Top Quality House Servant

The spring breeze was gentle, the willows swayed gracefully, and the vast Xuanwu Lake stretched out like an enormous, smooth mirror. Under the glow of the setting sun, it shimmered with golden radiance.

The wide lake surface sparkled with rippling waves, dotted with pleasure boats gliding like shuttles. Laughter and chatter drifted from the boats—likely the young ladies of some wealthy household out for a jaunt—creating a lively and bustling scene.

Countless scholars and gentlemen stood at the prows of their boats, their eyes fixed on the flower-adorned vessels carrying the daughters of the elite. Their gazes burned with a wolfish hunger. But as they drew closer to the flower boats, they underwent a dramatic transformation: faces straightened into masks of upright nobility, eyes fixed ahead, folding fans swaying lightly as they recited poetry and composed verses, exuding an air of refined charm.

A few official boats, their curtains drawn, cruised the lake discreetly. Behind those curtains, the sheltered young misses peeked out, secretly sizing up the parade of dashing scholars passing by, quietly picking out their favorites.

Standing by the edge of Xuanwu Lake, if Lin Wanrong had to sum up his current mood in one word, it would be—fucked. Seriously, fucking fucked.

He'd been here a whole damn month, and bad luck hadn't let him breathe for a second. Maybe it started the moment he decided to join the company's tour group to Mount Tai. Especially when he saw her name on the list—that little chick—he'd had a bad fucking feeling.

And shit, he'd been right.

Lin Wanrong spat hard into the lake water, feeling a slight lift in his mood as a rush of satisfaction washed over him. That spit felt good—damn good. It'd been ages since he'd let loose like that. Fuck it, this era probably didn't have some old hag with a red armband waddling over to fine him fifty bucks, right?

He studied his reflection in the clear water: sharp brows, bright eyes, a nose straight as a cliff, and a friendly grin. If he swapped out this getup for some scholar's robes, he'd probably outshine those dumbass "talents" reciting shitty poetry on the lake by a mile—hell, he'd be the slickest bastard out there.

Too bad he was stuck in this plain blue cloth robe, feet shoved into a pair of tattered shoes with holes in the toes. Compared to the fancy gear those "romantic" scholars were sporting, he looked like a goddamn beggar. Add in his short, even bangs—completely unlike the locals' long hair he couldn't even tie into a proper headscarf—and he stuck out like a sore thumb in this world.

The chicks passing by on the road barely glanced at his outfit. Didn't even need to see his face—they just skipped him entirely, their eyes darting straight to the so-called "talents" shivering their asses off in the cold wind at the boat prows.

Suddenly, the roadside girls went batshit crazy, shoving toward the lake's edge, craning their necks to stare out over the water. Their shrill squeals—sweet as birdsong—pierced the air.

"Wow, look, look! It's Hou Yuebai, the number one talent of Jinling, Young Master Hou!""Wow, so handsome!""Wow, so romantic!""Ugh, which lucky miss gets to snag him?"

Lin Wanrong followed their starry-eyed stares.

Out on the lake, three painted pleasure boats drifted with the current, each two stories tall, about six or seven meters high. Lanterns hung high, their eaves curved elegantly—fancy as hell.

The boats were decked out with fluttering banners. The one on the right had a massive streamer hanging from the top: "The Spring Breeze Caresses My Heart." The one on the left read: "All for You, My Love."

On the middle boat, a young prick stood at the prow—face like polished jade, fanning himself lightly with a smug grin, long robes flapping in the breeze. He oozed that carefree, playboy vibe like it was his fucking job.

Across from his three boats was an even bigger, more extravagant vessel—its eaves just as grand, curtains drawn tight so you couldn't see shit inside. A huge lantern danced in the wind at the prow, emblazoned with a single golden character: "Luo."

"It's Miss Luo! Jinling's number one beauty and number one talent!" a girl next to Lin Wanrong shrieked, her face lit up like a goddamn fangirl.

Lin Wanrong didn't give two shits about Jinling's "number one talent." And this "number one beauty and talent" Miss Luo? He snorted—big deal. Back in his time, any chick who could string two sentences together called herself a beauty. Those "writers" who sold their bodies for fame were a dime a dozen—nothing new.

"I heard Young Master Hou's been chasing Miss Luo for two years. He's the son of Jinling's magistrate, a famous scholar across Jiangsu and Zhejiang. With his family and his brains, ugh, if I were Miss Luo, I'd be swooning to death!" a lovestruck chick gushed.

"Tch, Miss Luo's the top talent and beauty of Jinling. Her brains match Hou's any day, and she's the daughter of Jiangsu's governor—her family's a step above his. She might not even give him the time of day," another girl shot back, clearly a diehard Luo fan.

"Nah, I say the top talent and top beauty of Jinling are a match made in heaven. In this city—or hell, all of Jiangsu and Zhejiang—you'd be hard-pressed to find another pair this perfect," the lovestruck one countered.

Lin Wanrong shook his head, helpless. Women and their gossip—same shit, different era.

Out on the lake, the playboy Hou had parked his boat next to Miss Luo's. He was bowing and clasping his fists, probably spouting some sappy crap to whoever was behind her curtains.

After a long-ass wait, a pretty little maid popped out from Miss Luo's boat, stood at the prow, and said something to Hou. His face flickered—disappointment one second, glee the next.

Lin Wanrong was too far to hear jack shit, but Hou's weird expressions had him wondering: Did this Luo chick say yes or no? Why the hell was this monkey boy looking so up-and-down?

The fangirls and groupies nearby were just as stumped. As Miss Luo's boat glided toward the lake's center, her fan grinned smugly. "See? Told you. Hou's not guaranteed to win her over."

The lovestruck chick scoffed. "Doubt it. Look at him—he's thrilled. Maybe it's 'meet me under the willows at dusk' or some romantic shit."

Fair point. In this world's customs, with all the "men and women don't mix" bullshit, flirting had to happen on the down-low. Dark nights and sneaky spots were prime time for that crap.

Hou watched Miss Luo's boat drift away, still fanning himself with that smug grin, staring after her like some lovesick poet. The whole "romantic" act pissed Lin Wanrong off.

Kid, what's with the smug face? When it comes to picking up chicks, your granddaddy here's got tricks a thousand times better than your lame ass. Look at you, drooling like a fucking idiot, Lin Wanrong thought, fuming.

It was late autumn, practically winter, and the lake wind was chilly as hell. Hou shivered, shoulders twitching like he couldn't take the cold.

Lin Wanrong's sharp eyes caught it and he smirked. Freeze your ass off, you prick. All style, no substance—bunch of dumbasses chasing 'elegance' over warmth. Thought spring came early? Nah, it's just you and these chicks heating up the place.

His sneer caught the attention of a few nearby girls. Their eyes landed on him, taking in his shabby blue robe and holey shoes, and they giggled behind their hands. But when they saw his face, they blushed and looked away.

At five-foot-ten, Lin Wanrong had a solid build from years of relentless workouts—straight-backed, brimming with strength. His looks weren't half-bad either, with a healthy wheat-toned tan that stood out against the pasty-faced scholars of this era, giving him a raw, magnetic edge.

No wonder those girls couldn't look twice—his vibe hit them like a fucking truck.

Back at Peking University, he'd been a bit of a dark horse heartthrob. Plenty of girls had crushed on him in secret.

"Where'd this country bumpkin come from…?""Look at that broke-ass getup…""Brother Huang, standing next to this guy's a damn insult. Let's ditch him…"

A few scholar wannabes nearby, already bruised from watching Hou's show, saw the girls ignoring them to gawk at Lin Wanrong. Their egos took a hit, and they weren't about to let it slide.