Shi Yan rushed back to Prince Kaiyang’s residence to report: “Master, it’s not just a rumor at all. Miss Luo really did bring back a male attendant. This humble servant even knows his name—he’s called Lingxiao…”

Wei Han listened expressionlessly.

“Master?” Seeing Wei Han had no reaction, Shi Yan called out.

Wei Han glanced at him indifferently: “Is there anything else?”

“No.”

“Then you can go back.”

Shi Yan’s expression grew agitated: “Master, this is such a major matter, you cannot be careless—”

Wei Han raised an eyebrow: “Should I have Shi Yi replace you?”

Shi Yan fled in a flash.

Wei Han rose and walked toward the garden.

In the garden, chrysanthemums of various colors were quietly blooming magnificently.

He had heard that another male attendant wanted to approach Miss Luo and had sent her chrysanthemums.

Thinking of those rumors he’d heard, Wei Han lowered his gaze to sweep across clusters of chrysanthemums.

The green peony variety was graceful and fresh, the ink chrysanthemum dignified and serene, and there was also the incomparably charming green dress with red skirt variety that made one reluctant to look away.

Those reluctant to look away naturally did not include Wei Han.

He walked to a cluster of vigorously blooming chrysanthemums, broke off a few branches, and left the garden.

Golden chrysanthemums—the most common variety, and the same kind he had given to Luo Sheng at this time last year.

Walking back with the chrysanthemums in his arms, Wei Han thought: If Miss Luo was dissatisfied with this gift and didn’t want to display it, at least it could still be made into chrysanthemum meat like last year.

After leaving the Princess’s residence, Luo Sheng returned to the Grand Governor’s residence for a brief rest, changed clothes, and hurried to the Youjian Tavern.

As for the male attendant she’d brought back, she naturally tossed him to keep Mingzhu company.

While wiping tables, Shi Yan would occasionally glance at Luo Sheng, only to be slapped by Hong Dou.

“Shi Sanhuo, why do you keep stealing glances at our mistress?”

“I—” Shi Yan had just opened his mouth when he saw Wei Han walk in.

Dressed in crimson robes, holding a bundle of yellow chrysanthemums, the bright colors made his cold-jade-like face appear even more pale and even more aloof.

Shi Yan nearly jumped up: “Master—”

Let him explain!

Wei Han walked past Shi Yan with unwavering gaze, heading toward the counter.

“Your Highness has arrived.” Luo Sheng greeted him with her usual indifference, her gaze sweeping over the golden chrysanthemums, the corner of her mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.

Was Prince Kaiyang planning to maintain the habit of sending her chrysanthemums every autumn?

Shi Yan was already covering his face in dismay.

When he left the prince’s residence, he’d had an ominous premonition but hadn’t remembered what it was. Now he recalled: the rumors also said that Princess Changle’s male attendant had sent Miss Luo chrysanthemums, which had essentially reminded his master.

But sending chrysanthemums was one thing—the variety he sent lost to that male attendant! That person had sent ink chrysanthemums!

So disappointing, so disappointing.

Shi Yan repeated this in his mind countless times until he saw Luo Sheng accept them, then he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Make them into chrysanthemum meat again?” Luo Sheng asked.

Wei Han hesitated, then tentatively suggested: “How about putting them in a vase to display instead? I see the counter is quite empty.”

The female shopkeeper leaning on the counter touched the iron abacus beside her hand, touched the tall stack of account books, then touched the silk flower by her temple.

With so many things here, where was it empty?

“Hong Dou, put the chrysanthemums in a vase.”

Hong Dou walked over and efficiently took the chrysanthemums.

Just then, cheers came from the back.

Wei Han looked at the bamboo-patterned blue cloth curtain that blocked the view and asked Luo Sheng: “Luo Chen didn’t go to the academy today?”

“He’s resting today, so he ran over to pick persimmons with Xiao Qi.”

Pick—per—sim—mons?

Wei Han’s brows furrowed.

He and Miss Luo had looked at that persimmon tree so many times, and today they were harvesting?

When he came to drink wine yesterday, Miss Luo hadn’t mentioned it to him at all.

Thinking this way, Wei Han couldn’t help but glance at Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng ignored someone’s aggrievement and smiled: “Since Your Highness has happened upon this, would you like to pick a persimmon to taste? That persimmon tree in the courtyard bears sweet persimmons that can be eaten directly.”

Wei Han nodded without hesitation.

Seeing the two go to the back courtyard, Hong Dou grabbed Shi Yan’s ear: “Shi Sanhuo, did you go tip someone off?”

Shi Yan felt guilty and grinned with a dry laugh: “It hurts, it hurts! Sister Hong Dou, please let go!”

Hong Dou glared: “As I suspected. Shi Sanhuo, you eat and drink well at the tavern every day, your work isn’t tiring, and at the slightest disturbance you run to tip someone off. Isn’t this eating from the inside while scraping for the outside, selling out your master for glory?”

The female shopkeeper stationed at the counter’s lips moved—she really wanted to remind that this wasn’t how to use that idiom—but seeing the little maid’s fierce appearance, she silently gave up.

Shi Sanhuo hurriedly begged for mercy: “I was wrong! I promise not to eat from the inside while scraping for the outside anymore. Sister Hong Dou, please let go quickly.”

Hong Dou snorted coldly and released her grip.

It was quite a while later before Shi Yan, who had been working hard wiping tables, reacted: How had he eaten from the inside while scraping for the outside? He was clearly his master’s man!

The courtyard was lively.

Xiao Qi stood on a stool on tiptoes picking persimmons. Fuxue happily received the persimmons and placed them in a bamboo basket. Though Luo Chen appeared cool and detached, the excitement in his eyes still betrayed his good mood at this moment.

Xu Xi wasn’t here—he had entered the guard unit for training some days ago.

Dabai lazily paced about, and when Fuxue cheered, it would cooperatively cackle twice.

“Brother Xiao Qi, pick that one! That one is really big!”

Wei Han looked at the persimmon fruit hanging on the branches, then at the already-full bamboo basket, and raised his eyebrows.

They’d picked quite a lot.

He strode over and leaped up to pluck the large persimmon from the branch.

“Amazing!” Fuxue’s eyes widened.

Xiao Qi looked at the height and was also full of admiration.

“Picking too many means you can’t finish eating them.” Wei Han said indifferently.

Fuxue smiled cheerfully: “No, Brother Xiao Qi said the persimmons we can’t finish eating can still be made into persimmon cakes.”

Wei Han: “…”

These boys wanted to pick all the persimmons from the tree to make into persimmon cakes?

Wei Han raised his hand to rub Fuxue’s head and said with complete seriousness: “In all things, moderation is key. Being greedy will stunt your growth.”

Fuxue’s eyes suddenly widened considerably. His first reaction was disbelief, but seeing the dignified prince’s expression so serious and earnest, he had no choice but to believe.

“Young Master Luo, Brother Xiao Qi, why don’t we go wash the persimmons?”

The three youths carried the persimmons toward the well.

Dabai fluttered up trying to snatch the persimmon from Wei Han’s hand but missed, and hurriedly cackled as it ran off.

Wei Han handed the persimmon to Luo Sheng: “Would Miss Luo like to taste it?”

Luo Sheng accepted the persimmon, wiped it with a handkerchief and handed it back: “Your Highness eat it. I can pick one whenever I want.”

Wei Han thanked her, bit into the persimmon, and the slight sourness accumulated in his heart seemed to be immediately dispersed by the persimmon’s sweetness.

“Miss—” Kou’er walked quickly through the back door. Seeing Wei Han, she first startled, then quickly returned to normal.

Prince Kaiyang coming to find the mistress was nothing unusual.

Kou’er walked up to Luo Sheng, wondering whether she should report in front of Prince Kaiyang, when she heard Wei Han say: “Miss Luo, I’ll go wash my hands.”

Withdrawing her gaze from the crimson-robed figure walking toward the well, Luo Sheng asked Kou’er: “Something happened outside?”

Kou’er nodded with some disbelief and said in a low voice: “Miss, word is spreading outside that the young county princess from Prince Pingnan’s residence has disappeared.”