Chapter 101: The Weight of Trust
Silence enveloped the carriage.
The gentle rattling of the wheels against the stone-paved road became the only sound lingering between them.
Xie Rong remained motionless, his gaze fixed upon the woman seated opposite him.
Although her expression had returned to its usual calmness, the story she had just told continued to echo within his mind.
’It isn’t the accusations from strangers that leave the deepest wounds.’
’It’s when the person you trusted the most is the one who quietly places the evidence in front of everyone... and watches as you try, desperately, to prove your own innocence.’
At that moment, Xie Rong found himself at a loss for words. He had anticipated many possibilities. He had wondered whether someone at the banquet had insulted her.
Whether the noble ladies had ostracized her.
Whether she had been frightened by the sudden accusation.
Yet none of those had crossed his mind.
The wound she carried had never been about the accusation itself.
It was betrayal.
A quiet sigh escaped his lips, "Furen."
Wang Gege turned slightly, "Mm?"
"This husband owes you an explanation."
Her eyes rested on him for a brief moment before she slowly lowered them again. "Young Master does not owe me anything."
Those simple words pierced him far more deeply than any accusation could have.
"You are mistaken." His voice remained composed, yet unusually firm. "I do."
For several heartbeats, neither of them spoke.
Then Xie Rong slowly continued. "The missing pouch... was indeed arranged."
Wang Gege’s lashes trembled almost imperceptibly. Although she already knew the answer, hearing him admit it himself still caused an ache to spread through her chest.
Xie Rong did not avert his gaze.
"I asked Her Highness to cooperate with me. I also instructed trusted people to ensure that Miss Zhao’s pouch would be discovered beneath the false lining of your gift box."
He gulped, slightly leaning forward, "There was never any intention of branding you a thief nor would I have allowed anyone to convict you without evidence."
His voice remained calm, "Long before the banquet began, Her Highness already knew the entire arrangement. If matters had progressed beyond what I deemed acceptable, she would have intervened immediately."
Wang Gege listened quietly. She neither interrupted nor questioned him.
When he had finished speaking, she simply nodded. "I understand."
That answer, made Xie Rong’s heart sink.
Understanding... Did not mean forgiveness.
He had spent the past year navigating court politics, where deception, hidden motives, and calculated risks had become second nature.
To him... Preparing for every possibility was instinct.
Protecting someone often meant allowing them to face danger while ensuring that danger remained under control.
It was how he had survived.
It was how he had planned to protect her.
But only now... Did he realize what he regarded as protection, could appear, to the person standing in the center of it all... as abandonment.
"I wished to know whether you could remain calm when cornered. I wished to know whether you could protect yourself should I not be beside you."
He paused briefly, "I believed it was the safest way."
Wang Gege slowly lifted her head.
"And after today..." A faint smile curved upon her lips. "Did Young Master obtain the answer you were looking for?" Her smile remained as gentle as ever.
Yet Xie Rong could no longer find the warmth he had grown accustomed to. His fingers unconsciously tightened against his knee.
"Yes." A long pause followed before he spoke again. "I have."
The words felt unusually heavy upon his tongue, "You remained calm. You protected yourself... And you proved that you possess both wisdom and composure."
None of those were lies. Yet as each word left his lips, Xie Rong found himself unable to feel even the slightest sense of satisfaction.
Wang Gege quietly listened until he had finished before slowly inclining her head.
"Then... congratulations, Young Master." Her smile remained gentle, as though she were sincerely happy for him. "I am glad... that today’s examination has yielded the answer Young Master was seeking."
"Furen."
She looked up. His lips parted slightly, yet no words came.
But Xie Rong discovered that there were moments when an explanation felt completely inadequate.
He could explain every precaution he had taken. He could explain that the Princess Consort had been prepared to intervene. He could explain that he had never intended for her reputation to be harmed.
Yet none of those explanations could erase one undeniable truth.
He had stood behind the curtain and watched.
That fact alone made every justification sound hollow, even to himself.
"This husband apologizes... for making Furen feel this way."
The words left Xie Rong’s lips quietly.
There were no elaborate excuses.
No attempt to lessen his own responsibility.
Only a simple apology.
Wang Gege’s eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly.
For several moments, she remained silent, her gaze fixed upon the embroidered patterns on the carriage floor.
At length, she smiled. It was the same gentle smile she had worn countless times before.
Only this time... It no longer reached her eyes.
"Thank you, Young Master." Her calm response caused Xie Rong’s brows to knit together.
She thanked him not because she had accepted his apology but because she had acknowledged it.
The distinction was small. Yet it was enough to leave an indescribable heaviness settling within his chest.
"I understand Young Master’s intentions." She spoke slowly, carefully choosing each word. "I also believe Young Master never wished for my reputation to be harmed."
She paused for a brief moment before continuing, "But..." Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of her sleeve. "Some things cannot simply be undone because the intention was kind."
The carriage grew quiet once more.
"If someone accidentally breaks a porcelain cup... They may sincerely apologize. They may even replace it with one that looks exactly the same."
She lifted her eyes to meet him, "But the original cup... will never become whole again."
Xie Rong’s breathing stilled. He understood.
She was not speaking about a porcelain cup nor was she speaking about the Flower Banquet. She was speaking about trust.
Wang Gege lowered her gaze once more. "This one does not blame Young Master and does this one resent Young Master."
She smiled gently. "I simply..." Her voice grew softer, "need some time."
Those four words carried neither accusation nor anger. Yet they weighed more heavily than any harsh condemnation.
Xie Rong looked at her in silence.
At that moment, he finally understood something he had never considered before. Trust was not built through grand gestures or was it something that could be restored with a single apology.
Once a crack appeared... It remained there.
Perhaps it could be mended or perhaps with enough patience and sincerity, it could even become stronger than before.
But it would never return to what it had once been.
The carriage gradually slowed.
Outside, the familiar gates of the Xie Residence came into view.
Neither of them spoke again and the silence between them no longer felt peaceful... It felt painfully unfamiliar.