Wen Xi’s steps faltered, her heart skipping a beat. She clutched the tea tray, fighting to keep the tremor in her hands from betraying her. But the slight trembling of her body gave her away, and a flicker of annoyance crossed Lu Qinghan’s eyes. He sat on the sofa, legs crossed, and his thin lips parted. “Am I so terrifying?” he asked, his voice low. “You can’t even pour water without shaking?” Wen Xi averted her gaze, her own hands clenched into fists. “It's my first time serving a guest of your stature,” she said, her head bowed. “I’m just… nervous. Please, excuse me.” Seeing her still looking utterly terrified, Lu Qinghan looked away. He must be more exhausted than he thought. There was no way this woman could be Mu Shuyu. He waved a dismissive hand. Wen Xi didn't dare linger, scrambling back to her own home through the rear entrance. She shut the door and sagged against it, the breath she’d been holding finally releasing in a slow, shaky sigh. Thank God he hadn't recognized her… In the living room, Lu Qinghan watched her hasty retreat, his gaze darkening. “Does the Mu family have a cherry blossom tree?” “Yes, sir. Behind the house,” Butler Zhang replied. Behind the house, in the small, sun-starved courtyard of Wen Xi’s home, stood a single cherry blossom tree. Lu Qinghan nodded. That explained it. Just then, a crisp female voice called out, “Fourth Master.” Lu Qinghan looked up to see Mu Shuyu descending the staircase. She wore a pale pink lace gown, her makeup flawless, her arm linked with her mother's, Mrs. Ou He. Her father, Mu Jiangde, who had been walking ahead of them, hurried over. “Mr. Lu, my apologies for the wait! To what do we owe the pleasure…?” Lu Qinghan’s gaze shifted from the father to Mu Shuyu. “I’m here to discuss my engagement to your daughter.” Engagement? A stunned silence fell over the room. Mu Shuyu, however, was beaming. So this was how he intended to make things right! Mu Jiangde and Ou He, having already heard their daughter’s account of the previous night, exchanged a silent, gleeful look. In just two days, news that the Fourth Master of the Lu family was to be engaged to Mu Shuyu spread through every corner of Beicheng, splashed across the headlines of hundreds of news outlets. Mu Shuyu was the talk of the town. Meanwhile, in the Mu family’s back kitchen, Butler Zhang slapped a list of ingredients down in front of Wen Xi, ordering her to have everything prepared before she slept. Wen Xi knew perfectly well he was tormenting her on purpose. The Lus were due to visit the next day, and the entire Mu household had been in a flurry of preparations all afternoon. Wen Xi, however, had been at the hospital with her sick mother and had only just returned. It was past eleven at night by the time Wen Xi finished. She was locking up the kitchen, ready to go home, when she came face to face with Mu Shuyu, who was just returning from her night out. Before Wen Xi could utter a word, Mu Shuyu’s expression hardened. She strode forward and struck her hard across the face. A sharp sting radiated across Wen Xi’s cheek. The knot of anxiety that had been tightening in her chest all day constricted painfully. Why was she so furious? Had Lu Qinghan recognized her after all?