Although the wine shop hadn’t reached opening time yet, the female manager and several others were all there.

Luo Sheng waited for Hong Dou to step forward and knock on the door. Sensing someone looking in this direction, she turned her eyes to look over.

Not far away stood a man of extraordinary bearing, looking this way.

Wei Qiang?

Luo Sheng’s expression remained unchanged as she met Wei Qiang’s gaze, the hand hidden in her sleeve clenching tightly.

How could he be here?

Just as she was pondering this, Wei Qiang had already walked over with large strides.

“Your Highness.” Luo Sheng suppressed the hatred in her heart and bowed slightly.

Wei Qiang’s tone was gentle: “Miss Luo need not be so formal. Today I went to visit Uncle Prince Pingnan and heard that Miss Luo had opened a wine shop here. I was curious and came to take a look.”

“Yesterday the prince met with misfortune shortly after leaving the wine shop.” Luo Sheng said indifferently.

Wei Qiang hadn’t expected her to mention last night’s incident so frankly. By rights, one should be avoiding suspicion in such matters, and even that wouldn’t be enough.

He was stunned for a moment before saying: “That’s precisely why I must come see it.”

Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow: “Your Highness isn’t afraid of danger? I heard the assassins haven’t been found yet.”

Just as she finished speaking, a squad of soldiers ran past them, every face grave and stern.

“Every half hour or so, people from the Military Justice Bureau pass by here. Hasn’t Your Highness noticed there are hardly any pedestrians on this street?”

Qingxing Street, which on ordinary days was thronged with people, today had sparse pedestrians. Even the occasional passerby would hurry and quicken their pace.

They weren’t afraid of the yet-to-be-found villains—after all, having already assassinated a prince, the assassins certainly wouldn’t waste effort on common folk like them.

What they needed to avoid were the soldiers.

Constantly seeing squads of soldiers bearing swords and spears was quite unsettling.

Wei Qiang glanced casually and said indifferently: “Under the Emperor’s feet, evildoers will surely not escape justice. What does Miss Luo think?”

Luo Sheng’s lips curved in a smile: “Your Highness is correct. Evildoers will surely not escape justice. Good and evil will ultimately receive their due.”

Wei Qiang frowned slightly, feeling it somewhat ridiculous to be discussing karmic retribution with a young lady.

At that moment the wine shop door opened and the female manager hurried out: “Owner, you’ve come quite early today—”

Seeing the man standing opposite Luo Sheng, the female manager’s words cut off mid-sentence, her eyes flickering slightly.

Though this man wore ordinary clothes, he didn’t seem like a simple person.

Wei Qiang pointed at the wine shop: “Won’t Miss Luo invite me in to sit?”

“It’s not yet opening time, so there’s no wine or food to entertain Your Highness. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please come inside.”

Wei Qiang lifted his foot and walked in.

Taking advantage of Wei Qiang looking around the wine shop, the female manager quietly asked Hong Dou: “What’s the status of the guest accompanying the owner?”

The owner seemed to address the man as “Your Highness”—thinking of this form of address, the female manager’s heart trembled.

Hong Dou showed not the slightest sign of nervousness, pressing her lips together: “Didn’t the manager hear the young lady’s form of address? That’s His Highness the Crown Prince—”

The female manager’s legs went weak and she hurriedly steadied herself against the edge of the counter.

Good heavens, the wine shop actually had the Crown Prince visiting!

She knew following the new owner was the right choice—just think how much experience she was gaining.

Danger? The prince being attacked?

Ahem, wasn’t this also a kind of gaining experience? If she were still just an ordinary manager at a cosmetics shop, forget witnessing a prince being attacked—she wouldn’t even have the opportunity to serve a prince.

The marinated dishes needed to be prepared in advance, so at this time the aroma of meat was already wafting from the direction of the back kitchen.

Wei Qiang’s appetite was immediately aroused. He unconsciously walked toward the back kitchen.

The closer he got, the more fragrant it seemed.

However, since his birth father had just met with misfortune, naturally he couldn’t bring up the topic of dining, nor could he speak at this time about matters like “patronizing the wine shop in the future.”

A loud crash startled Dou Ren, who shrieked: “Who’s there!”

Standing at the back kitchen doorway was a woman with an ugly face. A wine jar lay shattered into pieces at her feet.

A wine fragrance tinged with a hint of sweetness instantly spread through the air.

Wei Qiang’s attention was momentarily diverted by the wine’s aroma.

This was a wine fragrance he was familiar with.

In his youth he wasn’t accustomed to drinking. Once he drank strong liquor and coughed earth-shakingly. On his birthday he received a jar of orange wine.

It was brewed by Luo’er herself.

Clean and clear, with an exquisite taste.

He treasured it greatly. Even after twelve years had passed, he could still recognize the familiar scent in this orange fragrance lingering at his nose.

Wei Qiang involuntarily stepped forward.

Hong Dou rushed past Wei Qiang’s side like a whirlwind, stamping her feet repeatedly in distress: “How could you be so careless! You’ve broken a perfectly good jar of orange wine!”

While stamping her feet, she pushed Xiu Yue into the kitchen: “Hurry inside. All you know how to do is cause trouble!”

Hmph, now the young lady knows who’s most reliable.

Xiu Gu, this village woman with limited experience—upon seeing the Crown Prince, her hands went soft. Completely unable to handle the occasion.

Wei Qiang came back to his senses and looked toward Luo Sheng: “This wine—”

Luo Sheng’s expression was indifferent: “It’s Youjian Wine Shop’s signature fruit wine. I brewed it.”

“Miss Luo knows how to brew wine?” Wei Qiang exclaimed in astonishment.

Luo Sheng glanced at him, asking righteously in return: “Is that not permitted?”

She was the renowned Miss Luo, who could tinker with whatever she liked—she had both money and leisure.

Wei Qiang stared at her unblinkingly, his eyes deep: “I thought a noble daughter from a prestigious family like Miss Luo wouldn’t research such things.”

Luo Sheng smiled gracefully: “I just follow my interests. For instance, I was previously interested in men, so I kept a few male favorites to play with.”

Wei Qiang: “…”

“I imagine Your Highness isn’t in the mood to drink wine at this moment, so I won’t invite you to taste it.” Luo Sheng raised her hand to tuck stray hair behind her ear and turned to walk back.

Wei Qiang’s gaze fell on that section of white wrist, and he couldn’t help frowning.

The bracelet Miss Luo was wearing looked very familiar.

That’s right—what Yu Niang wore every day was exactly this kind of bracelet.

“Miss Luo—” He couldn’t help calling out.

Luo Sheng stopped and looked at him.

Wei Qiang found himself at a loss for words instead.

The other party wasn’t some insignificant palace maid. Even though he was the Crown Prince, it wouldn’t be appropriate to question her about a bracelet.

Luo Sheng’s expression remained calm, her slightly pursed lips hiding the disdain in her heart.

He wanted to know but was afraid that asking would affect his image as heir apparent.

Such hypocrisy was nauseating.

“What does Your Highness wish to say?” Luo Sheng asked with curved lips.

“Nothing. Having seen Miss Luo’s wine shop, I should return to the palace.”

Luo Sheng smiled: “The palace is safe. Your Highness should indeed return earlier.”

Wei Qiang always felt these words didn’t sound quite right, yet he couldn’t find fault with them. He could only smile and lift his feet to walk outside.

Passing through the main hall and arriving outside the wine shop, Wei Qiang stopped: “Miss Luo need not see me off.”

“Then Your Highness, take care.”

Expressionlessly watching Wei Qiang depart, just as Luo Sheng was about to turn and go back into the wine shop, she saw Lin Teng walking over with two or three people.

“May I beg Miss Luo for a drink of water?”

Luo Sheng’s gaze rested for a moment on his dry, cracked lips. She smiled: “Naturally you may.”

Watching Lin Teng take the water ladle the female manager handed him and drink in large gulps, Luo Sheng asked casually: “In such hot weather, has Young Master Lin been outside this whole time?”

Returning the water ladle to the female manager, Lin Teng nodded: “I keep feeling that the villains who assassinated Prince Pingnan escaped far too smoothly. The prince’s manor’s hidden guards who gave chase lost track of them, and the soldiers who arrived quickly also came up with nothing—as if they vanished into thin air. I’m taking people to familiarize ourselves with the surrounding area to see if we can discover any clues.”