With the complimentary dishes, Minister Zhao and Minister Qian ate their meal with complete satisfaction.

As for the restaurant closing soon—while eating, they didn’t want to think about such vexing matters.

Wei Han ate his meal quietly and peacefully.

Coming and going alone, he couldn’t be anything but quiet.

As for Wei Qiang—ever since that time he offered to host, he never dared casually say such things about treating others again.

A black ceramic jar came into view.

Wei Qiang, who had been drinking with his head down, raised his eyes to see Luo Sheng had somehow approached and was standing before the table.

“This is—” Wei Qiang began, his breath carrying the scent of alcohol.

He’d drunk a pot of orange wine and a pot of liquor, feeling somewhat dizzy.

“Pickled radish skins.” Luo Sheng said with a beaming smile.

Wei Qiang unconsciously frowned. “I didn’t order this dish today.”

“Complimentary.”

Wei Qiang’s heart jumped, and he sobered up a bit. “Today’s expenses weren’t large—why would pickled radish skins be complimentary?”

A cool gaze was cast from somewhere.

Wei Han gripped his wine cup, face expressionless.

He also wanted to know the reason.

“Because the restaurant is closing temporarily, all guests dining today receive complimentary pickled radish skins.” After Luo Sheng finished speaking, she walked toward Wei Han.

Wei Qiang stared at the young woman’s retreating figure for a moment, then lowered his eyes to look at the black ceramic jar sitting quietly on the table, his mood complicated.

He still remembered bringing a jar of pickled radish skins to Lady Yu that time and seeing the emotion on her face.

But it had been some days since he last visited Lady Yu.

Luo Sheng’s lips curved slightly upward.

With this jar of pickled radish skins, Wei Qiang now had a reason to go see Chaohua.

And since the pickled radish skins came from the Youjian Restaurant, mentioning the restaurant in passing would be perfectly natural.

As long as Chaohua wanted to see Xiu Yue, upon hearing the news that she would be bringing the restaurant’s head chef to the autumn hunt, she would definitely seize this opportunity.

She believed that with Chaohua’s intelligence, she could manage it.

Wei Han silently watched the young woman carrying the black ceramic jar come to stand before him, her bright eyes flowing with light, the corners of her lips slightly raised, as if thinking of something pleasant.

Thinking about which table Luo Sheng had just come from, the young prince felt vaguely displeased.

He was the restaurant’s old customer, yet Miss Luo gave the pickled radish skins to the Crown Prince first, and gave them so cheerfully—wasn’t this a bit excessive?

Glancing at the four complimentary dish plates on the table, he suddenly felt that the crystal-clear shrimp, golden crispy fennel beans, emerald sweet-and-sour pickled cucumbers, and bamboo shoots tossed in red oil all lost their flavor.

These complimentary dishes were exchanged for his promise to keep secrets—nothing like the Crown Prince’s getting something for nothing.

“Complimentary dishes for Your Highness to take away.” Luo Sheng set down the black ceramic jar and turned to leave.

“Miss Luo.” Wei Han called out.

Luo Sheng turned around, her expression indifferent. “Does Your Highness have other matters?”

Wei Han suddenly had nothing to say.

It seemed he was being found tiresome again.

“Thank you.” He lifted his wine cup and took a sip, watching Luo Sheng walk toward Minister Zhao’s table.

Soon the drinking session ended.

On the road back to the Grand Commander’s residence, Luo Chen suddenly asked, “Is elder sister very familiar with Prince Kaiyang?”

“Not particularly.” The crescent moon in the sky hung like a hook, cold and desolate. Luo Sheng’s tone was even colder.

Luo Chen looked at her deeply and said, “I heard that elder sister once pulled off Prince Kaiyang’s belt.”

The corner of Luo Sheng’s mouth twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. “That’s in the past.”

Following behind them, Shi Yan’s face darkened upon hearing this.

Listen to Miss Luo’s attitude of abandoning someone after toying with them—how heartless!

How could this matter be in the past!

Luo Chen was also stunned by Luo Sheng’s nonchalant attitude.

He thought Luo Sheng would at least blush a little.

“Why are you asking about Prince Kaiyang?” Luo Sheng walked forward unhurriedly, asking casually.

Luo Chen’s expression turned serious. “Tonight he looked at elder sister twelve times.”

Shi Yan was dumbfounded.

Was it really that many times?

“Really? I didn’t notice.” Luo Sheng frowned and rubbed Luo Chen’s head. “Why are you paying attention to such things?”

At such a young age—could he have too much free time?

She should talk to Grand Commander Luo later about hiring two more tutors for Luo Chen.

“Don’t pat my head.” Luo Chen frowned and dodged away.

When a man kept staring at his sister, shouldn’t he give a reminder?

Thinking that this sister was Luo Sheng, Luo Chen felt somewhat confused again.

Perhaps a reminder really wasn’t necessary.

In this world, a man who could take advantage of Luo Sheng probably didn’t exist.

Also returning home under the moonlight was Wei Han.

The vast Kaiyang Prince’s residence seemed somewhat desolate with only one master, and even the strings of large red lanterns swaying in the wind couldn’t add much liveliness.

Wei Han entered his study, silently read for a while, then walked to the bookshelf and retrieved a bow from a hidden compartment behind it.

The bow was quite ordinary, gleaming coldly in the candlelight.

His soft fingertips with thin calluses brushed over the bowstring, and the man’s lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

This year’s autumn hunt seemed worth anticipating somewhat.

At this moment, Wei Qiang, rushing back to the palace, hesitated slightly at a crossroads, glanced at the black ceramic jar in his hand, and lifted his feet onto a bluestone path.

The path grew increasingly remote, but fortunately this was within the palace, where lights blazed everywhere.

When Wei Qiang pushed open the courtyard gate of the small residence, his mood was complex and indescribable.

He thought it would be a long time before he could bear to see what was out of sight, but carrying this jar of pickled radish skins, he unconsciously walked here.

Seeing Wei Qiang, Qing’er was so shocked that the embroidery basket in her hands dropped. “Your Highness—”

“Where is your Lady?”

“The Lady is inside.” Qing’er’s voice changed with excitement. “My Lady, His Highness has come!”

Wei Qiang passed Qing’er and walked inside.

A slender figure knelt in obeisance. “Your Highness.”

Wei Qiang walked in and placed the jar of pickled radish skins on the table.

Chaohua glanced at it, her heart stirring.

He went to the Youjian Restaurant again?

“Did Your Highness leave the palace?” Because of this jar of radish skins, Chaohua gently raised her head and asked softly.

Looking at that thin, pale face, the anger Wei Qiang had been suppressing in his heart dissipated somewhat. He said indifferently, “Yes, I went to the restaurant Miss Luo opened.”

Chaohua smiled. “It seems Your Highness quite likes that restaurant.”

Wei Qiang couldn’t help but think of the blue wine flag fluttering in the wind outside the restaurant, and the wine fragrance in the main hall.

There, he indeed felt a rare sense of ease.

Seeing the woman who was more docile than usual, Wei Qiang was in a good mood. “That place is indeed good, only with my status it’s quite inconvenient to go often.”

Chaohua lovingly stroked the black ceramic jar containing the radish skins, her tone full of regret. “Yes, if only we had ordinary status, this concubine would also like to visit this restaurant and have a taste. If they can make such delicious pickled radish skins, the food and wine must certainly be very delicious.”

Seeing Chaohua rarely reveal some longing, Wei Qiang smiled. “There will be opportunities in the future.”

He was only the Crown Prince now, inevitably constrained. In the future… he could summon the Youjian Restaurant’s head chef into the palace.

“The restaurant was opened by Miss Luo. This concubine has heard that Miss Luo acts willfully—perhaps she’ll stop operating it in the future.”

Upon hearing this, Wei Qiang couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not impossible. Miss Luo is indeed rather willful. This year for the autumn hunt, she even plans to bring the restaurant’s chef along, so the restaurant will be closed.”

“Really?” Chaohua showed some surprise, softly uttering these two words.