Xu Xi, her fifteen-year-old nephew, had already started frequenting gambling houses?

This discovery made Luo Sheng’s expression darken as she pricked up her ears to continue listening to the cousins’ quiet conversation.

Xu Xi clearly wouldn’t listen to advice, frowning as he said, “Why does cousin care so much about this?”

Due to their maternal grandfather’s family situation, the Xu and Lin families had almost no open contact. Even though Lin Shu wanted to look after his younger cousin, spending most of his time at the academy meant he and Xu Xi didn’t spend much time together.

Hearing Xu Xi’s words, Lin Shu’s face darkened. “I’m your older cousin!”

Xu Xi rolled his eyes and muttered quietly, “You care more than my parents do.”

Lin Shu silently drew in a breath.

He couldn’t get anxious—

But how could he not be anxious? All his composure was lost to his cousin’s outrageousness!

“Grandfather has already asked the Academy Chancellor, and after the new year you’ll go enroll at the academy. Then we can study together…” Lin Shu lowered his voice as he laid out the arrangement.

Xu Xi became irritated as soon as he heard this. “I’m not going.”

“Cousin, don’t be willful. You’re only fifteen years old. Isn’t it good to read more books?”

“What use is reading more books?” Xu Xi countered.

Lin Shu froze.

He’d heard such words too many times before.

He had a reputation as a talented scholar and was quite valued by the Academy Chancellor. Some people loved saying things like: So what if Lin Shu is naturally intelligent? He isn’t even a xiucai.

He’d thought that hearing such words repeatedly would make him numb to them, but hearing his cousin say this still brought a trace of helplessness.

His existence seemed to make his cousin even more dejected.

Footsteps approached.

The two cousins instinctively looked up and saw Luo Sheng arrive at their table and sit down expressionlessly.

Xu Xi: ?

Looking at the ice-cold demoness, he couldn’t help desperately trying to recall whether he’d said anything just now that would anger her.

After quickly thinking it through, the young man calmed down.

Fortunately, he hadn’t bad-mouthed the demoness.

His cousin was disciplining him—it had nothing to do with Miss Luo.

After his initial surprise, Lin Shu spoke up. “Miss Luo, you—”

He was earnestly trying to counsel his cousin, so why had Miss Luo sat down?

If she sat down, fine, but why so expressionlessly…

The equally expressionless Wei Han silently took a sip of wine.

“Young Master Xu thinks reading books is useless?” Luo Sheng asked coolly.

Xu Xi said under pressure, “It may be useful for others, but it’s certainly useless for me.”

After his mother became a criminal official’s daughter, certain paths were destined to be blocked. What use was effort?

Like his cousin becoming a renowned talent, only to be pitied and lamented by those people with ill intentions?

He thought his current life was quite good. Ever since the demoness made that scene, fewer people came looking for trouble with him, and he had plenty of money to spend. Thinking too much was purely asking for trouble.

Luo Sheng laughed coldly. “How self-righteous. If you’d read even a bit more, you wouldn’t say such foolish things.”

“What’s it to you?” Xu Xi asked back with false bravado, his hands instinctively gripping the table edge, ready to jump up and run at any moment.

He’d already eaten his fill anyway. He didn’t want to fall into the demoness’s clutches again.

Luo Sheng completely ignored this response.

With this kind of senseless child, reasoning until your mouth went dry was useless—he needed a beating.

Of course, this beating would need to be postponed.

“You have money to go to gambling houses now?”

Hearing this, Lin Shu understood that Luo Sheng was on his side. He immediately no longer felt uncomfortable with Miss Luo sitting beside him, and took the opportunity to drink a mouthful of rice wine.

The warmed rice wine had cooled to a comfortable temperature. Entering his throat, it had just the right amount of sweetness and spiciness.

With such a troublesome cousin, he needed to adjust his mood. Let Miss Luo take over.

Xu Xi looked away and said dismissively, “It’s not like you gave me the money.”

“Who gave it to you?” Luo Sheng asked coldly, following up on his words.

Xu Xi got stuck.

Of course it was from home, but the demoness had strong opinions about his stepmother. What if she heard him say this and carried him to their doorstep to cause trouble again?

Actually, after that incident, he no longer trusted his stepmother as much as before. But since there was silver to take, why shouldn’t he take it?

Seeing Xu Xi’s silence, Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow. “I understand. It was given by that stepmother of yours.”

“I told you, it’s none of your business.” Xu Xi said stubbornly.

So what if his stepmother gave it to him?

That was the marquis household’s money, and he had a share of it. Why should an outsider care so much?

“How is it not my business? You’re spouting this nonsense in my tavern, and I’m displeased hearing it.”

Luo Sheng’s self-righteousness made Xu Xi so angry he stood up. “If cousin hadn’t dragged me here, do you think I wanted to come?”

Seeing the young man about to leave with a wave of his hand, Luo Sheng said coldly, “Leaving without paying? You want to dine and dash?”

“Dine and dash?” Hong Dou, hearing this, grabbed a wine jar and rushed over.

Xu Xi froze in place.

Lin Shu quickly said, “Miss Luo, I’ll settle the bill.”

Luo Sheng glanced at him and asked back, “Will Young Master Lin save money for your cousin so he can send it to the gambling house?”

“What do you mean ‘send to the gambling house’? I win money every time I go!” Xu Xi couldn’t help retorting.

If he’d really lost money, he wouldn’t go anymore.

“Don’t worry, I won’t dine and dash. Let’s settle up.”

Hong Dou fluently recited the amount and lowered the hand holding the wine jar.

Xu Xi endured the heartache and slapped a bank note on the table before striding toward the tavern entrance.

Lin Shu nodded apologetically to Luo Sheng and hurriedly chased after him.

The two figures quickly disappeared at the doorway.

The coldness faded from Luo Sheng’s face as she walked to the window.

Outside, snow still fell—even heavier now—swirling and dancing to transform the view beyond the window into a world of ice sculptures and jade clarity.

Through the window, she could see the two young men walking faster and faster, gradually moving into the distance.

Wei Han, sitting by the window, coughed lightly.

Luo Sheng came back to herself and smiled at Wei Han. “Has Your Highness finished eating?”

Wei Han’s thin lips pressed together slightly. After a long while, he hummed in acknowledgment.

Luo Sheng inexplicably heard a hint of grievance in it, but this didn’t prevent her from seeing him off.

“Then let me see Your Highness out.”

Wei Han’s mood suddenly improved, but he declined Luo Sheng’s suggestion. “No need to see me out. It’s cold outside.”

Luo Sheng readily nodded. “Then Your Highness, take care.”

“Master, your cloak.” Shi Yan very perceptively handed over the cloak.

Wei Han reached out to take it and strode out of the tavern.

Wind and snow rushed toward him, instantly billowing the ink-black cloak. As he walked forward with long strides, it fluttered and fell, softly brushing over the snowy ground.

The snow-white world, the black figure, the hazy lamplight diluting the night—all of this falling into Luo Sheng’s eyes as she stood by the window gave rise to an illusion of eternity.

She suddenly felt her eyes were somewhat dry, but didn’t know why.

The man walking through the wind and snow suddenly stopped and turned his head.

The two gazed at each other silently across the wind and snow.

Several breaths later, Wei Han walked with light steps into the deepening night.

Luo Sheng quickly sent people out to inquire. Before long, she learned which gambling house Xu Xi frequented and who he regularly associated with.

She didn’t immediately do anything, but chose to wait.

Only when Grand Commander Luo was exonerated would be the right time to deal with her young nephew and certain people.

Several more days passed. Minister Zhao hurriedly entered the palace for an audience with the emperor, bringing new developments in the case.