Finest Servant

Chapter 1 Young Master, Young Master (Part 1)

The spring breeze was gentle and the willows swayed. The vast and smooth Xuanwu Lake shimmered with golden light in the sunset. The surface of the spacious lake sparkled with ripples, and boats shuttle back and forth. Laughter could be heard from the boats, but it was unclear which young ladies were on board, making the scene lively.

Countless scholars and officials stood sternly at the bow of the boat, gazing at the flower boats on which the wealthy young ladies were seated, revealing a wolf-like look of desire. As they approached the flower boats, they suddenly put on a righteous and aloof demeanor, not looking askance, gently swaying their folding fans, reciting poems and composing essays, displaying their romantic charm.

Several official boats glided across the lake, their curtains drawn. The young ladies hiding behind the curtains secretly glanced at the handsome and talented men coming and going, selecting those they favored.

Standing by Xuanwu Lake, if there was a word to describe Lin Wanrong's mood at this moment, it would be "unlucky," truly unlucky. He had been here for a month, and his bad luck had not left him. Perhaps his bad luck had accompanied him since the moment he decided to join the company's tour group to Mount Tai. Especially when he saw that girl's name on the travel list, he felt uneasy.

And the fact proved his speculation correct.

Lin Wanrong spat fiercely into the lake, feeling slightly better, with a sense of satisfaction. It felt so good to spit like this. It had been a long time since he felt so relieved. Damn, in this day and age, there shouldn't be an old lady with a red armband skipping over to fine me fifty bucks, right?

Lin Wanrong looked at his reflection in the clear water, with sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, a straight nose, and a friendly smile. If he were dressed in official robes, he would probably be more charming than those foolish literati who liked to recite broken poems in the lake.

Unfortunately, his shabby green cloth robe and the broken shoes on his feet were somewhat shabby compared to the attire of those talented men. Coupled with his short hair that was different from the pedestrians on the road, he could not even tie a kerchief on his head, making him look out of place in this environment.

As the girls passed by the roadside, they took one look at Lin Wanrong's attire and completely disregarded his face, passing him by and directing their gaze towards the so-called talented gentlemen standing shivering at the bow of the ship, braving the icy winds.

Suddenly, the beauties by the roadside rushed towards the lake, frantically staring at the distant horizon. Their sweet cries of amazement filled the air.

"Wow, look, it's the number one talented gentleman of Jinling, Hou Yuebai!"

"Wow, he's so handsome!"

"Wow, he's so devoted!"

"Who is the lucky lady who has captured his heart?"

Following the girls' gaze, Lin Wanrong looked ahead and saw three painted boats floating downstream. Each boat was two stories tall, measuring about six or seven meters in height. Lanterns hung high while the roofs of the boats were adorned with flying eaves and towers, exuding a magnificent aura.

On each of the three painted boats, flags were flying high, while a huge banner hung from the roof of both the left and right boats. On the right, the banner read "The Spring Breeze Touches My Heart," while the one on the left read "Only for You, My Heart Leans."

In the middle boat, a young gentleman stood at the bow, holding a fan and wearing a gentle smile on his face. He had a refined air and was dressed in flowing robes, emitting an irresistible charm.

Across from the three boats was an even bigger and more exquisite painted boat than the one belonging to Hou Yuebai. It had flying eaves and towers, exuding an aura of grandeur that was hard to put into words. Unfortunately, the curtains were drawn tightly, making it impossible to see the people inside. On the bow of the boat, a giant lantern danced in the wind, bearing a golden word: "Luo."

"Oh, it's Miss Luo, the number one beauty and talented lady in Jinling," a woman standing beside Lin Wanrong exclaimed loudly, her face full of excitement. It was clear that she was a fan of Miss Luo.

What is the Jinling's number one talent? Lin Wanrong doesn't care about that. And this Jinling's number one beauty, who is also a talented woman, makes him somewhat disdainful. These days, any woman who knows how to play with words claims to be a beauty. In his time, there were more female writers who relied on their bodies than fleas on a cow's head, so he's not surprised at all.

"I heard that Hou Gongzi has been pursuing Miss Luo for two years now. As the son of the Jinling magistrate, and a renowned talent in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, with his family background and literary talent, ah, if I were Miss Luo, I would have died of happiness a long time ago," a lovestruck woman said.

"Hmph, Miss Luo is known as the number one talent and beauty in Jinling. In terms of literary talent, she's not inferior to Hou Gongzi. She's also the daughter of the governor of Jiangsu, so her family background is even higher than Hou Gongzi's. Therefore, Miss Luo may not necessarily be interested in Hou Gongzi," another woman, who was obviously a die-hard fan of Miss Luo, analyzed.

"In my opinion, Jinling's number one talent and number one beauty are a perfect match, naturally meant for each other. Not just in Jinling, but in the entire Jiangsu and Zhejiang region, it would be difficult to find another pair as compatible as them," the lovestruck woman added.

Lin Wanrong shook his head helplessly. Women are naturally gossipers, it's the same in any era.

The romantic Hou Gongzi had already stopped his painted boat next to Miss Luo's boat on the lake. He was bowing with clasped hands, obviously saying something to Miss Luo in her boat.

After a long time, a pretty maidservant finally emerged from Miss Luo's boat and said a few words to Hou Gongzi on the bow of his boat. Hou Gongzi's face went through a wave of disappointment, followed by a wave of joy.

Lin Wanrong was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he could tell that Hou Gongzi's facial expressions were strange. Did Miss Luo accept or reject him? Why was this monkey-like Hou Gongzi constantly changing his emotions?

The lovestruck woman and the fan were obviously equally confused. As they watched Miss Luo's boat slowly move towards the center of the lake, Miss Luo's fan said happily, "See, I told you, Hou Gongzi may not be able to win Miss Luo's heart."

The lovestruck woman snorted and said, "I'm not so sure about that. Look at how happy Hou Gongzi is right now. Maybe he has a secret date with Miss Luo under the moonlight tonight." That could be possible. According to the customs of this world, after all, men and women are different, and talking about love naturally requires finding a place without anyone around. It's easier to do things when the moon is dark and the wind is high.

Hou Gongzi watched as Miss Luo's boat gradually drifted away, still waving his feather fan lightly, with a smile on his face and his gaze fixed on her. The so-called charming and romantic demeanor of Hou Gongzi made Lin Wanrong feel a bit uncomfortable.

"What are you so proud of? When it comes to picking up girls, your grandfather's methods are a thousand times better than yours. Look at your infatuated appearance." Lin Wanrong thought indignantly.

It was already late autumn and winter was approaching. The cold wind blew over the lake, and Hou Gongzi seemed unable to bear the cold, shivering slightly.

Lin Wanrong saw his actions clearly and couldn't help but sneer. "Ha! You only care about your style and not your temperature. No wonder spring came so early. It turns out that you and these girls are in heat."

Lin Wanrong's cold laughter caught the attention of several nearby women, who looked at him and saw his shabby dress and short hair. They all covered their mouths and laughed softly. When they saw his face, they blushed and dared not look at him anymore.

At 1.77 meters tall, with a straight and muscular body due to years of unwavering physical exercise, and a handsome appearance with healthy wheat-colored skin, Lin Wanrong had a charm that was more appealing than the white-faced scholars of this era.

It's no wonder that those women were afraid to look at him. This man had a great impact on their hearts.

When he was studying at Peking University, Lin Wanrong was also a famous dark horse prince, and there were many female students who had a crush on him.

"Where did this country bumpkin come from..."

"Look at his shabby appearance..."

"Huang Xiong, standing with him would ruin your reputation. Let's stay away from him..."

After witnessing Hou Gongzi's spectacle, the nearby group of scholars, whose confidence was already shattered, were completely ignored by the women, who instead focused their attention on Lin Wanrong. How could the scholars not feel angry?