Luo Sheng smiled and said casually as she walked forward: “Your Highness worries unnecessarily. There are plenty of people willing to befriend Your Highness.”
Wei Han looked at her and said: “But there are few friends I wish to make.”
Luo Sheng’s gaze met his.
The man carrying the wild boar and rabbit smiled lightly: “The friend I most wish to make is Miss Luo.”
Luo Sheng looked at the serious-faced man and sighed inwardly.
Prince Kaiyang was really going all out for a meal.
“Would Miss Luo be willing?”
Luo Sheng was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly: “Being friends with Your Highness would be my honor.”
Wei Han naturally wouldn’t take this polite remark seriously, yet his mood relaxed considerably.
Regardless, this was what Miss Luo had personally agreed to.
They were now acknowledged friends.
First friends, then close friends. Take it slowly—he couldn’t be hasty.
Wei Han imagined becoming intimate friends with the young woman beside him, being able to order whatever he wanted to eat without risk of rejection, and felt the future was infinitely bright.
Luo Sheng coldly observed the man beside her revealing a foolish smile and silently rolled her eyes.
How did such a person command thousands of troops? If the enemy side presented a braised pork knuckle, he’d probably be lured away.
Wei Han caught the young woman’s eye roll and was slightly taken aback.
He had never seen Miss Luo make such an expression before.
In his impression, Miss Luo had always been indifferent, composed, even somewhat cold and unfeeling.
As for that rash young woman who had stopped him on the streets of the capital—he barely remembered her anymore.
Miss Luo secretly rolling her eyes seemed somewhat adorable…
Thinking this, Wei Han suddenly felt his heartbeat quicken. He couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at the young woman beside him.
Because his heartbeat was abnormal, his expression became even more serious.
It wouldn’t be good if Miss Luo discovered his unusual state.
“Does Your Highness have something to say?” Luo Sheng noticed Wei Han looking at her and asked calmly.
The man, nervous, blurted out: “Miss Luo would look even better if you smiled more.”
Luo Sheng abruptly stopped walking, her calm expression cracking.
This person was staring at her with a serious face just to say this?
Wei Han was startled by Luo Sheng’s reaction: “Did you twist your ankle?”
Luo Sheng tightened her lips without responding.
“You’d look even better smiling.”
She’d just given him a few kind words, and he dared to push his luck.
If she had known—
What if she had known? Luo Sheng didn’t continue that thought. She simply looked at the anxious-faced youth and felt an impulse to kick him.
However, Wei Han took Luo Sheng’s silence as acknowledgment.
He set down the wild boar he was carrying and said to Luo Sheng in an inquiring tone: “Miss Luo, if it’s quite serious, let me carry you on my back.”
Luo Sheng’s mouth twitched.
She hadn’t even said a word, and it had already progressed to him carrying her?
She suddenly felt she hadn’t misunderstood after all.
Wei Han once again took Luo Sheng’s silence as agreement. He steadily lowered his body, waiting for the young woman with the twisted ankle to climb onto his back.
A pair of deerskin boots entered his view, then moved away.
Departing along with them was the hem of a青-colored dress.
Wei Han was stunned, then chased after her: “Miss Luo, you’re all right?”
Luo Sheng laughed in exasperation: “Does Your Highness hope I’m injured so you can carry me back?”
“I didn’t hope for that.” Wei Han firmly denied it, though his ears turned slightly red.
Although he had felt inexplicably delighted at the thought of carrying Miss Luo just now, he hoped even more that Miss Luo would be well.
Safe, joyful, smooth, and carefree.
Seeing his jade-like face tinged red by his crimson robes, Luo Sheng suddenly had nothing to say.
Forget it. Why bother arguing with someone whose mind was full of mooching food and drink?
Luo Sheng stepped forward.
“Miss Luo, wait. We haven’t taken the pork and rabbit meat yet.”
Luo Sheng: “…”
The two walked side by side for a while when Luo Sheng suddenly frowned.
She glimpsed Luo Qing and Pingli heading into the forest.
Luo Sheng wasn’t one to meddle, but the pursuit on the road to the capital had left her wary of Great General Luo’s several sworn sons.
She had always vaguely felt that Luo Qing treated Pingli somewhat differently. Now, with the two drilling into the dense forest together—was it pure romantic affection between man and woman, or something else?
Miss Luo was Great General Luo’s treasured pearl. The pursuit of Miss Luo was actually targeting Great General Luo.
If Pingli had issues, Luo Qing’s overly close association with him would be calamity, not fortune.
Luo Sheng made a split-second decision and stopped: “Your Highness, please deliver these items to my place first. I suddenly remembered something else. I won’t return with Your Highness.”
Seeing Luo Sheng’s serious expression, Wei Han nodded very tactfully: “All right.”
Then he left without a single unnecessary word.
Seeing this, Luo Sheng’s expression relaxed slightly.
In this respect, Prince Kaiyang was quite good.
She didn’t like being friends with presumptuous people who caused trouble.
Luo Sheng touched the sleeve arrow hidden in her sleeve and quietly entered the forest.
The forest had thick trees and deep grass, making it easy to hide.
Voices in conversation traveled through the vegetation.
“Why does Big Brother suddenly ask about Third Sister’s relationship with Prince Kaiyang?”
A male voice responded: “Recently I’ve noticed Third Miss and Prince Kaiyang have grown quite close. I was curious to ask. Our sworn father values Third Miss most. If Third Miss has any situation, it would be good to report it to our sworn father.”
Luo Qing curved her lips in a smile: “Big Brother, I feel there’s no need to report such matters to Father. Third Sister’s interactions with Prince Kaiyang are open and aboveboard. If there’s truly anything, Father will see it for himself.”
Hearing Luo Qing’s words, Pingli seemed somewhat embarrassed. He rubbed his nose: “When encountering matters, I’m habitually overthinking. I’ve made Second Sister laugh at me.”
He gazed at the person before him with a smile, causing Luo Qing to involuntarily lower her head slightly, her voice dropping: “I’m not laughing at Big Brother—”
A hand grasped hers.
Luo Qing looked up in shock, color flying to both cheeks.
Their hands clasped together, as if heaven and earth had fallen silent for a moment.
Then that hand released.
Pingli bent down and plucked a pink wildflower from the grass, gently tucking it into Luo Qing’s hair.
“Big Brother—” Luo Qing’s face reddened, somewhat at a loss.
Pingli smiled slightly: “I think this flower suits Second Sister very well.”
“Big Brother, I’ve been out too long. I should return.” Luo Qing said with a flushed face, then lifted her skirt hem and hurriedly ran off.
Pingli watched the young woman depart, curved his lips in a smile, and strode out of the dense forest.
Wind stirred through the forest, vegetation swaying.
Luo Sheng waited a moment before emerging expressionlessly.
Were Luo Qing and Pingli… mutually attracted?
Luo Qing’s behavior clearly showed she had been moved.
They say feelings are beyond control, the heart acts of its own accord. Even if she intervened, it likely wouldn’t help.
If she brought this up to Great General Luo—Luo Sheng quickly dismissed this notion.
Great General Luo might well make a direct decision to betroth Luo Qing to Pingli.
If Pingli harbored ill intentions toward Great General Luo, what would become of Luo Qing then?
This matter could only be observed for now, to see how events developed.
Heart beyond control?
Luo Sheng raised her hand and gently pressed it to her heart.
After a moment, she smiled and walked toward the forest’s edge in another direction.
Having a heart beyond control was others’ privilege. She had long since lost hers.
Nor did she need one.
Lost in these thoughts, Luo Sheng walked hurriedly, unaware that a youth in crimson robes only silently turned away after watching her safely return to the golden tent.