The night was dim and obscure. Wei Han stood at the entrance of the clothing shop, not disturbing the private conversation between master and servant.

Luo Sheng listened impassively to Kou’er’s report.

“A little beggar saw the Young Commandery Princess chasing after a man into Cat’s Eye Alley…”

Cat’s Eye Alley was on another street adjacent to Qingxing Street, not far from here.

“Could the little beggar describe the man’s general appearance?”

Kou’er blinked and said softly, “The little beggar was at some distance when he saw them, but it looked like that Young Master Su.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Sheng’s brows rose slightly. “Su Yao?”

Kou’er nodded slightly. “The little beggar said he went to watch the excitement during the zhuangyuan parade and caught a distant glimpse of the zhuangyuan on horseback.”

Luo Sheng fell into contemplation.

The crescent moon was cold and clear, sprinkling its thin moonlight on that fair face, making her appear even more composed and calm.

After a moment, Luo Sheng curved her lips in a smile and instructed Kou’er in a low voice, “Tomorrow, Lin Teng will surely search around Qingxing Street for people who saw the Young Commandery Princess. Have that little beggar appear before Magistrate Lin and reveal this important clue to him…”

Kou’er nodded continuously.

Seeing the master and servant had finished their conversation, Wei Han walked over with a smile and asked, “Would Miss Luo like to look around some more?”

“No need.”

“Then let me escort Miss Luo back to the tavern.”

Luo Sheng pondered briefly, then smiled. “It’s getting late. I should just return directly to the Grand Marshal’s Manor.”

Wei Han was slightly stunned and asked in surprise, “Miss Luo isn’t eating the drunken crabs?”

He had inquired with Shi Yan—tonight there was still half a jar of those drunken crabs remaining.

“I’m not very hungry. There’s still half a jar of drunken crabs left. Your Highness should go to the tavern and have Xiu Gu pack some for you to take back to the prince’s manor.”

Wei Han’s eyes lit up.

He had eaten too many persimmons and thought he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the delicious drunken crabs, but unexpectedly Miss Luo was offering him takeout.

Wei Han grew more and more delighted, but soon thought of another problem: if he went to the tavern to pack the drunken crabs, it wouldn’t be convenient to escort Miss Luo. He could hardly tell Miss Luo to wait while he got his takeout first.

That would seem far too insincere.

On one side was escorting Miss Luo home, on the other were the drunken crabs—

Wei Han struggled for an instant, then reluctantly gave up the drunken crabs. “I’ll escort Miss Luo home.”

Luo Sheng raised her brows in surprise. “Your Highness isn’t eating the drunken crabs?”

Wei Han fell silent.

Could it be that in Miss Luo’s heart, she thought he cared more about drunken crabs than about Miss Luo?

“If you don’t eat them, you’ll have to wait until next year.” Luo Sheng reminded him with a smile.

Wei Han gazed steadily at her and said, “It’s fine to eat them next year.”

Perhaps by this time next year, he could marry Miss Luo and bring her home to eat drunken crabs together?

The prince’s manor had an Eight Sounds Pavilion. When autumn came, they could sit in the pavilion listening to the wind make the copper bells ring, admire the garden full of yellow chrysanthemums, and taste wine and eat drunken crabs together with Miss Luo—that would be most delightful.

Thinking this way, the smile at the corners of Wei Han’s lips grew deeper and deeper.

Seeing someone with that foolish grin on his face, Luo Sheng was quite baffled.

Based on her understanding of Prince Kaiyang, not being able to eat the drunken crabs should make him full of regret. Why did mentioning eating them next year instead make him so pleased?

“Your Highness?”

Wei Han came back to himself and said with a serious expression, “Miss Luo, let’s go.”

Though Luo Sheng was surprised at how quickly someone’s expression could change, she ultimately didn’t ask more questions and nodded slightly. “All right.”

The two walked side by side, casting two long shadows on the stone-paved road.

When the main gate of Chamberlain Wang’s manor was knocked upon, Chamberlain Wang was full of astonishment. “Why has the steward come at this hour? Is there some matter at the prince’s manor?”

The prince’s manor steward cupped his hands. “You’ve heard about what happened on Qingxing Street, haven’t you?”

“No.” Chamberlain Wang forced out a single word with difficulty.

With a tavern so outrageously expensive, was he someone who frequented Qingxing Street?

“It’s like this—our Commandery Princess went to a clothing shop on Qingxing Street, and then she disappeared—”

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘disappeared’?”

The prince’s manor steward looked somewhat embarrassed. “The Commandery Princess has gone missing.”

The corner of Chamberlain Wang’s mouth twitched violently, and once again he regretted forming a marriage alliance with Prince Pingnan’s Manor.

Why did Prince Pingnan’s Manor always have all these chaotic troubles?

Thinking of how the people from the prince’s manor had come at this hour, Chamberlain Wang’s expression turned stern as he hastily distanced himself. “The Commandery Princess hasn’t come here.”

“She hasn’t come here, but the clothing shop’s shopkeeper said the two young misses from the Wang family happened to enter the shop right after our Commandery Princess left. So Magistrate Lin from the Ministry of Justice has asked Zisu, our Commandery Princess’s head maid, to come and ask the two young misses from the Wang family a few questions. We request your convenience in this matter.”

Chamberlain Wang frowned slightly in private.

In his recollection, both his eldest and second granddaughters were quite well-behaved—how could they have gotten mixed up in this kind of trouble?

However, since people from the prince’s manor had come to the door, and the two families were related by marriage, refusal was naturally impossible.

Chamberlain Wang instructed his servants, “Go invite the two young misses to the flower hall.”

Without waiting too long, Zisu met First Miss Wang and Second Miss Wang in the flower hall.

After Zisu paid her respects, she went straight to the point. “This servant has come on Magistrate Lin from the Ministry of Justice’s instructions to ask the two young misses a few questions.”

First Miss Wang and Second Miss Wang exchanged a glance and smiled. “Please speak.”

“Did the two young misses see our Commandery Princess on Qingxing Street today?”

“We did.” First Miss Wang’s tone was calm.

“Where did you see her?”

“Outside the clothing shop next to the rouge shop diagonally across from You Jian Tavern.”

Zisu’s eyes flickered slightly as she continued asking, “Did the two young misses speak with our Commandery Princess?”

First Miss Wang smiled slightly. “Naturally we exchanged greetings.”

“Then did the two young misses see which direction our Commandery Princess went?” Zisu’s tone carried a trace of urgency.

She was the head maid who accompanied the Commandery Princess out, and now that the Commandery Princess was lost, if they couldn’t find her, her life was forfeit.

First Miss Wang fell silent.

Second Miss Wang seemed to want to speak but hesitated. Seeing her elder sister remain quiet, she too didn’t speak up.

Zisu grew anxious. “Please, young misses, don’t conceal anything—this concerns our Commandery Princess’s safety!”

“The Commandery Princess hasn’t returned to the manor?” Second Miss Wang wasn’t as composed as First Miss Wang and couldn’t help asking.

Zisu’s face turned pale as she nodded. “That’s correct. Our Commandery Princess went to Qingxing Street and hasn’t returned yet. If the two young misses have discovered anything, you must tell this servant so I can relay it to Magistrate Lin.”

First Miss Wang was silent for a long while before saying softly, “When we greeted the Commandery Princess, she seemed to see someone and hurriedly chased after them.”

“Who was it?” Zisu urgently pressed.

First Miss Wang hesitated.

“First Miss Wang, now is not the time to hesitate.”

“I’m not quite certain… I only caught a distant glimpse of a back view. It appeared to be a man, but he quickly turned a corner and could no longer be seen.” As First Miss Wang spoke these words, she looked somewhat abashed.

If it weren’t for the Young Commandery Princess’s safety being at stake, she would have planned to keep such words that could damage a person’s reputation buried in her heart for life.

After hearing this, Zisu’s expression also didn’t look good. Seeing she couldn’t learn much more, she hurriedly left the Chamberlain’s manor.

The night deepened. No matter how strong people’s curiosity was, they could only return to their respective homes. The lively and prosperous Qingxing Street grew deserted.

Lin Teng and the others still waited in the clothing shop.

After hearing Zisu’s report, Lin Teng asked Wei Feng, “Who does the Heir Apparent think the Young Commandery Princess saw that would make her urgently chase after them?”