"You saved her?" Shen Xinyan asked instead of answering.

Wei Chenglin hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Shen Xinyan Si was not surprised at all.

"Mother, how...how did you know that the person who was kidnapped was the daughter of Lord Zhou Maozhou?" He still couldn't figure it out.

The only people who knew that Miss Zhou was kidnapped were Lord Zhou’s family and the officers who participated in the rescue. My mother had no contact with them from beginning to end, so how could she know that it was Miss Zhou who was kidnapped?

"I'm just guessing." Shen Xinyan poured herself a cup of tea.

Guess? Wei Chenglin didn't look very convinced.

My mother had stayed in Baiweilou from the beginning and had never gone out. What basis did she have for making such an accurate guess?

Shen Xinyan could naturally see his disbelief, so she wiped the corners of her lips and said slowly, "It is said that Miss Zhou is extremely beautiful, like a bright pearl. Even if she is placed in a haystack, she will easily attract people's attention..."

Wei Chenglin frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable for some reason.

What does mother mean by this? Just based on Miss Zhou's "beautiful beauty", did she accurately guess that she was the one who got into trouble last night? Logically, it shouldn't be possible. There must be some other reason that made mother make such a judgment.

Could it be that something similar had happened to Miss Zhou? And my mother happened to know about it, so when she heard that a girl was kidnapped last night, she could quickly think of Miss Zhou.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the most likely possibility. However, he still had some doubts in his heart.

Miss Zhou is, after all, the daughter of an official, and is always surrounded by people wherever she goes. How could she be kidnapped repeatedly?

At this moment, a crooked little figure appeared at the door. Shen Xinyan looked over and saw her youngest son Xiangger holding the door and smiling at her.

Her heart softened immediately, and she took a few quick steps forward, hugged the little boy with a naive smile in her arms, kissed him, and said lovingly, "Did Xiang Ge'er come to pay his respects to his mother as well?"

The kid yelled "yeah yeah" to her a few times.

"You lazy guy, you already know how to speak, but you just don't like to talk." Shen Xinyan pinched his chubby face helplessly, holding his little hand and walked inside step by step.

The little guy walked unsteadily like a little duck, his black eyes rolled a few times, and finally found Wei Chenglin in the house, and immediately called out happily.

Wei Chenglin smiled and gently held his younger brother's chubby arm, squatted down and looked into those clear eyes with distinct black and white, seeing two little versions of himself reflected in them, and couldn't help but imitate Shen Xinyan's actions and pinched the little guy's face.

It feels soft and comfortable to the touch.

Shen Xinyan watched the interaction between the two brothers with a smile. She saw the younger son hugging his older brother's neck affectionately and babbling a bunch of words that no one could understand.

Wei Chenglin, on the other hand, had an expression of listening attentively, occasionally using a handkerchief to wipe the drool from his brother's mouth, his movements were gentle but patient.

"Okay, you were tired all night last night. You should go back and rest now, and get up when the time comes." After a while, she walked forward, picked up her younger son and put him on the couch, then turned around and instructed her eldest son.

Wei Chenglin was already very tired, and after hearing her say this, the feeling of exhaustion came over him again, so he didn't say much, and nodded in agreement: "Yes, the child will go back first."

Before leaving, she held Xiangger's little hand and shook it, causing the little boy to giggle happily.

When he returned to his room, he changed his clothes and lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Although his body was extremely tired, his mind was very clear, and scenes of last night flashed through his mind one after another.

What my mother said was right. Miss Zhou was indeed a beauty. Even if she was thrown into a haystack, she could easily attract the attention of others.

Thinking of how he had rescued her from the kidnappers, and the feeling of holding that warm and soft girl in his arms, his nose seemed to still be lingering with that unique and refreshing fragrance. His heart suddenly began to beat rapidly, and his ears gradually turned red.

However, the next moment, when Shen Xinyan's accurate guess and her words that seemed to have a deeper meaning echoed in his ears, it was like a basin of cold water was poured over his head, instantly extinguishing his gradually rising enthusiasm.

What kind of woman was that Miss Zhou... She was so beautiful and delicate. He still remembered that when he found her, she was so scared that she shrank in the corner of the carriage. Her beautiful eyes, filled with moisture, looked over at him in panic, but in the next instant, she shrank back into the corner like a frightened rabbit.

He had seen many women in his life, but none of them could easily arouse his sympathy like her.

However, perhaps it was because none of the women around him were as weak as she was.

He was thinking about the delicate and graceful woman, and then about Shen Xinyan's words, each of which was full of profound meaning. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.

However, Shen Xinyan in the main room was patiently coaxing her younger son to talk, and she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

Since she found herself alive again, she has succeeded in everything she wants to do. Now, she has everything, including fame, status, and wealth. Wei Junhang protects her in the mansion, and the imperial concubine takes good care of her in the palace. All the ladies in the capital are respectful to her. Even if it is just superficial respect, doesn't it further prove that those people are jealous of her?

However, her eldest son's marriage, which she cared about the most, never progressed smoothly.

Princess Wu Rui of Changning was seriously ill and had to break off the engagement; Miss Xie eloped with someone and the engagement was aborted. Now, Wei Chenglin is still following the path of his previous life and appears as a "hero" in front of Zhou Wanning who is in danger.

She even had some doubts, whether the eldest son and Zhou Wanning were destined to be together, and it was irresistible. Therefore, Princess Changning, who was once engaged to the eldest son, fell ill, and her condition gradually improved after the engagement was cancelled.

***

"The prince originally planned to return home directly, but he met Lord Zhou on the way. He went to Lord Zhou's house at his invitation. I'm afraid it will take a while for him to return home." The attendant beside Wei Chenglin honestly told Shen Xinyan the news of his master's late return.

"Brother, what are you doing at the Zhou Mansion?" Wei Yingzhi, who just walked in, asked casually.

"It seems that it is because the prince once did a great favor to Master Zhou."

Very busy? Shen Xinyan raised her eyebrows.

It was indeed a great favor, saving his precious daughter. Considering Zhou Mao's character, he would not just ignore this great favor and let it go.

"You go down first! I know everything." After sending the servants away, he turned his head and saw his daughter sitting aside with a pout on her face, not saying a word.

"What's wrong? Why are you talking nonsense again? Are you having a quarrel with Pingfu again?" She joked, but in her heart she was thinking that maybe she should slowly separate her daughter and Pingfu. After all, they were both growing up now and could no longer be as close as they were when they were little.

Otherwise, if the news gets out, it will be bad for both of them, and even the imperial concubine in the palace will not be happy.

Since you have no interest in marriage, it is better to keep your distance from some things to avoid any misunderstandings.

"How could that be possible! Lingfu has been so busy lately that it's hard to even see him." Wei Yingzhi answered with her head against her shoulder.

"Why do you look like this? Did someone provoke you again?" Shen Xinyan was puzzled.

"Who dares to mess with me? I have a father, a mother, a brother and a grandmother. Who dares to bully me?" Wei Yingzhi rubbed her arm coquettishly.

Shen Xinyan smiled slightly and didn't ask any more questions.

On this day, Pingfu finally had some free time to come to the Duke's Mansion. Wei Junhang happened to bring back a basket of crabs, so the young men simply asked the servants to set up a crab feast in the pavilion in the back garden. They drank wine and ate crabs while admiring the blooming autumn chrysanthemums in the garden.

"Lingfu, have you seen the daughter of Lord Zhou Maozhou? Wow, she is truly a stunning beauty, she outshines all the girls in the capital!" Wei Chengyue drank a glass of wine and said with great envy.

Wei Chengzhao, who was eating crab roe in silence, raised his eyes and glanced at him when he heard this. He then quickly glanced at Wei Yingzhi who had walked over at some point, and sat down beside him without saying a word.

This idiot has done something stupid again. He should stay away from him, otherwise he will get into trouble!

"I met her once in the palace." Lin Fu was already a little tipsy, so when he heard the question, he answered honestly.

"So what? She's a stunning beauty, right? I'm afraid only the royal concubine can compare with her." Wei Chengyue immediately became interested.

"How dare she compare herself with the Royal Concubine? Brother Yue, you are getting worse as you get older." Wei Yingzhi couldn't bear to listen any longer. She snorted heavily and put the wine pot in her hand on the table.

"You are talking about Zhou Wanning, right? What I hate most is her pretending to be weak all the time and looking like she is being bullied." She continued.

"Ms. Zhou is not pretending to be weak, she is a weak woman." Wei Chengyue retorted bravely.

"She is indeed weak. She can't do anything except crying." Wei Yingzhi snorted again, too lazy to pay attention to him, so she turned around and left.

"Ying'er doesn't like that girl from the Zhou family." Ling Fu concluded bluntly.

"This is perfectly normal. I'm afraid that few girls would like a girl as beautiful as Miss Zhou. Because if you stand next to her, you will immediately look like an ordinary girl." Wei Chengyue laughed, then shook his head in a pretentious manner and sighed, "Since ancient times, beauties have looked down on each other!"

"Is that so?" Lin Fu was getting drunk and asked in a daze.

"Of course it is!" Wei Chengyue slapped his thigh and asked, "Who do you think is prettier, the fourth sister or Miss Zhou?"

"Of course Ying'er is prettier!" Lin Fu answered subconsciously.

Wei Chengyue looked at him strangely for a long time before he made a sympathetic expression.

"Pingfu, now I know that you have an eye disease!"