Luo Sheng turned towards the main hall and overheard a conversation from a side door outside the hall.

“It’s just a matter of saying hello. Besides, my son only made a small mistake, he just wants to be reinstated to his original sixth-rank position, not to be the Minister of War. For you, the Crown Prince’s father-in-law, this shouldn’t be difficult.”

Luo Sheng stopped, vaguely feeling that the voice was familiar, but couldn’t remember where she had heard it.

But the request was exactly as her mother had said, to ask her father to plead for her cousin.

Inside the room, Luo Zhan also frowned, his heart uneasy, “It’s not a matter of difficulty…”

Luo Zhan didn’t know what he was thinking, remaining silent for a long time.

As time passed, this silence made Luo Sheng increasingly uneasy, the handkerchief twisted tightly in her fingers.

So her mother’s rebirth was true, it wasn’t her delusion, nor her guesswork in a dream.

It was all true.

Because of this, the Crown Prince, her sister, and the entire Luo family…

“Sister Shengsheng?”

Someone suddenly patted Luo Sheng on the shoulder. She was startled, clutching her chest and turning around, only to find it was Deng Miaoqin, her cousin.

Deng Miaoqin looked at her suspiciously, “You’re so scared, you wouldn’t be doing something wrong, would you?”

Luo Sheng recovered, “What wrong could I do in my own home?”

Deng Miaoqin glanced at the room. The adults were just chatting about boring things, there was nothing to eavesdrop on, “Are you peeking at someone?”

“Ah,” Deng Miaoqin covered her lips, “You wouldn’t be peeking at my brother, would you?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Luo Sheng was feeling upset and didn’t want to talk about this.

Deng Miaoqin heard Luo Sheng’s shy and coquettish voice, which was like the embarrassment of a girl’s secret being revealed, and she became even more certain, “Okay, I understand.”

Luo Sheng didn’t want to pay attention to her and turned to leave.

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Deng Miaoqin saw her leaving and followed her with a smile, “My brother is indeed handsome, many girls like him, it’s normal for you to like him.”

Luo Sheng didn’t respond, and Deng Miaoqin continued, “But, our family marries the legitimate, not the illegitimate. If you want to be the main wife, it’s probably difficult…”

“You’re thinking too far ahead,” Luo Sheng interrupted her, “I’m going back.”

“Are you angry?” Deng Miaoqin secretly glanced at Luo Sheng, “You should think positively. If my brother becomes prosperous in the future, being his concubine is also good, and you don’t have to manage the household.”

So annoying, Luo Sheng didn’t want to speak.

Deng Miaoqin continued to persuade her, “Choosing a good husband and becoming a concubine is a blessing.”

Luo Sheng looked at her, “What about you, have you chosen?”

“I’m a legitimate daughter,” Deng Miaoqin said matter-of-factly, “Naturally, it’s different from Sister Shengsheng. Even if I become a concubine, I have to find someone like the Crown Prince, who will be a noble concubine in the future. The Fifth Prince’s concubine is also good, a high-ranking official of the Crown Prince, and he’s ascetic, so his backyard must be clean.”

Luo Sheng became even more annoyed when she heard about the Fifth Prince. He’s not ascetic at all.

“By the way,” Deng Miaoqin affectionately linked arms with her, “Why wasn’t I invited to the blessing banquet in the Eastern Palace yesterday?”

Luo Sheng pulled her hand away, “I didn’t send the invitations.”

“Next time, remember to tell Sister to invite me.”

Luo Sheng moved her lips, wanting to refuse for Luo Xi, but didn’t know how to say it.

Since she was young, she learned to please people in the brothel to satisfy the guests’ needs, so she couldn’t say harsh words.

Every time she got angry, people thought she was acting coquettishly.

Luo Sheng sighed and simply stopped talking.

Anyway, she wouldn’t be invited next time.

A gentle voice came from ahead, “Shengsheng.”

Luo Sheng’s drooping face softened slightly when she saw the person, like she had seen a savior, “Elder brother.”

Unfortunately, Luo Qingyan was standing next to Deng Yu.

Luo Sheng’s steps, which were about to move forward, stopped.

“You’re just in time.” Deng Miaoqin called out to Deng Yu, “Brother, Sister Shengsheng was just looking for you.”

As soon as Deng Miaoqin said this, Deng Yu’s gaze shifted slightly, his eyes filled with a self-satisfied playfulness, “Is that so?”

“I wasn’t,” Luo Sheng saw her talking nonsense again, and her cheeks flushed with anxiety, “Don’t always talk nonsense.”

Luo Sheng vaguely noticed Deng Yu’s gaze sweeping over her, seemingly passing over her chest.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Oh no!

She hadn’t expected guests, she wasn’t wearing a corset!

“Okay, okay, I was talking nonsense.” Deng Miaoqin looked like she understood everything, making Luo Sheng seem even more evasive.

Luo Sheng pushed her away, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

Luo Sheng hid behind Luo Qingyan, and the usually gentle Luo Qingyan put on a serious face.

His voice was slightly low, “Shengsheng is not yet married, Cousin Miaoqin, since you are a guest in someone else’s house, you should understand the way of being a guest and not arbitrarily speculate and comment on the host. It’s very rude.”

Luo Sheng hid her figure, thinking that her elder brother was indeed cultured.

Deng Miaoqin’s face was a little embarrassed, “Oh, I was just joking, Cousin is too serious.”

Luo Qingyan said calmly, “The joke is quite uninteresting.”

Deng Miaoqin frowned and tugged at Deng Yu’s sleeve.

Deng Yu hadn’t been listening to their conversation, and when he suddenly met Luo Sheng’s aggrieved and soft gaze, he felt his bones go numb, “It’s all small matters, why get angry?”

Deng Yu bowed to their siblings, “I apologize on behalf of my sister, please don’t mind.”

Luo Sheng didn’t want to answer.

Apologize and apologize, where are your eyes looking?

He wasn’t sincerely apologizing.

Luo Qingyan didn’t accept such a perfunctory apology, “Your sister is young, if she hasn’t learned etiquette yet, she might as well learn it at home before coming out, otherwise, it’s not a good way to always embarrass Cousin Deng.”

“My father should be finished talking with Uncle. You guys go over there, I’ll send my sister back.” Luo Qingyan said, turning around to take Luo Sheng away from the corridor.

Deng Miaoqin stomped her foot angrily, “Brother, look at them!”

“I saw,” Deng Yu’s gaze finally retracted from the slender figure at the corner, “Why didn’t I notice before that Uncle’s house hides such a beauty.”

Deng Miaoqin was still angry, “What? It’s just an illegitimate daughter who doesn’t often go out. I just found out that she was peeking at you outside and wouldn’t admit it.”

“Peeking at me?” Deng Yu was interested, “Really?”

“I caught her red-handed.” Deng Miaoqin snorted, “I told her that she’s just an illegitimate daughter, she probably won’t be able to be our Deng family’s main wife, and she probably got angry.”

Deng Yu smiled knowingly, “So that’s how it is.”

He put his hands behind his back and narrowed his eyes.

This reminded him.

He couldn’t get close to his father-in-law’s cousin. Since this little cousin likes him, wouldn’t this be easier?

In the courtyard, Luo Sheng walked on the road, not paying much attention to the rudeness of the Deng siblings. She was lost in thought about what her mother said after her rebirth, when she suddenly felt something warm and fluffy fall on her.

Looking up, she saw Luo Qingyan’s amber eyes. His gentle gaze fell on her face, his body leaning slightly, naturally putting the cloak he had just taken off on her, “It’s still cold in early spring, Shengsheng should wear more clothes when you go out.”

Luo Sheng looked at him, “Isn’t elder brother cold?”

“Not cold.” Luo Qingyan’s slender and beautiful fingers helped her tie the rope, and he didn’t mention the unpleasantness again.

Luo Sheng’s mood improved. Wearing the large cloak also made up for her embarrassment of not wearing a corset.

But she was slow to react and didn’t notice that Luo Qingyan did it intentionally.

She really thought it was her brother who was afraid she was cold.

“The swing in the backyard is ready, do you want to go and see it?”

Luo Sheng saw that her brother’s clothes were thin and it wasn’t suitable to be outside in the wind, “Tomorrow. If elder brother isn’t busy today, you can come to my courtyard and sit for a while.”

“Just right, I bought you peach yogurt from Jufu Xuan this morning.”

“Really?” Luo Sheng’s eyes lit up. The peach yogurt from Jufu Xuan was the best in the capital. She only ate it once at her sister’s wedding last year and has been thinking about it ever since.

Unfortunately, it’s only available in spring, and it sells out every morning during that short season. It’s said that you have to get up very early to get it, “Wouldn’t elder brother have gotten up before dawn?”

Luo Qingyan’s voice was still gentle as water, “I happened to leave a book in the study, and I had to go back and get it this morning.”

He’s lying again, “Don’t lie to me, I know.”

Luo Qingyan smiled, “What do you know?”

Luo Sheng didn’t speak, but she knew they were all very good to her.

Too good.

It often made her feel unworthy.

Luo Sheng often wondered how she deserved their treatment.

She hadn’t done anything, and she couldn’t bring them any benefits.

Luo Sheng sighed, and Luo Qingyan interrupted, “What’s wrong? Is there anything you’re unhappy about? Tell elder brother.”

Luo Sheng sat in the courtyard pavilion, watching Han Shuang pour tea. Luo Qingyan was about to take the imperial examination, and the bizarre thing about her mother’s rebirth couldn’t be told to her brother at this time.

Luo Sheng asked, “Elder brother is home this time, is it to prepare for the exam?”

Luo Qingyan nodded, “There’s still a month left.”

Luo Sheng remembered her mother’s suspicion that Xiao Chuhuai’s plan might be far-reaching, and that when her brother took the imperial examination, he had already planned and laid the groundwork for problems, causing her brother to be expelled from the list of successful candidates. 

She anxiously held the teacup in her hand, “Elder brother will definitely succeed in the imperial examination.”