Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Chapter 641 Extra (End)

Since that day, Chi Xianqiu seemed to have changed. She still went to school, went home, and studied, but the lingering gray mist in her eyes had dissipated somewhat, replaced by a calmer light.

Soon after, news came that Japan was provoking trouble in the north and pressing forward step by step. It was like a boulder thrown into an already turbulent lake, stirring up huge waves and completely awakening many young people like her who were originally trapped in their own little world.

Chi Xianqiu finally saw the light of the lighthouse in the fog, and found a direction to devote his energy to and ignite his passion.

She and several classmates who shared the same indignation gathered together, forming a small club. They researched information, discussed the current situation, and stayed up all night writing passionate lines for the newspaper, expressing public grievances and calling for resistance... Although most of the letters and articles that embodied their hard work sank without a trace.

Then, half a month ago, the Pujiang Airport incident broke out. The arrogance of the Japanese soldiers and the ambiguous attitude of the authorities were like a bucket of ice water, igniting the anger and panic in the hearts of the people.

As the situation grew increasingly tense day by day, and the higher-ups remained tight-lipped and indifferent, Chi Xianqiu and her classmates could no longer sit still. That's why they had to take this risky but necessary march today.

Chi Xianqiu never expected that she would encounter Lin Xi again on such a chaotic, bloody street that was on the verge of spiraling out of control.

She was as radiant as when Chi Xianqiu first met her at "Lidu Fashion," but with an added touch of composure, like a stabilizing force, decisively stabilizing the situation that was about to spiral out of control.

Looking at the white figure standing in the center of the crowd, seemingly untouched by dust, Chi Xianqiu unconsciously tightened his grip on Yu Fangfei's hand. The indescribable throbbing in his heart surged again, clearer and stronger than ever before.

"Jealousy is the shadow of love, but it is often mistaken for love itself."

She suddenly realized that, compared to the vague affection she felt for Xu Yucheng because of the life-saving grace, she was actually more jealous of him.

She was jealous of his privileged family background, which she could never hope to reach even if she stood on tiptoe; she was jealous of his ability to easily travel across the ocean and see the world; she was jealous of his ability, built on wealth and knowledge, to calmly protect her even in a chaotic dock.

"And genuine appreciation is often mistaken for a mask of jealousy."

On the contrary, she not only did not feel jealous of Lin Xi, who was superior to her in every way, but also admired her greatly, and could even be described as...liking her. This liking was unrelated to romance or love, and was completely pure.

That's why, when they first met at the clothing store, her gaze was involuntarily drawn to that dazzling figure.

That's why when she accidentally entered the back garden of the Lin Mansion and heard Xu Yucheng so ruthlessly annul the engagement and Lin Xi cry so sadly, her first reaction was not to feel smug about Xu Yucheng's choice, but rather a deep sense of shame and resentment towards Xu Yucheng.

Especially today, she witnessed Lin Xi defuse her embarrassment and awkwardness just like she had done in the clothing store, swiftly and decisively quelling the conflict.

This complex emotion, a mixture of admiration, appreciation, and even a hint of secret longing, shone brighter and brighter in her heart, like a mirror that had been wiped clean of dust.

She wanted to be like her, a towering tree that could stand in front, not the weak and pitiful reed that was being protected behind others.

Amidst the turmoil and the imminent collapse of the nation, even if she couldn't command the same level of obedience and discipline as Lin Xi, she should at least do her best to contribute her meager yet unwavering strength to this land and this nation in peril.

Thinking of this, Chi Xianqiu tightened his grip on Yu Fangfei's hand, and a faint but stubborn light quietly ignited in his eyes, which always carried a hint of timidity and confusion.

Di-

Di-

Two short car horns suddenly sounded beside her, interrupting her thoughts. Chi Xianqiu subconsciously moved to the side of the road, thinking that she was blocking the way.

However, a black sedan slowly slowed down and stopped beside her and Yu Fangfei.

The rear window rolled down silently, revealing a face with exquisitely beautiful features.

Lin Xi nodded slightly, her gaze falling on the two people who looked surprised, and she frowned slightly.

"Miss Chi?" She paused, her gaze sweeping between the two of them, her tone certain, "Injured?"

Chi Xianqiu hadn't expected to run into Lin Xi head-on, especially in such a disheveled state. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she instinctively lowered her head to avoid Lin Xi's gaze.

"Um...no, it's nothing serious, I just twisted it a little."

The passenger door was pushed open, and Lin Xidong got out of the car. She walked a few steps to Chi Xianqiu, naturally reached out, and took Chi Xianqiu's arm.

The warmth of her hand through the thin sleeve made Chi Xianqiu feel as if she had been burned, and her face turned even redder.

"Get in the car," Lin Xi said calmly. "After what just happened, it's not safe for you two injured girls to go back by yourselves. I'll have the driver take you."

"No, no need, Miss Lin, you really don't need to trouble yourself!" Chi Xianqiu shook her head vigorously, feeling both embarrassed and awkward, and stammered as she refused, "We...we can...we can call a rickshaw when we get to the main road ahead..."

"It's a long walk to the main road where you can hail a taxi." Lin Xi seemed oblivious to her embarrassment, calmly stating the facts, yet inexplicably leaving no room for rebuttal. "Get in, it's on the way."

Chi Xianqiu opened her mouth, wanting to refuse again, but when she met Lin Xi's clear and calm eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and looked at Yu Fangfei's pale face beside her due to the pain, she could only swallow the words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue.

She bit her lower lip, and finally, with Lin Xi's help, she got into the car with Yu Fangfei. Lin Xi then turned around and sat in the passenger seat, whispering to the driver, "Take these two ladies first."

The car started smoothly, and a pleasant, faint fragrance filled the interior, a stark contrast to the lingering dust and stench of blood outside.

Chi Xianqiu sat stiffly, her eyes fixed straight ahead, and quietly gave her home address. Yu Fangfei sat close to her, equally reserved and motionless.

As the car drove through the deepening twilight and the sparse streetlights gradually brightening, Yu Fangfei got out of the car and soon arrived at the entrance of the alley where Chi Xianqiu's house was located.

"Thank you, Miss Lin." Chi Xianqiu carefully got out of the car, stood by the car, and sincerely thanked Lin Xi, who had rolled down the window.

Lin Xi nodded slightly to her, "No need to be so polite, just focus on recovering."

The driver restarted the car, and just as it was about to start moving, Chi Xianqiu looked at Lin Xi's profile through the car window. As if suddenly remembering something, Chi Xianqiu took a small step forward and gently tapped on the car window.

"Miss Lin!"

The car window rolled down again, and Lin Xi turned her head, looking at her with some confusion.

Chi Xianqiu took a deep breath, as if using up all her courage, raised her head, looked directly into Lin Xi's eyes, her voice trembling slightly, but she spoke each word with exceptional clarity.

"I'm sorry... Miss Lin, it was all my fault back then. If it weren't for me, Xu Yucheng... might not have broken off the engagement with you."

These words had been weighing on Chi Xianqiu's mind for far too long, and when he spoke them now, they were filled with a heavy sense of guilt.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xi paused for a moment, then a knowing glint flashed in her beautiful eyes, followed by a faint smile. She shook her head and said in a relaxed tone.

“Miss Chi, you don’t need to apologize, and you don’t need to take the blame. I actually... already knew about what happened between you and Xu Yucheng.”

As she said this, the smile on her lips deepened, carrying a hint of self-mockery and relief, "It was just... wanting to give myself and him one last chance, but unfortunately, he wasn't worth it."

She paused, gazing at the deepening twilight outside the car window, her voice soft and gentle, "Speaking of which, I should thank him for his decisiveness. Otherwise, how could I have seen things clearly, and how could I... have met the right person?"

As she spoke the last sentence, a gentle smile appeared in her eyes. Chi Xianqiu's eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly lowered her head, blinked hard to force back the tears, and choked out the words.

"I'm sorry, the ring you gave Xu Yucheng back then... he threw it away, and I... I was actually there at the time... I picked it up."

"Although it may not be anything valuable to you, it must have a unique meaning... I'll keep it safe. Wait for me a moment, I'll go get it for you!" With that, she turned and tried to run into the alley, forgetting that she had an injury on her foot.

"Miss Chi!" Lin Xi called out to her.

Chi Xianqiu paused, turned around, and noticed that Lin Xi's expression was somewhat strange, as if she was confused or trying hard to recall. After a moment, she suddenly burst out laughing.

"You mean that..." She couldn't help but chuckle and waved her hand, her tone casual and undisguised. "No need, really, it's just a... little trinket I bought casually from a roadside stall to fool Xu Yucheng. It's silver-plated copper and not worth much."

Seeing Chi Xianqiu stunned, Lin Xi's smile deepened. She raised her left hand and gently waved it in front of Chi Xianqiu's eyes.

The wedding ring on her ring finger, set with a large and magnificent diamond, still shone brightly even in the dim light of dusk.

"I already have something better."

After saying that, she nodded again to Chi Xianqiu, who was still standing there, and said softly, "Miss Chi, you and your classmates were very brave today, but please be sure to protect yourselves. The future may be more dangerous than today. Shanghai needs young and promising people like you."

"Go back quickly and take good care of your wounds. Goodbye, Miss Chi."

The car window slowly rolled up, completely isolating the inside from the outside.

Chi Xianqiu stood there, watching the black sedan silently glide into the deepening night and disappear at the end of the long street in the blink of an eye.

After a while, she slowly turned around. Under the dim light, her eyes, which were always shrouded in a thin mist, were now like clean glass, bright and clear.

She took a step, one after another, unsteady yet determined, toward the depths of the alley where the lights were gradually coming on.

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(End of the article)