When people got drunk, their actions became direct.

Zhuang Han and Luosai Huzi lunged at Shi Yan from left and right.

Shi Yan looked left and right, cautiously asking Luo Sheng, “Boss, can I make my move now?”

Yesterday’s moment of impulse had become an eternal regret!

Just because he’d thrown out this bastard clinging to his left arm, he hadn’t gotten to eat the oil-drizzled chicken!

Hadn’t eaten it!

Speaking of deep hatred toward this bastard wouldn’t be an exaggeration—he wanted to punch him to death.

But he couldn’t be impulsive. If he got impulsive and missed out on today’s crystal pork because of it, that would be a huge loss.

Luo Sheng didn’t speak, but Hong Dou put her hands on her hips and started scolding. “Shi Sanhuo, can you do it or not? People are already robbing you and you’re still standing there like an idiot? Wait, what’s that dark-faced kid trying to do?”

In the main hall, no one paid attention to the two drunks hanging on Shi Yan. Instead, they silently watched the dark-faced youth charging toward the back kitchen with his head down.

“Is this dark kid drunk? If he’s trying to escape, the door is over there.” Sheng Sanlang said, puzzled.

Because Luo Sheng hadn’t given the word, and everyone was curious, no one stopped the dark-faced youth charging forward with his head down.

In just an instant, the dark-faced youth had rushed into the courtyard.

The youth standing in the courtyard looked around blankly. Being somewhat intoxicated, he stammered, “Pot, pot, where’s the pot?”

His nose twitched, and the dark-faced youth’s eyes lit up as he charged toward a large pot set up outside the kitchen.

Just then, Xiu Yue heard the commotion and walked out. Seeing a dark boy running toward the large pot, she instinctively blocked his path.

A steaming pot of braised beef—if it splashed on this child, it would braise him half-cooked…

Seeing the dark-faced youth about to collide with Xiu Yue, Luo Sheng grabbed the abacus beside her and threw it out.

The abacus traced a graceful arc through the air, its beads clanging as it struck the youth’s knee pit.

The dark-faced youth’s legs went soft, and he fell in a face-plant position at Xiu Yue’s feet, trembled once, then didn’t move.

A jade cicada slid out from the dark-faced youth’s neck, quietly entering Xiu Yue’s field of vision.

Xiu Yue’s pupils contracted as she stared at the jade cicada, thunderstruck.

The female manager belatedly cried out in alarm, looking at Luo Sheng with exceptional shock.

She’d been a manager for so many years, and only today learned that an iron abacus could be used this way.

The boss couldn’t have killed that dark boy, could she?

Xiu Yue numbly crouched down, trembling as she reached out her hand to check the dark-faced youth’s breathing.

Luo Sheng walked over and said flatly, “He won’t die from that.”

At that moment, snoring sounds began.

Xiu Yue collapsed to the ground, looking utterly exhausted with relief.

Luo Sheng looked at Xiu Yue with surprise. “Xiu Gu, what’s wrong with you?”

“I—” Xiu Yue suddenly looked up, meeting the girl’s dark, deep eyes. She forced out a smile. “I’m fine…”

Luo Sheng stared at the smile on Xiu Yue’s lips, her gaze deepening.

That smile was very weak, very flustered—it didn’t look like nothing was wrong.

Her gaze shifted, sweeping over the dark-faced youth lying on the ground snoring, looking thoughtful.

This wasn’t Xiu Yue’s first time seeing this dark-faced youth.

Back on the road to the capital, when the dark-faced youth had rushed out to rob them, Xiu Yue had been present.

But at that time, when she’d counter-taken the dark-faced youth hostage, Xiu Yue had shown no unusual reaction.

This time, why was it different?

Luo Sheng refocused her attention on the dark-faced youth.

It was already closing time. The half-moon hung on the treetops, its radiance interweaving with the orange glow from the lanterns under the eaves.

An object entered Luo Sheng’s line of sight.

Luo Sheng crouched down, her pale white fingers reaching out to pick up the jade cicada lying quietly on the ground.

The jade cicada was strung on a red cord, still hanging around the dark-faced youth’s neck.

Xiu Yue suddenly reached out and grasped the jade cicada.

Luo Sheng looked at Xiu Yue and asked calmly, “Does Xiu Gu recognize this object?”

Xiu Yue opened her mouth to deny it, but the girl’s tone was too certain, and that slightly raised eyebrow in inquiry was too familiar, suddenly robbing her of the strength to deny it.

Xiu Yue suddenly knelt down and kowtowed to Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng frowned. “Xiu Gu, what are you doing?”

She set down the jade cicada and straightened up, but didn’t help Xiu Yue who was prostrate and kowtowing.

Xiu Yue was her personal maid. Such a reaction must be related to the dark-faced youth.

What she was curious about was the dark-faced youth’s identity.

Xiu Yue raised her head. “This child is my nephew who I lost contact with many years ago. I beg Miss to allow me to keep him by my side.”

“There’s such a coincidence?” Hong Dou said in surprise. “Then when you met this dark boy on the way to the capital, why didn’t you recognize him?”

Xiu Gu was so calculating! Fighting for favor by herself wasn’t enough—she even wanted to build her own faction!

She must expose her scheme.

Xiu Yue spread her hand, revealing the seemingly ordinary jade cicada.

“My nephew was lost very early. I originally didn’t recognize him. I only recognized him just now when I saw this jade cicada he was wearing…”

Hong Dou pursed her lips. “So dark and you still couldn’t recognize him?”

“Hong Dou.” Luo Sheng gave Hong Dou a faint glance.

Hong Dou covered her mouth. “Fine, this servant won’t speak anymore.”

Miss was indeed biased toward Xiu Gu—she wouldn’t even let people point out the inconsistencies.

“Xiu Gu, please stand up.”

Xiu Yue hesitantly glanced at the dark-faced youth.

Luo Sheng smiled. “Since he’s your nephew, of course he can stay.”

“Thank you, Miss!” Xiu Yue kowtowed heavily again before bending down to pick up the dark-faced youth.

She tried but couldn’t lift him.

The dark-faced youth looked only twelve or thirteen, but he was a sturdy boy.

“Let me do it.” Hong Dou easily picked up the dark-faced youth, asking Xiu Yue with a disgusted expression, “Where should I put your nephew?”

Xiu Yue couldn’t help looking at Luo Sheng.

“Put him in the side room for now. He’s just drunk.” Luo Sheng spoke calmly, but waves surged in her heart.

Xiu Yue had been bought from outside at age three, trained under the head governess until age five before being sent to serve at her side.

No one knew better than she that Xiu Yue had not a single relative in the Prince’s Manor—where would a nephew come from?

Before the Prince’s Manor was massacred, Xiu Yue had been one of her four personal maids. After the Prince’s Manor’s annihilation, Xiu Yue had lived furtively for twelve years in the guise of an ugly old woman.

The dark-faced youth’s origins were highly suspicious.

Could he be the child of someone who survived from the Prince’s Manor?

Luo Sheng thought with self-mockery—if she hadn’t learned from Si Nan that her younger brother had been killed that very night twelve years ago, looking at this dark-faced youth’s age, she might even think he was her little brother Bao’er…

Thinking this, Luo Sheng thought of another person.

The jade cicada could be recognized by Xiu Yue at a glance, showing that Xiu Yue was very familiar with the jade cicada’s owner.

And that person couldn’t be her or the others like Shu Feng.

Then the most likely person would be Xiu Yue’s fiancé.

Xiu Yue’s fiancé commanded a garrison of the Prince’s Manor—he was an excellent young man who was deeply devoted to Xiu Yue.

When she married out, she’d left Xiu Yue behind not only to serve her mother but also with this consideration in mind.

Could it be that Xiu Yue’s fiancé had also escaped that night and married and had children—

“Boss, what do we do with these two?”

Luo Sheng came back to her senses. Her gaze wandered over the faces of Zhuang Han and Luosai Huzi while the image of a stern, handsome young man surfaced in her mind.

Could one of these two be Xiu Yue’s fiancé?

Time, that butcher’s knife—it couldn’t be that cruel, could it…