Chapter 110: The Classic Setup
Wang Gege remained silent for a brief moment. The corners of her lips slowly lifted into a faint smile. "I suppose An’an is right."
Xie An’an’s brows rose slightly. She had expected Wang Gege to become embarrassed or perhaps lose her temper. Instead... The latter simply smiled.
Wang Gege looked toward the lotus pond once more.
"After all..." she said leisurely, "birds of a feather flock together."
Xie An’an’s smile remained unchanged. "And what does Sister-in-law mean by that?"
Wang Gege turned to face her.
"If Young Master is truly as brilliant as everyone says... then naturally, the person he chose to marry cannot be that bad." She blinked innocently, "Otherwise... wouldn’t that imply Young Master’s judgment is rather poor?"
The smile on Xie An’an’s face stiffened immediately.
Qing’er instinctively lowered her head, hiding the smile threatening to appear.
Wang Gege continued as though she had failed to notice.
"Since An’an holds the Young Master in such high regard... I’m certain you wouldn’t think so... Would you?"
Silence fell between the two women.
Xie An’an regarded Wang Gege for several breaths before letting out a soft laugh.
"Sister-in-law truly has changed..." She took two slow steps forward until only an arm’s length separated them. Lowering her voice so that only Wang Gege could hear, she smiled gently.
"Perhaps Sister-in-law has forgotten. Allow this younger sister to remind you..." Her eyes curved pleasantly. "This marriage... was never meant to be yours."
Wang Gege looked at her thoughtfully before a faint smile appeared on her lips. "You know... There’s something this sister-in-law has been curious about for quite some time. Every time the Young Master is mentioned... your eyes seem to shine just a little brighter."
She shrugged with an innocent smile, "Perhaps I’m simply imagining it. And perhaps I may not know much about the past... But I do know one thing."
She met Xie An’an’s gaze, "A woman’s eyes... rarely lie."
Xie An’an’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "What is Sister-in-law trying to say?"
Wang Gege leaned in slightly, lowering her voice until only the two of them could hear. "I’m wondering... if Grandmother and Father would notice it too."
Xie An’an’s pupils contracted.
Wang Gege’s smile deepened ever so slightly. "The way you look at the Young Master... isn’t the look of someone merely admiring an elder brother."
Xie An’an’s smile froze.
For the briefest of moments, the warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by a chill that Wang Gege had never seen before.
"Sister-in-law..." Her voice remained gentle. Yet every syllable carried a trace of restrained anger. "One should be careful with one’s words."
Wang Gege merely smiled. "Should I?"
Xie An’an took another step forward. "Rumors have a way of destroying a woman’s reputation."
"Indeed." Wang Gege nodded thoughtfully. "Which is why I have no intention of spreading them." She met Xie An’an’s gaze without flinching. "I simply hope... that I’m mistaken."
Silence. Neither woman looked away.
The gentle breeze stirred the lotus leaves, sending ripples across the surface of the pond.
Xie An’an slowly exhaled, the smile returning to her face as though nothing had happened. "It seems Sister-in-law has become quite clever."
"I’m flattered." Wang Gege smiled just as pleasantly, "I’ve learned from the people around me."
The words were harmless. Yet to Xie An’an... They sounded like mockery.
Her fingers tightened around the handle of her embroidered fan until her knuckles turned pale.
’Why... Why had this foolish woman become so difficult to deal with? She should have remained the timid Shen Taotao who lowered her head at every word. She should have known her place.’
Instead... She now stood before her with calm, fearless eyes.
And somehow, those eyes made Xie An’an feel as though every secret buried within her heart had been laid bare.
Qing’er’s heart skipped a beat.
For the briefest of moments, she caught the look in Xie An’an’s eyes. The warmth within them had completely disappeared.
Without thinking, Qing’er quietly stepped forward, placing herself just behind Wang Gege, her entire body tensing with unease.
Wang Gege noticed the movement from the corner of her eye and sensing something, so she instantly smiled politely.
"The breeze is rather pleasant this morning." She smoothed the sleeve of her robe before inclining her head. "This sister-in-law has taken enough of Younger Sister’s time. I shall return to my courtyard."
She had barely turned around when a hand suddenly clasped her wrist.
Wang Gege stopped in her tracks. She looked down at the delicate fingers wrapped around her sleeve before slowly raising her eyes to meet Xie An’an’s.
At that moment, a tiny bee-sized figure shot toward her.
’Host!’ Mini’s anxious voice echoed inside her mind. ’Mini is late! Danger detected! Be careful! Mini senses misfortune!’
Wang Gege’s pupils were constricted. Even without Mini’s warning, she had already sensed that something was wrong.
’Seriously... After reading so many transmigration novels... How could I not recognize this setup? This is practically the classic "framed beside the pond" scene.’
Her eyes instinctively swept past Xie An’an’s shoulder.
Just as she had expected. Several figures were making their way toward the lotus pond from the distant corridor.
Although she could not make out their faces, their embroidered robes were enough to tell her who were they.
’So that’s your audience...’
Before Wang Gege could pull her wrist free, Xie An’an suddenly took a step closer. Tears instantly welled in her eyes.
"Sister-in-law..." Her trembling voice carried just far enough for the approaching figures to hear. "Please... don’t..."
Wang Gege frowned. "What are you—"
"I-I won’t say another word..." Xie An’an shook her head frantically, her eyes brimming with tears as though she had been driven into a corner. "Please don’t push me!"
Wang Gege’s expression changed.
’This woman—!’
Before she could even react, Xie An’an abruptly shoved both hands against Wang Gege’s shoulders.
The force caught Wang Gege completely off guard. She staggered backward, her heels striking the edge of the stone embankment.
Instinctively, her free hand shot forward. Her fingers caught Xie An’an’s sleeve.
Xie An’an let out a shrill scream. "Ahhh!"
The delicate fabric tightened between them. Neither woman could regain her balance.
With a loud splash both of them plunged into the pond together.
’Host!’
"Young Madam!"