Running all the way back to her room, she had just settled down when she heard someone knocking at the door.

Shi Fa Ke opened the door and saw Third Brother?! She was so frightened that she immediately tried to close the door, but who would have thought that in that split second, Third Brother Shi’s hand had already reached in and was holding the door open.

“Third Brother, what do you want to do… I can scream loudly!” Shi Fa Ke said with false bravado.

“What can I do?” Third Brother Shi pushed open the door and swaggered in, shaking the wine flask in his hand. “I have wine, do you want to drink?”

Shi Fa Ke’s eyes lit up, and she unconsciously swallowed.

Third Brother Shi casually placed the wine flask on the table, then sat down heavily and produced two wine cups from his chest like a magic trick. “Come, keep me company for a drink.”

…He even brought wine cups.

Shi Fa Ke was simply amazed.

Third Brother Shi lifted his eyelids to glance at Shi Fa Ke, who had a greedy expression on her face. He picked up the wine flask, raised his hand, and the clear wine liquid poured out from the spout, falling into the wine cup with a tinkling sound.

That sound was indescribably tempting to hear.

Shi Fa Ke had been craving wine for a long time. Ever since that time she got drunk at Shengxing Restaurant, she hadn’t tasted a drop of alcohol. Now the wine worm in her belly was stirring restlessly, and she couldn’t help but swallow again.

“Not drinking?” Third Brother Shi raised his cup.

How could she not drink!

Shi Fa Ke decisively set aside their grievances and took the wine cup… After one cup, she felt her whole body relax and become comfortable.

Third Brother Shi generously filled her cup again.

After two cups, she was already feeling light and ethereal.

“Still drinking?” Third Brother Shi smiled slightly and asked gently and kindly.

Shi Fa Ke blinked her confused drunken eyes and obediently shook her head. “No more… can’t drink anymore. Tomorrow there are important things to do… I promised Ke Tian I would go… return the betrothal letter…”

Before she finished speaking, she had already fallen asleep with her head on the table.

Looking at Shi Fa Ke sleeping soundly with her head on the table, Third Brother Shi chuckled softly, helped her to the bed, covered her with a thin quilt, then turned and walked out.

Before leaving, he conveniently took the wine flask and wine cups from the table with him.

Hmm, not leaving any evidence behind is a virtue.

Just as he closed the door, Third Brother Shi turned around and saw Shi Chongshan standing outside, and couldn’t help but smile sheepishly. “Second Brother, why aren’t you sleeping so late?”

“Aren’t you also not sleeping?” Second Brother Shi raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “What’s wrong with you and Ah Ke tonight? You both seem strange.”

“Nothing, that girl probably had a rare moment of conscience.” Third Brother Shi said without much sincerity.

Second Brother Shi looked at him silently, suddenly moved his nose, and his expression changed. “Why do you smell like wine? Did you give Ah Ke wine?”

“Don’t worry, I have my limits, just one cup.” Third Brother Shi held up one finger and made a somewhat helpless expression. “You know how much she craves wine. She begged me for a long time.”

Second Brother Shi looked at him suspiciously, always feeling that something was wrong somewhere, but couldn’t say exactly what was wrong. He could only nod. “Go to bed early.” After saying this, he turned to leave.

Third Brother Shi watched Second Brother Shi’s retreating figure and suddenly called out to him. “Second Brother.”

“Hmm?” Second Brother Shi turned back to look at him. “Is there something else?”

“Do you remember the first time I put my painting in the shop for sale?” Third Brother Shi asked.

Upon hearing this, Second Brother Shi showed an expression of barely suppressed amusement. “Hmm, I remember. I estimated it at ten taels at the time, but it unexpectedly sold for one hundred taels. What about it?”

“I remember that later one day, you came back very excited saying you had picked up a great bargain, that someone had pawned a painting by Master Linyuan at the shop, worth a thousand taels?”

Upon hearing this, Second Brother Shi thought he still had unresolved feelings about this matter and consoled him somewhat amusedly: “It’s been so many years, haven’t you gotten over this hurdle yet? Don’t take it to heart anymore. The paintings you’ve been putting in the shop recently have all sold well, and one even sold for the high price of eight hundred taels.”

…Master Linyuan’s painting from many years ago was worth a thousand taels, and after all these years, selling for eight hundred taels was considered a high price? This was looking down on people through a crack in the door!

However, this wasn’t the main point.

Third Brother Shi asked, “Do you still remember the content of that painting?”

Second Brother Shi thought for a moment before saying: “Actually, I never saw that painting with my own eyes. By the time I knew about it, the shop assistant had already sold the painting. According to him… it seemed to be a painting of a beautiful woman.”

Third Brother Shi’s face showed a subtle expression. “I remember that Master Linyuan rarely painted people?”

Second Brother Shi was stunned upon hearing this. “It’s true that we rarely see his figure paintings, but the one in Ah Ke’s room…” At this point, Second Brother Shi quickly stopped himself. If Third Brother Shi knew that Lu Chi was Master Linyuan, he would probably explode in anger.

Third Brother Shi’s expression became even more subtle. Regarding Lu Chi’s identity, he had already guessed it long ago. Second Brother was still trying to hide it.

However… this matter was quite interesting.

A painting of a beautiful woman that the shop assistant had sold as Master Linyuan’s work – Second Brother had never examined it from beginning to end. He only knew there was such a painting and that it sold for the high price of a thousand taels.

“Second Brother, do you remember who bought that painting at the time?” Third Brother Shi didn’t pursue the previous question but suddenly changed the subject.

Second Brother Shi touched his chin and recalled, “It seems to have been that young lady from the He family.” Because he had earned a thousand taels of silver at the time, he remembered it quite clearly. After saying this, he was somewhat puzzled. “Why are you suddenly asking about this?”

“Oh, nothing. I just remembered that after earning a hundred taels of silver that time, my confidence increased greatly, and I painted another painting of a beautiful woman and put it in the shop. However, that painting of a beautiful woman seemed to have no news after that. But my own work wasn’t worth much anyway – it was just practice work, so I didn’t pursue it.” Third Brother Shi smiled slightly and said.

Upon hearing this, Second Brother Shi was instantly petrified.

Could it be that the painting sold for a thousand taels of silver as Master Linyuan’s work… was actually painted by their family’s third son?!

No, this matter must be kept secret. If the He family found out, they would definitely accuse their shop of deliberate fraud! …But so many years have passed, the He family probably wouldn’t pursue it anymore?

Second Brother Shi now had no mind to question why Third Brother came to find Ah Ke so late and even gave her wine to drink. He left in a worried and distracted state.

Third Brother Shi stood in place, watching Second Brother leave in a dazed state. His mood was also quite complex. Because of that painting sold for a thousand taels, he had considered Master Linyuan his imaginary enemy for so many years. After all this commotion… that painting was originally painted by him?

Just because the shop assistant mistakenly identified it as Master Linyuan’s painting, the price increased tenfold?

Heh, he felt even more unbalanced now!

Shi Fa Ke didn’t know when she had fallen asleep. After a night of deep sleep, when she opened her eyes, the sunlight was dazzling.

Rubbing her somewhat swollen head, Shi Fa Ke got up, washed her face, and changed clothes. By the time she walked out of her room, the sun was already high in the sky, and she was the only one left at home.

Standing in the courtyard, Shi Fa Ke was momentarily confused, always feeling… as if she had forgotten something important.

What was it? Shi Fa Ke rubbed her still dizzy head and couldn’t remember for a moment. At this time, her stomach began to protest, and feeling hungry, Shi Fa Ke simply gave up thinking and walked into the kitchen.

There was porridge warming on the stove in the kitchen, and Shi Fa Ke decided to fill her stomach first.

After a bowl of porridge, she finally became clear-headed, and then Shi Fa Ke suddenly remembered what she had forgotten… returning the betrothal letter!

She had promised He Ketian that she would go to the He family today to return the betrothal letter!

Shi Fa Ke jumped up like her bottom was on fire, quickly rushed back to her room to look for the betrothal letter. Thinking about it now, Third Brother’s sudden kind gesture of treating her to wine last night was extremely suspicious! His intentions were not really about the wine!

This suspicion continued until she rushed back to her room, pulled open the drawer of her dressing box, and saw the betrothal letter lying there perfectly intact… then she let it go.

Mm, it seems she had wrongly blamed Third Brother.

After silently feeling guilty for a moment, Shi Fa Ke dared not delay any longer. To prevent any more complications, she quickly tucked the betrothal letter into her chest and left the house to rush to the He family.