Chapter 26: A Warning Too Late
Xie Rong’s hand, which was still holding hers beneath the table, stiffened slightly. It was only for a brief moment.
Unfortunately for him, Wang Gege happened to be paying very close attention. She had been observing him since the moment they met. In her opinion, he was acting far too good for someone who was incapable to see.
He did not answer her question immediately. Instead, he simply sat there, looking in her direction while she waited eagerly for a response.
"Am I wrong?" Wang Gege leaned closer again and lowered her voice further. "Or perhaps only one eye is blind?"
The moment the words left her mouth, Xie Rong finally moved.
Even then, his movements remained calm and unhurried. Elegant enough that nobody else would suspect he had just been accused of faking his blindness.
"Furen..." His voice was low.
The familiar form of address immediately made Wang Gege sit up a little straighter.
Xie Rong turned slightly toward her, "Do I act too perfectly..." He paused briefly, "that you now see my imperfection as perfection?"
Wang Gege blinked as she heard his answer.
Before she could process it, Xie Rong continued calmly. "I am helping you at this moment, yet I did not expect to be accused of lying about my imperfection."
Wang Gege opened her mouth but no words to counter his. As his words made her feel slightly guilty.
After all, the man had indeed been helping her since they arrived. Guiding her to the correct seat. Warning her not to eat or drink carelessly. Even easing her anxiousness.
Meanwhile, she had repaid his kindness by questioning whether he was actually blind. The more she thought about it, the more unreasonable she sounded.
"That..." Wang Gege pressed her lips together. "I was only asking."
"Hm." Xie Rong merely hummed in response.
"I was not accusing you." She continued, trying to explain herself.
"Hm." Yet Xie Rong still said nothing.
"I was merely... expressing reasonable suspicion." His indifferent reaction instantly made her feel a little annoyed.
She lowered her voice even further. "You know..." Her eyes drifted toward the black blindfold covering his eyes, "I cannot even see your eyes through that thing."
Then she narrowed her eyes, "So how are you always finding your way around?"
Hearing that question, Xie Rong froze once again. The pause was brief but it was enough for Wang Gege.
Just the fact that she could not see his eyes, it was still bugging in her heart.
If not for that blindfold, she would have been able to tell whether her question had struck the right spot. Still, the tiny pause was enough to boost her confidence.
"Furen..." Xie Rong suddenly leaned closer.
The unexpected movement caused Wang Gege to flinch. She had not expected him to react so quickly.
His voice lowered until only she could hear it. "Have you ever heard of counting steps?"
Wang Gege blinked a few times.
Xie Rong continued calmly, "Or memorizing the layout of a residence?"
She continued listening, giving him time to defend himself.
"I have lived with this blindness for years." His voice remained steady. "It would be strange if I could not find my way around."
The corner of Wang Gege’s mouth twitched.
"Husband..." This time, she was the one who leaned closer. Her voice dropped into a whisper, "This is not your residence."
A victorious smile slowly appeared on her face. As though she had finally caught a flaw in his argument. She even gently tightened their intertwined hands.
"I am not the type who is easily fooled." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Nor can you guilt-trip me that easily."
Xie Rong fell silent. The silence immediately made Wang Gege feel even more confident.
’Ha! Got you.’
Unfortunately, before she could celebrate for too long, Xie Rong calmly replied, "Furen."
"Hm?" She raised her gaze and smiled, "Yes, dearest husband."
Xie Rong turned his head slightly toward her, "My blindness is nothing compared to Furen’s condition."
The smile on Wang Gege’s face paused, "What condition?"
His voice remained calm, "The condition of pretending to be foolish."
Wang Gege froze as Xie Rong continued leisurely.
"Tell me... Should I also question whether Furen is truly as simple-minded as she appears?"
The corner of Wang Gege’s mouth twitched.
Before she could answer, Xie Rong added, "After all, Furen managed to negotiate a marriage agreement with me on the first day we met." He paused briefly, "That does not seem like something a foolish person would do."
This time, Wang Gege genuinely had no answer. Because unfortunately... He was right.
Seeing how stunned she was, Xie Rong calmly reached for his tea.
"As long as Furen does not question my blindness..." His voice remained unhurried. "I shall not question your intelligence."
The smug expression on Wang Gege’s face instantly disappeared, completely. For several moments, she could only stare at Xie Rong, who appeared perfectly calm. As though he had merely stated an ordinary fact.
Wang Gege silently gritted her teeth. She could not deny that his counterattack had been effective, a very effective one.
Meanwhile, although the conversation between the two remained hidden from everyone else, their interaction was impossible to ignore.
Especially to Shen Yurou. From her seat, Shen Yurou watched everything.
The way they leaned toward each other while speaking. The way Xie Rong held Shen Taotao’s hand. The way they seemed to have their own conversation despite being surrounded by people.
Every scene felt like a thorn piercing her eyes, because in her previous life, such things had never happened.
Shen Yurou’s stare didn’t even affecting Wang Gege as she was busy staring at the piece of braised fish that had just appeared in her bowl. The fact that he just brushed off her suspicion was still not over, but he was quick on acting like their conversation earlier was nothing more like a daily couple talk.
"You may eat now." Xie Rong’s calm voice sounded beside her.
With a pout of her lips she picked up her chopsticks. The atmosphere around the table gradually relaxed.
Conversation resumed. Servants continued bringing dishes. Everything appeared perfectly normal.
At least until the chopsticks in Xie Rong’s hand suddenly slipped from his fingers and landed against the table with a sharp clatter.
Wang Gege immediately turned toward him. The color on his face had become noticeably pale.
"Husband?" Her eyes widened before her forehead slowly frowning.
Xie Rong remained quiet as his hand pressed firmly against the edge of the table as though he was trying to steady himself.
The movement instantly drew everyone’s attention.
"Young Master Xie?" Master Shen abruptly stood up.
At that moment, Xie Rong finally turned his head slightly toward Wang Gege. His voice was so low that only she could hear it. "Do not drink from that cup."
The words instantly froze her in place. And before she could react, a thin trail of dark blood slowly trickled from the corner of Xie Rong’s lips.
Everyone in the dining hall started to whisper to each other.
Wang Gege’s eyes furrowed and her mind went completely blank. Because only one thought remained...
’He was poisoned.’