When Wei Han walked over, he discovered Luo Sheng was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Miss Luo?” he asked.

Hong Dou replied crisply, “Our miss didn’t come out.”

Hearing this, Wei Han couldn’t quite say whether he should feel happy or disappointed.

In the end, disappointment won out.

Being able to see her in person was the most tangible thing.

Hong Dou looked around and asked curiously, “Is Your Highness viewing the lanterns alone?”

Shi Yan, standing behind Wei Han: “…” Did his large frame not count as a person?

Wei Han nodded. “Yes, alone.”

Hong Dou said with a cheerful smile, “It’s a pity our miss didn’t come. Otherwise she could have kept Your Highness company.”

Wei Han suddenly felt the red-clothed little maid before him was quite pleasing to the eye—at least better than the guard following behind him.

On another side, Sheng Erlang’s sharp eyes spotted Hong Dou and nudged Sheng Sanlang with his elbow. “Third Brother, look at that little girl in red—isn’t that Cousin’s maid Hong Dou?”

Sheng Sanlang looked over, somewhat puzzled. “That’s Hong Dou, no mistake. Both Hong Dou and Kou’er came out, so why don’t I see Cousin?”

“The man talking to Hong Dou is—”

Sheng Sanlang acted as if it were nothing. “Oh, that’s Prince Kaiyang. Probably saw Hong Dou and the others and thought Cousin had come.”

Prince Kaiyang?

Sheng Erlang immediately exchanged glances with Sheng Dalang.

Su Yao also looked over discreetly.

“Third Brother, I seem to recall Cousin came to our house precisely because she’d offended Prince Kaiyang?”

Sheng Sanlang said with a laugh, “Prince Kaiyang goes to eat and drink at Cousin’s tavern every day.”

Sheng Erlang understood at once. “No wonder.”

Since he eats what she provides, naturally it’s awkward to hold grudges.

Only Su Yao, who since being nipped by Da Bai on his first visit to the Grand Marshal’s residence had used the excuse of recuperating and never returned, completely failed to grasp the meaning.

Sheng Erlang sympathetically patted Su Yao’s shoulder. “Second Brother Su, once Cousin’s tavern opens for business after the Lantern Festival, you’ll understand.”

Su Yao was about to inquire further when suddenly something flew toward him. He instinctively reached out to catch it and discovered it was a sachet.

Seeing him catch it, the young lady who had tossed the sachet immediately let out an excited squeal.

Seeing this, others followed suit. Countless sachets and handkerchiefs flew over, a fragrant rain enveloping Su Yao.

Luo Yue silently hid behind Sheng Sanlang, clutching her heavy bag of gold leaves and sighing.

Just as she’d said—coming out without her sisters was no fun. There was even the danger of being struck by flying sachets and purses.

Wei Han glanced in this direction and strode toward a certain lantern riddle stall.

“Master, you’re going to solve lantern riddles?”

Wei Han nodded slightly.

“Are you planning to give the lantern you win to Miss Luo?”

Wei Han didn’t deny it.

Shi Yan fell silent for a moment, then suggested tentatively, “Master, why don’t you try solving some difficult ones?”

This was just an ordinary lantern riddle stall. The exquisiteness of the lanterns was closely related to the difficulty of the riddles.

Hadn’t Young Master Su solved the imperial family’s riddles and won two magnificently gorgeous glazed lanterns?

Wei Han shot Shi Yan a glance and ignored this suggestion.

One must act according to one’s abilities. He couldn’t solve the difficult ones.

The lanterns displayed at the stall were indeed rather ordinary, but a tiger lantern caught Wei Han’s interest.

He looked at the riddle on the tiger lantern: “Streams surround mountains on four sides where shrimp play in water.”

After thinking briefly, he had the answer.

“The answer is ‘si’ (longing/thinking).”

The stall owner smiled and gave a thumbs up. “You got it right.”

Shi Yan silently looked up at the sky.

He felt even he could have solved that with some effort.

The stall owner handed the tiger lantern to Wei Han, saying auspicious words.

Wei Han nodded at Shi Yan.

As Shi Yan paid the stall owner his reward, Wei Han strode toward where Hong Dou was.

Seeing Wei Han approach carrying the adorably shaped tiger lantern, Hong Dou was somewhat delighted. “Is Your Highness’s tiger lantern for our miss?”

“Yes.” Wei Han handed over the tiger lantern.

Hong Dou joyfully accepted it.

Seeing the little maid quite satisfied, Wei Han was in rather good spirits.

If Hong Dou liked it, Miss Luo would probably like it too.

Not far away, Sheng Erlang saw this scene and his jaw nearly dropped. He frantically tugged at Sheng Sanlang’s sleeve. “Third Brother, Prince Kaiyang is giving Cousin’s maid a lantern.”

Sheng Sanlang glanced over and said carelessly, “It’s definitely for Cousin.”

Hong Dou is both fierce and gluttonous—who would be foolish enough to give her a lantern?

This was a hard-won lesson from his countless defeats competing with Hong Dou for food at the tavern.

Sheng Erlang’s expression was subtle. “Third Brother, what exactly is the relationship between Cousin and Prince Kaiyang?”

Sheng Sanlang thought for a moment. “Right now it should be the relationship between a tavern patron and the tavern’s proprietor.”

“Tavern patrons give lanterns to tavern proprietors?” Sheng Erlang felt his brother was a bit dim.

Sheng Sanlang said dismissively, “Second Brother, if you knew how much a meal at the You Jian Tavern costs, you wouldn’t find it strange. I personally witnessed Prince Kaiyang getting complimentary dishes after building a good relationship with Cousin.”

Looking at his plump cousin, Sheng Erlang didn’t want to say anything more.

With Third Brother this foolish and this fat, finding a wife in the future would be quite difficult.

Hong Dou had eaten until her belly was round at the lantern festival and also obtained a lantern. Feeling completely satisfied, she asked Kou’er, “Shall we head back?”

Kou’er’s mood wasn’t as good as Hong Dou’s.

Prince Kaiyang had actually given the lantern meant for Miss to Hong Dou instead of her.

She was clearly more attentive and reliable than Hong Dou. Prince Kaiyang didn’t even have this much ability to judge people—truly inadequate.

“Let’s go back. Watching that Young Master Su show off has no interest whatsoever.” In her bad mood, Kou’er vented at an unrelated person. “Thank goodness our miss came to her senses. Someone like Young Master Su won’t do—showing off so brazenly in public, making all those young ladies squeal. Isn’t that just attracting bees and butterflies?”

Hong Dou rarely agreed with Kou’er. “Exactly. Someone like that wouldn’t even qualify to be a male attendant for our miss. Let’s not talk about it anymore—let’s return to the residence early.”

Luo Sheng had been reading for a while, then walked to the window to gaze at the full moon hanging in the sky.

The Lantern Festival—the first full moon night of the new year.

She remembered that every year on the Lantern Festival, the Prince of Zhennan’s residence would be very lively.

Father and Mother would take her and her sisters up to the tower to view the lanterns, receiving the reverence of Nanyang City’s common people.

Later, after her two elder sisters married far away in the capital, only she remained to accompany her parents in ascending the tower to view the lanterns.

Mother had said she would marry her somewhere nearby, so at least during festivals they could see one daughter.

Sounds came from outside the door. Luo Sheng stood alone by the window and looked toward the entrance.

Hong Dou and Kou’er entered one after the other.

“Miss, you’re admiring the moon. Look what this servant brought you.” Hong Dou raised the lantern in her hand and quickly walked over.

Luo Sheng looked at the tiger lantern Hong Dou was carrying and smiled slightly. “The lantern is nice.”

“Prince Kaiyang won it by solving a lantern riddle and had this servant pass it to you.”

Luo Sheng’s smile froze slightly as she glanced at the lantern.

The riddle was still hanging from the lantern’s tassel. It read: “Streams surround mountains on four sides where shrimp play in water.”

Almost without thinking, Luo Sheng arrived at the answer: this was the character “si” (longing/thinking).

The moment she realized the answer, Luo Sheng’s delicate brows knitted together.

Was Prince Kaiyang saying he was thinking of her?