When Wei Han walked in, his mood was somewhat elated.

He had only come over on a whim to take a look, never expecting the wine shop to open today.

Seeing Luo Sheng dining with an elderly man, Wei Han glanced over and politely greeted: “Divine Physician is here too.”

Divine Physician Li’s tone was neither warm nor cold: “The Prince has also come to drink.”

Wei Han’s peripheral vision swept toward Luo Sheng as he nodded.

The Divine Physician’s question was rather strange—this was a wine shop, so if he didn’t come to eat and drink, what else would he do?

Surely he wouldn’t have come to see Miss Luo?

Lamps lit the main hall, coating the young lady’s plain clothes in a faint orange glow and softening her usually cool expression.

The lamplight was warm, and the person was warm too, naturally stirring thoughts of drawing closer.

Wei Han suddenly felt somewhat hesitant.

If the wine shop had no food or drink, only Miss Luo, he couldn’t say for certain that he wouldn’t still come.

Thinking such distracting thoughts, he sat down across from Divine Physician Li.

Divine Physician Li’s gaze sharpened.

This fellow was presumptuous enough—had he invited him to sit?

Divine Physician Li sipped his tea and asked unhurriedly: “Has the Prince found the royal bird?”

Wei Han nodded: “I found it, but it still needs to be raised for a month or so before it’s ready.”

“The Prince’s luck is quite good.”

Wei Han glanced at Luo Sheng, unable to help smiling slightly: “Indeed, my luck has always been good.”

Divine Physician Li didn’t want to bother with this young man anymore.

Shi Yan attentively asked: “Master, what would you like to eat?”

“What’s available?”

“Noodles with gravy sauce.”

“Then three bowls of noodles with gravy sauce and a pot of liquor.” Wei Han didn’t show the slightest restraint despite Divine Physician Li’s presence.

Divine Physician Li’s hand holding the teacup trembled.

The fellow could really eat.

Wait a moment.

Glancing at the departing shop attendant’s back, Divine Physician Li suddenly remembered: “That shop attendant is the Prince’s guard, isn’t he?”

Wei Han nodded.

“How did he end up working here as a shop attendant?”

Wei Han explained with an unchanged expression: “I temporarily assigned him to work beside Miss Luo. Shop attendant is just a part-time role—his main job is raising geese.”

“Cough cough cough—” Divine Physician Li choked on a mouthful of tea.

So Prince Kaiyang’s royal bird was in the hands of Miss Luo.

“The noodles with gravy sauce are here!” Shi Yan balanced a tray in each hand, carrying them over steadily, and in the blink of an eye had filled an entire table.

Hong Dou followed behind, having no choice but to place the third serving of noodles with gravy sauce on the neighboring table.

Divine Physician Li had only one thought: Prince Kaiyang was a glutton.

Once Wei Han began eating his noodles, he silently added: A glutton who used elegant eating manners to disguise his gluttonous nature.

At this moment, there was another commotion at the entrance.

Minister Zhao walked in with a delighted expression, following the aroma: “I didn’t expect the wine shop to open today!”

After greeting Wei Han, Minister Zhao looked at Divine Physician Li with some uncertainty: “Are you perhaps—”

Divine Physician Li couldn’t stay any longer. He set down his teacup and stood up: “This old man is a physician at A Medical Clinic.”

The young lady had fooled him.

She said no one would know the wine shop was opening today. First came Prince Kaiyang, which could be explained as “different,” but now another white-bearded man had arrived—was he also “different”?

Having just reached the wine shop’s entrance, another person came walking toward him.

Divine Physician Li didn’t intend to acknowledge him and strode past.

Minister Qian didn’t notice Divine Physician Li, his attention entirely drawn to Minister Zhao sitting in the main hall.

Minister Qian’s first reaction was to turn and run.

However, he wasn’t given this opportunity as Kou’er enthusiastically said: “Please come in, honored guest. Your friend Minister Zhao is here too.”

Minister Zhao looked up and made eye contact with Minister Qian standing at the entrance.

In this moment, both men thought in unison: Who’s friends with him!

“Ha ha ha, Brother Qian, didn’t you say you’d come tomorrow?”

Minister Qian countered: “Didn’t Brother Zhao also plan to come tomorrow?”

“I was just wandering around casually and wandered over this way, never expecting the wine shop’s lights to be on.” Minister Zhao explained.

It definitely wasn’t to avoid treating people tomorrow!

Minister Qian walked over, enduring his embarrassment: “Same here.”

The two men’s noodles with gravy sauce had just been served when Wine Offerings Lin walked in with his second grandson Lin Shu.

Minister Zhao looked outside and couldn’t help asking: “Wine Offerings Lin, why didn’t you bring Lin Teng?”

Wine Offerings Lin was completely calm inside but showed surprise on his face: “I thought Lin Teng ate at the office.”

This miser Minister Zhao worked his eldest grandson like a beast of burden yet was too stingy to feed him, and now had the gall to ask.

With his eldest grandson’s appetite, there was no way he could bring him along.

Besides, young people were strong—missing a few good meals wouldn’t make him thin.

Minister Zhao sneered inwardly.

The old fox was truly shameless. As a grandfather, he was too stingy to bring his grandson to eat and actually tried to push the responsibility onto him as his superior.

Taking a bite of noodles, Minister Zhao had no leisure for mental criticism.

Truly fragrant—he’d come again tomorrow.

Perhaps having saved up a month’s worth of personal spending money, the gentlemen’s purses had all grown fuller while the oil and water in their stomachs had emptied out.

A regular customer came looking with a try-and-see mentality, discovered A Wine Shop’s lights were on, felt like he’d struck it rich, and walked in happily.

Another regular customer walked in happily.

Yet another regular customer walked in happily…

Hong Dou went from initially smiling broadly to later keeping a straight face.

“Kou’er, I suspect we don’t have enough gravy sauce prepared.”

Kou’er wiped the sweat from her forehead and pursed her lips: “Random suspicions won’t do—we need to talk about evidence.”

“So?” Hearing Kou’er’s catchphrase made Hong Dou even more irritable.

“So I already went to the kitchen to check, and there really isn’t enough gravy sauce.”

Hong Dou: “…”

She wanted to tear Kou’er’s mouth apart!

Hearing the two girls’ whispered mutterings, Luo Chen immediately lost all energy for waiting tables. He tossed his serving towel onto a table and walked into the back courtyard.

When the wine shop was truly open for business, Xiao Qi generally wasn’t in the main hall but in the back helping out with odd jobs.

Tired all evening and likely to have no food to eat—his mood was a bit foul. Coming to see the dark-skinned boy washing dishes and plates might improve his mood a little.

With such thoughts, Luo Chen walked into the back kitchen, only to see Xiao Qi bent over eating noodles.

His mood became even worse!

Xiu Yue, who was just scooping out freshly cooked noodles, noticed Luo Chen.

“Young Master, what brings you here?”

“Just wandering around casually.”

If he hadn’t come here, how would he have known the dark-skinned boy was stealing food?

“Young Master must be hungry. There’s still a bit of gravy left—let me cook you a bowl of noodles.”

Luo Chen snorted inwardly.

Aunt Xiu was playing favorites. If he hadn’t come here, would she have thought to make him something to eat?

He should have firmly refused, but having smelled the aroma all evening had greatly weakened his resistance.

The youth only hesitated for an instant before nodding with a straight face.

Before long, a bowl of noodles with gravy sauce went down his stomach.

“Thank you, Aunt Xiu. I’ll head out first.” Luo Chen wiped the corner of his mouth and lifted his foot to leave.

Xiao Qi had originally been waiting for Luo Chen after finishing his meal, and seeing him go out, hurriedly chased after him.

A cool breeze rustled through the courtyard. The tall persimmon tree had shed nearly all its leaves, with only sparse red persimmons hanging from the branches.

Luo Chen didn’t return to the main hall but stood beside the persimmon tree gazing up at the starry sky.

After spending day and night together for over a month at the Northern River, Xiao Qi, though straightforward, could tell Luo Chen’s mood wasn’t great.

After much thought, the dark-faced youth finally figured out the reason: “Young Master Luo, are you not full?”