By this time, Luo Sheng had already rounded a rockery and caught sight of the long pavilion where she had been led earlier.

The pavilion was crowded with figures and filled with chaotic voices, as if some situation had occurred.

Luo Sheng paused in her steps, then walked over quickly.

“Miss Luo has returned!” Among the fragrant clothes and elegant coiffures, some noble young lady called out.

All the young ladies looked outside in unison. The moment they saw Luo Sheng, their expressions varied.

With one glance, Luo Sheng saw Luo Yue covering her face with angry apricot eyes, Luo Qing with a pale face holding her, and a maid kneeling on the ground trembling.

“Third Sister—” Seeing Luo Sheng approaching, Luo Yue blurted out. For some reason, she actually felt wronged, and those eyes filled with anger suddenly reddened.

“Put your hand down.” Luo Sheng’s tone was light, even faintly carrying a trace of disdain.

The young ladies quietly exchanged glances.

Miss Luo was not to be trifled with—they all knew this. They had thought that even if only for the sake of face, she would stand up for her own sister who had been bullied. Now it seemed they had thought too much.

Indeed, Miss Luo was domineering and tyrannical outside, and equally imperious within the residence. How could she protect her sisters?

Hearing these words, Luo Yue bit her lip and lowered her hand, dropping her eyelashes to hide the disappointment and self-mockery in her eyes.

She must have been possessed just now—seeing Luo Sheng, she had actually thought she would stand up for her.

Luo Sheng’s gaze fell on Luo Yue’s face.

Luo Yue’s right cheek was slightly red. Because her skin was delicate and fair as snow, the handprint was quite obvious.

Luo Sheng’s eyes turned cold as she asked calmly, “Who hit you?”

This person naturally wouldn’t be Luo Qing.

The young ladies couldn’t help but look toward a young lady standing not far from Luo Yue.

The young lady was tall and slender with an arrogant expression. Meeting Luo Sheng’s gaze, she unconsciously pressed her lips together.

Luo Sheng didn’t know who the young lady was.

Without Miss Luo’s memories, this was indeed troublesome.

But someone who unconsciously pressed her lips upon seeing her—her status probably wouldn’t be more noble than Young County Princess Wei Wen, and she had very likely had unpleasant encounters with Miss Luo before.

In that brief instant, Luo Sheng made these deductions.

“You hit my fourth sister?” Luo Sheng looked directly at the young lady and asked.

The young lady’s red lips pressed into a line. “So what if I did?”

Wei Wen had returned before Luo Sheng. At this moment, as the host, she had no choice but to step forward. “Miss Luo, the situation is this—”

Luo Sheng’s tone was light as she interrupted Wei Wen’s words. “County Princess, no need to rush.”

Wei Wen frowned at Luo Sheng, not understanding what she meant by these words.

The young ladies’ eyes remained fixed on Luo Sheng, their silent exteriors concealing excitedly beating hearts.

As long as one wasn’t the spectacle oneself, watching spectacles was always human nature. The noble young ladies present were no exception.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Luo Sheng walked step by step before the young lady and raised her hand to deliver a slap.

A crisp sound stunned everyone. Even the young lady who had been slapped didn’t react immediately, covering her face with eyes full of shock.

Luo Sheng acted as if nothing had happened, rubbing her wrist before smiling slightly at Wei Wen. “County Princess, you may now explain what happened.”

Wei Wen came to her senses, displeasure in her voice. “Miss Luo, you’ve gone too far.”

Luo Qing called out worriedly, “Third Sister—”

Luo Yue stared at Luo Sheng in a daze, tears falling, but there was light in her eyes now.

The maid who had led Luo Sheng over stared at the young lady’s face with very complicated feelings: Miss Luo’s hand had touched a snake…

“I’m merely returning the favor. First returning the courtesy before discussing other matters.” Luo Sheng glanced at the trembling maid kneeling on the ground, her tone carrying a casual air. “It looks like trouble caused by a maid again.”

Wei Wen’s heart jumped. Those accusatory words had to be swallowed back down.

Luo Sheng’s words sounded casual but weren’t so simple.

The incident where a maid overturned sweet soup onto Madam of Marquis Changchun’s face at Mother Consort’s side hadn’t spread yet. If the current matter was also directed by Luo Sheng toward the prince’s residence maids, the prince’s residence’s reputation would suffer.

Setting aside everything else, a reputation for being unable to manage subordinates didn’t sound good.

Wei Wen looked at Luo Sheng.

Those autumn-water-like eyes were calm and deep, impossible to fathom.

Luo Sheng dared to slap even the prime minister’s granddaughter—what wouldn’t she dare to do?

The young lady who had just been hit was precisely Elder Chen’s granddaughter, Chen Ruoning.

Strictly speaking, cabinet elders differed greatly from the prime ministers of previous dynasties, but common people still habitually referred to them as elder or prime minister.

Wei Wen thought of these things and had no choice but to soften her tone, saying gently, “I only arrived a bit earlier than Miss Luo. For the specifics, let’s ask the sisters present to explain.”

Silence filled the pavilion.

Watching spectacles was fine; being drawn into the spectacle was unwise.

Wei Wen lowered her brows.

She actually knew what had happened, but certain words weren’t quite appropriate coming from her as the host.

After a moment’s consideration, Wei Wen nodded slightly at Zhu Hanshuang. “Hanshuang, why don’t you explain?”

Zhu Hanshuang was already at odds with Luo Sheng and didn’t care too much. She spoke up, “Earlier everyone was drinking tea when this maid brought a plate of fruit to Second Miss Luo. Who knew her foot would slip and the fruit plate would fall from her hands? Fourth Miss Luo, to protect Second Miss Luo, flung the fruit plate outward, and all the fruit hit Miss Chen.”

Zhu Hanshuang, saying this, unconsciously curved her lips. “The fruit covered Miss Chen, yet Fourth Miss Luo didn’t apologize. In her agitation, Miss Chen slapped Fourth Miss Luo. That’s the situation.”

Hearing Zhu Hanshuang finish explaining the sequence of events, Luo Sheng sneered coldly in her heart.

Zhu Hanshuang’s words seemed fine but actually directed all the fault onto Luo Yue.

Accidentally hitting Miss Chen but not apologizing—no matter how one heard it, Luo Yue was in the wrong.

By comparison, Miss Chen’s agitated retaliation became understandable.

Luo Sheng now guessed Miss Chen’s identity.

Surnamed Chen and daring to slap a young lady from the Grand Marshal’s residence—this should be the legitimate eldest granddaughter of the current junior grand secretary, Elder Chen: Chen Ruoning.

She had heard Hong Dou mention that Miss Luo had once beaten the prime minister’s residence daughter, Miss Chen.

Why had Hong Dou mentioned it? Because this maid had helped her own young lady beat her together. As a glorious achievement, of course it had to be mentioned from time to time.

Luo Sheng listened quietly to the end. She didn’t follow Zhu Hanshuang’s words to ask questions but instead cast her gaze on the kneeling maid.

“Her foot slipped? She can slip while bringing up a fruit plate? Was this maid trained in the same batch as the maid who overturned sweet soup onto Madam of Marquis Changchun’s face?”

At these words, the young ladies showed surprised expressions and began whispering to those beside them.

Annoyance flashed in Wei Wen’s eyes as she gave Zhu Hanshuang a meaningful look.

Zhu Hanshuang hastily said, “The maid truly can’t be blamed. Wine was spilled on the ground making it too slippery—she unintentionally stepped on it.”

Luo Sheng glanced at the ground and indeed saw wet stone slabs, along with broken porcelain not yet cleared away and fruit covered in dirt.

“Ah, so it was an accident.” Luo Sheng commented casually, yet this made Wei Wen even more annoyed in her heart.

Since you’re saying it was an accident, why keep bringing it up? Wasn’t this equivalent to emphasizing there were problems with the prince’s residence maids?

Luo Sheng glanced at Wei Wen and looked toward Luo Yue. “Fourth Sister, why didn’t you apologize to Miss Chen?”

As soon as Luo Yue opened her mouth, anger came through. “I—”

Luo Sheng waved her hand. “Speak slowly. The facts are laid out here. Whether you speak quickly or slowly, they won’t change.”