Chapter 61: Unclean Presence Within The Xie Residence
Wang Gege continued staring blankly at the empty space before the window.
The tiny bee that had been hovering there only moments ago had completely vanished without leaving the slightest trace behind.
"Furen?" Xie Rong’s calm voice sounded once again, pulling Wang Gege back to reality.
She stiffly turned around, forcing an awkward smile onto her face. "H-Husband..."
Xie Rong quietly stepped into the room. Although his eyes remained concealed beneath the familiar black blindfold, his head tilted slightly in her direction.
"A moment ago... I heard Furen speaking." He paused briefly, "Who were you talking to?"
Wang Gege’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes instinctively darted toward the window once again.
She swallowed nervously. "I..."
Just as she was struggling to think of an explanation...
A tiny voice suddenly echoed inside her mind.
’Host! Don’t look around!’
Wang Gege’s pupils instantly shrank. She nearly turned her head out of reflex but somehow managed to stop herself in time.
Mini’s voice continued, sounding much quieter than before. ’Only Host can hear Mini now. Other people are nearby, so Mini entered Hidden Mode.’
Wang Gege blinked repeatedly.
’Hidden Mode?’ she asked inwardly.
’Mm!’ Mini’s cheerful voice immediately returned. ’Otherwise everyone would know Host has a system!’
Wang Gege couldn’t help but admit that actually made sense.
Then her eyes suddenly widened, "Wait... You can hear my inner thoughts?!"
"Furen?" Xie Rong’s voice immediately interrupted her.
He crossed the room in a few quick steps, stopping before her. His long hair was still slightly damp from bathing, a few strands resting loosely over his shoulders. One hand instinctively lifted as though intending to check her forehead, but it hesitated halfway before quietly falling back to his side.
"What happened?" His calm voice carried an unmistakable trace of concern. "What inner thoughts?"
Only then did Wang Gege realize she had spoken out loud.
"Ah..." She forced out an awkward laugh as her mind frantically searched for an explanation. "N-No, Husband, you heard it wrong. I wasn’t talking to anyone..."
Before she could think of another excuse, the first thing that came to mind slipped out.
"I... I just thought I heard someone walking in the back courtyard."
The words had barely left her mouth when Xie Rong’s expression subtly changed. He tilted his head slightly toward the rear courtyard, listening in complete silence.
After several breaths, he calmly called, "Mo Yan."
Almost instantly, a black figure landed outside the window. "This subordinate is here, Young Master."
"Search the rear courtyard."
"Yes." The shadow disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.
Only then did Xie Rong turn back toward Wang Gege. "Did Furen hear anything else?"
Wang Gege’s smile immediately stiffened.
"Anything else?" Xie Rong gave a faint nod, "The footsteps... Were they in a hurry? How many people? Were they approaching... or moving away?"
Every question made Wang Gege’s heart sink a little further. She had only fabricated the excuse on the spur of the moment.
How was she supposed to answer all of that?
Meanwhile, Mini quietly floated beside the window, covering its tiny mouth with both forelegs.
’Host. You’ve caused quite a big misunderstanding.’
Wang Gege silently cried inside. ’I KNOW!’
She forced another awkward smile before looking back at Xie Rong.
"I... I only heard it briefly. I wasn’t paying much attention." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Perhaps it was only the maids passing by."
Xie Rong remained silent for several moments before giving a faint nod.
"Perhaps." Although he said so, the crease between his brows remained. His expression showed no sign of relaxing.
"Even so..." His calm voice was as steady as ever. "The rear courtyard belongs to our quarters. Unless there is a reason, no servant should be wandering there after nightfall."
Xie Rong looked at her quietly for a long moment before speaking once again.
"Are you certain you are alright, Furen?"
Wang Gege was slightly taken aback. "I am."
"You have been distracted ever since I returned." His voice remained calm, neither questioning nor accusing, "You spoke to yourself, claimed to hear footsteps, and now your breathing is noticeably more hurried than usual."
Wang Gege unconsciously held her breath.
’Had he... noticed all of that?’
Seeing her remain silent, Xie Rong continued, "If something is troubling Furen, you need not keep it to yourself."
His words were simple, yet they carried an unexpected gentleness.
Wang Gege looked at him for a moment before instinctively glancing toward the empty space beside the window where Mini had disappeared.
After a short while, she gently shook her head.
"I am probably just tired after everything that happened today..." A small smile appeared on her lips. "Let’s sleep..."
The words slipped out so naturally that she did not think twice about them.
However, almost the instant they left her mouth, her entire body froze. Her eyes slowly widened, "I-I mean..."
A faint blush quietly spread across her cheeks. "I meant... It’s getting late. So Husband should rest as well."
The more she tried to explain herself, the more awkward it became.
Xie Rong remained silent. His head turned slightly toward her, as though quietly watching her struggle to untangle her own words.
After a long pause, a faint smile quietly appeared at the corners of his lips.
"Mm." His answer was as calm as ever. "We should rest."
Only then did Wang Gege let out a small breath of relief.
Just as Wang Gege and Xie Rong turned toward the bed, a hurried knock suddenly echoed from outside the room.
"Young Master!"
"Young Madam!"
Qing’er’s anxious voice sounded through the closed door.
Xie Rong’s footsteps came to a halt, "Come in."
Qing’er immediately pushed the door open. Her breathing was slightly uneven, as though she had hurried all the way there.
"Young Master, Young Madam." She quickly lowered her head in greeting before speaking, "The Master requests both of you to proceed to the main courtyard immediately."
Wang Gege frowned, "At this hour?"
Qing’er nodded. "Yes."
A trace of hesitation flashed across her face before she continued, "A Taoist Master has arrived at the residence."
She paused briefly, "He claims there is an unclean presence within the Xie Residence."