Chapter 17: Under The Same Roof
Wang Gege moved around the room with quick, excited steps while looking at everything around her.
Her mouth formed a small "aww" shape every few moments, though no sound actually came out.
Compared to the courtyard she had been staying in, the room was noticeably larger. The furniture was crafted from dark wood, the decorations were simple yet elegant, and even the faint scent lingering in the air felt different.
For a moment, Wang Gege felt as though she had accidentally wandered into a historical drama set.
She beckoned the young maid closer before lowering her voice, "This is really different from my room, isn’t it?"
Qing’er smiled and nodded politely.
"Yes, Young Madam. The Young Master’s residence is naturally larger. After all, it was originally prepared to accommodate both Young Master and Young Madam."
Wang Gege smiled back. That explanation made sense.
Unfortunately, her attention was soon drawn elsewhere. Her gaze shifted toward the other maid standing quietly near the doorway.
The girl had been helping them move her belongings since earlier, yet Wang Gege suddenly realized something awkward. She had absolutely no idea what the maid’s name was.
After hesitating briefly, she leaned closer to Qing’er and lowered her voice even further. "Qing’er."
"Yes, Young Madam?" Qing’er blinked.
Wang Gege coughed lightly, "I am a little embarrassed to ask this, but after the poisoning, my memory still feels somewhat unclear."
As she spoke, she subtly shifted her gaze toward the maid standing near the door. "What is her name again?"
For a moment, Qing’er simply stared at her.
Then realization gradually appeared on her face, "Young Madam is asking about Chuntao?"
Wang Gege immediately nodded, "Ah... yes, Chuntao."
As though disappointed in herself, she shook her head dramatically. "How could I forget Chuntao’s name?"
The words came out with complete confidence. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, she was silently repeating the name several times in her mind.
The maid standing near the door suddenly raised her eyebrows slightly, as though she had sensed her name being mentioned.
"Is Young Madam calling for this servant?" she asked.
"Ah..." Wang Gege immediately waved her hand, "No, no. I was just looking for you earlier." The excuse slipped out almost instinctively.
Chuntao blinked, "Looking for this servant?"
"Yes." Wang Gege nodded so naturally that even she was impressed. "Where did you go before?"
The moment the question left her mouth, she felt a small sense of accomplishment.
Not bad. She had managed to turn an awkward situation around in an instant.
At this rate, perhaps all those years of surviving workplace meetings had not been completely useless after all.
"Ah—" Chuntao immediately bowed her head, "This servant apologizes, Young Madam. I was having a stomach ache earlier, so I stepped away for a short while."
Wang Gege nodded in understanding. "So that’s what happened."
However, she soon noticed that Chuntao looked even guiltier after hearing her response.
"This servant should have informed Young Madam beforehand," Chuntao said as she lowered her head once more.
Wang Gege shook her head lightly. "I was only asking in case something happened to you."
She paused briefly before asking, "So, is your stomach feeling better now?"
"Yes, Young Madam." Even while answering, Chuntao kept her head lowered.
"Then everything is fine." A small smile appeared on Wang Gege’s face, "You can raise your head."
Chuntao looked slightly startled before slowly obeying.
Meanwhile, Qing’er had been quietly observing the entire exchange from the side. Ever since Shen Taotao woke up after being poisoned, she had noticed many subtle changes.
Young Madam still looked the same.
She still spoke gently and treated others kindly. Yet somehow, everything felt different.
In the past, Shen Taotao would have been the one apologizing first. She would have worried about causing trouble for others and she would have hesitated before speaking. Now, however, Young Madam seemed more relaxed and straightforward.
As though an invisible weight that had been pressing on her shoulders for years had suddenly disappeared.
Qing’er lowered her gaze slightly. Perhaps it was because she had nearly died or maybe the poison had changed something.
Whatever the reason, Qing’er found that she did not dislike the change at all.
"Qing’er..."
The sudden call of her name startled her so much that she nearly jumped. "Young Madam?"
"Oh—did I startle you?" Wang Gege chuckled awkwardly.
Qing’er quickly shook her head, "This servant was merely distracted."
"I see." Wang Gege nodded, then she glanced toward Chuntao.
Seeing that the other maid was still occupied arranging the last of her belongings, she quietly hooked a finger toward Qing’er.
The maid immediately stepped closer.
Wang Gege leaned toward her ear. "Just wanted to ask something."
"What is it, Young Madam?" Qing’er asked, anticipating.
Wang Gege lowered her voice even further. "Are you absolutely sure..." She paused, "that Young Master Xie won’t be sleeping here tonight?"
The question was so unexpected that Qing’er’s eyes widened slightly. Meanwhile, Wang Gege looked completely serious.
After all, this was a matter of great importance. A matter directly related to her ability to sleep peacefully.
"I... am actually not sure, Young Madam," Qing’er admitted.
Wang Gege’s expression immediately became serious.
"But earlier..." Qing’er’s voice gradually lowered as she leaned closer. "The Young Master’s guard mentioned that the Young Master was summoned by the Master."
Wang Gege blinked. "The Master?"
"The Old Master." Qing’er replied.
Only then did Wang Gege remember that the Xie residence’s servants referred to Xie Rong’s father as "Master."
Qing’er nodded, "It seemed to be something important. They said the Young Master may not return until much later."
The moment those words entered her ears, Wang Gege felt as though a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted from her shoulders.
"Oh..." She nodded.
Then she nodded again as the corners of her lips even started lifting unconsciously.
"Yes." The word escaped much louder than she intended.
Qing’er immediately looked at her.
Wang Gege froze.
"Oh—I mean..." She lightly brushed beneath her nose and quickly forced the corners of her lips downward.
A trace of sadness even appeared on her face, "That is truly unfortunate."
Qing’er blinked. Before she could respond, another voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"What is unfortunate?"
The deep and familiar voice instantly caused Wang Gege’s body to stiffen. Her smile disappeared slowly as she turned around.
Standing not far away was the very person she had been discussing moments earlier.
Xie Rong.
Wang Gege silently closed her eyes.
’Damn it.’