Finest Servant - Chapter 209

Chapter 209 Fallen Ill

Honest? Someone had actually called him honest; now that was unusual. Lin Wanrong was so amused he wanted to laugh. He glanced at the note several times, front and back. It bore neither a salutation nor a signature, leaving him uncertain of the author. The only thing he was sure about was that it was a woman’s handwriting.

He knew only a few women in Jinling City, and even fewer who would send him such a note. After giving it some thought, an idea occurred to him. ‘Could it be her?’ He chuckled at the thought, finding it all rather interesting.

The next morning, Xiao Yuruo indeed arrived early to call on him. The two discussed with the stewards about how to expand after taking over the Tao family’s shop.

The Tao family’s cloth shop was only slightly smaller than the Xiao family’s, and with this acquisition, the scale of the Xiao family’s business had significantly improved. It was now an unrivaled giant in Great Hua. Of course, the profits from the silk and satin business were shrinking, and at this stage, it was no longer the Xiao family’s focus. The booming business of perfumes and soaps filled everyone from Madam Xiao and her daughters to the various servants of the Xiao family with confidence about their future.

The perfume and soap business was practically a monopoly. Due to the limitations in supply, it was currently only operated in the nearby provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. Once production caught up next year, it would rapidly expand to over a dozen provinces nationwide, which would present an even grander spectacle. Under these circumstances, the Eldest Miss was increasingly looking forward to her upcoming trip to the capital. She had mentioned it several times to Lin Wanrong. She planned to set off for the capital on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Lin Wanrong naturally had no objections. His only concern was his beloved Qiaoqiao.

When Dong Qingshan arrived, Lin Wanrong had just finished discussing business with the Eldest Miss and her associates. Qingshan excitedly grabbed his arm and said, “Big brother, we have acquired the restaurant by the Qinhuai River.”

‘Would this even be a question? You guys are practically underworld figures. Who could possibly outdo you?’ Lin Wanrong nodded and asked, “Any trouble?”

Qingshan replied, “A bit of a hassle. The owner somehow got connected with Cheng Ruinian. When we arrived, he was still quite arrogant, boasting about how powerful Commander Cheng and the Black Dragon Society are. But after Beidou lost his temper and broke his leg with a stool, the guy was scared out of his wits. He didn’t dare make a sound and just packed up and left.”

That’s just how the underworld operates. Lin Wanrong chuckled, “You guys need to keep a close eye on the Black Dragon Society and Wu Zhenghu these few days. It’s the end of the year; times are tough. Everyone’s hoping to make a big score for the New Year.”

Dong Qingshan hummed, “Who gets to score is still uncertain.”

Lin Wanrong asked, “Where is Little Luo? Is his father at home these days? I need to discuss some things with Old Luo.”

Dong Qingshan replied, “Little Luo probably won’t be able to make it today. Miss Luo seemed to have had some trouble yesterday. She cried for a long time when she got home, and no one could console her. Later, she came down with a high fever and kept talking nonsense. By dawn, she still hadn’t regained consciousness. As it happens, Old Luo has been away from home these few days. Little Luo is staying home to look after Miss Luo.”

Lin Wanrong was startled, “What happened to Miss Luo? Wasn’t she just fine yesterday? How did she fall ill so suddenly?”

Dong Qingshan said, “Little  Luo sent someone to deliver the message this morning, but didn’t clarify the details. I also don’t know what happened. However, judging by the anxious expressions of his family, her illness must be quite serious. By the way, big brother, didn’t you go out with Miss Luo yesterday? What exactly happened? Miss Luo is such a cheerful person, how could she become like this?”

Thinking back to Luo Ning’s demeanor yesterday, Lin Wanrong knew that her concern for him wasn’t faked, and her respect for her teacher was genuine too. Perhaps it was the old woman surnamed Mei who had blamed her. She was caught between him and her teacher, which made it understandable for her to be troubled. Thinking of this, Lin Wanrong sighed, “It might be related to her teacher, I can’t really say.”

Dong Qingshan said, “Miss Luo is such a good person. If I knew who had bullied her, I would not let the bastard off. I would beat him until he was searching for his teeth.”

Lin Wanrong nodded, “I would join you in beating him up. Ah, how come we haven’t seen Old Luo for so many days?”

Dong Qingshan hummed in agreement, “Little Luo also hasn’t seen Old Luo for several days. But according to him, Old Luo often does this. After all, he is such a high-ranking official, it is natural for him to be busy. Even our Hung Hing gang, with nearly a thousand brothers who need to eat, drink, and have fun every day, keeps me and Little Luo busy. Let alone Old Luo who is the head of the province, with countless subordinates, clerks, and servants under his hand, all living on the government’s provisions. He has to manage so many people’s daily food, drink, gambling, and opium needs, it’s even harder.”

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, Dong Qingshan was quite insightful despite his rough speech. He thought of Luo Ning’s illness, and found it odd. She was such a vibrant beauty yesterday, how could she fall ill so suddenly?

He had a good relationship with Luo Ning, and should have visited her right away, but he was worried about meeting that annoying old lady Mei at the Luo mansion, which would put Luo Ning in an awkward position.

After some hesitation, Lin Wanrong asked Qingshan, “Has Qiaoqiao visited Miss Luo?”

Qingshan shook his head, “When Little Luo sent the message this morning, your wife had already gone to the new restaurant at Confucius Temple to arrange the decoration. However, if she knew about it, she would definitely rush over immediately.”

Lin Wanrong smiled, “Qingshan, go to Little Luo’s house for me and find out if that teacher named Mei is staying there.”

“Alright, I will go immediately. Big brother, do you have a disagreement with that old lady Mei?” Qingshan asked as he nodded.

Lin Wanrong gave a helpless smile, “It’s a long story. Just go and find out. Also, tell Little Luo to take good care of his sister. I’ll visit Miss Luo later.”

Watching Qingshan’s retreating figure, Lin Wanrong sighed lightly. Although Luo Ning’s ideas were sometimes impractical, she was truly a girl with aspirations. This girl, she wouldn’t have fallen ill because of what happened yesterday, would she? If so, it would indeed be his fault.

Old Luo had vanished into thin air and for several days, no one could find him. Lin Wanrong’s days in Jinling were numbered, every day spent there shortened the remaining time. If he couldn’t resolve the matter concerning Cheng De, it would leave behind a lingering threat to Qiaoqiao and the Dong family. This was a scenario that Lin Wanrong couldn’t bear to imagine.

His heart raced with anxiety. The elusive old Xu Wei had also disappeared, and there was no news about the eradication of the White Lotus rebellion. The Jiangsu bureaucracy remained silent as well. What exactly was going on behind the scenes?

Lin Wanrong was so fraught that he kicked a pebble into the lake in the garden, stirring up ripples. A soft chuckle, followed by a delightful voice, reached his ears. “Second Miss, I’m glad to see you finally emerged,” Lin Wanrong greeted, a hint of joy spreading across his face upon seeing her youthful, slightly shy countenance. Xiao Yushuang had sequestered herself in the prayer room for several days, insisting on maintaining a pious mindset undisturbed by anyone for the final days of her prayer. Hence, it had been quite a while since he last saw her. Seeing her smiling face suddenly was indeed a delight.

Xiao Yushuang pouted, “I’ve been standing next to you for quite a while, and you didn’t even glance at me. Were you thinking about someone else?”

His heart raced. Indeed, he had been thinking about Luo Ning. It seemed that the tender Yushuang was following her elder sister’s footsteps. “Who else would I be thinking about?” Lin Wanrong chuckled without batting an eyelid, “I was worried because I hadn’t seen Yushuang in a few days and missed you terribly.”

“Really?” Xiao Yushuang’s face lit up with joy, her eyes twinkling as she bashfully asked, “Then why didn’t you come to see me these past few days?”

Lin Wanrong wiped the sweat off his forehead. Girls her age were the easiest to please. Seeing no one around, he stealthily held her small hand, “I wanted to see you every day, but your sister told me that for the last few days of your prayers, you mustn’t be disturbed in order to keep your mind pure. After much contemplation, I finally managed to resist the urge to visit.”

Blushing furiously at his words, she responded shyly, “When others visit me, of course it’s a distraction, but if you visited, I would be happy. You bad man, you must have found someone else, that’s why you forgot about me—”

Startled by her directness, Lin Wanrong thought that she must’ve been reading romance novels in her room again. Xiao Yushuang gave him a profound look, “You naughty man, I don’t know what’s so charming about you. When I was in the prayer room, I thought about you every day, and it was unbearable. Even if you didn’t think about me, I was always thinking about you.”

He was amazed at how her words had become so enchanting. Lin Wanrong, slightly taken aback, tentatively asked, “Second Miss, what did you mean when you said I might have found someone else?”

Xiao Yushuang hummed in affirmation, “You’re very naughty, tormenting me like that. Who knows if you’ve done the same to others? If you have, doesn’t that mean you have someone else?”

Lin Wanrong was sweating profusely. This child’s logic was so simple, yet quite practical. Second Miss leaned her head on his shoulder, saying, “Sister said that you men are always plotting to take advantage of us women and that I should guard against you. But there is no one I would rather guard against less than you. Even if you have someone else, I think of you every day, I pray for you every day. Mother said that a woman’s first time is the most precious and that one must remain faithful to her first love. Given what has transpired between us, who else could I follow if not you?”

‘What exactly transpired between us,’ Lin Wanrong screamed inwardly. They had just kissed, held hands, and swatted each other’s rear ends. They were still far from “that.” However, seeing her blushing little face, he couldn’t bring himself to utter such brutal words—all he could do was to transform them into actions.

He gently pulled Second Miss’s slender waist towards him. Xiao Yushuang let out a soft yelp as she nestled her feverish body against his.

Lin Wanrong kissed her little earlobe gently, about to take it further, when suddenly San De came running towards them, shouting from a distance, “Brother San, Brother San, the governor is summoning you—”