The girl in blue dress appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. Based on her words and actions, Luo Sheng deduced she should be Fourth Miss Luo Yue.

The Luo estate had a total of four young ladies. Eldest Miss Luo Ying, Second Miss Luo Qing, and Fourth Miss Luo Yue were all concubine-born daughters, with only Luo Sheng being legitimate-born.

Before Luo Sheng could speak, Hong Dou erupted with the amazing presence of a senior maid. Her willow-leaf brows shot up as she sneered coldly: “When the tiger’s away from the mountain, the monkey calls himself king. Our Miss has only been away for a few days, yet someone already dares to glare at her with such hostility. Fourth Miss, are you trying to ascend to heaven?”

Luo Yue’s pretty face flushed bright red. Meeting Luo Sheng’s calm gaze, she instinctively wanted to hide, but ultimately glared back defiantly: “I’m not afraid of you. Do you think it’s still like before—”

“Fourth Sister, stop making trouble—” Two young ladies rushed over and grabbed Luo Yue’s arms from left and right.

The tall girl in purple dress looked anxious and gave Luo Sheng an apologetic smile: “Third Sister, Fourth Sister is upset seeing Father in this state. Please don’t hold it against her.”

The other girl, slender in green dress, said gently to Luo Yue: “Fourth Sister, you should apologize to Third Sister.”

Luo Sheng pressed her lips together and remained silent throughout.

She knew nothing about the Luo estate—it was better to listen to others say more.

Just like now, Luo Ying and Luo Qing seemed polite and courteous to her, but in reality they were genuinely protecting Fourth Miss Luo Yue.

This wasn’t strange. From Hong Dou, it wasn’t hard to learn that Miss Luo had often lorded it over her sisters in the past.

Because of this, although the three sisters weren’t born of the same concubine, they were united together like a twisted rope, loving and harmonious.

“Eldest Sister, Second Sister, why are you still being so meek and submissive before her?” Luo Yue pointed at Luo Sheng, quite emotionally agitated.

Perhaps the outbreak after long suppression gave her the reckless ruthlessness of one who has nothing left to lose. Luo Ying and Luo Qing simply couldn’t drag away the emotionally out-of-control Luo Yue, and could only listen in trepidation as she denounced Luo Sheng in an endless torrent.

“Do you think you’re still the heaven’s favored daughter who could do whatever she pleased? Wake up! If Father doesn’t make it, you’ll be nothing just like us. Not only that, those you’ve bullied in the past will definitely come to settle accounts with you, trample you into mud, and who knows—they might even drag down the Luo estate with you…”

Luo Sheng walked step by step before Luo Yue and raised her hand.

Luo Yue instinctively retreated half a step, then her face reddened with anger at her own conditioned reflex of cowardice.

Luo Ying had already reached out to block: “Third Sister, calm down—”

Luo Sheng’s raised hand moved down to pat Luo Ying’s arm. As she stood there stunned, Luo Sheng pointed at Luo Yue’s front and said indifferently: “Tie your sash properly before speaking.”

Luo Yue suddenly looked down and discovered that one of her sashes had come loose.

Only then did she remember that when she’d heard in her room that Luo Sheng had returned, she was shocked and alarmed. She’d hastily grabbed the outer robe draped over the screen, thrown it on, and rushed out.

This sash must have come undone while running, or perhaps she’d forgotten to tie it altogether…

Under everyone’s gaze, Luo Yue’s ears turned red with shame, and her momentum for denouncing Luo Sheng had long since vanished without a trace.

The scene quieted down at once due to Luo Sheng’s casual remark.

Luo Sheng waited for Luo Yue to frantically straighten her clothing before saying unhurriedly: “Now, can you explain how Father being ambushed and lying in bed has anything to do with me?”

Seeing Luo Yue’s eyebrows shoot up as if to rage again, Luo Sheng frowned: “If cursing people could solve problems, would it be your turn to curse?”

This one sentence choked Luo Yue so she forgot what she wanted to curse.

Luo Sheng looked toward the girl in purple dress: “Since Fourth Sister is so unreasonable, Eldest Sister, please explain.”

Luo Yue was so annoyed her eyes widened.

She was unreasonable? Where did Luo Sheng—who couldn’t resist flirting whenever she saw a handsome man—get the face to say such things?

Meanwhile, Luo Ying and Luo Qing exchanged glances, both feeling something was odd.

Third Sister seemed a bit different.

“Eldest Sister?”

Luo Ying came back to her senses and forced a smile at Luo Sheng: “Third Sister, do you still remember Young Master Si?”

Luo Sheng nodded calmly: “Mm.”

Of course she remembered. This so-called Young Master Si was the male favorite Miss Luo had seized from the street.

Hatred flashed in Luo Ying’s eyes, and her tone unconsciously turned cold: “The person who wounded Father was him!”

Luo Sheng fell silent.

She’d known that a young lady who liked keeping male favorites could cause trouble, but she hadn’t expected it could be this much trouble!

Of course, anyone in this world could condemn Miss Luo—except her.

This body belonged to Miss Luo. Just for that alone, she could never repay this debt.

After a moment of silence, Luo Sheng turned around: “I’ll go see Father first.”

Luo Yue bit her lip at Luo Sheng’s retreating back: “Eldest Sister, Second Sister, look—even she knows she has no face to speak…”

“Enough, Fourth Sister, say less. Third Sister has already gone in to see Father, let’s go too.” Luo Ying patted Luo Yue’s arm and pulled her inside.

The row of concubines standing in the corridor all stepped aside, allowing Luo Sheng to push open the door and enter.

After Luo Ying and the others also went inside, the group of concubines naturally turned their gazes toward Sheng Sanlang.

Sheng Sanlang had never witnessed a scene where a returning young lady from a prominent family was first greeted by another young lady with a thorough scolding. He still hadn’t recovered from the shock, and had even forgotten he should follow Luo Sheng inside to see his uncle-in-law.

The youth, having forgotten his proper business, felt pressure like a mountain under the scrutiny of a group of women, and unconsciously revealed an embarrassed smile.

This smile immediately broke the concubines’ silence.

“Heavens, is this a male favorite Miss brought back?”

“That can’t be right. Didn’t the Master send Miss to her maternal family? I heard the Sheng family of Jinsha is a scholarly family—would they allow Miss to keep male favorites?”

A concubine in lilac-colored jacket waved her handkerchief and said with a tone of revealing the truth: “Why couldn’t they? Even our Master couldn’t control Miss keeping male favorites—could the Sheng family control her?”

The concubines thought about it and nodded in unison: “Sixth Sister, what you say makes sense!”

Sheng Sanlang had good hearing, and even with average hearing, he couldn’t possibly miss a group of women discussing him like this.

A male favorite brought back? Were they talking about him?

Glancing at Xiu Yue who had no presence whatsoever, Sheng Sanlang felt he hadn’t misunderstood.

They were definitely talking about him—surely not about Xiu Gu!

What sense! What nonsense!

This concerned his reputation. Sheng Sanlang could no longer remain silent and coughed heavily to stop the women’s discussion.

“I am Luo Sheng’s third maternal cousin. Ladies, please make way—I’m going in to see my uncle-in-law.”

The concubines silently cleared a path. Watching Sheng Sanlang enter the door, they quickly exchanged glances with each other.

One concubine lowered her voice: “Who would have thought Miss could bring even her cousin home without name or status…”

Hearing every word clearly, Sheng Sanlang stumbled and nearly fell.

He’d only sent his cousin to the capital for a bite of food—he hadn’t expected to lose his reputation too! At the very least, it shouldn’t be without name or status!

Compared to the commotion outside, the room had fallen into suffocating silence.

Luo Sheng stared directly at the middle-aged man lying on the bed, her heart growing cold.

This face—she had seen it before.