Chapter 68: The Official Mission
The first rays of morning sunlight quietly filtered through the carved wooden windows.
Wang Gege’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. For a brief moment, she simply stared blankly at the familiar embroidered canopy above her.
The room was unusually quiet.
She lazily stretched beneath the blanket before instinctively turning toward the other side of the bed.
It was empty. Xie Rong was already gone.
A small smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
Somehow, waking up without the blaring sound of an alarm clock, without worrying about being late for work, and without having countless unread messages waiting on her phone felt unbelievably refreshing.
She quietly lay there for another few moments, enjoying the rare luxury of doing absolutely nothing.
"This is nice."
Then the smile on her face suddenly froze when a thought crossed her mind
"Wait." Her eyes slowly widened.
She abruptly sat upright on the bed, "Isn’t there some kind of rule in ancient times where a daughter-in-law has to wake up before everyone else?"
Her expression immediately became complicated, "I didn’t just oversleep, did I?"
The thought alone was enough to send her scrambling out of bed. She hastily slipped on her shoes before rushing straight toward the door.
The moment she pulled it open, she cautiously poked her head outside.
"Qing’er?" she called in a hushed voice.
Almost immediately, Qing’er hurried over from the side courtyard. "Young Madam? You’re awake."
Wang Gege let out a small sigh of relief before quickly asking, "What time is it now? Did I wake up late?"
Qing’er blinked in confusion before smiling, "Not at all, Young Madam."
Wang Gege froze, "Really?"
Qing’er nodded repeatedly, "Young Master specifically instructed us not to wake Young Madam this morning. He said Young Madam had not rested well these past few days and should sleep a little longer."
Wang Gege quickly stepped out of the room, "Where’s Husband?"
"Young Master left shortly after dawn." Qing’er replied respectfully. "He is currently in the front courtyard."
Wang Gege nodded before asking the question that had been bothering her ever since she woke up. "Then... should I be somewhere right now?"
Qing’er blinked in confusion, "Somewhere?"
Wang Gege lowered her voice.
"You know... paying my respects to Father and the others, or serving morning tea..." She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Isn’t there some sort of rule like that for a newly married daughter-in-law?"
Qing’er finally understood and couldn’t help but smile.
"Young Madam needn’t worry. Those customs are indeed observed in many noble households." She paused before continuing, "However, Young Master has already gone to the main courtyard on your behalf this morning."
Wang Gege’s eyes widened, "On my behalf?"
Qing’er nodded.
"The Master did ask about Young Madam, but Young Master simply said that Young Madam had not slept well these past few days and requested that you be allowed to rest this morning."
She smiled gently, "The Master did not object."
"Really?" Wang Gege blinked, her thoughts instantly becoming a tangled mess.
Should she feel relieved or should she be even more worried?
It was true that she had escaped being scolded today.
But wouldn’t everyone in the residence think she was an undisciplined daughter-in-law who needed her husband to speak on her behalf?
Wang Gege quietly rubbed her forehead, "This really is troublesome."
She lowered her hand from her forehead before another thought suddenly crossed her mind.
"Right..." She looked at Qing’er. "What about the Taoist Master from yesterday? Has he already left?"
Qing’er nodded politely. "Yes, Young Madam. The Taoist Master departed shortly after speaking with the Master this morning."
Only then did Wang Gege quietly let out a sigh of relief. "That’s good."
Although the Taoist had never looked at her directly, the things he had said yesterday still lingered in her mind.
’Two destinies that should never have met are now walking as one.’
She still had no idea what those words truly meant.
Was he referring to her transmigration?
Or was he talking about something else entirely?
Fortunately, he was gone now. At least she would not have to worry about unexpectedly running into him again.
Qing’er noticed Wang Gege’s thoughtful expression and asked softly, "Did the Taoist Master frighten Young Madam yesterday?"
Wang Gege was momentarily stunned before smiling awkwardly. "A little."
That answer wasn’t exactly a lie. Anyone who knew a secret like hers would naturally feel uneasy after hearing someone speak such mysterious words.
Qing’er smiled reassuringly.
"Young Madam needn’t worry. Taoist Masters often speak in riddles. Most people cannot understand what they truly mean anyway."
"That’s true." Wang Gege gave a small nod, though she wasn’t entirely convinced.
If even Xie Rong’s fate had been accurately described, perhaps that Taoist really had seen something. She simply hoped he hadn’t seen too much.
Wang Gege quietly exhaled, deciding there was little point dwelling on yesterday’s events any longer.
The Taoist had already left. Whatever his words truly meant, worrying about them now would not change anything. She turned back toward her room before suddenly stopping midway.
"Oh right." She looked down at herself and frowned slightly.
After sleeping through the night, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat sticky.
Back in the modern world, she had always been accustomed to taking a quick shower every morning before starting her day.
Even after arriving here, that habit had never completely disappeared. Turning toward Qing’er, she smiled sheepishly. "Qing’er, could you prepare some hot water for me?"
Qing’er blinked, "Young Madam wishes to bathe now?"
Wang Gege nodded naturally. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No." Qing’er quickly shook her head. "It’s simply that most people usually bathe in the evening."
"I know." Wang Gege laughed awkwardly. "It’s just a habit of mine."
Although she couldn’t exactly explain what a morning shower was, she still preferred beginning the day feeling clean and refreshed.
Qing’er smiled understandingly. "As you wish, Young Madam. This servant shall have the bathing room prepared immediately."
"Thank you." Wang Gege smiled with her eyes shaping into a crimson moon.
Qing’er gave a respectful bow before leaving to instruct the servants.
After Qing’er left to instruct the other servants, Wang Gege returned to her room.
The room gradually became quiet once more.
She walked over to the table and poured herself a cup of tea, intending to wait until the bathwater was ready.
Just as she raised the teacup to her lips, tiny golden motes of light suddenly appeared before her.
One after another, they shimmered softly beneath the morning sunlight, gathering together until the golden glow grew brighter and brighter.
The familiar sight immediately brought a smile to Wang Gege’s face. "Mini?"
The cluster of light slowly condensed before taking shape.
A tiny golden bee, only a little bigger than her thumb, appeared out of thin air. Its translucent wings fluttered rapidly, scattering faint golden sparkles as it hovered happily in front of her.
"Host!" Mini’s round amber eyes curved into crescents as it beamed. "Mini is back!"
Wang Gege couldn’t help smiling, "I was wondering when you’d finally show yourself."
Mini puffed out its tiny chest proudly. "Mini wanted to come out yesterday too, but that Taoist was too scary!"
"So you hid?" Wang Gege smiled teasingly.
"It wasn’t hiding!" Mini immediately protested, waving its tiny arms. "Mini was making a strategic retreat!"
Wang Gege laughed, "Isn’t that just another way of saying you hid?"
"It’s completely different!" Mini crossed its tiny arms with an indignant huff. "If Mini got discovered, who would accompany Host?"
Its little expression quickly softened again. "But it’s okay now! The Taoist has already left the Xie Residence."
Mini happily spun through the air once before stopping directly in front of Wang Gege.
"So..." Its eyes sparkled excitedly, "It’s finally Mini and Host’s first official mission together!"