Because Du Yangxi is proud and aloof, and Sang Yanrang is always buried in books, getting either of them to take the initiative in marriage negotiations is a troubling issue for the Li family. Lady Shouhua devises a plan—she arranges for Chunlai to deliver books to Sang Yanrang and intentionally drops a rare edition he has long desired. As expected, this catches Sang Yanrang’s attention.
Sang Yanrang wants the book, but Chunlai claims she cannot make the decision. This forces Du Yangxi to visit Kang Ning personally. However, when he arrives outside the Li family residence, he hesitates to enter and unexpectedly picks up a sachet Kang Ning dropped. Chai An arrives with Fan Lianghan to visit Du Yangxi just as Kang Ning sends Chunlai with a refined set of calligraphy tools as a token of appreciation. Seeing Kang Ning’s warmth toward Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang, Chai An becomes jealous and “accidentally” breaks the inkstone. He then promises to provide Du Yangxi with an even better set as compensation.
As he leaves, Chai An sees Kang Ning chatting at the door and bitterly warns her not to play both sides, or she might end up empty-handed. Kang Ning ignores him, and after he leaves, she learns about his jealousy-induced tantrum. Instead of being upset, she finds it amusing.
Back at Pan Tower, Chai An carefully reassembles the broken inkstone, revealing a complete poem. Fan Lianghan realizes that Lady Li intentionally wants Du Yangxi as their family’s son-in-law. Meanwhile, Fan Lianghan is tasked with matchmaking Chai An with Liu Baniang, the daughter of Liu Tang. Initially, Chai An intends to refuse, but upon hearing her identity, he hatches a plan and agrees.
Chai An pretends to help Liu Baniang confront Du Yangxi, but his true intention is to use this as an opportunity to persuade Kang Ning to return. He sets the stage at the Fan family’s residence for the confrontation. Meanwhile, the Li sisters are working on new wonton recipes when Fuhui hears a rumor that Fan Lianghan is “hiding a beauty.” Furious, she rushes to confront him. Lady Shouhua, worried about trouble, urges Kang Ning to follow.
At the Fan residence, Chai An pulls Kang Ning aside and invites her to witness Du Yangxi’s true nature, hiding her in a wardrobe. Kang Ning hesitates but eventually agrees, while Chai An and Fan Lianghan hide together in another wardrobe. Liu Baniang then brings Du Yangxi into the room, demanding an explanation for why he publicly rejected her proposal while choosing to live next to the Li family.
Under Liu Baniang’s aggressive questioning, Du Yangxi remains calm and composed. He states that he has three criteria for choosing a wife:
- He does not care about her family background.
- He does not care about her dowry.
- He does not care about her beauty or talents.
The real reason he rejected Liu Baniang is that he comes from a humble background and has spent his life supporting his widowed mother. Wealthy women, accustomed to luxury, might not treat his aging and impoverished mother with kindness and respect.
His words are deeply sincere, highlighting his devotion and integrity rather than any flaws. Chai An’s plan completely backfires. At that moment, Fuhui arrives and, finding the door locked, furiously smashes the windows with a stone. Terrified, Fan Lianghan jumps out the window, while Liu Baniang, hiding in the wardrobe, comes face-to-face with Kang Ning. Chai An quickly steps in to stop Fuhui, finally calming the situation.
After everyone leaves, Chai An lowers his pride and urges Kang Ning to reconsider, but she firmly rejects him, stating that her choices are her own. They part on bad terms. Knowing that her husband was used by Chai An, Fuhui scolds Fan Lianghan. Meanwhile, Kang Ning shares her thoughts about Du Yangxi with Lady Shouhua, finding him difficult to read. She grows curious about Sang Yanrang, but Qiong Nu warns her not to waste time on a bookworm.
Lady Chai is determined to match Chai An with Liu Baniang, but Chai An quickly reaches an agreement with Liu Baniang, promising to help her win Du Yangxi’s heart. However, fate seems to have other plans. When Lady Fan and Lady Chai consult a fortune teller, he declares that Chai An and Liu Baniang’s astrological compatibility is terrible and that only Kang Ning can be his destined match.
Initially, Lady Chai refuses to believe it, but when Liu Baniang faces unexpected setbacks and Chai An suffers an unexplained fall from his horse, she recalls the fortune teller’s words. She then arranges for a matchmaker to propose to Kang Ning, only to be flatly rejected. Lady Li takes satisfaction in turning them away, feeling triumphant.
As a final move, Chai An arranges for Du Yangxi’s blind mother to be brought to the capital, unaware that Kang Ning has already convinced Liu Baniang to give up on him. When Lady Chai learns of the fortune teller’s deception, the Li family acts first, bringing Du Yangxi’s mother into their home. Seeing the elderly woman’s hardships, they feel great sympathy. Liu Baniang tells Chai An that she has decided to let go of Du Yangxi. Since she has been raised in a business-minded environment, she would rather marry a man who joins her family than be married off herself. Once again, Chai An’s plan fails.
