Episode Summary
The Shen family caters a high-profile party for the Grand Princess, leading to social clashes and an unexpected platform for Shaojie's modern ideas. Lin Yan secretly pays the family a huge sum of money, which his assistant sees as the perfect opportunity for Lin Yan to finally end his engagement with them.

Spoiler Alert
A Golden Opportunity
Lin Yan shows up with a big request for Shen Shaoguang. He wants her family to cater the Grand Princess's Qixi poetry party. This is a huge deal. The Shen family is a little worried. Shen Jianshe points out the full moon is coming soon. They don't want to get tangled in any more trouble.
But then Lin Yan mentions the payment. It's a single gold brick. Suddenly, the whole family changes their minds. They are all in.
Kitchen Chemistry and Party Prep
The parents head out to buy supplies. This leaves Shaoguang alone in the kitchen trying to get things ready. Her brother, Shen Shaojie, is useless and won't help. Lin Yan, worried the job is too much for them, shows up to lend a hand.
Shaoguang gives him her own apron and sleeve protectors. They share a few laughs while they work. It's a genuinely sweet moment. They talk about the Qixi Festival legend. Shaoguang shares her unique take on the story. Lin Yan completely agrees with her.
Later, at the party, Pei Pei arrives wearing clothes borrowed from Lin Yan. She looks surprisingly elegant. Lin Yan teases her about it. He implies her usual clothes are shabby. They have a little back-and-forth about it. The Grand Princess is very happy with the food. She even invites the Shen family to sit and eat with everyone. Li Fengxia pulls her husband aside. She warns him to keep his mouth shut and not cause any trouble.
Party Crashers and Class Clashes
This party is the biggest stage the Shen family has been on yet. And you know that means drama is on the menu.
An Unlikely Ally
The young owner of the Guixiang Restaurant, Liu Feng, is also at the party. His restaurant usually gets this catering gig. He recognizes the Shens. He's tried their Jianbing Guozi and lamb skewers in Juxian Alley. He tastes their osmanthus cake at the party and is seriously impressed.
He spots Shen Jianshe pouring wine into a jar to let it breathe. Liu Feng is curious. Shen Jianshe gives him a taste. Then he launches into a long-winded speech about his life philosophy.
The Inevitable Confrontation
A few of the noblemen are not happy. They don't like seeing the Shen family getting friendly with the Jingzhao Prefecture. One of them, a guy named Young Master Lu, decides to start something. Li Fengxia sees her husband talking too much and gets up to stop him. She accidentally bumps into Lu's cup.
Lu uses this as an excuse to go off. He starts insulting the Shen family for being merchants. Just as things get heated, Lin Yan steps in. He calmly points out that the Grand Princess is about to arrive. Making a scene would be a direct insult to her. Lu gets the message and backs off.
A Modern Man in an Ancient World
Shaoguang feels bad and wants to apologize for the scene. Lin Yan tells her not to. He says her family did nothing wrong. After they sit down, Shaojie can't hold back anymore. He starts talking about the prejudice against merchants and common people. He argues they deserve to be treated fairly. Liu Feng, who is also a merchant, is moved by his words. He praises Shaojie for his unique perspective.
Shaojie is just getting started. He then goes on a rant about marriage equality and rejecting male chauvinism. All the noble ladies sitting nearby are stunned. They've never heard anyone talk about respecting women before. The Grand Princess walks in and catches the end of his speech. She seems intrigued by his modern ideas. She even stops to give him a second look.
A Generous Offer and a Hidden Motive
After the party, the Shen family gets paid. The payment is several times higher than the gold brick they were promised. The Grand Princess then summons Shaoguang for a private meeting. She offers Shaoguang a full-time job as a chef in her personal mansion.
Shaoguang politely turns her down. She explains that her family are simple people. They don't understand courtly manners. She also says they plan to leave Yong'an in a few days. Shaoguang thanks the princess for being so tolerant about the incident at the party. The princess clarifies something. She says she only gave them a few extra bolts of silk. She didn't give them any extra money.
Shaoguang realizes what happened. Lin Yan paid them the huge bonus out of his own pocket. She tries to return the money. He refuses to take it back. He says it's his way of thanking her for helping him get an introduction to the Grand Princess. Shaoguang finally accepts it.
His assistant, Liu Chang, sees all of this. He notes that Lin Yan just gave away his entire salary from the last two years. He tells Lin Yan that the Shen family is now financially secure. They have no more worries. Then he says it. This is the perfect time for Lin Yan to officially break off his engagement to the Shen family.