Shi Fa Ke originally didn’t want to continue arguing with her and was about to go find the shopkeeper to get to the bottom of things, when she saw a very familiar person walk out from a private room on the second floor. The smiling middle-aged man accompanying him was none other than the shopkeeper of Jinman Tower.

He Kexian!

Shi Fa Ke thought, no need to ask anymore – the answer was right here.

He Kexian had just walked out of the private room when he seemed to sense something. He turned his head and met Shi Fa Ke’s gaze. He instinctively raised a smile, but saw Shi Fa Ke expressionlessly turn her head away and withdraw her gaze.

“Hmm?” He Kexian narrowed his eyes. What was with that expression? Was she still angry about him throwing her out that day? Hadn’t he already bought snow cakes and had Ketian bring them to her? Was she still not appeased?

Snow cakes from Lai Fu Ji were her favorite. Usually if one portion of snow cakes couldn’t appease her, two portions definitely would. Or perhaps… could it be that she had discovered that matter? Thinking of that incident, He Kexian felt somewhat guilty.

Just as he was pondering this, he heard Shi Fa Ke’s voice ring out from downstairs: “I make my living as a matchmaker, so naturally I must be eloquent!”

…Hmm, this stance suggested she was arguing with someone?

“You little girl are actually a matchmaker?” someone nearby exclaimed in surprise.

Then someone recognized her and whispered: “That’s the young lady from the Shi family. Her mother and grandmother are both official matchmakers, and she has three older brothers. Her father is also quite unreasonable…”

Although official matchmakers were also matchmakers, with the word “official” – having two mouths over it – ordinary people generally didn’t want to provoke them. Not to mention she also had an extremely protective and unreasonable father, plus three older brothers.

Recognizing Shi Fa Ke, no one wanted to continue arguing with her anymore.

After all, it was better to have one less trouble than one more.

Shi Fa Ke put her hands on her hips: “That’s right, I’m a matchmaker. That day when Young Master Lu caught the He family’s embroidered ball, according to the agreement, a matchmaker was invited to propose marriage. That matchmaker was me! So no one knows the truth of this entire matter better than I do. The talk of forced marriage is complete nonsense. Although I’m also surprised why the He family threw the embroidered ball to seek a husband but then refused to acknowledge it afterward, Young Master Lu never pestered about this matter afterward. Where does this talk of forced marriage come from!”

As she spoke, she even looked provocatively at He Kexian standing at the stairway.

He Kexian’s eyebrow twitched.

“Furthermore, I’ve met Young Master Lu. He is a modest gentleman, graceful as orchids and jade trees, absolutely not that kind of petty person!” Shi Fa Ke declared solemnly.

He Kexian stared deadly at that reckless little girl, his eyes almost sparking with fire.

But Shi Fa Ke no longer looked at him. Having vented her anger triumphantly, she felt completely refreshed and strode away.

“Heartless foolish girl.” He Kexian squeezed the jewelry box in his hand, grinding his teeth as he spoke each word.

“Young Master He…” Feeling the terrifying low pressure, the shopkeeper of Jinman Tower shuddered. This Young Master He, whose appearance was more beautiful than a girl’s, was a ruthless person.

He Kexian rubbed the jewelry box in his hand: “What’s the deal with those rumors?”

The shopkeeper of Jinman Tower hesitated, looked around, then leaned forward sneakily: “It was ordered by our master’s young lady.”

The master’s young lady the shopkeeper mentioned was Shen Tongyun, who was He Ketian’s close friend.

He Kexian understood everything. His foolish sister had done another foolish thing.

And he had inexplicably taken the blame for it.

After this incident, Shi Fa Ke became even more resentful and determined to arrange a good marriage for Lu Chi.

But after looking favorably upon several young ladies, when she went to their homes to sound them out, without exception they all refused. As soon as she mentioned Scholar Lu, no matter how good the atmosphere had been initially, they would immediately avoid him like the plague, turning their faces faster than flipping pages in a book.

Even when she explained clearly that all the unfavorable talk about Scholar Lu was rumors, even when they all expressed belief in her words, in the end there was still no room for negotiation. No one was willing to risk their own precious daughter.

After all, this Scholar Lu had indeed just moved to Tongluozhen, and he was alone, poor and with nothing.

Shi Fa Ke propped her chin in her hand with a dejected expression, gazing at the painting that had been mounted on the wall.

The painting depicted drooping willows, continuous misty rain, a pond with ripples, and a girl with an umbrella walking along the shore. The composition was extremely simple, with just a few strokes, yet the artistic conception was so beautiful it made one sigh. No one could imagine this was a repaired painting.

He was so handsome, and his paintings were so beautiful. Such an excellent Young Master Lu actually had no suitors – they really had no vision!

With no progress on the marriage front, Shi Fa Ke recently didn’t dare to go see Lu Chi.

Just as Shi Fa Ke was racking her brains over Lu Chi’s marriage prospects and was at her wit’s end, a gold-embossed invitation was delivered to her door. Looking at the invitation in her hand, Shi Fa Ke’s face showed complete disbelief – it was actually from the wealthy Zhu family of Tongluozhen.

The Zhu family… why were they inviting her?

The usually confident Shi Fa Ke rarely felt inferior, considering that with the Zhu family’s social standing, if they truly wanted to hire a matchmaker, it should at least be someone of her mother’s caliber as an official matchmaker…

As far as she knew, the Zhu family indeed had a young lady of marriageable age named Zhu Yanyan, who was said to be beautiful as a celestial being. But in reality, this Miss Zhu was a standard lady from a prestigious family who never stepped out of the inner quarters, and no one had actually seen her. Previously, when Shi Fa Ke was considering Lu Chi’s marriage, she had thought through almost every unmarried young lady in Tongluozhen, but had specifically omitted this Zhu Yanyan – not because she had forgotten, but because she didn’t dare to presume.

The Zhu family was a proper official family. This Miss Zhu’s grandfather had served as Minister, a third-rank official. Although he had already retired and returned home, such family standing was incomparable to merchant families.

Despite her doubts, Shi Fa Ke still took the invitation and went to visit.

The Zhu family followed a refined and noble style. Although the Zhu family compound occupied the largest and best plot of land in Tongluozhen, the interior furnishings and landscaping were relatively low-key. In comparison, the He family was much more ostentatious, clearly a wealthy merchant family at first glance.

After drinking a cup of tea, a dignified and beautiful woman finally arrived leisurely. She sat down with the help of her maids, then looked at Shi Fa Ke with a smile: “You must be Miss Shi?”

Shi Fa Ke responded: “Yes.”

“At such a young age, you’re actually a matchmaker?” She looked Shi Fa Ke up and down, seeming somewhat incredulous.

“Yes.” Shi Fa Ke smiled, then asked somewhat puzzledly: “May I ask why Madam invited me here?”

The beautiful woman paused, as if considering how to begin. After a long while, she said: “I wonder if Miss Shi knows that a scholar surnamed Lu has recently come to Tongluozhen.”

Shi Fa Ke was stunned. Eh?

“The Scholar Lu who teaches at the school.” Seeing Shi Fa Ke didn’t respond, the beautiful woman added.

“I know.” Shi Fa Ke quickly nodded.

“Please don’t laugh at me, Miss Shi. Although it’s usually the man’s side that hires a matchmaker, today I want to ask Miss Shi to be a matchmaker and help arrange a match.”

Eh eh?

Shi Fa Ke slowly blinked. Had she heard wrong, or had she misunderstood? Could it be that…

“You’ve taken a fancy to Scholar Lu?” she asked tentatively.

The beautiful woman smiled and nodded: “Exactly.”

“May I ask on whose behalf?” Shi Fa Ke suppressed her excitement and asked again.

“My daughter, Zhu Yanyan.”

Zhu Yanyan! The lady before her was actually the matriarch of the Zhu family, Zhu Yanyan’s birth mother!

Shi Fa Ke was absolutely overjoyed, but still didn’t forget a matchmaker’s professional ethics: “May I meet Miss Zhu?”

“This…” Madam Zhu hesitated somewhat: “My daughter is rather shy.”

“Just a glance from afar would suffice.” Seeing her hesitation, Shi Fa Ke compromised.

She at least needed to get a preliminary confirmation of Zhu Yanyan’s appearance and character. She couldn’t be dazzled by the golden signboard of the Zhu family. If this Miss Zhu had any problems, wouldn’t that be harming Lu Chi?

Madam Zhu called over a maid and gave some instructions, then said to Shi Fa Ke: “Our family garden has several camellia trees blooming quite nicely. Shall we go take a look together?”

Shi Fa Ke understood her meaning and nodded, rising cheerfully.