Chapter 141: A Gentle Breeze Before the Tempest
"Qing’er..."
Wang Gege softly called as she stood beneath the secluded blossom tree.
The pale pink blossoms swayed gently with the evening autumn breeze, scattering delicate petals across the stone pathway below.
"Yes, Young Madam." Qing’er quickly walked over before lowering herself into a respectful bow.
Wang Gege absentmindedly reached out and caught one of the drifting blossoms before awkwardly clearing her throat. "Qing’er... I wish to ask you something."
Qing’er immediately straightened. "Young Madam may ask."
Wang Gege hesitated but still asked away.
"What do wives in this ancie—" She abruptly stopped.
"Ancie?" Qing’er blinked in confusion.
"Ah..." Wang Gege laughed awkwardly. "I mean... ahem... what do wives usually wear..." She lowered her voice until it was almost inaudible, "when sharing the night with their husbands?"
The question immediately caused Qing’er’s cheeks to flush.
"You-Young Madam..." She glanced around instinctively before lowering her own voice. "Why does Young Madam suddenly ask such a thing?"
Wang Gege awkwardly scratched the side of her cheek.
"It is just..."She hesitated, "this one realized she knows almost nothing."
Her thoughts unconsciously drifted to the previous night.
After Qing’er had quietly left the medicine outside the chamber, he had genuinely believed that she and Xie Rong would finally become husband and wife in every sense of the word.
Even Xie Rong had carried her all the way to the bed.
But... In the end... Nothing truly happened.
Perhaps because he had noticed the scratch upon her neck or perhaps he had been worried that she was still exhausted after everything that had occurred at the marketplace.
Instead, he had merely held her close throughout the night.
They talked, they laughed softly and somewhere along the way, she had fallen asleep in his embrace.
Recalling that scene now, Wang Gege unconsciously touched her own cheek.
It was warm.
For some reason, she almost felt as though she had been the one left... wanting just a little more.
"Ahem..." She quickly coughed, hoping to bury the thought before it reached her lips. "So..." She looked back at Qing’er with an embarrassed smile. "This one was merely curious. It is not as though this one is hor—"
She abruptly stopped, her lips twitched.
That was close.
Wang Gege silently pressed her lips together.
Ever since arriving in this world, she had become increasingly aware of how often modern expressions nearly slipped from her mouth.
Although she usually managed to stop herself in time...
One day, she was certain she would accidentally say something that no one in this era would understand.
’Perhaps...’ She lowered her gaze thoughtfully, ’I should ask Mini.’
If there truly existed some miraculous reward. Something like the memory bread from Doraemon that could instantly fill her head with ancient etiquette and expressions.
She would exchange for it without the slightest hesitation.
At the very least, she could stop worrying about accidentally exposing herself every time she opened her mouth.
Though, she inwardly frowned.
Only if such a reward actually exists in the Reward Exchange. Otherwise, she would simply have to continue sharpening her tongue the old-fashioned way.
Only then did she lift her head again, pretending that the awkward pause had never happened.
Qing’er slowly raised an eyebrow. Although she had no idea what Young Madam had been about to say, it certainly did not sound like anything she had ever heard before.
"Young Madam?"
Wang Gege immediately waved both hands. "N-Nothing."
She forced out an awkward laugh. "Forget what this one almost said."
Before Qing’er could ask any further, Wang Gege hurriedly coughed twice.
"Ahem... Continue answering this one’s question. What do wives usually wear... when they..." She lowered her voice once again, glancing around to make sure no servants were passing nearby, "share the night with their husbands?"
Qing’er instantly understood. Her own cheeks flushed red before she instinctively lowered her head.
"T-This servant..." She nervously twisted the corner of her sleeve, "does not truly know."
Wang Gege blinked. "You do not?"
Qing’er hurriedly shook her head. "This servant has never married. Everything this servant knows... was merely overheard from the older maids."
She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice as though sharing an enormous secret.
"They often said... that a noble lady usually would change into a softer inner robe before returning to the bedchamber. Some would choose robes made from the finest silk because they were lighter and more comfortable."
She paused, her face becoming even redder, "They also said... a wife would usually loosen her hair. The hairpins, ornaments, and outer garments would all be removed."
"So..." Qing’er stole a timid glance at Wang Gege, "only a simple inner robe would remain."
The moment she finished speaking, both the mistress and maid found themselves blushing. Both of them could only blink realising the awkward embarrassment surrounding them afterward.
The only sound between them was the gentle rustling of blossom petals drifting down from the tree overhead.
"Furen."
A familiar voice suddenly called from behind.
Wang Gege instinctively turned around. "Husband?"
The moment their eyes met, Xie Rong’s brows immediately furrowed beneath the blindfold.
Her cheeks were flushed an unusual shade of red. Even the tips of her ears had become crimson.
His expression changed almost instantly, "Is Furen feeling unwell?"
Before Wang Gege could answer, he had already stepped in front of her.
One hand gently cupped her cheek, the other rested lightly against her forehead. His movements were so natural that even Wang Gege forgot to react.
"No fever." His brows knitted together even tighter.
His fingertips gently brushed against her cheek before sliding to the side of her neck, carefully checking once more. "Why is Furen’s face so warm?"
Wang Gege froze completely.
His hand was still cupping her face.
"I..." She instinctively looked toward Qing’er.
Only to find the young maid lowering her head so quickly that she almost buried her face against her own chest.
Xie Rong remained completely unaware of the real reason. His expression only grew more concerned.
"Did Furen injure herself somewhere else? If Furen is feeling unwell, this husband shall summon a physician immediately."
As he turned slightly, seemingly prepared to call for a servant—
Smack!
Wang Gege lightly slapped his forearm.
"Husband..." She forced a smile through gritted teeth before subtly curling a finger toward herself. "Come closer."
Without the slightest hesitation, Xie Rong bent down.
Wang Gege quickly leaned toward his ear. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"You..." She paused, "are supposed to be blind."
Xie Rong stiffened. Only then did he realize he had once again forgotten.
A faint cough escaped his lips as he immediately straightened his posture, returning to his usual composed demeanor as though nothing had happened.
Not far away, Qing’er quietly bit her lower lip, desperately suppressing the laughter threatening to escape.
But before they could recover from that, a panicked shout suddenly echoed from the direction of the inner residence.
"Someone, quickly!"
Another servant’s terrified voice soon followed.
"Madam Liu! Madam Liu is dead!"
The smiles on Wang Gege’s and Qing’er’s faces disappeared instantly.
Even Xie Rong’s expression gradually turned solemn beneath the blindfold.
The peaceful atmosphere beneath the secluded blossom tree vanished in an instant.