“Why isn’t Madam Yang speaking?” Luo Sheng showed a look of sudden understanding. “Is it because I hit the mark and you have nothing to say?”

“You, you’re truly going too far—”

Yang Shi rolled her eyes back and employed the ultimate technique noble ladies habitually loved to use: the Fainting Method!

“Madam!” A group of maids and old servants at her side cried out in alarm as they supported Yang Shi, all glaring angrily at Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng shook her head and sighed: “They say mothers become strong, but I never imagined that after just a few words from me, Madam Yang would faint from anger, completely disregarding her stepson’s life and death. This shows I was right just now—a stepmother is just a stepmother.”

Yang Shi kept her eyes tightly closed, leaning against an old servant, hearing these words crystal clear, immediately feeling a tightness in her chest.

She was pretending to faint to make the world see how arrogant and domineering Miss Luo was, actually forcing a marquis’s wife to faint. But she never expected this little wretch to be so sharp-tongued, every sentence mentioning “stepmother,” stabbing right into her heart.

Now she was stuck in a difficult position—she couldn’t very well open her eyes again.

Why hasn’t the marquis returned yet? And what is that steward doing!

Just as Yang Shi was feeling resentful in her heart, she heard that cold voice tinged with mockery speak again: “Originally, I was escorting Young Master Xu home. Since no one cares about Young Master Xu, I’ll be a good person to the end and take him back to the Grand Commander’s estate for treatment. Hong Dou, let’s go.”

Take him back to the Grand Commander’s estate?

Hearing this, how could Yang Shi continue pretending to be unconscious? With a soft moan, she opened her eyes and said urgently: “Miss Luo, put Xi’er down!”

Luo Sheng blinked: “Oh? Madam Yang is fine now?”

Yang Shi straightened herself and tried her utmost to assume a righteous and stern appearance: “If Miss Luo wants to take Xi’er away, you’ll have to step over my dead body!”

Luo Sheng’s eyes widened somewhat: “Madam Yang would rather die than allow treatment for Young Master Xu—such malicious intent!”

Yang Shi was so angry she nearly ground her teeth to pieces.

Why does this little wretch have so many twisted arguments?

She couldn’t let herself be led by the nose.

Yang Shi secretly took a breath and recovered some composure, saying coldly: “Miss Luo, don’t twist the truth. Xi’er is the eldest young master of the Marquis of Changchun’s household and also my son. If treatment is needed, naturally it will be done at home. How could there be any reason for Miss Luo to take him to the Grand Commander’s estate for treatment?”

Seeing Yang Shi like this, Luo Sheng’s face completely turned cold: “Enough, Madam Yang, don’t preach any grand principles to me, and don’t threaten death to make people laugh at you. Just now when I brought him back, you delayed showing your face. When I tried to reason with you, you fainted. Now you’re saying Young Master Xu is your son—don’t I need face too? I’m taking him. If you want to retrieve him, have the Marquis of Changchun come personally to the Grand Commander’s estate.”

After saying this, Luo Sheng didn’t even look at Yang Shi and walked away with a flick of her sleeve.

Xu Xi, being carried by Hong Dou, immediately became anxious upon hearing this.

How could this be—he didn’t want to be taken to the Grand Commander’s estate!

It seemed he couldn’t continue pretending to be unconscious for the sake of face.

Noticing the person on her shoulder about to stir, Hong Dou expressionlessly delivered a hand chop to the back of Xu Xi’s neck.

Xu Xi trembled and truly lost consciousness.

Hong Dou showed a gratified smile.

Haven’t done this in a while—still quite accurate.

Want to ruin the miss’s plans? Hmph, did you ask Hong Dou first!

The servants of the Marquis of Changchun’s household gripped their clubs and stared intently at Luo Sheng’s group. As Luo Sheng moved forward, they blocked her path while retreating and waiting for Yang Shi’s instructions.

Yang Shi’s expression was rigid—she could only pretend not to have reacted yet.

She was well aware of Miss Luo’s domineering nature. Even after offending Prince Kaiyang, she was only sent away from the capital by Grand Commander Luo for two or three months. How did the Marquis of Changchun’s household compare to Prince Kaiyang?

If she really ordered the servants to desperately block them, Miss Luo would definitely take action.

If they managed to stop them and someone got injured or hurt, the Marquis of Changchun’s household would have offended Grand Commander Luo, and who knows when they’d be called to account.

If they couldn’t stop them, the Marquis of Changchun’s household would lose even more face.

Since neither option was good, better to temporarily retreat a step and wait for the marquis to negotiate with Grand Commander Luo—that would be more prudent.

No matter how much Grand Commander Luo loved his daughter as his own life, he couldn’t possibly allow his daughter to snatch a marquis household’s young master to become a male concubine.

With the lady of the house giving no instructions for the moment, in just the blink of an eye, Luo Sheng and her group had broken free from the Marquis of Changchun household’s people and walked away.

Yang Shi seemed only then to react, saying in a trembling voice: “Quick, quick, chase after them and rescue the eldest young master!”

The servants responded affirmatively and took off running, but unfortunately, the vast crowd of onlookers blocked the way ahead—where could they possibly catch up?

Grand Commander Luo was busy in his office when he heard a voice outside the door: “Adoptive Father, may I come in?”

“Come in.” Grand Commander Luo put down the documents in his hand and looked at his adopted son who walked in. “What is it?”

Pingli cupped his fists: “Adoptive Father, your son just encountered Third Sister on the street.”

Grand Commander Luo’s tone was still relatively calm: “Did your Third Sister cause trouble again?”

Come to think of it, Sheng’er had been well-behaved for quite a while—he was somewhat unaccustomed to it.

Pingli hesitated for a moment, then said: “Your son saw Hong Dou carrying the eldest young master of the Marquis of Changchun’s household on her shoulder. She should be bringing him back to the Grand Commander’s estate.”

Grand Commander Luo’s expression instantly contorted, and he nearly couldn’t catch his breath.

“This girl is truly making trouble!” Grand Commander Luo braced himself on the desk and stood up.

How could she snatch a marquis household’s young master to become a male concubine? If he’d known it would come to this, even opening a male escort establishment wouldn’t have given him such a headache!

“Adoptive Father—” Pingli called out.

“What?”

“There’s also a young man following Third Sister, who seems to be Prince Kaiyang’s personal guard.”

Grand Commander Luo took a long moment to recover, then said through gritted teeth: “Your Third Sister also snatched Prince Kaiyang’s personal guard?”

Pingli’s expression was somewhat complicated: “It looked more like it was voluntary.”

Grand Commander Luo took a deep breath and strode outward.

The distance from the Marquis of Changchun’s estate to the Grand Commander’s estate wasn’t far to begin with. With Luo Sheng’s unceasing steps, it didn’t take long to arrive.

Standing beside the stone lion in front of the Luo estate, Luo Sheng turned to smile at the onlookers: “Everyone, please disperse. I still need to quickly summon a physician to treat Young Master Xu, so that when the Marquis of Changchun comes, he can take his lively and energetic son back home.”

In the crowd, someone boldly shouted: “Isn’t Miss Luo taking Young Master Xu home to be a male concubine?”

Hong Dou couldn’t listen anymore and spat: “Male concubine? Don’t even think about it. Our miss has high standards—how could she possibly want Young Master Xu as a male concubine!”

This, this means she doesn’t fancy Young Master Xu?

The onlookers were immediately shocked.

The little maid, carrying Xu Xi with one hand and placing the other on her hip, said dismissively: “To become a male concubine, one would at least need to have Prince Kaiyang’s looks, otherwise wouldn’t our miss be at a loss? Let me tell you, our miss bringing Young Master Xu back to the estate for treatment is purely because she’s beautiful and kindhearted, unable to bear seeing that stepmother delay his injuries…”

“Enough, Hong Dou. The innocent are naturally innocent—there’s no need to explain so much to outsiders.” After silently waiting for Hong Dou to say about enough, Luo Sheng said indifferently.

“Yes.” Hong Dou crisply responded and followed Luo Sheng across the threshold of the Luo estate, blocking outside the people who hadn’t seen enough excitement.

Returning to the Leisurely Cloud Courtyard, Luo Sheng glanced at Xu Xi: “Still not awake?”