Episode Summary
Chai An tricks Lady Li into a costly qin scheme, but Kang Ning retaliates, leading to a back-and-forth battle of wits. Chai An's plan to boost business through a wine promotion backfires slightly, while Yang Xian's harassment of the Li family escalates into a major threat, demanding the third sister as his concubine.
Spoiler Alert
The drama continues in "Perfect Match" as Chai An, still fuming from a previous encounter, plots revenge against Kang Ning. He orchestrates a scheme involving a seemingly ordinary antique qin (a Chinese musical instrument) called "Bing Qing." Using a shopkeeper, Liao, as his pawn, Chai An tricks Lady Li into believing a wealthy customer has already placed a deposit of 30 guan on the instrument and is willing to pay 300 guan for it. Lady Li, seeing the forged contract, eagerly buys the qin for 180 guan, expecting a quick and substantial profit. However, the "wealthy customer" never materializes, and Lady Li realizes she's been swindled, losing most of her family's savings.
Lady Li, distraught and furious, initially tries to find Shopkeeper Liao, even throwing the qin away in her anger. Kang Ning, along with Chun Lai and others, searches for the qin, only to hear its music coming from Pan Tavern. There, they find Chai An playing "Bing Qing," confirming that Lady Li's deception was Chai An's elaborate trap. Kang Ning decides to turn the tables on him.
The next day, Chai An's mother, accompanied by her maid, visits a temple to pray. Following Kang Ning's advice, Lady Li appears, performing a series of devout bows, capturing the attention of Chai An's mother. Lady Li claims her prayers for marriage were answered and she's there to give thanks. Naturally, Chai An's mother, anxious about her son's marriage prospects, believes Lady Li and seeks guidance from the supposed "immortal." Later, while riding through the streets, Chai An is stopped by a sedan chair. Kang Ning confronts him about his interference in her sister's family affairs and his trickery with Shopkeeper Liao. Chai An, unfazed, retorts sarcastically, returning the 180 guan but deducting 30 guan, warning her to be more cautious in the future.
Chai An returns home, gloating, only to discover his mother has donated exactly 180 guan to build a Taoist temple. Kang Ning then sends a message to Chai An, thanking him for his "generous donation" and returning the remaining money, advising him that there's always someone better and he shouldn't be so arrogant. This back-and-forth fuels Chai An's interest in Kang Ning, impressed by her refusal to keep ill-gotten gains, although he still considers her rash.
Meanwhile, Liang Junqing, learning of Chai An's setback, plots his own revenge against Kang Ning, remembering a previous slap. Chai An devises a plan, writing calligraphy to promote fine wine and hiring the courtesan Lu Yanyan to parade through the streets, drawing attention away from the Si Fu Zhai. A spoiled brat named Yang Xian, following Liang Junqing's advice, harasses Shou Hua at the tea shop, only to be stripped naked by beggars summoned by Le Shan. This humiliation fuels Yang Xian's desire for revenge.
In another confrontation, Lady Li tries to attract customers to the Si Fu Zhai, but no one comes. Chai An's mother passes by and starts a fight, accusing Lady Li of being a fraud. Kang Ning intervenes, nearly falling, but is caught by Chai An. He persuades his mother to leave, and Lady Li, calming down, starts promoting her hangover soup, attracting customers. With Kang Ning's strategy, customers shift from Pan Tavern to the Si Fu Zhai, infuriating Chai An's mother.
Lady Li, having earned some money, buys accessories for her daughters, and the family enjoys a moment of happiness. However, Yang Xian, using a fabricated claim of lost pearls, targets the Li family. Fu Hui rushes to inform everyone. Kang Ning, fearing Le Shan's impulsiveness, disguises herself as her fifth sister and confronts Yang Xian. Yang Xian, captivated by the third sister's beauty, demands she become his concubine and steals her skirt as leverage, threatening to marry her off. The Li family faces a crisis, as they know reporting to the authorities is futile due to the Yang family's power. If Yang Xian presents the skirt in court, the third sister's reputation will be ruined.
