The days Wen Ningxuan spent were like this for many years until he was nearly twelve when his father finally returned, vowing never to leave again and spend more time at home.

His father expanded the family business in town and stayed home more often now. With his status elevated once more, Wen Ningxuan appeared in public frequently these days. As he grew older and wiser, no longer confined by rules as before, Lady Wen naturally ceased restricting him - though she could never have stopped him anyway.

Wen Ningxuan gradually reemerged into the family's view, and people began to know more about this second son. More importantly, his father recognized him as a promising heir and started treating him with respect accordingly.

These past few years brought Lin He into his life. The days were relatively peaceful - no one kept watch over him anymore, or could even if they wanted to.

When he returned from school in the capital, his father offered him management of several family shops. Although Wen Ningxuan refused at first, he proposed instead that if these shops were handed over entirely, they should break all ties with the Wen clan, paying back profits gradually as they earned them. Unexpectedly, his father agreed immediately to this arrangement.

His father's goal was clear - letting his son take charge of their enterprises. Any method would suffice as long as the son accepted. When Wen Ningxuan made such a proposal, he naturally agreed without hesitation first.

Actually, his father knew well that he wasn't young anymore. All these businesses were built from scratch through years of hard work. The eldest son Wen Ningchen was originally supposed to inherit them. But deep in his heart, the old man knew this son lacked both capability and character - mediocre talent mixed with timid nature, greedy for pleasures. Younger brother Wen Nimeng was still too small, so all hopes were placed on Wen Ningxuan.

After saying these words, Wen Ningxuan pulled Lin He closer to his chest and murmured, "This is my whole life since childhood. Did hearing this disappoint you?"

"What am I disappointed about?" Lin He was still lost in thought over Wen Ningxuan's childhood memories when she asked absentmindedly.

A child of just a few years old enduring such experiences - Lin He had never imagined anything like that. Though no one physically abused him, Lady Wen's cold treatment through complete isolation constituted psychological cruelty. Forbidding a small child from any contact with the outside world must have been unbearably difficult - it was clear why he developed this personality in later years.

He wasn't pretending to be cold-hearted for show; sometimes truly not knowing how to interact, such behavior became subconscious self-defense mechanism.

Thankfully Wen Ningxuan had a strong character. Otherwise childhood isolation often leads to extreme behaviors, as seen with many serial killers and people suffering mental breakdowns in history caused by similar treatment.

Thinking of this, Lin He felt heartache and regret at not meeting him sooner. She hugged herself tighter into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder while tears welled up in her eyes.

For a long moment Wen Ningxuan just held her silently. Then he remembered asking that question earlier - worried she might see through to the ordinary man beneath his elegant public facade who struggled hard to reach this status, maybe not even as good as she imagined.

Understanding completely now, Lin He sat up straight and smiled sweetly at him, "From the day we met, you've never been just the second son of Wen family in my eyes - only Wen Ningxuan himself. And he's always been perfect to me."

Wen Ningxuan looked into her eyes as warmth flooded his heart, melting away years of coldness. His vision blurred with emotion as he buried his face deeper into her silky hair, finally finding someone who loved him more than his own mother did - not for any reason but simply because he was himself.

After a while Lin He sat up in his arms and asked, "Grandmother still hasn't questioned about today's incident yet. When Father returns tonight will she summon us again?"

Wen Ningxuan kissed her lips gently before replying, "No one would dare tell Father what happened. Even Miss Qingmo's comments about you might result in punishment if known by him. Mother will surely find a way to keep Grandmother from mentioning it - especially since Miss Qingmo is favored by Grandmother who wouldn't want to see her punished."

"But with such an uproar, really no one will notice?" Lin He asked skeptically.

"Whether Father truly knows or not doesn't matter," Wen Ningxuan teased by poking her nose, "What matters most is whether he wants to know, right?"

Lin He nodded in understanding. The Wen household was large with many people, yet Master Wen as the patriarch returned home every day and surely knew everything through his network of informants. Some trivial issues were simply ignored for family harmony's sake - keeping everyone in check without causing major conflicts.

But Lin He wasn't going to overthink this minor incident anyway. After all, someone falling into a lotus pond on such weather was hardly life-threatening. Simply pulling her out and changing clothes would fix it instantly. It was just another typical drama created by bored women needing something to do.

Feeling suddenly light-hearted, Lin He looked outside where the sky still held daylight and asked, "You came back quite early today, already settled all shop matters?"

"Not yet," Wen Ningxuan smiled, "There were too many things this morning that kept me busy. But when I heard my wife might be frightened by those women, I rushed back immediately."