From childhood, though he wasn't the most spoiled, his father cherished him deeply, and consequently, others dared not treat him poorly in terms of clothing or provisions. He received quite a bit of such things himself over the year, but rarely did anyone put such effort into selecting them specifically for him. This jade hairpin was particularly precious in Wen Ningxuan's heart, so much so that he continued to use it for many years thereafter.

Upon arriving in Qinghe County, Wen Ningxuan had no time to accompany Lin He and the others out sight-seeing on the second day. Essentially, Lin He wouldn't see him all day. Every morning, Ziyu would report that the Second Young Master had already left, and by the time she went to bed at night, she’d report that the Second Young Master still hadn't returned. Lin He knew Wen Ningxuan was busy preparing for the new shop. Wen Ningxuan had said he invited Lin He to help him, but in truth, Lin He was there purely for leisure. Every day, she would take Ziyu out to wander the streets, buying quite a few novelties to bring back, which made Lin He feel she had gained something tangible from the trip.

However, on the fourth day of her stay, Lin He encountered something very strange. She had originally planned to accompany Wen Ningxuan to look at the shop premises, but when she woke up, Ziyu told her that the Second Young Master had said things weren't ready yet and to wait a few more days before viewing, encouraging her to go wherever she wished. He even provided his own attendant for them to use daily. Lin He couldn't very well remain confined to the inn all day, so she took the attendant and Ziyu out with her.

In one particular shop, Lin He discovered something quite peculiar. The establishment was named Yin Ruo Xuan, and it was quite large. The main merchandise was similar to that of Caidie Xuan, but this shop was easily more than twice the size of the Caidie Xuan in Tianxin Town. Moreover, it stocked virtually everything a woman could use, ranging from grand jewelry to tiny wooden combs, all categorized with meticulous detail.

When Lin He and Ziyu entered, the place was bustling with customers, suggesting that whoever could afford to own such a massive shop could not be an ordinary person. Lin He and the others browsed for a while; the goods inside were several times pricier than those at Caidie Xuan, despite having identical quality. Lin He surmised that the shop's name alone commanded a premium; many wealthy people preferred spending extra money at a grander establishment, ignoring the fact that a large shop didn't necessarily guarantee superior quality—it often merely represented a form of vanity, overlooking practical utility.

Lin He and Ziyu browsed casually and bought nothing. Just as they were about to leave, a person descended from the upper floor, causing Lin He and Ziyu to freeze in their tracks. Ziyu rubbed her eyes and exclaimed, "Miss, what is happening? Why is the proprietor here? Did you open this shop, Miss?"

Lin He shot Ziyu a look that was half-amused, half-exasperated; the girl had asked a truly funny question. Yet, she couldn't entirely blame Ziyu; the man descending from upstairs bore an eighty percent resemblance to her father, Er Niu, when seen from a distance. Even Ziyu had mistaken him. If they saw him on the street, others would surely confuse the two.

As the man approached, Lin He examined him closely. Indeed, he looked remarkably like her father, almost like a twin. However, he appeared about ten years younger than her father, and his attire was vastly different. She had just heard an employee address him as 'Manager,' so he must be the shop's manager.

Seeing Lin He and Ziyu staring intently at him, the man smiled and walked over, asking, "Ladies, is there anything I can assist you with?"

Hearing his voice, both Ziyu and Lin He were slightly stunned. The tone was extremely similar to that of her father, Er Niu. Could there truly be such look-alikes in this world? Lin He's intuition suggested a connection between this man and her father, yet she had never heard that her father had a twin brother. Furthermore, when her mother gave birth to Da Xiong and Xiao Xiong a few years prior, her grandfather had explicitly stated that no one in their entire lineage had ever given birth to twins. He certainly couldn't be her father's twin. However, if there was absolutely no connection, Lin He found it hard to believe.

Lost in these thoughts, Lin He replied, "Oh, nothing in particular. Your shop's business is clearly thriving; my maid and I were just looking around."

The man smiled and replied, "Very well. If you require anything, please signal one of the junior staff." With that, he politely walked away.

Afterward, Lin He took Ziyu for another stroll through the shop, covertly observing the manager. Finally, they selected a few miscellaneous items and returned to the inn. Back inside, Ziyu remarked, "Miss, that manager just now looked exactly like the proprietor! I initially thought the proprietor had come here too. Though, this man does seem a few years younger than the proprietor."

Lin He nodded, agreeing, "Yes, they are undeniably too similar. Something feels off. We'll stay up late tonight; when Ningxuan returns, I'll ask him to help me inquire about who this manager is." Besides, Lin He hadn't seen Wen Ningxuan for several days and wondered how his preparations were progressing.

Ziyu nodded. The two waited up late into the night, nearly drifting off to sleep, when a knock sounded at the door. Lin He assumed it was Wen Ningxuan returning. She tidied her hair and told Ziyu to open it. Wen Ningxuan’s tall, slender figure stood framed in the doorway. Although his body showed no obvious signs of exhaustion, a weariness was etched around his eyes and brows. Ziyu ushered Wen Ningxuan inside and then stepped out to guard the entrance.

Seeing that Lin He was still awake, Wen Ningxuan frowned. He walked over and sat beside her, speaking gently, "Why are you still up so late? If you needed something, you could have told the attendant or signaled a junior staff member, or simply let Ziyu stay up. I can leave later tomorrow."

"Mmm, it's no trouble. I don't have anything planned for the day, so I can just sleep in tomorrow," Lin He replied dismissively.

"No, young ladies shouldn't stay up so late; it's bad for your health. Go to sleep early tonight. I will wait for you to wake up tomorrow before I leave. Come now, go to bed, I’ll call Ziyu in to assist you." Wen Ningxuan said, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Don't! I have something to tell you," Lin He said urgently, reaching out to grasp Wen Ningxuan's hand.

Wen Ningxuan sighed, sat back down, and returned the grip on Lin He's hand, saying, "Tell me, what is so urgent that it cannot wait until morning?"

Lin He did not pull her hand away, letting him hold it, and said, "You leave early and return late every day; I haven't seen you for days. Is preparing the new shop very arduous?"

Wen Ningxuan toyed with Lin He's hand, smiling as he replied, "Are you worried about me, He'er? It's fine, just a few more days of this. It won't take long. Preparing a new shop is always like this. This Caidie Xuan will be ours eventually, and I want to make it bigger, so I’ve been a bit busy. It will be better in a few more days."