"What about these account books then? I've looked through them all, will someone come looking for trouble with me?" Lin He lifted her chin slightly toward the table where the ledgers were kept.

"What did He'er see in the account books, hmm?"

"I just flipped through them casually, and I actually discovered quite a bit. Husband, there is one thing I don't quite understand."

"Yes?" Wen Ningxuan gestured for her to continue.

"I can't figure out why Mother would embezzle so much money from the household. You've seen the accounts; you must know it's more than just a small amount," Lin He looked at him, perplexed.

Wen Ningxuan tapped her little head, smiling. "Heh, little girl, your thoughts are so simple, yet you dream of managing the household. For the person in charge of a large, wealthy family, no matter how fair you appear on the surface, there are always many unsavory dealings hidden beneath. Swindling the family's money is just a minor issue; there are far more things concealed from our sight. We don't need to investigate every single detail, because once you start figuring things out, your troubles will only multiply."

"Moreover, the one managing the household is never as glorious as you perceive them to be. In my view, running a large family estate is an extremely difficult task, so under no circumstances will I allow you to get involved."

"Then why did Father ask me to assist the steward? Could Father possibly wish me harm?" Lin He frowned, asking.

Wen Ningxuan looked at Lin He and laughed. "This girl, just now you claimed to be simple-minded, and now you've grown so calculating, even suspecting Father. Father treats you so well, and you are his daughter-in-law; of course, he wouldn't harm you. Father is already fully aware of Mother's various doings in managing the estate and has noticed the problems. Now, he wants someone to stand against her, as a way to give her a subtle warning to rein herself in a bit."

"Ah? Father wants me to contend with Concubine Luo and Mother? Doesn't he think too highly of me?"

"To contend with Mother, you don't have the capability yet; Concubine Luo does. My guess is that Father temporarily wants Concubine Luo to keep Mother in check. When the time comes for someone else to take over the position of managing the house, it will be simpler."

"So, you mean Father intends for me to take over the management position later?"

"Father likely has that intention, which is why we must let Father know early on that we have no such ambition, so he can start searching for a suitable candidate sooner." After speaking, Wen Ningxuan sighed as if reluctant.

Lin He nodded, asking no more. This matter was difficult for her to speak of; inwardly, she felt the same conflict as Wen Ningxuan. On one hand, she didn't want to be deeply entangled in the Wen family's affairs, but on the other, she couldn't bear to see Master Wen disappointed because the two of them didn't appreciate his efforts.

The two chatted in the room for a while until a knock sounded from outside. Lin He quickly pulled on a few layers of clothing and let Wen Ningxuan open the door. Soon after, Ziyu entered, asking, "Young Master, Young Mistress, shall I bring in dinner now?"

"First, have some hot water brought in so the Young Mistress can freshen up before eating," Wen Ningxuan instructed.

Ziyu heard this, nodded, and walked toward the door, but her eyes cast several extremely suggestive glances at Lin He. Lin He glared at her a few times. Ziyu forced a smile and continued toward the door, but before she reached it, a voice called out from behind, "Want to go practice your martial arts again?"

Hearing that voice, Ziyu knew the Young Master had caught the look she'd given the Young Mistress. The Young Master was punishing her on behalf of the Young Mistress. Ziyu quickly turned around and replied respectfully, "Young Master, this servant does not wish to. This servant will immediately fetch hot water for the Young Mistress and will certainly serve the Young Mistress well from now on." With that, she quickly ran downstairs.

Lin He, watching Ziyu's frightened demeanor, shot Wen Ningxuan a look of reproach. "You know perfectly well Ziyu is afraid of you; why scare her? Ziyu and I often joke around; she meant no harm."

"If she had ill intentions, the punishment wouldn't just be practicing martial arts. Wife, why do I notice you are kinder to that maid Ziyu than to me? I merely startled her, and you defend her so readily. If someone else treated me that way, would you protect me just as fiercely?" Wen Ningxuan looked at Lin He and asked with a pout.

"Oh, Second Young Master, I'm finding you increasingly petty lately. You're even jealous of Ziyu. If you continue like this, won't you turn into a jealous husband?" Lin He returned the smile, mimicking Wen Ningxuan's tone.

Wen Ningxuan looked at her, raised an eyebrow slightly, and flicked her smooth forehead. "If this husband were ever called a jealous man someday, it would be your fault, little girl. In any case, I don't care for the details. Next time I catch you defending Ziyu in front of me, both of you will be punished together."

"Ah? You want to punish me and Ziyu together with martial arts practice?" Lin He asked, her eyes wide.

"Hehe, Ziyu practices martial arts; you will have a different kind of exercise," Wen Ningxuan said, then winked suggestively at Lin He.

Lin He understood what he meant, her face instantly flushing crimson. She glanced at him, stopped engaging, and walked toward the sofa.

By the time Lin He finished bathing and eating, two hours had passed. After washing up, because neither had slept well the previous night, they went to bed early. They expected a rare good night's sleep, but trouble arose again in the middle of the night.

In the dead of night, just as Lin He was sleeping comfortably, she suddenly felt her body lifted into the air, accompanied by a few panicked shouts nearby. There was also a smell like something burning near her nose. Lin He sensed something was terribly wrong and abruptly opened her eyes.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw herself held securely in Wen Ningxuan's arms, standing in the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with smoke, and many people were running about. Some servants were carrying wooden basins, and others held wooden buckets, ready for firefighting. From here, she couldn't clearly see the situation in the main building, only the fierce glare of the flames. What was happening? Lin He was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Wen Ningxuan.

Seeing the person in his arms had woken up, Wen Ningxuan set her down on the ground and said urgently, "He'er, don't be afraid. The main building is on fire. The area around the building is completely engulfed. Ling Xiao is leading people to put out the fire. I'm going to check it out. Don't run around; stay right here."

By now, Lin He fully grasped the situation. She nodded. "Mmm. Ziqing and Ziyu are here to keep me company, so don't worry about me. Be careful yourself, and just go take a look."

Wen Ningxuan nodded to her and walked toward the main building.

Lin He watched the main building and asked, "What happened? How did it catch fire? Who discovered it? When did the Young Master and I get downstairs?"

Ziyu quickly replied, "Young Mistress, the Young Master discovered the fire. Not long after dinner last night, you fell asleep on the sofa over there by the main building. The Young Master saw you sleeping and said he didn't want to wake you, so you both slept there. Later, the Young Master said he was present and told us not to keep watch, so we returned to our own rooms to sleep."

"When we discovered the house was burning, the Young Master had already carried you down. As for what exactly happened, we still don't know yet."