After a quick wash, Chen Yi changed into a fresh, dry long robe and made his way to Jiaxing Garden under an oil-paper umbrella.

By now, Xiao Wan’er had already laid out a sumptuous feast.

Xiao Wuge, Xie Tingyun, and Shen Huatang, along with Xiaodie, Cui’er, and Juan’er, were already seated.

Seeing Chen Yi arrive, Xiao Wan’er and Xiao Wuge smiled and beckoned for him to take a seat, while the others all rose to welcome him.

Chen Yi casually cupped his hands in greeting and sat down opposite Xiao Wuge.

To his left was Xiao Wan’er in the seat of honor, and to his right was Xiaodie.

He couldn’t help but catch faint wisps of fragrance.

Most of it came from Xiao Wan’er, while a smaller portion was the sweet scent from the young maid, Xiaodie.

After looking around the table, Chen Yi feigned ignorance and asked, "This banquet was supposed to be for that boss from Hundred Herbs Hall, wasn’t it?"

"Why? Didn’t he come?"

Xiao Wan’er gave him a look of mock reproach. "And you have the nerve to ask. I told you this morning to come back early, but you only just got back tonight."

Chen Yi met her gaze and said calmly, "Mr. Yue Ming invited me. His hospitality was hard to refuse, so I stayed at the academy for a while longer."

Xiao Wan’er naturally didn’t doubt him, nor was she truly blaming him. She said her piece and let it drop, then went on to explain:

"That Boss Chen came with his people this afternoon. Although he’s a bit reserved and quiet, his speech and demeanor were quite exceptional."

"Especially that Baicao Hall Expansion Charter he presented. It was truly admirable. Even Grandfather had high praise for him."

Chen Yi made a sound of understanding. ’He was fairly certain she had already discussed it with the Old Master. It wasn’t hard to deduce the outcome from her mention of "high praise"—the Old Master must have approved the charter he proposed.’

"What charter is so impressive?"

"It’s a plan to expand Hundred Herbs Hall into Shu State, and even across all the Nine State and Three Prefectures of our Wei Dynasty. Grandfather and I both reviewed it and think it’s feasible."

"Not only will it help Hundred Herbs Hall grow, but it will also bring considerable profits to our Xiao Family. It’s a win-win situation. Also..."

Xiao Wan’er recounted everything in detail, completely forgetting the reminder "Boss Chen" had given her earlier.

So much so that Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, who knew the real situation, couldn’t help but shoot a few extra glances at Chen Yi.

They were likely wondering what was so special about him to earn such complete trust from the Eldest Miss.

Meanwhile, Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie weren’t paying much attention to these matters; their eyes were glued to the delicious food on the table, and they were quietly salivating.

Perhaps because the two were being too obvious, Xiao Wan’er paused her explanation, invited everyone to pick up their chopsticks, and suggested they eat as they talked.

Chen Yi had already eaten while he was out, so he only took a couple of bites before falling into a casual chat with Xiao Wan’er.

"From the sound of it, that Boss Chen is quite capable."

"He is. Otherwise, he never could have produced a charter like that."

Xiao Wan’er paused. Thinking back to the strange thoughts she’d had during her meeting with Boss Chen, she couldn’t help but look at Chen Yi now.

She scrutinized him carefully, looking him up and down.

As she studied him, she began comparing the similarities and differences between Boss Chen and Chen Yi in her mind.

’Their brows and eyes were somewhat similar, but their gazes were different.’

’His eyes were gentle and full of spirit, making him seem warm and approachable.’

’Their face shapes were similar—in fact, they were almost identical.’

’But their facial features were slightly different.’

’Though his skin was a bit tanner, his features were softer and less sharp-edged, which was more pleasing to the eye.’

’Their builds were similar, but since he wasn’t skilled in Martial Arts, he seemed a bit more scholarly and frail.’

’But that wasn’t a bad thing; most talented scholars were like that.’

’And also...’

In just a few moments, Xiao Wan’er had mentally listed ten ways Chen Yi outshone Boss Chen.

’All in all, his superiority was obvious.’

Chen Yi noticed her staring. He glanced down at himself but found nothing out of the ordinary, so he couldn’t help but ask:

"Eldest Sister, is there something on me...?"

But before he could finish, Xiao Wan’er snapped back to reality, and the chopsticks in her hand fell to the floor with a CLATTER.

Her face flushed as she hurriedly bent down to pick them up, not noticing that her forehead was headed straight for the corner of the table.

Seeing this, Chen Yi forgot his question and, with lightning-fast reflexes, shot his hand out to block the corner of the table.

He perfectly caught Xiao Wan’er’s smooth forehead.

SMACK.

The crisp sound made everyone, who had already looked over when the chopsticks fell, freeze in stunned silence.

Even Xiao Wan’er, who had just bumped her head against Chen Yi’s palm, was dazed. With her forehead pressed against his warm hand, she felt her face burning as if on fire.

It wasn’t just the warmth spreading from her forehead, but also the embarrassment from her own flustered reaction that left her at a complete loss for a moment.

Seeing this, Chen Yi gently tilted her head up and asked with a smile, "Eldest Sister, are you all right?"

"They’re just a pair of chopsticks. Don’t worry about picking them up. Just have Cui’er get you a new pair."

Hearing this, Cui’er quickly stood up, picked up the chopsticks, and said apologetically:

"Please forgive me, milady. It was my fault. I’ll go get you a new pair of chopsticks right away."

The others saw what had happened and mostly understood the situation, so they didn’t say anything.

Only Xiao Wuge, ever the precocious child, couldn’t help but laugh after figuring out what just happened.

"Sis, you should thank Brother-in-law."

"If Brother-in-law hadn’t stepped in, you would have cracked your head on the table corner."

This made Xiao Wan’er’s face flush an even deeper red. Her eyes darted about shyly, and she feigned a light slap at him.

"You’re talking nonsense! If anything was going to break, it would have been me... I mean... the table is quite hard."

She was clearly at a loss for words, and her explanation sounded rather feeble.

Stammering, Xiao Wan’er finally remembered the impropriety of the situation. She suppressed her embarrassment, lowered her head slightly, and offered her thanks.

Chen Yi just smiled. He knew she had simply been lost in thought, but he didn’t press the matter, not wanting to make the easily embarrassed Xiao Wan’er feel even more awkward.