“Little matchmaker, please stop crying. You should take this young master to the medical clinic for a check-up,” Jiao Jiao said, seeing the two grown men helpless in front of the tearful Miss Shi.

Shi Fa Ke immediately stopped crying.

Big Brother Shi and Lu Chi both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Madam Duan.” Big Brother Shi cupped his hands to Jiao Jiao.

Jiao Jiao waved her hand with a smile.

Shi Fa Ke, filled with guilt, no longer cared about propriety between men and women. She carefully helped Lu Chi onto the carriage, while Big Brother Shi wanted to help but couldn’t find a way to intervene.

Throughout the journey, Shi Fa Ke remained gloomy.

After applying medicine at the medical clinic, Shi Fa Ke wanted to cry again.

Lu Chi was truly at a loss. Although they were all surface wounds, they looked quite frightening, especially after the medicine was applied – those patches of blue and purple… But in reality, such injuries were truly nothing to him.

If Shi Fa Ke hadn’t insisted, he wouldn’t have even wanted to come to the medical clinic.

“What a pity that today’s beautiful spring weather wasn’t properly enjoyed,” Lu Chi deliberately showed a regretful expression, changing the subject. Seeing she still looked dejected, he could only comfort her, “My injuries are really nothing serious. If you don’t believe me, you can touch them…”

Seeing him still trying to comfort her despite being injured like this, Shi Fa Ke’s guilt reached its peak. She bit her lip and interrupted his comfort, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

“Hmm?”

Shi Fa Ke didn’t dare look at him, lowering her head and saying quietly, “Those people were found by my third brother at my request. Today’s spring outing invitation also had ulterior motives – I originally planned to test you… to try your skills, but I didn’t expect them to be so heavy-handed…”

She confessed everything in one breath.

Lu Chi was slightly stunned, then a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.

He couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head. What a silly girl – she couldn’t even hide such a small misdeed, spilling everything out like beans from a bamboo tube. Her thoughts were so transparent.

How could the girl he liked be so adorable?

The adorable Miss Shi sent Lu Chi back to rest, then returned home in a fury.

“Third Brother! What kind of people did you find! Not only did they insult him verbally, but they actually injured Young Master Lu. Didn’t we agree to be careful about limits? This is too much!” Shi Fa Ke charged into Shi Zhonghai’s room, hands on her hips, furious like a tigress.

“Hmm?” Shi Zhonghai, who was studying, blinked. “He Liu and the others backed out as soon as they reached the flower field, saying there were too many people and constables patrolling, making it inconvenient to act. They withdrew long ago.”

Shi Fa Ke was instantly terrified, “It wasn’t your people? Then who were they?”

“They? You really encountered trouble?” Shi Zhonghai’s eyes widened. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Luckily I ran into Big Brother. Those people scattered like birds and beasts when they saw the constables coming, but Young Master Lu was injured.” Shi Fa Ke bit her lip.

Hearing that his sister was safe, and that Lu Chi… that sanctimonious Mr. Linyuan was injured, Shi Zhonghai couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn up.

“You look very happy?” Shi Fa Ke glared at him.

“Ahem, not at all.” Shi Zhonghai forced a worried expression. “It’s wonderful that you’re safe.”

As long as his sister was safe, he didn’t care if that sanctimonious Mr. Linyuan died.

Shi Fa Ke looked at him suspiciously, then suddenly extended her hand toward Shi Zhonghai.

Shi Zhonghai was stunned, “What for?”

“Your people didn’t do the job, yet caused me to misunderstand and led to Young Master Lu getting injured. Shouldn’t you refund the employment fee?” Shi Fa Ke said matter-of-factly.

“If it didn’t work this time, there’s always next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.” Shi Fa Ke shook her head.

“You’re not testing him anymore?”

“Young Master Lu was injured so badly protecting me today. If I still don’t trust him, that would be truly too much.” Shi Fa Ke stared at him. “Give me back the money.”

Shi Zhonghai touched his nose and had no choice but to return the money to its rightful owner.

“Third Brother, who do you think those troublemakers were?” Shi Fa Ke fingered the returned purse, somewhat puzzled.

“Yes, who could it be?” Shi Zhonghai narrowed his eyes.

His people didn’t go… so who injured Lu Chi was quite obvious.

After all, only three people knew about this matter. It wasn’t him, it wasn’t Ah Ke, so only one person remained. Don’t tell him it was a coincidence – even storybooks weren’t that coincidental.

But looking at Ah Ke’s angry appearance, that big bad wolf who coveted her had struck quite harshly…

“No matter who it was, they’d better not let me catch them, or I’ll make them pay!” Shi Fa Ke said angrily.

Hearing this, Shi Zhonghai looked at his sister with some subtlety, feeling a sense of intellectual superiority.

Just as he was pondering how to use this huge weakness that fellow had handed him, he saw his sister heading outside and quickly called out to her, “Don’t rush off, help me collect the books.”

The weather was good today, so Shi Zhonghai had also taken out his books to air-dry.

Shi Fa Ke glanced at the books drying in the courtyard, “Collect them yourself, I need to go out.”

Shi Zhonghai looked at the time, “It’s already this late, where are you going?”

“The Zhu family.” Shi Fa Ke said without looking back.

Since she was certain she wouldn’t test Lu Chi anymore, the Zhu family matter should be decided, to avoid Zhu Yanyan waiting in vain and becoming even more disappointed later.

When she arrived at the Zhu family, it was already near dusk.

After explaining her purpose to the Zhu family’s gatekeeper, Zhu Yanyan’s wet nurse soon hurried out.

“Miss Shi, you’re here… is there news about Scholar Lu?” the wet nurse asked upon seeing Shi Fa Ke.

Shi Fa Ke nodded.

The wet nurse hesitated, “Good news or bad news?”

“Young Master Lu is probably not the person Yanyan is looking for.” Shi Fa Ke said straightforwardly without beating around the bush.

Upon hearing this, the wet nurse’s face immediately darkened, freezing in place for a long while.

“Wet nurse, let me see Yanyan,” Shi Fa Ke said.

Hearing this, the wet nurse snapped back to attention, her face ugly as she said, “There’s no rush to let the young lady know about this matter.”

“Such a big matter shouldn’t be hidden from Yanyan. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Knowing that Young Master Lu isn’t the person she’s looking for, would you rather make the best of a bad situation, or delay as long as possible and let her remain immersed in expectations you know are wrong?”

The wet nurse was stunned, then wiped her eyes with her handkerchief, “Miss Shi, you know what my young lady was like before. She finally became more open-minded, and these days I’ve watched her change more each day. Her spirits have improved, she’s willing to eat properly, and she’s finally gained some weight. If she knew right now that Scholar Lu isn’t the person she’s looking for… my poor young lady…” As she spoke, she choked up.

Shi Fa Ke was silent for a moment, “Let me see her first. I’ll consider how exactly to tell her.”

The wet nurse hesitated for a long time, but ultimately trusted Shi Fa Ke and finally agreed.

Following the wet nurse through the layers of courtyards into Zhu Yanyan’s courtyard, she could see from afar that Zhu Yanyan was waiting at the door, looking eager with anticipation.