Luo Sheng gave the maid a measuring glance but didn’t speak.

Hong Dou’s eyes widened: “Who is your young lady? Just because she wants to invite our miss for tea, should our miss give her face?”

The maid said in a low voice: “Our young lady’s surname is Xu, and she sincerely—”

“Lead the way,” Luo Sheng said directly upon hearing the surname “Xu.”

The maid hadn’t expected such easy success. After a moment’s stunned pause, she said: “Please follow this servant.”

Luo Sheng said to Sheng Sanlang: “Cousin, wait at the tavern for a bit. I’ll take Hong Dou over to have a look.”

“Alright.” Sheng Sanlang hesitated a moment before nodding.

Originally worried about Cousin’s safety, but thinking of that robbery encounter on the road to the capital, he felt his concern was unnecessary.

Watching Luo Sheng follow the maid into the teahouse across the street, only then did Sheng Sanlang walk into the tavern and randomly pick a long bench to sit on, curiosity rising.

“Kou’er.” Sheng Sanlang beckoned to Kou’er standing not far away.

Kou’er walked over with a tense expression: “Does Young Master Cousin need something?”

“Do you know who’s looking for your miss?”

Kou’er tugged at the corner of her mouth: “How would this servant know? Miss didn’t bring this servant along. Young Master Cousin, for a grown man to be so gossipy is not proper…”

Sheng Sanlang touched his nose and stopped talking.

Seeing the little maid wasn’t in a good mood, he’d better not provoke her.

In the teahouse’s private room, Luo Sheng met the Miss Xu the maid had mentioned.

Miss Xu appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old, with bright eyes and white teeth, dark hair like clouds—a radiant beauty.

But her dark eyebrows unconsciously knitted slightly, her temperament somewhat at odds with her appearance.

Seeing Luo Sheng enter, Miss Xu hurriedly stood to greet her, somewhat awkwardly saying: “I was worried Miss Luo wouldn’t come…”

Luo Sheng looked deeply at Miss Xu, a smile playing at her lips: “How could I not come when First Miss Xu invites me?”

The young lady before her was precisely Xu Fang, the daughter left behind by Princess Huayang—Luo Sheng’s niece.

Xu Fang curtsied to Luo Sheng: “I’ve always wanted to personally thank Miss Luo regarding my younger brother’s matter, but only now got the opportunity. I hope Miss Luo won’t take offense.”

“Sit down first before talking.” Luo Sheng walked directly to the tea table and sat down, leisurely pouring herself a cup of tea.

Xu Fang took a seat opposite her.

Luo Sheng held her tea cup while looking at her, finding her more and more similar to Eldest Sister the more she looked.

Bloodline inheritance was just that miraculous—when that person was no longer there, the children born of her blood would always carry traces of her existence in this world.

Being looked at by Luo Sheng this way, Xu Fang grew increasingly uncomfortable.

She knew of Miss Luo’s fierce reputation—she’d even beaten the daughter of an Elder’s family before, not to mention having just thoroughly embarrassed her stepmother.

It was precisely because her stepmother had suffered at Miss Luo’s hands that she’d mustered the courage for this invitation.

Luo Sheng played with her tea cup, her tone casual: “Why is First Miss Xu thanking me? I thought you’d blame me, after all I forcibly brought your brother back to the Grand Marshal’s Manor.”

Xu Fang looked at her, her expression earnest: “But now no one will bully my younger brother anymore. Even if someone does bully him, there will be someone to stand up for him.”

After Miss Luo caused this commotion, even if her brother was bullied and said nothing, Father and Stepmother couldn’t possibly turn a blind eye again.

Luo Sheng’s eyes flickered slightly with a hint of relief.

Compared to her nephew who’d been raised astray, her niece appeared to be quite perceptive.

“I also collected five thousand taels of silver from your family.” Luo Sheng sipped her tea.

Xu Fang smiled: “Miss Luo also said—you collected it from my family.”

Even if she hadn’t collected it, those five thousand taels wouldn’t have ended up in her hands anyway.

Luo Sheng’s dark brows relaxed: “Then I’ll accept First Miss Xu’s gratitude.”

Xu Fang lifted her tea cup and raised it toward Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng took a sip of tea, seemingly asking casually: “I hear First Miss Xu doesn’t often reside at the Marquis Manor?”

Xu Fang hadn’t expected Luo Sheng to ask about this. After a slight hesitation, she nodded: “Yes, my maternal aunt occasionally invites me to stay at the Duke’s Manor.”

The maternal aunt Xu Fang mentioned was the Duchess of Ningguo, who had a distant cousin relationship with Princess Huayang.

The relationships among meritorious nobles and officials were intricate and complex—randomly pick any two families and they’d have some connection. This was why when Prince Zhennan’s Manor was exterminated for treason, such distant relatives weren’t implicated.

When Luo Sheng was still at the Prince’s Manor, she’d known from Princess Huayang’s letters that Eldest Sister had a good relationship with the Duchess of Ningguo.

“Why keep running off to stay at other people’s homes?”

This question was direct, even rude.

A flash of discomfort crossed Xu Fang’s face before she maintained her composure and said: “My maternal aunt has doted on me since childhood. When I was young, Mother often took me to my aunt’s home to play—it became a habit.”

Luo Sheng nodded slowly: “Now I remember—you siblings and I are the same, we all have no mother.”

She said it casually, even somewhat coolly, yet it inexplicably touched Xu Fang’s heartstrings.

Yes, they all had no mother…

Miss Luo had developed such a lawless temperament probably also because she had no mother to properly discipline her.

Xu Fang thought dejectedly, no longer holding a grudge about Luo Sheng’s earlier pointed question.

“Does First Miss Xu know your brother is frequently bullied?” The young lady opposite threw out another sharp question.

Xu Fang’s face reddened slightly as she suppressed her embarrassment: “I happened upon it once. He didn’t want others to know…”

After a long silence, she lowered her eyes: “My brother and I aren’t very close.”

“What about you?”

“Me?” Xu Fang was startled and looked up to meet Luo Sheng’s gaze.

Luo Sheng’s face showed no excess expression, quietly watching her.

Xu Fang gently tugged at the corner of her mouth, releasing a trace of bitter smile: “He’s my only younger brother.”

The implication being, she naturally was willing to be close with her brother.

Luo Sheng gripped her tea cup, her heart stirring slightly.

Through this conversation, at least she could see her niece wasn’t stupid.

A quite clever young lady had come to thank her and revealed quite a bit of information—what was her purpose?

Those questions of hers had been very pointed. If the other party was unwilling, she could have completely avoided answering.

Luo Sheng’s thoughts turned slightly, vaguely arriving at an answer.

Xu Fang was carefully, tentatively drawing closer to her.

And the purpose of drawing closer was self-evident: she wanted to borrow Miss Luo’s imposing presence to resist her stepmother.

Luo Sheng naturally welcomed this.

She decided to ask one more question.

“First Miss Xu only has this one younger brother. How can you bear to leave him alone at the Marquis Manor while you frequently stay at the Duke’s Manor?”

“I have no choice—” Xu Fang seemed to realize she’d misspoken and bit her lip.

As for whether it was a genuine slip or something else, that was hard to say.

Luo Sheng didn’t press further.

When someone actively draws closer to you, what you should do is express a trace of goodwill, giving the other party courage to continue approaching. Not be overly enthusiastic and eager, scaring them away.

Luo Sheng set down her tea cup and smiled faintly: “The tea at this place isn’t very good.”

Seeing Luo Sheng didn’t ask further, Xu Fang’s expression was somewhat complex—seeming both relieved and somewhat regretful.

“Is that so? I rarely come out for tea and don’t know much about it. That was rude of me. Another time I’ll choose a superior teahouse to make amends to Miss Luo.”

Luo Sheng waved her hand, pointing out the window: “Why go to such trouble? First Miss Xu, do you see the tavern across the street?”

Xu Fang glanced outside.

It was a tavern that didn’t yet have a sign but had been freshly decorated.

“That’s mine. It opens on the eighth of next month. If First Miss Xu has time, you can come support it.”