Chapter 202 A Suburban Outing (1)

Lin Wanrong noticed an undertone of loneliness in her demeanor and thought to himself that this girl's life wasn't easy. Her standards were so high that it was difficult for her to find a suitable match, and right now, she was undoubtedly in turmoil. He felt sorry for her.

Upon not finding Luo Min, he saw no reason to stay any longer. As Lin Wanrong made his move to leave, Luo Ning walked him to the door and suddenly said, "Brother Lin, are you free tomorrow?"

"Free?" Lin Wanrong was puzzled. If Eldest Miss didn't need him for any tasks the next day, then yes, he would be free.

"Miss Luo, what do you need me for? Could it be that you're inviting me for tea, a drink, or some amusement?" Lin Wanrong joked.

Luo Ning chuckled lightly. "Brother Lin, you always know how to tease me. If I were to invite you for tea, I fear you would refuse again. We've all been so busy preparing for the poetry contest at the literary club recently and it's been tiring. We thought to make use of the sunny day tomorrow to go on an outing. Everyone is eager to meet the mastermind who humbled Shen Banshan that day, so I'm extending an invitation on their behalf."

A suburban outing? Indeed, these literati and literatas had a wide array of activities. It instantly reminded Lin Wanrong of his university life. ‘Interesting, very interesting,’ he thought, smiling before playfully asking, "Miss Luo, are you trying to get me to sponsor it again?"

Luo Ning shot him a glance, barely holding back her laughter. "Brother Lin, where did that come from? This outing is purely for relaxation, it has nothing to do with money."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "I apologize, it's a professional habit, just a professional habit."

In a soft voice, Luo Ning asked, "Does this mean you agree, Brother Lin?"

"Well, with free food and drinks, I can't think of a reason to refuse," Lin Wanrong replied with a grin. Dealing with matters of the Xiao family these days had been very bothersome. It would be good to go out and have fun. After all, it was free, so why not enjoy it?

Seeing his acceptance, Luo Ning was delighted. She softly said, "Brother Lin, in that case, I'll wait for you at the entrance of the Xiao residence tomorrow morning. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Our literary club has recently expanded, and even Young Master Guo Wuchang has joined."

What? Even Young Master Guo could join the literary club? This indicated a significant drop in the club's quality. The club seemed to be doing good business - recruiting new members and collecting their fees. Indeed, expansion came with benefits.

Upon returning home, Eldest Miss quickly asked him, "Lin San, are you alright?"

"As long as one has a clear conscience, there's nothing to fear. What could possibly happen to me?" Lin Wanrong smirked.

Eldest Miss shot him a glance, "You call that a clear conscience? Let me tell you, Miss Wanying came to look for you today. She lingered at our door for a while but finally left without coming in. I sent San De (Si De) to find you. You should be careful from now on."

"Eldest Miss, don't you understand? This is all part of a scheme. I'd actually be more worried if she didn't come looking for me," Lin Wanrong smirked again.

Indeed, for Tao Wanying, this was a trap within a trap. Initially, she had suspected Lin San of tainting her purity, fiercely seeking to confront him. Yet, as Lin Wanrong unfolded his eloquent argument, he managed to completely clear his name. Wanying, in her confusion, couldn't even figure out who the real offender was, which was nothing short of a tragedy.

This was a part of his sequential attack strategy. If he'd been more ruthless that day, firmly denying any knowledge of future events, given Wanying's confusion, she might have gone insane on the spot, without even knowing who had "sullied" her.

As Lin Wanrong explained the situation, and came to the part about physical hygiene, the Eldest Miss Xiao Yuruo blushed, glaring at him, "How can you just say whatever comes to your mind? You are such a natural rascal."

Lin Wanrong answered earnestly, "I'm simply promoting scientific knowledge. Miss Tao should be thanking me in the future."

The Eldest Miss snorted, "I don't know where you come up with these terrible ideas. Wanying was a good woman until you scared her to this state. Whoever offends you is really seeking their own death."

Proclaiming his innocence loudly, Lin Wanrong said, "Eldest Miss, I did this entirely out of my loyalty to you, without any selfish motives, you must understand me. Besides, I had warned her today, by now, she must have figured out what really happened. What I did was toughen her up, a meritorious deed."

Xiao Yuruo laughed, "I can't argue with you. You turned a bad deed into a good one. You are truly unique in that. What will you do if Wanying discovers everything was your secret manipulation?"

‘Do what?’ thought Lin Wanrong. “I merely scared her a bit, which compared to her killing habit, is much kinder.” Not wanting to continue the discussion, he smiled and said, "Tomorrow, I need to take a leave."

"You've just done a few days of work and you're already thinking of slacking off. You should study well these days. Our Xiao family will be depending on you in the future." The Eldest Miss said gently.

Hearing this, Lin Wanrong broke into a cold sweat. ‘Depend on me? What does she mean? Although I like the Second Miss, I never thought about marrying into her family. She shouldn't rely on me for everything.’ He chuckled, "These days, the affairs at home and the factory have been less hectic, I also want to get some fresh air. Coincidentally, Young Master Guo's scholarly achievements have skyrocketed recently, and he has been accepted as a member of the Jinling Literary Society. Tomorrow, they have an outing event, and under Young Master Guo's cordial invitation, I reluctantly agreed to accompany him. Therefore, I'm here to ask for your permission."

Considering the Eldest Miss's attitude towards Luo Ning, he couldn't say that he was invited by Luo Ning. Otherwise, it would be as bad as getting mud on his pants, it'd be an issue either way. By putting the blame on Young Master Guo, he was rid of all responsibilities.

"Jinling Literary Society?" The Eldest Miss frowned slightly and asked softly, "Is Miss Luo also going?"

"That... I didn't hear about her going." Lin Wanrong said without blinking, adding in his heart, "And I didn't hear that she's not going either."

"Understood," the Eldest Miss responded with a gentle nod, "Then you should go, but remember to take good care of Cousin Guo, don't let him be bullied by others." The Eldest Miss knew very well what her cousin Guo Wuchang was capable of. His admission to the famous, sophisticated society must have been bought with a hefty donation. Among the scholars of Jinling, he would be nothing more than a laughingstock. With Lin San by his side, however, he was unlikely to be taken advantage of.

Lin Wanrong replied enthusiastically, "You can rest assured, Eldest Miss. Considering these circumstances, I made time amidst my busy schedule to accompany Young Master Guo. Hah, let's see who dares to bully him - even a dog, er, young master, is under the protection of Eldest Miss, right?"

The Eldest Miss gave him a glance and laughed, "You do love to talk nonsense." She sighed softly, "If only Cousin Guo had half your wit and courage, my mother wouldn't have to worry so much about him."

The following morning, as promised, Luo Ning was waiting outside the mansion gate. It was indeed a sin for a man to have a woman waiting for him on a date.

After washing his face and donning his stylish green outfit and hat, Lin Wanrong confidently strode towards the gate. The green outfit was quite the trend in Jinling, and the servants of the Xiao family wore it with pride. Lin San's reputation resounded across Jinling, and it would be a shame not to strut about in these clothes.

Young Master Guo, for his part, was dressed quite properly in a white robe, gently waving a small fan. A red flower was tucked under the brim of his scholar's hat, making him look every bit the poser of a scholar. Having paid his way into the literary society, he was now showing off his newfound status. Lin Wanrong approached him with a laugh, "Young Master, I'm here."

Guo Wuchang and Lin San had a long-standing relationship. Guo Wuchang, as the ‘senior official,’ had received numerous benefits from his subordinate. Pulling Lin Wanrong by the sleeve, he said, "Lin San, I just heard from Miss Luo that you also received an invitation. This is great, we can look out for each other."

Lin Wanrong understood the Young Master's intent and nodded, "Indeed, indeed. Today, I will certainly protect the Young Master."

From her palanquin, Luo Ning peered out and said, "Brother Lin, since you're ready, let's get going."

Seeing that the sky was just beginning to brighten, Lin Wanrong was startled, "Miss Luo, is it necessary to go on an outing so early? Let's find a place to have breakfast first."

Luo Ning shook her head with a smile, "We have an appointment with a prominent person today, and as the younger generation, how can we afford to be late? We need to go early and wait for that gentleman."

Prominent person? Lin Wanrong gave Luo Ning a puzzled look. She hadn't mentioned anything about a prominent person yesterday. Damn, as a small fry, the last thing he wanted was to meet some big shot.

Seeing his troubled expression, Luo Ning couldn't help but laugh. She beckoned him over, and when he approached, she took out a box of pastries from her palanquin, "Brother Lin, these are eight treasure cakes I made this morning. Please make do with these."

Inside the box were seven or eight pastries, half of which Luo Ning had already bitten into. Her face turned red as she quickly retrieved the half-eaten pastry and held it in her hand.

Lin Wanrong asked in surprise, "Miss Luo, did you really make these?"

Luo Ning shyly replied, "I lost my mother at a young age and my father has been busy with his work. I've picked up a few skills on the sly, I'm afraid it might not be up to your standards."

Lin Wanrong picked up a pastry and took a bite, remarking with admiration, "Not only do they look good, but they also taste excellent. Miss Luo, I didn't expect that apart from writing poetry, you are also skilled at making pastries. Truly, you can grace the drawing room and rule the kitchen..." He added to himself, ‘And command the bedroom..’

Recalling their previous conversation about the qualifications of a potential spouse - 'capable in literature and war', Luo Ning understood his joke and blushed, saying softly, "Brother Lin, you're teasing me again."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, devouring the pastries with great relish. Luo Ning watched him with a smile, then signaled for her palanquin to proceed.

As the outing was organized by the literary society, the meeting point Luo Ning arranged with the scholars was at the entrance of Jinling Literary Society. When the three of them arrived, about thirty people had already gathered, both men and women.

As soon as the crowd spotted the young man wearing a servant's hat and green cloth shoes following Luo Ning's palanquin, they started whispering amongst themselves. A few of the women who recognized him from a previous encounter joyously waved and called out, "Brother Lin San, Brother Lin San..."