Chapter 152: The Blood Running Through Her Veins
"Where are you bringing her?!"
Wang Gege’s voice rose sharply as she hurried forward, trying to stop the servants from taking Qing’er away.
"Husband!" She immediately turned toward Xie Rong.
"They said just now that they were only bringing Qing’er here to question her about whether she was in Sister An’an’s courtyard last evening.." Her brows furrowed as she looked at him. "Why are they taking her away now?"
Xie Rong slowly reached for Wang Gege’s arm and gently pulled her to his side, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"Just let them take her first. They will bring her to the punishment courtyard..." He paused, swallowing slightly before continuing, "and I will deal with it once she is there."
Wang Gege stared at him. "But they might punish her!"
Xie Rong remained silent for a moment.
"This husband will try my best not to let that happen." His hand tightened gently around her arm. "If I stop them now, Father will only think I am protecting her without reason."
He lowered his voice even further. "Let them take her. Let them question her."
Wang Gege’s brows furrowed, but a few seconds later, she suddenly snapped her arm out of his grasp.
"No!" She instantly rushed toward Qing’er, who was already being taken away by the servants.
"Stop! You cannot take her away! She did not do anything! If you want to question her, then just ask her here! Why do you need to bring her to the Punishment Courtyard—"
Slap!
A sharp sound rang through the courtyard.
Wang Gege’s face was turned to the side from the force of the blow, her cheek stinging almost immediately.
The entire courtyard fell silent.
"How dare you question my decision?!" Master Xie’s eyes widened with rage as he glared at her. "I should never have agreed to take an adopted daughter from the Shen family in the first place, someone who does not even know where her roots come from!"
Wang Gege slowly turned her face back, the sting from the slap still burning across her cheek.
Master Xie was still glaring at her, his anger showing no sign of fading.
"I should never have agreed to take an adopted daughter from the Shen family in the first place, someone who does not even know where her roots come from!"
His gaze swept over her coldly.
"Who knows what kind of people her true parents were? Perhaps her mother was nothing more than a shameless woman who—"
"Enough!"
Xie Rong’s voice suddenly thundered across the courtyard. The force behind it made everyone present freeze.
Even Wang Gege turned toward him in surprise.
Xie Rong rushed in front of Wang Gege and his hand hanging beside him had already tightened into a fist.
"Father may accuse my Furen of being disrespectful. Father may even punish her for speaking out of turn."
His voice was dangerously low now. "But if Father dares to insult her mother again..." He slowly raised his head toward Master Xie, "this son will not remain silent."
Master Xie’s face darkened. "Rong’er, are you threatening your own father?"
"No." Xie Rong’s answer came without hesitation. "This son is reminding Father that she is my Furen."
He took one step forward, his voice becoming colder with every word. "Whatever her origins may be, she entered this residence as the legitimate wife of this son. She has never brought shame upon the Xie family."
His jaw tightened. "So before Father questions the blood running through her veins, perhaps Father should first ask whether the people who claim to belong to this family have behaved any better."
The courtyard fell into absolute silence.
Wang Gege stared at him, her fingers slowly loosening from her palm.
She had expected Xie Rong to defend her. She had not expected him to strike back at his own father for her.
At that second, the pain from the slap suddenly felt much stronger, or perhaps it was merely an excuse for her tears to finally fall.
Those words stung.
In her previous life, she had heard people make assumptions about her simply because her mother was always remarrying, changing husbands as easily as changing clothes. Despite knowing nothing about her, they had used her family background, her mother’s relationships, and even the people associated with her to decide what kind of person she must be.
She had spent years pretending those words did not matter.
Yet they had always remained somewhere inside her.
And now, after dying and waking in another world, she had thought she had finally escaped that kind of humiliation.
Apparently, she had not.
Her vision gradually blurred as she lowered her gaze, trying to keep the tears from falling in front of everyone.
But this time, she could not hold them back. She quickly lowered her head, hoping the movement would hide the tears gathering in her eyes, but one still slipped down her cheek, trailing quietly past the red mark left by the slap.
Wang Gege immediately wiped it away with the back of her hand. She did not want anyone to see her cry, especially not Xie An’an. She did not want her to think that she had won.
Xie Rong, however, had already noticed. His expression darkened as he slowly turned back toward Master Xie.
"Father may be angry with my Furen for questioning your decision, but that does not give Father the right to insult her mother or her origins."
Master Xie opened his mouth, but Xie Rong continued before he could speak.
"Whatever happened before she entered this residence has nothing to do with whether she is a good wife or not. She has never brought shame upon the Xie family, and if Father has evidence otherwise, then this son will listen."
His voice became colder, "But if there is none, then this son asks Father to never speak of her mother in such a manner again."
The courtyard remained silent.
Xie Rong then turned his head slightly toward Xie An’an.
"And An’an..."
The softness that had occasionally appeared in his voice when speaking to his younger sister was completely gone.
"If you truly believe Qing’er poisoned you, then bring forward the solid evidence and let the matter be investigated properly."
Xie An’an’s eyes trembled.
"But if you are merely using this incident to drag my Furen and her servants into another accusation without proof..."
He paused, his expression becoming dangerously cold.
"Then do not expect this elder brother to remain as forgiving as before, because at least..." His gaze shifted toward Xie An’an, "your origins are as clear as the sky."
"Rong’er!"