Chapter 201: The Eighth Prince’s Interest

Xie Rong took a step back and faced straight ahead.

"This prince is merely asking..." The Eighth Prince cleared his throat deliberately, as though trying to brush off the meaning behind his previous words, before leaning forward again.

"After all, she was crying the other day at the pond..." He ended his words with a faint smile.

Xie Rong gulped. Thankfully, with his blindfold covering his eyes, the slight trembling of his pupils remained hidden.

Because by now, Xie Rong was almost certain of one thing.

This Eighth Prince was interested in his wife.

From the moment they arrived at the palace, Xie Rong had already felt an ominous feeling from him. Especially when the prince had asked that question earlier.

"If this prince were to propose someone else instead, would Young Master Xie object?"

The more Xie Rong thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Why had he asked him?

Master Xie was the one who had proposed the marriage in the first place. If the Eighth Prince merely wanted to know whether he could consider another woman instead of Xie An’an, then shouldn’t he have asked Master Xie?

Yet he had asked Xie Rong. And now, he was asking about his wife.

Xie Rong’s fingers slowly tightened beneath his sleeve. He had a very bad feeling about this.

"Your Highness..." Xie Rong tried to remain calm as he replied, "Thankfully, my wife has been doing very well these days. Thank you for Your Highness’s concern."

The Eighth Prince’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Is that so?"

"Yes." Xie Rong nodded without hesitation. "My wife has been eating and sleeping well, and there is nothing for His Highness to worry about."

The Eighth Prince raised an eyebrow slightly.

"No need to be this defensive, Young Master Xie." He let out a light chuckle. "This prince was merely asking."

He then turned toward his mother, the faint smile still lingering on his lips.

"It is not as though this prince could simply take someone else’s wife merely because this prince wishes to, right, Mother?"

His mother fell silent for a moment. She knew her son well enough to understand that there was more behind those words than mere jest.

"You..." she sighed softly, shaking her head. "You really do know how to make people misunderstand you."

The Eighth Prince merely smiled. "This prince is only stating the truth."

His gaze returned to Xie Rong. "If Young Master Xie takes good care of his wife, then naturally, this prince has no reason to interfere."

Xie Rong’s expression stiffened.

The prince’s smile widened ever so slightly. "But if one day Young Master Xie fails to do so..." He paused deliberately. "Then perhaps this prince may reconsider whether she truly belongs beside you."

Xie Rong’s fingers tightened beneath his sleeve.

Only then did he understand the meaning behind the prince’s earlier questions.

The Eighth Prince was not merely curious about Wang Gege. He was letting Xie Rong know that he had noticed her and that as long as Xie Rong treated her well, he would not interfere.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Xie Rong’s expression remained calm, but his mind was already turning rapidly.

This was certainly not how he had expected the meeting to end.

He had come to the palace thinking they would merely discuss Xie An’an’s marriage. Instead, the Eighth Prince had rejected the proposal, revealed that he already knew about An’an’s crimes, and now... was talking about his wife.

"Your Highness," Xie Rong finally said, keeping his voice respectful, "this subject naturally knows how to treat his own wife."

The Eighth Prince gave a quiet chuckle. "That is good to hear."

Xie Rong’s lips twitched faintly. Somehow, that answer sounded less like praise and more like a reminder.

The Eighth Prince turned toward his mother. "Mother, this son believes there is nothing else to discuss."

His mother looked between the two men, a faint crease appearing between her brows.

"Very well." She waved a hand toward them. "You may leave."

Xie Rong immediately bowed. "This subject takes his leave."

The moment he stepped out of the hall, his legs almost betrayed him.

He quickly reached out and held onto one of the nearby pillars, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself.

After being in this world for nearly a year, there were not many things that could truly frighten him anymore.

Yet knowing that a prince had taken an interest in his wife was enough to make his heart sink.

Xie Rong knew perfectly well that if a prince wanted a woman, even if she was already someone else’s wife, there were very few people who would dare to stop him.

Status alone was enough to crush the objections of an ordinary noble family.

And the Eighth Prince was not merely any prince.

He was one of the Emperor’s sons, a man whose reputation alone was enough to make people think twice before provoking him.

Xie Rong slowly straightened himself, his expression turning grim.

He could tolerate enemies targeting him.

He could even tolerate people plotting against his life.

But Wang Gege was different. She was the one person he could not afford to lose.

His hand tightened around the pillar.

And now, someone far more powerful than any enemy he had faced before had begun to notice her.

"Are you all right?" Master Xie instantly reached for his arm, trying to steady him.

Xie Rong nodded blankly. "I am all right, Father."

Master Xie looked at him for a moment before swallowing hard.

"This father apologises for dragging you here and causing this mess. Luckily, the Eighth Prince did not take any action against this father over this foolish proposal."

Xie Rong remained silent for a moment.

Foolish proposal?

If only that were the only thing he had to worry about.

"Father..."

Master Xie looked toward him. "Hmm?"

Xie Rong slowly removed his hand from the pillar and straightened his robes. "Does Father know what the Eighth Prince is like?"

Master Xie frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

Xie Rong’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"Nothing." He shook his head.

There was no point frightening his father with a suspicion that he could not even prove himself.

But the image of the Eighth Prince leaning toward him and quietly asking about Wang Gege kept replaying in his mind.

Xie Rong’s expression darkened. He suddenly understood why he had also been summoned to the palace today.

It was not merely because he was An’an’s elder brother.

The Eighth Prince had wanted to see him.