Chapter 197: Not Suited For Being A Salted Fish

The next morning arrived peacefully.

Wang Gege sat by the window with her chin resting on her hand, staring blankly at the courtyard outside. The sunlight had already spread across the stone path, and the servants were quietly going about their morning duties, yet she remained completely uninterested in everything before her.

She had thought she would be happy living like this.

After all, hadn’t she always wanted to become a salted fish after transmigrating? She could eat whenever she wanted, sleep whenever she wanted, go shopping whenever she felt like it, and spend the rest of her days doing absolutely nothing. It sounded like the perfect life.

But after another peaceful week, Wang Gege finally discovered something she had never expected.

She was bored... Very bored.

At first, she genuinely enjoyed having nothing to do. The first few days had been wonderful. She slept until she woke naturally, took her time eating breakfast, wandered around the residence whenever she felt like it, and occasionally found ways to annoy Xie Rong whenever he was around.

Unfortunately, Xie Rong had gradually become busy again.

With the investigation into Madam Liu’s death and the servant’s death still ongoing, he had spent more and more time dealing with matters outside the residence. There were also matters concerning the palace that required his attention, so lately, he would leave early in the morning and often return much later than before.

Which left Wang Gege with... Nothing.

She shifted her chin slightly and sighed.

’Maybe I’m actually not suited for being a salted fish.’

"Are you all right, Young Madam?"

Qing’er’s voice made her turn slightly. Wang Gege blinked at her before letting out another sigh.

Qing’er hesitated for a moment before saying, "This is the seventh time Young Madam has sighed. If you need anything, this servant would willingly help... just tell this servant about it."

Wang Gege stared at her. "I’ve sighed seven times already?"

Qing’er nodded seriously. "Yes, Young Madam."

Wang Gege fell silent for a moment before resting her chin back on her hand. "I’m bored."

Qing’er blinked. "Bored?"

"Mm." Wang Gege nodded helplessly. "I thought I would be happy doing nothing every day, but after doing nothing for too long... it turns out I’m actually not that good at doing nothing. Maybe I should start some small business, like selling macarons or egg tarts..."

Qing’er blinked hard. "Business? Macarons, Young Madam?"

She tried to understand every word her Young Madam was saying, but she had never heard those words before. There had been many times these past few days when she found herself puzzled by the unusual words her Young Madam used.

Still, compared to some of the strange things she had heard before, macarons and egg tarts sounded harmless enough.

Qing’er hesitated before asking, "What exactly are macarons?"

"Ahhh...." Wang Gege gasped in realisation, "just some sort of foreign dessert..."

"Dessert?" Qing’er frowned deeply, clearly even more confused.

Wang Gege stared at her for a moment before realizing she had once again used a word that did not exist in this era.

"Ah... sweets," she quickly corrected herself. "Something sweet to eat after a meal."

Qing’er nodded slowly, though she still looked somewhat puzzled. "Then... what are macarons?"

Wang Gege opened her mouth, then paused.

How was she supposed to explain a macaron without making it sound even stranger?

"It’s..." She thought for a moment. "A small, round sweet made from almond flour, with a layer of cream or filling in between."

Qing’er’s eyes widened slightly. "Almond flour?"

"Mm."

"Cream?"

"Mm."

Qing’er fell silent.

Wang Gege looked at her. "Ah—never mind. Just ignore it..." She pressed her lips together before suddenly standing up. "What has Xie An’an been doing these past few days?"

"Young Miss?" Qing’er straightened.

"Miss An’an has been kneeling from morning until afternoon every day since Master Xie announced that he would propose the marriage," Qing’er replied.

Wang Gege raised her brows. "Every day?"

"Yes." Qing’er nodded. "She has refused to eat properly as well. The servants said she has been asking Master Xie to reconsider, but Master Xie has not changed his mind."

Wang Gege fell silent for a moment before saying casually, "She should just kneel for a day. That’s how someone shows their sincerity..."

She stretched the last word deliberately, then hummed under her breath, "Lalalala..."

Qing’er stared at her.

Wang Gege blinked innocently. "What?"

"Young Madam..." Qing’er hesitated. "Are you... mocking Miss An’an?"

"Of course not." Wang Gege immediately shook her head, her expression completely serious. "I’m merely making an observation."

Qing’er lowered her head, wisely deciding not to question her Young Madam any further.

Wang Gege, however, couldn’t help but smile.

’She wants to convince Master Xie? Kneeling for an entire week is certainly quite the display.’

Then again, she recalled Xie Rong’s words from the other day. She had almost met the Eighth Prince when she wandered around the pond in the palace.

Wang Gege’s expression gradually turned curious.

At that time, she hadn’t thought much about it. But now that she knew what kind of person the Eighth Prince was...

’What exactly did I almost run into back then?’

Just the thought of that made her shiver.

Wang Gege rubbed her arms lightly and quickly shook the thought away.

’No, no. It was only a coincidence.’

She had not even spoken to the Eighth Prince that day. In fact, she had barely noticed him before Xie Rong arrived. Still, the more she thought about it, the stranger it felt.

She glanced toward Qing’er. "Qing’er."

"Yes, Young Madam?"

"Do you know anything about the Eighth Prince?"

Qing’er thought for a moment before shaking her head. "This servant only knows what everyone else says. The Eighth Prince is highly favored by His Majesty, but he rarely remains in the capital. He is also said to have a rather... frightening reputation."

"Frightening?"

Qing’er nodded cautiously. "There are rumors that whenever he personally handles a matter, the person involved rarely gets a second chance."

Wang Gege’s eyes widened slightly.

’That sounds terrifying.’

Before she could ask anything else, the sound of footsteps came from outside the room. She turned around, expecting one of the servants.

Instead, Xie Rong stepped through the doorway.

Seeing him, Wang Gege immediately brightened. "Husband!"

Xie Rong’s lips curved faintly as he walked toward her. "Why does Furen look as though she has just heard something frightening?"

Wang Gege hesitated. Then she pointed toward Qing’er, "Your wife was just asking about the Eighth Prince."

Qing’er instantly blinked, taking a few steps back and bowing, "This servant will leave first."

Xie Rong’s smile disappeared.

Wang Gege noticed immediately, "Why are you making that face?"

Xie Rong looked at her quietly, reaching for her hands, then he sighed. "Because this husband suddenly feels that Furen’s boredom might be safer than your curiosity."

"Can’t I even ask?" Wang Gege pouted slightly.

"No, not like that. It is just that this husband is worried." He paused, swallowing slightly before continuing, "The way he looked at Furen when Furen was at the pond... it didn’t look like a simple coincidence."

Wang Gege blinked. "What do you mean?"