The woman in the room quickly stepped forward to comfort the old lady. Only Wen Fu Ren, Qing Mo, and Ning Nu remained seated at their seats with grim expressions, especially Ning Nu, who briefly flashed a savage look before masking it again as she joined them to soothe the elderly matriarch.

Wen Shi Xiang alone observed everyone's expressions from his seat. Rising with a jaded expression, he muttered, "Well then, no more entertainment for me today." Without glancing back at the old lady's furrowed brows, he strode out of the room.

Outside Wen Niu Xuan and Lin He were walking away from the courtyard. Though Wen Niu Xuan's face remained impassive, his palm pressed against Lin He's felt icy cold. She could tell he was still upset about the incident.

As they returned to their own quarters, Zi Qing withdrew first. Once inside, Wen Niu Xuan sat on the bed with Lin He cradled in his arms. Burying his face in her chest for a long moment without speaking.

Lin He gently stroked his silken hair like woven silk, pressing closer into his embrace in silence.

After some time, he lifted his head to say, "He Er, let's move out of this estate. If you're willing, we could go to Qinghe County where there's a small villa you loved so much. We have shops there and can live permanently. Even if you miss being near your family, I own another residence nearby."

Lin He smiled knowing he was upset about protecting her today. Resting her head on his shoulder, she whispered, "Don't be silly - this is your home. Where else would we live? Such incidents aren't daily affairs but mere coincidences. Besides, even if you hadn't come, I wouldn't have let anyone mistreat me."

"Oh?" Wen Niu Xuan's brow lifted curiously.

"Though Old Lady can be strict, she still distinguishes right from wrong. If she truly hated me, she would've used the family law already instead of letting me speak freely. And honestly, I don't think she dislikes me."

"I know that," he sighed, eyes full of worry. "If not for her protection, my mother never could have accepted you. But I refuse to let you suffer through these things. When I married you, it was so you'd be happy."

"Yes but moving away every time isn't the solution," she murmured against his neck. "This is your home after all - where you grew up. I want to know about those years too. Besides, Father has been so kind to us. If we just ran off with his son, would that be fair?"

Though Lin He said this aloud, in her heart she was already planning how to handle these challenges. As a modern woman, she wouldn't blindly follow ancient rules if something serious happened - the old adage about fighting or fleeing still applied.

More importantly, living here meant understanding Wen Niu Xuan's past and his roots. She knew he wouldn't have left this family long ago unless truly desperate. Beneath that cold exterior was a deeply sentimental man connected to his blood relatives.

And finally there was Uncle Wen - despite the family's wrongdoings toward him, her uncle had always been genuinely kind. His unwavering support of their relationship showed just how much he loved Wen Niu Xuan. To leave now would be cruel after all that care.

Her eyes bright with mischief as she looked up at him, "Ning Xuan, tell me about your childhood in this house?"

"Want to know?" He smiled tenderly.

And so he began his story...

My mother died when I was nearly four years old. Before then I lived happily though her status as a concubine meant she served tea like any other servant. But Father doted on her, granting her respect equal to my stepmother - perhaps even more.

In large families, titles often matter less than favor. Since Mother only had me, she showered all her love upon me. My brotherless childhood was filled with attention surpassing even the eldest son's. Perhaps this very affection doomed us...

Mother began as a foundling raised by my stepmother since birth - though technically an adopted daughter, in practice just another servant girl. She never resented it, accepting her fate until seventeen when she met Father during a marriage proposal.

Grandfather and Father had come to discuss the union with our family when Mother accidentally spilled tea while serving. My stepmother's mother publicly slapped her bloody for it. Father intervened then - that brief moment changed everything.

Though their romance remains unclear, within months he demanded my stepmother accept her as his concubine against all opposition. Mother never sought such power though she loved Father deeply from childhood. She only wished to protect me and live quietly with the man who had taken her in...

But jealousy follows power. With so many women vying for Father's attention, Mother became a target whenever he traveled. Sometimes it was Old Lady, sometimes my stepmother or even other concubines - always new cruelties until she finally broke.

When Father returned home from his last journey, Mother had already been buried beneath the soil. He wept bitterly at her grave before announcing to our household that I would henceforth be recognized as a legitimate son under my stepmother's name - the second master of Wen family.