Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Chapter 620: Warlord Cousin in the Republic of China (1112)

The childish voice was sharp, like a small knife, piercing Shen Jingyuan's heart precisely, leaving the first and deepest wound there.

Shen Jingyuan thought he had long forgotten, or that he no longer cared.

After all, he had made several clumsy attempts to get close to that little girl who was as beautiful as a porcelain doll but covered in thorns.

He handed her the candy he had saved, but she knocked it to the ground without even looking at it.

He tried to teach her how the new thrush in the yard to sing, just like the other boys, but she covered her ears and ran away, saying his voice was awful.

He even mustered up the courage to whisper the answer when she was crying from struggling with the math problems assigned by her tutor, only to be met with an angry glare and a "Mind your own business!" in return.

After being repeatedly met with indifference, he learned his lesson and stopped making all his attempts to be friendly. He buried that initial, cautious affection, along with the wound, deep in the heart.

He told himself that he should repay Commander Lin's kindness and meet Commander Lin's expectations. As for this spoiled and willful young lady, he should just keep his distance.

As she grew older, she blossomed into a dazzling beauty, and her temper became increasingly unpredictable. He heard so many sarcastic and veiled remarks that he seemed to have developed an iron will.

Occasionally, when she stung him too much and he felt a surge of anger, he could still retort with a cold face. Seeing her stomping her feet in anger but unable to speak, he would feel a sense of satisfaction at getting back at her.

He thought he was invulnerable and would never again be like that first night when he met her, unable to sleep all night because of a single word of rejection from her, staring at the flickering light and shadow on the ceiling.

But even now, when the little girl who once angrily slapped his hand away, called him a "fake," and pushed him away violently sits in front of him, shedding all her arrogant pretense, tears streaming down her face, choking back sobs as she says "I'm sorry."

Shen Jingyuan suddenly realized that he had never actually left that blindingly sunny afternoon.

He studied diligently, demanding the highest standards of himself, and gritted his teeth to enter military academy. Through rigorous training, he developed a strong and resilient character, and at a young age, he distinguished himself and became a young staff officer admired by all.

On the surface, all of this seems to be his way of repaying Commander Lin's kindness in giving him a second chance, seizing this opportunity to become his qualified and impeccable successor.

But deep in his heart, in a corner he himself dared not delve into, there lingered a humble yet stubborn thought.

Was he doing all this in a way that he secretly hoped that one day he could gain a genuine sense of recognition from the girl who initially made him feel inferior and later made him want to avoid her?

He longed for her to stop looking at him with those eyes that seemed to regard him as "dirty," and he hoped that one day, she might look at him with the same light in her eyes and the same unconscious admiration and dependence in her voice when she spoke of her omnipotent hero brother, Lin Min.

Even if it's just once, even if it's just a simple "not bad," it's enough for him to remember it for the rest of his life.

Shen Jingyuan used to think that he was not jealous of Lin Min.

At most, it's just a little envy.

They envied him for having a warm family and a bright future that they never dared to dream of, and for his parents who loved him from birth and for his sister Lin Xi, who depended on and admired him wholeheartedly.

But soon, that envy faded away.

Aside from his birth, which he couldn't choose, he was no worse than Lin Min. He had everything Lin Min had, and he earned what Lin Min didn't have through his own hard work and ability, and he might even have done better.

He has his own pride and the right to be grateful to him, so why be jealous of someone who has already passed away?

But actually, he was jealous.

He was jealous that Lin Min could so easily win the unreserved, wholehearted love and admiration of the little girl he had liked at first sight but could never have.

She was jealous that even though he had been gone for so many years, he still held such an unshakable position in Lin Xi's heart, becoming her forever perfect "brother," an illusion that she could never replace or even reach, no matter how hard he tried or how well he performed.

Jealousy stemmed from the fact that he could make Lin Xi, who was always pampered and would make a fuss over even the slightest scratch, willingly travel thousands of miles north to search for news of him, even enduring blisters on her feet without uttering a sound.

This jealousy was so despicable, so shameful, that even he himself felt contempt for it.

Because he knew clearly that Lin Min was her own brother, the closest relative who had given her countless warm memories.

Shen Jingyuan only got a second life because of Lin Min, and was called an "imposter" and a "thief" by Lin Xi.

How could a counterfeit dare to dream of stealing the spotlight that belongs exclusively to the genuine article? Isn't it only natural that Lin Xi felt hatred and rejection towards it?

But now, Lin Xi told him clearly and firmly that she had never truly hated him, and all her rejection and coldness towards him were just a facade of bravado born of her insecurity.

"I have never truly hated you." Lin Xi repeated herself, as if afraid that Shen Jingyuan would not believe her.

Shen Jingyuan finally raised his head and looked at Lin Xi. Her usually domineering eyes were now wet and surprisingly bright, clearly reflecting his stunned image.

That blinding afternoon, and the fierce rivalry between the two of them over the years flashed through his mind, finally settling on the scenes of their journey north.

Pain, confusion, disbelief, and then ecstasy... a mix of emotions clashed and overwhelmed him, leaving him speechless for a moment. He just stared blankly at Lin Xi.

"I was so selfish and stupid. I confused your identity with that of your brother. Your brother is your brother, and you are you."

Shen Jingyuan seemed to be nailed to the spot, forgetting even to breathe. He could only hear the deafening sound of his blood rushing and his heart pounding.

“My brother is my family, the best and warmest part of my past memories.” Lin Xi spoke slowly, word by word, as if she were confessing to Shen Jingyuan, “But that is all in the past.”

She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, as if she had used all her strength to say what she was about to say.

“Shen Jingyuan, you are Shen Jingyuan. You are not a substitute for anyone, nor are you a tool I use to escape. You are…you are…”

A blush suddenly rose on her cheeks, but her eyes did not flinch. Her tone carried a sense of reckless courage and a hint of embarrassment, "It's the person I like now, it's...it's the future I want to be with forever."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent. The last rays of sunlight slanted through the window, illuminating the faces of the two people so close together.

He wasn't a substitute, a target to commemorate someone, or a "fake," but rather "the person she liked"...

These words echoed repeatedly in Shen Jingyuan's mind, growing louder and louder, dispelling all the dark self-doubt and despicable jealousy he had harbored over the years.

The thorn she planted in his heart, which had been embedded for years, was gently and firmly removed by her own hands at this moment.

He was not anyone's shadow; he was simply Shen Jingyuan, the Shen Jingyuan she had solemnly placed into her "future."

Shen Jingyuan's Adam's apple bobbed violently a few times. He took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled, as if he wanted to expel all the turbid air and gloom that had accumulated in his chest for many years. The originally tense lines of his shoulders and back gradually relaxed with each breath.

He didn't speak, but silently lowered his head, his gaze falling back to the red, swollen, and shiny blister on Lin Xi's toe. He held the needle and gently pierced the thin layer of skin.

"hiss……"

A slight stinging sensation made Lin Xi instinctively want to pull her foot back, but her ankle was firmly held by a warm hand.

"do not move."

His voice was low, and his fingertips gently caressed her ankle bone in a soothing manner.

This natural and intimate little gesture startled Lin Xi, and her cheeks quickly flushed.

She shifted her toes uncomfortably, her voice lowering, "Almost done, right? I can do the rest myself."

Shen Jingyuan didn't reply, but his hands moved even faster, cleaning the wound and applying medicine in one go, giving Lin Xi no chance to make a move.

After finishing, he got up and walked to the washbasin stand, carefully washed his hands, and then walked back to Lin Xi's side. Under her slightly confused gaze, he suddenly bent down and picked her up horizontally.

"Ah!" Lin Xi gasped as her body was suddenly suspended in mid-air, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

Shen Jingyuan carried her to the bedside and gently laid her down.

Lin Xi sat on the edge of the bed, looking at his silent profile. She felt that the confidence she had gained from mustering the courage to confess her feelings had gradually disappeared in his long silence, leaving only an empty and uneasy feeling in her heart.

She bit her lip, and just as Shen Jingyuan seemed about to straighten up and leave, she suddenly reached out and hooked her hand around his fingers hanging by his side.

Shen Jingyuan paused, turned around, and quietly met her gaze.

In the candlelight, Lin Xi looked up at him, her eyes and the tip of her nose still red, her long eyelashes stained with wet tears, and her eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Under his gaze, Lin Xi opened her mouth, wanting to ask "Why aren't you saying anything?" or "What do you really think?", but a thousand words stuck in her throat, churning for a long time before finally uttering a stammering, powerless "I... my shoes are still over there."

Shen Jingyuan suddenly smiled. It was a faint smile, but it was more genuine than any smile he had ever given before.

He ignored the shoes and slowly bent down.

Lin Xi's eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly gripped the bed sheet beneath her, instinctively closing her eyes.

The next moment, she felt a dry and soft touch gently fall on her forehead.

Shen Jingyuan's kiss was fleeting.

He straightened up and looked at her again. His gaze was as gentle as the moonlight flowing quietly outside the window, no longer cold as before, but filled with affection that was almost overflowing.

He gazed at her intently for a moment, as if trying to etch her image into his heart forever. Then, before Lin Xi could react, he leaned down again and pressed his lips to hers.

"Good night."

He spoke softly, his voice low and husky, clearly reaching Lin Xi's ears.

"My eldest lady."