“I was afraid making a big fuss would be difficult to resolve and cause trouble for Cousin.” Yang Shi heard the reproach in the Marquis of Changchun’s tone and immediately called out “Cousin.”

Hearing this address, the Marquis of Changchun’s anger—accumulated from all the gossip he’d heard along the way—dissipated by more than half.

What he loved was precisely Yang Shi’s tender, water-like temperament.

Yang Shi was his cousin, and they had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. He had long seen the adoration for him in his cousin’s eyes.

Later, Princess Huayang became his wife.

Princess Huayang was noble and beautiful, possessed extraordinary bearing, and was also an excellent household manager—originally there was nothing to be dissatisfied with. But as time passed, though he remained pleased with his wife, he ultimately felt it was somewhat regrettable that she wasn’t sufficiently docile.

Later, when the Princess became pregnant, she tactfully declined Mother’s suggestion to promote a maid to serve him in bed.

That was the first time he had a dispute with his wife, followed by days of cold war, until he lowered himself to coax her.

Two years after their eldest daughter was born, they had their eldest son. Because the Princess was unwilling, he had no choice but to remain faithful to her alone.

It was then that he discovered he preferred his cousin’s gentle, water-like disposition.

Though his cousin was not as beautiful as the Princess, nor was she as nobly born, she was completely obedient to him and attentive in her service.

“Cousin—” Noticing the Marquis of Changchun’s wandering attention, Yang Shi called out.

She knew very clearly when to address him as “my lord” and when to call him “cousin.”

Every time she said “cousin,” it made him think of the deceased Princess Huayang.

She wasn’t afraid of him remembering a dead woman, because what that woman left him with most deeply was proud coldness and countless difficult, endless nights.

Each time he recalled it, he appreciated her goodness all the more. Thinking of her goodness, even the greatest anger would diminish by half.

The Marquis of Changchun snapped back to attention, his tone indeed much gentler: “I’m going to the Grand Marshal’s Manor.”

Yang Shi nodded docilely and saw the Marquis of Changchun all the way to the courtyard gate, watching until his figure disappeared before returning to her room.

“The Grand Marshal isn’t at the manor?” After hearing what the Luo household servants said, the Marquis of Changchun felt a frustrated sense of having come for nothing.

If he wasn’t at the manor, then he must be at his office.

At the thought of going to the Brocade-Scaled Guard, the Marquis of Changchun felt somewhat apprehensive.

Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to visit the Brocade-Scaled Guard offices.

“Though our Grand Marshal isn’t at the manor, Third Miss said that if my lord came, we should invite you in.”

The Marquis of Changchun pondered for a moment and nodded: “In that case, please trouble someone to inform Third Miss that the Marquis of Changchun has come to take his son home.”

Luo Sheng waited in the flower hall. Hearing footsteps, her hand gripping the tea cup couldn’t help but tighten.

That time at the Lin manor, she hadn’t seen Second Brother-in-law. She never imagined that today in her own home she would actually meet Eldest Brother-in-law.

Eldest Brother-in-law—Luo Sheng silently repeated these three words. Thinking of Xu Xi, who had been raised to become like that, she felt only irony.

“Miss, the Marquis of Changchun has arrived.”

Following the guiding servant into the flower hall, the Marquis of Changchun saw a plainly dressed young lady looking down while drinking tea.

The young lady had snow-white skin and dark hair, quiet as a painting—nothing at all like the rumored domineering and arrogant Miss Luo.

The Marquis of Changchun hesitated for a moment.

He had come to demand his son back. If he had the wrong person, that would be embarrassing.

Luo Sheng gave the Marquis of Changchun an indifferent glance.

This man in his thirties was in his prime. Compared to when he went to Prince Zhennan’s manor at eighteen or nineteen to fetch his bride, doing his utmost to conceal but unable to completely hide his awkwardness, only composure remained.

One look told her he’d lived very comfortably these years.

Luo Sheng’s face darkened.

Her sister was dead, her little nephew had been raised into a fool, yet this man was ruddy-faced and self-satisfied. She found it most displeasing!

Luo Sheng set her tea cup down on the tea table with a thump and said dissatisfiedly: “Why has my lord only now come to fetch your son?”

The Marquis of Changchun was stunned.

Now he could confirm this was indeed Miss Luo. Forcibly bringing someone’s son back to her manor and still being so righteously confident, taking the initiative to attack—no proper young lady from a good family could do such a thing.

“I am indeed somewhat late. May I ask where my son is now?”

“The physician just finished examining him. He’s currently resting in my courtyard.” Luo Sheng nodded slightly to Hong Dou standing to one side. “Hong Dou, bring the bill for my lord to review.”

Bill?

The Marquis of Changchun was stunned again.

Fortunately, he wasn’t confused for long before the little maid presented a document.

The Marquis of Changchun reflexively took it, and after a cursory glance, his voice changed: “Five thousand taels?”

Luo Sheng smiled: “This includes the physician’s consultation fee for treating your son, medicine costs, bed usage fee, servant attendance fee… Five thousand taels isn’t much, is it?”

Five thousand taels isn’t much?

The Marquis of Changchun almost laughed in anger: “Miss Luo, isn’t this a bit excessive?”

“Excessive?” Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow. “My lord probably doesn’t know—your son suffered serious internal injuries and only recovered after taking a medicinal pill I’d treasured for many years. That pill alone is worth four thousand taels. The examination bed your son lay on was made of the finest sandalwood—calculating conservatively, it’s worth at least one thousand taels. I certainly can’t use a bed your son has slept in again. If you as his father won’t cover this loss, should I, the good-hearted person doing charity, bear it?”

The Marquis of Changchun was already dumbfounded.

Luo Sheng looked at him with contempt and continued: “The pill plus the bed fee already amounts to five thousand taels. Calculating it this way, the consultation fee and servant attendance costs are being subsidized by me. Does my lord still have some dissatisfaction?”

“Miss Luo, what medicine is worth four thousand taels?” The Marquis of Changchun couldn’t help asking.

This was extortion!

Luo Sheng sneered and shook her head, as if looking at a miser: “My lord, saying such things is rather pointless. Could it be that in your heart, medicine that saved your son’s life isn’t worth four thousand taels?”

“But—” The Marquis of Changchun couldn’t continue, his expression extremely ugly.

If it were a life-saving immortal elixir, it could be said to be worth whatever price. But these were just children fighting and getting injured—how did it become a matter of needing life-saving treatment?

Yet this couldn’t be said aloud.

Right now, Xi’er was in Miss Luo’s hands. Even if he saw the boy later bouncing around full of energy, if she insisted he only recovered after eating the life-saving immortal elixir, where could he go to argue?

Luo Sheng observed the Marquis of Changchun’s unpredictably changing expression and smiled with curved lips: “If my lord is reluctant to pay this sum, that’s fine too. Just leave your son at the Luo manor. I can afford to raise him anyway, saving him from dying young from lack of medicine money after returning with you.”

The Marquis of Changchun’s complexion changed drastically.

If he came to the Grand Marshal’s Manor to fetch his son but didn’t bring him back, and people inquired to find he was too stingy to pay and was being kept and raised by Miss Luo, the Changchun Marquis Manor would truly lose all face.

Meeting the young lady’s half-smiling gaze, the Marquis of Changchun nodded with a dark expression: “The Marquis Manor will pay the five thousand taels.”

Luo Sheng revealed a gratified smile: “I’m glad my lord is willing to pay. I was worried that Young Master Xu would have a stepmother and therefore a neglectful father, without a single person who cared for him.”

“Miss Luo, don’t slander my wife’s reputation with baseless accusations.”

Hong Dou spat: “You’re the one wrongly accusing our miss. Our miss drove off the people ganging up on your son and even sent your son home. Who knew that even when we reached your doorstep, your wife wouldn’t come out to receive him. Later, when she finally deigned to come out, our miss told her your son had been bullied, but she actually said this was Marquis Manor family business and complained that our miss was being a busybody.”

The little maid clicked her tongue: “Not only no thanks but such words—is this the reaction a mother should have? Even the onlookers couldn’t stand it and said a few fair words, but then your wife fainted. Our miss saw no one was caring for your son and, in the spirit of saving a life completely, had no choice but to bring him home to have a physician treat him. But never imagined that when the father came to fetch him, he’d be reluctant to pay the medical fees!”

“Hong Dou, don’t be rude. My lord has already said he’ll pay this sum.”

The Marquis of Changchun couldn’t stay another moment. He said in a heavy voice: “I’ll write an IOU and take my son home immediately.”

“An IOU?” Hong Dou’s voice rose, putting on an incredulous expression. “A dignified marquis writing an IOU to our miss? Is that appropriate?”

Tsk tsk, thinking everyone can write IOUs to Miss like Prince Kaiyang did.

Old and ugly—he should take a good look in the mirror!

The Marquis of Changchun clenched his fists, veins bulging, and said through gritted teeth: “Then I’ll write a letter, and Miss Luo can send someone with it to the Marquis Manor to collect the money.”

“Fine.” Luo Sheng nodded with a beaming smile.

The money spent buying the cosmetics shop—hadn’t she just earned back half of it? So opening new revenue streams was still very important.

The Grand Marshal Luo, who had sent people to monitor his household’s situation, was also shocked when he received the news.

“Sheng’er didn’t speak softly to the Marquis of Changchun and even collected five thousand taels of silver from him?”