"No, Xiao Mo, we're heading back tomorrow. There are things at home, so we can't stay long. Maybe next time," Er Niu said with a smile.

"Going back tomorrow? Isn't that too rushed? You only arrived yesterday. You don't need to be in such a hurry. I wanted to stay and explore for a few more days. He'er, you and Da Bao should come back with us too, right?" Xiao Mo was clearly reluctant to leave.

Wen Ningxuan, standing nearby, looked expectantly at Lin He. He hadn't anticipated they would be leaving the very next day; it was indeed rather sudden. Lin He nodded.

"Xiao Mo, if you still want to stay and play, you should stay a few more days. You don't have to return with us necessarily. Besides, isn't the Second Young Master also here? If you like it, stay a bit longer, and we'll have Uncle Wen come pick you up later," Da Bao joked.

In truth, everyone knew that Xiao Mo wanting to stay longer wasn't because he found the place particularly fun. It was simply because it was far from home, with the emperor a distant concern. Wen Ningxuan was constantly busy, with no one supervising him. He didn't have daily study sessions or mandated martial arts practice, nor did he face punishment. He secretly wished he could stay here indefinitely just to escape the strict oversight of his family.

Hearing Da Bao’s words, Xiao Mo shot him a glare, then replied with great reluctance, "I already promised Second Brother that I'd travel back with you all for mutual support on the road. Otherwise, Second Brother would have chased me back already. I might as well return with you. Ning Ruo, are you coming back with me?"

"I..." Ning Ruo didn't finish her sentence, her gaze fixed on Wen Ningxuan instead.

Unexpectedly, Wen Ningxuan didn't spare Ning Ruo a single glance, acting as if he didn't know her. It seemed that only because Ning Ruo arrived with Xiao Mo did he interact with her at all.

"I actually wanted to stay here longer. This place is much more interesting than Tianxin Town," Ning Ruo finally managed to say.

"How can you stay here alone? If anything happens, my mother will blame me again," Xiao Mo said.

"How am I alone? Isn't Brother Xuan here? If anything happens, I'll ask Brother Xuan for help," Ning Ruo countered.

"You came with Xiao Mo, so naturally, you should leave together. I also have things to attend to here and don't have the luxury of worrying about other matters. I wouldn't be able to explain things to my mother if I couldn't assist you," Wen Ningxuan stated coolly.

At this point, Ning Ruo couldn't press her case to stay any longer. She had no choice but to agree to return with Xiao Mo. Ning Ruo lowered her head, her eyes darting towards Lin He with a flicker of resentment. She had clearly seen the disappointment in Brother Xuan's eyes when he heard Lin He and the others were leaving. Yet, when it came to her, Brother Xuan was eager to send her away and dismissed her concerns as trivial matters. She thought to herself that she was in no way inferior to this country girl—why did Brother Xuan only see the ugly girl from the village?

Lin He sat by the table, sensing a gaze like an arrow piercing toward her. Lin He offered a faint smile; she knew immediately who it was. However, she was unconcerned, as it didn't directly involve her. Still, she couldn't understand why some people misread the situation entirely. Logically, that resentful look should have been aimed at Wen Ningxuan, so why was it directed at her? She was being blamed unjustly.

That day, Er Niu and Da Bao went to inspect the shops they had purchased. They reported that everything looked satisfactory. The next morning, they rose early to prepare for the journey. With Er Niu present, Wen Ningxuan and Lin He couldn't afford too much close contact. As they were leaving, Wen Ningxuan walked beside Lin He and quietly murmured, "I will finalize things here as quickly as possible and return."

Lin He nodded gently, and then the entire party set off. There were three carriages in total: Lin He’s family occupied one, Xiao Mo and Ning Ruo shared another, and the last carriage carried their accompanying staff and the items they had purchased locally.

The journey back was not rushed, but it lacked the leisurely pace of their arrival. On the fifth day, Lin He and Er Niu arrived home. Da Bao had disembarked at the town, announcing he wouldn't return yet as he needed to oversee the pastry shop.

When Er Niu and Lin He returned home, Huang Shi, seeing them alight, peered at the carriages, a hint of curiosity on her face when she saw only the two of them. Once Er Niu and Lin He were inside, she immediately inquired about the matter concerning the Third Brother. Er Niu relayed exactly what he, Lin He, and Da Bao had agreed upon: the person they encountered was not the Third Brother; he merely resembled him. Da Bao, being quite young at the time, didn't recall his Third Uncle’s features clearly, leading to the mistake. They had already inquired, and it was confirmed not to be their family's Third Brother.

Huang Shi was disappointed but accepted that it was out of their hands. She then asked why Da Bao hadn't returned. Er Niu explained that Da Bao had shop matters requiring his attention there. Lin He glanced around the house and noticed neither Chun'er nor Tao Hua were present. Huang Shi mentioned that she had intended to discuss this very matter. A few days prior, she had consulted her mother-in-law about sending the two girls back, as Da Bao hadn't shown interest in either. However, the elder woman refused, insisting they stay a while longer in case Da Bao changed his mind. If their home couldn't accommodate them, they could stay with the elder woman. Huang Shi was unsure how to proceed, so she had let Tao Hua and Chun'er stay with her mother-in-law for a few days, waiting for Er Niu’s return.

"Husband, I think Mother-in-law has a point. Since Da Bao hasn't found anyone suitable, perhaps he will one day. Keeping the two girls here won't cost much, and it will keep Mother-in-law happy. Maybe we should just let them stay," Huang Shi suggested.

"Don't interfere with Da Bao's affairs. I promised him a year to sort out his own life. If he hasn't found anyone suitable after a year, we can arrange things then. As for these two girls, I will speak to Mother tomorrow; they still need to be sent back," Er Niu declared.

"What one year? Why a whole year? His own affairs, what affairs does he have?" Huang Shi questioned.

"Don't ask so many questions. I gave him my word, and you shouldn't pry further," Er Niu replied.

Though confusion lingered in Huang Shi's eyes, she said no more, knowing her husband's decision was final. Er Niu continued, "There are some things in the carriage that the Second Young Master bought. Go check what they are. If they are valuable, have He'er put them away."

"The Second Young Master? Young Master Wen? He bought them? Is he still over there?" Huang Shi was clearly unfamiliar with Young Master Wen.