If it hadn't been for this chance encounter, Lin He would have turned back immediately; she had no desire to clash with anyone from the Wen family on her very first day, nor did she wish to stir up any major commotion during her newlywed period, much less have her pleasant mood ruined by someone at a time like this.

Yet, this Wen Qingmo was simply too odious. Every word out of her mouth was poison, and the tone carried a sting that made one wish to slap her a few times. Lin He knew that avoiding her was impossible; as long as she lived in the Wen residence, she would inevitably cross paths with her.

However, being the newcomer, Lin He did not want to start a quarrel with Qingmo. She pretended not to hear the sarcasm in Qingmo's voice, merely offering a faint smile and saying, "It's not that I've never seen a lotus flower, it's just that I thought this one was blooming beautifully and stood a moment longer. Has my presence disturbed Miss Qingmo’s refined enjoyment?"

"Don't call me Qingmo. You have no right to call me Qingmo. Only people in my family are allowed to call me Qingmo," Wen Qingmo retorted, glaring fiercely at Lin He.

Lin He did not get angry but countered with a smile, "Oh? Miss Qingmo, perhaps you’ve forgotten. I have married your second elder brother. I am now your second sister-in-law, which technically makes me family. I’m not accustomed to calling people by their full names, and if I don't call you Qingmo, I can’t think of what else to use. Should I call you Mo’er or Qing’er? That seems too intimate for our relationship; I only use such nicknames for my own close family. I think calling you Qingmo is most appropriate."

Wen Qingmo blinked, taken aback by Lin He’s sharp tongue, and was momentarily speechless. After a pause, she managed to say, "That’s not what I meant. I mean you should call me Miss Qingmo or Miss Wen. You are not entitled to use any other name for me."

"Very well, Miss Wen. Since you insist, that is how I shall address you from now on. I wasn't aware that was the custom in your household. I suppose I must also call Grandmother 'Old Madam Wen' and Father 'Master Wen' from now on. I understand now," Lin He said with a sarcastic smile, walking past Qingmo.

Wen Qingmo was, after all, just a girl of twelve or thirteen, strictly speaking, still a child. She utterly despised this so-called second sister-in-law. She couldn't fathom why everyone in the family spoke so highly of her—Father called her sensible and capable, Third Brother called her intelligent, and even Second Brother, who rarely showed kindness to anyone, doted on her so much that he married her as the Second Young Mistress. Yesterday, during the tea ceremony, Grandmother also seemed quite fond of her. A country girl was unworthy of stepping foot inside the Wen family gates in the first place, and now she was so well-liked—it was simply infuriating.

Wen Qingmo had only intended to temper Lin He’s spirit by deliberately making an issue of her address, assuming the newcomer wouldn't dare cause trouble. She hadn't expected a country girl to be so quick-witted, not only silencing her with her own words but also suggesting, through Lin He's implied meaning, that she might report the matter to Father. If Father found out, it would surely result in another severe punishment; the confinement she received last time hadn't even ended yet.

However, Wen Qingmo was too proud to concede in front of Lin He. Watching Lin He walk away, she stamped her foot and glared resentfully as Lin He passed. Ningnuo, who was beside her, patted her hand and whispered something to Wen Qingmo, which seemed to slightly improve Qingmo’s mood. Ningnuo then walked over to Lin He and said with a smile, "Miss Lin, Qingmo is just speaking out of childish pique; you shouldn't take it to heart."

"Oh, is that so? But Miss Ningnuo seems to be taking it seriously. I am already married now; I am Ningxuan’s wife and can no longer be referred to as 'Miss,'" Lin He replied coolly, turning back.

Lin He clearly noticed that Ningnuo’s hand instinctively flinched when she mentioned being Ningxuan’s wife. It seemed this woman hadn't given up on Wen Ningxuan. Lin He truly couldn't understand it; didn't this woman have a home of her own? Why did she always reside at the Wen residence? What right did she have? She must have been staying here for quite some time already.

"Hmph, calling you 'Miss' is already elevating you. Do you expect Sister Ningnuo to address you as Second Young Mistress? One must be worthy of hearing such a title before being addressed as such," Wen Qingmo muttered, stepping forward again.

Ningnuo followed closely behind. Lin He found Wen Qingmo utterly tiresome; she hadn't provoked her, yet this girl kept publicly challenging her. Did Wen Qingmo truly think Lin He was someone she could bully at will?

Lin He frowned slightly, her expression calm as she stated, "Ningxuan is the second young master of your Wen family, and I am his lawfully wedded wife—the Second Young Mistress of the Wen family. I am worthy of being called that by anyone. If you have an objection, take it up with Father and demand that Second Young Master Ningxuan’s title be revoked. Otherwise, I will remain the Second Young Mistress of the Wen family for life." With that, Lin He prepared to leave, truly not wanting to waste more time on these two women.

Just as Lin He was about to go, she suddenly felt Qingmo, who was standing next to her, deliberately bump into her. As she turned to see what was happening, she was steadied by a pull from Ziqing and Ziyu. Presumably, Ziqing and Ziyu had been keeping a close watch and caught her when Qingmo bumped her.

When Lin He turned back, Qingmo was already stumbling toward the lotus pond. Ningnuo, on the other side, seemed frozen in place, watching Qingmo fall toward the water.

Qingmo plunged into the lotus pond, unable to swim, and began shouting for help. Lin He's eyes turned cold. Regardless of how Qingmo ended up in the pond, if Ziqing and the others hadn't caught her, she would have been the one falling in.

Ningnuo, seeing Qingmo fall, paused for a beat before loudly shouting, "Help! Miss Qingmo has fallen into the pond! Someone come quickly!" After shouting, she dispatched her maids to fetch help.

Whether the Wen residence was too vast or simply because no attendants were nearby, a short wait yielded no sign of help. Qingmo thrashed wildly in the pond, swallowing several mouthfuls of water, looking as if she were about to drown. While Qingmo was indeed irritating, Lin He didn't believe she deserved to die. However, jumping in to save her was out of the question. Thinking quickly, Lin He called out, "The water in the pond isn't deep; you can stand up!"

The pond water was indeed shallow. Qingmo had panicked upon falling, causing her thrashing. When Lin He called out, she managed to stand, bringing the water only up to her chest. However, the thick mud at the bottom made her footing unstable, causing her to sink deeper. Frightened, and with her maids gone to fetch help, she cried out for Ningnuo to pull her out.

Lin He clearly saw a flicker of distaste in Ningnuo’s eyes, yet she hesitated, unwilling to step forward. Seeing Qingmo sinking lower, Lin He reluctantly commanded Ziqing and Ziyu to pull the girl out.

When Ziyu and Ziqing hauled Qingmo onto the bank, the extent of her dishevelment was appalling—her hair was a mess, hairpins scattered everywhere, and her clothes were coated in mud. As she sat heavily on a stone slab in the courtyard after being pulled out, a distinct imprint was left on the rock. Lin He suppressed a smile; perhaps this spoiled young lady had finally learned a lesson.

Standing in the courtyard, Qingmo glared venomously at Lin He. "It was you! You made me fall into the pond! I won't let you off!"

Lin He laughed mockingly. What a perfect demonstration of the villain crying foul first. And as for the ingrate forgetting a kindness—this incident perfectly illustrated that too. She had clearly thrown herself toward the water, yet she blamed someone else. Did she even know what she was doing?

Ziyu, standing beside Lin He, could not bear to listen any longer. "Miss Qingmo, you shouldn't mistake kindness for malice. It was our Young Mistress who told us to pull you out, or you'd still be in that pond now. Furthermore, our Young Mistress was standing right here; how could she cause you to fall in? If anything, you tried to harm our Young Mistress."

Hearing Ziyu’s words, Qingmo sprang up from the ground and advanced toward Ziyu, intending to strike her. Lin He stepped forward, blocking her hand. "You have no right to hit my people. If you insist we caused you to fall in today, then by all means, make a scene," Lin He said before turning and leaving with Ziqing and Ziyu.

Qingmo remained behind, stamping her feet furiously. After a while, several maids and servants finally arrived. Seeing Qingmo’s state, many wanted to laugh but dared not. Eventually, Qingmo's own maid helped her back inside.