Chapter 97: Alone
The Flower Banquet gradually came to an end.
The Princess Consort slowly rose from her seat.
"Today’s banquet has ended with an unfortunate disturbance." Her calm gaze swept across everyone present.
"Fortunately, no irreversible mistake was made."
She paused briefly before continuing, "This Princess will continue investigating the matter. If the true culprit is found... They shall answer for today’s actions."
Everyone immediately lowered their heads.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Miss Zhao then stepped forward before respectfully bowing toward Wang Gege.
"This young lady has wronged Young Madam Xie. This young lady offers her sincerest apology."
Wang Gege gently returned the courtesy, "Miss Zhao need not blame yourself. No one wished for today’s events."
Only then did the tense atmosphere finally dissolve.
The noble ladies gradually departed from the Flower Pavilion one after another.
Outside the pavilion, Wang Gege and Qing’er walked leisurely along the palace corridor.
Qing’er let out a long breath. "This servant was truly frightened earlier."
Wang Gege laughed softly, "So was I."
But compared to earlier, her mood had improved considerably.
Reward Exchange...
Just thinking about those words made the corners of her lips unconsciously lift.
’Three thousand Fortune Points... That’s still so far away... I wonder what else the shop has...’
Perhaps, there might even be something that could help Xie Rong.
The thought made her smile widen ever so slightly.
"Young Madam?" Qing’er looked at her curiously, "What has Young Madam been smiling about all this while?"
Wang Gege merely shook her head. "It’s a secret."
Qing’er puffed out her cheeks.
Before either of them realized it, they had taken a wrong turn.
"This..." Qing’er looked around in confusion. "I don’t think this is the way to the palace gates."
Wang Gege stopped walking, "I think you’re right..."
Just as they were about to turn back, voices drifted over from behind a nearby rock garden.
"This Princess truly did not expect Young Madam Xie to resolve the matter in such a manner."
Wang Gege instinctively halted.
That voice... It was the Princess Consort.
Qing’er also froze.
The two of them unconsciously exchanged glances.
Another voice followed.
"This subject merely wished to know... whether she could stand on her own."
Xie Rong.
Wang Gege’s smile disappeared instantly.
Hidden behind the winding corridor, she cautiously peered toward the pavilion beyond.
There, she saw Xie Rong and another young nobleman standing respectfully before the Princess Consort.
The Princess Consort let out a quiet sigh.
"Your intention may have been good." Her tone remained gentle, "But today’s method was too dangerous. If Young Madam Xie had failed... The one whose reputation would have been ruined... would have been your own wife."
A brief silence followed.
Then the Princess Consort smiled faintly.
"Even so..." She looked toward Xie Rong, "You truly are fortunate. Young Madam Xie is far calmer and wiser than many imagined. This Princess dares say... you have married a remarkable wife."
Xie Rong lowered his head. "This subject thanks Your Highness for the praise."
The Princess Consort slowly shook her head. "Do not put her through such a trial again. There are some lessons... that need not be learned through pain."
Those simple words struck Wang Gege like a bolt from the heavens.
Her pupils shrank violently.
’Trial...? Today’s events were... his doing?’
Her breathing became uneven. She instinctively took a step backward.
Her heel caught against a loose stone.
She staggered, barely managing to steady herself before making a sound.
Her mind had gone completely blank.
"Young Madam..."
Qing’er hurriedly reached out to support her, her eyes filled with worry. Having witnessed everything from beginning to end, she could not help but feel a pang of sorrow for her Young Madam.
Wang Gege did not answer.
Her gaze remained fixed on the corridor ahead, yet her eyes seemed unable to focus.
’So... It was him.’
Not Shen Yurou, not Gu Yuran and not Xie An’an.
The uneasiness she had felt throughout the banquet...
Mini’s inability to detect any impending misfortune...
The pouch hidden inside her gift box before they had even left the Xie Residence...
Every puzzling piece suddenly fell into place, not because the culprit had been found but because the one who had orchestrated it was someone she had never once suspected.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around Qing’er’s sleeve.
The Princess Consort’s voice drifted over once more.
"You have a capable wife. I trust you understand now."
After a brief silence, Xie Rong answered quietly, "This subject understands."
There was neither pride nor satisfaction in his voice.
Only calm acceptance.
Yet those simple words felt like needles piercing Wang Gege’s heart.
She had spent the entire banquet believing she had relied on her own wit to escape a carefully laid trap.
She had even been secretly pleased that she had earned enough Fortune Points to unlock the Reward Exchange.
How laughable.
It turned out, even the trap itself had been arranged by the very person she had begun to trust.
A bitter smile slowly formed on her lips.
"So..." She murmured so softly that only Qing’er could hear, "I was merely taking an examination."
Qing’er’s heart ached.
She lowered her head, unable to find a single word to comfort her Young Madam.
There was no explanation that could erase the hurt of discovering that the person you trusted had been quietly testing you all along.
Wang Gege lowered her gaze.
"Let’s go." Her voice was so calm that it frightened Qing’er even more.
"But, Young Madam... the carriage—"
"I don’t wish to return just yet."
Without waiting for another word, Wang Gege turned and walked away.
Qing’er could only follow in silence and neither of them spoke.
The lively sounds of the Flower Banquet gradually faded behind them, replaced by the gentle rustling of willow branches and the occasional chirping of birds.
Almost without realizing it, Wang Gege found herself walking toward the palace pond.
The afternoon breeze skimmed across the water’s surface, creating countless shimmering ripples beneath the sunlight.
Such a peaceful scene but it did nothing to ease the heaviness pressing against her chest.
She stopped at the stone embankment.
For a long while, she simply stared at her own reflection swaying upon the water.
Then, as though the strength had suddenly drained from her body, she slowly crouched down.
Both hands came up to cover her face and her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
Qing’er instinctively stepped forward. "Young Madam..."
A muffled laugh escaped from behind Wang Gege’s palms.
It sounded painfully bitter, "I really am foolish."
Her fingers tightened against her cheeks. "I told myself... I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice."
In her previous life, she had believed that blood ties meant unconditional love.
But her own mother had abandoned her without a second thought.
After transmigrating here, she forgot to remind herself not to become attached to anyone and she unconsciously lowered her guard.
"I shouldn’t have trusted anyone..." Her voice quivered, "I should have learned from my previous life. If even a mother could walk away without looking back..."
She slowly lowered her hands, revealing eyes already glistening with tears.
"Then how could I have believed that a husband who was never truly mine would never deceive me?"
A single tear slipped silently down her cheek.
She did not wipe it away because at that moment... in this unfamiliar world... Wang Gege felt utterly alone.