Chapter 181: Never Change
Xie Rong, who was still standing beside the bed, pressed his lips together as he looked at Wang Gege, who was already lying comfortably beneath the covers.
"Thinking back..." Wang Gege glanced sideways at him. "We weren’t even close enough to sleep on the same bed. I must have lost my mind after getting stabbed in the neck—"
"Neck, Furen. Not the head." Xie Rong cut her words.
Wang Gege paused, frowning at him.
Xie Rong smiled faintly, "You were stabbed in the neck."
She stared at him. "I know where I was stabbed."
"Then why are you blaming your mind?"
"Because clearly, something went wrong with it." She was already frowning hard.
The faint smile on Xie Rong’s face deepened. "Or perhaps my Furen simply trusted this husband enough to allow him to sleep beside her."
Wang Gege narrowed her eyes. "Don’t get ahead of yourself. Sleep on the wooden chair tonight."
Xie Rong looked down for a moment before suddenly clutching his injured palm. "Ah..."
Wang Gege raised an eyebrow and immediately shot back,
"Thank Heaven it is your palm and not your back, right? That means it shouldn’t be a problem for you to sleep there."
Xie Rong slowly looked up at her.
Wang Gege gave him a smug look, "Don’t pretend to be in pain just to get out of it."
"This husband was genuinely in pain." Still clutching his injured palm, his shoulders slightly dropped.
"Then keep your injured hand still."
Xie Rong glanced toward the wooden chair. "Furen truly wishes for this husband to sleep there?"
"Yes." Wang Gege answer right away.
"All night?"
"Preferably."
His expression became slightly pitiful.
Wang Gege remained unmoved.
"Fine," Xie Rong finally said.
He turned and walked toward the wooden chair without another word.
Wang Gege watched him from the bed, slightly surprised by how easily he had given up. She had expected him to argue for a while longer or use that injured palm of his to gain her sympathy again, but instead, he simply lowered himself onto the chair and leaned back against it.
’At least he knows when to behave.’
With that thought, Wang Gege pulled the blanket closer and turned onto her side.
The room gradually became quiet.
"Uh..."
Wang Gege’s eyes slowly opened. She remained where she was.
A few moments later, she heard another uncomfortable groan coming from the direction of the chair.
Her brows twitched. Still, she refused to turn around.
’He can continue if he wants. I am not falling for it.’
Another sound was heard.
"Hmm..."
Wang Gege’s eyes opened again. She finally turned her head and glared in his direction. "What is it?"
"Hm?" His response came immediately.
Wang Gege narrowed her eyes. "You are making too much noise."
"This husband is not making noise." Xie Rong shook his head in denial.
Wang Gege sat up abruptly on the bed. "You just groaned three times."
"Oh, this husband did not count."
She stared at him.
Xie Rong remained seated against the wooden chair, looking completely calm despite the faint discomfort appearing on his face.
Wang Gege’s gaze shifted toward his injured hand. "Does your palm hurt?"
Xie Rong lowered his head slightly before letting out a quiet sigh. "A little."
Wang Gege immediately frowned. "Then why are you sitting there like that?"
Xie Rong looked up. "Furen was the one who told this husband to sleep here."
"I said sleep. Why are you sitting instead of lying down on that chair?" Wang Gege made an expression as though she were annoyed.
"Furen..." Xie Rong stood up, took a deep breath, and continued, "This wooden chair might be long enough for Furen, but not for this husband..." He then pointed from his head down to his toes.
He then pointed from his head down to his toes.
Wang Gege stared at him before her gaze slowly fell toward the wooden chair. "You can bend your legs."
Xie Rong looked down at himself, then slowly looked back at her. "This husband is sleeping, not practicing to become a folding screen."
Wang Gege’s lips twitched. "You are exaggerating."
"It might be easy for Furen to say because Furen is so small that she could probably fit comfortably on this chair in several different positions."
Wang Gege narrowed her eyes. "Are you calling me short?"
Xie Rong looked genuinely thoughtful. "This husband merely stated a fact."
"Ethan!"
"Very small, in fact." He crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly, the faintly challenging look in his eyes making Wang Gege feel as though he were deliberately provoking her.
Wang Gege stared at him for a long moment.
The man was clearly enjoying himself.
She could tell from that faint smile that he was deliberately waiting for her reaction, as though he had thrown down a challenge and was curious to see whether she would accept it.
Her eyes narrowed, "You are doing this on purpose."
"Fact is a fact, Furen." The answer came too smoothly.
Wang Gege’s lips twitched, "Fine. Continue sleeping on that chair, then."
The faint smile on Xie Rong’s face immediately disappeared.
He looked toward the wooden chair before glancing back at her, seemingly considering whether he should continue provoking her.
Wang Gege crossed her arms beneath the blanket. "Go on. Curl up."
Xie Rong’s brows slowly rose. "Furen wishes for this husband to curl up?"
She stared at him for a moment before pointing toward the window.
"Then perhaps you should sleep somewhere else. Another courtyard, maybe. Or above one of the trees."
Xie Rong’s lips twitched. "Above a tree?"
"Yes. There is plenty of space there, isn’t there?" This time, Wang Gege was the one who tilted her head.
"There is." Xie Rong answered softly.
Wang Gege crossed her arms. "Then go."
Instead of moving, Xie Rong looked toward the window as though he were genuinely considering it.
"Want to try climbing one together?"
Right after he asked that question, he suddenly burst out laughing.
Wang Gege blinked, " What? Are you seriously laughing at this moment? Do you find it funny?"
"No," Xie Rong shook his head then pressed his lips hard, stopping himself from continuing laughing, "It just suddenly the image of Furen trying to climb a tree appeared on this husband’s mind and it was too adorable.."
"Adorable? But it made you laugh?"
There was no hint of a smile on her face. She was simply staring at him furiously.
"You never change, do you?" She suddenly snapped. "You are always making fun of me!"