Finest Servant

Chapter 198 Xu Wenchang’s Arrival

Upon hearing his words of their marital unity, Qiaoqiao blushed deeply, warmth spread through her body, and she leaned limply against him, without an ounce of strength left in her.

Observing the girl’s gentleness and her deep affection for him, Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. If he left for the capital one day, wouldn’t this girl lose her spirit? ‘My poor darling,’ he thought. His concern for Qiaoqiao, along with his resolve to topple Cheng De, only grew stronger.

“Qiaoqiao,” he turned her to face him, gently kissing her lips. “Your benevolence is a virtue, but if it exceeds moderation, it will lead to indulging villains. Especially now, as we’re conducting business. We won’t partake in the unscrupulous activities of the business world, but we also won’t allow ourselves to be bullied.”

Qiaoqiao gave him a shy smile. “Big brother, I understand. It’s not that I’m lenient towards the wicked, it’s just that the owner of the tavern by the Qinhuai River is trying to extort more silver from us. He’s somehow got connections with the son of the Commander-in-Chief, which is why he’s acting so arrogantly. I’m just worried that it might cause trouble for you.”

Holding her close, Lin Wanrong comforted her, “Little darling, don’t worry. Big brother is afraid of many things, but not trouble. From now on, let me handle such complex matters. You just focus on running the restaurant.”

Qiaoqiao nodded, her cheeks flushing as she nestled against his chest, whispering, “Big brother, you’re so good to me.”

Lin Wanrong felt a pang of guilt. Just a few sweet words and she was content. She was too easily pleased. Truth be told, since his arrival at the Xiao family, he hadn’t spent much time with Qiaoqiao. She remained infatuated, yearning for him day and night, while he was preoccupied with Yushuang, Qingxuan, and Xian’er. Upon reflection, he felt a touch of shame.

‘Sigh, being a romantic does come with its troubles,’ he mused, smirking as he held Qiaoqiao even closer. The faces of Yushuang, Qingxuan, and Xian’er flashed before his eyes. If being a romantic was a mistake, then he was doomed to repeat it.

As they shared a tender moment, Qiaoqiao suddenly looked up and asked, “Big brother, did you give Sister Ning a diamond?”

Startled, he thought, ‘Rumors really do spread like wildfire.’ It was clearly a gift for the old lady, yet it somehow turned into a gift for Luo Ning. Lin Wanrong quickly retorted, “No, absolutely not. It was a gift for Old Madam Luo’s birthday, which she then gave to Luo Ning. I had nothing to do with it.”

Suppressing a smile, Qiaoqiao said, “Big brother, why are you so flustered? I was just asking. Sister Ning came over a few days ago to discuss sponsoring the poetry gathering. I noticed a pendant around her neck with a diamond. I’m not sure who set it for her, but it looked splendid. I thought it was a gift from you.”

A diamond necklace? Lin Wanrong was impressed. Luo Ning was quite clever to come up with such an idea. Regardless of the pendant style, a diamond added exceptional taste. Laughing, he said, “Her diamond is very small, not even a third of the one I gave you. Tomorrow, I’ll ask her where she got it set. We’ll get a pendant made for you too. Once you put it on, my darling Qiaoqiao will look like a fairy descended from the heavens, making everyone drool in envy.”

Listening to his smooth talk, Qiaoqiao’s face bloomed with a red hue. She replied softly, “Big brother, I’m not as beautiful as you say. Sister Ning, she is truly beautiful.”

“In my heart, my Qiaoqiao is the most beautiful.” He playfully responded without missing a beat, secretly appending ‘one of them’ to his sentence.

Even though she knew he was saying sweet words to please her, Qiaoqiao was thrilled, leaning into his arms and saying, “Big brother, I heard about what happened at the birthday celebration from Sister Ning.”

“Oh? Little darling, do you remember what I told you last time? When others badmouth me, you should listen to them as if their words have been reduced a hundredfold, because nine times out of ten, they are false. If they praise me, you should amplify their words a thousand times, because ten times out of ten, they are true.” Lin Wanrong gave a mischievous smile. “I wonder if Miss Luo’s words are true or false?”

Qiaoqiao giggled, “Sister Ning is so good to you, how could she be lying?” ‘Good to me? She took a thousand taels of silver from me to organize a poetry meeting, is that considered good? But since she is Qiaoqiao’s close friend, I just let it slide. As long as the poetry contest ends up being just an announcement meeting, that will be fine.’

“Sister Ning said that you fought alone against the best poet from the Seven Northern Provinces that day, earning glory for our southern scholars. Everyone admired you. She also said that you were brave and clever, exposing the deceptions of that arrogant Daoist, proving you to be a true scholar.” Qiaoqiao gazed at him, her eyes filled with deep affection.

“Little darling Qiaoqiao, as you know, I’m a humble and low-profile person, extremely sincere in dealing with people and matters. The things your Sister Ning talked about might have been downplayed a bit, but they’re still quite close to the truth,” Lin Wanrong said with a sense of righteousness.

“Sister Ning also praised you for your unique insights into things, and although you seem mischievous when dealing with people, you’re actually sincere. She said you are a true man of honor.” Qiaoqiao laughed as she relayed this.

“Qiaoqiao, bring me the account book,” Lin Wanrong suddenly said.

“Big brother, what do you want the account book for?” Qiaoqiao asked, puzzled.

“This girl flattered me in front of you with so many sweet words to make you happy. Let me see if she tricked you out of another thousand taels of silver,” Lin Wanrong joked.

Qiaoqiao covered her mouth, giggling, “Big brother, it’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be. Sister Ning really meant the praise. She also said you have a keen sense of people’s feelings and sincere affection. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her praise someone like this.”

This was a bit too much. ‘How could she describe me so well, especially in front of my wife? Isn’t this clearly meant to stir up trouble in our relationship?’ But as soon as Lin Wanrong saw Qiaoqiao, all his troubles seemed to fade away. They chatted and played little games like ‘whoever loses has to kiss the other’, and seeing Qiaoqiao blushing and shyly squirming was more wonderful than words could express.

When Old Dong came upstairs and saw Lin Wanrong happily chatting with Qiaoqiao, he immediately greeted him with a beaming smile, “Son-in-law!”

A shiver ran down Lin Wanrong’s spine. ‘God,’ he thought, ‘this appellation is truly uncomfortable.’ Old Dong took his hand and said, “My dear son-in-law, I hear you were invincible at the Governor’s banquet. The neighbors are all envious. Now you’re a celebrity in Jinling City, everyone saying you’re a prodigy. This has truly brought honor to your father-in-law.”

Here he was, at last finding some leisure time to share sweet whispers with Qiaoqiao, only to be interrupted by his doting father-in-law. Lin Wanrong, in his haste, pulled Qiaoqiao to descend the stairs. But as he glanced upwards, he spotted a slender figure standing by the window on the third floor, gazing out at the Xuanwu landscape, the person’s silhouette vaguely familiar. The figure’s clear and melodious voice arose, reciting: “I envy you, drifting on a void vessel, a ten-day tour in Qinhuai is but a spell. Waters wash Zen heart to eye’s delight, mountains offer verses, yet eyebrows tight. Amidst snow, finding joy in the now, at spring’s end, homeward thoughts won’t allow. When, oh when, will I follow Fan Li’s feat, in Five Lakes, plant myriad fish, and harvest oranges sweet?”

Whose scholarly playboy was this, flaunting such poetic flair? Lin Wanrong, preoccupied with his romantic conversation, had no mind to spare for the poet. He was about to lead his beloved further down the stairs when he saw a man standing before him, grinning, “Young Master Lin—”

Lin Wanrong looked up to see Gao Qiu, a first-grade guard with a sword. He hadn’t seen him for a few days since he had driven Tao Yu away. Wasn’t he supposed to have returned to Xu Wei by now? Lin Wanrong greeted him with a laugh, “Brother Gao, what brings you here? Haven’t you returned to Hangzhou?”

Gao Qiu chuckled, “I’ve been staying here in Jinling. I witnessed your grandeur at the old lady’s banquet.”

Lin Wanrong laughed in embarrassment, “I’m not as formidable as you think. Brother Gao, are you here for a drink? Wonderful, this round is on me.”

Gao Qiu had seen him handle Tao Dongcheng and knew this man couldn’t be judged by normal standards. He laughed and said, “Thank you, Young Master Lin, but I didn’t come here to drink. Someone wants to meet you.”

Recalling the familiar figure from before, Lin Wanrong slapped his forehead. Ah, of course! It was the Great Mr. Xu Wei. He quickly turned to see the figure at the window turning and giving a smirk. If it wasn’t Xu Wei, who else could it be? Xu Wei looked at him, stroking his beard and smiling, “Little brother Lin, how have you been lately?”

The Young Prince Ning had just left, and now here came old Xu. Lin Wanrong chuckled and stepped forward to pay his respects, “Mr. Xu, I’ve been well these days. And how have you been? How’s your wife?”

Xu Wei knew he was referring to Su Qinglian. At his age, being teased by this young man caused him to blush. He quickly responded, “We’re both well, thanks to your blessing, Little brother Lin.”

Lin Wanrong was thrilled. With the arrival of Xu Wei, who was a world-renowned scholar and the emperor’s first favored, loyal, and heavy minister, dealing with Cheng De would not be a difficult task. This old Xu was indeed a savior. He couldn’t let him slip away.

Regardless of Xu Wei’s purpose for being there, Lin Wanrong knew he could be of use. He quickly took Qiaoqiao’s hand, “Qiaoqiao, come quickly and greet Mr. Xu Wenchang.”

“Mr. Wenchang?” Qiaoqiao was taken aback. As a well-read woman, how could she not recognize the renowned name of Wenchang? Seeing the amiable demeanor and smile on the face of the elderly man before her, she quickly bowed and said, “This humble girl, Dong Qiaoqiao, pays her respects to Mr. Wenchang.”

With a grin, Lin Wanrong introduced, “Mr. Xu, this is Qiaoqiao, my wife.”

Xu Wenchang drew out a long “Oh,” winked at him, and said with a smile, “Miss Qiaoqiao indeed possesses a beauty as fine as jade and as charming as a flower. She pairs well with Little brother Lin.”

On hearing her Big brother address her as his wife in front of others, Qiaoqiao’s heart fluttered with a mixture of shyness and joy. She quickly and obediently stood by her Big brother’s side.

Lin Wanrong invited Xu Wei to take a seat, then asked, “Mr. Xu, what brings you to Jinling? Have matters in Hangzhou been settled?”

“Half of them have been settled.” Xu Wei looked at him, his smile carrying profound meaning.