Finest Servant

Chapter 453 Tying the Red Thread Again

The shadows of the trees swayed, their outlines indistinct, and in the silence emanated a terrifying aura of death. Before Lin Wanrong had time to react, a sudden change occurred. A dense barrage of arrows buzzed out from the forest, carrying a dim, cold light. With tremendous force, the arrows reached him almost instantly.

Lin Wanrong leapt into the air, performing several rolls on the ground just in time to evade the shower of arrows. The horse he had been riding wasn't as lucky—it let out a piercing neigh as countless arrows punctured its body. It collapsed, dark blood gushing out.

Just as Lin Wanrong was about to move, dozens of black figures burst from the woods on either side, their movements swift. The steel knives in their hands glinted with a terrifying white light, accompanied by a sharp, cutting wind, as they lunged at him in unison. These assassins were clad in black and wore masks. Their movements were agile, their attacks ferocious. They attacked from every direction, giving him no room to escape.

‘Damn it, let's see how you handle my bee stingers,’ Lin Wanrong thought. Just as he was about to activate the mechanism of his bee-stinger weapon, another change occurred. A clear, resounding howl echoed from the forest. Another set of figures leapt out, their movements even more agile. These newcomers said nothing. In just a few moves, they had already positioned themselves in front of Lin Wanrong, unsheathing their long swords. Amidst the cacophony of clashing blades, they successfully blocked the approaching black-clad men, and a fierce fight ensued.

‘What's going on?’ Lin Wanrong was puzzled but dared not act recklessly. His finger remained poised over the bee-stinger mechanism, ready to act at the slightest provocation. The two groups of fighters clashed intensely. The later arrivals were dressed in casual blue attire, their faces uncovered, but their moves were skillful and experienced. They managed to keep the black-clad assassins away from Lin Wanrong, gaining the upper hand. Every now and then, a muffled groan or scream could be heard from the black-clad men, clearly at a disadvantage.

However, these assassins were extremely fierce. Despite being impaled by multiple swords, they fought on fearlessly, attacking recklessly and engaging the blue-clothed men in a deadlock.

Another long howl resonated from the forest, followed by a man's clear voice, "Brothers, quickly dispose of these bastards and protect Lord Lin!"

"At once!" As the words fell, more figures in blue dashed from the forest. Their long swords and sabers moved like lightning, weaving through the battleground like dragons. In an instant, several more black-clad assassins fell.

Recognizing the voice, Lin Wanrong looked towards the forest and saw a burly man in blue charging forward, his sword felling multiple enemies in the blink of an eye.

"Gao Qiu, Brother Gao!" Lin Wanrong shouted in joy, waving his hand.

"Sir, be careful—" Just as Gao Qiu yelled out, another change took place. From the retreating line of assassins, two figures suddenly launched into the air, their bodies moving like lightning, heading straight for Lin Wanrong.

Emboldened by Gao Qiu's support, Lin Wanrong was about to fire his hand-held gun when he noticed something strange about the airborne assassins. Somehow, it was as if their acupoints had been struck, draining them of their energy. They thudded to the ground. Gao Qiu quickly leapt forward to shield him, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, and gasping, "That was close, too close. Brothers, quickly finish off these scum!"

These two attackers were the ringleaders. Once they were taken down, the formation of the men in black became instantly disordered. Yet, they fought more recklessly, wielding their blades as if they had lost all fear of death, completely exposing themselves to lethal strikes.

"These are well-trained suicide warriors," Gao Qiu observed with a chill in his heart. With a wave of his hand, his men ceased holding back. Swords rose and fell, cutting the attackers in half at the waist.

Lin Wanrong hurriedly grabbed his sleeve and said, "Brother Gao, leave a couple of them alive."

Gao Qiu shook his head solemnly. "Brother Lin, you don't understand. These men are brainwashed suicide warriors, trained by whoever is behind this. They’ve ingested substances that erase their reasoning but heighten their aggression. Even if we capture them, they'd be useless."

Lin Wanrong had heard of such suicide warriors before and was not willing to let it go. "Is there really no one clear-headed among them? How would they know if they killed the wrong person? There must be one or two who are in their right minds!"

Gao Qiu nodded and smiled. "You're quite sharp, Brother Lin. To carry out such an assassination strategy, there must be one or two leaders who are clear-headed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t even know if they had killed the wrong person."

Lin Wanrong looked at the two men who had tried to assassinate him and finally understood. He gave Gao Qiu a thumbs-up, saying, "Brother Gao, you're so knowledgeable and experienced. I owe you my life today."

Gao Qiu shook his head and laughed. "Rest assured, Brother Lin, with us by your side, nobody will harm even a single hair on your head. The Emperor himself assigned us to secretly protect you ever since you returned from Shandong. These men are the Emperor’s personal guards. Their skills go without saying."

"So that’s the case!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, both surprised and delighted. "Why didn’t you say so sooner? If I’d known you guys were here, what would I have to fear? We've fought our way from Hangzhou and Jinling all the way to the capital!"

Gao Qiu burst into laughter, recalling Lin Wanrong's various exploits on the journey back from Hangzhou. "It was the Emperor's decree to follow you secretly. I dare not go against the imperial order. As soon as you left today, I sensed something was wrong and prepared in advance. I'm sorry if you were startled."

Lin Wanrong, now feeling secure, chuckled. "Brother Gao, you're wrong. I'm a man; I only impregnate, I don't get startled. By the way, who are these assassins? Why do they want to kill me?"

Gao Qiu shook his head solemnly. "I don't know. General Li Tai's army is about to set out, and the situation in the capital is very strange. Since you descended from the mountain, unfamiliar faces have appeared both inside and outside your residence, as well as around the shops of the Xiao family. Their target is undoubtedly you. I've secretly added more guards, especially around you. But Brother Lin, you mustn't let your guard down. Whoever can train such an elite force of suicide warriors should not be underestimated."

"What am I afraid of? You guys are the Emperor's personal guards. How powerful can the enemy be compared to the Emperor?" Lin Wanrong said with a slight smile.

Gao Qiu chuckled and nodded, admiring Lin Wanrong's unshakeable demeanor. Lin Wanrong then pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket and, without even looking, shoved them into Gao Qiu's hands. "Brother Gao, take this and buy some tea for your men."

The first note alone was worth five hundred taels; the entire stack must have been worth thousands. Gao Qiu was startled and quickly pushed the notes back. "What are you doing? Do you look down on me, Gao Qiu? I serve the Emperor and my life belongs to the court. Even if we hadn't been through life-and-death situations together, I couldn’t accept your money."

When they were suppressing bandits in Shandong, Gao Qiu had always been at Lin Wanrong’s side. Their friendship was indeed deep. Lin Wanrong laughed, "You misunderstand, Brother Gao. I wouldn't give you money like this. If you needed money, you could take it directly from my house. This money is for your men. They have been guarding my family diligently, day and night. They are following imperial orders, true, but they’ve also done me a great favor. They risk their lives for a living; life isn’t easy for them. If I don't return this favor, not only would it make things difficult for you, but I would also feel guilty. Please pass this on to them. I entrust my family and the Xiao family to their care."

Lin Wanrong was no ordinary man; he understood that the Emperor could be great, but the people who did the actual work were these guards. If any harm came to the women in his household, he would be devastated. Spending some money to ensure their well-being was entirely worth it.

Gao Qiu was also clever and quickly understood Lin Wanrong's intent. He stopped refusing, pocketed the silver notes, and gave Lin Wanrong a thumbs-up. "Brother, I admire you. No wonder you can lead an army and make everyone willing to die for you! Rest assured, I’ll handle this perfectly."

"You're too kind, too kind," Lin Wanrong said slyly, casting his gaze at the unconscious assassins on the ground. "Brother Gao, can we wake them up?"

Gao Qiu agreed and walked over to the unconscious men. After examining them and patting them a few times, they still didn’t wake up. Gao Qiu looked uncomfortable and cleared his throat awkwardly.

Lin Wanrong asked curiously, "Brother Gao, what's going on? Are they dead?"

Gao Qiu's face reddened. "They're not dead. But I can't remove the concealed weapons from their bodies. Wait a moment; let me get some cold water to try."

Can't remove the concealed weapons? That was strange. Weren't those hidden weapons fired by Gao Qiu to save him? Noticing Gao Qiu's embarrassed expression, Lin Wanrong chose not to dwell on it and simply smiled it off.

The masks of the two assassins had already been removed. Lin Wanrong slowly walked up to them. Both men were in their thirties, robust and strong. One was thin, and the other slightly overweight. Their faces were grim, their expressions fierce. Each held a steel needle in his hand; the needles gleamed with a bluish light, clearly coated with some sort of poison.

Lin Wanrong shuddered at the thought of the earlier situation. ‘Had Gao Qiu not intervened, if I had been careless enough to get pricked, I'd have been doomed.’

He hastily retreated two steps, and Gao Qiu removed the steel needles. With a casual flick, he shot one of the needles into a nearby leaf. Almost immediately, black smoke rolled off the leaf, which disappeared into a puff of thick smoke.

"Is this what they call 'corpse-dissolving liquid'?" Lin Wanrong asked through gritted teeth.

Gao Qiu solemnly nodded. "It's known as 'corpse-dissolving powder,' also called 'bone-dissolving powder.' It's created from the most poisonous substances in the world—seven-step snakes, deadly scorpions, flying centipedes—further refined with aqua regia. It's very difficult to produce. If these assassins had more of it, they would've used it earlier, and we would've been at a significant disadvantage."

"Damn it," Lin Wanrong hissed, kicking one of the unconscious assassins hard. "Soon you will taste the bone-dissolving powder."

A servant brought a bucket of clear water. Without hesitation, Gao Qiu picked up the bucket and splashed it over the slightly overweight assassin's face and body. The chill of the spring air instantly shook him awake. Before he could fully comprehend his surroundings, a flash of white appeared before his eyes—a sharp, gleaming short sword, which cut off several of his eyelashes.

Even though he was a hardened criminal, he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Clenching his teeth, he remained silent. Through the gaps in the blade, he stealthily looked at the cold face before him. Lin Wanrong was casually rubbing the short sword across his eyes, making him shudder from the icy sensation.

With a swoosh, Lin Wanrong thrust the sword horizontally. The assassin's eyelashes were cleanly cut in half. The man's eyes widened in terror, daring not to move.

"What a great sword," Lin Wanrong sighed, slowly standing up. "Gao Qiu, cut off this bastard's tongue."

"Sir, aren't you going to interrogate him?" Gao Qiu, having collaborated with Lin Wanrong many times, asked spontaneously.

"What use is interrogating these worthless men? I already know who's behind this," Lin Wanrong said, his smile tinged with malice. "His Highness sure has a lot of free time lately, remembering even me—"

The assassin's face remained expressionless, but a glimmer of panic flitted through his eyes. Lin Wanrong continued, "His tongue is useless. Cut it off and let him communicate with his master in sign language."

"As you wish," Gao Qiu responded, pinching open the assassin's jaw. He extended his short sword, ready to insert it into the man's mouth.

The assassin's eyes widened in panic, and he began to twist and turn. Gao Qiu hesitated for a moment and said, "Sir, it seems like he has something to say."

"Don't speak!" Lin Wanrong shouted angrily, "Even if you do, I won't listen. Gao Qiu, you've wasted enough time; punish him by severing his everything from top to bottom."

Gao Qiu acknowledged the command. His men turned the assassin onto his back on the ground, legs spread wide. Grasping his short sword with both hands, Gao Qiu chuckled ominously and thrust downwards.

"Ahh—" The assassin screamed, letting out a sharp yell, "The prince will not let you go! He will avenge me—"

After a moment of screaming, he felt no pain below. Lifting his head, he saw Gao Qiu standing beside Lin Wanrong, both of them stroking their chins and smirking, radiating smugness.

"Brother Lin, following you has taught me many tactics," Gao Qiu sincerely said. When it came to psychological warfare, no one could outmatch Lin San.

"Nonsense, nonsense," Lin Wanrong replied with a cunning smile. "I've learned much from you as well. For instance, that stroke you just made was incredibly precise, skimming just the edge, more accurate than a circumcision. I'm deeply impressed."

Listening to their self-congratulatory banter, the assassin finally realized he'd been played. But it was too late for regrets; he'd already exposed everything with his earlier shouts. His face turned ashen, and he fell silent.

"There's no need to actually do it this time. Do you really think you're worthy of being a martyr?" Lin Wanrong disdainfully kicked the assassin and casually waved a hand, "Cut off whatever you can from him. Let some of our new recruits practice. Use dull blades; if one cut doesn't do it, make it two or three. We rarely have a live subject to practice on—"

The assassin, usually fearless of death, found himself completely disarmed by Lin Wanrong's tactics. He had blurted out things he should never have disclosed. Feeling utterly defeated, he shouted, "You dare? Even as a ghost, I won't forgive you!"

"Not forgive me?" Lin Wanrong burst into hearty laughter. "Hearing that from you is hilarious. You've killed so many people for your prince. How many times have you heard this line? Just accept it. Proceed—"

At Lin Wanrong's harsh command, four or five guards rushed forward. The assassin's face changed dramatically, and before he could speak, he felt a sharp pain in his leg. One impatient guard had already stabbed him there. "Ah—," he screamed, finally realizing that they weren't joking. Seeing the fresh blood flowing profusely from his leg, he felt as if he was falling apart.

Lin Wanrong waved his hand, signaling his men to stop. He calmly said, "What's your name? Oh, if you don't want to say, I don't mind. My men are eager to continue."

"Zheng Qiulei," the assassin replied, too weak to resist any longer.

Lin Wanrong hummed an acknowledgment without even lifting his eyebrows, "How many years have you been with the prince?"

"Twenty-one years!"

"Twenty-one years?" Lin Wanrong nodded, "That's a long time. No wonder the prince trusts you so much to entrust you with such an important task. And you dare to betray him? Don't deny it; all my men heard you. Ah, I can only wonder how heartbroken the prince will be when he hears of this tragedy!"

Lin Wanrong shook his head continuously, his expression tinged with pity for Prince Cheng. Gao Qiu, standing off to the side, couldn't help but chuckle silently. Lin Wanrong had a knack for this sort of thing; he would first place a metaphorical "bedpan" over your head so that any rebuttal would be akin to soiling one's own pants. It was a futile endeavor.

"Damn it, have I fallen into your trap?" Zheng Qiulei was on the verge of cursing out loud but held back when he saw the sly smile in Lin Wanrong's eyes.

"Brother Zheng, how many mistresses does Prince Cheng have?" Lin Wanrong abruptly changed the subject, grinning as he asked.

Zheng Qiulei was taken aback for a moment. "That's not a secret, right? Prince Cheng has one principal wife, ten concubines, and roughly twenty or so lesser consorts."

"What a waste," Lin Wanrong commented, swallowing hard. He turned to Gao Qiu and smiled, "Brother Gao, how many wives does the Emperor have?"

Gao Qiu spoke earnestly, "His Majesty is wise and valorous, and he loves his people. From the time he was a prince until now, including the Empress, he hasn't had more than ten consorts."

"Indeed, a ruler who loves his people as if they were his children. Yet our Prince Cheng loves beautiful women as if they were his children," Lin Wanrong gave a thumbs-up, then turned to the assassin with a sinister grin. "There's another thing. I've heard that in Prince Cheng's household, there's a hidden dragon trapped in water and a golden dragon ever ready to fly into the sky. Whether you admit it or not, I've seen them myself when I was at his residence."

"Damn it, you've exposed everything. What's the point of my even answering?" Zheng Qiulei felt utterly aggrieved and could only nod.

"Hey, scribe, you know what to record, right?" Lin Wanrong gave a sly laugh. "Brother Zheng, let's talk about something serious. Why does Prince Cheng want to kill me?"

Zheng Qiulei gritted his teeth. "I don't know. You must have provoked him."

Lin Wanrong gave a cold laugh. "At this point, Brother Zheng, what do you have to hide? You know Prince Cheng better than anyone. Consider your words just now. If they were to get out, do you think Prince Cheng would let you off? I'll remind you: when I first arrived in the capital, a mysterious woman tried to assassinate me on Prince Cheng's orders. On my way back from Shandong, I was ambushed—ring any bells?"

Lin Wanrong had clearly set his sights on toppling Prince Cheng. All he needed was a testimony. Zheng Qiulei sighed in resignation; he had no other options left.

Under Lin Wanrong's gentle prodding, he listed a litany of crimes—ranging from Prince Cheng's assassination of the former Emperor and the massacre of his brothers to his collusion with foreign enemies and assassination plots against high-ranking officials. With Lin Wanrong narrating these "facts," Prince Cheng was painted as nothing less than a traitor.

‘What Brother Lin is doing involves highly critical matters. If this goes wrong, our Great Hua Empire will be thrown into chaos,’ Gao Qiu listened, hardly daring to breathe. He cautiously pulled Lin Wanrong aside, "Brother Lin, even if you unearth all of this, will the Emperor believe you? Can he? This is no trivial matter; you might not get the mutton and instead stink up the place."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Gao," Lin Wanrong grinned ear to ear. "Whether he believes it or not is the Emperor's affair; he'll know what to do. But there is one small favor I'd like to ask of you."

He whispered a few words into Gao Qiu's ear, leaving him visibly pale and trembling. "You want me to spread rumors about Prince Cheng?"

"Who says they're rumors? They might very well be true. You saw the assassination attempt yourself," Lin Wanrong said, his expression hardening. "At this point, it's either his life or mine. Find some trustworthy and loyal people, put up some large posters, or get some gossip going in tea houses. Trust me, people will be interested. Let's make sure that everyone in the capital knows about Prince Cheng's atrocities, so he has nowhere to hide. As for the Emperor, don't worry. Would I dare to do this without his consent? He told you to protect me; have you thought about who it is I need protection from?"

Gao Qiu was speechless. He understood what Lin Wanrong meant: this was a ploy to force Prince Cheng's hand. "Will this really work?" he cautiously inquired.

"There's no reason it shouldn't," Lin Wanrong responded, a glint in his eyes. "I am Princess Chuyun's husband, and Prince Cheng chose this night to move against me. If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor must be making moves against him, rendering his position untenable. So let's go big; before our troops head north, let's remove this thorn in our side. Then our soldiers can focus solely on fighting the Turks. To be a bit selfish, as long as he's alive, I can't be at ease with my property and wife left in the capital."

With conviction shining in his eyes, Lin Wanrong gave Gao Qiu a hearty slap on the shoulder. Considering Lord Lin was the Emperor's son-in-law, and universally known for the Emperor's favor towards him, Gao Qiu clenched his teeth and said, "Fine. It's settled then. It seems I, too, have a score to settle with Prince Cheng."

After their clandestine discussion, there was no need to question the would-be assassin, Zheng Qiulei, any further. Obtaining his confession would suffice.

"Let's get his thumbprint on this," Lin Wanrong grinned. "Brother Gao, read the confession to old Zheng here. We are following procedures, no torture to extract a confession. All of you are witnesses for me!"

Gao Qiu eloquently read out the confession, detailing how Zheng Qiulei, having enjoyed the Emperor's grace since childhood, was coerced by Prince Cheng—using the lives of his family as leverage—to assassinate Lin Wanrong, the most loyal and capable servant of the empire.

Seeing Gao Qiu's piercing gaze fixated on his thumb, as if ready to cut it off to imprint the confession, Zheng Qiulei felt utterly defeated. With no other option, he reluctantly pressed his thumb onto the paper, his face ashen.

Turning to the remaining unconscious assassin, Lin Wanrong snorted. "Let's leave this one for the Emperor to interrogate personally. Brother Gao, find some reliable men to deliver both the confession and these two to the palace tonight. And then leak the news that the Emperor is interrogating assassins overnight, one of whom, named Zheng Qiulei, has been serving his master for twenty-one years—"

‘That's a brutal move,’ Gao Qiu sighed internally, nodding repeatedly. He gathered a team of guards, loaded the two men into a carriage, and sent them to the palace under the cover of darkness.

Lin Wanrong knelt beside his fallen warhorse, heaving a deep sigh. Gao Qiu, who had also experienced the battlefield, knew the bond between a man and his horse. He stood silently by Lin's side, saying nothing.

Lin Wanrong stood up, gazing into the distance where the moonlight shimmered like water against the bleak night sky. Miss Xu's carriage had long since disappeared into the distance. Thinking of the teasing banter that had just transpired, he felt a mixture of emotions. This time, she was probably even more irritated with him.

Riding into the city with Gao Qiu, it was already late, and there were few people on the streets. Lin Wanrong, lost in his thoughts, spurred his horse to a gallop. As he reached a bend in the road, he saw a palanquin moving slowly ahead. He paid it no mind, intending to ride past, when the curtain of the palanquin lifted. A woman peeked out, her eyes brimming with tears. "Lin, Lin San—"

"Whoa!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, pulling hard on the reins. He could hardly believe his ears. Who was calling him?

"Lin San—" The woman, seeing him in a daze, felt both joy and sorrow. She softly called his name again, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Lin Wanrong turned his head and saw the forlorn face of Xiao Yuruo. Her skin was like porcelain, cheeks slightly flushed, and two trails of tears flowed down. She looked poignantly beautiful in the cold night air.

"Eldest Miss, you're back?!" Overjoyed, Lin Wanrong leapt off his horse and rushed to the palanquin, taking her small hand into his. He noticed she looked more haggard than before, yet her proud demeanor was unchanged. Looking into her tearful eyes and thinking of their shared past, Lin Wanrong suddenly felt choked up, unable to say a word.

Tears fell like rain from Xiao Yuruo's eyes, yet she spoke with a smile. "You fool, what has stunned you? It's rare to see you so dumbfounded. Aren't you usually as sweet-talking as if you’ve swallowed honey?"

Wiping the corner of his eyes, Lin Wanrong laughed. "Eldest Miss hasn't been home, so I've gone without honey for days. Where have you returned from?"

"I don't know," Xiao Yuruo said softly. "The day the Emperor came with a decree, I was taken away by a palace maid and placed in a garden within the palace. Every day, officials from the Weaving Department discussed various matters with me—mostly about fabrics and textiles. They never let me leave."

Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth, filled with loathing. "That decree was a trap set by the Emperor. Eldest Miss, you must not believe it. Do you think I could be such a person?"

"Do I not know your character?" Eldest Miss shook her head and gave a bitter smile, her face flushing. "If you were a truly committed man, it would be fine. That would save us women from a lot of heartache. Unfortunately, you are the kind of man who wouldn't commit to one woman at the cost of others."

Her words hit home, but Lin Wanrong wasn't ashamed. He was rather pleased. "Exactly, exactly. You know me so well, Eldest Miss."

His giddy laughter was just as before, unchanged. She thought back to when they first met in Jinling; he and her cousin Guo had returned from some mischief. She had wanted to slap him then, and he had that fearless look, unafraid of anything.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Eldest Miss smiled through her tears, dusting off his clothes. "Where have you been gallivanting this time? You look as if you've rolled in mud. As punishment, you must wash these clothes clean first thing tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I'll dock your salary."

Listening to Eldest Miss speak in that familiar tone, Lin Wanrong felt as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders, his entire being filled with delight. With a grin, he said, "Eldest Miss, there's a question I've always wanted to ask you!"

Xiao Yuruo responded softly, "What question? Go ahead and ask."

"Do you remember our bet in Jinling about washing clothes?" Lin Wanrong chuckled. "I've always wanted to know who actually washed my clothes that time."

"It wasn't me who washed them," Xiao Yuruo said, her face blushing as she quickly lowered her head.

"Oh," Lin Wanrong sighed, his face falling. "No wonder they were so—"

"So what?" Eldest Miss lifted her head, her expression keen.

"So unclean," Lin Wanrong grinned cheekily. Before he could finish, her tiny fists pummeled him like the wind. "What nonsense are you spouting? How were they unclean? I washed them five times!"

Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, seizing her small hand and pulling her out of the palanquin. Eldest Miss was both shy and frustrated, kicking at him with her small feet. Her face flushed, she was breathless and seemingly devoid of strength. Their interaction was reminiscent of their bickering days in the Jinling residence—a mix of sour and sweet emotions, overwhelmingly warm.

"What's this?" Lin Wanrong noticed a bright red strand wrapped around her constantly moving ankle.

"Nothing!" Her face turned even redder as she hastily jumped back into the palanquin, preparing to instruct the bearers to move on. Just then, Lin Wanrong also squeezed in, sitting beside her.

"What are you doing? No fooling around!" Xiao Yuruo's heart raced, her chest heaving and her voice trembling.

Lin Wanrong lifted her ankle gently, revealing smooth, flawless skin under her loose gown, as exquisite as a piece of fine jade. A bright red thread was tightly wound around her dainty ankle. At the spot where the thread had been joined, someone had intricately woven it into a pair of beautiful butterflies, poised as if to take flight.

Lin Wanrong felt a surge of emotion. Memories of their time on West Lake, the wrongly tied red thread, Xian’er's sword cutting it, Eldest Miss's heartbreak—all etched deeply in his heart, never to be erased.

Touching her smooth ankle, he asked softly, "Have you been wearing this red thread all along?"

"Absolutely not," she turned her head away, her face flushed. "I tied this myself; it's not from that time."

"Was it really a mistake that time?" Lin Wanrong gently began to untie the loose end of the thread. "Let's try again and see if it's still a mistake this time."

He tied one end of the red thread tightly around Eldest Miss's dainty ankle, while the other end he held up in front of her, grinning. "Eldest Miss, pay close attention. We still don't know whether it's tied correctly or wrongly this time—"

As he bent down to wrap the thread around his ankle, Eldest Miss's face flushed a deep red. She whispered, "Wrong, wrong!"

"Wrong?" Lin Wanrong froze in confusion.

Seeing his bewildered expression, Eldest Miss couldn't help but giggle. Her tender, white finger lightly touched his forehead. "When did you become such a fool?" She lowered her head, not daring to look into his eyes, yet her voice carried a trembling warmth. "I'm a woman, so the thread should be tied to my right ankle. You're a man; it should be tied to your left ankle—you silly man!"

Lin Wanrong's face lit up in sudden realization. "Ah, how could I have been so confused? It seems I'm getting rusty from not flirting for a few days."

"Thank you for enlightening me, Eldest Miss," Lin Wanrong grinned as he securely tied the red thread around his own ankle. The two of them were squished tightly together, the snugly tied thread pulling them even closer, making it difficult to part.

"Lin San—" Eldest Miss felt a tremor in her heart, her face flushed rosy pink. She slowly leaned her head against his shoulder. Both tears and smiles came to her face at the same time.

Taking a satisfied sigh, Lin Wanrong smirked, "Heh heh, it's tied tightly this time. I'd like to see who can cut it now—" His words were cut short as a flash of shimmering white light accompanied by a whooshing sound moved swiftly toward their ankles.

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