Swap Marriage in Ancient Times: Transmigrated to My Stepbrother's Wife

Wang Gege stood behind Xie Rong, who was now sitting at the table with one hand covering his face.

She had no idea how to approach him after what had just happened, so she cautiously reached out and poked his shoulder a few times.

Xie Rong barely moved. He continued covering his face with his palm, his voice muffled as he muttered, "I’m sorry, Furen..."

"Huh?" Wang Gege blinked in surprise.

She immediately walked around to his side and sat down on the chair beside him. "Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong..."

"This husband..." Xie Rong slowly removed his hand and glanced at her, his eyes locking with hers. "I forgot that she is your mother."

He paused, his expression carrying a trace of guilt. "So, when I told her not to come here anymore... I should have thought about you first."

Wang Gege stared at him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "So that is what you’re worried about?"

Xie Rong looked at her without answering.

She reached over and gently pulled his hand away from his face before holding it between both of hers. "You don’t have to apologize to me for that."

"But—"

"Husband was hurting," Wang Gege interrupted softly. "I know."

Xie Rong’s expression shifted slightly.

Wang Gege lowered her gaze to their joined hands.

"You spent so many years believing your mother died because your father never loved her. Then suddenly, someone who claimed to be my mother and supposed to be your father’s white moonlight tells you that everything you believed might have been wrong." She paused. "Of course you would be angry."

Xie Rong’s fingers moved slightly in her grasp.

"But she is your mother," he murmured.

"And you are my husband." She pressed her lips into a small smile. "So don’t worry... I understand you."

Xie Rong looked at her quietly, his eyes lingering on her face as though he were trying to make sure she truly meant those words.

"But still..." His voice was low. "This husband shouldn’t have put you in such a difficult position."

Wang Gege shook her head.

"You didn’t." She gently squeezed his hand. "Besides, if you really want to make it up to me, then don’t keep apologising."

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow. "Then what does Furen want?"

Wang Gege pretended to think for a moment before her lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"Is there any place around here where we could go to release our tension?" She leaned closer, lowering her voice as though she were suggesting something particularly important. "You know... somewhere for healing?"

Xie Rong stared at her for a moment. Then the corner of his lips slowly lifted. "This husband knows a place."

Wang Gege’s eyes immediately brightened. "Really?"

"Yes." He nodded confidently.

"Where?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Xie Rong leaned closer to her ear and deliberately lowered his voice. "The hot spring."

Wang Gege blinked. "Hot spring?"

He nodded solemnly. "After all the trouble we’ve been through lately, soaking in warm water sounds like an excellent way to release our tension."

"Right! That sounds great... and I’m sure the place would be beautiful. Ah, I can’t wait to go!" Wang Gege’s voice rose with excitement. "When should we go?"

Xie Rong couldn’t help smiling at how quickly her mood had changed.

"If Furen is that eager, we can leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She immediately sat up straighter, her eyes shining. "Really? We can leave tomorrow?"

"This husband sees no reason to delay."

"Then it’s settled!" Wang Gege nodded enthusiastically. "Tomorrow!"

She suddenly paused and narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait... we’re going alone, right?"

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow. "Does Furen want to bring the entire Xie Residence along?"

"No!" Wang Gege immediately shook her head. "Absolutely not. That would defeat the whole purpose of relaxing!"

Xie Rong chuckled. "Then just the two of us."

"Perfect!" Wang Gege’s face lit up again, already imagining the trip.

After all the chaos they had endured recently, a peaceful hot spring trip with her husband sounded like exactly what they needed.

Unfortunately, neither of them knew that this supposedly relaxing trip was about to bring them face-to-face with yet another unexpected problem.

By the following afternoon, Wang Gege and Xie Rong finally arrived at the hot spring resort located outside the city.

The scenery immediately made Wang Gege’s eyes brighten. A thin layer of mist drifted above the steaming pools, surrounded by lush trees and quiet mountain rocks. The place was secluded enough that they could barely hear any noise from the outside world.

"This place is beautiful!" Wang Gege stepped down from the carriage, looking around excitedly. "Husband, you really know how to find good places."

Xie Rong smiled faintly as he followed her down. "As long as Furen likes it."

However, before they could take more than a few steps, several palace guards suddenly approached them.

Wang Gege’s smile froze.

The guards stopped directly in front of them, blocking their path.

"Please wait."

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow beneath his blindfold. "Is there something wrong?"

The leading guard respectfully cupped his fists. "Young Master Xie, this hot spring has been reserved for the next two days by His Highness, the Eighth Prince."

Wang Gege’s mouth slowly fell open.

"The Eighth Prince?" She turned toward Xie Rong with disbelief written all over her face. "Didn’t you book this place, husband?"

Xie Rong remained silent for a while, his expression gradually becoming a little guilty.

"Since our plan was rather sudden, this husband didn’t manage to book the place ahead of time." He paused before adding helplessly, "Furen should know..."

Xie Rong leaned closer to her ear and lowered his voice. "This isn’t our world. There is no such thing as quick communication through phones..."

Wang Gege’s expression twitched. She stared at him for a few seconds before sighing. "Right... I forgot."

In their modern world, booking a place could be done within minutes. One only needed to take out a phone, search for the location, check its availability, and make a reservation with a few taps.

Here, however, even sending a message to someone required a servant, a carriage, or a messenger.

She folded her arms and muttered, "But you could have sent someone to check first."

"This husband thought we would simply come here and find an available hot spring."

Wang Gege pouted, clearly disappointed. "Never mind. We should turn around while the day is still early. Maybe there is another hot spring nearby..."

Xie Rong nodded. "That sounds reasonable."

The two of them turned around, preparing to return to the carriage.

However, they had barely taken two steps when a calm voice came from behind them.

"Both of you are welcome to stay here. I don’t mind the company."

Wang Gege stopped in her tracks.

She slowly turned her head and looked over her shoulder.

The Eighth Prince stood several steps away, his expression relaxed as he watched them. The palace guards had already stepped aside, allowing him to approach.

"We meet again, Young Madam Xie..."