sick

Honest? Someone actually said I am honest; this is indeed rare. Lin Wanrong felt so amused that he couldn't help but laugh, repeatedly reading the letter several times. It had no heading, no signature, and he had no idea who wrote it, but one thing was certain—it was written by a woman.

In Jinling City, he didn't know many women, and even fewer could write such a letter. After some thought, he brightened up, could it be her? Heh heh, this is getting interesting.

Early the next morning, Xiao Yuruo indeed came early to call him. The two, along with the stewards, discussed the expansion plans for taking over the Tao family's shops.

The Tao family's cloth business was slightly smaller than the Xiao family's. After this merger, the scale of Xiao family's cloth business significantly elevated, becoming an unrivaled giant in Dahua. Of course, the profits from the silk trade were diminishing, and currently, it was not the focus of the Xiao family. The success of perfumes and soaps, from Madam Xiao to Miss Xiao, and down to all the servants, filled everyone with confidence in the Xiao family's future.

The perfume and soap business could be considered a monopoly. Currently, due to limited supply, it was only implemented in the nearby provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. Once production caught up next year, it would quickly expand to over a dozen provinces nationwide, making the situation even more spectacular. In this context, Miss Xiao looked forward even more to the upcoming trip to the capital after the New Year. She had mentioned it several times to Lin Wanrong, intending to depart for the capital on the third day of the lunar New Year.

Lin Wanrong had no objections. His only concern was about Qiaoqiao, the little girl.

When Dong Qingshan arrived, Lin Wanrong had just finished discussing matters with Miss Xiao and the others. Dong Qingshan excitedly grabbed him and said, "Big brother, we've secured the restaurant by the Qinhuai River!"

Was there a need to mention this? You guys are just involved in the underworld. Can that guy surpass you in being shady? Lin Wanrong nodded and asked, "Encountered any trouble?"

Dong Qingshan replied, "Just a little trouble. This guy somehow climbed onto Cheng Ruinian's high branch. When we went there, he was still arrogant, boasting about Young Master Cheng and the Black Dragon Society. Later, in a fit of rage, Beidou took a stool and smashed his leg. That kid was scared out of his wits and didn't dare make a sound, obediently packing up and leaving."

The underworld thrives on such activities. Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "In the next few days, pay special attention to the movements of the Black Dragon Society and Wu Zhenghu. It's the year-end, and things are not very peaceful. Everyone is hoping to make a good profit before the New Year."

Dong Qingshan sneered, "Who knows who will get whom?"

Lin Wanrong said, "What about Xiao Luo? Is her father at home these days? I need to discuss something with Old Luo."

Dong Qingshan replied, "Xiao Luo probably won't come today. Miss Luo seemed to have some trouble yesterday. After returning home, she cried for most of the day, couldn't be comforted by anyone, and later developed a high fever, constantly speaking nonsense. By dawn, she still hadn't recovered. Coincidentally, Old Master Luo has been absent from the mansion these days, and Xiao Luo is worried about Miss Luo. She's staying at home to look after her."

Lin Wanrong was surprised, "What happened to Miss Luo? She was fine yesterday. Why did she fall ill?"

Dong Qingshan said, "Xiao Luo didn't explain clearly when she sent someone with the letter this morning. I don't know what happened. But judging by the anxious look of her family, it seems to be a serious illness. By the way, Big Brother, didn't you go out with Miss Luo for fun yesterday? What happened exactly? Miss Luo, such a lively girl, how did she become like this?"

Lin Wanrong thought about Luo Ning's expression yesterday. Her concern for him seemed genuine, but her respect for her mentor was also sincere. Perhaps that old lady Mei scolded her. She stood between him and her mentor, torn between the two, which was understandable. Thinking of this, Lin Wanrong sighed and said, "It might be related to her teacher. I can't say much about it."

Dong Qingshan said, "Miss Luo, such a good girl, if I find out who bullied her, I won't let that bastard off. I'll definitely beat him to a pulp. Big Brother, I'll beat him together with you. Alas, with such a figure, why haven't I seen Old Master Luo for so long?"

Dong Qingshan added, "Xiao Luo hasn't seen Old Master Luo for several days either. But from what she said, Old Master Luo often behaves like this. Think about it; he holds such a high position, a little busyness is understandable. Take our Hongxing, now with nearly a thousand brothers, eating, drinking, playing every day. It has kept me and Xiao Luo busy enough, not to mention Old Master Luo, who is in charge of thousands of yamen clerks and servants, all living on public funds. It's not easy for him to manage the daily affairs of so many people eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring."

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily. What a insightful guy Dong Qingshan was, speaking roughly but with profound insight. Lin Wanrong remembered Luo Ning's illness and felt strange. She was so charming yesterday, how did she fall ill so suddenly?

His relationship with Luo Ning was good, and he should have visited her by now. However, he was afraid of encountering that annoying old lady Mei in the Luo mansion, which would only make things difficult for Luo Ning.

After hesitating for a while, Lin Wanrong asked Dong Qingshan, "Has Qiaoqiao visited Miss Luo?"

Dong Qingshan shook his head, "When Xiao Luo sent the letter this morning, Miss Qiaoqiao had already gone to the new restaurant near the Confucius Temple to discuss decoration matters. But if she finds out, she will definitely rush over immediately."

Lin Wanrong smiled, "Qingshan, go to

 the Luo family and inquire if the teacher, Ms. Mei, surnamed Mei, is staying at their house."

"Alright, I'll go now, Big Brother. Is there anything wrong between you and Ms. Mei?" Dong Qingshan nodded.

Lin Wanrong smiled helplessly, "This is a long story. Just go inquire. Also, ask Xiao Luo to take good care of her sister. Later, I'll go and see Miss Luo too."

Seeing Dong Qingshan's departing figure, Lin Wanrong sighed lightly. While Luo Ning's thoughts were somewhat unrealistic, she was indeed a girl with aspirations. This girl, wouldn't she really fall ill because of what happened yesterday? If that's the case, then I am to blame.

Old Luo didn't know where he went. With a few days of not finding anyone, Lin Wanrong's stay in Jinling was getting shorter day by day. If the matter of Cheng De couldn't be resolved, it would be equivalent to leaving a hidden danger, threatening Qiaoqiao, threatening Old Dong's family—this was something Lin Wanrong absolutely couldn't allow.

He felt increasingly anxious. That elusive old man Xu Wei didn't know what he was busy with. The Bai Lian Society had shown no movement, and the officialdom in Jiangsu remained quiet. What exactly is the medicine being sold in this gourd?

Lin Wanrong was getting a bit agitated, kicking a small stone with his foot. It landed in the lake in the courtyard, creating a ripple. Suddenly, a light laughter sounded, and a delightful voice entered his ears.

"Second Miss, you've finally come out." Lin Wanrong, seeing the innocent face with a hint of shyness, couldn't help but feel joyful. A few days ago, Xiaoyu entered the meditation room, saying that during the last few days of prayer, one must be sincere, and no one should disturb her. It had been several days since he last saw her. Seeing her smiling face now made Lin Wanrong overjoyed.

Xiaoyu pouted, "I've been standing next to you for a long time, and you didn't even look at me. You, are you thinking about someone else?"

This girl's eyes are venomous. I was indeed thinking about Luo Ning. Lin Wanrong sweated, this delicate little Jade Frost seemed to have a tendency to emulate her sister.

"How could I be thinking about someone else?" Lin Wanrong, without blinking, smiled and said, "I've been worrying about not seeing Jade Frost in the past few days. I believe it must be tight for you during these last few days of prayer. Any disturbance is not allowed. I thought hard and made up my mind not to come see you."

The little girl listened, her face was fiery red, shyly saying, "Others coming to see me would indeed be a disturbance. But when you come to visit me, my heart is overjoyed, and my prayers become even more sincere. You bad person, surely there's someone else outside, or you wouldn't have forgotten about me—"

Damn, is this little girl hiding in her room reading romance novels again? Such seductive words could be spoken, and Miss Second is leaning towards her sister. Lin Wanrong glanced at her and said with a smile, "Jade Frost, what did you mean by saying I have someone else outside?"

Xiaoyu mumbled, "You're a bad person. When you bullied me back then, who knows if you've bullied someone else outside? If you bully someone else, that means you have someone outside, right?"

Lin Wanrong sweated. This girl's logic is really simple. However, it's quite practical. Second Miss had leaned against his chest, saying, "Sister said, you men only think about bullying us women. She asked me to be on guard against you, but I don't want to guard against you. Even if you have someone else outside, I still think of you every day. Mother said, a woman's first time is the most precious, it must be cherished for a lifetime. If I'm already like you, who else can I be with?"

We are already like this, huh? Lin Wanrong internally exclaimed, we're far from that stage yet. But seeing the little girl's flushed face, he couldn't utter such beastly words—everything should be translated into actions.

He gently embraced Second Miss's slender waist, and she whimpered softly, nestling in his arms.

Lin Wanrong lightly kissed her delicate earlobe and was about to take further action when he saw San De running towards them from a distance, saying, "Third Brother, Third Brother, the Governor has summoned you—"