Chapter 54: Chapter 48: My Lord, Please Do as You Wish
Lin Wenruo finally received a reply, and the corners of his mouth, which had been slightly turned up since just now, sketched out an exaggerated arc, but his eyes darkened a bit.
Lin Wenruo’s smile was radiant. “That’s more like it, nothing in love between a man and a woman should be so hard to let go of. Our peers…”
Zhao Rong sincerely interrupted, “Okay, I will relay the message to Su Xiaoxiao truthfully.”
Lin Wenruo was taken aback, and his smile slowly faded.
Zhao Rong suddenly felt a bit guilty, but having made the decision to try just once, he no longer wavered.
You’ve given me so much, so I’ll give it all back to you. Whether you want it or not, what does it have to do with me?
Ahem, so I’m not a lickspittle, I’m just repaying a love debt.
Zhao Rong, feeling like a responsible man, said earnestly, “I’ll tell that foolish girl to stop reading those nonsensical books, daydreaming and troubling me with all kinds of strange questions. I’ll get her to listen more to Wenruo’s words. Women should be more reserved and aloof. Isn’t it just because one lickspittle less is fawning over her, what’s there to win back? She’s just a silly girl who talks nonsense and looks passable. Lickspittles are aplenty for her. And the ‘she actually cares about him too’, she’s just craving for the fawning, hypocrite!”
Having finally come full circle with his words, Zhao Rong breathed a sigh of relief.
He felt no guilt whatsoever for the double standard.
However, he apologized in his heart to Su Xiaoxiao, who at this moment was probably lying in bed asleep, innocently defamed by someone. He thought of compensating her next time.
I just didn’t want to disappoint Brother Wenruo. After all, he advised me with good intentions, and I chose to do the opposite.
Thinking this, Zhao Rong looked again at Lin Wenruo, whose smile had become somewhat stiff.
Ignoring the strange words used by Zhao Rong, Lin Wenruo bent down to take two unopened jars of wine from under the table, tossed one to Zhao Rong, and opened the other for himself. Filling up a cup, he casually raised it, squinting his eyes. “So, is Ziyu still going to look for her?”
Playing dumb, Zhao Rong said, “Mhm, I’ll go find Su Xiaoxiao tomorrow morning and convey Wenruo’s advice.”
Suddenly, Zhao Rong saw the smile completely fade from the face of the man in front of him, who habitually bore a smile. It was just like that time on the carriage when he asked him why bother doing all of those things.
Lin Wenruo’s expression turned serious, his gaze intense.
He spoke earnestly, “Ziyu already has the answer in his heart. When Qinqchi just now was persuading you to let go, what Ziyu was actually struggling with was precisely what he truly wanted to do. There’s no need to pay attention to Qinqchi’s words anymore. Those words were just to make Ziyu clearer about his own true feelings, not to continue hesitating indefinitely.”
“Go find her! Leave tomorrow, don’t delay. I believe that the woman who can move Ziyu’s heart must be truly remarkable; other men should not get the chance to have her.”
Stunned, Zhao Rong looked at the man in front of him whose eyes seemed to sparkle, at a loss for words until he finally managed to blurt out, “She, she is my wife!”
Lin Wenruo smiled again, “Oh, so it’s just a little quarrel between a married couple. Then go and coax her right away!”
Zhao Rong uncharacteristically blushed under scrutiny and hurriedly drank some wine, using the jar to hide his embarrassment.
But afterwards, Lin Wenruo teased him again.
“Eh, Ziyu, you’ve already decided to look for her, so why is there still a look of ‘hesitation and reluctance’ on your face? I thought you were convinced by my words.”
Zhao Rong choked on his drink. “Cough, isn’t it because I regret not being able to move through the lovelorn crowd unscathed like Wenruo?”
Lin Wenruo put down his cup and chuckled lightly. “What’s there for me to envy? A heartless person, that’s all I am.”
Though the words were said in jest, they carried a hint of a sigh. After speaking, he lowered his head and took another drink.
Zhao Rong, caught up in his excitement, curiously asked, “How did Wenruo manage to have so many women without them being jealous or fighting over him? With so many women, how do you cope?”
Lin Wenruo raised an eyebrow and leisurely stretched out his right hand.
Zhao Rong looked puzzled at the pale and slender hand in front of him, as delicate as a woman’s.
He watched as the owner of the hand slowly retracted three fingers, leaving only two elongated fingers raised in front of Zhao Rong.
A middle finger and an index finger.
Zhao Rong was initially confused but looked carefully at the slender two fingers.
The next second, he saw the two fingers suddenly hook inward.
Zhao Rong’s eyes widened in realization, his expression filled with disbelief.
Lin Wenruo, noticing Zhao Rong’s odd look, was puzzled and hooked his fingers again. Seeing Zhao Rong’s look become even more bizarre, he said helplessly, “I’m telling you to come closer. It’s better to whisper such secrets.”
“Wenruo speaks the truth. It’s better to keep our voices down.” Zhao Rong said in a hushed tone, and then leaned forward, quietly inching closer.
From a distance, one could see in the pavilion a handsome Confucian scholar whispering into the ear of an ordinary Confucian scholar. But after only a few words, the latter suddenly straightened up, looking sternly at the other.
The ordinary Confucian scholar sneered. “I know that the great young master Lin is extraordinarily handsome, but there’s no need to show off in front of me . This is a trick of reincarnation, and I cannot learn it. In front of master Lin, I feel utterly ashamed.”
The handsome Confucian scholar coughed lightly, still holding up those two fingers, his tone apologetic. “Ziyu, I’m just joking around. Besides, most excellent women look for inner qualities these days. Ziyu is a gentleman who contains his talents, ready to dazzle when the time is right…”