Wen Xin suddenly seemed to lose all strength from his body. “Master, please don’t say such things. It’s unbearable, simply unbearable…” The strong, seven-foot-tall man even choked up a bit.

“Everyone has to die eventually, be it sooner or later. The only thing I worry about…” The emotions in the eyes of Wei Shizi surged like waves, but in an instant, they returned to their desolate stillness. “I just can’t accept it, not so easily.”

“Master, we will take good care of your wife,” Wen Xin could only offer this response in the end.

“The plans have changed. Don’t give anything to her directly, and neither of you should approach her overtly. Slowly, subtly, little by little. When necessary, you may use the hands of Supervisor Wenren and his wife, but under no circumstances can you let Xuan’er realize my existence.”

“Master—”

“The situation now is different from before. Back then, Xuan’er was all alone, and with such a huge fortune, there was no way for her to obtain it reasonably. We couldn’t hide things forever. But now, she’s back with the Wenren family – a noble daughter of a prestigious family, with the strong foundation of the Han family backing her. Under these circumstances, it’ll be easier to mask everything. And if we can avoid causing her heartbreak, wouldn’t that be best?”

Wen Xin remained silent. If this were really the intention, why then, today… needlessly provoke suspicion?

“After Xuan’er passes away, remember to have her buried next to me, no matter whether she remarries. Different beds in life, same grave in death.” The heir of the Wei family’s voice was soft throughout.

“As you wish,” Wen Xin answered. Even though he wasn’t one to indulge much in emotions, at this moment, his feelings were complex and indescribable.

Back in their quarters, ignoring all protests, Wei Shizi went straight to the study, pulled out a secret letter, and began dealing with state matters. – Very few people knew that these secret letters came from a specific part of the emperor’s direct supervision, a seemingly useless agency. Many of the heirs of noble families in the imperial capital had registered as its “nominal” members. The fact that the heir had initially joined this agency was attributed to the “credit” of his father. Yet in reality…

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, others began probing Wen Xin about matters regarding their lady.

This wasn’t some deep secret. Wen Xin responded with a few straightforward, somewhat dry remarks, and that was the end of it.

“You really are a blockhead. I knew this would happen if you followed the master outside,” remarked Hua Yu, the only woman among the group, giving Wen Xin a roll of her eyes before storming off.

The others looked at Wen Xin as though disappointed in him, but he kept his head bowed, maintaining his appearance of complete honesty, like someone relentless in taking all manner of abuse without complaint. Of course, no one would be foolish enough to actually ask him for a sparring match.

As for Han Shi, when she heard the news that Wei Shizi had left, she didn’t show any particular reaction. The Wenren family had no connections with the Marquis of Pingyang’s estate, and as for why this heir suddenly visited, be it on a whim or with some hidden purpose, the truth would reveal itself in time. Overthinking it now was pointless. As for any perceived disrespect from the heir, Han Shi was not a narrow-minded woman, and considering that Wei Shizi was not a junior in her family, she paid it no mind.

The Han family, however, was a bit peeved. A seemingly random visit, being well-received with excellent hospitality for days, only to have a servant pass on a message before abruptly leaving? What sort of behavior is that!

Originally, they had thought the rumors about him might have been wrong, but now they suspected reality was even worse.

Still, for a person like him, his departure was probably for the best. The family hoped he would never darken their door again.

That aside, for the others within the family, the departure didn’t cause much of a stir.

As for Xiao Cao, the absolute star of the day, she was incredibly busy. She hadn’t even finished getting acquainted with one group of people before another wave arrived. For Xiao Cao, who had never been in such a situation before, it was quite overwhelming. However, in Xiao Cao’s vocabulary, there was no such thing as “stage fright.” Though she was a bit fatigued, she still managed everything without making any errors.

Just achieving that alone was enough to earn her approval from many. Xiao Cao had grown up in the streets, and the Wenren family didn’t hide this fact. Though her speech might have been somewhat unrefined, her mannerisms were graceful, and she gave off a gentle and serene impression, which naturally endeared her to many, particularly older women, who found her especially likable.

Only when they felt the rough calluses on her hand – something no proper noble lady would have – did they get a true sense that she had indeed grown up outside. Yet almost immediately, they would praise the Wenren family, admiring how such excellent children could come from such privileged roots, thriving regardless of their upbringing.

The members of the Wenren family, of course, responded with modesty, but as elders, they couldn’t help but feel a bit proud. Han Shi, as Xiao Cao’s mother, felt both pride and pain. She had given birth to her but had never raised her. Xiao Cao’s excellence was owed entirely to her own efforts.

Xiao Cao had no idea what her mother was imagining but found her increasingly tender gaze to be overwhelming. Never before had anyone looked at her so “lovingly,” and it gave her goosebumps.

Luckily, Han Shi’s attention quickly shifted away.

More and more guests arrived, and Xiao Cao met with almost all the women, and even the most well-connected of the men. Yet, she remembered few of their names. She felt physically and mentally exhausted, as if she had worked a whole day at the clinic. Even so, there was still some time to go before the family would leave, let alone the day ending.

Xiao Cao wanted to find a quiet corner where she could catch her breath in peace.

Just then, Wenren Ying appeared and surreptitiously winked at her, lowering her voice to say with a smile, “Is Fourth Sister feeling out of place? No worries, take your time. With so many people, you don’t need to force yourself to remember everyone. Over time, as you interact more, you’ll naturally remember. We’ve got so many people in the family. You won’t be facing this on your own.”

Xiao Cao could sense the genuine goodwill of this sister and smiled, nodding. “Thank you, Seventh Sister.”

“There’s no need to thank me. We’re all sisters, no one closer than family. So please, don’t be so polite.”

– Today’s event was mainly to introduce you to everyone. The guests are mostly our close family and friends. Although Father’s rank isn’t exceptionally high, neither is it low, so the guests invited aren’t many who outrank him. And even if there are some, we generally have good relations with them. The more senior adults likely won’t attend themselves, and those who do are probably their female relatives, not particularly of high status. So, you don’t need to perform for everyone, and there’s no need to meet with all the elders. I’ll stay by your side the whole time, so you can relax. There’s no need to feel nervous.”

Wenren Ying’s tone was confident and reassuring, brimming with youthful exuberance.

Such a demeanor was indeed quite endearing. Xiao Cao couldn’t resist gently pinching her little sister’s cheek.

Wenren Ying playfully cried out in fake pain.

The two sisters laughed and played, and seeing this, others commented on their strong bond.

In a large family with so many siblings, the elders naturally hoped for harmony and affection. None wanted to deal with constant bickering and schemes between their children, which would be a real headache.

Wenren Ying openly basked in the praise, linking arms with Xiao Cao, her proud little expression plain for all to see. Those watching were utterly charmed by her, with few who didn’t express fondness.

Han Shi walked over and lightly tapped Wenren Ying on the forehead. “You mischievous girl. Go on, you sisters, have your fun.”

Wenren Ying, half-hiding her face with a handkerchief, made a playful face at Han Shi, and then, pulling Xiao Cao by the arm, she darted off with a quick bow.