Chapter 8: The Blind And The Imposter
Both maids immediately bowed the moment they recognized the man who had entered.
"Young Master Xie," they said in unison.
Xie Rong gave a slight nod before stepping into the room, "Leave us."
Neither maid dared to question the order.
"Yes, Young Master."
The two women quickly lowered their heads and retreated from the room.
The door closed softly behind them. Silence immediately descended.
Wang Gege sat upright on the bed, suddenly feeling much less relaxed than before.
A moment ago, she had been happily imagining a peaceful life in her own courtyard. Now the source of that problem was standing directly in front of her.
Wang Gege quietly swallowed. At this point, she felt that her brain needed to start working properly again.
After all, from everything that had happened so far, it was obvious that Young Master Xie was not a simple person.
Wang Gege had a feeling that trying to outsmart him would end very badly for her. The thought alone was enough to make her more cautious.
As that thought crossed her mind, her gaze unconsciously followed his movements. The more she watched, the more impressed she became.
His pace was steady and unhurried. There was not the slightest hesitation in his steps. If not for the black silk cloth covering his eyes, nobody would have guessed that he was blind.
For a brief moment, Wang Gege even wondered whether a blind person could really move so naturally.
Then she quickly dismissed the thought.
After all, pretending to be blind sounded far more troublesome than actually being blind. There was no way anyone would go through that much effort.
Right?
As Wang Gege continued staring, Xie Rong walked directly toward the table in the center of the room.
Not once did he slow down or reach out to feel his surroundings. Until he stopped beside the chair with perfect accuracy before calmly taking a seat.
The entire movement was smooth and natural, as though he had done it countless times before.
Wang Gege’s eyes immediately followed him. Her gaze drifted to the table, then back to Xie Rong before settling on the chair once more.
"Do you find blind people particularly fascinating?" Xie Rong’s calm voice suddenly broke the silence.
Wang Gege immediately stiffened. The question had come so abruptly that she nearly choked on her own breath.
Meanwhile, Xie Rong remained seated exactly where he was. The black silk was still indeed covering his eyes. Yet somehow, it felt as though he was looking directly at her.
"I have noticed," he continued evenly, "that Miss Shen has spent a considerable amount of time staring at me."
The room instantly became awkward. Wang Gege wanted to deny it.
Unfortunately, she had indeed been staring—A lot.
"If you are curious about my blindness, you may ask directly."
His tone remained calm from beginning to end. There was no anger or embarrassment. Not even a sign that the topic bothered him in the slightest.
That somehow made Wang Gege even more uncomfortable. It felt as though she had been caught doing something she should not have.
She opened her mouth, then let out a small breath.
"I’m sorry if I offended Young Master Xie in any way." A brief pause followed, "But I was only impressed."
For the first time since he entered the room, Wang Gege looked directly at him.
"Young Master is indeed remarkable."
The words slipped out before she could stop them, "With the way you walk, speak, and move around the room, nobody would guess that you cannot see."
The room fell silent once more.
Only after speaking did Wang Gege realize how dangerous that statement might sound.
It was practically the same as saying, ’Young Master, are you sure you’re actually blind?’
Fortunately, she managed to stop herself before voicing that part aloud.
Meanwhile, Xie Rong remained seated across from her. His expression did not change.
"Is that a compliment?" he asked calmly.
Wang Gege immediately nodded. "Of course."
Then she added honestly, "If I were blindfolded, I would probably walk into a wall before reaching that chair."
Xie Rong gave a slight nod, "Miss Shen never fails to surprise me."
"Huh?" Wang Gege raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"From what I heard," Xie Rong continued calmly, "Shen Taotao, the Second Daughter of the Shen family, is a quiet young lady who rarely leaves her courtyard."
His fingers lightly rested against the edge of the table, "She dislikes social gatherings. Does not enjoy drawing attention to herself... And seldom speaks unless spoken to."
The more he spoke, the more uncomfortable Wang Gege became. Because none of those descriptions sounded remotely like her.
Unfortunately, Xie Rong had not finished. "Yet since our first meeting, Miss Shen has negotiated with me inside a bridal sedan."
Wang Gege immediately looked away.
"Questioned and observed me..." A really subtle smile appeared right at the tip of his lips
She coughed lightly and pulled the blanket up, to cover up to her chin.
"And now," Xie Rong concluded, "you are openly discussing my blindness."
The room became very quiet. Wang Gege slowly lowered her head.
For some reason, hearing all her actions listed together made them sound considerably more reckless than they had seemed at the time.
After a long pause, she cautiously asked, "Is this the part where Young Master starts suspecting that I am an imposter?"
A faint chuckle escaped him. The sound was so unexpected that Wang Gege almost thought she had imagined it.
Xie Rong slowly shook his head.
"No." His voice remained calm, "That would be difficult."
Wang Gege blinked, "Why?"
"Because you are Shen Taotao."
The answer came without the slightest hesitation. As though it were an undeniable fact.
Wang Gege froze. She stared at him blankly, caught completely off guard by the certainty in his voice.
"How are you so sure?"