Looking at the people loitering outside Youjian Tavern, Kou’er shook her head: “This can’t go on. These people clearly aren’t proper customers—trouble could easily break out.”

Hearing this, Hong Dou rolled her eyes: “Are customers divided into proper and improper? They want to come in and eat, but they don’t have numbers.”

Glancing at the main hall, Hong Dou pressed her lips together.

Adding numbers was impossible. Getting rid of the people in the main hall each night was already difficult enough.

Just think about how they could only eat fragrant, delicious food after all the customers left—did people really think being a server was easy?

Moreover, Prince Kaiyang was leaving later and later, later and later… he was practically about to stay and eat together with them!

The little maid was full of dissatisfaction and glared resentfully at the man in crimson robes sitting by the window.

She had heard all about the rumors spreading wildly outside. Couldn’t Prince Kaiyang come a few days less?

Uh, it wasn’t that she was worried about damaging Miss’s reputation or anything—after all, this miss didn’t have any reputation anyway. It was mainly that he was delaying these people who had been busy all evening from eating.

Besides the dissatisfied little maid, another person paying attention to Wei Han was the second young lady of Duke Anguo’s residence, Zhu Hanshuang.

Ever since hearing that rumor, she couldn’t sit still and had run here three days in a row.

Every day she could see Prince Kaiyang appear at the tavern. Every day she could see Prince Kaiyang’s gaze pursuing one particular figure.

She had even arrived earlier than Prince Kaiyang today and personally witnessed him bringing a basket of autumn pears.

Zhu Hanshuang’s face was gloomy. Although she couldn’t understand the meaning of sending autumn pears, the key point wasn’t what he sent but the action of “sending” itself.

So the rumor was true…

Thinking of this, Zhu Hanshuang’s heart felt as if it were being fried in a pot of boiling oil. No matter what delicacies were placed before her, she couldn’t eat them.

Luo Sheng stepped into the main hall and sat at her usual spot by the counter, casually glancing around before silently drinking tea.

Ever since the gossip about the Crown Princess’s disfigurement and the Crown Prince being gored by a wild boar at the North River hunting grounds spread through the capital, she hadn’t seen Wei Qiang appear.

And if he didn’t appear, it was disadvantageous for her to carry out her plan.

The special ingredients added for Wei Qiang needed to accumulate bit by bit and settle in his body to have their intended effect.

Who exactly had spread those two pieces of gossip?

And couldn’t that certain someone involved in the other piece of gossip come a few times less? She had clearly noticed that there were quite a few more unfamiliar faces these past few days.

Pondering these matters, Luo Sheng secretly glared at Wei Han.

Just then, the man drinking by the window looked over.

Their eyes instantly met, and then Luo Sheng looked away as if nothing had happened.

This scene was witnessed by Zhu Hanshuang, who couldn’t bear it any longer. She settled her bill and left.

Returning to Duke Anguo’s residence, the sky had completely darkened.

The gatekeeper reminded her: “Second Miss, Madam asked you to go see her when you returned.”

Zhu Hanshuang went to the Lady of Duke Anguo’s room, bent her knees in greeting: “What does Mother wish to see this daughter about?”

Sitting on the bed platform was an extremely beautiful middle-aged woman. Facing her late-returning daughter, her gentle face showed severity: “Hanshuang, I heard you’ve been eating out for several days in a row?”

Zhu Hanshuang pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Outrageous!” The Lady of Duke Anguo’s tone became even more severe. “Although propriety nowadays isn’t that strict, you’re an unmarried young lady, yet for several days in a row you haven’t returned until dark. If word gets out, do you want to keep your reputation or not?”

Zhu Hanshuang couldn’t help but defend herself: “There are quite a few female customers who go to Youjian Tavern. Today I even ran into two young ladies from the Wang family of Shaoqing Residence…”

“Do others go every single day? Hanshuang, tell Mother the truth—why do you keep running to that tavern?”

Zhu Hanshuang’s expression kept changing. Under the Lady of Duke Anguo’s gaze, she finally steeled her heart and knelt down: “Mother, please help this daughter.”

“Get up and speak.”

“No, if you don’t agree to help this daughter, she won’t get up.”

The Lady of Duke Anguo’s brows furrowed tightly: “Hanshuang, what exactly is going on with you?”

Kneeling on the cold floor, Zhu Hanshuang raised her head, her face flushed as she pleaded: “This daughter has feelings for Prince Kaiyang. I beg Mother to fulfill this daughter’s heart’s desire…”

The Lady of Duke Anguo was completely stunned: “Prince Kaiyang?”

Zhu Hanshuang nodded slightly, her face growing even redder.

Personally admitting her feelings for a man in front of her mother—she also found it embarrassing, but the words circulating outside and the scenes she had witnessed these past few days had pushed her to the point where she had no other choice.

If she could obtain even a slim chance of being with that man, what did embarrassment matter?

“Mother, this daughter has had feelings for Prince Kaiyang for a long time. Please help me.”

After her initial shock, the Lady of Duke Anguo came to her senses: “Out of the question!”

“Why?”

“Prince Kaiyang is deeply valued by His Majesty and is a member of the imperial family. His future princess consort will certainly require His Majesty’s approval.” Seeing her daughter’s agitated state, the Lady of Duke Anguo patiently explained.

“Can’t Father go speak to His Majesty?” Zhu Hanshuang asked unwillingly.

She was a young lady of Duke Anguo’s residence. In terms of birth, what was wrong with becoming a princess consort?

The Lady of Duke Anguo shook her head: “Because we are Duke Anguo’s residence, one of the Four Dukes from the founding. If His Majesty had any intention of having Prince Kaiyang marry into Duke Anguo’s residence, he would naturally bring it up to your father. If His Majesty has no such intention and your father takes the initiative to mention it, aside from displeasing His Majesty, there would be no benefit whatsoever.”

Zhu Hanshuang felt desperate upon hearing this and tears flowed freely: “How can His Majesty be made to have such an intention?”

The Lady of Duke Anguo’s face turned stern: “How can one rashly speculate about the Emperor’s mind! Hanshuang, you’re no longer a child. You must be careful in your words and actions from now on!”

“But this daughter truly has feelings for Prince Kaiyang. Other than him, I don’t want to marry anyone else.”

Seeing her beloved daughter so heedless of a young lady’s dignity for the sake of a man, the Lady of Duke Anguo’s face became frosty as she asked coldly: “You’re crying and insisting you’ll marry no one but Prince Kaiyang—but does Prince Kaiyang fancy you?”

Zhu Hanshuang was stopped by this question.

Seeing her at a loss for words, the Lady of Duke Anguo continued: “According to rumors, Prince Kaiyang has feelings for Miss Luo. Given Prince Kaiyang’s position in His Majesty’s heart, even if His Majesty had intentions toward Duke Anguo’s residence, if Prince Kaiyang objects, it would be difficult to accomplish. Hanshuang, dismiss these unrealistic thoughts. Mother will carefully select a good match for you.”

“I don’t want a good match!” Zhu Hanshuang cried out and burst into tears, covering her face.

Only marrying Prince Kaiyang would be a good match for her.

The Lady of Duke Anguo was thoroughly angry: “In any case, starting tomorrow, you are not to go out at night as you please!”

“Mother—”

The Lady of Duke Anguo closed her eyes: “You may leave. I must worship Buddha now.”

Zhu Hanshuang left the room in a daze. The cold wind blew on her, restoring her clarity.

The words the Lady of Duke Anguo had said at the end kept echoing in her ears.

Given Prince Kaiyang’s position in His Majesty’s heart, even if His Majesty had intentions toward Duke Anguo’s residence, if Prince Kaiyang objects, it would be difficult to accomplish…

But what about the reverse?

If Prince Kaiyang were willing, wouldn’t His Majesty be happy to see it happen?

A ray of light seemed to split open before Zhu Hanshuang, pulling her out of the desperate darkness she had felt when kneeling before her mother.

However, the first step was to make that damned rumor truly become a false rumor, rather than watching helplessly as Prince Kaiyang showed Luo Sheng more and more special treatment.