Chapter 224: A Peaceful Hot Spring Trip
Xie Rong instantly moved and stood in front of Wang Gege, subtly blocking her from the Eighth Prince’s gaze.
"Nice to meet you again, Your Highness..." he said, bowing slightly.
The Eighth Prince’s eyes narrowed faintly at the sight of Xie Rong’s sudden movement, but the smile on his face did not change. "There is no need to be so formal, Young Master Xie."
Wang Gege peeked out from behind Xie Rong’s shoulder, feeling slightly amused by his reaction.
She had noticed that ever since the Eighth Prince showed interest in her, her husband seemed to become particularly cautious whenever they met him.
The Eighth Prince’s gaze shifted toward her. "Young Madam Xie, I hope this prince did not cause you any inconvenience by inviting you to stay."
Wang Gege quickly shook her head. "No, Your Highness. We were the ones who arrived without making a reservation. I hope you have a pleasant time at the hot spring. We will leave first..."
She then reached out and clasped Xie Rong’s hand, gently squeezing it as though trying to ease the anxiousness he was probably feeling at this moment.
Xie Rong glanced down at their joined hands. The tension in his expression softened slightly.
He understood what she was trying to do.
Wang Gege had noticed how guarded he had become around the Eighth Prince, and instead of saying anything in front of the prince, she simply held his hand, quietly reminding him that she was beside him.
The Eighth Prince watched the small gesture in silence.
A faint smile remained on his face, though his eyes seemed to linger on their intertwined hands for a moment longer than necessary.
"There is truly no need for you to leave," he said calmly. "As this prince said earlier, the estate is large enough to accommodate all of you."
Wang Gege hesitated. She looked at Xie Rong. Xie Rong looked back at her.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
The Eighth Prince chuckled softly. "Besides, Young Madam Xie came here to enjoy the hot spring, did she not?"
Wang Gege’s eyes immediately brightened. She had almost forgotten about that part, but she quickly waved her hand.
"It is all right, Your Highness. We will not disturb your time. We can simply look for another hot spring nearby..."
She turned toward Xie Rong, already preparing to leave. "We can find another place. There must be more hot springs around here, right, husband?"
Xie Rong looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Most likely."
Wang Gege smiled and was about to pull him toward the carriage when the Eighth Prince spoke again.
"There is no other hot spring available at this moment." His voice remained calm, but there was a faint trace of amusement in his tone. "This prince has already checked every one of them."
Wang Gege’s hand froze around Xie Rong’s. She slowly turned around, "Every one of them?"
The Eighth Prince nodded, "Every hot spring within a reasonable distance from here has already been reserved."
Wang Gege stared at him in disbelief.
"How can that be?" She had thought they could simply find another place nearby if this one was unavailable.
The Eighth Prince smiled.
"This prince came here precisely because the hot springs around the area are quite popular. Naturally, the moment this estate was reserved, this prince also had his people check the surrounding places."
Wang Gege’s expression gradually became complicated. She looked at Xie Rong and asked softly, "Husband... should we go back then?"
Although she said those words, there was a faint trace of disappointment in her expression that she could not completely hide.
Xie Rong noticed it immediately.
He glanced at her face before looking toward the hot spring behind the Eighth Prince. The beautiful scenery, the drifting mist, and the quiet surroundings were exactly what she had been looking forward to since yesterday.
After everything they had been through recently, he knew how much she had wanted a peaceful place to relax with him.
"You want to stay," Xie Rong said quietly.
Wang Gege immediately shook her head. "No, I just thought..."
Before she could finish, Xie Rong turned toward the Eighth Prince and cupped his fists.
"Your Highness, thank you for your kind invitation. We would be happy to accept it, and we promise we won’t disturb your time here."
Wang Gege blinked and looked at him. "Husband..."
Xie Rong glanced down at her, his expression softening slightly. "This husband knows you want to stay."
She immediately pouted, "I didn’t say that..."
"It’s all right..." Xie Rong smiled at her. "This husband understands."
Wang Gege’s lips twitched as she tried to hide her smile.
The Eighth Prince tilted his head slightly, watching the couple with an amused expression. "Does Young Master Xie always like to show off his affection in front of others like this?"
"Ah..." Xie Rong instantly straightened and cupped his fist. "This one didn’t dare to offend Your Highness. This one was merely talking to my wife..."
The Eighth Prince raised an eyebrow. "Merely talking?"
"Mm." Xie Rong nodded seriously.
Wang Gege was trying her best to hold back her laughter. Deep down, she knew exactly what her husband was doing.
He was setting his territory. And he was doing it so seriously that she almost could not bear to expose him.
The Eighth Prince glanced at their intertwined hands before looking back at Xie Rong. "Then this prince must have misunderstood."
"Your Highness is too kind," Xie Rong replied calmly.
Wang Gege lowered her head, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing.
Her husband was usually so composed, yet the moment another man showed the slightest bit of interest in her, he suddenly became exceptionally eager to remind everyone that she already belonged to him.
She found it strangely adorable.
The Eighth Prince’s gaze shifted toward Wang Gege, catching the amusement she was desperately trying to hide.
"Madam Xie seems to find something amusing."
Wang Gege immediately straightened. "Nothing, Your Highness!"
"Nothing?" His eyebrow arched
"Absolutely nothing."
Xie Rong glanced down at her, clearly seeing through her innocent expression.
His lips curved slightly, "My wife is probably just happy that we can finally enjoy the hot spring."
"Yes!" Wang Gege nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly!"
The Eighth Prince chuckled, "Then this prince shall not keep you any longer."