Lin He looked at Wen Ningxuan’s face, usually filled with vigor and confidence, now etched with exhaustion. The relentless journey these past few days, coupled with his constant worry about Master Wen's predicament, had clearly taken a toll on him. She gently cupped his cheek, her voice laced with concern. "Husband, don't be too worried. Lingxiao and the others have gone out to investigate - we've found some leads now. If they still can't find anything, just give them money. The kidnappers want money most of all. Master Wen should remain safe until then."

Though she spoke these words aloud, Lin He felt the futility in her own voice. If this were any ordinary kidnapper, paying the ransom might truly secure Master Wen's safety. But if it was Old Lady Wen... even a generous sum wouldn't guarantee his release. The woman had never been content with mere financial gain - her bitterness ran deeper than that.

Ever since Old Master Wen brought our family patriarch back to the household all those years ago, resentment had festered in her heart. Initially she coveted him for his official position, but after Old Master Wen retired from government service, she simply shifted her schemes toward leveraging his business acumen. Now with Master Wen finally seeking to divide property and take what was rightfully his, how could she possibly accept this?

Wen Ningxuan knew Lin He's words were only meant to comfort him. Burying his face in her chest, he tightened his grip around her waist until the tension slowly seeped out of his frame. When he finally straightened up, his voice was steady but weary as he instructed: "I may not be returning home these next few days. Don't worry about my father - I know what I'm doing. Xiao Mo and I have been strategizing for days now. We'll first try to locate where Father is being held. If that fails..."

Lin He sensed the unspoken weight behind his words. As much as she liked to think her modern perspective gave her advantages, this situation was utterly foreign territory. For one thing, Wen Ningxuan deliberately kept her in the dark about details. More importantly, Old Lady Wen's machinations were too clever - if not for Lin He's intuition and Brother Yi's unexpected insights, no one would have suspected a mother of kidnapping her own son. And finally, as an ordinary woman from another life who'd never encountered such criminal schemes either way, she had absolutely no experience to draw upon.

All she could do was care for herself and the household so Wen Ningxuan wouldn't have even more burdens to carry. Nodding silently, she sent Zi Yu to prepare Wen Ningxuan's belongings before seeing him out through the gate.

For days afterward he remained absent at the estate. While servant Shun Zhu returned daily with updates about the family affairs - though each report recited the same unhelpful reassurances that Second Young Master and others were still investigating without results - it wasn't until Zi Qing's return from Qinghe County that Lin He finally felt a measure of relief.

"Zi Qing!" Lin He greeted warmly, but then frowned when she noticed her companion was alone. "Why didn't Daobao come back with you? Will he be all right managing by himself?"

The woman blushed unexpectedly at the question. "The pastry shop is nearly operational now," she explained carefully, "but Lingxiao and others are returning soon so they need to stay behind until everything's settled there. Before leaving, Master Wen instructed me to return promptly once the bakery preparations were complete. With all these family matters happening, I thought you'd need someone here with you."

After this explanation, Zi Qing suddenly focused intently on Lin He's midsection before exclaiming: "Madam! When did you tell me about being pregnant? If Master Wen hadn't specifically ordered my return to care for you..." The scolding trailed off as she turned accusing eyes toward Zi Yu. "And you - didn't I warn you that if anything happened to Madam, you must inform me immediately?"

Zi Yu smiled sheepishly at her sister. "Sister, it's not too late now. Madam is only four months along with plenty of time until the birth." She admitted she'd forgotten completely after initially forbidding servants from sending news about the pregnancy as a surprise for Wen Ningxuan - then later simply forgot among household emergencies.

Zi Qing lightly smacked her sister's head before launching into an interrogation about Madam's health and daily habits. Only when satisfied with Zi Yu's answers did she shift focus to asking about medicinal formulations in Lin He's apothecary. But watching this flurry of activity, Lin He couldn't help smiling. "Zi Qing," she interrupted gently, "you don't need to ask so many questions right away after your journey. Rest first - I do have something important to discuss with you."

The servant shook her head decisively. "Madam, whatever you need just tell me directly. Master Wen sent a carriage for my return and we stopped several times along the way."

Lin He's smile deepened as she studied Zi Qing more carefully now. There was definitely something different about this woman - not only prettier than before but far more talkative. More importantly, while she hadn't spoken much at all since returning, she had mentioned Daobao multiple times already.

Noticing Lin He's scrutiny, Zi Qing suddenly touched her face anxiously. "Madam, is there something wrong with my appearance?" she asked, hurriedly producing a small mirror from her satchel to check her reflection.

This was definitely not like her normally practical assistant - who would never carry such vanity tools casually. Without responding immediately, Lin He simply smiled knowingly before turning to Zi Yu. "Zi Yu," she mused aloud, "what differences do you notice in your sister this time?"