The tavern opened its doors on time, but no customers came.

The rain was still falling. Looking out through the windows, everything was gray and hazy, continuous and unending.

The lanterns that the shops along the street would normally light at this hour had also been extinguished in the violent wind and sudden rain.

In such weather, many regular customers naturally gave up the thought of coming to drink.

After all, it wasn’t cheap. It was rare to have an external difficulty helping reason restrain legs that couldn’t help but run to Youjian Tavern after leaving the office.

“Cousin, why don’t we close early?” This was Sheng Sanlang, who had braved the wind and rain to rush to the tavern in the afternoon.

There was no helping it—he was just this dutiful, just this undeterred by wind and rain.

Luo Sheng gazed casually at the rain outside the window, shattering Sheng Sanlang’s fantasy with one sentence: “Rules can’t be changed on a whim.”

In the curtain of rain, a green-colored umbrella was moving.

“Miss, it seems like they’re coming to our tavern.” Hong Dou had sharp eyes and pointed at the gradually approaching green umbrella, rather excited.

Just one umbrella, proving there was only one person.

One customer coming—she still wasn’t afraid he’d eat too much. Just waiting like this until closing time was quite boring.

Sheng Sanlang craned his neck to look, saying in shock: “Who is it, coming to drink in such heavy rain?”

Hong Dou smiled with pursed lips: “Young Master Cousin, shall we guess? Whoever guesses right gets to eat the other’s portion of Ruyi Fish Rolls tonight.”

“Let’s guess then. I guess it’s Prince Kaiyang.”

Hong Dou’s face fell: “Then what do we do? I also guessed Prince Kaiyang.”

If both guessed Prince Kaiyang, whose Ruyi Fish Rolls would they eat?

Ruyi Fish Rolls were a new dish.

Mandarin fish was deboned and skinned to make fish paste, then rolled together with egg sheets and chili threads, steamed until cooked, cooled, and cut into equal small sections to become auspiciously-named Ruyi Rolls.

They looked delicious, and one serving definitely wouldn’t be enough.

“Shi Sanfu, who do you think it is?” Hong Dou looked askance at Shi Yan.

Shi Yan chuckled.

Was there even a need to guess? In such heavy rain, if only one customer came, who else could it be but their master?

Who else could hold an umbrella so steadily? Who else could walk with such leisurely ease through a torrential downpour?

The green umbrella flower in the wind and rain finally drifted near.

Wei Han, dressed entirely in black, stood under the eaves and folded the umbrella, scraped the mud and water off his feet, and walked into the tavern.

“Master, you’ve finally arrived.” Shi Yan had already stepped forward to meet him and took the dripping bamboo umbrella from Wei Han’s hand.

Wei Han looked at him expressionlessly.

If he remembered correctly, he had only missed coming yesterday.

The great hall was brightly lit, interwoven with the fragrance of food. Walking in felt like entering a different world.

Wei Han immediately saw that familiar plainly-dressed figure.

She wasn’t sitting by the counter as usual, but instead sat at a table by the window, looking over with an indifferent expression.

Wei Han nodded in greeting: “Miss Luo.”

Luo Sheng nodded in return, polite yet distant.

Wei Han walked toward his usual seat with an unchanged expression, but a thought turned in his mind: Miss Luo seemed to be distancing herself from him.

Was it because that night… he had held her hand?

That night’s action had indeed been abrupt.

He hadn’t come yesterday because he wanted some quiet time to think carefully about why such a lapse had occurred.

At that time, all his attention had been on the fact that Miss Luo was angry, thinking that if she received the ten thousand taels in banknotes, perhaps she wouldn’t be angry anymore.

But he had forgotten that he had grasped her hand.

Normally, it would have been impossible to forget.

Wei Han had thought for half the night and confirmed one thing: Miss Luo was different to him.

But different in what way?

Was it because Miss Luo had pulled his belt, smashed the back of his head, thrown chili powder in his eyes, or was it because Miss Luo made one unforgettable delicacy after another, and quietly accomplished major deeds like assassinating Prince Pingnan?

He had originally wanted to wait until he understood before coming, but his stomach didn’t agree.

So he still came. After all, if he could never figure it out, he couldn’t just never come to eat.

After eating, he needed to apologize to Miss Luo.

“Master, today there’s a new dish called Ruyi Fish Rolls. Would you like to try it?”

“Mm.”

Before long, several dishes and a pot of spirits were brought up.

In the great hall, Wei Han was the only customer. Hong Dou and the others surrounded this table in a circle, eagerly watching him eat the new dish.

Wei Han treated this as if it didn’t exist.

However, after the food and drink were finished and the row of human walls dispersed, he discovered that familiar figure was gone.

“Where is Miss Luo?” Wei Han asked Hong Dou.

Hong Dou said cheerfully: “Our miss went back to her room to rest.”

“Could you please ask Miss Luo to come out? I have something to say to her.”

“Then please wait.” Hong Dou turned and went to the back.

In the room, Luo Sheng was reading a book.

Hong Dou was startled: “Miss, why are you reading at this hour? Be careful not to hurt your eyes.”

“Just looking at it to pass the time.” Luo Sheng casually put down the book scroll. “What is it?”

“Prince Kaiyang has finished eating and says he has something to say to you.”

Luo Sheng frowned: “Tell him I’m somewhat tired. If there’s anything to say, let him convey it through you.”

Hong Dou blinked: “Miss, weren’t you bored and wanting to pass the time? Rather than reading, why not have Prince Kaiyang come keep you company and chat?”

Prince Kaiyang was good-looking—surely he was better to look at than a book?

Luo Sheng shot Hong Dou a glance: “Don’t speak out of turn.”

“All right, this servant will go tell him.” Hong Dou scampered back to the great hall to relay the message, but felt somewhat puzzled in her heart.

Miss had truly changed—she’d rather read than look at a handsome man.

She looked carefully at Wei Han and became even more confused.

He hadn’t gotten uglier. By her eye trained over many years, his looks ranked first or second among men.

However, Miss had been looking at this handsome face for several months now—probably she’d grown tired of it.

Having thought of a reason, the young girl immediately felt relieved.

“Your Highness, if you have something to say, this servant can relay it. If there’s nothing else, please take your time leaving.”

Wei Han was silent for a moment, then said: “No need.”

An apology shown sincerity when made in person; relayed through someone else, he’d rather not.

Wei Han took the umbrella Shi Yan held open and stepped into the curtain of rain.

This rain didn’t stop even when the tavern closed for the night.

Wei Qiang thought that since Miss Luo’s visit to the Eastern Palace today hadn’t caused any headaches, he would come to the Crown Princess’s quarters for the evening meal as a way of expressing approval.

However, after the meal, the Crown Princess brought up an annoying matter.

“I heard from Miss Luo that Your Highness had a meal at the tavern she owns.”

A vein bulged at Wei Qiang’s temple: “Miss Luo mentioned it to you?”

The Crown Princess smoothed the fresh flower at her temple: “Yes, she said Your Highness hosted guests for drinks but didn’t have money to settle the bill.”

“Crown Princess, are you laughing at me?” Wei Qiang rose abruptly, his face turning livid.

The Crown Princess looked astonished: “Husband and wife are one body—how could I laugh at Your Highness? Didn’t Your Highness also take two thousand taels of silver from me—”

“Enough!” Wei Qiang gritted his teeth and cut off the Crown Princess’s words. “Crown Princess, giving you the authority of the Eastern Palace’s mistress isn’t so you can point fingers at me.”

Watching with cold eyes as the Crown Prince, humiliated and furious, flung his sleeves and left, the Crown Princess curved her lips in a cold smile.

She had indeed deliberately provoked the Crown Prince. After all, this man loved face so much—bringing up this topic, how could he not feel ashamed and angry?

From her understanding of this man, whenever he was in an unhappy mood, he would go find Consort Yu.

A rainy day keeps guests staying.

How perfect.

The Crown Princess removed the fresh flower from her temple, opened the window, and tossed it into the wind and rain.