Her gaze lingered on the water droplet at the corner of Lin Teng’s mouth, and Luo Sheng smiled: “Young Master Lin is truly conscientious.”

Had she known, she should have dumped the water ladle right on this fellow’s face.

Meeting the young woman’s meaningful look, Lin Teng suddenly felt a trace of discomfort.

Why was Miss Luo staring at his face so intently?

Clearly there were no special privileges when she came to the tavern to drink—it didn’t seem like she regarded him any differently.

Lin Teng appeared serious, but in truth had extremely thin skin. Thinking this, his ears couldn’t help but redden, and he hurriedly said: “I won’t disturb Miss Luo any further. I’ll go look around the area.”

“Young Master Lin, please go ahead.” Luo Sheng smiled faintly.

Once Lin Teng disappeared from view with his subordinates, Luo Sheng’s expression turned cold as she turned and stepped into the tavern.

The tavern looked no different from usual.

The main hall remained bright and clean, spotless as always.

In the large pot at the kitchen entrance, meat was stewing, still fragrant enough to make one involuntarily swallow.

No—there was one more thing than usual: a trace of wine fragrance.

That was from the orange wine Xiu Yue had accidentally dropped when Wei Qiang was here earlier.

Only the wine’s fragrance remained; the mess on the floor had already been cleaned up by Luosai Huzi and Zhuang Han.

Hong Dou stood in the courtyard, one hand on her hip, smiling as she praised the two: “You two are still the diligent ones, unlike certain people who are clumsy and waste good things.”

If it were just a broken plate or bowl she could tolerate, or even an old vase would be fine, but breaking the wine the young miss brewed—that she couldn’t forgive.

Luosai Huzi and Zhuang Han chuckled foolishly, one going to chop firewood, the other fetching a broom to sweep the courtyard.

They couldn’t afford to offend Big Sister Hong Dou, nor could they offend Head Chef Xiu Gu—they’d better just work.

How wonderful work was! Work hard, eat meat hard—wouldn’t trade such days even for immortality.

Luo Sheng walked over.

“Miss.” Hong Dou hurried forward. “Yesterday I saw Du Dalang grind a lot of beans—are we making tofu to eat today?”

Tofu was quite nice too, white and tender, made into tofu pudding, or pan-fried until golden on both sides and sprinkled with finely chopped green onions—delicious any way.

“I’ll go see how Xiu Gu’s preparations are coming along. You all give the tavern a thorough cleaning inside and out to dispel the bad luck.” After giving her instructions, Luo Sheng lifted her foot and entered the kitchen.

Being a tavern, the back kitchen space was extremely large.

Xiu Gu stood before the innermost counter, lost in thought.

“Xiu Gu.” Luo Sheng called out.

Xiu Yue hurriedly turned her head. Seeing it was Luo Sheng, somehow an uncontrollable sadness welled up in her heart, and her eyes suddenly reddened.

She lowered her gaze to hide it, curtsying slightly toward Luo Sheng: “Miss.”

“Come sit with me in the east room.” Luo Sheng dropped this sentence and turned to walk out.

Xiu Gu wiped the corners of her eyes and silently followed.

Hong Dou and the others were busy cleaning, paying no attention to this side.

Even if they noticed, it didn’t matter—the young miss could of course do whatever she pleased.

Entering the east room, Luo Sheng sat down, gesturing for Xiu Yue to sit as well.

Xiu Yue didn’t sit.

Luo Sheng didn’t insist either, saying directly: “Today when Xiu Gu saw the Crown Prince, you seemed somewhat flustered.”

She didn’t continue, waiting for Xiu Yue’s reaction.

From their encounter on the road to the capital to gradually revealing those things belonging to Princess Qingyang after entering the capital, until last night when she deliberately let Xiu Yue see her emerge from the wine cellar in black clothes—she didn’t believe that even now Xiu Yue wouldn’t willingly take the initiative to draw closer.

Some things were naturally meant to fall into place.

Sure enough, after Luo Sheng spoke these words, Xiu Yue’s whole body tensed, staring straight at her as she asked: “Last night when Prince Pingnan was attacked—was it related to you, Miss…”

“I did it.” Luo Sheng’s tone was calm as she picked up the teapot on the small table and casually poured herself a cup of tea.

“It was you, Miss—” Xiu Yue’s eyes widened, not knowing how to continue.

Luo Sheng took a sip of tea, completely unruffled: “It was me. I hid in a tree and shot an arrow at him. What a pity I didn’t kill him.”

“Why, why did you—” Xiu Yue unconsciously stepped forward twice.

Luo Sheng set down the teacup, meeting Xiu Yue’s gaze, and said softly: “Even now, do you still not have the answer in your heart?”

Xiu Yue’s whole body trembled, tears rapidly filling her eyes.

“Princess, Princess—” She took another step forward, staring at Luo Sheng in a daze. “Is it you?”

Luo Sheng stood up, grasping Xiu Yue’s unconsciously outstretched hand.

That hand was withered and rough, like an old woman’s.

But no one knew better than Luo Sheng that Xiu Yue was not yet thirty years old.

Standing mere inches from Xiu Yue, Luo Sheng said softly: “It’s me, Xiu Yue.”

She had dreamed for twelve years, transforming from the noble and extraordinary Princess Qingyang into the willful and unrestrained Miss Luo.

Wearing this borrowed skin, walking alone in this world.

Body in the mortal realm, heart in purgatory.

And now, she could finally acknowledge an old servant in her identity as Princess Qingyang.

She was Princess Qingyang, she was Father King and Mother Consort’s Luo’er.

Not Miss Luo.

“Princess!” Xiu Yue knelt before Luo Sheng, hugging her legs and weeping bitterly.

Luo Sheng didn’t move, allowing the other to vent her emotions.

After who knows how long, Xiu Yue’s crying finally stopped.

“Get up and talk.”

Xiu Yue climbed up, using a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her eyes. Once she had recovered, she asked Luo Sheng: “Princess, how did you—”

Luo Sheng composed her emotions, smiling indifferently: “Perhaps Heaven took pity and let me possess the body of Grand Commander Luo’s daughter and return to life.”

“Heaven has eyes, Heaven truly has eyes…” Xiu Yue said incoherently, her tears flowing more fiercely the more she wiped.

Luo Sheng raised her hand and patted Xiu Yue’s shoulder: “Stop crying. Tell me what’s going on with Xiao Qi.”

Xiu Yue suddenly snapped alert, looking at Luo Sheng with an agitated expression: “Princess, Xiao Qi is the young prince Bao’er!”

“Bao’er?” Luo Sheng stepped back, sitting down on the chair in a daze.

Regarding the possibility that Xiao Qi was Bao’er, she had actually considered it, but didn’t dare think too much.

When hopes are too high, the heartbreak often cuts deeper.

“According to the information I gathered, on that night twelve years ago, Bao’er was thrown to his death by Grand Commander Luo’s men…” Luo Sheng gripped the chair’s armrest tightly, biting her lip as she spoke.

“That definitely wasn’t Bao’er!” Xiu Yue wiped her eyes, crying and laughing at once.

Luo Sheng waited for her emotions to settle, then asked: “What exactly happened?”

Xiu Yue sank into her memories: “That night the prince’s manor was originally immersed in joy, when suddenly it was surrounded by many government soldiers… The manor guards fell one by one, and Yang Zhun carried the young prince as he charged outward—this servant saw it with her own eyes…”

She watched her fiancé accept the critical mission, carrying Bao’er who was still in swaddling clothes as he charged out.

He only looked at her from afar, unable to say even a single word before leaving like that.

Of course she didn’t blame him.

She only hated that she lacked even the strength to truss a chicken, unable to kill enemies and help him.

What her fiancé took away was the hope of Prince Zhennan’s manor.

Later she survived by chance, personally destroyed her own appearance, and her only thought in living was to find Yang Zhun, to find the young prince.

Listening to Xiu Yue recount all those details of that night she hadn’t known, Luo Sheng’s eyes gradually reddened.

So it seemed Xiao Qi was truly Bao’er, and the infant thrown to death that night must have been some poor soul used as a decoy to cover Bao’er’s escape.

Luo Sheng rejoiced that her younger brother still lived, yet pitied that innocent child.

And all these sins were bestowed by Prince Pingnan’s manor.

At this moment, Lin Teng, who had walked an unknown path countless times, suddenly stopped beside a large tree.