Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Shen Jingyuan originally thought that he would keep that incident a secret for a longer time, or perhaps even bury it in the ground and let it turn into dust that no one would know about.

But he never expected that the day the truth would be revealed would come so suddenly.

The afternoon sun was just right, and warm golden light filtered through the half-open light green gauze curtains, gently filling the room. Outside the window, greenery swayed, and the branches and leaves danced in the light and shadow, casting dappled, shimmering spots of light.

Everything was so peaceful and beautiful, which seemed out of place with the tense and cold atmosphere in the room at that moment.

In the warm glow of the lamplight, Lin Xi stood before his hospital bed, her eyes red-rimmed, her cheeks pale, her whole body trembling, her hand clutching a shirt tightly as if it were the only piece of driftwood she could grasp at that moment.

"So, Shen Jingyuan, tell me, the person who carried me down the mountain back then wasn't Xu Yucheng, but..."

"It was you, wasn't it?" Her neck was stiff, her whole body taut like a fully drawn bow, as if it would snap at any moment. Her voice was hoarse from excessive suppression. "The one who carried me down the mountain back then, it was you... wasn't it?"

Shen Jingyuan was originally dozing off, leaning lazily against the headboard.

His several near-fatal injuries had actually healed considerably after more than a month of careful recuperation.

Lin Xi insisted that he strictly follow the doctor's orders and stay in bed for a full month, which made him feel like his bones were about to melt.

After more than half a month of continuous rain, he was finally looking forward to such good weather, but he could only be trapped in this small space.

Out of sheer boredom, he randomly picked up a book from the pile she had found to amuse him, but after flipping through only a few pages, the warm sunlight made his eyelids heavy again.

When Lin Xi's abrupt question came at him, his muddled thoughts had not yet fully cleared, and he was still in a daze.

Until Lin Xi seemed unable to bear it any longer, she collapsed and threw the clothes in her hands at him, her whole body trembling, almost screaming as she repeated it.

"It was you, wasn't it?! You carried me down the mountain! It was definitely you! You knew all along, why didn't you tell me!"

He seemed to wake from a dream, his whole body trembled, and he finally came to his senses.

The book slipped from his hand and fell to the carpet with a "thud." He looked up, met Lin Xi's red eyes, his throat bobbed violently a few times, and then he spoke with some difficulty, "You... you know everything. Who told you?"

Seeing his reaction, Lin Xi trembled, and the tears she had been holding back for so long finally burst forth uncontrollably.

She suddenly stepped forward, threw herself at the bedside, completely disregarding how she had repeatedly instructed him, cared for him, and been extremely careful, as if afraid of touching his wounds, and reached out to tightly grasp Shen Jingyuan's collar.

"Why didn't you tell me? Isn't it ridiculous to watch me chase after Xu Yucheng for so many years like a fool, all because of a lie? If you hadn't made it this time... were you going to take this secret to your grave and keep it from me for the rest of your life?!"

She seemed to be extremely angry, and the force in her hands was unusually strong, the fabric digging deep into his neck, making it difficult for Shen Jingyuan to breathe.

But he showed no sign of struggling. Instead, he reached out and gently stroked her trembling back, again and again, without explanation or argument, simply repeating the motion over and over.

"I'm sorry, Xixi...I'm so sorry..."

Seeing him completely at her mercy, offering no resistance, and hearing his low, hoarse "I'm sorry" in her ear, Lin Xi's last bit of strength was instantly drained away.

As her grip on Shen Jingyuan's collar loosened, she felt as if she had lost her support and could no longer control herself. She buried her face in his chest and burst into tears.

Rewind half an hour...

In front of the Lin Mansion's main porch, Lin Xi held Quan Bo's hand tightly, her eyes slightly red. "Quan Bo, please stay for two more days."

Lin Xi sniffed, looking at Uncle Quan with eyes full of reluctance.

This old man, who served the Lin family his entire life and never left even when the Lin family was on the verge of collapse and everyone was in a state of panic, is now hunched over and has white hair.

"Once Jingyuan is feeling better, the two of us will take you back to your hometown in Jinling," she said, her voice choked with emotion, trying her best to persuade him to stay.

Quan Bo's aged face was full of relief. She gently patted Lin Xi's hand and said, "Miss, don't stay. With my old bones, I can see you get through the most difficult time, see the son-in-law return safely, and see this house come alive again. There's nothing I can't let go of now."

As he spoke, he paused, looking with loving eyes at the graceful young woman before him, whose brows had lost their childishness and were now adorned with resilience, and said with a sigh.

“Miss, you’ve really grown up and can stand on your own now. When I went back to see the Commander and his wife, I could stand up straight and tell them that I’ve taken good care of you and your husband, so they can rest assured…”

Although Uncle Quan said that Lin Xi had grown up, he still held her hand and gave her many detailed instructions, about Shen Jingyuan's diet and the maintenance of some old objects in the house, all of which were full of concern.

Lin Xiyi agreed to everything, until finally, Uncle Quan sighed and said that it was getting late and he would miss the boat if he was any later. The tears she had been holding back for so long finally fell.

"When you get to Nanjing, remember to send me a telegram to let me know you're safe." She choked up as she stuffed a thick wad of travel money and a gift for Commander Lin and his wife into Quan Bo's hands, repeatedly giving him these instructions.

"Oh, oh, don't worry, Miss."

Uncle Quan rolled up his sleeve, wiped his moist eyes, nodded repeatedly, and finally, with Lin Xi's help, got into the car that had been waiting for him.

The car slowly started, drove away from the imposing carved iron gate of the Lin Mansion, and gradually disappeared into the distance.

Lin Xi stood at the door, motionless for a long time, until the rear of the car was no longer visible. Then she took out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes, turned around, and slowly walked back.

Beneath the wisteria trellis, lush vegetation thrives, and the early summer sunlight filters through layers of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the veranda.

This once magnificent and prestigious manor seems to remain unchanged.

However, if any former residents of the Lin Mansion were here, they would immediately notice that although the pavilions and towers in the garden remain, it has become much more desolate and cold.

Unfortunately, most of those old acquaintances had already been sent away by Lin Xi, who tearfully distributed generous severance pay to each of them as the war intensified and the Lin Mansion was in turmoil.

Today, the vast estate remains, with its trees and shrubs still standing, but few people are around. The bustling, lively scene of the past is long gone.

Quan Bo's departure added to the desolate feeling of the empty building.

Thinking of the turbulent and stormy past two years, Lin Xi couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the loss of what she had experienced.

But the disappointment was only momentary, and Lin Xi quickly cheered up.

The toughest days are over, aren't they?

Just like that wisteria that the Lin family was once proud of, which they had climbed for half a century, but was ignited by a stray bullet during the war, burning down most of it.

She thought it was doomed and was depressed for a long time, but after only two winters, it recovered, sprouted new branches, and grew lush and green.

Now that the war is over, the country is still alive, her parents are still alive, and Shen Jingyuan has survived a brush with death, what more could she possibly want?

Lin Xi comforted herself in this way as she walked through the wisteria-covered pergola and along the cobblestone path toward the back garden.

The pond on the left side of the garden, which originally had a source of fresh water, has dried up because the pipes were damaged during the war and it has never been repaired. Only a few jagged Taihu stones remain, standing silently by the pond.

Lin Xi frowned and silently shifted her gaze to the other side.

Compared to the desolation on the left, the flowerbed on the right presents a completely opposite picture of vitality.

Large, colorful roses bloom in profusion, emitting a rich, sweet fragrance. The chrysanthemums with yellow centers and white edges bloom haphazardly, clustered together in a chaotic mass, creating a wild and unrestrained beauty under the sunlight.

Beautiful things always bring joy.

Lin Xi stopped and took a deep breath of the rich floral fragrance in the air. Her mood, which had been somewhat gloomy because of seeing off Uncle Quan, was greatly lifted by the fragrance.

Just as she was about to take a step, she caught a glimpse of a somewhat thin figure carrying a large stack of neatly folded clothes, walking towards her with slightly unsteady steps from the other end of the flowerbed.

It's Ah Xiang.

Ah Xiang's name sounds like a little girl's, but she's already old enough to be a little girl's grandmother.

She was an orphan girl that Old Mrs. Lin had taken in from outside. She was two years younger than Commander Lin. Since she entered the Lin Mansion at the age of seven or eight, she had been working in the laundry room. Her personality was as gentle and down-to-earth as her name suggested.

When the Japanese invaded and war broke out, the higher-ups ordered Shanghai to be abandoned and retreated to Nanjing, but Commander Lin disobeyed the order and refused to leave.

The entire city of Shanghai was beset by internal and external troubles and was in turmoil. In order to avoid being caught in the crossfire, the Lin family spent a lot of money to dismiss most of the servants and let them flee Shanghai for their lives. Only a few people refused to leave no matter how they were persuaded, vowing to stand with their master.

Ah Xiang is one of them.

She said she had no children and that the Lin Mansion was her home, and that she would rather die here. Therefore, Mrs. Lin decided to let her stay and continue doing her laundry work.

"Aunt Xiang, what brings you here?" Thinking of this, Lin Xi quickly walked a few steps to greet her, took most of the clothes from her arms, and asked with a smile.

Ah Xiang felt a lightness in her arms, breathed a sigh of relief, and gave Lin Xi a slightly embarrassed scolding, "Miss, I've told you so many times, just call me Ah Xiang, I can't accept the title 'Auntie'."

As she spoke, she pointed to the bright sun overhead, "The weather is really nice today. I took out all the clothes that had accumulated over the past few days to wash and dry. They're dry now, and I'm just about to put them away."

Lin Xi, carrying the clothes, walked alongside her. Hearing this, she asked with some confusion, "Isn't there a large yard behind the laundry room specifically for drying clothes? Why did you move it all the way to the garden instead of staying closer?"