Without that layer of thin veil, the gazes falling on her face seemed even more scorching.

Luo Ying was very unaccustomed to being the focus of attention, whether bad or good.

She preferred sitting under the cherry tree in Binfen Courtyard, quietly embroidering her wedding dress.

But there are always times when one must try to accept or bear things one doesn’t like.

Perhaps for oneself, or perhaps for others.

“Miss—” Lu’e looked worried.

Luo Ying took out the letter from her bosom and raised her hand: “Madam Tao, this is the letter your son sent asking me to meet. If you say it was improper for me to come out to see your son, I accept that. But you are a literate person—who sought out whom is perfectly clear from this letter.”

Her voice rose slightly, each word distinct: “You’re trying to pin the blame on me, but I cannot accept it, because you’re not just accusing me alone but also my family. I have no great abilities. Facing an engagement of several years suddenly being broken, I can only accept it silently. But I am the eldest miss of the Luo residence. My father is a First Rank Left Grand Marshal and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. His daughter can die, but absolutely will not become anyone’s concubine!”

Hearing the pale-faced young lady’s forceful words, the crowd suddenly fell quiet.

In this silence, Madam Tao reached out to take the letter.

Beneath her barely calm exterior was a heart full of shocked fury and mortification.

In her impression, this eldest miss of the Luo residence was fairly honest. She hadn’t expected her to speak such words in full view of everyone.

Most infuriating of all, she actually carried this letter with her!

A hand faster than Madam Tao’s snatched the letter away.

It was an extremely beautiful hand.

Slender, fair, and powerful.

Madam Tao looked at the owner of that hand in astonishment.

Luo Sheng held the letter and smiled: “Although Madam Tao is literate, what if after reading the letter, she ate it?”

“You—”

“Don’t feel wronged. When your son can brazenly ask my eldest sister to be his concubine, don’t blame others for thinking the worst of you.” Luo Sheng ruthlessly blocked Madam Tao’s words, then held up the letter and asked the crowd of onlookers: “Are there any literate people here? Would someone kindly look at this letter?”

She didn’t need to read the letter to know it wouldn’t contain anything too excessive.

Young Master Tao was that type of person—presenting himself as a refined gentleman but actually the most hypocritical and incompetent.

“Here!” Shouts rose one after another, eager and loud.

My heavens, watching the excitement and even getting to participate—this, this was such a rare opportunity!

“I’ll help Miss Luo look at it.”

“Let me!”

Luo Sheng handed the letter to a scholar-dressed person and smiled to pacify the eager enthusiastic people: “Don’t worry, there will be another chance.”

The crowd felt these words were a bit strange but didn’t think much of it, their attention entirely focused on the letter.

The scholar read the letter aloud in a clear voice.

Just as Luo Sheng had predicted, the letter contained only a few sparse words. Besides regret over the broken engagement, it simply asked Luo Ying to meet at the teahouse, saying there was a matter to discuss.

Luo Sheng looked toward Madam Tao: “Did Madam Tao hear? Who sought out whom is now perfectly clear, isn’t it?”

Madam Tao’s face was deathly pale, mortified beyond measure. Yet unwilling to have her dignity trampled underfoot by the other party, she sneered: “My son is someone who values relationships and righteousness. Fearing Miss Luo might do something desperate, he wanted to comfort her in person. On the contrary, Miss Luo, as a young lady, immediately came out when the male party whose engagement was already broken sent an invitation to meet. I’m afraid this doesn’t accord with the status of a noble lady from a high family, does it?”

Luo Ying’s face grew even paler.

But Luo Sheng smiled indifferently: “Madam Tao probably doesn’t understand—my eldest sister is also someone who values relationships and righteousness. Your son worried he wasn’t worthy of my eldest sister and broke off the engagement. When my eldest sister received his letter, she feared that as a man he might become dispirited, so she kindly agreed to meet him.”

As soon as these words came out, the onlookers immediately caught an unusual scent.

The Tao and Luo families’ broken engagement—was there another version?

Ignoring Madam Tao’s ghastly expression, Luo Sheng smiled and took out the written statement Madam Tao had personally written, waving it and asking the crowd: “Is there anyone else willing to help take a look?”

The crowd grew excited.

There was actually another letter!

So this was what Miss Luo meant earlier when she said there would be another chance!

In the end, a middle-aged man stood out and received the opportunity to read the statement.

To live up to such good fortune, the middle-aged man’s voice was tremendously loud.

After the letter was read, the crowd’s gazes toward the Tao couple kept changing.

Madam Tao was mortified to the extreme and said angrily: “Miss Luo, don’t push people too far—”

“It’s the Tao residence pushing people too far! Your family broke the engagement, your family ran to find my eldest sister again, and until now haven’t even offered an apology. Yet you speak so righteously and press aggressively—is this perhaps your honorable residence’s family tradition?”

Minister Tao restrained Madam Tao and cupped his hands toward Luo Sheng: “After breaking the engagement and then disturbing your sister again—this was indeed my unworthy son’s fault. I apologize to your honorable residence.”

Luo Sheng frowned: “Minister Tao’s apology is just lip service? I don’t feel much sincerity.”

“What does Miss Luo intend?”

Luo Sheng smiled: “Minister Tao questions me in return, which makes me feel even less sincerity.”

Minister Tao inwardly cursed that women were difficult to deal with and said with forbearance: “I’ll immediately have someone prepare a thousand taels of silver as a token of apology.”

“A thousand taels?” Hong Dou exclaimed: “This, this isn’t even enough for a filling meal at the tavern our miss owns.”

“Hong Dou.” Luo Sheng chided the little maid and smiled apologetically at Minister Tao: “This maid has been spoiled by me and speaks without restraint. Although a thousand taels is a bit little, the Luo residence values the sincerity of the apology.”

Minister Tao was furious.

Having already lost so much in betrothal gifts, it was already breaking the Tao residence’s back. This thousand taels was adding frost to snow.

However, with so many people watching, the sooner this ended, the better.

Soon banknotes in a red box were prepared.

Hong Dou took them with pursed lips: “Such a small amount of money still deserves being put in a box, tsk tsk…”

Minister Tao swallowed his anger and said with a stern face: “Miss Luo, I have already apologized on behalf of the Tao residence. Can we now discuss the matter of injuring my son?”

“There’s nothing to discuss about that, is there?” Luo Sheng looked impatient.

Minister Tao said coldly: “My son spoke some inappropriate words. If Miss Luo wanted him to apologize, that would have been fine—why did you strike him? My son also has an official title. Miss Luo acting so recklessly—do you have any regard for propriety and law?”

Luo Ying looked at Luo Sheng with hidden worry, her heart full of self-reproach.

If she hadn’t privately gone out to meet him, none of this would have happened. After all was said and done, this disaster was one she had caused.

Luo Sheng sighed: “Minister Tao is indeed worthy of being someone who navigates official circles—you’re much better at speaking than Madam Tao. But one thing must be made clear: our Luo residence’s people did not strike your son.”

Madam Tao pointed at Young Master Tao’s pig-head face and questioned furiously: “You didn’t strike him, so why does my son look like this?”

A voice rang out: “I’m the one who struck him.”

Countless people looked left and right. Not until Shi Yan actively stepped forward did they discover this young man who had been submerged in the sea of people all along.

“Who are you? Why did you injure my son?”

Shi Yan’s face was serious: “I am a guard of Prince Kaiyang. My master taught us that when we see injustice on the road, we should draw our swords to help.”