Chapter 154

Chapter 154 "Worse than a Beast"Lin Wanrong stared at the Eldest Miss for a while, transfixed. He thought to himself, ‘this lass only gets more appealing with each passing moment. Who knows which fortunate lad would be able to pluck this blooming flower in the future?’

Today, the Eldest Miss had uncharacteristically broken away from her habitual, monotonous life. She had indulged a little unintentionally, but there was a strange thrill within her heart. She felt like a caged bird that had finally spread its wings to soar into the sky; the sense of freedom was undeniably enticing.

Looking at her demeanor, Lin Wanrong had some understanding of her feelings. He nodded and said, "Eldest Miss, if you want to wander a bit more, feel free. It's already late, so a little while longer won't make a difference."

Xiao Yuruo grunted in acknowledgment, carefully tucking the fortune stick Lin Wanrong handed back into her bosom. She lifted her long skirt and surprisingly, she chose to sit on a large protruding stone by the embankment.

Despite the deep chill of the night, the Eldest Miss seemed oblivious as she gazed blankly at the lake. Lin Wanrong, unsure of her thoughts, found a stone to sit beside her.

"The beauty of West Lake lies in its landscape; the beauty of life lies in understanding hearts," the Eldest Miss sighed lightly, "but where should I go to find the one who understands my heart?" She seemed to be speaking to herself, yet she also appeared to be asking Lin Wanrong. There was a slight crease between her brows, revealing a subtle hint of sadness.

Hearing her words, Lin Wanrong realized that she was pondering about her marriage destiny.

Lin Wanrong gave a helpless laugh, saying, "Eldest Miss, the divination is clear. Your soulmate is someone you need to find by understanding with your heart. Don't miss him when you meet him. Instead of sighing here, why don't you take a good look at the young scholars and lords around you? Perhaps the one you're looking for is among them."

The Eldest Miss gave him a frustrated look, saying, "What's the matter with you? Just a moment ago, you were interpreting the divination in such a serious, knowledgeable manner. Now why are you talking about these irrelevant young lords?"

Sweating, he thought to himself, if she didn't choose a young lord, was she expecting to choose him? In theory, once he married Yushuang, the Eldest Miss would be his sister-in-law. This would technically put him in an ambiguous position with her. But her personality was a bit problematic—she was overly domineering and possessive, which made him lose some interest.

Lost in his thoughts, he was startled when the Eldest Miss suddenly asked, "Lin San, the night before we came to Hangzhou, were you hiding in Yushuang's room?"

Lin Wanrong was taken aback. "No, how could that be possible? I'm a decent man, and the Second Miss is even more so. How could I sneak into her boudoir and hide there at night?"

His face was one of innocence, as if he was being wronged. Inside, however, he was panicking. How did she find out about this? He had been so careful that day.

Seeing his dishonesty, the Eldest Miss snorted, "Stop making excuses. I saw with my own eyes how you snuck out of Yushuang's room. What were you doing in there? Speak truthfully now."

Seen with her own eyes? This lass had actually witnessed him. He thought he had been as stealthy as a ghost, yet he had been caught pilfering his love by his soon-to-be sister-in-law. It was a grave injustice. He hadn't done anything apart from stealing a kiss from Yushuang's lips.

He pondered, knowing he couldn't confess to this. Revealing his relationship with Yushuang wasn't what he was afraid of. However, the fact that Madame Xiao also resided in that courtyard made the events of that night overly bizarre and sensual; he absolutely couldn't confess.

"Eldest Miss, did your eyes deceive you?" Lin Wanrong joked, "How could I appear in the Second Miss' room so late at night? Not only do women cherish their reputations, but I also value mine. I have been in the Xiao family for some time and have always been strict with myself, maintaining my purity. In the courtyard, I am known to be well-praised, how could I ever do such a thing?"

Seeing him dodge her question and claiming strict discipline and purity, she felt both annoyed and amused. Could this man truly speak these words? Not to mention Xiao Qingxuan and Qiaoqiao, even the maids in the courtyard, dreaming about him. If not a hundred, then at least eighty of them, and yet he had the audacity to claim purity?

Both wanting to lash out and laugh, the Eldest Miss held back her amusement, saying, "You must have been born without a shred of shame to be able to speak such words so freely. I am truly at a loss of how to converse with you. Whether you admit it or not, I just want to tell you not to take advantage of Yushuang's youth. The women of the Xiao family might seem weak, but they are not to be trifled with."

"How could I take advantage?" Lin Wanrong said innocently, "I barely have time to 'cherish' her. Eldest Miss, don't see me as some rogue. Apart from being generous with my love, I honestly can't find any other flaws in myself."

The Eldest Miss had a deep understanding of his audacity, and she chose to ignore his words. She found that the more she spoke with him, the more directionless the conversation became. She would hit him with forceful blows, but he would dissolve them effortlessly, like a floating cotton, leaving her frustrated.

Her pleasant mood from the divination faded in Lin Wanrong's presence. Xiao Yuruo, feeling annoyed, decided to ignore him and stared blankly at the horizon where the lake met the sky.

The night sky was deep and profound, countless bright little stars scattered across it, their reflections dancing on the water, making it seem as though the starry sky had flipped into the lake.

The Eldest Miss had never admired the night sky by the lake like this before. Under the allure of the beautiful scenery, she couldn't help but look up at the starlit sky. She stretched out her slender fingers and asked, "Lin San, what are those two stars?"

Lin Wanrong had hurriedly left in the afternoon, and his clothes were thin. The cold wind by the lake made him shiver. All he could think of was getting back home as soon as possible. He had no interest in identifying stars. Yawning, without raising his head, he replied, "They are the Wenqu and Taibai stars."

[TL: Wenquxing and Taibai Jinxing refer to two stars or celestial bodies in Chinese mythology and astronomy. Wenqu is the god of literature in Chinese culture. In the traditional Chinese celestial system, it corresponds to the planet Mercury. Taibai Jinxing corresponds to the planet Venus. In Chinese folklore, it's often associated with Taibai Jinxing, the god of the same name. Taibai Jinxing serves as a counselor or adviser in the heavenly court according to some myths.]

Seeing his lack of enthusiasm, she huffed and said, "When I talk to you, I am sincere, but you are dismissive, it's truly disappointing."

"Eldest Miss, clad as you are in a thick winter coat, you wouldn't fear the cold. However, I only have on a single long gown, so naturally, I'm the one freezing." Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, following her pointed finger to look in the direction of two bright stars, each surrounded by a host of smaller ones.

Lin Wanrong squinted for a while. Damn it, what stars were these? He didn't recognize them. Given his mediocre astronomical knowledge, he couldn't identify them. Without further thought, he blurted out a familiar guess, "Those are the Cowherd Star (Altair, part of the Aquila constellation) and the Weaver Girl Star (Vega)."

"Cowherd and Weaver Girl?" the Eldest Miss asked curiously, "What stars are those? I've never heard of them."

"Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Cowherd. He was handsome and kind-hearted, much like myself. The daughter of the Queen Mother of Heaven, known as the Weaver Girl, happened to see him while looking in a mirror. She fell for him, eloped to the mortal realm, and they got married. They had seven sons and eight daughters. When the celestial officials discovered them... later, the Queen Mother showed mercy. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, she allowed magpies to form a bridge, letting the couple meet above the Milky Way. They could share a sweet, intimate moment, and no one was allowed to peek..."

As Lin Wanrong told the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, it was quite an engaging tale, almost turning into a risqué joke as he yawned through the telling.

The Eldest Miss listened to his haphazard rendition, feeling both entertained and frustrated. The story was beautiful and enchanting, but the way Lin San told it ruined the mood.

Choosing the most relevant part, she sighed, "Cowherd and Weaver Girl, though separated by the Milky Way, found their soulmates. It's truly admirable." She paused, then asked, "Lin San, do you and Miss Qingxuan share such a bond?"

Here it came again, Lin Wanrong thought to himself. This girl was showing some signs of spring fever. If his charms had ensnared her and he couldn't break free, that would be dangerous.

He chuckled without answering her question, instead saying, "Eldest Miss, the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl is rather ordinary. Let me tell you a more exciting story. This one is called 'Worse Than Beasts.'"

"Worse Than Beasts?" The Eldest Miss blinked in surprise. The title was quite shocking, "Is it more exciting than the story of Cowherd and Weaver Girl?"

"Exciting by a hundredfold," Lin Wanrong chuckled. "Once upon a time, there was a scholar and an Eldest Miss who were in love. One day, they agreed to go on an outing. They were caught in a heavy rain and took refuge in a vacant house for the night. The house had only one bed. Although they were in love, they did not act rashly. Out of consideration, the Eldest Miss shyly invited the scholar to share the bed but placed a pillow in between and wrote a note saying 'those who cross the boundary are beasts.' The scholar, being a gentleman, endured the whole night without crossing the boundary."

Used to his nonsense, the Eldest Miss's reaction had gradually dulled. Her cheeks flushed, she huffed, "Your stories are always improper. Isn't it good that the scholar respected the rules?"

Lin Wanrong grinned, "The following morning, the Eldest Miss woke up, left without a trace, leaving another note behind."

"What did the note say?" the Eldest Miss asked.

With a mysterious smile, Lin Wanrong said, "It read, 'You're even worse than beasts.'"

The Eldest Miss's cheeks turned scarlet with a mix of embarrassment and anger. She quickly rose to her feet, saying, "Shameless! Despicable! The one who made up this story must be shameless, a person worse than beasts." As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and quickly walked away, heading in the direction of the shops.

"Eldest Miss, wait for me." Lin Wanrong chuckled, finally relieved from the cold wind. He quickly followed after her.

The Eldest Miss turned to look at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. Angrily she huffed, "Under the pretense of telling a story, you uttered such vulgar words, you, you..." She huffed a few more times, struggling to find the words, then said, "You're worse than a beast."

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