciously wanted to explain that he had not meant to ignore her, but he saw Lin Xi turn to the White Russian officer and give him an apologetic and elegant smile.

“Sir, it is truly an honor to receive your invitation.” Her voice was clear and melodious, and her eyes were filled with genuine joy.

Upon hearing this, the White Russian officer's face immediately broke into a bright smile. He subconsciously took a step forward, bypassed Shen Jingyuan, and stood on the other side of Lin Xi.

Upon seeing this, Shen Jingyuan's eyelashes trembled violently—she had chosen the other party.

Realizing this, an inexplicable sense of loss spread from the bottom of his heart, making his fingertips feel cold.

Shen Jingyuan's rationality told him that he should be sensible and avoid disturbing the two of them, but his feet seemed to be rooted to the spot, and he stubbornly stood still, showing no intention of leaving.

Lin Xi seemed completely oblivious to Shen Jingyuan, who was radiating a low-pressure aura beside her. Instead, she smiled sweetly at the White Russian officer, waved to him, and gestured for him to come closer.

A hint of surprise flashed in the green eyes of the White Russian officer, who quickly bent down and brought his ear close to Lin Xi's lips.

Lin Xi lowered her voice, speaking in a volume only the two of them could hear, "It is truly an honor to receive an invitation from such a handsome and gentlemanly man as you, but unfortunately, my husband..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Shen Jingyuan, who was standing beside her, who was tense. "He is really not a generous person. If I refuse him now, I'm afraid he won't be willing to pay for my expensive jewels and custom-made dresses for a long time to come."

"So, I'm really sorry." As she spoke, she shook the hand that Shen Jingyuan was holding tightly, shrugged playfully, and showed a helpless yet slightly coquettish expression.

Her words were both dignified and cunning. Although she rejected the White Russian officer, she gave him a way out, implying that she was coerced by the "economic lifeline" rather than deliberately putting on airs.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the White Russian officer's smile faltered slightly, and his eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly regained his previous elegant demeanor.

He glanced indifferently at Shen Jingyuan, whose face was so dark it looked like it was about to drip water, snorted softly, and then leaned close to Lin Xi's ear again, speaking with great regret.

“How can a beautiful muse be without the adornment of jewels and fine clothes? For this, I am willing to give up the opportunity to dance with the goddess.” At this point, he curled the corners of his lips and changed the subject, “However, please allow me to offer a kiss to express my admiration for you, my lady.”

Before he could finish speaking and before Lin Xi could react, he took her free hand, slowly bent down, and made a gesture as if to place a kiss on the smooth back of her hand.

Shen Jingyuan was lost in his emotions and didn't notice what the two were saying.

After much effort, he finally convinced himself to let go, allowing Lin Xi to relax and have some fun tonight.

But in the next instant, he saw the White Russian officer suddenly take Lin Xi's other hand and kiss it intimately.

Shen Jingyuan's breath hitched, and he felt his mind go blank. An inexplicable sense of frustration and anger surged up from the bottom of his heart, burning him so much that his breathing became heavy.

His body reacted much faster than his mind. He took a step forward, grabbed the White Russian officer's wrist, pushed him away half a step, and at the same time grabbed Lin Xi's wrist, pulling her tightly into his arms.

"Ah!" Lin Xi exclaimed instinctively as the world spun around her. She quickly grabbed the collar of the person in front of her to steady herself.

She looked up in dissatisfaction, and what came into view was Shen Jingyuan's cold and hard jawline and his lower lip, which was almost pressed into a straight line.

"Please show some self-respect!" Shen Jingyuan's voice sounded as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an undisguised chilling intent.

The White Russian officer shook his wrist, which was aching from being squeezed, and glared at Shen Jingyuan with displeasure. "Aren't you making a big fuss over this? It's just a very ordinary courtesy of kissing hands!"

Shen Jingyuan's chest heaved violently, clearly furious. He coldly retorted, "Sorry, China has no such etiquette!"

Having said that, he ignored her and grabbed the waist of the person in his arms, then spun around and glided into the depths of the dance floor without saying another word.

"Eh--!"

Lin Xi stumbled slightly as he pulled her up, struggling to lift her head from his embrace. She waved to the displeased White Russian officer who was left standing there, and called out, "I'm so sorry! I'll definitely visit you at your residence when I have the chance!"

Upon hearing this, the temperature around Shen Jingyuan instantly dropped several degrees. He tightened his arms, decisively grabbing the back of Lin Xi's head and pulling her back into his embrace.