After driving away Third Brother, Shi Fa Ke returned to her room holding the recovered painting.

She placed the scroll on the table and carefully opened it. It was a proper landscape painting, still bearing Master Linyuan’s seal. Shi Fa Ke couldn’t help but curve her lips slightly, thinking Young Master Lu was very considerate—after all, this was exactly what He Ketian liked.

The more she looked at it, the more guilty she felt. Young Master Lu had really taken the promise he made to her to heart, but she had made him drink leftover porridge, and only such a tiny bit at that…

But… was Young Master Lu really the person Zhu Yanyan was looking for?

Her thoughts suddenly turned, and Shi Fa Ke remembered Zhu Yanyan’s tears of joy with absolute certainty.

At that time, she had still harbored doubts—after all, she had tested him, and this Young Master Lu didn’t know martial arts.

Then, Zhu Yanyan had smiled.

She said, “Perhaps he’s rather low-key and doesn’t like to show off.”

…Perhaps Zhu Yanyan herself didn’t know that her smile carried a hint of shy sweetness, the kind of sweetness that comes from possessing a little secret known only to two people.

So, if Zhu Yanyan hadn’t mistaken him for someone else, Lu Chi originally knew martial arts.

Then hadn’t he deliberately watched her foolishly smash that plate while trying to test him…?

That night, Shi Fa Ke, who usually slept very well, tossed and turned, rarely having a poor night’s sleep.

The next day, Shi Fa Ke got up early again, made breakfast for the family, and took down the other half of yesterday’s meat to soak in water. When she washed the rice and prepared to cook, she suddenly remembered that the family only had two clay pots—one had been broken by He Ketian, and the other had been taken away by Lu Chi yesterday…

Just as she was wondering what to do, she saw Father carrying a clay pot as he walked in from outside.

Shi Changhuai habitually got up early, taking a stroll before breakfast and returning to eat. Today was the same.

“Dad, why do you have a clay pot?” Shi Fa Ke asked with surprise.

And… that clay pot looked rather familiar.

“Don’t know which little rascal left it at our door—I nearly tripped over it.” Shi Changhuai hefted the clay pot in his hands. “But this pot looks quite new. After washing it, we can use it for pickling vegetables.”

Shi Fa Ke’s mouth twitched. She didn’t dare say this was their own clay pot, only reached out to take it. “I’ll wash it.”

“No need, I’ll wash it later.” Shi Changhuai said, then moved his nose, smelling the fragrance of food. “A’Ke has been so diligent lately—don’t you need to sleep in a bit more in the morning?”

“We’re just doing it in passing.” Shi Chonghai yawned, stretching lazily as he slowly walked out, sourly glancing at the clay pot Shi Fa Ke was holding.

“This good-for-nothing only knows how to make sarcastic remarks all day. I don’t see you getting up to make breakfast.” Shi Changhuai glared at him.

Shi Chonghai pouted, feeling like he was a pitiful child unloved by father and mother.

Shi Fa Ke lowered her head and touched the clay pot in her arms, confirming this was indeed the one Lu Chi had taken away yesterday—after all, she had originally chosen this pot herself, so naturally she wouldn’t mistake it.

Holding the clay pot, she walked into the kitchen, washed it, and put porridge on to cook.

After breakfast, when the porridge was ready, she added minced meat and freshly cut chives. The fragrant minced meat porridge was complete.

Under her Third Brother’s cool gaze, Shi Fa Ke left the house carrying the pot and headed to Willow Leaf Lane.

Standing at Lu Chi’s courtyard gate, Shi Fa Ke pushed the door and found it was latched from inside.

She stood silently for a while, pursed her lips, placed the clay pot she was carrying in a corner by the door, then turned and left.

Behind the not-too-thick door panel, Lu Chi was sitting leisurely in the courtyard, waiting for Shi Fa Ke to come knocking with minced meat porridge.

He heard her footsteps and deliberately sat there with affected reserve, though his lips couldn’t help curving upward.

He waited and waited.

No one knocked.

Lu Chi frowned and finally couldn’t hold back from opening the door to look.

The doorway was completely empty. His face immediately darkened, then… he saw the familiar clay pot in the corner by the door—the very one he had secretly delivered to the Shi family’s door early this morning.

Lu Chi silently picked up the clay pot. It was heavy.

Opening the lid, he saw a full pot of minced meat porridge, fragrant with minced meat, white rice, and emerald green chives that opened one’s appetite.

He gave a soft “hmph” but his lips curved high with satisfaction.

Leaving Willow Leaf Lane, Shi Fa Ke went to the Zhu family.

She had promised Zhu Yanyan she would visit today to chat. At the Zhu family’s main gate, she saw a young man peering around furtively… This young man was none other than the long-awaiting Zhu Li.

“Sister Shi!” Seeing Shi Fa Ke, Zhu Li’s eyes lit up. He looked left and right, then approached sneakily.

After just a few days, this young man before her… had lost even more weight and was now a handsome young lad.

“Sister Shi, I’ve been waiting for you so long. Why did you only come today?” Zhu Li looked at her with eager eyes, appearing quite pitiful with his longing expression.

“Why are you waiting for me?” Shi Fa Ke instinctively asked, since today she had come to see Zhu Yanyan—when had she made an appointment with this little fatty… oh no, he wasn’t a little fatty anymore.

“Eh?!” Zhu Li’s eyes widened. “A promise is a promise—how can you be so unreliable? Sister Shi, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten our agreement?!”

Well now, he had indeed improved quite a bit—he could even quote classics.

“That’s not right… if you’re not here to find me, what are you doing here?” Zhu Li thought about it with a puzzled expression.

“Looking for your big sister. Yanyan invited me to play.” Shi Fa Ke blinked.

Zhu Li looked completely bewildered. His teacher liked Miss Shi, Big Sister wanted to marry his teacher, and Miss Shi had become close friends with Big Sister… these relationships were so tangled.

But he was in no mood to mock his teacher now. Sister Shi was his last resort, and she turned out to be unreliable. All his anticipation had been for nothing.

Shi Fa Ke now understood why he was waiting here for her. Seeing his pitiful state, she couldn’t bear to tease him further. “I’ve already spoken with your teacher.”

“Really?” Zhu Li’s eyes immediately brightened, then he asked nervously, “What did teacher say?”

Success or failure hinged on this moment!

If it didn’t work… he’d have to follow grandfather’s arrangements and go to the clan school.

“Naturally, he agreed.” Shi Fa Ke smiled. “Even if you weren’t waiting here for me today, your teacher would probably come looking for you soon.”

Zhu Li had already given up hope, so this unexpected turn naturally filled him with joy. “Wonderful, Sister Shi! Thank you so much!”

Indeed, his earlier thoughts had been correct—Sister Shi’s position in teacher’s heart was truly extraordinary. Sister Shi’s words were effective—as soon as she spoke, the matter was settled!