Shi Fa Ken felt somewhat dejected. This entire affair was shrouded in strangeness from beginning to end. While the Zhu family was indeed a good match for marriage, given their previous fickleness and the fact that Miss Zhu was indeed shy to an unusual degree, she couldn’t help but feel that this affection had come about in a most inexplicable and intense manner…

If she couldn’t see Zhu Yanyan, she would rather have Lu Chi continue to remain unsold in her hands than irresponsibly arrange a match like this. This concerned a matchmaker’s dignity and professional ethics – she couldn’t act carelessly!

Having reached this point in their conversation, the atmosphere grew tense again. Just when Shi Fa Ken thought she would once again return empty-handed, a woman with a kind countenance suddenly entered.

Upon seeing the woman, Madam Zhu’s brow furrowed, and she stood up nervously, “Is there something wrong with Miss?”

“Please be at ease, Madam. Miss ate half a bowl of bird’s nest porridge this morning and is in good spirits now,” the woman said, glancing at Shi Fa Ken who sat to one side. “Miss says she wishes to meet this matchmaker.”

Madam Zhu was stunned, her expression seeming both sad and joyful, “Yanyan truly said this?”

“Yes.”

Madam Zhu nodded and looked toward Shi Fa Ken, “This is the first time my daughter has voluntarily wanted to meet a stranger in all these years. You…”

“Please be assured, Madam. I will choose my words carefully and won’t frighten Miss Zhu,” Shi Fa Ken said aloud, though in her heart she felt that this Madam Zhu clearly treated her daughter like a glass figurine, as if she would shatter at the slightest touch…

Madam Zhu slowly exhaled, “Thank you.”

The woman introduced herself as Miss Zhu’s wet nurse. Shi Fa Ken followed her through layer upon layer of courtyards until they entered the boudoir of the Zhu family’s eldest daughter.

Miss Zhu lay half-reclined on the bed, pale and gaunt. Her eyelids were slightly closed, and a maid beside her was reading to her in soft, gentle tones.

Hearing footsteps, Miss Zhu opened her eyes, “Wet nurse?”

Her voice was light and soft, with a feeling of lacking strength.

The woman led Shi Fa Ken forward, speaking to the girl on the bed with loving care and in a softened voice: “Miss, this is the matchmaker Madam requested.”

Upon hearing this, Miss Zhu looked toward Shi Fa Ken and smiled at her somewhat awkwardly, saying softly: “Are you the matchmaker my mother requested?”

Shi Fa Ken’s impression of the Zhu family’s eldest daughter was still of that day when she stood among flowers, beautiful as a porcelain doll. However, the Miss Zhu before her eyes looked extremely pale and had grown so thin that her features seemed somewhat altered.

“Yes.” Shi Fa Ken also replied softly.

“I apologize that I don’t currently have the strength to get up from bed. I hope you’ll forgive the discourtesy,” Miss Zhu said in gentle tones. Though shy, her manner was very tender. “If you don’t mind, please sit on the edge of the bed so we can speak more easily.”

Facing such a delicate and frail young lady, it was difficult not to feel pity. Shi Fa Ken sat down beside her bed as requested.

“I didn’t expect you to appear about the same age as me. I originally thought matchmakers were all married women…” Miss Zhu said bashfully, then felt her words might not be proper. Her eyes showed slight panic as she explained: “Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“No harm done. I’m called Shi Fa Ken,” Shi Fa Ken smiled slightly.

It was clear that this Miss Zhu truly rarely saw strangers and was genuinely afraid of meeting them. At this moment, she was clearly making every effort to suppress her rejection and fear of strangers, treating her with the greatest kindness.

Such a young lady – no wonder Madam Zhu treated her with such careful attention.

“‘How does one cut wood? Without an axe it cannot be done. How does one take a wife? Without a matchmaker it cannot be achieved,'” Miss Zhu softly recited. “Is this from the Book of Songs?”

“Miss Zhu is truly clever,” Shi Fa Ken praised her. “When my mother was pregnant with me, she had just been promoted to official matchmaker, so she gave me this name. Don’t you think that just hearing my name, one would know I was destined to be a matchmaker?”

Miss Zhu blushed slightly from the praise, then was amused by her words.

“Then… may I call you Miss Shi?” she asked delicately.

Shi Fa Ken was rarely called “Miss” by anyone and wasn’t quite accustomed to such an address. “Just call me A’Ke.”

Miss Zhu said somewhat shyly in a soft voice: “Then A’Ke… you can call me Yanyan.”

The friendship between young ladies was thus wonderfully formed. Zhu Yanyan immediately felt full of goodwill toward this girl before her who seemed like a little sun, capable of making people feel warm.

…In fact, even before meeting Shi Fa Ken, Zhu Yanyan had been full of goodwill toward her.

Otherwise, the Zhu family’s invitation for matchmaking services wouldn’t have been sent to Shi Fa Ken’s hands.

The wet nurse, who had been standing nearby serving, saw this scene and quietly wiped her eyes, because ever since that incident eight years ago, Zhu Yanyan had been unwilling to see strangers, let alone engage in such friendly conversation… She was always like a frightened little deer, becoming panic-stricken at the slightest sound of wind or rustling grass.

“Yanyan,” Shi Fa Ken called her name accordingly.

Hearing Shi Fa Ken call her name, Zhu Yanyan seemed very happy, unable to help curving her lips. Her pale cheeks took on a light pink hue, yet she seemed extremely shy.

Shi Fa Ken had never seen such an easily embarrassed young lady and found it quite amusing, and moreover…

“You’re truly beautiful,” Shi Fa Ken couldn’t help but exclaim.

Just in terms of appearance alone, Zhu Yanyan and Lu Chi were extremely well-matched.

Zhu Yanyan didn’t seem accustomed to such direct praise, her face growing even redder. “You… you’re very beautiful too…” she said in a tiny voice.

Shi Fa Ken found it quite interesting that the two of them were mutually complimenting each other upon their first meeting, and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Zhu Yanyan was startled for a moment, then also smiled with pursed lips.

“Yanyan, Madam Zhu said you wanted to see me?” After laughing, Shi Fa Ken asked.

The smile on Zhu Yanyan’s face immediately disappeared, and a touch of light sorrow appeared on her pale, delicate face.

The wet nurse nearby saw this and looked at Shi Fa Ken with some disapproval, feeling that this young girl didn’t know how to read people’s expressions. Miss had been so happy for so long, and the atmosphere had been so good…

Shi Fa Ken noticed the wet nurse’s gaze and felt somewhat speechless, sensing that Zhu Yanyan’s current personality development… this wet nurse and Madam Zhu seemed to bear great responsibility.

Moreover, had they forgotten what she was mainly here to do?

“A’Ke, will you look down on me?” After a long while, Zhu Yanyan said softly.

Shi Fa Ken was startled, “How could I? Why would you ask such a thing?”

“I’m so immodest, disregarding my parents’ wishes and clamoring that I must marry Young Master Lu… even going so far as to harm my own body, making Mother worry about me…” Zhu Yanyan said with downcast eyes, beautiful eyes filling with a thin layer of mist.

Shi Fa Ken glanced at the wet nurse nearby who also seemed about to cry, and couldn’t help feeling a slight headache. She quickly said: “Of course not, but no matter what, you can’t treat your own body as a joke. You must first take care of your health before you can pursue other things, isn’t that right?”

Zhu Yanyan shed tears sadly, “I don’t want to be like this either… but I can’t control myself. Whenever I think of Young Master Lu being unwilling to marry me, I feel extremely distressed in my heart, unable to eat or sleep.”

She appeared to be in great pain.