Though he appeared outwardly cheerful, smiling at everyone—a marked softness compared to his usual cool demeanor—Lin He felt his mood was far from good. In fact, she suspected he was holding back a simmering fire.

Indeed, nothing from last night to this morning suggested any cause for cheer: a fire erupted in the courtyard last night, keeping them busy until dawn, and then the attempt by Madam Wen and the Old Madam to obstruct Master Wen’s arrangement for a more spacious residence for them—what reason was there to be happy about any of that?

Seeing Lin He staring at him with visible concern, Wen Ningxuan offered her a gentle smile and remained silent.

After the Old Madam finished speaking, Master Wen quietly observed Wen Ningxuan for a long moment. After a long pause, he finally sighed softly and stated, “If that is the case, Xu’er, the matter of the house is up to you. You may move back once the current residence is repaired.”

Master Wen’s words were incredibly simple, yet inexplicably, to Lin He, it seemed as if he had labored over them for a long time, and there was a hidden meaning woven within them. At this moment, Lin He felt the atmosphere in the room was utterly bizarre; why did everything anyone said leave her guessing?

Even stranger was the silence of most people present. Despite the number of people gathered, aside from those actively speaking, the others seemed to sit as if they didn't exist. Even the Third Madam, usually the most talkative, merely sat quietly on her chair today, uttering not a single word.

Just as Lin He was beginning to feel a headache forming from overthinking, Aunt Luo, who had remained silent in the center, finally broke the quiet to ask, “Master, if He’er is not staying in the residence, what is to become of the household management duties? Also, since Xu’er’s courtyard requires renovation, how should the accounts be calculated?”

“For the matter of household management, you, alone, will temporarily assist the Madam in overseeing it. We will discuss He’er’s return later. As for the accounts for the courtyard repairs, simply draw the funds from the accountant’s office. The estate allocates a sum every month anyway, and there haven't been any major expenditures over the years, so quite a sum should have accumulated. Use that money this time to ensure Xu’er’s residence is properly renovated,” Master Wen commanded in a deep voice.

Master Wen’s words startled Lin He once more. Had Master Wen discovered the issue with the accounts? Why bring up such matters now? Lin He glanced up slightly; Master Wen’s face showed nothing unusual as he discussed these matters with Madam Wen and Aunt Luo.

Aunt Luo did not appear to have noticed anything about the accounts; she simply listened respectfully. Madam Wen, though showing no outward reaction, replied to Master Wen somewhat distractedly. Lin He knew that Madam Wen must currently be agonizing over how to cover that sum. The renovation of their own courtyard would certainly be a considerable expense.

Madam Wen surely lacked the funds now; otherwise, she wouldn't be docking the household allowance so severely. But she remained silent now—how did she plan to make up the shortfall? Lin He felt a certain anticipation regarding what Madam Wen would say next.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wen never spoke on the matter, even after everyone else had dispersed. Although she interjected a few times, her comments were unrelated to the accounts. This left Lin He utterly baffled by Madam Wen’s intentions.

However, Lin He soon had no time to ponder these matters, for upon returning home, Ziqing and Ziyu, along with Qingzhu and Qingyun, had already packed everything. The bundles, large and small, along with the people, could fill several carriages, and Ziqing mentioned there was still much more, suggesting multiple trips would be needed to move everything.

Looking at the mountain of belongings, Lin He managed a wry smile. “We are only going away for a few months. We only need to take the absolute essentials. If we bring everything, moving back will be another grand production.”

But Wen Ningxuan insisted they take as much as possible. Otherwise, they would find themselves inconvenienced by lacking necessary items later. Since these were their own carriages, making extra trips was of no consequence.

This gave Lin He the strange feeling that Wen Ningxuan had no intention of returning once they left. Who packs for a temporary move like this? Lin He looked at him, quite perplexed. Wen Ningxuan chuckled and playfully tapped her head with his finger. “Don’t overthink it. These are all things you need daily. Ask Ziyu and the others; you have so many miscellaneous items, and this hasn't even filled half the necessary transport.”

Lin He glanced at the few bundles nearest to her and finally laughed in understanding. What Wen Ningxuan said was true; she truly had an excessive amount of belongings, and these were indeed all hers.

Once everything was loaded onto the carriages and hitched, Wen Ningxuan lifted Lin He onto the carriage and climbed in after her. Ziyu and Lingxiao sat outside to drive the lead carriage, while Ziqing and the two young maids remained behind to guard the rear, as more items still needed to be moved.

Shunzhu and Shuncai were also taken along. As for the other staff in the original courtyard, Wen Ningxuan did not bring them, reasoning that the current house required maintenance and labor, and the new residence already had servants attending to their needs, making so many people unnecessary.

Riding in the carriage, Lin He spent time daydreaming about what the new residence would be like. Though Wen Ningxuan had mentioned it a few times, Lin He had never had the time to see it and never imagined they would be moving in so soon, so she hadn't paid much attention. Now, she felt a wave of anticipation for the house.

Lin He drifted off in thought for a while, then suddenly noticed the person beside her was unusually quiet, and the atmosphere felt somewhat off. Normally, Wen Ningxuan would be delighted to take her out. If she seemed overly excited, he would tease her about it. But now, he leaned against the carriage, seemingly exhausted, his eyes gently closed, his brow slightly furrowed, as if weighed down by many worries.

Lin He carefully maneuvered from the small table inside the carriage, moving to stand before Wen Ningxuan. She said nothing, merely using two fingers to gently massage his temples.

Wen Ningxuan drew Lin He onto his lap without opening his eyes, allowing her to massage him. After a long moment, Wen Ningxuan slowly opened his eyes, brought her hand to his lips, and lightly kissed it. “He’er, is there something you wish to tell me?”

Lin He looked at him, first nodding, then immediately shaking her head, biting her lip lightly without speaking.

Wen Ningxuan smiled tenderly. “He’er, do you have something to say, or not?”

Lin He gazed at him for a moment. “I do, but only if you are willing to speak of it. Besides, what I most want to know right now is where we are going, how far it is, what it is like inside, and if living there will make things easier for you?”