Lin Teng strode out from within the government office and stopped before Luo Sheng.

He still wore his cold, stern expression, though his eyes revealed a gentle warmth: “Miss Luo, why have you come?”

“Young Master Lin, I wish to see Minister Zhao.”

Lin Teng glanced at the food box in Luo Sheng’s hand, hesitated briefly, then nodded: “Miss Luo, please follow me inside.”

“Thank you, Young Master Lin.” Luo Sheng quietly followed him.

Lin Teng walked forward with his eyes straight ahead, but the young woman’s quietness beside him made him unconsciously glance at her from the corner of his eye.

The young woman’s eyes were composed, her manner calm—he could sense not a trace of panic from her despite suddenly facing such a great calamity.

This somewhat surprised Lin Teng.

Working at the Ministry of Justice, he had encountered all sorts of people, but those who could remain this calm when faced with trouble were rare.

Moreover, this was a young woman.

Those who remained so composed when disaster struck were often people who had experienced great storms and waves—and such people were usually advanced in years, weathered by life’s hardships.

Yet the young woman walking beside him was only in her teens, the cherished pearl in the palm of Grand Marshal Luo.

Lin Teng felt some confusion arise in his heart, always feeling that Miss Luo shouldn’t be this kind of Miss Luo.

And this kind of Miss Luo made him involuntarily feel several measures of sympathy.

Lin Teng opened his mouth: “Has Miss Luo come to see Minister Zhao regarding your esteemed father?”

Luo Sheng frankly admitted: “Yes.”

The atmosphere between the two fell into silence again.

Just as they were about to reach the steps, the man’s lowered voice entered Luo Sheng’s ears: “Our Minister cannot stand seeing people cry.”

So many times, Minister Zhao had used the excuse that seeing victims shed tears made him uncomfortable to dump all the case-solving work onto him.

Though Minister Zhao was suspected of being a hands-off manager, seeing young women cry would probably soften his heart somewhat.

Luo Sheng’s steps paused slightly, and she smiled at Lin Teng.

Lin Teng couldn’t help but redden at the ears.

He had no other intention—he was simply thinking that having enjoyed so many delicious meals at Youjian Tavern, he could remind her within the bounds of principle.

After all, every time he took his cousin there to eat, they not only got half-price but also complimentary side dishes, and Miss Luo had never done anything untoward to his cousin.

“Minister, this is Lin Teng.”

“Come in.”

Minister Zhao was troubled over Grand Marshal Luo’s criminal case, and hearing Lin Teng’s voice, he immediately called him in, only to discover a young woman had followed him inside as well.

“Miss Luo?” Minister Zhao nearly lost his beard in shock, then glared at Lin Teng.

How did this confounded boy bring Miss Luo here?

Right now Grand Marshal Luo was still locked in the Ministry of Justice’s prison, and the charges and scope of implicated parties were all still unknown—bringing Miss Luo to see him at this time was just adding to the chaos!

Lin Teng cupped his fists: “Minister, this subordinate happened to encounter Miss Luo bringing you food when going out, so I brought her over.”

Bringing food?

If that was the case, this boy wasn’t completely clueless.

Minister Zhao stopped puffing his beard and glaring, straightened his expression, and looked toward Luo Sheng… and the food box in her hand.

She really was carrying a food box.

“Minister Zhao.” Luo Sheng curtsied.

Minister Zhao looked at the young woman with lowered eyes and demure manner, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Accustomed to hearing Miss Luo call him “patron” with a smiling face at Youjian Tavern, this sudden change of setting was rather disorienting.

“Miss Luo, no need for excessive courtesy. You’ve come to—”

The young woman standing quietly before him suddenly burst into tears: “I want to see my father…”

Minister Zhao’s expression stiffened.

What—why did she suddenly start crying?

Wasn’t she supposed to be bringing him food?

Yes, he naturally knew the young woman had come to see her father, but to start crying right away left him completely unprepared.

Minister Zhao immediately felt his brain ache, and he glared fiercely at Lin Teng.

Lin Teng was also bewildered.

Though he had been the one to remind her, wasn’t Miss Luo crying a bit too quickly?

“Miss Luo, don’t cry—crying won’t help—” Minister Zhao awkwardly consoled her.

The young woman’s tears flowed even more fiercely. While crying, she set down the food box and opened it layer by layer, taking out dish after dish of delicacies.

Minister Zhao’s eyes immediately glued themselves to the spread.

Braised beef and duck tongue in sauce were commonly eaten, but there were also hibiscus pork, apricot blossom duck, whitebait soup that he’d never had at Youjian Tavern… as well as various pastries.

Minister Zhao secretly swallowed.

So many dishes—they must be worth several hundred taels of silver.

“Father was suddenly taken away, and the household fell into chaos. At that time I was busy at the tavern and couldn’t see Father, so I came here… It happened to be mealtime, so I brought Minister Zhao a few simple dishes. I hope Minister Zhao won’t find them distasteful.”

“Not at all—” Minister Zhao blurted out, then regretted it enough to want to tug his beard.

What was he thoughtlessly responding to? Having accepted the food and wine someone brought, didn’t that mean he’d have to agree to her request?

The young woman’s eyes brimmed with tears as she softly pleaded: “Minister Zhao, please let me see Father. I won’t go inside—just let me look at him through the bars.”

Minister Zhao looked at the crying young woman, looked at the hibiscus pork he’d never tasted.

Looked again at the crying young woman, then again at the apricot blossom duck he’d never tasted…

After an intense internal struggle, the old minister nodded: “Lin Teng, take Miss Luo to see Grand Marshal Luo.”

“Thank you, Minister Zhao.” Luo Sheng curtsied, then left with Lin Teng.

Minister Zhao immediately felt the peace return. Looking at the delicacies filling the table, he stroked his beard with a smile.

Having reached his age, he had long understood the principle that one shouldn’t go to extremes in all matters. Letting the young woman see her father was merely a small favor—surely a young woman couldn’t possibly stage a prison break.

Moreover, he and Grand Marshal Luo did have some personal friendship.

Minister Zhao lifted his chopsticks and took a bite of the apricot blossom duck, his expression both satisfied and regretful.

As expected, the new dishes at Youjian Tavern were delicious, but it was a pity whether it could continue operating was now unknown.

Releasing the traitor’s only son—the lightest punishment would be execution and confiscation of property. More severely, it would implicate the entire family, with male relatives beheaded or exiled and female relatives marked as lowborn and sent to the Bureau of Education.

When that time came, there would probably be no Youjian Tavern opened by Miss Luo on Qingxing Street.

Thinking this, Minister Zhao quietly sighed.

Once outside, Luo Sheng immediately resumed her expressionless appearance, causing Lin Teng to involuntarily glance at her several more times.

Luo Sheng looked over: “Does Young Master Lin have something to say?”

“Uh, no.” Lin Teng hurriedly denied it, his serious exterior concealing a bewildered heart.

Miss Luo’s tears came swiftly and left swiftly—were all young women like this?

“Sir.” The jailer guarding the prison saw Lin Teng approaching and hastily paid his respects.

Lin Teng nodded slightly and led Luo Sheng inside.

Upon entering, sunlight immediately disappeared, replaced only by damp darkness reeking of mildew and faint indistinct sounds.

Suddenly, an enormous rat scurried out.

Perhaps this lightless place had fattened the rat’s courage, for it actually stopped before the two of them and didn’t leave.

Lin Teng’s steps halted, and he instinctively recalled the forked-tongued green flower snake he’d pulled from a certain tree hollow.

It seemed that since then, he’d had no fondness for these little creatures.

Luo Sheng didn’t know that the suddenly appearing rat had triggered psychological trauma in the person beside her. Seeing the rat blocking their path, she lifted her foot and kicked the plump rat aside.

Lin Teng: “…”