When Wen Ningxuan brought Lin He home that evening, Ziyu had already returned. Seeing Lin He, Ziyu couldn't stop complaining to Ling Xiao, "Miss, if you go out with the Second Young Master in the future, please don't ride horses anymore, shall we take the carriage? That man Ling Xiao nearly tormented me to death today. He's like a savage, so strong that a single grip on my arm leaves a red mark."

Lin He listened to Ziyu’s complaints and said with a smile, "Didn't you always say you wanted to find someone skilled in martial arts to teach you so you could better protect me? Isn't Ling Xiao a perfect teacher? Follow him and learn whenever you’re free."

"Have me learn from him? Forget it. I’d rather stay at this amateur level. Miss, I'm begging you, please stop riding horses when we go out. Look, isn't taking the carriage perfectly fine? I can even chat with you." Ziyu pleaded sweetly beside Lin He.

Lin He found Ziyu’s demeanor amusing and replied, "I have no issue with it, but this wasn't my arrangement. It was your Second Young Master’s decision. You sort it out with him, and I will certainly agree."

Upon hearing Lin He’s words, Ziyu’s face immediately fell. Talking to the Second Young Master was worse than being tormented by Ling Xiao. At least with Ling Xiao, she could complain and vent her frustrations if she was unhappy. With the Second Young Master, she barely had a say. Even though he seemed less aloof now than before, the thought of them presenting a request to him was terrifying. Moreover, the Second Young Master's good temper was reserved strictly for their own Miss. Alas, how pitiful.

Seeing Ziyu’s pitiful state, Lin He couldn’t bear to tease her further. She said, "Alright, I promise. When things get busy, we won't even have the leisure to ride horses anyway. From now on, we’ll take the carriage when we go out."

Hearing Lin He’s words, Ziyu’s eyes immediately lit up again, and she beamed next to Lin He, "Our Miss is the best! I knew you couldn't bear to see me tormented."

Lin He glanced at Ziyu and smiled, then sat in a chair inside the room, lost in thought. She recalled what Wen Ningxuan had told her while they were riding earlier. Wen Ningxuan’s exact words were: "You can ride yourself if you wish, but you must promise to marry me sooner rather than later, and always remember that I will be by your side, no matter what difficulties we face."

Lin He had been somewhat shy then and hadn't fully considered the implication behind those words. Thinking back now, she felt Wen Ningxuan wouldn't have said such a thing out of the blue. Lin He interpreted it to mean that perhaps someone in Wen Ningxuan's family, besides Uncle Wen, opposed their marriage, or at least that was what Wen Ningxuan believed.

Lin He had always felt that she and Wen Ningxuan hadn't spent enough time together, making her reluctant to finalize things too early. Having finally traveled to Qinghe County with Wen Ningxuan this time, Lin He felt her understanding of him growing day by day, and she was slowly beginning to sense his affection for her. Her heart had gradually offered tacit consent to the matter. She had resolved to agree the next time Wen Ningxuan brought it up, but today's statement left an unsettled feeling in her chest.

Although Lin He knew that having made the firm decision to be with Wen Ningxuan, she wouldn't easily back down because of some difficulties, she couldn't help but dwell on these matters. She couldn't pretend not to know, yet she couldn't ask him directly for clarification, leading to a string of restless conjectures.

Ziyu, seemingly noticing Lin He’s distraction, asked, "Miss, were you unhappy riding with the Second Young Master today? You seem to have something on your mind."

Lin He shook her head, looking at Ziyu. She was afraid that if she voiced her worries, the girl would obsess over them too. Besides, this was just her own speculation. Perhaps Wen Ningxuan had merely said it casually, and the 'difficulties' he mentioned might not be difficult at all. Lin He shook her head slightly and said, "It's nothing, just thinking about a few things. You returned early today, what did you do with the two maids?"

"In the afternoon, I taught them some needlework. Neither of them is very good. Yuegui is slightly better, she has some foundation, but Yuezhi is quite poor. She’ll probably need a while longer to learn how to sew clothes. Fortunately, they are both diligent. After finishing their chores, they worked with me for a long time. I told them that after they finish cleaning the kitchen later, I'll bring them in here to work too," Ziyu replied.

"Ask them to come here to work, it will be livelier with more people. The Second Young Master has business tonight, so he probably won't be over. I'll watch you work on your embroidery for a while," Lin He suggested.

Ziyu nodded and went out to call the two younger maids in. The two girls didn't know Lin He well yet; when they entered the room, they dared not sit down, yet standing seemed awkward. Lin He smiled and said, "You sit here and work with Ziyu. I'll watch you for a bit. If you don't know what to do, just ask me. I told you, as long as you handle your regular duties well, you are free to pursue things you enjoy."

After speaking, she gestured for them to sit at the table. Seeing they were still quite uneasy, Lin He didn't force them. Instead, she deliberately chatted with Ziyu, telling jokes to keep the atmosphere in the room as relaxed as possible. The two maids watched them laugh and joke, their tension eased, and they sat down to do their embroidery, quietly asking Ziyu when they didn't know what to do. Ziyu smiled and said, "If you don't know, you can ask Miss too. Miss's embroidery is better than mine, and the clothes she makes are stunning. Didn't you say the Miss's clothes are beautiful? She made them all herself."

Lin He looked at them, softly asking where they were struggling and patiently explaining how to proceed. The two maids saw how Lin He spoke in a gentle and soft voice, never showing annoyance, and patiently teaching them again and again for anything they didn't grasp. Slowly, they became bolder and dared to speak a sentence or two to Lin He occasionally. Lin He exchanged a smile with Ziyu, and the four of them spent the evening studying embroidery and sharing jokes, and time quickly passed.

Time flew by quickly; unnoticed, five or six days had already passed since they arrived. For the past few days, Wen Ningxuan said the land transfer on the other side hadn't been finalized, so construction couldn't begin. However, Wen Ningxuan came over every evening to learn bookkeeping from Lin He and discuss the factory construction plans. Sometimes, if he arrived early, he would eat there; other times, if he missed dinner, he would still stop by later to spend some time with Lin He and chat.

But Lin He noticed that Wen Ningxuan seemed rushed whenever he arrived at the small courtyard, suggesting he rarely had a moment of leisure. The time he spent with her was clearly carved out of a packed schedule. Lin He had told him not to bother coming if he was too busy, assuring him that she was perfectly fine with Ziyu and the others keeping her company. Wen Ningxuan would verbally agree but still made a point of visiting every day. Lin He couldn't do anything but let him be.