Chapter 99: Something Upsetting
Xie Rong silently followed a step behind Wang Gege. Along the way, countless questions surfaced in his mind.
Why had she wandered to the western garden alone?
Why had Qing’er looked at him with such complicated eyes?
And most importantly... Why did Wang Gege suddenly feel so distant?
Yet in the end... He asked none of them.
The palace grounds were hardly the place for such a conversation. The three of them continued toward the palace gate in silence.
Upon reaching the entrance, Wang Gege instinctively glanced around, searching for the Xie Residence’s carriage.
Not finding it, she paused.
"Furen." Xie Rong’s calm voice broke the silence.
She turned to look at him.
"The carriage has already returned to the residence. It was sent ahead to escort An’an home." There was a brief pause before he continued, "You shall ride with me."
"Ah." Wang Gege gave a faint nod, "I understand."
That was all. No questions, smile, playful complaint about having to share the carriage and not even the slightest hint of surprise.
She merely accepted it as though responding to an ordinary acquaintance.
Xie Rong quietly watched her. Had this happened yesterday, she would have teased him with a smile or perhaps asked whether he had intentionally dismissed the other carriage.
Instead, she simply lowered her gaze and walked toward his carriage without another word.
Xie Rong’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The silence between them had never felt so suffocating.
The coachman quickly lowered the wooden step.
"Young Master. Young Madam."
Wang Gege stepped into the carriage first and without a word, Xie Rong followed behind, carefully watched her steps.
Outside, Qing’er quietly took her place beside the coachman.
The carriage curtain was lowered. Soon, the carriage began to move, slowly departing from the imperial palace.
Inside, silence filled the confined space.
Wang Gege sat beside the window, quietly watching the scenery drift past beyond the curtain.
Opposite her, Xie Rong remained equally silent.
The only sound between them was the gentle creaking of the wooden carriage and the steady rhythm of the horses’ hooves.
Several times throughout the journey, Xie Rong found himself stealing glances at Wang Gege. Ever since they had left the pond, she had not spoken a single unnecessary word, nor had she once turned to look at him.
She merely sat quietly beside the carriage window, her gaze fixed upon the passing scenery outside as though everything beyond the curtain was far more worthy of her attention than the man sitting opposite her.
It was as though they had returned to the days immediately after their marriage, when every exchange between them had been courteous yet distant. No... perhaps it was even worse than before. At least back then, she had regarded him with curiosity, occasionally trying to understand the mysterious man she had unexpectedly married.
The oppressive silence lingered inside the carriage until even Xie Rong found it difficult to ignore.
"Furen," he finally called in his usual calm voice, his eyes resting quietly upon her profile. "I heard there was an incident during the Flower Banquet. Did something happen that caused you such distress?"
Only then did Wang Gege slowly withdraw her gaze from the window and turn toward him. She looked at him for what felt like an eternity, her clear eyes silently studying his composed expression as though trying to find something hidden beneath it.
After several heartbeats had passed, she merely shook her head with a faint smile that barely reached the corners of her lips.
"This one is fine," she replied softly. "Perhaps... I am simply a little tired."
Her answer was flawless.
There was nothing inappropriate about her words, nor anything unusual about her expression. Had anyone else witnessed the exchange, they would have thought nothing of it.
Yet Xie Rong’s brows gradually drew together.
During the days they had spent together since their marriage, he had gradually grown accustomed to a very different Wang Gege.
She had never been someone who concealed her thoughts so thoroughly. Whenever she was happy, her smile would brighten her entire face; whenever she was displeased, she would quietly sulk for a while before eventually speaking her mind.
But today, every answer she gave was measured and impeccable, leaving him unable to find even the slightest opening to understand what she was truly thinking.
After a long silence, Xie Rong spoke again.
"Perhaps... Furen is hungry?"
Wang Gege slowly turned to look at him, seemingly caught off guard by the unexpected question.
"The Flower Banquet was interrupted before it had properly concluded," Xie Rong continued in his usual calm tone. "You scarcely had the opportunity to eat anything."
Wang Gege stared at him for a brief moment before lowering her gaze once more.
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master. This one is not hungry."
Her voice remained soft and courteous, yet those few simple words only deepened the silence within the carriage.
Xie Rong’s fingers unconsciously curled against his sleeve. "Young Master?"
Wang Gege looked up, seemingly realizing what she had said.
"Ah..." She lowered her eyes before offering him a faint, apologetic smile. "Since there is no one else inside the carriage, this one thought it would be more appropriate to address Young Master as such."
"We are husband and wife, after all. It would be improper for outsiders to misunderstand if this one became too informal."
For the first time since entering the carriage, Xie Rong’s usually composed expression showed a visible crack.
Without thinking, he abruptly rose to his feet.
Thud!
His forehead struck the wooden roof of the carriage with a dull sound.
The entire carriage gave a slight shake.
"Young Master!" Outside, Qing’er’s anxious voice immediately rang out. "Did something happen?"
"I’m fine."
Xie Rong answered almost instinctively as he slowly sat back down, though he no longer seemed to notice the dull ache spreading across his forehead.
His eyes remained fixed on Wang Gege.
"Furen." His voice was quieter than before. "Have I... done something to upset you?"