Chapter 119

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The moment the Second Miss caught sight of the figure behind her, she jumped up, startled. She glanced at Lin Wanrong, her face flushed with embarrassment and she stood there, too flustered to move.

The Eldest Miss approached, positioning her younger sister behind herself, and sternly interrogated Lin, "Lin San, what on earth are you doing?"

Damn, he was too careless, and here he was, encountering this tigress again. Lin Wanrong cursed inwardly.

Caught in the act of flirting with another's sister, he showed no remorse and shamelessly replied, "I wasn't doing anything. The Second Miss and I were simply conducting a research project to see who could hold their breath longer."

The Eldest Miss gave him an angry glare, "You've never been honest. How can I trust you?" She turned to her sister, "Yushuang, don't be scared. Tell me if this scoundrel has bullied you. I'll make him pay."

Xiao Yushuang's face turned crimson. She lifted her head to sneak a peek at Lin Wanrong, then lowered it again and replied, "Sister, he did not bully me. We were just having a conversation."

Xiao Yuruo gave her younger sister a helpless look and gently tapped her forehead, "You're too soft-hearted, Yushuang. I just hope you won't end up being taken advantage of without realizing it."

Yushuang hummed in agreement while nestled in her sister's arms, but she cheekily stuck her tongue out at Lin Wanrong when her sister wasn't looking. Lin Wanrong returned the gesture with a smile, his heart still fluttering.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any more out of her sister, the Eldest Miss decided not to push further. She took Yushuang's hand, "Little sister, Lin San and I have safely returned. Let's go home."

Xiao Yushuang shook her head, "Sister, I made a vow in front of the Bodhisattva to be a vegetarian and pray for a month. You can't make me break my promise."

The Eldest Miss affectionately tapped her sister's nose, "You naughty girl." The Second Miss giggled, hugging her sister tightly. The pair was a whirl of sisterly affection.

Lin Wanrong watched them, feeling disgruntled. Why was the Eldest Miss always so friendly towards others but kept a stern face with him? It was as if he owed her a large sum of silver. Speaking of debts, wasn't the first profit he made in this world by taking advantage of her?

The Eldest Miss was in high spirits after seeing her sister. The two sisters held hands, chatting in the Zen room. She instructed Lin Wanrong to accompany Yushuang in her fasting at the Rosy Cloud Temple and told him to prepare some vegetarian dishes.

Lin Wanrong had no interest in vegetarian food. Watching the sisters nibbling and savoring their food, he thought such bland taste was only for young ladies like them.

He waited until the afternoon, intending to share some heartfelt words with Yushuang once the Eldest Miss left. However, the Eldest Miss was on guard against him, like one would guard against a thief, keeping him away from Yushuang. This left Lin Wanrong feeling like a crab steamed alive, left in a dilemma, with nowhere to go.

Ah, this girl was trying to guard against him, then he'd defy her, determined to covertly win over his little Yushuang. Let this girl be vigilant to no avail.

He aimlessly wandered about the Rosy Cloud Temple. When encountering female devotees coming to offer incense, he would pose as a devotee and follow behind them, stealing glances at their figures and faces. This wasn't driven by ill intentions but was purely for self-amusement out of boredom. His stealthy demeanor, if matched with a Buddhist robe and a shaven head marked with six dots of incense ash, would make him the spitting image of a loitering monk. He even amused himself by giving a charming name to his action, the "Wolf Following the Tail."

Regrettably, the Eldest Miss was astute and didn't leave any gaps for Lin Wanrong to approach the Second Miss. Seeing today's plans thwarted, Lin Wanrong decided not to waste any more time and sneaked away. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"Little sister, you must stay away from Lin San in the future. He is a bad man," the Eldest Miss cautioned, watching Lin Wanrong's retreating figure.

"Why, sister? Lin San is a good person. He's capable, treats me well, and, besides, didn't he take care of you when you both were captured by the thieves?" the Second Miss inquired curiously.

Xiao Yuruo recalled the scene she had witnessed between him and Xiao Qingxuan in the cave, and her face turned crimson. "In any case, he is bad. He specifically bullies us women."

"Specifically bullies women? Why?" The Second Miss curiously asked, "When I am with him, I don't see him bullying me."

While she said this, a blush crept up her cheeks. To claim that this scoundrel hadn't bullied her would be a lie. She couldn't ignore that time he had spanked her. But then again, she had provoked him first, and he had retaliated later. It was all quite complicated.

The Eldest Miss thought, ‘He might not have bullied you, but he bullied me.’ Seeing her sister was quite fond of Lin San, she sighed. Did Lin San have such a charm that even after bullying Yushuang, Yushuang still spoke well of him? And what about the brilliant woman Xiao Qingxuan who was also one of his intimates? She pondered about Lin San. Apart from being crafty, she couldn't find any particularly good qualities about him. Yet, he seemed like a disaster for women.

—---

Frustrated at the failed attempt with the Second Miss, Lin Wanrong was rather irritated. He wasn't exactly eager to consummate a relationship with her just yet. After all, she was only sixteen. It wasn't wise for her to delve too early into romantic affairs. It would be best to let nature take its course. Using a trendy phrase, he considered it as "fattening the sheep before the slaughter."

However, since both of them had mutual affection, it should not be excessive for them to be intimate, touch, and thereby promote certain bodily developments of the Second Miss. Numerous practices had proved that a good figure could be nurtured by touch, and Lin Wanrong was exceedingly confident in his proficiency in this art.

That girl Xiao Yuruo was absolutely insufferable, guarding the Second Miss so closely as if she were protecting her from a thief, preventing him from laying his hands on her. Heh, if she wanted to keep a watchful eye on her, then he would make sure to sneak a kiss when least expected. This stealthy chase could perhaps prove more exciting.

After indulging in his fantasy for a while, he headed towards Food for Immortals. That day, the chaos at the Xiao residence had attracted the attention of the entire city. He wondered how the restaurant was faring, and Qiaoqiao must be deeply worried.

Thinking of Qiaoqiao, he felt warmth in his heart. With Qingxuan nowhere to be found, and the Second Miss under the watchful eye of the tigress, it was only sweet little Qiaoqiao who remained by his side. How could he not cherish her?

When he arrived at the restaurant, it was dusk. The restaurant was bustling with guests, sparkling lights, and lively chatter. Business seemed to be thriving, which brought him quiet satisfaction. Ah, all this money was his.

Upon climbing to the second floor from the first, he found neither Qiaoqiao nor the Dong father and son. As the scale of Food for Immortals had grown, they had hired some running hands to work downstairs. When he ascended to the third floor, he finally saw Old Dong.

He was meticulously keeping accounts. Watching him write word by word, Lin Wanrong felt impatient for him. Just as he was considering whether he should teach Old Dong the Arabic numerals, Old Dong lifted his head and saw Lin Wanrong. The brush he was holding dropped to the ground in surprise. "Little Lin, you've returned."

Lin Wanrong nodded, "Uncle Dong, I've returned. Where is Qiaoqiao? Why haven't I seen her?"

Old Dong's eyes turned red, "Qiaoqiao...she, she..."

A bad premonition rose in Lin Wanrong's heart. "Uncle, what happened to Qiaoqiao? Did someone bully her? Damn it, who was it? I'll shoot them."

Old Dong shook his head, "No, that's not it. Qiaoqiao...she's ill—"

"Ill? Where is she now? Is it serious? Has she seen a doctor—?" Lin Wanrong fired off a series of questions. The thought of Yushuang already caused him heartache. He couldn't bear to grieve again over Qiaoqiao.

Old Dong pointed upstairs, and Lin Wanrong understood. No one ever visited the fifth floor, which had become Qiaoqiao's temporary boudoir due to her busy days at the restaurant.

Lin Wanrong hurriedly ascended, and upon entering the fifth floor, he heard a female voice softly saying, "Qingshan, is that you? Be quiet, your sister just fell asleep."

The woman's voice was vaguely familiar but it wasn't Qiaoqiao's. Lin Wanrong anxiously pushed through the curtain and nearly collided with the woman coming out.

"Miss Luo?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, recognizing her as Luo Ning, the foremost talented lady in Jinling.

"Brother Lin? You've returned? That's great, now Qiaoqiao will be saved." Luo Ning initially looked surprised, then relieved.

Ignoring why Luo Ning would be here, Lin Wanrong urgently asked, "Where's Qiaoqiao? Where is she?"

Luo Ning quickly placed her slender finger on her lips, whispering, "Shh—she just fell asleep."

Lin Wanrong entered the room only to see Qiaoqiao lying on the bed, her face deathly pale. A wet towel was draped over her forehead, and she had fallen asleep. He hadn't seen her for several days, and her once round, lovely face had already grown thin.

A twinge of pain coursed through Lin Wanrong's heart. He swiftly walked over, sat down beside her bed, took her small hand, and whispered gently, "Qiaoqiao, big brother came late."

In her sleep, it seemed Qiaoqiao heard his words. She let out a soft hum, murmuring, "Big brother." Her brow furrowed, and tears fell.

Lin Wanrong knew she must be dreaming about him. A wave of guilt surged within him. After returning last night, he should have visited Qiaoqiao immediately. She had endured so much hardship for him, and he knew he could never repay her deep affection.

He held Qiaoqiao's small hand tightly, sitting by her side in silence, watching her. An unprecedented sense of tranquility filled his heart, leaving no room for any inappropriate thoughts.

After a long silence, Lin Wanrong finally turned to Luo Ning and said, "Thank you, Miss Luo."

Luo Ning shook her head, "Big brother, why are you thanking me? Qiaoqiao is my good friend. It's only right that I visit her when she's sick. Moreover, I came here to seek her advice on a matter. By the way, big brother, how did you escape from the bandits? Everyone has been so worried these past few days, especially Qiaoqiao."

The Xiao family was a notable figure in Jinling City. The news of their house being attacked by bandits had spread throughout the city. Naturally, Qiaoqiao, who was concerned about Lin Wanrong, had received the news.

Gently caressing Qiaoqiao's beautiful cheek, Lin Wanrong sighed, "It's a long story. Miss Luo, could you tell me how Qiaoqiao fell ill?"

Luo Ning nodded, "When the Xiao family was in trouble, Qiaoqiao fainted on the spot after hearing the news. It scared the living daylights out of Qingshan and Uncle Dong. When Qiaoqiao woke up, she said she didn't want you to see the business decline when you came back, so she pushed herself to manage the shop. It wasn't until yesterday morning when there was still no news of you that she couldn't hold on any longer. She fell ill and started speaking nonsense."

"This silly girl," Lin Wanrong fondly rubbed her little hand against his cheek. Qiaoqiao was the first woman he had fallen for in this world, and also the first who cared so much for him. This evoked a special feeling in Lin Wanrong. His pledge was clear in his heart: he would rather fail the whole world, but he could never let down Qiaoqiao.

Qiaoqiao had slept for a while before she woke up leisurely. Seeing Lin Wanrong in front of her, she could hardly believe her eyes, two trails of tears streaming down her cheeks, "Big, big brother, is it you? Am I dreaming?"

Lin Wanrong rested his forehead against hers and gently kissed her burning lips, "Silly girl, does this look like a dream to you?"

"Big brother—" Qiaoqiao could not hold back any longer, and she burst into tears.

Lin Wanrong was distressed and quickly patted her shoulders, "Qiaoqiao, big brother is fine, look, hasn't big brother come back?"

But the more he spoke, the harder Qiaoqiao cried. Knowing she had been greatly terrified these past days, he held her tightly, gently patting her shoulder, comforting her.

Eventually, Qiaoqiao managed to stop her tears and gazed at him blankly, "Big brother, how did you return? Did those bandits give you a hard time?"

With a thick skin, Lin Wanrong said, "Qiaoqiao, you know, big brother is talented and full of stratagems. Those little thieves were nothing. With big brother stepping in, everything was easily settled."

Laughing through her tears, Qiaoqiao said, "Big brother, you always find a way to coax me."

Pinching her little nose, Lin Wanrong said, "I only know how to coax my Qiaoqiao."

After saying this, he couldn't help but feel disdainful of himself. This was how he spoke to Yushuang and Qingxuan, and this move had always been effective.

Sure enough, Qiaoqiao stopped crying. She scolded, "Big brother—" and couldn't bring herself to say more out of embarrassment.

Seeing Qiaoqiao blushing, shy, and beautiful as a begonia in spring, Lin Wanrong was delighted. He was about to tease her more when Luo Ning walked over with a bowl of medicinal soup, "Qiaoqiao, hurry and drink this while it's hot."

Dong Qiaoqiao was taken aback, "Sister Ning, I can't deserve your care. Where is Qingshan?"

Luo Ning replied, "When I arrived, Qingshan and Little Yuan already knew big brother was back. They must have gone to the Xiao's house." Lin Wanrong nodded, thinking to himself, I wasted a day messing around at the Rosy Cloud Temple, so I probably missed the two of them.

Feeling a sense of guilt, he took the bowl of soup from Luo Ning's hand and said, "Thank you, Miss Luo."

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