Regarding Grand Commander Luo, Luo Sheng’s feelings had always been complex.

Rationally, she knew that Grand Commander Luo had been following orders, and the person who truly deserved hatred wasn’t him.

But emotionally, having witnessed with her own eyes this person raising his blade to slaughter her relatives, how could she possibly harbor no resentment at all?

Yet she had become Miss Luo, and thus had no choice but to accept this favor.

Therefore, she could only maintain neither fondness nor anger, treating him as a stranger.

She wouldn’t seek revenge, but she also couldn’t possibly treat him as family.

It was just that, feeling Grand Commander Luo’s deep paternal love for his daughter, she couldn’t help but be moved. When she noticed his people quietly taking away food and wine, she pretended not to see it.

And now, knowing that Grand Commander Luo had raised Bao’er, her feelings were different again.

She was willing to try treating Grand Commander Luo as a father, fulfilling filial duties on behalf of Miss Luo whose soul had already dispersed.

Watching the two young men leave carrying their food boxes, Luo Sheng turned and left the great hall.

While her gaze followed others, there was similarly a gaze following her.

Wei Han took a sip of spirits, a glimmer flickering in his eyes.

Miss Luo seemed somewhat different toward Grand Commander Luo, appearing… closer than before.

These past days, wine patrons had been quietly packing away food and wine. Even Hong Dou could notice it—how could he fail to notice?

From the very beginning, he had sent someone to observe, and after discovering those people belonged to Grand Commander Luo, he paid no further attention.

As a father wanting to eat his daughter’s tavern food, he naturally wouldn’t meddle in such affairs.

Moreover, this feeling was quite pleasant.

Grand Commander Luo, as Miss Luo’s father, needed to be sneaky about eating the tavern’s food, while he could not only come openly to eat but even received complimentary dishes.

The wine was finished, the food eaten, yet that plain-clothed figure still hadn’t returned.

Wei Han instructed Shi Yan to put it on his account and stood up, walking toward the counter.

“Has Your Highness finished eating?” the female proprietor politely asked.

Wei Han nodded slightly, reaching out to pick up the large-bellied, long-necked celadon vase from the tall table.

The proprietor’s mouth twitched.

What was Prince Kaiyang trying to do?

Wei Han, thinking he still needed to bring different flowers tomorrow, put down the vase and took only the hibiscus flowers.

He took them away!

The proprietor’s eyes went straight.

Like this… would Prince Kaiyang really not remain single for life?

She was someone with experience, and gradually she could tell that Prince Kaiyang had intentions toward the proprietress.

But you brought the flowers, and though the proprietress said she didn’t want them, wouldn’t it be better to leave the flowers for the proprietress to handle?

Perhaps when the proprietress tried to throw them away, she’d discover she couldn’t bear to part with them.

Yet he took them away!

The proprietor sighed and shook her head, casting a sympathetic look at Shi Yan.

Shi Yan gazed heavenward speechlessly.

He was just someone who raised geese—he didn’t understand anything.

No, he’d better go out and remind his master.

Wei Han walked out of the tavern and immediately encountered a young lady accompanied by a maid, walking gracefully toward him.

Seeing Wei Han, the young lady’s eyes brightened. Suppressing her secret joy, she curtsied. “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Wei Han glanced at the young lady without any deep impression, nodded, and walked past her.

The young lady couldn’t help but turn around, watching that crimson figure gradually receding into the distance.

She bit her lip, steeled her heart, lifted her skirts, and hurried after him. “Your Highness, please wait.”

Wei Han’s footsteps paused. He turned around and asked blandly, “Does the young lady have business?”

The young lady curtsied. “I wonder if Your Highness still has an impression of this humble girl. I am the second young lady of Duke Anguo’s residence, with the given name Hanshuang—”

Wei Han frowned, interrupting her self-introduction. “Is there something?”

“Uh, I saw that the hibiscus flowers in Your Highness’s hand are blooming magnificently, and I’ve loved hibiscus flowers most since childhood, so I’m taking the liberty to ask where you bought your hibiscus flowers…” Zhu Hanshuang desperately searched for an excuse.

She had known long ago that Prince Kaiyang came to Youjian Tavern for meals almost without fail, but as a noble young lady from a great house, she couldn’t very well come here daily and could only occasionally make a trip to ease her lovesickness.

Each time she came, sitting in an inconspicuous spot where she could quietly steal a few more glances at him, her mood would be good for the next several days.

She didn’t know how to approach him. Apart from silently watching, she didn’t even have opportunities to strike up conversation. This time, seeing him holding flowers, she finally found a topic.

Wei Han looked at Zhu Hanshuang with surprise. “Does Duke Anguo’s residence have no flowers in its garden?”

Zhu Hanshuang was immediately at a loss for words, her face flushing hot.

Was Prince Kaiyang under the impression that Duke Anguo’s residence was very poor?

“Ahem!” A heavy cough sounded. Shi Yan cupped his hands toward Wei Han. “Your Highness, Miss Luo asked this humble servant to see you off.”

Wei Han unconsciously softened his cold, austere facial lines and strode forward.

“Miss Zhu, if your residence’s garden is completely bare with nothing at all, you might consider transplanting some flowers and trees. That would save you from asking strangers where to buy flowers.” Shi Yan dropped this remark and quickly followed.

Leaving Zhu Hanshuang red-faced and flustered, she glared resentfully at the small attendant’s back, her gaze practically wishing it could transform into flying daggers to stab him.

“Miss—” Seeing Zhu Hanshuang standing motionless, her maid softly called out.

Zhu Hanshuang bit her lip and left the tavern with a flick of her sleeve.

The person she wanted to see had left. No matter how delicious the food and wine, she had no mood to eat.

She certainly wasn’t going to watch that lowly Luo Sheng and add to her own vexation, was she?

Wei Han walked more than ten zhang, glancing askance at Shi Yan. “Did Miss Luo really send you to see me off?”

He might have gotten excited for nothing—he felt Miss Luo wouldn’t do such a thing.

Shi Yan chuckled. “This humble servant has something to tell you.”

Wei Han wasn’t surprised. It was just that the elation that had flown up in that instant quietly settled back down at this moment.

“Speak then.” His softened facial lines resumed their cold, hard quality, as if carved by blade and chisel.

“Master, you’ll be sending Miss Luo flowers again tomorrow, won’t you?”

Wei Han said nothing, only looked at him.

Shi Yan understood—this was tacit acknowledgment.

“Ahem, then don’t take them away. Leave them for Miss Luo to handle—wouldn’t that be better?”

Throw them away once, throw them away twice—after throwing them away enough times, perhaps one time her heart would ache and she’d keep them.

The master really was too honest—how could he just listen to whatever Miss Luo said?

“Are you finished?”

“No, there’s one more sentence that’s even more important!”

Wei Han quietly waited for Shi Yan to continue.

Shi Yan mustered his courage and said seriously, “This humble servant feels it would be better if you kept conversations with other young ladies to within three sentences.”

Having said this, the small attendant quickly added, “Ah, the tavern is still busy. This humble servant will go back to attend to customers first.”

Wei Han frowned slightly and strode forward.

Three sentences?

He seemed not to have exceeded that just now.

However—was this also Miss Luo’s meaning?

The tavern remained lively. Xiao Qi followed Luosai Huzi in through the back door, standing joyfully at the kitchen entrance and calling out, “Auntie, I’m back.”

Xiu Yue walked over, still gentle. “There are meat buns keeping warm on the stove. Go wash your hands and eat one first to tide you over.”

Xiao Qi cheered and ran to wash his hands.

Xiu Yue wiped her hands on her apron and walked toward Luo Sheng standing in the rear courtyard, saying softly, “Miss, in the future, Xiao Qi—”

Looking at the dark-faced youth grinning to reveal white teeth in the night, Luo Sheng curved her lips slightly. “Xiao Qi is of course still your precious nephew.”

Even if Xiao Qi wasn’t Bao’er, he was still one of the children who had provided cover for Bao’er on that blood-soaked, storm-filled night.

For this reason alone, she would treat him as a younger brother.