Lin He didn't rush to pull her hand back, just nodded and said, "Yes, then you just need a few more days. Don't tire yourself out so much. There's no need to rush things. Look at you, you've only slept for a few hours a day; this lack of sleep will wear your body out." Wen Ningxuan looked at Lin He, nodded, and then lowered his gaze to the hand he held—Lin He's hand. Her fingers were beautiful, slender, and long, though there were faint calluses on her palm. Lin He felt Wen Ningxuan's hand was a bit cool, guessing it must have been quite cold outside in this weather.

The two sat in silence for a long while, yet their hearts felt immensely steady. After waiting a bit longer, Wen Ningxuan stood up and said, "Go to sleep early. Once I'm done with this rush, I'll have time to spend with you. Don't wait up for me. In the future, just tell the manservant if you need anything."

Wen Ningxuan mentioning this reminded Lin He that she still needed to discuss her main business. So, she recounted the day's events to him. Wen Ningxuan replied, "I know of Yin Ruoxuan. It's the largest cosmetics shop within a hundred li, but it only opened in the last few years. I'm not entirely clear on where the manager came from. I'll have someone inquire tomorrow and we can discuss it when I return. I'll wait for you to be awake for dinner the day after tomorrow. Make sure to sleep early tomorrow night; don't wait for me."

With that, Wen Ningxuan walked out. At the door, Lin He could still hear him instructing Ziyu to ensure Lin He went to bed early and not stay up so late anymore. Lin He smiled from inside the room, feeling an intense sweetness; she deeply enjoyed this sensation of being cherished and protected.

When Lin He awoke on the morning of the third day, Wen Ningxuan was indeed not out. The manservant reported that the Second Young Master was waiting for her in his rooms. Lin He quickly tidied herself and went to Wen Ningxuan's room. He seemed to have been awake for quite some time, reading a book by the table. Upon seeing Lin He enter, he put the book down. Lin He chided him, "Why aren't you getting more rest when you have the time? You're up so early."

"I'm used to it. When I was very young, my Master made us practice martial arts, requiring us to rise very early. After so many years, when a certain time arrives, I simply cannot sleep," Wen Ningxuan replied with a smile.

"Regarding the manager of Yin Ruoxuan, I had someone look into it. They said the manager is named Zeng Weiliang, but where he truly originates isn't clear. Some say he came from the Capital. Their current shop was purchased by his wife's family the year before last. However, this Zeng Weiliang married into his wife's family, which is why he carries her surname. I don't know his former name. In essence, all this wealth belongs to his wife's lineage, but he manages it now. If we need a more detailed inquiry, it will take more time. Does He'er wish to continue investigating?" Wen Ningxuan continued.

"Oh, I see. Then there's no rush. Since your shop is opening here, you'll naturally need to come often in the future. Once the shop is fully set up, you can send someone to look into this matter then," Lin He said.

Wen Ningxuan nodded and didn't press the matter further. Lin He was still processing his words. In truth, over the past two days, Lin He had considered everything about the household. She harbored a suspicion, but wasn't entirely certain, planning to discuss it with her parents when she returned to see if there was any possibility of confirmation.

When Lin He finished contemplating and came back to herself, she saw Wen Ningxuan still sitting nearby and asked, "Don't you need to go to the shop today?"

"I do, but after you finish breakfast, I'll take you over to look. I'll have Ziyu bring breakfast here, alright?" Wen Ningxuan inquired.

Lin He nodded. After having breakfast together, Lin He followed Wen Ningxuan to the newly opened shop. Upon arrival, Lin He was quite taken aback. She had expected a scale similar to the Cai Die Xuan in Tianxin Town; she hadn't anticipated it being this large.

The building was just an empty shell, yet to be decorated. Based on imagination alone, Lin He couldn't picture what it would look like fully renovated. But the structure was vast, even slightly larger than Yin Ruoxuan. The shop occupied two stories, connecting two adjacent buildings, with a shared doorway between them. It seemed Wen Shu truly adored Wen Ningxuan to allow him to open such a grand establishment, which must have cost a fortune in this location.

It was no wonder Wen Ningxuan had been so busy; he must have spent the last few days just inspecting the property. Wen Ningxuan spoke, "He'er, what do you think of this place? Do you like it? This will be ours from now on. We'll likely need to spend a portion of every year here. If you don't like it, I can find another one."

Hearing Wen Ningxuan’s words, Lin He grasped his underlying meaning, but this made it genuinely difficult for her to answer, so she remained silent, pretending to examine the layout of the building. Wen Ningxuan then led her to the back courtyard, which Lin He preferred even more than the shop front. The courtyard was separated from the main shop by a stretch of stone-paved path, leading to an archway, beyond which lay a small yard. Though called a 'small yard,' it was quite sizable, containing several rooms, but both the rooms and the courtyard were currently empty, revealing no clear layout.

Noticing the fondness in Lin He's eyes, Wen Ningxuan smiled faintly and said, "As long as He'er likes it."

After viewing the shop, Wen Ningxuan escorted her back to the inn. He said, "He'er, this shop will take a long time to finish the renovations. I fear I'll have to stay here for quite a while. If you stay here too long, your family will certainly worry. I need to return in a few days anyway; would it be convenient if I took you all back with me then?"

Lin He knew that setting up such a large store would take months just for the decoration, and since this was Wen Ningxuan's, he would naturally have to oversee it. She couldn't stay here indefinitely; it had already been over ten days. She had agreed with her mother to be away for about half a month, so her mother would likely start fretting in a few more days. Returning then would be perfectly timed.

Thinking this over, Lin He nodded. However, seeing Wen Ningxuan so busy these past few days did cause her some concern. She said, "It's good that you can send me back. While you're at it, take a few of your personal maidservants and manservants with you. You are too busy here; someone needs to look after you."

Wen Ningxuan was about to say it wasn't necessary, but realizing that if he dismissed her concern, Lin He would inevitably worry more, he nodded in agreement. Wen Ningxuan then said, "Since there isn't much to do today anyway, the renovation workers haven't all arrived. I'll spend the day taking you out sightseeing. You've traveled so far; you should buy some things for your family back home."

"Buy more? I bought a whole heap of things a few days ago. I'm already worrying about how to carry it all back. If I buy more, you might need to arrange a separate carriage just for my purchases," Lin He said with a laugh.

"Then we'll simply arrange another carriage for your things; it's no great matter," Wen Ningxuan replied with genuine earnestness.