Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Late at night, the Lin Mansion was quiet.

The door to Commander Lin's study was pushed open silently and then gently closed again.

Shen Jingyuan stood in the shadows outside the door for a moment, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to barely suppress the lingering heat on his face.

The corridor was empty, with no one in sight, except for a few wall lamps that dutifully lit up, casting a dim yellow glow over the entire corridor.

Shen Jingyuan raised his watch and checked the time. He realized it was already past eleven o'clock at night. At this hour, Lin Xi and his wife should have already gone to bed.

Thinking of Lin Xi on the ship, pounding on the hard bed beneath her and angrily saying that she would sleep soundly for a whole day and night after returning home, Shen Jingyuan couldn't help but chuckle, and quietly went upstairs.

His room was at the end of the corridor on the second floor. Although he rarely came back to stay after entering the military camp, Mrs. Lin still had his room cleaned, as if he had never left.

Thinking of this, Shen Jingyuan's usually stern expression softened considerably.

The second floor was indeed quiet. Shen Jingyuan walked quietly towards his room without looking to the side.

But gradually... his steps seemed to have a mind of their own, one step, two steps, slower and slower, until finally, when he was only one step away from his room door, he stopped completely.

As if drawn by an invisible force, he slowly turned around and involuntarily turned his gaze to the other end of the corridor.

There stood a quietly carved ivory wooden door. Its style and color, so different from the plain wooden doors of the other rooms on this floor, made it easy to see the unique status of its owner in the Lin Mansion.

That was Lin Xi's room.

His room and his room occupied opposite ends of the corridor, facing each other from afar, each vying for supremacy.

This situation is just like the relationship between the two of them in the past: they were clearly separated under the same roof, like fire and water, and although they were only a short distance apart, it was as if there was an insurmountable chasm between them.

But now, standing on this side, looking at the other side of the "impassable chasm," he suddenly realized that the chasm he once thought was insurmountable was actually only a few steps away.

The moment this thought arose, it was as if a spark had suddenly ignited in his heart, hot and itchy, reigniting the heat he had managed to suppress after leaving the study.

He wanted to see her, even if it was just through the door, to hear her voice.

An irrepressible desire rose in his heart. Shen Jingyuan pursed his lips impatiently. After only a moment's hesitation, he suddenly lifted his foot and walked step by step toward the door that once represented the forbidden area he could not touch.

But the impulse was fleeting. When he actually stood in front of Lin Xi's door, his raised fingertips about to touch the carvings on the door, his boiling blood gradually cooled down as reason returned.

At this hour, all is quiet; she must have already fallen asleep.

Shen Jingyuan could even imagine the scene inside the room: under the warm yellow night light, she was nestled in soft, fluffy bedding, her black hair loose, her breathing shallow, having shed all the liveliness and cunning of the daytime, leaving only unguarded tranquility.

Shen Jingyuan had witnessed her morning temper before. If she was woken up in the middle of the night, she would definitely get annoyed, and he probably wouldn't be able to see her in a good mood all day the next day.

Shen Jingyuan raised his hand and then lowered it again. As he hesitated, the scene in Commander Lin's study replayed in his mind.

……

"Okay, that's all for today. You must be tired from the journey. Go and rest. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."

Commander Lin put down his teacup, rubbed his stiff neck, and sighed wearily, "Alas, time really waits for no one. Back in the day, on the battlefield, amidst the constant barrage of gunfire, I could stay up for days and nights without even blinking. But not now. I've only been sitting for a short while, and my back and waist are already aching."

"Then you should get some rest too." Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyuan frowned slightly, then silently stepped forward and skillfully began massaging Commander Lin's shoulders and neck.

Commander Lin sighed comfortably and patted the back of his hand: "Alright, alright, don't worry about me. I'm getting old, I can't sleep if I go to bed early. Let's talk about it after I finish reading these two documents."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyuan's eyes flickered. He withdrew his hand, took a step back, but did not turn around and leave. Instead, he stood straight in place.

Commander Lin turned his neck, and seeing that he didn't move, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What, is there something else?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyuan took a deep breath, straightened his back without making a sound, and said solemnly, "Reporting to the Commander! I have an important matter that I need to formally consult with you!"

Commander Lin was taken aback by his serious demeanor, thinking there was some important military news. He quickly sat up straight, composed himself, and nodded, saying, "Speak."

Shen Jingyuan tensed his back, his expression serious, his eyes piercing as he looked directly into Commander Lin's eyes. He raised his right hand and solemnly gave a standard military salute. "Reporting to the Commander! Your subordinate requests... to enter into a marriage contract with Miss!"

"Huh?" Commander Lin blinked her eyes, which were sore from looking at documents for so long. She didn't immediately understand the meaning behind his words and subconsciously asked, "That's all?"

Shen Jingyuan seemed surprised by Commander Lin's reaction. He pursed his lips and added as if to confirm, "Yes! Report complete."

Commander Lin frowned, waved his hand, and said, "Alright, I understand. You can go now..."

Before he could even utter the word "go," he suddenly snapped back to reality, his eyes widening in disbelief as he raised his voice, "What did you say?! Say it again!"

……

Recalling Commander Lin's shock at the time, and the scene where he was flustered and blushing afterward, repeatedly assuring him that he would treat Lin Xihao for the rest of his life, Shen Jingyuan felt his ears burning again.

He hadn't wanted to confess to Commander Lin so hastily.

In his original plan, this matter should have taken place in a more formal setting. Only when he had made more contributions and gained a more stable position, enough for Commander Lin and Mrs. Lin to entrust their daughter to him without any worries, could he stand up straight and ask Lin Xi for a chance to spend his life with her.

But when he recalled how she blushed and "accidentally" touched his fingertips on the deck today, and how she secretly kicked his calf under the table and glared at him angrily, he couldn't help but feel his heart soften.

He suddenly understood.

In the past, she pursued Xu Yucheng with such wholehearted devotion and selfless devotion, only to be met with the humiliation of him wanting to publicly annul their engagement.

Although she said she didn't care, how could she not be hurt when so many years of feelings were betrayed?

Now that she has finally agreed to come to him, he is still delaying due to various concerns and is unwilling to give her a clear future. How uneasy and scared she must be.

He shouldn't let her go through that uncertainty and torment again.

Thinking of this, the heat on Shen Jingyuan's face subsided slightly, but a subtle, bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart, not for himself.

She's such a good girl, Xu Yucheng must have been blind to accept the title of "savior," enjoying her sacrifices while betraying her feelings.

Recalling that night in the dimly lit cabin, her red-rimmed eyes when the lights came on, and her unconscious sobs as she talked in her sleep, Shen Jingyuan felt a tightness in his chest. He wished he could turn back time so he could hold her tightly in his arms, comforting her as she struggled to appear strong.

Thinking of this, he raised his hand again, his knuckles slightly bent, and was about to knock on the door in front of him.

But just as his fingertips were about to touch the door panel, he stopped.

Traveling north and south for thousands of miles, even he, who had been through the hardships of military life, felt extremely exhausted, let alone her, who had been pampered since childhood.

Now that he has finally returned home and it is so late at night, it is the perfect time to replenish his depleted energy. How could he possibly interrupt her hard-won peaceful sleep for the sake of a momentary impulse?

Shen Jingyuan raised his hand, then lowered it several times before finally letting it fall to his side, clenched into a fist.

"Never mind," he said to himself.

Let's wait a little longer, after all, the commander's side... cough cough, tonight was just the beginning.

Shen Jingyuan touched his shoulder, which was still a little sore, and a rare feeling of guilt rose in his heart.

I'll talk to her about it tomorrow...

He sighed softly, took one last deep look at the closed door, then turned around and prepared to leave.

However, in the instant he turned around—

"Creak" a light sound.

The door, which had been tightly closed, was suddenly opened a crack from the inside.

A fair and delicate hand, seemingly still carrying the warm fragrance of the room, suddenly reached out from the crack in the door, precisely grabbed his wrist, and pulled him forcefully without giving him a chance to speak!

Caught off guard, Shen Jingyuan was pulled by the force and stumbled as he was dragged into that "forbidden area".

The door behind him clicked shut softly.