Lin He knew that Zi Qing saying those words meant she genuinely cared for Da Bao, which put Lin He's mind at ease. With Zi Qing looking after things at home, Lin He could finally let go of her responsibilities. Zi Qing managing the household would be no less capable than herself, and knowing her eldest brother would care for Zi Qing for the rest of her life made Lin He even more relieved.

Lin He nodded at Zi Qing, smiling, "Yes, as long as you are willing, Zi Qing, I will support you no matter what. We'll settle things between you and Big Brother as soon as he returns."

"Indeed, Eldest Sister, you and Young Master Da Bao should finalize things sooner rather than later. Neither of you is young anymore; it’s best to have a child quickly. Otherwise, your child might end up much younger than Young Mistress’s little master, which wouldn't be ideal, considering Young Master Da Bao is the Young Mistress’s elder brother." Zi Yu entered, holding a tray, having stood just outside the door.

Zi Yu had been standing by the doorway and heard everything the Young Mistress and her elder sister had discussed. While she was initially displeased to hear her sister might become a concubine, hearing that it was her own choice made Zi Yu supportive. Whether a principal wife or a concubine, as long as it was someone Eldest Sister loved, that was what mattered.

Zi Qing flushed when she saw Zi Yu barge in so casually, immediately bringing up childbirth. She shot Zi Yu a sidelong glance and said, "You dreadful girl, you’re still a maiden yourself! Talking about bearing children the moment you open your mouth—aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed?"

Zi Yu was unconcerned. She began arranging the tonics on the tray into a bowl while retorting, "What is there to laugh about? Every woman has to bear children. Besides, there are no outsiders here. The Young Mistress won't laugh at me, will she?" Zi Yu finished with a look meant to please Lin He.

Lin He gave Zi Yu a knowing, half-smile and spoke up, "That does hold some truth. Zi Yu, you’re not getting any younger either, and Ling Xiao isn't getting any younger either. It’s certainly time for you to think about having children. When are you planning to start?"

The moment Lin He mentioned Ling Xiao, Zi Yu felt an unbidden surge of anger, and in her pique, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Young Mistress, please don't mention that wretch Ling Xiao to me again. I suspect he might have run off with some woman. I haven't seen him for months, not even a scrap of a note. As for having children, don't even mention it."

As soon as Zi Yu finished speaking, she realized her mistake. Her face instantly turned crimson, and she began stammering out an explanation, "Young Mistress, Eldest Sister, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean I wanted to have his children... I mean... well, in short, I never want to see him again. Young Mistress, don't bring him up in front of me either. From now on, I will pretend I never knew the man."

Lin He and Zi Qing dissolved into peals of laughter at Zi Yu’s outburst. Once they managed to stifle their mirth, Zi Qing tapped Zi Yu’s head. "You silly girl, you’re already seventeen, and you still speak so carelessly! If others overheard things like that, they’d call you shameless and indecent."

"Indeed, it’s fine to say those things at home, or people will mock you," Lin He chuckled, but seeing Zi Yu looking at her with a mournful expression, Lin He stopped laughing and tried to comfort her. "Don't worry. Isn't Ling Xiao currently assisting Young Master with some matters? Once that's done, he'll return. When he does, we’ll arrange your marriage so you won't have to hide your feelings for him anymore."

Zi Yu caught the teasing lilt in Lin He’s voice and shot her a playful glare before handing Lin He the bowl of tonic. "Enough. Let’s not speak of that despicable man. Young Mistress, please eat this bird's nest soup; it won't be pleasant once it gets cold."

Lin He’s face immediately fell when she saw the bowl of bird's nest soup Zi Yu presented. She shot Zi Yu a pleading look, about to protest, but Zi Yu cut her off. "There’s no discussion. You must eat it. This was Ling Xiang’s strict instruction; he said it’s good for both mother and child." Zi Yu then looked at Lin He with smug satisfaction.

Lin He glanced at Zi Yu, recognizing the petty revenge in her actions. However, she genuinely couldn't stomach the bird's nest soup. Since becoming pregnant, she was forced to consume a daily tonic, and the serving bowls were alarmingly large, giving her the shivers. Having no other recourse, she had sought Ling Xiang’s help to intervene, but Ling Xiang merely stated that given Lin He’s stage of pregnancy, her stomach looked rather small, suggesting she could afford to eat more.

While the advice was that she could eat more, that girl Zi Yu had taken it to mean she must eat more. Consequently, Zi Yu forced Lin He to consume these tonics outside of her regular three meals daily, insisting that if she didn't finish it in one sitting, she had to eat it in two or three sittings until the entire portion was consumed by day’s end.

Initially, Lin He managed to get by, forcing herself to finish the required amount daily. But recently, she had reached a point where the thought of eating made her nauseous. Zi Yu sometimes reduced the portion, but today, clearly seeking retribution for having been laughed at earlier, she was adopting an attitude of absolute insistence that Lin He finish every last drop.

Hearing Zi Yu’s declaration, Zi Qing quickly set down what she was holding and urged, "Young Mistress, this is bird's nest soup; it won't fill you up. It digests quickly. Please just eat it."

Lin He shot her a look—a true traitor...

A few days later, Wen Ningxuan returned from the Wen Estate. Lin He hurried out to meet him. Seeing him after several days, Wen Ningxuan had clearly lost a good deal of weight, likely due to poor eating and restless nights. Lin He immediately instructed Zi Yu and Zi Qing to prepare some nourishing provisions, intending to stew something for him herself to help him recover.

Wen Ningxuan stopped Zi Yu and Zi Qing, saying he needed to leave soon but couldn't rest easy without checking on Lin He. Once inside the room, Lin He asked if there had been any progress regarding Master Wen. Wen Ningxuan replied that he had some leads and expected to locate Master Wen within a few more days.

Seeing the exhaustion etched on Wen Ningxuan’s face, he collapsed onto the small couch, wrapping an arm around Lin He’s waist, his eyes already too heavy to stay open. He must not have slept more than a few hours a night recently. Lin He didn't press him further. She took a quilt from the couch and covered him, then sat beside him, careful not to wake him. After sitting for a while, Lin He felt sleepy too. She took off her shoes and lay down beside him.

When Lin He awoke, Wen Ningxuan was already gone. However, this time he had left Ling Xiang behind in the courtyard, stating that he wouldn't be back for several days, but with Ling Xiang present, he felt somewhat reassured.

Looking at Ling Xiang, Lin He remembered the matter of Yu'er she had asked him to investigate last time. Ling Xiang reported that while Yu'er did not return home during her last holiday leave, she hadn't gone elsewhere either; she had gone back to her own family’s village. Furthermore, according to Ling Xiang’s description, though Yu'er returned to her family’s area, she did not stay in her own room but lodged at her mother-in-law’s home, where she remained for those two days without venturing out. The relationship between the two women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, appeared to be excellent.