The sound seemed somewhat familiar to Lin Wanrong. In his state of confusion, he saw the eldest Miss furrow her brows and say, "Doesn't it sound like Wan Ying's voice? Why is she here?"
Indeed, it did sound somewhat familiar. Isn't it the voice of that little girl, Tao Wan Ying? Has her emotional trauma healed? Why would she come here at this time?
Outside, two major factions were in conflict, and the eldest Miss dared not open the door casually. She called out softly, "Which young lady is outside?"
"It's me, Sister Yu Ruo. It's Wan Ying!" Sure enough, Tao Wan Ying's voice came urgently. "There were some unexpected incidents on the way, which delayed me. Sister Yu Ruo, please don't be upset."
"It's Wan Ying bringing people from the yamen." The eldest Miss said with joy.
Lin Wanrong nodded, realizing that this girl with the surname Tao recovered quite quickly. She returned to work at the yamen so soon. However, he couldn't help but feel dissatisfied with the efficiency of these policemen. He had already solved the problem, and now they wanted to come and do what?
The eldest Miss ordered someone to open the door, and Tao Wan Ying, wearing a fiery red official uniform, swiftly rushed in.
Upon seeing only her alone, Xiao Yu Ruo curiously asked, "Miss Wan Ying, why are you the only one who came?"
Tao Wan Ying, panting, said, "Sister Yu Ruo, we received your message and rushed here immediately. Unexpectedly, as soon as we left the yamen, we received news that the Commander-in-Chief's troops were conducting drills in the front, and all the intersections were blocked. We couldn't get through. Fortunately, my family has a deep friendship with Lord Cheng, and he graciously allowed me to pass, while the others are still waiting in their original positions."
Lin Wanrong couldn't help but sneer inwardly at Cheng De's mischief. Tonight's disturbances unfolded one after another—first Cheng De surrounded the Governor's yamen with soldiers, and then the Black Dragon gang harassed the Xiao family. It was all part of their systematic probing.
Although the situation seemed calm now, the outcome of the battle between the two factions outside was still uncertain. The eldest Miss, seeing Tao Wan Ying risking herself alone to come to the rescue, felt grateful. She had already forgotten Tao Wan Ying's previous prank of abducting her with Tao Dong Cheng, pulling her hand and saying, "Sister Wan Ying, we are grateful to you for coming to help. The entire Xiao family appreciates it."
Tao Wan Ying shook her head and said, "Sister Yu Ruo, please don't say that. I feel extremely ashamed. On that day, I treated you and your brother like that. You won't blame me, will you?"
The eldest Miss, aware of what she was referring to, smiled and shook her head. "So much time has passed since that incident. Why bring up these matters? Moreover, you didn't mean to harm me back then. How could I blame you?"
Tao Wan Ying's eyes reddened. "Sister Yu Ruo, the more I think about it, the more I realize how wrong I was that day. I don't know what possessed me to do such wicked things. Now it seems like retribution has caught up with me. After you released me and my brother, his behavior became more and more erratic. He would throw tantrums at home all day, throwing things around. He would scold and beat the servants and use harsh words on me. It's like he's turned into a different person, and even my father can't control him. As for me, I felt tainted that day—"
She teared up, unable to continue, but Lin Wanrong, hearing these words, couldn't help but smile. According to Tao Wan Ying's account, that Tao Dong Cheng must have developed some impotence. Maybe he's secretly preparing an embroidered needle, learning from Dong Fang Bu Bai. This is the right way to deal with evildoers. Big Brother Gao's method is indeed powerful. I'm truly talented.
Seeing her in tears, the eldest Miss, knowing that Tao Wan Ying was recalling her own ordeal, felt a moment of sympathy. She gently said, "Wan Ying, you don't need to worry. There's nothing wrong, it's just someone playing tricks—"
"Cough, cough—" Lin Wanrong hurriedly coughed a few times to prevent the eldest Miss from accidentally revealing too much. The eldest Miss resisted a smile and glanced at him with blame. This rascal scared an innocent girl into this state. Are you satisfied?
Seeing the playful look in the eldest Miss's eyes, Lin Wanrong sighed inwardly. This girl, after healing her wounds, forgets the pain. If I say a couple of nice words, she thinks of selling me out completely. Her overflowing kindness is a bit too much.
Tao Wan Ying whispered to the eldest Miss, "Sister Yu Ruo, I've checked with my family's maidservants, and I haven't been mistreated. I suspect that when you left me by the roadside in the woods that day, I got some scratches, so I had those feelings. Sister, I'm sincerely grateful for your kindness."
Lin Wanrong had excellent hearing and had already heard her words. He secretly enjoyed the act of fooling this young girl. The eldest Miss smiled and said, "There's no need for thanks. These were all Lin San's ideas. He said that resolving misunderstandings is better than letting them fester. We don't have deep-seated grudges with you, so there's no need for such life-and-death struggles. After releasing you and your brother, we came straight back to Jinling."
Tao Wan Ying, facing Lin San, blushed and looked embarrassed. She nearly forced Lin San to admit to that insulting incident on the street. Now, thinking about it, she
felt extremely embarrassed. As a young lady, how could she easily identify such crimes? After stammering for a long time, she finally lowered her head and said, "Are you... still well?"
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily and said meaningfully, "Thanks to Miss Tao's blessings, I've been well lately. How about Miss Tao? Have you been well in recent days?"
Tao Wan Ying bit her lip and said, "I've been well in these days too. I appreciate what happened that day; otherwise, I—" She blushed, unable to continue.
Well, after creating a fake scene, she's scared like this. I wonder if this young girl will develop a fear of the wedding night in the future. Oh, this is a bit unfair to her husband.
"Tao Miss, you're being too polite. Helping others is always my weakness. As long as misunderstandings are resolved, and everyone is safe, that's what matters. What's there to thank?" Lin Wanrong chuckled.
Tao Wan Ying dared not speak to him again, turning to Xiao Yu Ruo and saying, "Sister Yu Ruo, at the moment, there's a fight between two factions outside. It's better for you to wait a while before going out. With me here, they won't dare to harm you."
Black gangsters won't dare to attack the police? This girl is too naive. However, Tao Yu and Cheng De are in cahoots, so Wu Zhenghu shouldn't dare to harm Tao Wan Ying. The eldest Miss asked Lin San, "Lin San, what should we do about the current situation?"
Seeing Dǒng and Lǐ leading their forces in a battle with the Black Dragon gang, although Hóng Xīng had the upper hand, it might not be over anytime soon. Tao Wan Ying brought an important piece of news; Cheng De's troops were nearby. This situation needed to be resolved early.
Thinking about it, Lin Wanrong said seriously, "Miss Tao, your timing is perfect. The ones causing trouble at my Xiao family tonight are those in black clothes, the so-called Black Dragon gang. You should testify for us."
Tao Wan Ying nodded and said, "Black Dragon gang, Wu Zhenghu, I know."
Glad that she knew, Lin Wanrong smirked at her and said, "Miss Tao, don't talk nonsense. I see these righteous individuals are all loyal and mighty. How can the Black Dragon gang compare to them? They also helped us, the Xiao family, in a critical moment, and we should contribute too."
The eldest Miss gave him a meaningful look and said, "In your opinion, what should we do?"
Lin Wanrong replied, "Currently, the Black Dragon gang is at a disadvantage. They're like frightened birds. In our residence, we have over a hundred brothers. It's better for us to charge out together and cheer on these righteous folks."
"No—," Tao Wan Ying exclaimed, "These two factions are both troubles in Jinling. If we recklessly support Hóng Xīng, and they have ill intentions as well, wouldn't that be inviting the wolf into our home?"
Inviting the wolf into our home? The biggest wolf is right in front of you, where else do you need to worry? Lin Wanrong laughed twice and said, "Miss Tao, we can't delay this matter. If the Black Dragon gang wins, we'll be even more in danger."
Tao Wan Ying, seeing a playful glint in his eyes, couldn't help but think of the incident where she forced him to admit to an insult. She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to speak.
The eldest Miss frowned and said, "Our people from the Xiao family won't be a match for them in a fight. If someone gets injured, the guilt will be significant."
Lin Wanrong shook his head and said, "Don't worry, Miss. The Black Dragon gang is on its last legs. They won't dare to entangle with us if we charge out. We just need to show off a bit, without fighting, and they'll surely run away."
Finding some logic in his words, the eldest Miss bit her lip and said, "Alright, Lin San, let's follow your plan. The Black Dragon gang is a group of scoundrels, and Hóng Xīng should be trustworthy."
Seeing the decisiveness in the eldest Miss's words, Lin Wanrong was somewhat surprised. Why is this girl so sure? Could it be that she also had dealings with the Black Society?
The eldest Miss gave him a glance, her face flushing slightly. She said coyly, "Why are you still staring? That Hóng Xīng, led by Qiú Qiú's brother, you think I don't recognize them? These people must have been brought by you. Humph, concealing so many things from me, I'll interrogate you thoroughly later."
This girl is not naive. Lin Wanrong sweated coldly and quickly called Xiao Feng over, saying, "Get the brothers ready. We'll charge out together to assist those righteous folks. Let's beat up those Black Dragon gang bastards."
The Xiao family's servants, who had just experienced the thrill of fighting, were excited again. They were all ready to join the fray.
Lin Wanrong opened the door, ready to lead the charge, but Tao Wan Ying grabbed his sleeve.
"Miss Tao, what do you mean?" Lin Wanrong was puzzled.
"Feeling your sincere virtues, I shall offer you a token of gratitude by reporting it with grass and a ring." Tao Wan Ying spoke softly, swiftly brushed past Lin Wanrong, and rushed out.