Chapter 39: Xie Rong’s Sapphire-Bue Right Eye
The night grew quieter. Only the soft rustling of leaves and the steady sound of footsteps echoed along the stone pathway.
Xie Rong carried Wang Gege on his shoulder without uttering another word.
The apology he had spoken moments ago seemed to have been swallowed by the night itself.
For a long while... Neither of them spoke.
Just as Xie Rong thought she had finally fallen asleep, a tiny yawn sounded behind him.
"Mmm..." Wang Gege rubbed her eyes lazily before resting her cheek against his back. "Cold... My hands are cold." Her voice was soft, almost inaudible.
After mumbling those words, she slowly pushed herself up on his shoulder and even before Xie Rong could react... Both of her hands slipped inside the front of his robe.
The sudden warmth made Wang Gege’s eyes brighten.
"So warm..." She let out a contented sigh before happily nestling her icy hands against him.
Xie Rong’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. The ever-composed Young Master Xie appeared momentarily at a loss.
Behind them, Mo Yan quietly lowered his head. He silently decided, perhaps it would be better if he walked a little farther behind.
After a few moments of silence, Xie Rong let out an almost inaudible sigh. Without a word, he carefully adjusted Wang Gege’s position.
His arm shifted from around her waist to better support her as he gently lifted her a little higher onto his shoulder.
At the same time, he lightly supported the back of her neck. The way she had been hanging moments earlier, her neck would undoubtedly be sore by the time they reached their courtyard.
Unaware of his intention, Wang Gege merely let out a contented hum. "Mmm..."
She instinctively snuggled a little closer, making Xie Rong’s hand pause for the briefest moment.
Honestly that action caught him out of guard but he tried to remain calm and silent, then continued walking. However, after only a few more steps...
A faint cough escaped his lips. Although he immediately suppressed it, the sound did not escape Mo Yan’s ears.
"Young Master." Mo Yan stepped forward with concern, "You have only just awakened from the poison. Allow this subordinate to carry the Young Madam instead."
Xie Rong’s footsteps gradually came to a stop. He remained silent for a long moment before speaking in his usual calm voice. "Whom did you ask to carry her?"
The question was neither loud nor harsh. Yet the instant those words fell, Mo Yan’s expression stiffened. Only then did he realize the implication of his own suggestion.
The Young Madam... Was the Young Master’s wife. No matter the circumstances, it was never his place to carry her.
He immediately lowered his head, "This subordinate has overstepped his bounds."
Xie Rong said nothing further. He simply continued walking as though the conversation had never taken place.
By the time they returned to their courtyard, the entire residence had fallen completely silent.
Xie Rong pushed open the door and stepped inside.
Mo Yan quietly remained outside, closing the door behind them.
Walking to the bedside, Xie Rong carefully lowered Wang Gege onto the bed.
Just as he was about to straighten his back, her eyes suddenly blinked open. She stared at him for several moments before puffing out her cheeks.
"You..." She pointed an accusing finger at him, "You were wrong."
After a brief pause, she added with utmost seriousness, "Apologize."
Xie Rong tilted his head ever so slightly, "I apologized earlier, Young Madam."
Wang Gege immediately shook her head. "No... That one doesn’t count." Her brows knitted together as though she were explaining something extremely important.
"You have to..." She raised one finger, "Mean it... Only then would it count."
Xie Rong remained silent. He found himself genuinely uncertain. "How does one apologize properly?"
Wang Gege blinked. Then, as though the answer was obvious, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Xie Rong’s wrist.
With surprising strength for someone who had been half asleep moments ago, she tugged gently, "Sit."
Caught off guard, Xie Rong was pulled down onto the edge of the bed.
Wang Gege nodded in satisfaction. "Good."
She lifted both hands and cupped his face. "Wait..." She frowned slightly, "This isn’t right."
Before Xie Rong could react, one of her hands slipped behind his head. Her fingers found the knot of the black blindfold. A gentle tug and the knot loosened.
The strip of black silk slid soundlessly from his eyes.
For the very first time... Their gazes finally met.
Wang Gege smiled brightly, "This is the way... You have to look into the other person’s eyes like—"
Her voice abruptly stopped and the room fell silent. Xie Rong’s sapphire-blue right eye stared directly into hers.
For a full two seconds... Neither of them moved.
Then, almost as if driven by instinct, Xie Rong swiftly raised the edge of his hand and struck the side of Wang Gege’s neck. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Before Wang Gege’s eyes fluttered shut, her body went limp and gently fell into Xie Rong’s arms.
The room returned to silence. Only then did Xie Rong slowly close his eyes and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Just as he was about to grab the blindfold, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Congratulations, Host.]
Xie Rong’s fingers paused. The sudden voice startled him enough that the corners of his brows twitched.
He gritted his teeth, "Gemi, I have told you countless times. At the very least, give me some warning before suddenly speaking."
He let out a slow breath before asking in annoyance, "And what exactly are you congratulating me for?"
A translucent screen unfolded before his eyes.
[Target Favorability has increased.]
Current Favorability: 15
Previous Favorability: 10
Change: +5
Xie Rong frowned. It took him a moment to process what he had just read.
"What? Why?"
A brief silence followed before another notification appeared.
[Reason unavailable.]
Xie Rong’s brows were knitted together, "You don’t know?"
[Negative.]
[This system records Favorability changes.]
[This system does not record the cause of those changes.]
Xie Rong lowered his gaze toward the unconscious Wang Gege. He replayed everything that had happened from the moment they left the servants’ quarters.
The apology, the journey back, the conversation and finally... The strike that had rendered her unconscious. None of it explained the sudden increase in Favorability.
After a long while, he quietly muttered, "What was it?"
The translucent screen flickered once.
[Current Favorability remains stable.]
[Congratulations, Host.]