Chapter 25: The Blind Leads The...
The Shen family was stunned the moment Xie Rong and Shen Taotao stepped into the hall together.
For a brief moment, nobody spoke. Even the servants standing nearby exchanged surprised glances. The reason was simple. They had never expected Xie Rong to come.
In fact, before this, Shen Yurou had confidently assured everyone that Shen Taotao would most likely return alone.
After all, everyone knew about the relationship between the Xie family and the Shen family or rather, the lack of one.
More importantly, Xie Rong had always avoided attending any gathering related to the Shen family. From the moment their arranged marriage was decided until the day they wed, he had never shown any willingness to associate with the Shen family. Even after the wedding, he had never once stepped through the Shen residence’s gates, making today’s appearance all the more unexpected.
Which was why the current scene felt so unexpected. Not only had Xie Rong come personally. He had even arrived together with Shen Taotao.
The whole atmosphere inside the hall became strangely quiet.
While Wang Gege was completely unaware of the thoughts running through everyone’s minds.
The moment she entered, her attention had already shifted elsewhere.
So many people. Her eyes moved from one unfamiliar face to another.
’Why are there so many relatives?’
The sight immediately made her scalp tingle. She had barely managed to memorize the names of the people inside the Xie residence. Now there seemed to be a fresh batch waiting for her.
The realization instantly made her nervous. But before she could continue worrying, Xie Rong suddenly reached for her hand.
Wang Gege froze. Her gaze immediately lowered.
Only then did she realize that at some point, the gifts in his hands had already been passed to the servants of the Shen Residence.
Now, his hand was holding hers naturally. As though this was something they did every day and the warmth from his palm instantly traveled through her fingertips.
"Father, Mother..." Xie Rong greeted them naturally as the gifts were handed over to the servants.
Master Shen nodded quickly. "Good, good."
His smile was noticeably wider than before.
But Wang Gege’s attention had already drifted elsewhere. More specifically... To their hands.
Her gaze lowered and slowly shifted toward Xie Rong.
’Is this normal?’ She frowned slightly.
At the very least, she had not expected Xie Rong to be the type to hold hands in front of an entire room full of relatives.
The thought immediately made her glance at him again.
The man remained as calm as ever. There was no awkwardness. No embarrassment and no sign that he found anything unusual about the situation.
Which somehow made it even more suspicious.
A tray of teacups was suddenly placed in front of her. The soft clink of porcelain against wood snapped Wang Gege out of her thoughts.
She blinked and lowered her gaze, only then realizing that everyone else’s attention had already shifted to the tea-serving ceremony.
"Second Miss."
The servant respectfully presented the tea tray.
Wang Gege immediately accepted the cup. Beside her, Xie Rong did the same and the two stepped forward together.
"Father."
"Mother."
The greetings sounded almost at the same time.
Master Shen’s smile widened considerably. Madam Shen also appeared pleased as she accepted the tea. The atmosphere inside the hall immediately became surprisingly harmonious.
Shen Yurou, who was seated slightly to the side, quietly watched the scene unfold. Her fingers slowly tightened around the teacup in her hands.
And her husband, Lu Wenyuan remained silent. His gaze swept over the pair standing before the elders. Then toward the pile of gifts that had been brought from the Xie residence.
The sight made him feel somewhat awkward. Not because he envied Xie Rong but because he knew very well that he could not afford to prepare such generous gifts.
Even the gifts he had brought during their return visit had been carefully saved for over a long period of time.
Meanwhile, the gifts from the Xie family filled almost half the hall.
The difference between them was impossible to ignore. The thought made Lu Wenyuan lower his eyes briefly. Then his gaze shifted toward Shen Yurou.
A trace of guilt flashed through his heart. After all, they had already been staying in the Shen residence for several days.
On the first night after their marriage, Shen Yurou had cried and told him she could not sleep. She said she missed her mother. Unable to refuse her tears, he had agreed to stay in Shen’s residence.
Then one day became two. And before he realized it, they were still here.
For some reason, seeing the gifts from the Xie family today made him feel increasingly inadequate.
The awkwardness didn’t last long. After the tea had been served and the greetings exchanged, the atmosphere inside the hall gradually relaxed.
Servants moved in and out carrying trays of food. The rich aroma quickly filled the residence.
Only then did Wang Gege realize she was hungry.
Perhaps it was because Xie Rong had warned her not to eat or drink anything without his confirmation.
Or perhaps it was because she had spent the entire afternoon worrying about names, etiquette, and whether she would accidentally embarrass herself. She had constantly reminded herself not to talk much, worrying she might expose herself.
Either way, the sight of food instantly brightened her mood.
Before long, everyone was guided toward the dining hall. The large round table had already been prepared. One dish after another covered the surface until there was barely any empty space left.
Wang Gege stared at the table.
’This is what a wealthy family should look like.’
Meanwhile, the others gradually took their seats. Master Shen sat at the main seat. Madam Shen sat beside him. The younger generation followed shortly after.
Only after everyone had settled down did Wang Gege suddenly realize something. She had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to sit.
The realization instantly made her smile stiff.
But before she could begin panicking, her hand was gently held once again by her supposed husband.
Wang Gege lowered her gaze, then looked at their intertwined hands..
"What are you staring at?" Xie Rong’s voice sounded beside her.
The question instantly made her raise her head. For a few seconds, Wang Gege almost felt as though the man could somehow see everything despite the blindfold covering his eyes.
She blinked and blinked again. "Oh... nothing."
Xie Rong remained silent for a moment. As though he did not believe her answer at all.
"Then let us take our seats." With that, he naturally led her forward.
The sight immediately made Wang Gege feel something was wrong. Very wrong indeed. After all, between the two of them, he was supposed to be the blindfolded one.
Yet somehow, she was the person being guided around. Xie Rong walked with complete familiarity. There was no hesitation in his steps.
And the moment they took their seats, she could no longer suppress her curiosity. She lightly tugged on his sleeve then leaned closer toward him. "Husband."
"Hm?" Xie Rong instantly leaned his ear closer.
Wang Gege lowered her voice. "So..."
She glanced around first to make sure nobody was paying attention before she moved slightly closer, "You are not actually blind, right?"