Chapter 97

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Xiao Yuruo was taken aback. She had not intended to convey that meaning, but to her surprise, this man had such a lewd interpretation. Shocked, she exclaimed, "Lin San, you, you mustn't misunderstand!"

"Really?" Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Did I misunderstand? Then, Miss, what do you think I want?"

"You, you..." Eldest Miss Xiao retorted angrily, "Even if I die, I won't be yours."

"Hahahaha—" Lin Wanrong laughed uproariously, "Miss Xiao, your self-perception might be a bit too positive. Even if you genuinely wanted to be mine, I would still have to think it over."

"You, you—" In her embarrassment and anger, Eldest Miss Xiao removed the embroidered shoe from her foot and threw it at him.

Catching her shoe, Lin Wanrong laughed frivolously, "Thirty thousand feet of red thread, half a foot of jade. Miss Xiao, your way of conveying your feelings is quite unique."

Xiao Yuruo bellowed, "You shameless rogue, I won't let you go—"

Lin Wanrong's expression shifted, his laughter fading into a cold snort, "Miss Xiao, don't assume that everyone in the world is as vulgar as you think. You may be beautiful, but in my eyes, there are countless women more beautiful than you. You're not necessarily at an advantage. I won't make things difficult for you. I changed clothes yesterday—if you wash them for me, we can sit down and have a proper conversation."

"Lin San, is everything you said true?" Xiao Yuruo asked incredulously. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

With a nonchalant hum, Lin Wanrong replied, "In terms of trust, your younger sister outperforms you by a thousand times."

Xiao Yuruo thought to herself, ‘My sister is only obedient because you deceived her.’ She nodded, reasoning that washing his clothes couldn't be that bad.

However, Eldest Miss Xiao, who managed the Xiao family, had never done such chores before. She was clueless about how to start washing clothes. Fetching water with a wooden bucket was already exhausting; she could only fill it halfway before gasping for breath. Watching her, Lin Wanrong sighed, wondering how these young ladies, who barely ate half a bun at a meal, found the strength for such tasks.

He took the bucket from her, shaking his head in disappointment, "You ladies, living in idleness, knowing nothing of the hardships of the world..."

Upon hearing his mockery, Xiao Yuruo felt wronged and retorted, "If I were to take up chores like laundry and cooking, who would manage the affairs of the Xiao family?"

He had to concede the point. There was no high or low in work, just different roles, all essential. Seeing her teary eyes and her reddening face, Lin Wanrong, who couldn't bear to see a woman cry, quickly added, "Alright, I misspoke. Let me apologize to you."

Had he kept quiet, things might have been fine. But with his apology, Xiao Yuruo suddenly felt the tears roll down her face. She was a woman of strong character and remained silent, clutching Lin Wanrong's robe, furiously scrubbing as if the robe embodied the man who had angered her.

"Miss, in this world, there is something called soapnuts. You won't be able to clean this collar with bare hands, I fear you might wear it out before it gets clean," Lin Wanrong said with a wry smile as he tossed some soapnuts into the water.

"You mind your business," Xiao Yuruo huffed, her face turning a shade of red.

Lin Wanrong held back a laugh, causing Xiao Yuruo to feel even more embarrassed. Suddenly, she slapped the water with both hands, sending droplets splashing onto Lin Wanrong's face.

"You rascal, I hate you," Xiao Yuruo murmured, tears welling up and falling freely.

Men universally struggled to witness a woman's tears. Lin Wanrong was no exception. Looking at her delicate face, teary like a pear blossom in the rain, he thought, ‘Enough is enough, I am, after all, a man who pities and cherishes the fair sex.’ He sighed and said, "Alright, don't cry anymore. You don't have to wash these clothes, let's just talk."

Xiao Yuruo, feeling wronged, had been waiting for these words. She looked up joyfully and asked, "Really?"

Lin Wanrong laughed, "Given your persistence, it's only right that I give some face to the Second Miss."

Biting her lip, Xiao Yuruo rose to her feet. Glancing at the robe still soaking in the water, she felt her face heat up and said, "I will fulfill my promise. I'll take this robe, wash it, and return it to you."

Laughing, Lin Wanrong replied, "You're clearly going to have your maids wash it, yet you speak so confidently."

Xiao Yuruo humphed, about to retort, but seeing his playful and unconcerned expression, she sighed, "You villain, I don't know what kind of charm you possess. I always lose my composure around you."

‘You've only lost your composure, not your virtue. What are you worried about?’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, "Alright, let's talk about what we need to discuss."

Upon hearing the shift towards serious matters, Xiao Yuruo collected her thoughts and looked at him earnestly, "Lin San, do you have a plan to deal with this so-called alliance?"

Lin Wanrong shook his head, "Miss Xiao, most of what I mentioned before were merely guesses. I can't confirm if Young Master Tao has such intentions. However, from a business perspective, if the Xiao family continues in this way, there will be no development, and it will hit a bottleneck. Even without Young Master Tao, other competitors could pose a serious threat. To put it bluntly, the business of the Xiao family has no added value, no unique features; anyone can do it. Any firm that grows big enough could pose a threat to the Xiao family."

Xiao Yuruo had been contemplating this issue for a long time. Although Lin Wanrong's words were harsh, they were undeniably true and hit the nail on the head. She sighed, "Lin San, since you have this insight, I won't hide it from you. Since I took over the Xiao family's affairs, I have been considering this issue and have wanted to make some reforms. Unfortunately, I have not found a good path nor had any good ideas. There are hundreds of people in the Xiao family. If we were to fail, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Lin Wanrong dismissed her concerns, "Miss Xiao, reform comes at a cost. If we're not willing to make tough decisions, we won't achieve anything. The Xiao family's situation is dire; even without the Tao family's involvement, I fear it may not last more than three or five years."

"That's not necessarily true," Eldest Miss Xiao retorted, slightly annoyed by his underestimation. "If I were to form an alliance with the Tao family, we could easily endure for three to five years."

Lin Wanrong knew she was being sarcastic. If she truly intended to ally with the Tao family, why would she come to him, endure his scolding and plead for his help? It was just that the young lady was too proud to admit it.

He laughed, "If you form an alliance, the Xiao family may be able to live comfortably for three years. But after those three years, there will be no Xiao family left. By then, you, Miss Xiao, would have no choice but to enter the Tao family as a wife. Without the Xiao family backing you, whether you'd be treated as a primary or secondary wife would be a question."

Xiao Yuruo gave him a flushed look, humphed, but didn't respond. Lin Wanrong sighed, "Miss Xiao, I don't blame you for looking down on us servants. After all, you were brought up to do so. But since the second miss has been so kind to me, I feel obliged to help, even if I didn't want to."

"You, you," Miss Xiao stammered, "You're not allowed to lay a finger on Yushuang!"

Lin Wanrong shook his head in exasperation, dismissing her concerns. He asked out loud, "Miss Xiao, given the dire straits the Xiao family is in, have you considered a business transformation? Oh, I mean, using the Xiao family resources for a different business?"

Miss Xiao sighed, "Easier said than done. The Xiao family has been in the cloth business for years, and all our foundation is here. If we don't do this, what else can we do?"

Lin Wanrong smiled, "Selling cloth does bring some profit, but the competition is fierce, and the margins are getting thinner. If you don't want to leave the silk business, you could consider the silk industry's byproducts, oh, like manufacturing and processing ready-made clothes."

Miss Xiao shook her head, "I've considered making ready-made clothes, but tailoring shops are a dime a dozen. We don't have much of an advantage in that area."

Lin Wanrong suggested, "If you're producing ordinary clothes, the Xiao family indeed won't have much advantage. But what if you make special clothes, clothes people have never seen before? What would happen then?"

"Special clothes? Clothes people have never seen before?" Miss Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "What kind of clothes are these?"

Lin Wanrong already had some ideas but hadn't systematically sorted them out yet. He smiled slightly and said, "Let me think about it. I'll discuss it in detail with you tomorrow."

Miss Xiao gently acknowledged his words, thinking to herself that if they could manufacture unique clothes, it would indeed be a good idea for the Xiao family. They wouldn't have to leave the silk industry, and they could continue to use their advantages. But what kind of unique clothes would have such great appeal?

"Lin San, tomorrow young master Tao has invited me to a gathering to discuss the alliance. How should we plan for it?" Xiao Yuruo asked. This was the real reason she had been so urgently seeking Lin Wanrong today.

No wonder this young lady had humbled herself to curry favor with him today. As it turned out, Tao Dongcheng was about to make his move. If he guessed right, Tao Dongcheng would begin pressuring the Xiao family to comply as early as tomorrow.

Lin Wanrong nodded, "Miss Xiao, make your own decisions about these matters. Whether to trust me or Tao Dongcheng, you should have a plan in mind. My advice ends here."

Xiao Yuruo, of course, doubted Tao Dongcheng's intentions. After talking with Lin San, although she had some leads, Lin San had only pointed out a bit but hadn't explained in detail. What if he had no solution and ended up angering Tao Dongcheng, wouldn't that get the Xiao family into even more trouble?

Seeing her furrowed brows, Lin Wanrong knew she was troubled. He didn't push her, but instead said, "Miss Xiao, it's right to think it over. If you make a wrong step, what you stand to lose is the entire Xiao family. Think it through carefully."

By the time he saw off Eldest Miss Xiao, it was already dinner time. After wolfing down his meal, Lin Wanrong took out a pencil he had gotten from Qiaoqiao, found a piece of blank paper, and began writing and drawing incessantly. He constantly made revisions, his brows knitted in concentration one moment and beaming with joy the next. His face bore a smile that was as lascivious as it was radiant.

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