Chapter 117: The Choice
Xie Rong remained standing where he was. Although his expression betrayed nothing, countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He had made a mistake. A mistake he had never once committed since arriving in this world.
Why... Why had he spoken aloud instead of communicating inwardly with Gemi?
Was it because his attention had been entirely on Shen Taotao?
Or... Had learning the truth about his restored eye unsettled him enough to lower his guard?
Neither answer mattered now.
The only thing that mattered was finding a reasonable explanation before Shen Taotao continued pressing him.
Closing his eyes beneath the blindfold, he called inwardly, ’Gemi.’
[HOST.]
’If Shen Taotao were to learn of your existence...’ He paused briefly before asking the question that had been lingering in his mind. ’What will happen?’
[PROCESSING...]
"Husband?" Wang Gege’s voice immediately pulled Xie Rong’s attention back to reality. She looked at him with concern. "Is something wrong?"
Ding!
[GEMI’S DATABASE CONTAINS NO RULE PROHIBITING THE DISCLOSURE OF THIS SYSTEM’S EXISTENCE.]
Xie Rong’s brows relaxed slightly.
Before he could think further, Gemi’s mechanical voice came again.
[HOWEVER.]
His thoughts halted.
[THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE HOST DISCLOSE SUCH INFORMATION.]
’Reason?’
[MISSION DIFFICULTY WILL INCREASE.]
Xie Rong frowned, ’Explain.’
[THE HOST’S MISSIONS FREQUENTLY REQUIRE THE HOST TO ACT WITHOUT THE TARGET’S PRIOR KNOWLEDGE.]
[IF SHEN TAOTAO BECOMES AWARE OF THIS SYSTEM’S EXISTENCE, THE HOST’S SUBSEQUENT MISSIONS MAY EXPERIENCE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN SUCCESS RATE.]
[THIS IS A STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATION.]
[NOT A RESTRICTION.]
Xie Rong looked at Shen Taotao in silence.
A few moments passed while his mind quickly weighed every possible explanation before settling on the one that sounded the most reasonable.
"Furen." He finally spoke, his voice as calm as ever. "I was thinking about how I should tell you about Chuntao."
Wang Gege blinked, "You... were?"
Xie Rong gave a slight nod. "I feared the news might upset you after you awakened." His gaze remained steady. "So I rehearsed what I intended to say."
Having uttered those words, Xie Rong silently assessed his own explanation.
It was far from flawless. However, given the circumstances, it was the most reasonable excuse he could think of within such a short span of time.
His eyes remained on Shen Taotao, quietly observing every subtle change in her expression as he waited to see whether she would accept his explanation.
Shen Taotao slowly nodded.
"I see." She smiled apologetically. "I’m sorry. I must have misunderstood."
Relief quietly settled inside Xie Rong.
As expected... After nearly drowning, it was only natural that her memories of the moments after regaining consciousness would be somewhat hazy.
He did not pursue the matter further. Instead, he poured a cup of warm water before helping her sit up carefully.
"Have some warm water," Xie Rong said softly. "Furen must be thirsty."
Wang Gege accepted the cup with both hands.
The warm water soothed the dryness in her throat, prompting her to drink several mouthfuls before finally lowering the cup.
Xie Rong remained seated beside the bed, patiently watching until she had finished. Only after she handed the empty cup back to him did he place it gently on the small table nearby.
His gaze returned to her.
"If Furen is ready..." His voice was calm, allowing her ample room to decline if she was not prepared. "Whenever that may be, I would like to know what truly happened at the Lotus Pond this morning."
He paused briefly before continuing, "Whatever it is, this husband will listen to everything."
Wang Gege lowered her gaze. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the blanket resting on her lap.
The room gradually fell silent.
She hesitated. For reasons she could not explain, the events at the Flower Banquet suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
To this moment, she still could not understand why Xie Rong had done what he did that day.
He had never seemed inclined to explain, and seeing that, she had never intended to ask.
The matter had quietly remained between them, neither mentioned nor resolved.
Because of that, a trace of uncertainty lingered in her heart.
If she were to tell him everything that had happened at the Lotus Pond... Would he believe her?
Or... Would he choose to believe Xie An’an, his younger sister, who had been by his side far longer than she had?
Wang Gege lowered her gaze.
After what felt like too long, she finally spoke. "I was just slipping."
The room fell silent once more.
Xie Rong looked at her for several moments before speaking.
"Furen." His voice remained calm, yet there was a trace of helplessness within it. "Both you and An’an fell into the lotus pond."
Wang Gege remained silent.
"Unless the two of you happened to lose your footing at precisely the same moment..." He paused before continuing, "This husband finds that explanation rather difficult to believe."
Wang Gege slowly raised her head. Her gaze lingered upon the familiar white blindfold covering his eyes.
For reasons she herself could not explain, the question that had remained buried deep within her heart suddenly resurfaced.
Before she could stop herself, the words had already escaped her lips.
"If..." She hesitated for the briefest moment. "If you had been there..." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Who would you have saved?"
A quiet silence settled between them before she continued.
Me?" Her fingers tightened around the blanket. "Or Xie An’an?"
The question caught Xie Rong completely off guard. His brows gradually drew together beneath the blindfold.
"What gave Furen such thoughts?"
Wang Gege lowered her gaze and gently shook her head.
"I am merely curious..." Her voice softened, carrying a trace of uncertainty she herself had failed to notice, "to what extent does this wife matter to Husband?"
The words escaped her lips almost instinctively.
Perhaps even she herself had not realized how desperately she wanted to know the answer.
Somewhere along the way, she had failed to notice that this man had quietly carved out a place within her heart.
And because of that, she could not help but wonder.
If the day ever came when he had to make a choice...
"Would Husband choose me?"