Lin He originally thought he was joking again, and was just about to get angry, but as she turned around and saw the depth of affection in his eyes, her heart softened. The hand that was pushing him changed to circle his neck as she laughed, "Silly man, I am your wife; of course I care about you the most. Who else would you want me to care about?"

Seeing the little woman’s playful demeanor, Wen Ningxuan smiled slightly, pulled her closer into his embrace, rested his chin on top of her head, and held her tight, saying no more. Lin He leaned obediently into his arms, listening to the strong beat of his heart, and only then did her own heart feel settled.

Although it had only been a day since last night, and although Lin He was outwardly going about her usual business, only she knew the turmoil within. Doing anything felt unsettled; she constantly felt like something was weighing on her mind. Only now did Lin He realize it was because she had grown so accustomed to his presence over this long time.

After leaning against each other quietly for a while, Wen Ningxuan suddenly lowered his head and studied her intently. Then, with slender fingers, he lifted the chin of the woman in his arms and said with a half-smile, "Little girl, from now on, you are forbidden to plead for any other man, forbidden to set your heart on any other man, and absolutely forbidden to distrust your husband for someone else’s sake. Otherwise, severe punishment awaits. Do you understand?"

Lin He rolled her eyes. This man was truly petty, getting angry for so long over such a trivial matter, and now demanding explicit confirmation. Lin He smiled faintly, blinking her large eyes, and asked him with genuine bewilderment, "Husband, what does 'severe punishment awaits' mean?"

"Want to know?" Wen Ningxuan queried, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm," Lin He nodded, intensely curious.

"As you wish." After saying this, Wen Ningxuan flipped over, pinning Lin He beneath him. Immediately, his lips descended, while his hands were far from idle, beginning to tear at Lin He’s clothing. At this point, Lin He finally understood what this so-called "severe punishment" entailed.

Lin He quickly grabbed his hands, her face flushing crimson, and whispered, "Stop. Ziyu will be here soon to call us for dinner, she might..."

"She won't. The door is locked; no one dares disturb us." Before she could finish speaking, Wen Ningxuan leaned down, his mouth pressing onto her tender lips, lingering and deepening the kiss, sucking and licking with possessive hunger.

His large hands simultaneously roamed freely over her pliant body, quickly reaching the intimate place beneath her robes. Lin He deeply regretted asking such a foolish question, but it was clear this man wouldn't stop now. The thought of being teased by Ziyu later made her cheeks burn even deeper, unaware that this very look only intensified the man’s desire.

Suddenly, the man who was kissing her abruptly drew back, his blazing eyes fixed on her soft, alluring gaze. Lin He felt a momentary easing, thinking he intended to stop. But in the very next instant, he effortlessly swept her up into his arms. She instinctively clung tightly to his neck, her clear, captivating eyes looking at him with shy anticipation.

Arriving at the bedside, he gently set her down, then leaned over her, his breathing slightly heavy. His gaze was fierce as fire, as if he meant to swallow her whole. Lin He watched Wen Ningxuan’s Adam's apple bob several times, and her own heartbeat uncontrollably quickened...

After their lovemaking, looking at the small woman lying weakly against his chest, Wen Ningxuan chuckled softly, leaning close to her ear, and whispered, "This time was just a small punishment. If there is a next time, I won't let you off so easily. Do you understand?"

Lin He glanced up at him, then adjusted herself in the bedding to a more comfortable position, deciding to let the matter rest for a while and prioritize resting; she was utterly exhausted.

Wen Ningxuan watched her curl up in the covers like a small kitten, and chuckled softly, "Tired?"

"Mmm, a little tired," Lin He replied listlessly.

"Then you sleep for a while. When you wake up, shall I have Ziyu bring food?" Wen Ningxuan asked, stroking her face.

"Mhm," Lin He nodded vaguely in the pillows.

Wen Ningxuan kissed her forehead lightly, then got out of bed to wash up. When he returned to the room, he saw the person in bed hadn't fallen asleep, but was simply lying there with wide eyes, completely still. Wen Ningxuan sat by the bed, stroked her cheek, and asked with a smile, "Weren't you tired?"

Lin He shifted her head onto Wen Ningxuan's thigh and looked up at him, saying, "Ningxuan, have you looked at the account books I retrieved from Mother?"

Wen Ningxuan nodded, staring at her for a moment before saying, "You don't need to worry about these things. As for assisting Mother in managing the household affairs, we will go tell Father in a couple of days."

Lin He smiled inwardly, knowing this troublesome matter would certainly be handled by him. However, she still felt slightly annoyed that he hadn't helped her push this responsibility away last night, so she deliberately pouted, saying, "Why not? Isn't assisting Mother in managing the house good? If I were in charge in the Wen family, everyone would certainly flatter me, and no one would dare make trouble for me. I like being in charge."

"Is that so? If my lady thinks it’s a good thing, then I won't mention it to Father. And if any trouble arises in the future, don't come looking for me; you’ll have to handle it all yourself," Wen Ningxuan said with a light smile.

"Mmm, what trouble is there in managing the household? Besides, I'm only assisting Mother in managing it now; I can certainly handle it," Lin He said, blinking her eyes.

"Very well. Then my lady can focus on being the assistant manager. I'll go downstairs and ask Ziyu to bring up some hot water so you can wash up before we eat, alright?" After speaking, Wen Ningxuan turned and walked toward the door, a cunning smile playing on his lips.

Lin He had initially spoken out of spite because Wen Ningxuan hadn't immediately dealt with the issue last night, assuming he would surely come coax her and admit his mistake from last night, that he absolutely wouldn't let her take charge. But now, unexpectedly, the scoundrel had agreed without a word, and judging by his demeanor, he looked completely unconcerned.

Watching him take a few steps forward without pausing, Lin He quickly called out, "Wen Ningxuan, are you really letting me take charge?"

"Of course. I said, whatever my He’er wants to do, I will never oppose it. Didn't my He’er say being in charge has so many benefits?" Wen Ningxuan turned back, suppressing a laugh.

Lin He stopped talking, sat up in the bed, puffed out her cheeks, and stared at Wen Ningxuan angrily.

Wen Ningxuan watched her for a moment, then laughed softly, walked over, pulled her into his arms, and tapped her forehead. "Sly little thing, what are you trying to do? You made a mistake last night, and now you expect me to apologize?"

Lin He was no longer truly angry inside, but hearing him voice it, she maintained a facade of being utterly furious.

Seeing her like this, Wen Ningxuan sighed helplessly and conceded, "Fine, fine. It’s my fault. I will handle this matter. Tomorrow I’ll tell Father that having only Consort Luo assist Mother in managing the household is enough."

Upon hearing this, Lin He immediately deflated, her eyes crinkling into a sweet smile. "Do you think Father will agree? I refused last time, and Father wouldn't even listen to me."

"Don't you worry about it. I'll speak to Father. I'll say we need some new inventory for the shops, and you've been too busy lately to spare the time," Wen Ningxuan said, pecking her lips.