Coming out of Luo Min's place, the sky was already dark. Lin Wanrong suddenly remembered that he hadn't informed Old Luo about Luo Ningsheng's illness. This old man had been busy discussing important matters with Xu Wei in recent days, and family matters were definitely neglected. Thinking of this, he turned to Gao Shou, who was accompanying him down the mountain, and said, "Brother Gao, please inform Lord Luo about Miss Luo's illness and see how he plans to handle it."
Gao Shou nodded, "Naturally. However, based on my understanding of Lord Luo, at such a crucial moment, he probably won't easily leave here."
Gao Shou was Luo Min's confidant, and he would naturally not be kept in the dark about what Luo Min was doing.
Old Luo may look cunning on the surface, but he is actually very loyal and upright. He wouldn't let family matters interfere with state affairs. Lin Wanrong nodded and sighed, feeling a bit sympathetic towards Luo Ningsheng and her brother. Having such an old man as a father might not be a blessing after all.
"By the way, why haven't I seen Chief Gao today?" Lin Wanrong asked.
"Oh, he followed Mr. Xu early this morning to coordinate military affairs in two places," Gao Shou, knowing Lin Wanrong's relationship with Xu Wei and Luo Min, didn't hide anything from him.
Xu Wei is not having an easy time either. At the age of fifty or sixty, he recently took Su Qinglian as a concubine, and before they could enjoy their newlywed bliss, he's off running around again. Being an official is troublesome; it's better to be a commoner like me, free and easy.
After the conversation with Luo Min, Lin Wanrong felt more certain. Thinking of Old Luo's integrity, he was moved, and he also wanted to do something for him. Well, since this old man doesn't have time to take care of his daughter, I'll go visit her on his behalf.
He thought it and did it, turning his horse's head straight towards the Governor's Yamen. The sky was already dark, and the lights in Luo's mansion were quiet. Just as Lin Wanrong was about to go in, he suddenly remembered that Mr. Mei might be living in Luo's mansion. If he entered rashly, wouldn't he cause more trouble for Luo Ningsheng? He hesitated at the door for a while and coincidentally saw a sedan chair stopping at the entrance of Luo's mansion. Several maidservants helped an old lady down from the sedan chair – none other than Mrs. Luo, Luo Min's mother.
During the birthday celebration, Lin Wanrong had flattered her a lot, giving her diamonds and Xu Wei's "Returning Home in the Snow" as gifts. His couplets were unmatched. Even if she was getting old, she could still recognize him. Seeing him strolling at the door, she immediately called out from a distance, "Isn't this Little Brother Lin? Come over and have a chat."
Lin Wanrong dismounted and went over, bowing, "Third Lin greets Madam."
Mrs. Luo glanced at him, nodded, and smiled, "Good, good. Little Brother Lin, how have you been these days?"
Lin Wanrong smiled, "Thanks to your blessings, I've been eating well, sleeping well, and having a good time."
Madam Luo laughed, "Little Brother Lin speaks well, and he is talented. I don't know which family's young lady has promised you, but you're truly blessed."
"Madam, you're joking. I'm just a small servant of the Xiao family, with neither wealth nor power. How could a young lady be interested in me?" Lin Wanrong modestly replied.
Madam Luo shook her head, "Little Brother Lin, heroes are not afraid of humble beginnings. You must not belittle yourself. My ancestors were once cowherds, but later they followed the founding emperor to conquer the world and were able to be ennobled. You are young now, as long as you work hard, success is just a matter of time."
"Madam is indeed from a prestigious family. I have been disrespectful." Lin Wanrong was surprised. No wonder this old lady looked so imposing; she turned out to be the descendant of a founding general. Although Luo Min's old man was chubby, he didn't expect him to have such an illustrious ancestor.
Madam Luo held his hand, "That is the influence of our ancestors; I am just basking in their glory."
Seeing her maidservants carrying incense burners and Buddhist scriptures, Lin Wanrong curiously asked, "Madam, what are you doing here?"
Madam Luo sighed, "It's all because my obedient Ninger is pitiful. After returning yesterday, she cried bitterly. I asked her many questions, but she refused to say anything, and I don't know who made her suffer so much. Seeing her so sad, if I find that person, I will definitely make him pay."
Although Madam Luo's words were forceful, Lin Wanrong felt comfortable hearing them. Right now, he lacked nothing but this kind of affectionate family love.
"Ninger is really heartbroken. After falling asleep, she talks incoherently and even says some nonsense. The two siblings lost their mother since childhood, and I personally raised them. Especially Ninger, she has been strong since childhood. Not only does she have to take care of her younger brother, but she also has to take care of this lonely old woman. She has to spare time to study well. It's really hard for her. Yesterday, seeing her like this, my heart ached. Today, I got up early and went to the temple to pray for a whole day, hoping that my obedient Ninger would recover soon." Madam Luo wiped away two tears.
This Luo Ningsheng is too strong. Just because she was a little embarrassed, she ended up getting sick. Lin Wanrong sighed, "Madam, I have something to ask you. Does Miss Luo have a mentor named Mei Yanqiu, and is he also living in your mansion?"
Madam Luo snorted, "That Mei is Ninger's teacher from her childhood. Unlike other teachers who are knowledgeable and old, this Mei has reversed that. In recent years, she has become more and more unreasonable, not focusing on studying and instead busy taking in rich young masters. No progress in her studies at all. In my opinion, she is far inferior to Little Brother Lin here; how could she live in my mansion?"
Lin Wanrong thought, a teacher, just building relationships, pulling in research funds, and everything will be normal. Unfortunately, this Mei offended my reverse scale. Not dealing with her would be too disrespectful to my fiery heart.
"Little Brother, I see that Ninger has a good relationship with you. Hurry up and go see her, persuade her properly. As her grandmother, I hope my obedient girl will recover soon." Without saying anything, Madam Luo pulled Lin Wanrong's sleeve and walked into the mansion. Her steps were urgent.
Lin Wanrong felt emotional. Old Luo may not be a good father, but this grandmother is enviable. There are losses and gains in everything, and this girl hasn't been treated unfairly.
As Madam Luo walked a
few steps, she pointed to a small building with faint lights, "That's Ninger's embroidery building. Little Brother Lin, go up and see her."
How can I just enter a girl's room? Lin Wanrong hesitated for a while, turned around to look, but Madam Luo had already walked far away. This old lady, didn't she used to be a young girl herself? She didn't even consider such things. Should I go up or not? Lin Wanrong hesitated for a while at the entrance, finally bit the bullet, hesitating is not my style, and entering a girl's room is nothing to me. If I want to go up, I'll go up beautifully, bravely appreciating myself.
He chuckled twice, went upstairs, and was about to push the door when he heard a creaking sound. The door was opened by someone, and a beautiful figure walked out from the room.
Lin Wanrong was stunned and called out, "Qiaoqiao—"
Dong Qiaoqiao raised her head, saw the familiar face, and couldn't help but feel surprised, "Big brother, why are you here too—"
Lin Wanrong pointed to the room and whispered, "Is Miss Luo inside? Are you here specifically to take care of her?"
Qiaoqiao nodded, "Just drank some medicine and fell asleep. Sister Ninger has treated me like a sister, so it's only right for me to take care of her. Big brother, did you come to see Sister Ninger?"
The relationship between these two girls is really good. Lin Wanrong grabbed her little hand, smiled, and said, "What else do you think I came for? How is Miss Luo's condition? Has it improved a bit?"
Qiaoqiao sat down beside him, shaking her head with a sigh, "No improvement. The doctor said it's anxiety, which turned into an illness due to overexertion. She needs proper rest."
"Anxiety-induced illness?" Lin Wanrong frowned, "Then let her take good care of her body first. Leave the Poetry Society and other matters to someone else."
Qiaoqiao shook her head, "Big brother, you don't understand Sister Ninger. Although she is a gentle woman, her spirit is high. The Poetry Society is entirely her doing, and others can't reassure her. In the past, if Sister Ninger had any discomfort, she would tell me everything. However, this time, she cried without saying anything sensible, and when asked, she refused to say anything. I've known her for some time, but I've never seen Sister Ninger like this."
Seeing the worried expression on this girl's face, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but smile, pulling her into his arms and saying, "Silly girl, everyone has their own worries. Even if you are good sisters, she can't tell you everything. But you, little baby, have been overworked these days, and you haven't taken good care of yourself. You've lost weight."
"Big brother—" Qiaoqiao's face blushed, burying her head in his arms, saying, "Qiaoqiao is not tired at all. I have something to do every day, and I feel very at ease. I don't want to be a burden to big brother. I will definitely take good care of the tavern for you and make sure you have nothing to worry about."
Lin Wanrong pinched her little nose, kissed her on her rosy lips, and said with a smile, "What burden, don't talk nonsense. You are my baby and the proprietress of this tavern. Who else will take care of it if you don't?"
Qiaoqiao made a soft sound, filled with infinite joy, burying her head in his arms.
Seeing this lovely appearance of the girl, Lin Wanrong couldn't help it anymore, gently unbuttoning her small jacket, his hands reaching into her chest, gently exploring. The tender and smooth skin emitted a faint fragrance. Lin Wanrong clasped his hands tightly, letting the ** transform into various tempting shapes in his hands. Qiaoqiao breathed rapidly, too embarrassed to speak.
Lin Wanrong gently touched her pink **, and Qiaoqiao suddenly felt a fiery heat in her nose. Her face turned crimson, and her whole body weakened as she collapsed into his arms, gasping, "Big brother, don't do this here, Sister Ninger is still in the room—"
Not saying anything would be better. The words revealed were even more stimulating. Lin Wanrong's blood was boiling. In someone else's room, there was still a girl lying inside, and outside, there was such a charming and lovely little girl. How exciting could it be? Although he knew that such thoughts were beastly, who wasn't an evolved beast? If I pretend to be innocent, even God would despise me.
Lin Wanrong smiled lasciviously at Qiaoqiao, "Little baby, let's try it here."