Truthfully, the words of reproach Wen Ningchen spoke in Wen Ningxuan's courtyard held little genuine anger; it was merely that being caught in such a compromising situation by so many family members had been a blow to his pride, especially since he remained blissfully unaware that he had served as Wen Ningxuan's scapegoat the night before.

Regarding the events of the previous night, Wen Ningchen harbored a small, secret thrill of delight; otherwise, he doubted he would ever have managed to get close to Ningnuo in any meaningful way.

Now, hearing his mother bring up last night's incident, Wen Ningchen certainly wouldn't recount every detail; he merely narrated the sequence of events, though he didn't entirely distort the facts.

Mrs. Wen listened, regarding Wen Ningchen with a look of disappointed exasperation. How could she not know the true character of her own son? However, she was determined to hold Wen Ningxuan and his wife accountable for this matter later; there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with that couple once this immediate crisis passed. As the thought crossed her mind, a flicker of venomous resentment crossed Mrs. Wen's face.

After a long pause, Mrs. Wen turned to Wen Ningchen and said, "Chen'er, you are not a boy anymore. You must settle down. Your father's health is not what it was two years ago. If you intend to take over the Wen family, you absolutely must secure your father's approval. Recently, your father has placed increasing importance on the Second Child. If you don't focus now, your father might just hand the position of family head over to him. The Second Child and we have never been on good terms; if he rules in the future, we likely won't have an easy time of it."

Hearing his mother’s words, Wen Ningchen anxiously asked, "Mother, did Father tell you he intends to hand the position of family head to the Second Child?"

"Not explicitly yet, but after decades as husband and wife, I can guess some of his thoughts. If you were a bit clearer in your mind, you could see it too," Mrs. Wen replied with extreme exasperation.

Wen Ningchen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Mother, I am the eldest son of the Wen family. When Father gets old, the position of family head should rightfully pass to me. The Second Child is merely the son of a concubine; what right does he have to the headship? Besides, Grandmother would never allow it."

Mrs. Wen shook her head at Wen Ningchen's display. "Ever since the Second Child married, your father's affection for that couple has been impossible to hide. Even your Grandmother has noticed, yet you remain completely oblivious. And now this scandal has occurred—you are going to drive me to my grave with worry!"

Wen Ningchen recalled the things his father had done and said since the Second Child took a wife, and indeed, it was as his mother claimed. A sudden panic seized him. "Mother, then what should we do now? Why don't we think of a way to make him slip up before Father makes a final decision, or perhaps just drive the Second Child out of the Wen family altogether? Didn't we do the same when we were children and kick him out of our courtyard?"

Wen Ningchen remembered how, shortly after the Second Child's mother died, his father had arranged for Wen Ningxuan to stay in their courtyard. His mother had told him then that because Wen Ningxuan was staying there, his father’s favoritism would shift away from him. To regain his father's love, he had to drive Wen Ningxuan away. His mother had instructed him to deliberately provoke Wen Ningxuan until he fought back, and to make sure he did it when their father was home. When he threw things, he was told to deliberately not dodge. After several such incidents, their father did indeed send Wen Ningxuan away, confirming that he still loved Wen Ningchen the most and didn't care about Wen Ningxuan anymore.

Mrs. Wen laughed in exasperation at her son's childish suggestion. "Do you think the Second Child is as easy to deal with now as he was as a child? If it were that simple, I would have driven him out long ago. Now that he has a wife, and that wife is so favored by your father, plus they supply the inventory for the shops—driving them out is no easy feat."

"Mother, if you say this way won't work and that way won't work, then should we just hand the position of family head over to the Second Child?" Wen Ningchen asked petulantly.

"Chen'er, don't worry about this matter for now. I am still here watching over you; your father must at least show some regard for my standing. Besides, there is still your Grandmother. You need to show some initiative during this time and manage yourself properly. The most pressing issue right now is this troublesome situation with Ningnuo."

"I originally thought we couldn't touch Li Yuzhen, so we had to start with Ningnuo, sending her away for now. But what Ningnuo just said has some merit. You know Ningnuo comes from a good family, and her household has significant business dealings with ours. If you marry her, it will bring considerable benefits to you inheriting the position of family head. Moreover, Ningnuo is far more suited to be the Eldest Young Mistress of the Wen family than Li Yuzhen," Mrs. Wen mused aloud.

Wen Ningchen glanced at Mrs. Wen and whispered, "Mother, why don't we divorce Li Yuzhen? I haven't wanted that woman for a long time. She is not only utterly foolish but also cheap-minded. I never would have married her if it weren't for her father and brother back then."

"No, Li Yuzhen cannot be divorced yet. Although her father and brother are troublesome, as long as Li Yuzhen is part of our family, they will always be of some use. However, I just thought of a solution that allows us to bring Ningnuo in without divorcing Li Yuzhen—but this will require Li Yuzhen's agreement," Mrs. Wen said, a mysterious look crossing her face.

"Mother, what solution? Tell me, if it can work, I will persuade Li Yuzhen," Wen Ningxuan urged.

Mrs. Wen smiled faintly. "We will bring Ningnuo in as a secondary wife, equal in rank to Li Yuzhen. We will arrange separate courtyards for them; both will hold the status of Wen family Young Mistress."

Wen Ningchen pondered this for a moment, then burst into an almost delirious joy. "A secondary wife? Mother, wonderful, this idea is brilliant! This way, both women are in the household, and both of their families are useful to us. Mother truly favors me; this method is simply too good! But I have heard of secondary wives, yet our Wen family has never had one. Do Father and Grandmother agree to this?" After his excitement, Wen Ningchen asked with renewed concern.

"Getting Grandmother's approval should be easier. Your Grandmother has doted on you since childhood, and she has always felt Li Yuzhen was beneath you. Now that Ningnuo is clearly superior to Li Yuzhen, she likely won't object too strongly. We will simply coax her a little, and I don't fear her refusal."

"As for your father, you might have to suffer a bit. If necessary, allow him to give you a beating, and then I will speak to him again. But no matter what, when you speak to others, simply say that you and Ningnuo are deeply in love and that you will marry no one else—say nothing more. Do not mention the Second Child at all, or you will only make things worse," Mrs. Wen instructed.