Watching Shunzhu run off so quickly, Lin He smiled and walked toward the counting office where Wen Ningxuan was located.

Upon reaching the door, Lin He first extended a hand to knock. There was no response from inside. Lin He knocked again, and finally, a slightly impatient voice emerged from within: "Come in."

Lin He then pushed the door open and entered. The scene inside was just as Shunzhu had described: the desk was covered with ledgers, and the person sitting there was staring intently at the books, not even raising their head. The floor was littered with discarded papers, and one could even spot shards of broken cups—it seemed this man’s temper tantrum today was quite significant.

Before Lin He could even speak after entering, she heard Wen Ningxuan say, "Didn't I say I wasn't eating yet? Why did you come in?"

Lin He noted that he hadn't lifted his head when he spoke, clearly mistaking her for Shunzhu. Lin He smiled, gently placed the food container on a small, empty table nearby, walked over, and stood silently before Wen Ningxuan's desk, watching the man with a broad, gentle smile.

Perhaps sensing something was amiss, Wen Ningxuan suddenly looked up. He instantly saw the little woman standing before his desk, looking at him with a cheerful expression. His previous look of annoyance was immediately replaced by one of surprise. He then reached out, took Lin He's hand, and guided her around to stand in front of him, saying with a faint smile, "Why are you here at this hour? Have you eaten?"

Lin He looked at him and replied with a laugh, "It’s a good thing I came. If I hadn't come today, poor Shunzhu would have been tortured to death by you, young master."

"What did Shunzhu tell you?" Hearing Lin He's teasing tone, Wen Ningxuan's mood eased slightly, and he smiled faintly, following her lead. "

"How would Shunzhu dare to speak ill of you? He was just scared witless. Say, why are you, the young master, so difficult to serve? He's just a servant; why give him such a hard time? What exactly is the problem with these accounts?" Lin He spoke while laughing casually, reaching out to flip through a ledger on the desk.

Hearing this, the smile on Wen Ningxuan's face faded somewhat, and he spoke with a hint of vexation, "These are the account books from the other shops. Every single one has issues, especially the ones managed by Elder Brother and Third Uncle. Not only are their records a mess, but there are also quite a few false and dead accounts. I've been looking at them all morning, and I still haven't clarified many of them. If Father sees this, I’ll likely be scolded severely."

"Is that so? Then you figure out how to handle it yourself. I don't understand these things." Lin He glanced at the pile of ledgers, feeling utterly uninterested.

Wen Ningxuan knew Lin He disliked looking at account books and hadn't expected this lazy girl to help him anyway. However, seeing her like this, he deliberately teased her, "Since He'er is here now, why don't you help me look through these accounts this afternoon? I've seen He'er's skill with books; it would make things much easier if you helped."

Upon hearing this, Lin He looked at the stack of ledgers on the desk, and her mind instantly felt a bit numb. She looked pleadingly at Wen Ningxuan, smiling sweetly, "Hehe, my husband is so capable; a few ledgers like this are nothing to you, right? It's just a small matter. But if you really can't manage them alone, just have Lingxiao or Shunzhu help you. I have lots to do this afternoon. I brought Chen'er and Ziyu out with me, and they are waiting downstairs right now. I just came to bring you food—there, the meal is here. You eat now; I won't keep you any longer." With that, Lin He started toward the door.

Seeing the little woman so eager to leave, he suddenly pulled her into his embrace, lowered his head, and said with a smile, "Since my wife speaks so well, you don't have to look at the ledgers. Just serve your husband his meal. Didn't you say you brought food? Where is it?"

Hearing that she didn't have to look at the accounts, Lin He didn't rush to leave. Nestling in Wen Ningxuan's arms, her finger pointed toward the food container on the small table, and she whispered, "There, over there. I brought it from my parents' house, though I didn't make it myself. Make do with it. Finish up quickly tonight so we can go back early."

Wen Ningxuan nodded, "Mhm, understood. I’ll be quick tonight."

"Good, then eat quickly. After you eat, I still need to take Chen'er out. I plan to stop by Elder Brother's pastry shop too," Lin He said as she stood up.

Wen Ningxuan knew she hadn't been back to her parents' home in quite some time, and there were likely many matters there. He therefore stopped delaying her further and followed her to the small table to eat.

After waiting on Wen Ningxuan until he finished his meal, Lin He called for Shunzhu to come up and tidy the room. She gave Wen Ningxuan a few parting instructions and didn't linger, heading out.

Downstairs, she saw Chen'er and Ziyu excitedly admiring the jewelry at the counter, with the shop assistants mostly clustered around them. Lin He glanced around; fortunately, it was still mealtime and the shop wasn't crowded, otherwise, these two girls would have truly disrupted business.

Seeing Lin He coming downstairs, Ziyu quickly approached, smiling, "Young Madam, has the Young Master finished eating?"

"Mhm. What did you and Chen'er buy that has the entire staff waiting on you two?" Lin He teased Ziyu.

Ziyu then realized they were indeed attracting too much attention and felt a little awkward. "No, I didn't buy much. Miss Chen'er fancied quite a few things, and now she’s struggling to decide which ones to pick."

Lin He looked at Chen'er's conflicted expression and the crowd surrounding her, furrowing her delicate brows slightly. Just then, she saw Shunzhu coming down from upstairs. Lin He quietly gave him a few instructions, then walked toward Chen'er's location.

Shunzhu was quick-witted. By the time Lin He arrived, only Shunzhu and a shop assistant remained there. Lin He walked over, casually selected a few pieces of jewelry that Chen'er liked, paid on the spot, and then led Chen'er and Ziyu out of the shop.

For the rest of the afternoon, Lin He took the two girls shopping around the streets, bought some things for Chen'er, and then stopped by the pastry shop. Visiting the pastry shop this time, Lin He noticed that Da Bao’s management had become even more meticulous than before.

Da Bao had remodeled the back courtyard of the pastry shop, essentially isolating the kitchen area completely from the courtyard. Moreover, no one was allowed near the kitchen casually. When Lin He and the others visited this time, only Lin He went into the kitchen area; Chen'er and Ziyu were not permitted to follow.

Furthermore, while in the kitchen, Lin He overheard Zi Ning, who was making pastries, mention that currently, aside from the few maids in their kitchen, Young Master Da Bao did not allow anyone else inside—recently, even the Eldest Young Madam had been turned away by the young master.

Although Lin He couldn't be certain of the reasoning behind Da Bao’s decision, she felt this was quite positive, as it made the shop's operations much more rigorous.