The next morning, Wen Ningxuan arranged for Shunzhu to drive a carriage to take Xiaobao to the academy, while he had Lingxiao send Lin He, Chen'er, Ziyu, and Zihuan home, repeatedly instructing Lin He to return early that afternoon if her tasks were finished.

After the carriages carrying Lin He and the others had gone some distance, Chen'er still saw Wen Ningxuan standing where he was, gazing after them from afar. Chen'er couldn't help but laugh to Lin He, "Big Sister, your husband is so good to you. Look how reluctant he is to be parted from you after just a few days; he's still watching from so far away."

Ziyu chimed in with a smile, "Yes, our Young Master is so good to our Young Mistress. I say our Young Mistress is truly blessed. Miss Chen'er, when you marry in the future, you must marry a man who treats you this well too."

Hearing this, Chen'er feigned annoyance and shot back, "Why bring me into this? Ziyu, you're older than me, and you aren't married yet."

Lin He, sitting nearby, smiled and cast a knowing glance at Ziyu. Recalling that Lingxiao was driving the carriage outside, she deliberately spoke loudly, "Ziyu is indeed not getting any younger; it’s time to marry her off soon. When we were at the Wen residence, I heard many young servants from other courtyards inquired about Ziyu. I thought if there's no current prospect, I shouldn't delay Ziyu any longer; it’s best to find a suitable young servant to match her with."

As soon as Lin He finished speaking, she felt the carriage jolt slightly. Lin He gave Ziyu an ambiguous look and remarked, "Oh, someone is getting anxious. It seems Ziyu won't be staying much longer either."

Now it was Ziyu's turn to blush. Her eyes flickered subtly toward the outside of the carriage, and she whispered, "Young Mistress, I never said I wanted to marry. Why are you in such a hurry?"

"Heh heh, I'm not the one in a hurry; someone else will be," Lin He stated lightly.

Ziyu understood these words, but Chen'er beside her did not. She asked curiously, "Big Sister, who is it? Who are you saying is anxious? Could it be, Ziyu, you have someone in your heart?" Chen'er directed the last part of her question to Ziyu.

Upon hearing this, Ziyu quickly whispered to Chen'er, "No, no, Miss Chen'er, don't listen to the Young Mistress exaggerating. Let's not talk about this; let's talk about something else. Oh, Miss Chen'er, why are you carrying such a large bundle on your way home? We won't be staying there long." Ziyu tried to change the subject.

Seeing Ziyu’s reaction, Lin He smiled and stopped teasing her. She, however, was curious about what was in Chen'er's bundle. She had wanted to ask when they were still at home, and now she looked at Chen'er with equal curiosity.

Chen'er clutched the bundle tightly, trying to maintain a relaxed tone despite the slight tension in her expression. "It's nothing, just some things others gave me."

"Things given by others? Why carry them around everywhere, Miss Chen'er? Are these from Young Master Er... Li Zheng?" Ziyu asked tentatively.

Chen'er hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently. She placed the bundle on her lap and opened it, saying with a faint blush, "These are all the things he has given me over the years. I've kept them safe all this time. Last time I was angry and said I would throw them all away, but he would surely be heartbroken. I want to show him that I didn't throw them away; I've kept them safe."

Lin He and Ziyu exchanged a look and smiled. Lin He casually picked up a sandalwood box from the bundle. She remembered that Li Zheng had given this to Chen'er years ago. At that time, Chen'er understood nothing and her interest in things she liked was fleeting; many items she claimed to love after receiving them would disappear after a few days of playing, leading to a cycle of buying and losing, completely unaware of true cherishing.

But looking at this large bundle, everything was preserved impeccably. Moreover, judging by Chen'er's tone, she hadn't discarded a single item Li Zheng had gifted her over the years. It seemed Chen'er did know which things were truly worth treasuring.

Ziyu also picked up a sandalwood bracelet from inside and said with a smile, "Young Mistress, look, Young Master Li Zheng’s craftsmanship is quite excellent. These beads are all polished so smoothly, and each one is the same size. Even if you bought this from a jewelry shop, you might not find something so exquisite. It seems Young Master Li Zheng put a lot of thought into Miss Chen'er."

Zihuan, sitting nearby, immediately nodded in agreement, "Yes, Eldest Miss, Young Master Li Zheng is indeed very good to Second Miss. It's not just about giving gifts; whenever he’s with Second Miss, he indulges her in everything, treating her like a treasure. I feel it's just as good as how Young Master treats Eldest Miss, just like Sister Ziyu said."

"Second Miss has spent more time in town this year. Every time she prepares to leave, Young Master Li Zheng’s face is full of reluctance to see her go. He’s always giving instructions and making requests. But Second Miss is often too harsh with him, so it’s no wonder Young Master Li Zheng gets hurt. Actually, Second Miss..."

Zihuan trailed off toward the end, noticing Chen'er glaring at her with irritation beside her, and she shrank her neck back fearfully, deciding to say no more.

Lin He looked at Chen'er’s fierce expression, shook her head, and said with a smile, "Yes, Chen'er, even we outsiders can see how good Li Zheng is to you. When we get back, I'll have Ziyu and Zihuan call Li Zheng out. Say whatever you need to say to him properly, and stop throwing tantrums. Otherwise, if he truly marries Lanhua, you’ll just go back home and cry."

"If he wants to marry someone else, let him. I won't cry," Chen'er muttered softly.

Ziyu, sitting closer to Chen'er, heard her words. She smiled and whispered to Lin He, "Young Mistress, I think Li Zheng will become a second Young Master in the future. Before they are even married, Miss Chen'er is already spoiled to this extent. Once married, Miss Chen'er’s art of managing her husband might even surpass yours."

Lin He gave Ziyu a faint, knowing glance and said, "Speak louder, let Lingxiao hear. Then he can go back and report to the Young Master. Besides, he's eager to make you practice martial arts."

Hearing this, Ziyu glared outward and stated fiercely, "He wouldn't dare."

With that, Lin He heard a cough from outside the carriage. Lin He laughed, "It seems none of us are as formidable as Ziyu. She hasn't even married yet, but she has already mastered the art of managing a husband quite thoroughly, making someone else willing to betray the Young Master."

Now, Chen'er and Zihuan both understood, staring at Ziyu with extremely suggestive looks. Ziyu initially pretended not to care, but after being stared at for a while, she quickly smiled appealingly at them. "I beg you, stop looking at me like that! If you keep staring, I’m going to jump out of the carriage; I'll get down and walk."

"Brother Lingxiao won't let you jump out of the carriage. If you don't want to sit with us inside, why don't you sit in the front with him?" Chen'er said with a smile. (To be continued)