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

"Feel fresh?"

Xie Rong gently wiped Wang Gege’s damp hair as she sat on the chair, her hair still dripping slightly from the hot spring.

Instead of answering, Wang Gege continued staring blankly ahead, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

"Furen?" Xie Rong called softly. "What are you thinking about?"

Wang Gege blinked and finally seemed to return to reality. "Ah?"

Xie Rong paused, then smiled faintly. "You have been staring at the same spot for quite some time."

Wang Gege lowered her gaze. "I was searching through my memories... trying to remember the events from the book. I really couldn’t remember where the Eighth Prince first met the female lead..."

Xie Rong continued drying her hair, his movements gentle and unhurried. "Then perhaps don’t try to remember the first meeting."

Wang Gege looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"If you cannot remember where they met, think about what happened after they met." He paused briefly. "There should be something distinctive about their relationship that you remember."

Wang Gege frowned, sinking deeper into her thoughts.

"The female lead..." she murmured. "I remember she was involved in the Eighth Prince’s storyline quite early, but..."

She suddenly stopped.

Xie Rong noticed the change in her expression. "You remembered something?"

"Not exactly." Wang Gege shook her head. "I remember reading a scene where the Eighth Prince seemed to know her before she knew who he was."

Xie Rong’s hand stopped for a moment. "Before she knew who he was?"

"Mhm." Wang Gege nodded slowly. "I remember thinking it was strange because he seemed to have already been watching her for some time, but I can’t remember why."

Mini immediately flew closer. "Then maybe that’s where we should start!"

Wang Gege looked at it, looking slightly surprised.

Mini raised its tiny fist excitedly. "If the Eighth Prince already knew the female lead before she knew him, then we only need to check every woman around the Eighth Prince!"

"Mini..." Wang Gege narrowed her eyes slightly. "Can you not appear so suddenly? I thought you already left?"

Mini blinked innocently.

"Mini was here the whole time."

Wang Gege stared at it.

"You were?"

"Mhm!" Mini nodded proudly. "Mini just stayed quiet because Host and her husband were talking."

Xie Rong glanced at the little bee. "You call that staying quiet?"

Mini puffed out its cheeks. "Mini was very quiet!"

Wang Gege couldn’t help sighing.

She had completely forgotten Mini was still floating nearby.

"Fine, then what do you mean by checking every woman around the Eighth Prince?"

Mini immediately became serious again.

"Mini means we can start with the women who have interacted with the Eighth Prince before. If the female lead was already being watched by him, she might have appeared somewhere around him before the main storyline officially began."

Wang Gege’s eyes lit up slightly.

"That actually makes sense."

Xie Rong nodded. "It would also narrow our search."

Mini happily raised its tiny fist again.

"Mhm! We don’t need to search the whole world. We only need to search the women who have some connection to the Eighth Prince!"

Wang Gege nodded thoughtfully.

"Then we should start with the people he has already met."

She suddenly paused.

"Wait..."

Her expression changed. "There is one problem."

Mini tilted its head. "What problem?"

Wang Gege looked toward Xie Rong. "We can’t hang around Jiang Zhaoyuan every second, right?"

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow. "Furen is right. Unless you plan to move into the Eighth Prince’s residence."

Wang Gege immediately shook her head. "Absolutely not."

Mini’s tiny wings fluttered as it thought. "Then... we can ask Bibi!"

Wang Gege paused. "Bibi?"

"Mhm!" Mini nodded eagerly. "Bibi has been with the Eighth Prince all this time, so Bibi should know every woman who has appeared around him!"

Wang Gege’s eyes lit up. "That’s actually useful."

Xie Rong nodded. "Then we don’t need to follow the Eighth Prince around. We can simply ask Bibi for the people connected to him."

Mini proudly puffed out its chest. "See? Mini is useful!"

Wang Gege smiled and gently tapped its head. "Yes, yes. Our bestie is very useful."

Xie Rong shook his head helplessly. "All right, bestie. For today, let’s get some rest first, hmm? We can think about our next steps tomorrow."

He looked at Wang Gege before turning his gaze toward Mini.

Mini pouted, clearly reluctant to leave. "All right. Mini will appear tomorrow during breakfast. Have a good rest, Host and Host’s Husband."

It waved its tiny hands before disappearing right away.

Wang Gege stared at the spot where Mini had vanished for a moment before smiling.

"It really is getting more and more like a person."

Xie Rong nodded. "It has changed quite a lot."

Wang Gege turned toward him. "Gemi too."

"Mhm."

She suddenly remembered what Gemi had told him earlier, and her expression softened.

"Then... when we return home, Gemi will finally get its body back."

Xie Rong looked at her and nodded.

"Then that means we wouldn’t have the opportunity to see its bee form?" Wang Gege suddenly realized, her expression turning slightly disappointed.

Xie Rong paused. He had not considered that.

"Mhm... probably not," he admitted.

Wang Gege’s shoulders drooped. "That’s a little sad..."

She had already imagined seeing Gemi in its restored form, especially after hearing that it would finally be able to appear as a bee again.

Xie Rong looked at her disappointed expression and smiled faintly. "Furen, if everything goes according to plan, we will return home first—"

A knock suddenly sounded against the chamber door, interrupting his words.

Both of them turned toward the door.

A moment later, the voice of the Eighth Prince’s royal bodyguard came from outside.

"Young Master Xie, Young Madam Xie, His Highness the Eighth Prince invites both of you to dine in his chamber."

Xie Rong and Wang Gege looked at each other.

Neither of them spoke, but the meaning in their eyes was clear. It was almost as though they were silently asking each other, We can’t exactly refuse a royal invitation, right?

Wang Gege blinked at him, while Xie Rong remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering whether there was any acceptable excuse they could use.

After all, refusing an invitation from the Eighth Prince did not exactly sound like a wise choice.

After a few seconds, Xie Rong finally answered, "All right... we will be there."

The royal bodyguard acknowledged his response before leaving.

Wang Gege turned toward Xie Rong with a slightly helpless expression. "I am already sleepy after soaking in the hot spring..."

"This husband understands, but let’s show our faces for a while before excusing ourselves," Xie Rong replied. "We don’t have to stay for too long."

=====

"Ah..." Jiang Zhaoyuan looked up from his round dining table. "Both of you have arrived. Have a seat..."

Xie Rong and Wang Gege took their seats opposite him. The table had already been prepared with several simple yet exquisite dishes.

Jiang Zhaoyuan poured them each a cup of tea before casually picking up his chopsticks. "How was your stay here? I hope the hot spring was to your liking."

"It was quite pleasant," Wang Gege answered honestly. "Although we only managed to enjoy it for a short while."

Jiang Zhaoyuan chuckled. "Then it seems this prince should have invited you earlier."

Xie Rong glanced at him. "Your Highness invited us here for dinner. There must be something else you wish to discuss."

"Must there be a reason?" Jiang Zhaoyuan raised an eyebrow. "Can’t this prince simply invite his acquaintances for a meal?"

Wang Gege looked at Xie Rong before quietly picking up her bowl. ’Why does it feel like whenever someone says there is no reason, there is definitely a reason?’

Jiang Zhaoyuan seemed amused by her expression but did not comment on it. Instead, he continued eating for a while before casually saying, "Actually, there is one more person joining us tonight."

Wang Gege paused.

"One more person?" she asked.

"Yes." Jiang Zhaoyuan nodded. "She is this prince’s childhood friend. She has been ill for several months and only recently recovered, so this prince invited her to come here to enjoy the hot spring. She has just arrived."

Wang Gege’s chopsticks stopped halfway to her bowl.

"Childhood friend?" she repeated.

Jiang Zhaoyuan nodded again, seemingly unaware of the sudden interest in her eyes. "Yes. Her family and this prince’s family have known each other for many years, so we grew up together. She is one of the few people this prince has known since childhood."

Wang Gege quietly lowered her chopsticks.

A woman who had been ill for several months, had just recovered, and was now invited by Jiang Zhaoyuan to the hot spring...

That sounded suspiciously like the kind of detail she had been searching for.

She blinked before she turned to exchange a quick glance with Xie Rong.

Could this childhood friend be the female lead they had been looking for? The answer might finally be sitting right before them tonight.