Chapter 151: Qing’er
Xie An’an’s eyes widened slightly before she instantly masked her reaction. She staggered weakly, her hand clutching at Old Madam Xie’s sleeve as she looked toward Xie Rong with a hurt expression.
"Elder Brother, is this how you see this sister these days?" Her voice trembled with grievance. "Ever since you got married, this sister seems to be wrong in your eyes no matter what this sister does. This sister does not know what she has done to make the Elder Brother dislike her so much."
She lowered her gaze as tears gathered in her eyes. "I saw her. This sister is not blind."
"Are you mocking this elder brother, just because this one is blind?!" Xie Rong’s voice thundered across the courtyard.
Wang Gege bit her lip, not because she was afraid, but because she could feel Xie Rong’s acting getting better and better.
She could see it from his body language, and judging from the way his voice had suddenly risen... he was clearly enjoying himself.
"An’an, if you truly saw Qing’er entering your chamber yesterday, then tell this elder brother exactly when she came and when she left," Xie Rong demanded, his voice still carrying the anger he had deliberately put on. "If you cannot even give this elder brother a proper answer, how can you expect us to believe that Qing’er was the one who poisoned you?"
Xie An’an’s expression stiffened for the briefest moment. She had clearly not expected him to question her so directly.
"Elder Brother..." she murmured weakly, "this sister was poisoned and was barely conscious. How could this sister possibly remember the exact time?"
"Then you remember that it was Qing’er, but you do not remember anything else?" Xie Rong’s voice became even colder, the sarcasm in his tone becoming impossible to miss. "I suppose the poison affected your mind as well, to the point that it left you with selective memories of what you chose to remember and what you did not."
At that instant, tears slowly began to fall from Xie An’an’s eyes.
Wang Gege could not help but be in awe of how effortlessly she could produce those fake tears. If Xie An’an was a person in her original world, she probably could have won an Oscar with that performance.
And for the first time, Wang Gege finally understood why the phrase white lotus and green tea had become such a rage-inducing description for people like her.
Xie An’an’s tears continued to fall, her shoulders trembling slightly as though she were trying her best to endure the hurt without making a sound.
"Elder Brother..." Her voice came out weak and pitiful. "This sister does not understand why the Elder Brother has become so hostile toward this sister. This sister merely told everyone what she saw, yet the Elder Brother keeps questioning every word this sister says..."
She lowered her gaze, allowing another tear to slip down her cheek.
"This sister knows that after Sister-in-law married into the Xie Residence, this sister should not cause trouble for her, but this sister never thought that one day, even telling the truth would become a mistake."
Wang Gege almost wanted to applaud at the performance, but Master Xie’s voice suddenly cut through the tension in the courtyard.
"Enough!"
His expression was dark as he looked between Xie Rong and Wang Gege.
"I did not come here to listen to the two of you blame An’an! I came here because I wanted to hear from the maid herself what happened. What is wrong with both of you?!"
His voice grew heavier as his anger rose.
"Do you both intend to be disrespectful to this elder? Am I someone who does not deserve your respect?!"
Xie Rong’s expression remained calm, but he lowered his head slightly in respect. "This son does not dare."
Wang Gege followed immediately, lowering her head as well. "This daughter-in-law does not dare either."
Master Xie let out a heavy breath, clearly still displeased. "Then stop arguing and bring that maid here."
Wang Gege’s heart tightened slightly. She knew exactly which maid he meant. But before she could say anything, Xie Rong turned toward the servants standing nearby. "Go and bring Qing’er here."
One of the servants there immediately bowed. "Yes, Young Master."
Wang Gege’s fingers unconsciously tightened around her sleeves as the servant turned toward the chamber. She glanced briefly in that direction, wondering whether Qing’er had already found a place to hide Yun’er properly.
Anxious, she suddenly raised her hand. "This one will call her myself!"
The servant immediately stopped and looked toward Master Xie.
Master Xie’s brows furrowed slightly. "You?"
Wang Gege forced a calm smile despite the uneasiness slowly building inside her.
"Qing’er is this daughter-in-law’s personal maid. If she is being summoned because of something that happened to Sister An’an, this one should be the one to call her out."
Before anyone could object, Wang Gege turned toward the chamber. "I will bring her here myself."
The moment she stepped inside the chamber, she walked toward the direction Qing’er had gone earlier.
"Qing’er..." she called in a lowered voice. "Qing’er..."
Right at that instant, Qing’er rushed out from behind a large folding screen.
"Yes, Young Madam. This servant is here."
She obviously looked as though she had heard everything that had happened outside, yet she still managed to give Wang Gege a smile, although the stiffness at the corners of her lips made it clear that the smile was forced.
Wang Gege glanced at her for a moment before quietly asking, "You heard everything?"
Qing’er nodded slightly. "Yes, Young Madam." She then lowered her voice. "Do not worry. This servant will not say anything about Yun’er."
Wang Gege’s eyes flickered toward the folding screen before returning to Qing’er.
"I am not saying anything about Yun’er..." She paused for a moment before taking a quiet breath. "I am worried about you." Her expression became more serious. "Xie An’an is targeting you now..."
Qing’er merely smiled, the forced expression from earlier slowly disappearing as she looked at Wang Gege with calm confidence.
"Do not worry, Young Madam. Since this servant was assigned to serve you, this servant has never been so weak as to surrender to anything that comes her way."
She paused before giving Wang Gege a small, reassuring smile.
"You can trust this servant."