The master and servant duo looked at Lin Wanrong with simultaneous smiles. The young servant stared at Lin Wanrong's short hair, looking as if he wanted to laugh but didn't dare, his small face turning red from holding it in.
Lin Wanrong naturally knew the kid was mocking his short hair, but seeing how petite and adorable the boy was, he couldn't bear to see him suffer. With a magnanimous wave of his hand, he said, "Little brother, if you want to laugh, just laugh. Don't make yourself uncomfortable holding it in."
Hearing Lin Wanrong neither address him as "young master" nor "brother," the stunning young master seemed rather surprised. Meanwhile, the handsome servant boy looked at Lin Wanrong and burst into unrestrained giggles.
Her voice was crisp and clear, and to Lin Wanrong, it sounded very much like a woman's. He'd read plenty of novels about women disguising themselves as men, but when he carefully studied the chests of these two, they were flat as boards—perfectly capable of serving as runways for a Boeing 777 or an Airbus A380. If they were women, had they chopped off those two mounds? Lin Wanrong didn't believe that for a second. For now, he'd just treat them as men.
Still, these two were so strikingly good-looking that Lin Wanrong couldn't shake a lingering unease. Could they possibly be imports from Thailand?
Though he wasn't sure if Thailand existed in this era, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. He unconsciously took a step back, edging closer to the shore of Xuanwu Lake.
The stunning young master, noticing Lin Wanrong's prolonged silence and his eyes wandering over their figures, felt a twinge of annoyance.
When he caught the look of disgust on Lin Wanrong's face, the young master froze for a moment before hurriedly calling out, "Young master, young master—"
He called out several times before Lin Wanrong snapped out of it, hastily looking up and saying, "Brother, what's the matter?" Yet his gaze couldn't help but drift back to the young master's chest.
Hearing Lin Wanrong address him this way, the stunning young master clearly wasn't used to it. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Lin Wanrong's eyes still lingering on his chest, as if toying with something.
Fury surged in the young master's heart, but he couldn't lash out. He could only glare fiercely at Lin Wanrong, looking as though he wanted to devour him.
Lin Wanrong, with his thick skin, was utterly unfazed. He didn't retract his gaze, openly staring at the kid's chest. The young master's face flushed white, then red, but he didn't dare say a word.
"What are you looking at, you little punk?" Before the stunning young master could speak, the green-clad servant beside him couldn't hold back any longer.
Lin Wanrong blinked, amused inwardly. Fair point—why the hell was he studying two guys' chests?
After half a day of scrutiny with no results, he simply decided to peg them as Thai goods. Fortunately, Lin Wanrong had visited Bangkok and Yangon multiple times in the past and wasn't too repulsed by such things. He lifted his head, looked at the stunning young master, and said casually, "Brother, what did you call me for just now?"
At that moment, the two stood side by side by Xuanwu Lake. To an outsider, they might look like two refined scholars discussing poetry and painting. Only Lin Wanrong knew the truth: a scholar? More like a jackal.
Seeing Lin Wanrong's address normalize, the stunning young master's expression softened. He nodded and said, "Might I ask where you're from, brother?"
Lin Wanrong's eyes settled on the young master's face. Fair skin with a rosy hue, delicate enough to break with a puff of air—like a piece of glistening jade that stirred the imagination.
Lin Wanrong secretly swallowed hard. Good grief, Jiangnan didn't just produce stunning beauties—it churned out breathtaking male demons like this too.
The young master, noticing Lin Wanrong staring intently, flushed slightly but said nothing, shooting him an annoyed glare.
That look made Lin Wanrong quickly turn his head away, not daring to keep staring. Now he was convinced—Thailand had to exist somewhere, or where else could such a "stunning beauty" come from?"
Judging by your accent, brother, you don't seem to be a local. And your… way of addressing people is quite interesting," the young master said, his tone easing as Lin Wanrong stopped staring. He was clearly fishing for something to talk about."
Oh, yeah, I'm not from around here," Lin Wanrong replied with a fake smile. "I hail from the land of Jingchu, a man of the Two Lakes."
He wasn't lying—his hometown was indeed Hubei Province. The only reason he was standing before this stunning young master today was because he'd taken a wrong turn, plain and simple.
"Since ancient times, they've said only Chu produces talent. I didn't fully believe it before, but after hearing the fine verses you recited today, I have no more doubts," the young master said sincerely.
"Kind words, kind words," Lin Wanrong coughed lightly, chuckling. "And what might I call you, brother?"
"I was just marveling at the verses you recited. It seems they're only the latter half, yet they're already extraordinary, truly invigorating. I wonder if there's an upper half to this poem? Might I have the pleasure of hearing it?" the young master asked, full of hope.
So, a poetry nut, huh? Lin Wanrong got it. He gave a lofty smile and said lightly, "Fine verses are born of heaven, stumbled upon by a deft hand. These two lines that pour straight from my heart are enough to satisfy me. Why fuss over an upper or lower half? Forcing it would be worse than leaving it be."
Having spent years wheeling and dealing in the business world, Lin Wanrong was a master at playing the game. He deliberately dangled the bait—why should he spill everything just because you asked? No perks, no service.
Sure enough, the young master's face lit up with admiration. He bowed to Lin Wanrong and said, "Brother, you truly have the air of a lofty sage. I've learned much."
In this era, when people composed poetry, the upper and lower halves were inseparable, and tales of a single couplet being worth a fortune abounded. Someone like Lin Wanrong, who cared only for the lower half and dismissed the upper, might not be unheard of, but he was certainly a rarity.
Seeing the young master's awed expression, Lin Wanrong felt a flicker of smugness. He feigned modesty, saying, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'm ashamed, truly ashamed."
The green-clad servant beside them let out a snort of laughter. Lin Wanrong's half-baked speech just looked awkward no matter how you sliced it.
The young master shot his servant a glare, and the boy's face tightened, silencing him instantly.
"With your proud spirit and talent that doesn't boast, brother, you're leagues above those so-called refined scholars," the young master said, his gaze drifting to the literati boating on the lake, showing off their flair. A trace of disdain crossed his face.
"Oh?" Lin Wanrong found this odd. Though he'd only been in this world for a little over a month, from what he'd seen, people here revered the literary arts and scorned martial prowess. Those who excelled in literary flair were the most admired, and the imperial exams judged solely by essays. Master the pen, and you'd go far in this world.
But this stunning young master, clearly a man of literary talent himself, seemed to harbor a bias against his fellow scholars. What was up with that?
Still, the young master's words were spot-on, and his flattery was top-notch. Lin Wanrong felt a rush of satisfaction. If this kid had worked at his old company, he'd have been a shoo-in for sales.
"You're damn right, kid. I'm no refined scholar—I'm more of a crude one," Lin Wanrong chuckled to himself.
"Jiangnan's scholars and beauties have been famed since ancient times, renowned across the land. Jingchu may have its talents, but in quality and quantity, it falls a bit short of Jiangnan," Lin Wanrong said, feigning humility.
"Quality? Quantity?" The young master frowned, puzzled by these "new terms."
"Oh, uh, roughly speaking, it just means superiority and number," Lin Wanrong explained, sweating bullets. Explaining this stuff to someone from this strange world was no easy feat.
The young master nodded, glancing at him with a slight smile. "Your… explanation is really something else, brother. It's a first for me."
When he smiled, two dimples appeared on his face. That charming look sent Lin Wanrong's heart racing like crazy!