Xiao Qi could barely move, yet his eyes still lit up at the sight of the not-very-appealing persimmon cake: “Where did this persimmon cake come from? Is it sweet?”

Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Sweet.”

The higher the persimmon, the sweeter it is—these were Xiao Qi’s own words.

Xiao Qi gazed eagerly at Luo Chen: “Then can you feed me a taste?”

Luo Chen held out the persimmon cake to Xiao Qi’s mouth with a stiff expression.

Xiao Qi bit into it without hesitation, his eyes crinkling with laughter: “Really sweet!”

Luo Chen made no sound.

Sweet or not, he wouldn’t know anyway.

“Young Master Luo, let’s eat it together.”

Luo Chen’s expression froze. Looking at the persimmon cake with a bite taken out of it in his hand, then at the black-faced boy’s sincere expression, he fell into a moment of internal struggle.

That day Xiao Qi had helped him treat the wound on his bottom, then taken out the persimmon without washing his hands.

This persimmon cake had indirectly touched his bottom…

Xiao Qi was completely unaware of Luo Chen’s struggle. Savoring the sweet taste of the persimmon cake, his tone grew even more sincere: “Young Master Luo, the persimmon cake you brought is really delicious. Let’s eat it together.”

Luo Chen couldn’t bear it any longer: “This is the persimmon you picked that day.”

“Is that so?” Xiao Qi was startled, then broke into a wide smile. “So Young Master Luo kept it—perfect, let’s eat it together then.”

Luo Chen pressed his lips together as he looked at Xiao Qi, seeing the bright eyes of the black-faced youth.

He helplessly curved the corners of his mouth, suppressing his distaste as he picked up the persimmon cake and took a bite.

“Sweet, right?” Xiao Qi asked.

Luo Chen reluctantly nodded.

Sweet it was, but he still found it distasteful.

The two youths—one disgusted, one delighted—shared the persimmon cake together.

Outside the room, Xiu Yue said with a smile: “The Young Master and Xiao Qi are getting along better and better.”

Luo Sheng also smiled: “Indeed. Xiao Qi was injured because of me. Xiu Gu, please take good care of him these coming days.”

“Miss, don’t say that. This is only proper.”

Seeing the two children getting along well was naturally a good thing.

“What are you all crowding here for?” A cold snort came as Divine Physician Li walked over with his hands behind his back.

“Came to see Xiao Qi.” Luo Sheng said with a smile.

Divine Physician Li looked thoroughly impatient: “Now that you’ve seen him, go do what you need to do.”

The girl surnamed Luo was one thing, but what was the cook doing standing here instead of going to the kitchen to make food?

“Then we won’t disturb the Divine Physician. I’ll take Xiu Gu to the tavern first.”

Divine Physician Li nodded.

That was more like it. Breakfast was finished—it was time to start preparing lunch.

Returning to the tavern, Luo Sheng sat by the window looking out absentmindedly.

Winter was nearly upon them—precisely the right time for eating all kinds of hot pots, yet Wei Qiang hadn’t come again since that time.

The path of revenge truly required extraordinary patience.

Luo Sheng sat this way for quite a while as the fragrant aromas from the back kitchen began drifting into the main hall.

Outside the window, a crimson-colored figure stopped.

Luo Sheng met that person’s eyes through the window, only then realizing with sudden clarity that she had casually sat in Prince Kaiyang’s usual seat.

Why was he coming here during the day?

This thought had barely flashed through her mind when she saw that person curve his lips in a smile and stride forward.

Shortly after, light brightened at the doorway as Wei Han walked in.

He walked directly toward Luo Sheng and sat down across from her.

Luo Sheng raised her eyebrows slightly.

Had they become familiar enough that he could sit down directly without even a greeting?

“Miss Luo came so early today—was it to see Xiao Qi?”

Luo Sheng nodded slightly and asked casually: “Why has Your Highness come at this hour?”

“I received some news that I wanted to tell Miss Luo, so I came over.”

Luo Sheng’s eyes flickered slightly as she lowered her voice: “Is it about the Anguo Duke’s manor?”

Wei Han nodded: “I just received word that the Duchess of Anguo has passed away.”

Luo Sheng was stunned, thinking she had misheard: “The Duchess of Anguo?”

“Mm.” Wei Han nodded affirmatively.

Luo Sheng’s expression changed slightly—she couldn’t help being shocked.

With Prince Kaiyang intervening to negotiate with the Anguo Duke’s manor, Miss Zhu could certainly not escape punishment.

In her thinking, sending her far away was the most likely outcome. She never imagined the Duchess of Anguo would die.

“It’s rather incomprehensible.”

No matter what, it shouldn’t have cost the Duchess of Anguo her life.

Wei Han picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea: “I speculate an accident occurred. After the Duke of Anguo returned, he probably disciplined his daughter. Most likely the Duchess of Anguo tried to intervene and was accidentally killed by the Duke of Anguo…”

Luo Sheng listened silently, casually picking up a piece of osmanthus cake to eat.

The sweet osmanthus cake entered her mouth, yet it seemed to have no flavor.

Though this punishment might be even more cruel for Miss Zhu than being sent to a manor or nunnery, this outcome was not what she had wanted to see.

She couldn’t say she was heartbroken, but inevitably her heart felt somewhat heavy.

Wei Han finished speaking. Seeing Luo Sheng eating osmanthus cake, he also picked up a piece to eat.

He actually didn’t like sweets.

As the osmanthus cake entered his mouth, Wei Han silently added in his heart: Except for sweets eaten at Miss Luo’s place.

When Luo Sheng came back to her senses, she saw the person across from her had already finished one piece of osmanthus cake and was reaching for a second.

“Is the osmanthus cake good?” Luo Sheng asked, pressing her lips together.

Wei Han’s hand reaching for the pastry paused as he spoke truthfully: “Good.”

He remembered that time Miss Luo had asked if he wanted tea snacks, and he had said he didn’t like sweets.

And then, there was no ‘and then.’

A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit.

Luo Sheng was at a loss for words.

They had at least cooperated just last night—she really couldn’t bring herself to take away the pastry plate.

But this person had clearly said he wasn’t used to eating sweets.

Glancing at the brightly colored osmanthus cakes on the plate, Luo Sheng pouted.

Were these osmanthus cakes not sweet?

She picked up another piece and tasted it.

As Luo Chen stepped into the tavern, he saw the two sitting by the window.

The youth couldn’t help frowning and blurted out: “What are you doing?”

Wei Han glanced at Luo Chen, his tone calm yet perfectly justified: “Eating osmanthus cake.”

Of course he was perfectly justified.

The osmanthus cakes were either made by Miss Luo or by Miss Luo’s cook—in any case, they had nothing to do with others. Aside from being less justified in front of Miss Luo, he didn’t care much about others’ opinions.

Miss Luo’s younger brother was no exception.

What he cared about was actually only Miss Luo.

Thinking this, Wei Han was slightly startled.

If that was the case, Miss Luo seemed to be more than just a friend to him…

He looked at the young woman across from him and fell into deep thought for a moment.

Luo Sheng called out once: “Luo Chen, come sit here.”

Luo Chen was actually somewhat annoyed.

Prince Kaiyang’s face seemed to be getting thicker and thicker.

But thinking of the osmanthus cakes, he walked over anyway.

“How’s Xiao Qi?”

“We talked for a while and he fell asleep. I left Fusong to look after him.”

Luo Sheng smiled gently: “My brother has become sensible.”

Luo Chen found this extremely awkward to hear and made no sound with a cold expression.

Luo Sheng stood up: “You two sit. I’ll go check on the back kitchen.”

After Luo Sheng left, Luo Chen fixed his gaze on Wei Han. After a moment of silence, he asked: “Last night when Xiao Qi had his accident, did Your Highness help my sister?”

If he didn’t know about the Zhu Hanshuang matter, Wei Han could have nodded. But now he couldn’t think that way.

It was he who had implicated Miss Luo—how could it be called helping?

Wei Han smiled at the youth: “Not helping—it’s what I should do.”