One day in April, Tongluo Town suddenly bustled with activity.

The Lu family’s betrothal gifts flowed like water into the Zhu residence, the grand procession and lavish presents leaving everyone speechless.

“So Scholar Lu’s family was this wealthy all along…”

“Then those rumors about him coveting the He family’s fortune and forcing marriage to the He family’s eldest daughter… were all lies?”

“Of course they were lies. Look, he can afford to marry the Zhu family’s young lady, and just look at this procession…”

In a street-facing private room on the second floor of Shengxing Restaurant, Shen Tongyun angrily smashed a teacup. “Using things from my family’s shop to put on airs, yet daring to parade around so ostentatiously—how shameless.”

He Ketian, sitting across from her, glanced at her upon hearing this. “Didn’t you say you convinced your mother to exchange the items?”

This topic made Shen Tongyun even angrier. “Who knew that after taking our things for free, they’d still dare to complain about the quality and run to my father to tattle, even causing my parents to fight!”

He Ketian’s eyes dimmed as she turned to look out the window at the stream of betrothal gifts flowing past. Her heart felt hollow—her Scholar Linyuan was getting married.

She had been the first to like him.

She had been the first to have marriage negotiations.

The Zhu family’s madam had already refused the match…

How unwilling she felt.

How had everything suddenly settled into place, becoming a foregone conclusion?

Even through the private room door, she could hear the whispered conversations outside, mocking the He family for overreaching and spreading rumors to slander Scholar Lu. He Ketian clenched her fists, feeling she could no longer stay.

She suddenly stood up. “Tongyun, I’m going back first.”

With that, she pushed the door open and left.

“Hey! You promised to keep me company!” Shen Tongyun stamped her foot.

He Ketian didn’t listen to her and had already gone downstairs, immediately regretting it.

Shengxing Restaurant was exceptionally lively today, probably because the Lu family’s betrothal procession happened to pass by. Everyone was sitting and watching the excitement. When they saw He Ketian come down from the second floor, everyone’s expressions became particularly subtle.

“Eh, that’s Miss He, isn’t it?”

“She used to bully Scholar Lu for being an outsider, saying he coveted the He family’s wealth and forced marriage. Look at today’s procession—does Scholar Lu look like he lacks money? And he’s marrying the Zhu family’s daughter, a proper young lady from a scholarly family…”

“Exactly, exactly. They misjudged him, didn’t they? Back then they despised him as a penniless scholar and broke off the engagement. Now they must be regretting it terribly…”

“Look at her expression—she looks like she’s about to cry.”

Whispers surrounded her from all sides. He Ketian’s face alternated between pale and flushed, feeling extremely humiliated.

“What are you all chattering about? Who said Scholar Lu is marrying the Zhu family’s young lady?” A familiar voice suddenly spoke up.

He Ketian turned around to see a smiling baby face—it was Shi Zhonghai, the third brother of Shi Fa Ke.

“But someone saw with their own eyes that the betrothal gifts came from Willow Lane,” someone retorted unconvinced.

“That’s right.” Shi Zhonghai walked behind He Ketian and stood firm, saying seriously, “But it’s not Scholar Lu who’s marrying the Zhu family’s eldest daughter.”

“Then who is it?” The one asking was He Ketian.

She turned around, staring at Shi Zhonghai expectantly.

Shi Zhonghai looked down at her. “Scholar Lu’s elder brother.”

He Ketian’s eyes immediately lit up.

Shi Zhonghai found it amusing. “Let’s go, I’ll escort you back.”

He Ketian looked around—this indeed wasn’t a place to linger, but she hesitated slightly. “I came with Miss Shen, and she’s still in the upstairs private room.”

Just then, someone walked through the entrance.

It was Shen Tongyun’s father, Shen Qing.

He looked around as if searching for someone. When he spotted Shi Zhonghai, his gaze paused slightly, and he nodded at him.

“Uncle Shen, Miss Shen is in the upstairs private room,” He Ketian hurried forward to say.

Shen Qing nodded his thanks, cupped his hands toward Shi Zhonghai, and went upstairs.

Shi Zhonghai looked at He Ketian. “Reassured now?”

He Ketian was startled, then nodded.

“Then let’s go. I’ll escort you back.”

More and more people were gathering around. He Ketian didn’t dare stay any longer and quickly agreed.

Shi Zhonghai protected He Ketian as they left Shengxing Restaurant. Due to the crowd, He Ketian was almost half-embraced by him. She instinctively looked up at him—that perpetually smiling baby face seemed particularly reliable.

“Third Brother Shi,” she called out.

It was very crowded and noisy all around. He Ketian thought he probably couldn’t hear her, but he suddenly looked down at her. “Hmm?”

“Thank you.” He Ketian smiled at him.

Shi Zhonghai squinted slightly.

Mm, indeed very sweet.

On the second floor of Shengxing Restaurant, Shen Qing found the private room where Shen Tongyun was and knocked on the door.

“Get lost!” came Shen Tongyun’s angry rebuke in response.

Shen Qing’s face immediately darkened, and he pushed the door open.

“Didn’t I tell you to get lost!” Shen Tongyun glared over furiously. After seeing who it was, she was momentarily stunned, then angrily turned her head away.

“What kind of behavior is this!” Shen Qing approached her with a dark expression.

Shen Tongyun laughed coldly, pointing at the stream of betrothal gifts flowing past below. “I’ve been sitting here for an hour, and the Lu family’s betrothal gifts still haven’t finished passing by. You’re so fond of that cinnabar mole in your heart that when her son gets married, you’d practically empty the entire shop!”

The crisp sound of a slap rang out. Shen Tongyun’s entire face was turned aside by the blow. She stared blankly at her father, who had always doted on her. “…You hit me?”

“Are you sober now?” Shen Qing looked at her with a dark expression.

“You actually hit me?! You’ve never laid a finger on me since I was little, and now you actually hit me?!” Shen Tongyun both cried and laughed. “So that Lu is actually your bastard son!”

Another slap.

Shen Tongyun was stunned by the blow, momentarily falling silent, only tears continuously rolling down her face.

“Let me tell you once more: Jinman Restaurant was never our family’s business. I, Shen Qing, am merely managing it on behalf of the owners—at most, I’m just a manager. Where do you get the face to act like the owner’s daughter? And to be so smugly satisfied in front of the real owners?” Shen Qing suppressed the reluctance in his heart and spoke sternly.

He had always spoiled his daughter. Though Qiniang appeared strict, she actually spoiled her even more than he did, as if trying to compensate for all the hardships she had suffered in her youth by lavishing everything on their daughter. She had insisted on teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and literature, forcibly molding her into an arrogant and willful young lady.

“Impossible. I don’t believe it.” Shen Tongyun said through gritted teeth.

“You see those things outside and feel heartbroken, feel like your possessions are being diminished?” Shen Qing pointed at the stream of betrothal gifts passing by, staring at her.

Shen Tongyun bit her lip and remained silent.

“Still stubbornly refusing to understand.” Shen Qing sighed, seeming to age several years in an instant. He looked at Shen Tongyun and said, “The grand procession of betrothal gifts you’re envying right now is just for show to outsiders.”

Shen Tongyun was startled, then her eyes flashed with both joy and suspicion.

Joy because these items were just being paraded around once and might ultimately return to Jinman Restaurant’s storage, suspicion because she didn’t know if her father’s words were trustworthy—after all, ever since the Lu family came to Tongluo Town, her father had seemed bewitched… But ultimately, both joy and suspicion turned into disdain.

Using things that weren’t one’s own to maintain face—how contemptible.

Shen Qing was such a shrewd man; how could he not see the changes in Shen Tongyun’s emotions? Precisely because he saw them, he was even more disappointed. He rubbed his face and laughed self-mockingly. “You think these betrothal gifts are substantial?”

“Aren’t they? This is the most lavish betrothal in Tongluo Town’s history. One shouldn’t be too greedy.” Shen Tongyun snorted, speaking as if she were in the right.

“Ha, of course not, because the real betrothal gifts have already been delivered to the Zhu family’s eldest daughter.” Shen Qing’s face showed a trace of mockery.

Shen Tongyun was stunned for a moment, suddenly feeling something was wrong. She stood up abruptly. “What are the real betrothal gifts?”

Her expression was already uneasy.

“Of course, the ownership of Jinman Restaurant.” Shen Qing looked at her and said flatly, “Now, Jinman Restaurant has been registered under the Zhu family’s eldest daughter’s name, and my time as manager has come to an end.”

Shen Tongyun’s face immediately turned ashen. “Father, you’ve gone too far!”

“Are you truly in disbelief, or unwilling to believe?” Shen Qing suddenly asked.

Shen Tongyun stiffened slightly.

“Jinman Restaurant was never mine, nor could it ever be yours. I was merely managing the finances on behalf of the owners, yet you acted as the owner in front of the real owners and treated the assets as your own. I no longer have the face to remain at Jinman Restaurant.” After saying this, Shen Qing turned to leave.

“Jinman Restaurant has been in the Shen family’s hands for over twenty years and is completely different from that unnoticed little shop it once was! Now they say they’re taking it back—how unreasonable!” Shen Tongyun’s tears suddenly fell as she screamed hoarsely at his retreating figure: “You value sentiment and loyalty, but where does that leave my mother! She’s been with you for over twenty years, only to end up being humiliated in our own home! Not only do you not seek justice for her, you even hand over Jinman Restaurant!”

Shen Qing’s steps paused slightly. He slowly turned around to look at his daughter.

That gaze was as if he were looking at a stranger.

Shen Tongyun was frightened by this look and fell silent.

“Is this what your mother told you?” Shen Qing looked at her, his eyes cold. “You knew all along that Jinman Restaurant belonged to the Lu family, yet you still pulled those unseemly tricks and said those shameless words?”

Shen Tongyun bit her lip hard, her face burning with shame.

Shen Qing laughed coldly and swept his sleeves as he left.

Shen Tongyun stood there dazed, suddenly feeling somewhat afraid.

Father’s gaze just now was truly terrifying…

No one knew of the commotion in this small private room, while the festivities continued outside.