The afternoon winter sun fell upon people with a faint warmth, soothing their moods.

Luo Sheng walked forward with lightly upturned lip corners and brisk steps.

Ahead, beneath a bare tree that had shed all its leaves, stood a person.

Luo Sheng involuntarily slowed her pace, looking at the other party with surprise.

Wei Han strode over.

Luo Sheng instinctively looked back over her shoulder.

The Jinlin Guard offices stood not far away—she could still see the bailiffs at the entrance craning their necks to look this way.

“Has the Prince come to the Jinlin Guard on business?”

Wei Han smiled: “Seeing there’s still time before the wine house opens, I’m just taking a walk. Is Miss Luo returning to the wine house?”

Luo Sheng nodded slightly, her eyes carrying doubt.

Just taking a walk, and he walked to the Jinlin Guard?

One should know that even when people needed to pass by the Jinlin Guard offices, they took detours.

Wei Han looked at the young woman with her complex expression and curved the corners of his lips.

Luo Sheng walked forward unhurriedly and suddenly asked: “How did the Prince know I came here?”

After a moment, she heard Wei Han say: “Today is the day the Prince of Pingnan’s family was dealt with. I guessed Miss Luo might come to watch the spectacle.”

Luo Sheng stopped in her tracks, silently looking at the man beside her.

Wei Han, not understanding why, also gazed at her quietly.

A sparrow flew onto a branch, trampling down a leaf barely clinging there. The solitary yellow leaf, caught by the wind, drifted past the two of them.

Luo Sheng’s tone was flat as she asked: “To the Prince, is it also just a spectacle?”

She had thought this question would be difficult for him to answer, but unexpectedly he quickly gave his response: “I am the same as Miss Luo.”

Luo Sheng lowered her eyelids slightly, her mood momentarily rather complex.

The same?

Even if they were the same now, once Prince Kaiyang perceived she harbored hostility toward Emperor Yong’an, they would ultimately be different, wouldn’t they?

Wei Han silently watched her, somewhat puzzled.

Clearly Miss Luo had seemed in decent spirits when emerging from the Jinlin Guard offices—had his coming to meet Miss Luo displeased her?

Wei Han puzzled over this when suddenly inspiration struck: Could it be she feared Grand Governor Luo would see and cause trouble?

Thinking this, he looked back.

Grand Governor Luo stood at the office entrance, expressionlessly watching in their direction.

Wei Han instinctively adopted a serious expression and nodded remotely toward Grand Governor Luo before turning his head back.

Grand Governor Luo was outraged.

Right in front of him, the father, brazenly strolling with his daughter like this—did he even put him in his eyes anymore!

With this kind of person, could he expect future filial piety toward his father-in-law? When this brat came to propose marriage, he’d be the first to refuse!

Thinking of this, Grand Governor Luo grew even angrier.

The damned brat should come propose! Instead of walking the proper path, he insisted on crooked shortcuts—was he afraid of being accepted or what?

Grand Governor Luo angrily circled at the office entrance, ignoring the bailiffs’ carefully hidden gossiping eyes, and entered with a stern face.

On Qingxing Street people came and went, prosperity unchanged, without any alteration due to the Prince of Pingnan estate’s collapse.

Luo Sheng slowed her pace, feeling this tangible liveliness.

This atmosphere of daily life brought her peace of mind.

The blue wine banner fluttered in the wind—the Youjian Wine House had been reached before she knew it.

Wei Han suddenly spoke: “Would Miss Luo like to browse around?”

Besides teahouses and wine shops on Qingxing Street, there were also rouge shops, clothing workshops, and treasure pavilions that women enjoyed visiting, yet he had never seen Miss Luo go to them.

As expected, she heard the young woman beside him refuse: “No need. I lack nothing.”

She turned her head, smiling as she asked: “Would the Prince like to drink a cup?”

Wei Han was startled, then quickly nodded.

The two entered the wine house side by side.

In the wine house, only the proprietress was working an abacus tallying accounts. The aroma of meat drifted faintly from the kitchen in back.

Wei Han sniffed and guessed: “Is it braised meat?”

Luo Sheng was very familiar with the aromas produced by various ingredients and nodded: “It’s braised meat. Should be ready soon.”

Shi Yan walked from the back into the main hall, strode over to a window-side table and wiped the table and chairs with a clean cloth, calling out: “Master, Miss Luo, please sit!”

How did they come in together? The master rarely gave someone such a pleasant surprise.

“Where are Hong Dou and the others?” Luo Sheng sat down and asked casually.

“All guarding the braised meat.” Just saying this, Shi Yan’s mouth began to water.

He had watched Xiu Gu’s braised meat process from start to finish—it was simply mouthwatering.

The braising liquid simmered slowly over low heat, fragrant and aromatic, then poured into a large ceramic jar containing chunks of pork belly for careful cooking.

The pork belly had alternating layers of fat and lean, thin skin and tender meat. After braising, cut into large thin slices, take a drink of spirits, eat a bite of braised meat—he could eat a whole pot!

“Is it ready?”

Wei Han asked a second time before Shi Yan came back to himself, nodding vigorously: “Almost ready, please wait!”

The young guard ducked into the back and before long came out carrying a tray. Reaching them, he set down the items from the tray one by one.

First was a wine pot, then a long white porcelain plate. The still-steaming braised meat was arranged on the long plate.

Just as Shi Yan had imagined, the pork belly braised to golden perfection was cut into uniformly thin large slices and overlapped on the white porcelain plate, drizzled with a little soy sauce and topped with verdant green scallions, the aroma unceremoniously assaulting people’s noses.

Then came several refreshing side dishes to cut the grease, and a small dish of fried peanuts.

Luo Sheng wasn’t actually very hungry—after all, she had just eaten lunch not long ago and had seen Wei Qiang off.

“Has the Prince eaten lunch?”

Wei Han, looking at the excellent-looking braised meat with great appetite, should by rights claim he hadn’t eaten yet, but lying to his beloved was clearly not a good habit, so he answered honestly: “I’ve eaten.”

Fearing Luo Sheng would misunderstand, he hastily added: “But I can still eat.”

Luo Sheng fell silent.

Actually, she didn’t mind if someone concealed their bottomless pit nature a bit—no need to be quite so sincere.

Inexplicably, the somewhat complex mood from the journey became simple.

Prince Kaiyang was just such a simple person—why should she overthink it?

One table, one wine pot, two people.

In the future they might turn against each other, become adversaries. Let her quietly and extravagantly enjoy this moment of tranquility.

Luo Sheng picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for the person opposite, then poured one for herself.

A large hand reached over and grasped her hand.

Luo Sheng started, the hand holding the wine pot trembling slightly.

Her heartbeat disrupted for an instant, she calmly asked: “What does the Prince intend?”

Wei Han frowned at her wrist and asked seriously: “What happened here?”

Luo Sheng lowered her eyes, looking toward the wrist exposed after her wide sleeve slipped down.

Her wrist was white as frost and snow, making the bluish mark especially obvious.

It was the bruise Wei Qiang had left when grabbing her.

Luo Sheng pressed her lips together without answering.

The Prince of Pingnan’s family had received retribution today—her mood was very good, yet joy mixed with sorrow.

This desolation was naturally not for the Prince of Pingnan’s estate, but for her former family.

Revenge taken, anger vented—yet the deceased relatives could never return.

At this moment, better to drink more than talk more.

“Was it Wei Qiang?” Wei Han looked at Luo Sheng and asked.

Luo Sheng withdrew her hand and lifted her wine cup: “Please drink, Prince.”