He Kexian hadn’t even had time to react, but He Ketian on the side was already as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. This was really bringing up the very topic she didn’t want discussed—she felt guilty about this matter!

…And at such a critical moment too.

“A’ke, you’ve misunderstood. How could there be any enmity…” He Ketian pulled her back.

“How could there not be? You should go to town and listen to how people are slandering Young Master Lu. The rumors are so vicious they’re absolutely outrageous!” Shi Fa Ke was fine when she didn’t mention it, but bringing up this matter made her face flush with anger.

They had practically described a scholar with a bright future as an evil and vicious bandit chief!

“But these rumors… no one can control them,” He Ketian said in a small voice.

The implication was that this matter had nothing to do with the He family. He Ketian decided this was something she absolutely could not admit to. If Young Master Lu found out that she was the one who originally spread the rumors, what hope could she possibly have!

Shi Fa Ke’s mouth twitched as she looked at He Kexian with a fake smile. “You’ll have to ask your brother about that.”

He Ketian was stunned, her gaze somewhat confused. “Huh?”

“The rumors came from the Golden Abundance Restaurant. I saw him with the Golden Abundance Restaurant’s manager with my own eyes. Your two families have always been close, haven’t you? Tell me, why would the Golden Abundance Restaurant slander Young Master Lu for no reason?” Shi Fa Ke pointed at He Kexian.

He Ketian was momentarily dazed, then immediately understood that Shi Fa Ke had misunderstood. Those rumors that day were because she had complained about this matter to the Golden Abundance Restaurant’s young lady, Shen Tongyun. Speaking of it, she was indeed the instigator, but…

He Ketian’s eyes turned slightly, and she made a quick decision to turn around and look at her brother with disbelief. “Brother, was it really you?!”

He Kexian had originally come to discipline his sister, and incidentally settle accounts with Shi Fa Ke while teaching her about propriety between men and women, and how going to a restaurant to drink with strange men was highly improper. Who knew that he had only said one sentence and hadn’t even gotten a good start when he was caught off guard by accusations coming at him, and then his own sister pinned a huge blame on him… He was completely bewildered.

“Brother, you really went too far!” He Ketian said with a face full of tragic indignation. “Young Master Lu came to Copper Gong Town all alone, unfamiliar with the place and people. How could our He family bully him like this? No, I must apologize to him properly later.”

He Kexian’s face twitched. He felt that this stupid sister was becoming increasingly shameless.

As He Ketian spoke, she suddenly had an epiphany—this was such a good opportunity! She could also take the chance to get close to Young Master Lu, break the ice in their relationship, and incidentally show that she was essentially kind and lovely… and not someone who despised the poor and loved the rich.

In any case, all the bad things were done by her brother, and she was still a pure, white, innocent little flower.

“…” He Kexian silently watched his stupid sister courting death.

“A’ke, this matter was indeed something our He family did wrong. I will definitely apologize properly to Young Master Lu,” He Ketian said, her gaze flickering as she avoided her brother’s somewhat sharp eyes, speaking to Shi Fa Ke with a sincere expression.

Although Shi Fa Ke found it strange that He Ketian had suddenly become so reasonable, recognizing mistakes and being willing to apologize and correct them was always a good thing.

Just as they were talking animatedly, there was another knock at the Shi family’s main gate.

Hearing the knocking, He Ketian’s heartbeat immediately quickened again. They say the third time’s the charm—this time it should definitely be Master Linyuan… She could strike while the iron was hot and apologize to him, first salvaging some of her image. Thinking this, she instinctively wanted to turn around and open the door, but then realized her brother was right here, and it really wouldn’t be good to be too obvious… Moreover, she had just pinned blame on him, and knowing his personality, he was definitely waiting to catch her in something.

Thinking this, she forcibly suppressed her excited heart and waited for Shi Fa Ke to open the door.

However, this scene didn’t escape He Kexian’s eyes. Her restless yet pretending-to-be-calm behavior could only be described with four words: attempting to cover up only makes it more obvious!

He Kexian noticed her shy and timid expression, looking like someone whose heart was stirring with spring feelings. He couldn’t help but become highly alert—was his stupid sister about to be abducted by some scoundrel?! And… who exactly was she expecting?

“A’ke,” He Kexian suddenly spoke, stopping Shi Fa Ke who was about to open the door.

“Hmm?” Shi Fa Ke glanced at him.

“Is your third brother home?” He Kexian asked, and as he asked this, he looked at He Ketian.

Hearing the knocking outside and seeing that her stupid brother was still pestering Shi Fa Ke with conversation, He Ketian became somewhat anxious and urged, “A’ke, hurry up and open the door.”

The knocking outside seemed very restrained—two knocks, seemingly waiting a moment, then two more knocks.

Each knock seemed to strike at He Ketian’s heart. If not for her stupid brother being present, she would have wanted to fly over and open the door.

Shi Fa Ke looked at He Ketian, then at He Kexian, feeling that this pair of siblings was inexplicably strange today…

Although she found it odd that He Kexian would ask this question at this moment, she still answered, “My third brother went out to visit friends today.” Then she said to He Ketian, “Don’t worry, I’ll go open it right now.”

He Ketian choked and muttered, “I’m not worried.”

But her eyes that kept drifting toward the door revealed her insincerity.

He Kexian suddenly understood… Sure enough, Shi Chonghai wasn’t home!

So He Ketian coming to the Shi family every day was indeed for Shi Chonghai!

He Kexian felt he had figured out the truth.

While He Kexian was lost in thought trying to guess who had stolen his stupid sister’s heart, Shi Fa Ke, as the host, had already walked to the main gate to open the door, and couldn’t help wondering who was visiting this time… She didn’t know why today was so lively, with so many visitors.

Thinking this, Shi Fa Ke opened the door and was stunned.

Standing outside was someone she had completely not expected.

“Chu Yizhi?” Shi Fa Ke looked with surprise at the person standing outside who appeared somewhat reserved. “Why did you come?”

He was wearing a moon-colored long robe and seemed to have lost a lot of weight. The robe hung somewhat loosely on him, making him look rather pitiful.

Hearing her call him “Chu Yizhi,” Chu Yizhi’s eyes lit up slightly. Although she had called him by his full name, it was still better than the last time when she had called him “Young Master Chu,” which had been so heart-piercing… So A’ke’s anger should have mostly subsided, right?

He didn’t know that once Shi Fa Ke made up her mind about certain things, she wouldn’t easily change them.

However, that “Young Master Chu” that day did indeed have some elements of spite, because Chu’s mother had brought her daughter-in-law to embarrass her in the street, refusing even to acknowledge her calling her “Aunt Chu,” and saying things like “I dare not accept such address from Miss Shi”… She was clearly an elder who had watched her grow up, so Shi Fa Ke couldn’t possibly not feel hurt.

At that time, she had vented that resentment on Chu Yizhi.

But now, she was already very calm. Facing Chu Yizhi, her heart was like still water. People had to grow up, and some things from youth would gradually fade and disappear with the passage of time… eventually becoming impossible to find again.

Although it was regrettable, perhaps this was what growing up meant.

“A’ke, you never come to see me, so I came to find you,” Chu Yizhi said, looking at her almost greedily, his lips moving with some difficulty.

That day, due to unease in his heart, he had dragged his severely injured body to see her. Although he had received her personal forgiveness, somehow he still felt unsettled in his heart, always having a feeling of having lost something following him like a shadow… Afterward, he had been bedridden recovering from his injuries, hoping every day that she would come to see him, but she never came…

Shi Fa Ke was stunned. “Why should I come to see you?”

As if he had asked an extremely absurd question.