Upon reaching these words, she could say no more. Tears streamed down silently. Though she possessed a myriad of sentiments, not a single word could escape her lips.
After several days apart, although Qiao Qiao retained her enchanting beauty, her countenance appeared noticeably more slender. Upon witnessing her tears, Lin Wanrong anxiously held her hand, inquiring, "Qiao Qiao, what has happened? Have you seen Big Brother in distress?"
Qiao Qiao bit her lip, gazing at him with devotion. She murmured, "No, Big Brother. You know, Qiao Qiao is always joyful when she sees you."
Glancing around, Lin Wanrong noticed two withered steamed buns on the counter, bearing tiny bite marks. Witnessing her reduced appearance, Lin Wanrong's expression shifted. He asked, "Qiao Qiao, why are you eating this?"
"Ah!" Qiao Qiao let out a soft cry, hurriedly concealing the steamed buns. Avoiding eye contact, she focused on her toes, afraid to look at him.
Furious, Lin Wanrong turned to Dong Qingshan behind her, demanding, "Qingshan, speak."
Dong Qingshan had never seen his boss angry before, feeling somewhat fearful. He hurriedly explained, "Big Brother, during the recent renovations, we faced a shortage of silver. Sister said it's hard for you to earn money outside, so we should be frugal. She steamed many buns for us to eat daily—"
"Damn!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, his fist pounding the table. He felt an intense pain in his heart. While he indulged outside, Qiao Qiao suffered alone. He despised himself completely.
"Big Brother—" Qiao Qiao, seeing his self-reproachful gaze, urgently grabbed his hand. Softly, she called out.
Tears welled up in Lin Wanrong's eyes as he beheld Qiao Qiao's crystal-clear face, still adorned with a faint, infatuated smile. He felt his heart shatter. Gently caressing Qiao Qiao's face, he uttered with deep affection, "Qiao Qiao, my treasure—"
Upon hearing his words, Qiao Qiao's tears could no longer be contained. Feeling both bitter and sweet, she interrupted, "Big Brother—" Before she could finish, her plump lips were firmly captured by a hot, passionate kiss.
Luo Yuan, Dong Qingshan, and the woman who had been conversing with Qiao Qiao stood there, utterly stunned. In this era, public displays of affection between men and women were already considered shocking, let alone such an intense scene. They had never witnessed anything like it.
Luo Yuan thought, "The boss is truly extraordinary. His actions are unmatched."
The woman who had been talking to Qiao Qiao blushed, lowered her head, unwilling to witness the spectacle.
Qiao Qiao, melting in the warm embrace, forgot where she was and her identity. She only felt an inexplicable charm in Big Brother's embrace, making her unable to leave him.
Lin Wanrong indulged in the fragrance of the young lady, sucking gently on her delicate tongue. Qiao Qiao felt an unprecedented sensation, tightly embracing Big Brother. Happy tears dripped onto both their cheeks.
Forget about Qin Xian'er, Xiao Qingxuan, or the young ladies. They couldn't compare to his cherished Qiao Qiao. In this moment, Lin Wanrong's heart belonged only to this sweet and charming young girl. If he treated her poorly, he felt his life would be in vain.
After a long time, Lin Wanrong finally released the young lady, gazing at her affectionately. Firmly, he declared, "Qiao Qiao, you are the most precious treasure in my life. I, Lin Wanrong, swear to the heavens. If I ever mistreat you, may I be struck down by divine retribution—"
"Big Brother—" Qiao Qiao, her eyes filled with tears, delicately covered his lips with her slender hand. "Don't make such a vow. You are a person of great deeds. No matter how you treat Qiao Qiao, she will have no complaints or regrets."
"Qiao Qiao—" Lin Wanrong, deeply moved, tightly embraced her. "My treasure, my good treasure, my little treasure, my dear little treasure."
Luo Yuan and Dong Qingshan, witnessing this overly affectionate scene, felt their hair standing on end. This boss could truly say anything.
Qiao Qiao, hearing these sweet and cheesy words, blushed and felt a mixture of embarrassment and sweetness. However, she still wanted to hear him call her "treasure" again.
Recalling the feeling of Big Brother kissing her earlier, she felt weak all over. Her face burned like fire, but her heart was incredibly happy. When she saw the three people staring at them, she suddenly shouted, "Ah!" How could she engage in such a embarrassing act in front of so many people? Blame it on Big Brother; he was so bad.
Qiao Qiao's face turned as red as blood, resembling a delicate flower. Feeling embarrassed, she immediately lowered her head and quickly ran downstairs with light footsteps.
Lin Wanrong loudly exclaimed, "Treasure, don't go too far. We'll talk later, just the two of us."
Luo Yuan and Dong Qingshan were sweating profusely. This boss was indeed too unconventional.
Lin Wanrong, noticing the strange looks from Luo Yuan and Dong Qingshan, didn't even blush. He laughed and said, "Oh, everyone is here. I hope I didn't disturb you earlier."
Shaking his head, Luo Yuan sighed, "Big Brother, seeing you, I now understand that courtesy and etiquette are utterly useless."
Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "Courtesy and etiquette? What are those things? I've never heard of them."
Feeling his youth and brimming admiration for his big brother, Dong Qingshan boldly added, "That's right, Big Brother. As long as you like something, just go for it. Who cares about those things?"
Luo Yuan gave Lin Wanrong a thumbs up, saying, "Big Brother, I truly admire and respect you."
Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, introducing Luo Yuan and Dong Qingshan to each other. Only then did he notice a woman standing beside them. He hadn't paid attention earlier while engaged with Qiao Qiao, Luo Yuan, and Dong Qingshan. He looked up and, at that moment, was struck motionless.
This woman appeared to be around twenty years old, with willow-leaf eyebrows, an oval face, rosy cheeks, cherry-like lips, and dressed in a light yellow shirt. She had a petite and charming figure. When looking at her, she seemed serene and natural, like a cluster of peaceful flowers, untouched by the worldly troubles. Even Lin Wanrong, accustomed to a carefree demeanor, felt a sense of tranquility in her presence.
Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. Where did this girl come from? She exuded such an extraordinary aura. In front of her, he found it difficult to speak.
Fortunately, Lin Wanrong was a fearless character. Although this young girl appeared tranquil, he wanted to disrupt that feeling. Hence, he smiled mischievously and asked, "
Miss, I don't think we've met before?"
The girl was momentarily stunned. In her experience, every man she met behaved politely and elegantly. Lin Wanrong's rude and unruly behavior was beyond what she had encountered. Luckily, she had witnessed Lin Wanrong's astounding skills earlier, which made his rascally behavior seem trivial in comparison. Smiling lightly, she responded, "I haven't met you before, sir."
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, saying, "Your words make it more interesting. Since we've encountered each other, I won't ask for the young lady's name to avoid being mistaken for a loiterer."
The young lady found it amusing, thinking to herself that if he wasn't a loiterer, no one else deserved that title. However, since she was friends with Qiao Qiao and this person was Qiao Qiao's admirer, she refrained from voicing such thoughts.
Seeing the girl talk to Lin Wanrong, Luo Yuan was about to introduce her, but the girl shot him a glance, causing Luo Yuan to obediently close his mouth.
Lin Wanrong, paying no more attention to the girl, turned to Dong Qingshan, asking, "Qingshan, is the tavern ready for opening?"
Dong Qingshan nodded, saying, "It's ready. We're just waiting for you to decide on the auspicious day for the grand opening."
Lin Wanrong had already made plans before coming here. He nodded and said, "I've checked the almanac. Three days from now, it will be the ninth day of the tenth month. It's an auspicious day for breaking ground, moving, and opening a business. Let's choose that day."
Dong Qingshan agreed, "Sister also chose that day. She said she would finalize everything once you arrived."
Lin Wanrong unabashedly declared, "Of course. My darling Qiao Qiao and I have a telepathic connection."
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Luo Yuan thought Lin Wanrong's skin was too thick. He hadn't seen anyone like him.
While they were chatting, Qiao Qiao, carrying a tea set, ascended the stairs with a bashful expression, not daring to look at Lin Wanrong and the others. She approached Luo Yuan and said, "Lord Luo, please have some tea."
Luo Yuan, pleasantly surprised, replied, "How can I trouble Madam Yu Zhi? I am truly indebted."
Qiao Qiao, both surprised and delighted, stole a glance at Lin Wanrong. Seeing Big Brother encouragingly smiling at her, she felt joy and summoned the courage to serve tea to the girl, saying, "Please have some tea, Sister Ning."
The girl smiled faintly and teased, "Qiao Qiao, now that you have a home, you should serve your husband tea first."
Qiao Qiao let out a soft cry, blushing intensely. Lowering her head, she carefully handed the tea cup to Lin Wanrong, saying, "Big Brother, have some tea—"
Lin Wanrong, increasingly fond of this girl, took the tea cup and placed it on the table. He held her hand, saying, "Qiao Qiao, come and sit beside Big Brother. Let me share some personal words with you." Qiao Qiao lightly acknowledged, obediently sitting next to him.
Lin Wanrong spoke, "Qiao Qiao, if you encounter difficulties, why not tell Big Brother? Do you still consider Big Brother an outsider?"
"No, Big Brother," Qiao Qiao hurriedly explained, "You are a person of great deeds. These minor matters don't require your worry. Qiao Qiao will handle them well."