At Xibao Pavilion, Shi Fa'ke, President of the Heiresses' Society, promoted the Huayuan Palanquin Shop's new sedan chairs.
Lu Chi arrived at the Shi residence seeking an introduction to Chief Matchmaker Tao. Shi Fa'ke, also known as Ke, mistakenly believed Lu Chi wanted her mother to arrange a marriage for him and offered to handle the match herself, boasting that after her coming-of-age ceremony that day, she would inherit the title of the No.1 matchmaker in the world.
Marriage Broker Deng arrived at the Qi family residence, attempting to formalize a matchmaking contract for Qi Shaoheng. However, Qi Shaoheng confronted her, accusing her of using deceptive words to trick his mother into signing the agreement.
Shi Fa'ke, frustrated with Qi Shaoheng's apparent lack of commitment to marriage, suspected he was merely toying with her. Lu Chi, accompanying her, suggested otherwise.
After witnessing Liu Luan'er risk her life to save her, Mrs. Qi recognized Luan'er's genuine affection for her son and finally consented to their marriage, to the couple's great joy. However, a guilt-ridden Luan'er confessed that she had hired actors to stage the robbery, a plan which went awry. Qi Shaoheng was puzzled, as he knew the assailants had been genuinely trying to kill them.
The morning after a night of heavy drinking, Shi Fa'ke woke up to find her makeup altered and could not recall the previous night's events. Her cousin found her and reminded her to attend to her duties promptly. Meanwhile, Marquis Wu'an sought the construction drawing of the imperial city, believing it to be with the Shen family, whose patriarch, Shen Chang, had designed the palace's secret tunnels.
Following up on the previous episode, Shi Fa'ke's two older brothers and their father attempted to send Lu Chi home, but Lu Chi feigned a severe headache and immediately returned to bed. Shi Fa'ke, concerned for Lu Chi, insisted that no one was to take him away, explaining he was injured while saving her and she intended to care for him until his recovery. She spent the entire night at his bedside.
Worried that her initial attempt to expose Li Ang's true nature had failed, Shi Fa'ke expressed her anxiety to Lu Chi about the impending delivery of the engagement card. Lu Chi reassured her, instructing her to intercept Shen Tongyun and bring her back to observe Li Ang, promising to handle the situation personally. Meanwhile, Wang Ren, believing Shen Tongyun was content, wished her happiness and departed, leaving her with a sense of quiet sadness.
Upon hearing gossip questioning a match her mother had made, Shi Fa'ke staunchly defended her mother's reputation, pointing to Xu Ao's success as proof of a flawless union. Her confidence soared when news arrived of Xu Ao's promotion. An imperial envoy soon declared Xu Ao the new Commander of the Imperial Cavalry Bureau, a position coveted by Marquis Wu'an. Xu Ao's wife, Liu Yingying, graciously rewarded the eunuch for the good news.
Following Shi Fa'ke's diligent efforts to resolve a serious misunderstanding between Xu Ao and his wife, which resulted in his wife's pregnancy, Xu Ao arrived at the Official Matchmaking Agency to express his profound gratitude. He presented Shi Fa'ke with a large banner, hailing her as the "Little No.1 Matchmaker in the World" and predicting she would inherit the glory of her mother, the former "No.1 Matchmaker."
After a tense vote, Shi Fa'ke and Marriage Broker Deng were tied, leaving Lu Chi's decision as the tie-breaker. Despite Marriage Broker Deng's assumption that Lu Chi would support her due to their previous closeness, Lu Chi cast all his votes for Shi Fa'ke, securing her victory in the bid to host the Flower Assembly. Marriage Broker Deng looked on in astonishment, while Shi Fa'ke realized Lu Chi had deliberately helped her.
Following Shi Fa'ke's success in securing the Xibao Flower Assembly hosting rights, the grand event commenced. Ms. Deng, despite meticulously preparing for the assembly and hoping to impress, actively greeted young ladies but was met with cold indifference from attendees, causing her frustration. Lu Chi, the Chief of Xibao Pavilion, arrived at the Xibao Flower Assembly with his younger brother, Lu Zhuxi.
As the Flower Assembly was engulfed in flames, Shi Fa'ke was distraught over not saving Ms. Deng. Lu Chi comforted her, urging her not to blame herself. Shi Fa'ke then grew worried for Zhu Yanyan and Lu Zhuxi. Though her leg was injured and she was unable to walk, she insisted on finding them, prompting Lu Chi to carry her.
After Shi Fa'ke and Lu Chi confessed their feelings, they spent their days in sweet companionship. One day, while by the marriage tree near the lake, Lu Chi presented Shi Fa'ke with a custom-made jade pendant that granted her access to all Lu family properties, and a marriage stone bearing their names. They carved their names on the stone and hung it on the tree, symbolizing their bond.
Lu Chi, concerned for Shi Fa'ke's safety, assigned Lu Yi to protect her. However, Shi Fa'ke misinterpreted this as surveillance and confronted Lu Chi, initially hinting at her displeasure before directly asking why he had her followed. Lu Chi clarified that his actions were for her protection, explaining that Marquis Wu'an's unusual quietness lately suggested imminent danger.
Shi Fa'ke emerged with a heavy heart, her spirit weighed down by recent setbacks in both love and career. Learning that Shi Fa'ke had not been appointed Chief Matchmaker, Lu Chi promptly took her out for a drink to lift her spirits. There, Lu Chi offered her a rare and sweet fruit wine called Xiao Lan Gan, aged for three years in honey. Though Shi Fa'ke admitted to having a low tolerance, she found the wine delicious.
Shi Fa'ke confronted Fang Yue upon learning she was acting as the marriage broker for Marquis Wu'an's pursuit of Cheng Ruoning. Shi Fa'ke questioned why Fang Yue would get involved, as Cheng Ruoning already had a beloved and had entrusted her marriage to Shi Fa'ke. Fang Yue defended her actions, stating she was professionally hired by the Marquis and that agency rules allowed for multiple matchmakers to work for a client, advocating for collaboration to secure successful matches.
Marquis Wu'an, enraged by Cheng Ruoning's refusal to marry him, lambasted his subordinate for suggesting a clumsy act of revenge, fearing easy exposure. As the subordinate was dismissed, Fang Yue arrived. The Marquis expressed his disappointment in Fang Yue's failure to contain Shi Fa'ke, who, despite being a mere marriage broker, had publicly humiliated him.
Yan Qiyue found herself in a financial predicament after spending all her travel money exploring the capital. She confided in her new friend, Shi Fa'ke, who immediately offered her all the silver she had. However, Yan Qiyue realized this was only a temporary solution given the high cost of living and the difficulty of finding Mr. Lin Yuan, a reclusive artist whose works she sought.
Shi Fa'ke informed her family of her intention to exchange Information Cards for her eldest brother, Shi Xianxian, and Li Pan'er, to formally set their engagement. Her parents and brothers readily agreed, expressing their joy for Xianxian and reminding him to be a considerate husband. With their blessing, Shi Fa'ke, accompanied by Yan Qiyue, visited Xibao Pavilion. Li Pan'er, happy to receive Shi Xianxian's Information Card, eagerly provided her own, thus solidifying the engagement.
Lu Chi met with the Emperor, who, as his Senior Brother, playfully inquired if Lu Chi was soon to have a senior sister-in-law. Lu Chi then asked the Emperor about his recent frequent outings from the palace, wondering if Marquis Wu'an was making new moves. The Emperor replied that it wasn't about Marquis Wu'an, but because he had met an interesting person.
At Mount Qianya, Lu Chi assessed the overwhelming enemy forces and devised a strategy with Lu Zhuxi. They decided to leverage the mountain's terrain, using a feigned attack and retreat from the eastern, flatter side to lure enemy forces beneath the western cliff, where Lu Chi and other forces would set an ambush at a mountain pass.
In the imperial palace, Marquis Wu'an confidently confronted the Emperor, gloating that the throne was rightfully his due to birth order and asserting that the Emperor had merely been lucky. Unaware that Lu Chi had already led his troops into the palace and brought his soldiers under control, Marquis Wu'an revealed his true intentions. He confessed to manipulating the Official Matchmaking Agency, imprisoning Chief Matchmaker Tao, and orchestrating various events for his grand scheme.
As Shi Fa'ke worried about the still-missing Yan Qiyue, Lu Chi reassured her that with Marquis Wu'an's power eliminated, Yan Qiyue was safe, and he would continue the search. Just then, an envoy from Gaoyou arrived, explaining that his princess was in the capital for a marriage alliance with the Emperor and had specifically requested Shi Fa'ke to be her matchmaker.