Finest Servant Chapter 677 (Patreon)
Content
Chapter 677 Ning'er's Research
"Really?!" Lin Wanrong was overjoyed beyond belief. He had never expected that among his wives at home, it was the playful Miss Luo who became pregnant soon after Qingxuan, outpacing Qiaoqiao and Xian'er. By his calculations, adding the child in his little sister's womb, by the end of next year, the Lin family would have at least four children, a true expansion of the family tree.
"Ning'er, you are amazing!" Lin Wanrong embraced her, his eyes crinkling with joy. "No wonder you kept pulling me to your room those nights, displaying such enthusiasm!"
"Big Brother—" Even the fiery Miss Luo couldn't withstand such teasing, she couldn't help but chide him softly with a pant, her embarrassment making her stamp her feet.
Lin Wanrong inhaled deeply in her hair, smiling contentedly. "Ning'er, when did you discover it?"
His hand wandered over the talented lady's abdomen, causing Miss Luo's heart to race and her cheeks to redden. She shyly said, "I was so preoccupied with accompanying you to Goryeo, from the capital to Shandong, that I didn't notice at first. It wasn't until these few days in Jining, when my monthly period didn't come and I felt nauseous and unable to eat, that Sister Zhiqing checked my pulse and realized I was pregnant."
"Miss Xu is in Shandong too?" Lin Wanrong asked, his eyes widening.
"Have you forgotten?" Luo Ning teased him, playfully scolding with a smile. "Didn't you spend ten silver taels to swindle a French ironclad ship, instructing Sister Zhiqing to study it thoroughly? She's been with the craftsmen of the Divine Machine Unit, staying on the ship for over a month. She only disembarked a few days ago and is now in seclusion in the mansion!"
"Seclusion? Is Miss Xu cultivating immortality? What is she doing in seclusion?"
"Cultivating what immortality? With Big Brother here, how could Sister Zhiqing bear to leave this wonderful world?" Ning'er giggled sweetly. "She's secluded herself in the mansion, drawing the blueprint of the Westerners' ironclad ship!"
Drawing a blueprint for the ironclad ship? Lin Wanrong listened with deep respect. Setting aside the quality of her drawing, her dedication alone was admirable. Entrusting this task to Miss Xu was the right choice, given her diligent spirit. She was bound to achieve something.
"There's another matter," Luo Ning said. "The thirty young people selected for studying in the West, Sister Zhiqing has already chosen them for you. They've come to Shandong and have already started adapting to the ironclad ship."
Lin Wanrong clapped his hands in praise: "What a perfect adaptation! Whose idea was this? Truly understands my heart, well done, well done indeed!"
Miss Luo smiled, "Who else but our military strategist Xu? Even Sister Qingxuan praises her as your right-hand man, incredibly capable!"
This was indeed true. With Lin Wanrong's inherently lazy nature, having a diligent person like Xu Zhiqing to assist him was like achieving twice the result with half the effort.
Lin Wanrong nodded slightly, sighing, "Miss Xu has truly worked hard this time. If our Great Hua prospers, she will undoubtedly be the chief contributor."
Luo Ning gave him a look, "What use is your empty promise of a title? Doesn't Big Brother know for whom Sister Zhiqing is doing all this?"
Xu Zhiqing was already betrothed to him, his future wife. Her tireless efforts were naturally to help her husband achieve his dreams.
Lin Wanrong nodded hastily, "Understood, understood. Miss Xu treats me so well, I will definitely take good care of her, just like I care for my precious Ning'er."
Miss Luo found his sweet words gratifying, feeling a sense of comfort in her heart, yet she shook her head and said, "Big Brother, merely speaking without action is deceitful. Miss Xu has given you her heart, yet you continue to feign ignorance, which is truly unacceptable."
Lin Wanrong, puzzled, asked, "Feign ignorance? Ning'er, are you referring to me?"
"Who else could it be?" Luo Ning, holding his hand, walked towards the mansion, whispering in his ear, "Big Brother, since you are betrothed to Sister Zhiqing, that makes you husband and wife."
"Oh. That can be understood!" he nodded.
As they reached the courtyard and saw no one around, Miss Luo smiled mysteriously, "Since you're husband and wife, what are you waiting for? Show your skills and consummate your marriage with Sister Zhiqing sooner, fulfilling her wishes and ensuring her wholehearted devotion to our Lin family, sparing her from restless days."
"Consummate?!" Lin Wanrong's eyes widened in outrage, "Ning'er, isn't that demand a bit excessive? Do you see me as someone so frivolous? In this lascivious world, a pure man maintaining his chastity is not easy, you know?"
The talented Miss Luo laughed so hard she nearly choked, her ample bosom quivering like newly ripened peaches on a tree.
She finally caught her breath and teased, "A pure man? Big Brother, you must be talking about yourself before the age of ten?"
Her eyes were red with laughter, her cunningly beautiful expression reminiscent of their days in Jinling. Lin Wanrong watched with delight, "Ning'er, you truly are my wonderful wife, speaking and acting just like me!"
"Big Brother, I'm not joking," Miss Luo said seriously. "You're going to Goryeo and won't return until the new year. Sister Zhiqing has waited for you for so long; each additional day is a torment for her. Wouldn't it be better to do it here—hee hee!"
Luo Ning winked, her face blushing as she giggled. Lin Wanrong, however, was startled, his voice trembling, "Here? Ning'er, it's broad daylight, with people coming and going—but if we lock the doors and station guards around, then day or night wouldn't matter! Ah, I'm actually quite shy!"
"Who said to do it here? And in broad daylight?" Miss Luo twisted his arm fiercely, her annoyance mixed with embarrassment, "I meant in this mansion, fulfilling Sister Zhiqing's wishes, wouldn't that be proper?"
Ning'er, this girl, was really anxious for Miss Xu. Lin Wanrong wanted to laugh but dared not, his heart racing as he said timidly, "Still, it's not right. Ning'er, you're here too. If I really were to do such a thing with Miss Xu, leaving you aside, how could I bear it?"
Seeing his sincere expression, Luo Ning was deeply touched and lowered her head, "Big Brother, Sister Zhiqing and I have been close friends for years. What's mine is hers, there's no need to differentiate. If you don't want to leave me aside, then there's a simple solution."
"Simple? How so?" Lin Wanrong was astonished. Ning'er's ideas were often wildly imaginative and mysterious, even he couldn't guess them.
Luo Ning giggled, "Do you remember the last time you came to Jining and accidentally entered my embroidery room?"
"Remember? How could I not?" Lin Wanrong recalled entering the wrong room and inadvertently taking advantage of Miss Xu, a blunder of significant proportions. With warmth in his heart, he affectionately pinched Luo Ning's delicate nose and chuckled, "My dear Ning'er, why bring up such a matter? Are you planning to settle accounts with me after autumn?"
Miss Luo's cheeks flushed deeply as she leaned in close to his ear, her breath as fragrant as orchids, "Now, I share my room with Miss Xu. If Big Brother doesn't want to leave me behind, I can just hide in the inner room and listen while you and Sister Zhiqing consummate your marriage, hee hee."
"This, this—" Lin Wanrong was utterly dumbstruck upon hearing this. Miss Luo was indeed a unique person, her interests unparalleled in the world.
Seeing his astonished expression, Luo Ning lowered her head, her eyes reddening slightly, "Big Brother, am I very bad?"
"Not at all," Lin Wanrong laughed heartily and embraced her, "My dear Ning'er, you just have rather special interests. In my eyes, you'll always be the little darling who spends money and is so lovable."
"Big Brother, you're so kind!" Luo Ning nestled in his arms, her cheeks flushed with emotion, and she sighed contentedly, "Do you know why I have such thoughts?"
"Why?" Lin Wanrong blinked, genuinely curious to know.
Miss Luo smiled sweetly, "I won't lie to you; as a child, I greatly admired Miss Xu. I dreamed of becoming a woman as capable as her. It was only after marrying you that these thoughts gradually faded. But I've always been curious, ordinary people tend to idealize those wise and stunning women, describing them as ethereally beautiful, almost otherworldly. I wanted to understand something — when these elegant and beautiful women marry, lie in their husband's arms, and engage in intimate acts, do they still retain their purity and nobility? When they are intimate with their husbands, do they speak crudely? Do they, like me, cry out in joy because of Big Brother? So, I wanted to see for myself. What would my long-admired Sister Zhiqing be like in your arms? How different would she be from me, hee hee!"
Lin Wanrong was stunned. This was the most shocking statement he had heard since arriving in this world, and it came from the seemingly gentle but fiery-hearted Miss Luo.
What Luo Ning expressed was essentially a common curiosity. Those stunning beauties, appearing pure and untouchable, once their veils are lifted, are just ordinary women. They scream in excitement, cry in pain, no different from anyone else.
In plain terms, it's like saying, "Even goddesses have their earthly moments!"
Holding her hand and grinning, Lin Wanrong said, "Our Ning'er's research is indeed extraordinary. But I fully support this kind of research. Unveiling the faces of those stunning beauties, bringing them down from their pedestals, has also been a life-long pursuit of mine. Now, we can even start a husband and wife venture."
Luo Ning kissed his cheek tenderly and said shyly, "Big Brother, even if others curse me as bad or shameless, I don't care. I speak these words only for you, to make my husband happy. Do you like it?"
"Is that even a question? Any man would love it!" Miss Luo, blooming with allure and whispering softly, was like a fully blossomed peony, melting Lin Wanrong's heart.
His fondness for Ning'er grew stronger by the day. He whispered sweet nothings into her ear, causing her graceful neck to flush and eliciting soft, giggling laughter from her. Talking with Miss Luo seemed to wash away all his fatigue, even his feet felt lighter and more comfortable.
This government mansion, where they were now, had been Luo Min's residence during his exile in Jining and had become Luo Ning's second home. Although it was somewhat dilapidated, for Miss Luo, it held extraordinary significance—it was here that she had become a true woman.
The pair strolled slowly through the courtyard, savoring the familiar sights of each tree and plant, with Luo Ning sharing little family stories, finding immense joy in these simple moments.
Approaching the door of a wing room, Miss Luo suddenly stopped and winked at him.
Lin Wanrong glanced over and recognized it as the former boudoir of Luo Ning. The door was slightly ajar, suggesting someone was inside.
"We're here," Luo Ning said, holding his hand and smiling mischievously.
Her smile was indescribably mysterious and alluring, making Lin Wanrong's heart race with anticipation.
The door, barely closed, opened with a gentle push.
At a desk by the window sat a woman in a plain dress, her white, delicate hand propping up her cheek, her hair cascading down her shoulders like clouds. Her other hand, which had been holding a pen, now rested, her gaze fixed on the paper before her, deep in thought.
The creaking sound of the door turning startled the woman in contemplation. Without turning her head, she spoke softly, "Is that you, Ning'er? Go ahead and have dinner without me; I'm not hungry yet."
Lin Wanrong tiptoed behind her, observing the white paper on the desk. It bore a complete model of a Western ironclad ship, with its length, width, and height clearly marked. The steering wheel, cannons, and other essential parts were all depicted in precise proportion. Each critical area was detailed in separate drawings, meticulously crafted.
Just these drawings alone, even in the hands of a skilled artist, would take at least a month or two to complete.
Miss Xu possessed such skill, which was a tremendous and pleasant surprise to Lin Wanrong. He exhaled silently in awe.
Hearing his soft breath, Xu Zhiqing's body trembled slightly, and she slowly turned around.
Seeing the familiar dark face, her nose tingled, and she asked softly, "You're back?"
"Yes, I'm back," Lin Wanrong took her hand, his voice filled with concern, "No matter how busy you are, you must take care of yourself. How can you skip dinner? You really deserve a spanking!"
Xu Zhiqing's cheeks flushed, and she turned her head away shyly, "I don't care for that, you go spank your little sister!"