Jealous（1）

The next day, following the young lady's orders, Lin Wanrong didn't need to go to the study. Without hesitation, he indulged in a refreshing sleep. Throughout the day, he earnestly stayed in his small room, conducting experiments with perfumes.

With the experience from yesterday, Lin Wanrong's progress was much smoother this time. His techniques became more proficient, and the variety of blended fragrances increased. Every experiment was carefully recorded with precise ratio data. If everything went as planned, these simple records in his hands would become invaluable perfume formulas in the future. Just thinking about the potential value of these records made him salivate.

Busy until the sky turned dark, Lin Wanrong finished his tasks. Just as he stretched lazily, a maid ran over, calling out sweetly, "Third Young Master, hurry, someone has sent an invitation for you."

"What?" Lin Wanrong was surprised. As a servant of the Xiao family, it was unusual for someone to invite him. Suddenly, he remembered what Qin Xian'er had mentioned that day. Could it be that this maid was serious?

In the reception room, he saw a maid standing there, chatting with the young master of the family. The young master, upon seeing Lin Wanrong, joyfully said, "Lin San, you've come at the right time. Miss Qin Xian'er invites us for a gathering tomorrow evening. What do you think?"

Ever since the incident at the Miao Jade Pavilion, the young master treated Lin San exceptionally well. This servant not only had talent but also had a pleasant demeanor and knowledge, qualities the young master highly valued.

"A gathering? What a joke," Lin Wanrong chuckled in his heart. Even strolling through the brothels, they maintain such elegance. Lin Wanrong inwardly laughed and pretended to be reserved, saying, "Oh?" The maid hastily handed the invitation to Lin Wanrong, saying, "Please honor us with your presence tomorrow, Mr. Lin."

Opening the invitation, a fragrance wafted through, and Qin Xian'er's charming face seemed to appear again. The invitation was exquisitely crafted, featuring intertwined mandarin ducks and elegant characters: "Parting with you feels like an eternity. I long for your thoughts and words." Signed below were the three characters of Qin Xian'er.

The beautiful handwriting clearly belonged to a woman. It must be Qin Xian'er's personal writing. Lin Wanrong, who had seen the calligraphy of Xiao Yushuang, sighed upon seeing Qin Xian'er's ink treasure. He thought, whoever claims that women lack talent is ignorant. Even if he practiced for another ten years, he wouldn't match these two girls in writing, except perhaps with a fountain pen.

The words "longing for your thoughts and words" made Lin Wanrong amused. Qin Xian'er clearly wanted to chat with him, yet she wrote it so plaintively. People who didn't know might think I played with her and then dumped her.

The young master's invitation depicted the Four Gentlemen (plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum) with numerous lines of words, mostly insipid invitations for Master Guo to visit. Comparing the handwriting, it was not as good as Lin Wanrong's invitation; clearly, someone else wrote it. Qin Xian'er indeed had some intentions, Lin Wanrong mused.

After chatting with the young master in the reception hall and discussing the agenda for tomorrow, when he returned to his courtyard, it was already dark.

In a good mood, Lin Wanrong saw the courtyard filled with blooming flowers. Unable to contain himself, he shouted in excitement, releasing his pent-up joy, and then pushed open the door. As he stepped in, lifting his head, he saw Xiao Qingxuan sitting there, smiling at him.

"Why did you come so early today?" Lin Wanrong smiled. After becoming acquainted with Xiao Qingxuan, there was no need for unnecessary pleasantries. Xiao Qingxuan seemed to cooperate well, appearing in his room every day without notice, like a casual visit, giving him the feeling that this girl was here for a secret rendezvous.

"I came to see the progress of your scented powder. You promised to give me the first one," Xiao Qingxuan seemed genuinely interested in the perfume. Otherwise, she wouldn't come here again.

"How can I be so hasty? I haven't finished the experiment yet. Moreover, even if the experiment is completed, it will take another round to produce it, and then I can give it to you," Lin Wanrong replied.

Xiao Qingxuan smiled slightly, saying, "I'm not in a hurry. As long as you do it well, don't forget about me."

A faint blush appeared on her face. As her gaze lowered, she saw the invitation in Lin Wanrong's hand and asked, "Someone actually sent you an invitation? It seems your charm is not small."

Knowing there was some tension between her and Qin Xian'er, Lin Wanrong didn't mention who sent it. Xiao Qingxuan had sharp eyes and saw Qin Xian'er's name through the gaps in the paper. Her expression changed, and she snorted, "Is it an invitation from Qin Xian'er?"

This girl's eyes were really sharp. Unable to hide it anymore, Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "She invited our young master and brought me along."

"I see, inviting you and bringing along your young master," Xiao Qingxuan said coldly.

"It's the same thing, the same thing," Lin Wanrong, realizing he couldn't deceive her, chuckled awkwardly.

"Do you want to go?" Xiao Qingxuan asked seemingly casually.

"Well, I need to consider it for a moment. You know, I'm not a casual person," Lin Wanrong laughed, adding in his mind, "I can't be casual; I have standards."

Seeing him bragging about himself, Xiao Qingxuan wanted to laugh but held back. She snorted, "You have too many thoughts; I don't know which ones are true or false. If she sincerely invites you, refusing to go would make you seem petty. If you enjoy socializing with her, just go; no one is stopping you."

"Are you upset?" Lin Wanrong chuckled.

Xiao Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat, hastily saying, "What nonsense are you talking about?" Her expression turned cold again.

Thinking that this girl had a thin face, Lin Wanrong decided not to joke around. "In that case, to prove the innocence between Miss Qin and me, I'll reluctantly make the sacrifice and go see her. Well, Miss Qin is actually a beautiful lady; it's good to have a chat. But rest assured, even if I meet her, I won't have any unrealistic thoughts. However, what I'm most worried about is whether she has any improper thoughts about me." Lin Wanrong grinned lasciviously.

Xiao Qingxuan gave a cold snort, glanced at him without speaking, and then, with graceful steps, walked out without even saying goodbye. In her mind, she felt both embarrassed and angry.

Today, she came early and left early. Lin Wanrong wondered why. Shouting loudly, he asked, "Are you leaving so soon? Will you come again tomorrow?"

Before Xiao Qingxuan could answer, Lin Wanrong heard his own voice saying, "Be careful when climbing over the wall, don

't fall."

Feeling uneasy, Xiao Qingxuan's true energy was disturbed. Her foot almost slipped as she stepped on the wall. Blushing and angry, she glanced back at him, then leaped off the wall and ran away.

This girl came and left as she pleased, without even a greeting. It seemed she didn't consider him important. However, her graceful posture while climbing the wall was truly elegant. That little buttocks... well, there's nothing more to say.

Standing there, Lin Wanrong recalled the charming moment when Xiao Qingxuan turned her head on the high wall. Somehow, he remembered a phrase from an advertisement: "Stand higher, pee farther."

Another day passed, and when Fu Bo entered the garden, he was astonished. Most of the rose, chrysanthemum, and jasmine petals in the entire courtyard were plucked. A true flower lover, he felt distressed. Worried, he called out, "Lin San, Lin San!"

Calling several times without a response, he became anxious. Perhaps there was a flower thief in the garden, and Lin San was nowhere to be found.

Hastily entering the house, he saw Lin San still in his clothes, lying on the bed, sound asleep.

It was already past noon; why was this kid still sleeping? Fu Bo walked over and patted his shoulder, saying, "Lin San, wake up. Is there a thief in the garden? Why are all those flowers plucked?"

Lin Wanrong, who had experimented all night after Xiao Qingxuan left, only fell into a deep sleep in the early morning. Now, as he opened his eyes, he saw Fu Bo standing in front of him. He quickly said, "Fu Bo, why are you so early today?"

"Early? It's already past noon. Lin San, I came to ask you, is there a thief in the garden? Why are all those flowers plucked?" Fu Bo asked urgently.

When Lin Wanrong was experimenting, he used a large number of flower petals. Fortunately, the garden was abundant with flowers and plants, allowing him to continue. Hearing Fu Bo's words, he quickly responded, "Oh, maybe the maids in the front yard picked them. Fu Bo, you know, I'm quite handsome, and those maids often come to pick a few fresh flowers. It's normal. Besides, they often praise you for being diligent, kind, and skilled, saying they want to learn from you."

Lin Wanrong didn't blink his eyes, shamelessly flattering Fu Bo. Fu Bo laughed and stopped him, saying, "You little scoundrel, just with your mouth, I wonder how many maids you've fooled."

"Fu Bo, is this the only garden we have in the Xiao family?" Lin Wanrong was now concerned about the source of flower petals for his experiments. To make perfume, he needed hundreds or even thousands of tons of flower petals. Where could he find them?

Shaking his head, Fu Bo replied, "Of course not. Our Xiao family is large, with several mansions in places like Jinling, Suzhou, Zhenjiang, and more. In the south of the city, there's an even larger estate, many times the size of this one. During the old master's time, after returning from the court, he retired there and planted numerous flowers and plants. The quantity there far exceeds what's here. Many flowers and plants in this garden were transplanted from there. Someone is taking care of it, and it's much larger in scale."

This Xiao family is truly a big landowner, Lin Wanrong thought. However, with such a large garden, the problem of the source of flower petals should be solved.

But how should he approach the Xiao family? Thinking of the little Miss Xiao, who hated him to the bone, he felt a headache. Given their relationship, it would be almost impossible to request anything from her.