The moment the two men saw Luo Sheng, their expressions changed.

Luo Sheng noticed this and her heart stirred: “You recognize me?”

One man didn’t make a sound, while the other quickly denied: “Don’t recognize you.”

“Don’t recognize me?” Luo Sheng raised her eyebrows and took a step forward, looking down at the two men Shi Yi had thrown to the ground.

The instant these two had seen her, something was clearly off.

Both remained silent.

Luo Sheng sneered coldly: “If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine. Then just go directly with Lord Lin to the Ministry of Justice.”

Perhaps she was overthinking it—the two were simply surprised that it was Miss Luo who had disrupted their plans. Miss Luo was famous throughout the capital; countless people recognized this face.

This serial disappearance case was ultimately Lin Teng’s responsibility. There was no need for her to overstep her bounds.

Hearing Luo Sheng say this, Lin Teng said solemnly: “Please have Shi Yi help escort them.”

For such key figures, he wouldn’t let his guard down just to show off his capabilities. Right now, his subordinates had all gone to send the woman home. Even though these two had their hands bound, he had to guard against the possibility they might escape en route.

Seeing Shi Yi come over to grab them, one of the men shouted: “Wait!”

Shi Yi looked at Luo Sheng.

“You have something to say?”

The man’s expression changed several times. He glanced at Lin Teng and said: “We can only speak to Miss Luo alone.”

Luo Sheng pondered for a moment, then said to Lin Teng: “Lord Lin, how about I chat with them first.”

Lin Teng hesitated slightly, then reminded: “Then Miss Luo, please be careful.”

After Lin Teng withdrew, Shi Yan and Shi Yi together tied the two men securely to chairs before also withdrawing.

“All right, now there are no outsiders. Tell me about your backgrounds.”

The two men exchanged glances. One of them gritted his teeth and said: “Miss, you should quickly release us. We’re from the Jinlin Guard.”

“Jinlin Guard?” Luo Sheng’s expression changed abruptly.

She never would have expected that after all their surveillance and investigation, those they had caught were Commander Luo’s people.

After a long silence, Luo Sheng asked calmly: “Don’t tell me my father ordered you to do this?”

One man lowered his eyes and said: “We were only following orders.”

They hadn’t wanted to say anything either, but having fallen into Miss Luo’s hands, if this young mistress disregarded everything and sent them to the Ministry of Justice, it would be the Commander who would be in trouble.

Hearing these words, Luo Sheng’s heart sank.

Now that she regarded Commander Luo as her father, hearing that the recent serial disappearances were Commander Luo’s doing—it was hard to describe her current feelings.

Luo Sheng walked out.

Lin Teng was waiting in the courtyard, casually admiring the persimmon tree that had not yet sprouted. Hearing footsteps, he turned around.

“Has Miss Luo finished questioning them?”

Luo Sheng nodded lightly.

“Did Miss Luo learn anything?” Lin Teng asked this calmly, though internally he was not so calm.

The way those two men had acted made him inevitably suspect there was a connection between them and Miss Luo.

Thinking of how someone had borrowed the household registration records from Vice Minister Sun, and what connection they might have with Miss Luo, the answer was ready to emerge.

Lin Teng was unwilling to think this way, yet reason wouldn’t allow him to play dumb.

He couldn’t help wondering: if Miss Luo deceived him, what should he do?

If it were someone else, he could say without hesitation that he would handle it officially. But if it were Miss Luo—

Lin Teng secretly gritted his teeth: Naturally he would still handle it officially, except from then on he probably couldn’t be friends with Miss Luo anymore.

Perhaps Miss Luo would regard him as an enemy…

Thinking these thoughts, Lin Teng couldn’t ignore the bitterness welling up in his heart.

“I learned something.”

Lin Teng suddenly looked at the young woman who had spoken.

Luo Sheng lowered her eyes and said: “They said they’re from the Jinlin Guard.”

Even though he had harbored suspicions, hearing these words still changed Lin Teng’s expression.

What shocked him wasn’t the criminals’ identity, but Miss Luo’s honesty.

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “I’m also quite surprised. After all this investigation, it turns out the trail led to my own family.”

The smile at the corner of her lips was very faint—so faint it left Lin Teng somewhat at a loss: “Miss Luo, perhaps—”

Luo Sheng interrupted Lin Teng: “Please give me some time, Lord Lin. I want to ask my father about this.”

Lin Teng agreed almost without hesitation: “It would be good for Miss Luo to get clarity. Perhaps there’s some misunderstanding.”

Even if he had no friendship with Miss Luo, he still believed it most appropriate for Miss Luo to question Commander Luo.

Given Commander Luo’s status, it wasn’t impossible for him to forcefully continue investigating, but the resistance would be great.

Luo Sheng looked at Lin Teng and said earnestly: “Before I get to the bottom of this, I hope Lord Lin won’t alarm others first.”

Lin Teng nodded: “That’s natural. I’ll return to the offices first and await Miss Luo’s news.”

Luo Sheng saw Lin Teng off, then sent someone to the Jinlin Guard offices to invite Commander Luo.

Receiving the message, Commander Luo was delighted.

It was almost noon—Sheng’er inviting him to the tavern at this time, could she be planning to provide a meal?

Commander Luo went happily to You Jian Tavern.

In the main hall were only the female proprietress and Hong Dou, who was propping her chin and dozing.

Hearing the proprietress greet Commander Luo, Hong Dou jumped up abruptly: “Commander, the young miss asks you to go to the back.”

Commander Luo didn’t think much of it and followed Hong Dou to the back.

“Is Sheng’er inside? Why not sit in the main hall—” Commander Luo walked into the main room, saw the two people bound to chairs with their mouths gagged, and his words cut off abruptly.

Luo Sheng walked out from the west room, gazing quietly at Commander Luo.

Commander Luo pointed at the two men in shock: “Sheng’er, what’s going on here?”

“Father, let’s talk inside.”

The west room was furnished like a study, spacious and bright.

Commander Luo casually picked a chair to sit in and asked urgently: “Sheng’er, did these two provoke you somehow?”

Until this moment, Commander Luo hadn’t thought in any other direction at all. He only assumed the two had unluckily run into his daughter.

Luo Sheng was silent for a moment, then said flatly: “They didn’t provoke me, but they abducted a woman in broad daylight, and I happened to encounter it.”

Commander Luo’s expression changed instantly: “Those two rascals, truly lawless—”

“Father, they said you arranged it.”

“Nonsense!” Commander Luo blurted out. Meeting Luo Sheng’s calm, darkly tranquil gaze, he suddenly couldn’t continue.

If Sheng’er knew he was lying without batting an eye, how would she view him?

Luo Sheng pressed her lips together and said directly: “Lin Teng from the Ministry of Justice has been investigating a serial disappearance case recently. The women who have disappeared so far are all connected to you, aren’t they, Father?”

Since she planned to lay everything out in the open, she didn’t want to give Commander Luo a chance to cover up or justify. If she did, it would only make things more awkward for Commander Luo in the end.

“Sheng’er—” Commander Luo opened his mouth to speak, but didn’t know what to say.

Should he admit to his daughter that he had ordered people to harm young women?

At this moment, a voice came from outside the door: “Miss, the food is ready.”

“Bring it in.”

The door curtain lifted. Kou’er walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming noodles with fried sauce, a plate of crispy fried pork, and a pot of wine.

Luo Sheng picked up the wine pot, poured a cup, and handed it to Commander Luo. Pressing her lips together, she asked: “Can Father tell me the reason for doing this?”