With hot water for bathing and steaming hot food, compared to their ordeal in the dilapidated temple, this was simply heaven.

Luo Sheng slept reasonably soundly. After washing up, she walked out of her room.

Sheng Sanlang was already waiting outside, dark shadows under his eyes.

“Cousin didn’t sleep well?”

Sheng Sanlang hurriedly denied it: “How could I not sleep well? I slept so soundly last night.”

He hadn’t expected Cousin Luo to look so refreshed and energetic—it made him seem completely unable to handle things.

Secretly glancing at the young lady’s fair and rosy complexion, Sheng Sanlang sighed in admiration: This was indeed the cousin who’d pulled off Prince Kaiyang’s belt without changing expression—she was far more composed when encountering matters than he was.

Luo Sheng was indeed more composed than Sheng Sanlang.

Having died and been reborn, having experienced the disaster of her family’s annihilation—after such tremendous shocks she could still maintain her composure. In comparison, what they’d encountered yesterday in the dilapidated temple was nothing.

“Where does Cousin plan to eat breakfast?” Thinking about how Sheng Sanlang had suffered quite a fright yesterday, Luo Sheng felt she should compensate this youth who’d been innocently caught up in it all.

“Let’s just eat something simple in the inn’s main hall. After we eat, we’ll go to an escort agency to hire people. While it’s still early, we’ll hurry along—that way we can reach the next town before nightfall.”

Luo Sheng nodded: “Then let’s eat at the inn.”

The group came to the main hall and found quite a few people already seated.

Scallion pancakes sprinkled with sesame, golden fried glutinous rice balls, soup noodles glistening with red oil, plain noodles in clear broth—the aromas of all kinds of food intertwined and assaulted them, immediately reviving the dispirited youth’s spirits.

“Cousin, let’s sit by the window.”

The group now numbered only five. With no need to worry about matters of status, they sat around the table by the window. Various foods were quickly brought over.

Luo Sheng ordered a bowl of plain noodles and ate slowly.

The noodles had only a pinch of scallions added. The broth was rather perfunctory—eating it was like clear soup with little flavor.

Sheng Sanlang also had a bowl of plain noodles before him. After eating a chopstick-full, he couldn’t help but frown.

These noodles were a bit unpalatable.

He secretly glanced at Luo Sheng and saw that although she was chewing slowly and carefully, she’d already eaten down to half the bowl. He asked in puzzlement: “Cousin, what do you think of these noodles?”

Luo Sheng took a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, brief and to the point: “Unpalatable.”

Sheng Sanlang fell silent and began eating in large mouthfuls.

As long as his sense of taste wasn’t the problem, that was good. Unpalatable was unpalatable—he couldn’t be more particular than his cousin, a young lady.

“When we return, I’ll make noodles for Cousin to eat.” Seeing the youth eating with his head buried in the bowl, Luo Sheng said softly.

This pursuit and killing was targeting Miss Luo. Sheng Sanlang had suffered an undeserved disaster—she should comfort him with good food.

Sheng Sanlang’s face, buried in his bowl, suddenly lifted, seeming to shine: “Really?”

“Of course I wouldn’t lie to Cousin.”

With the roasted pork knuckle he’d eaten guaranteeing this, Sheng Sanlang had no doubts whatsoever. His eyebrows danced with delight: “Then I won’t eat plain noodles. I want to eat ones with meat—preferably pork belly!”

Luo Sheng pondered briefly and smiled: “Then I’ll make minced meat noodles, using pork belly that’s sixty percent lean and forty percent fat for the topping.”

“Slurp—” Sheng Sanlang took a large mouthful of the flavorless plain noodles and swallowed it along with his saliva.

A young man’s voice suddenly rang out: “Two bowls of plain noodles, eight scallion pancakes.”

Sheng Sanlang’s movements paused.

This voice was somewhat familiar—it should have left him with a deep impression.

He immediately looked over, his eyes involuntarily widening.

No wonder it sounded familiar—this was Prince Kaiyang’s attendant who’d wanted to buy roasted pork knuckles from him!

Sheng Sanlang looked beside him and indeed saw Wei Han.

Wei Han still wore scarlet robes, standing silently in the main hall without a word, truly making the humble establishment shine with splendor.

The server quickly and respectfully invited the two to a table, which happened to be adjacent to Luo Sheng’s group.

At this moment, the guard also noticed Luo Sheng and the others and quietly reminded Wei Han: “Master, it’s Miss Luo and her group.”

Wei Han raised his eyes to look over, meeting the young lady’s calm gaze.

He nodded slightly and withdrew his gaze.

“Plain noodles coming—” The server carried over a tray with two bowls of plain noodles and a plate of pancakes.

Wei Han picked up a pancake and began eating.

Luo Sheng set down her chopsticks, looking at Wei Han with furrowed brows in contemplation.

Having stuffed his stomach full, Sheng Sanlang sensed something amiss and said quietly: “Cousin, let’s settle the bill and leave.”

“Wait a moment.” Luo Sheng stood and walked toward Wei Han.

“Cousin—” Sheng Sanlang’s voice rose slightly, only to receive a fierce eye roll from Hong Dou.

“Young Master Cousin, don’t disturb our miss’s good fortune.”

Good, good fortune?

Sheng Sanlang’s face darkened all at once.

Was it the kind of good fortune he was thinking of?

“Does Miss Luo have business with me?” Wei Han set down his chopsticks, looking at Luo Sheng expressionlessly.

That gaudy dagger was still in his bosom, constantly reminding him that he’d lifted a rock to drop on his own foot in front of a little girl.

Because of this, facing this young lady, he exercised several degrees more caution than he himself had realized.

The guard sitting across from Wei Han looked at Luo Sheng, then looked at his own master, picked up his bowl, and silently walked away.

Wei Han’s originally expressionless handsome face darkened.

Ever since that first encounter with Miss Luo on the capital’s streets, that damned Shi Yan had become unreliable.

Luo Sheng sat down across from him openly and frankly: “I wonder if Your Highness remembers our previous agreement?”

Wei Han raised his eyebrows: “My memory isn’t that poor. Miss Luo, speak plainly if you have something to say.”

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “We’ve encountered bandits repeatedly on the road. I’d like to ask Your Highness to escort us to the capital.”

Better to arrive at the right time than early—with Prince Kaiyang’s abilities, he was far more reliable than a team of escorts of unknown background.

Wei Han fell silent for a moment.

From here to the capital was at least five or six more days. She wanted him to be a guard for five or six days?

He didn’t mind serving as a guard to a little girl despite his status as a prince, but the little girl before him was no ordinary little girl.

She had a criminal record!

Wei Han didn’t want to have his belt pulled off by a girl a second time.

The young lady’s cool voice rang out: “Very well. If Your Highness finds this difficult, then convert that dagger to silver and give it to me.”

Wei Han tightened his fist and revealed a calm smile: “Since Miss Luo feels exchanging this for that promise is appropriate, I’m extremely happy to oblige.”

If only he’d had money, there would never have been that promise.

The feeling of being at someone’s mercy wasn’t pleasant. Wei Han could only maintain his smile while secretly vowing to carry at least ten thousand taels in banknotes with him from now on.

Luo Sheng stood and curtsied slightly: “Then I’ll be under your care for the next several days. Your Highness, please enjoy your meal. We’ll go pack our luggage first.”

After Luo Sheng’s group left the main hall, the guard Shi Yan carried his bowl over: “Master, are you really going to escort Miss Luo back to the capital?”

“What else?” Wei Han asked expressionlessly.

Shi Yan looked worshipful: “Nothing, nothing. Your subordinate was just asking casually.”

Having obtained both his beloved’s love token and the opportunity to spend every day with his beloved, and most importantly without spending a single coin—tsk tsk, was there any man more capable than their master?

As for the beloved being Miss Luo—ahem, his master’s poor taste in women was another matter entirely and couldn’t be conflated.

Shi Yan maintained this contradictory mood of admiring his master’s strong initiative while worrying about his master’s poor judgment, right up until they rested during the journey that day and he ate a bowl of minced meat noodles from Miss Luo.