Chapter 209: The Face From The Past

For a moment, neither Xie Rong nor Wang Gege reacted.

The outer chamber was so quiet that even the faint clinking of the teacup against the table sounded unusually loud.

Xie Rong’s expression remained stiff as he stared at his father.

No one uttered a single word until the realization finally hit him.

His gaze immediately shifted toward the frozen Wang Gege. Without another thought, Xie Rong stepped toward her and pulled her into his embrace, his arm wrapping firmly around her shoulders.

"Not her..." he murmured, lowering his voice as he tried to calm her down. "It is not her. She just has the same face..."

"Mo—mother..." Wang Gege muttered under her breath, her body trembling.

Bai Ruoxi, the woman her father-in-law wanted to marry, carried the exact same face as her mother from their previous life, from the world they had once called home.

How could everything be almost the same?

The person she loved happened to have a father who loved her mother.

Wang Gege’s mind went completely blank.

She had thought the strange similarities between their two worlds were merely coincidences, but this was no longer something she could easily dismiss.

She slowly lifted her head and looked at Xie Rong.

He was still holding her, his expression equally complicated beneath the blindfold.

Neither of them knew what to say.

After all, they had already discovered that they had transmigrated into a world where their lives had somehow become connected again. Yet now, even their parents seemed to have been woven into the same strange pattern.

Xie Rong tightened his arm around her slightly. "Furen..."

Wang Gege looked at him. "Is this really just a coincidence?"

Xie Rong remained silent for a moment.

"I don’t know." His answer was honest, and somehow that made her even more uneasy.

Before they could say anything else, Master Xie finally spoke.

"Rong’er, Taotao... this father knows this may be sudden, but there is something you should understand."

Xie Rong turned his attention toward him.

Master Xie glanced at Bai Ruoxi before continuing, "Ruoxi returned after all these years, and this father has no intention of letting her leave again."

Wang Gege’s eyes widened slightly.

Master Xie sighed before looking at his son, "That is why this father wishes to marry her."

Xie Rong’s gaze slowly shifted toward Bai Ruoxi.

"Why now?" His voice was calm, but there was no warmth in it.

"You disappeared for eighteen years. An’an grew up without you, and now, after everything that happened, you suddenly return."

His eyes narrowed slightly beneath the blindfold.

"And Father immediately wants to marry you."

Master Xie frowned. "Rong’er—"

"Is this marriage meant to protect An’an again?"

The question made the entire chamber fall silent.

Xie Rong looked toward his father.

"If Father marries her, then she becomes An’an’s mother in the eyes of the law once again. With her biological mother willing to take responsibility for her, Father can petition the Emperor for leniency and have An’an removed from the Punishment Court."

His expression turned colder, "Instead of being sentenced to death, she could be placed under her mother’s supervision."

Master Xie did not immediately deny it.

That silence was enough for Xie Rong to understand. "So I was right."

"Not entirely." Master Xie sighed. "This father isn’t trying to erase An’an’s crimes."

"Then what are you trying to do?"

Master Xie looked toward Bai Ruoxi. "Give her one last chance to live."

"Huh? Father!" Xie Rong’s expression immediately changed. "After everything she has done, you still want to give her another chance?"

Master Xie sighed, his expression filled with helplessness.

"This father knows what she has done cannot simply be overlooked. But if Ruoxi is willing to take responsibility for her daughter, there may still be a way to spare An’an’s life."

Xie Rong’s jaw tightened.

"So you really intend to use this marriage to save her again?"

"This marriage is not only for An’an," Master Xie replied quietly. "But this father cannot deny that her situation is one of the reasons why this decision must be made now."

Xie Rong turned his gaze toward Bai Ruoxi, his expression growing colder.

"And she agreed to this?"

Bai Ruoxi remained silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Yes." Her voice was soft, but her eyes remained fixed on Wang Gege.

Xie Rong’s expression grew increasingly tense. He pressed his lips into a thin line, as though struggling to understand the situation before finally looking directly at Bai Ruoxi.

"This son really doesn’t understand..." His voice was low, but there was a sharp edge beneath it. "Tell me..."

His gaze shifted toward Master Xie, "An’an... perhaps she is your biological daughter?"

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere in the room changed.

Master Xie’s expression hardened instantly. He shot to his feet, anger flashing across his face before anyone could react.

Slap!

The sharp sound echoed through the chamber.

Xie Rong’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow. His blindfold shifted slightly, and a faint red mark quickly appeared across his cheek.

Wang Gege’s eyes widened in shock. "Father!"

Xie Rong slowly turned his face back, his expression becoming frighteningly calm. He raised a hand and wiped the corner of his mouth, then looked at his father without saying a word.

Master Xie’s chest rose and fell heavily.

"Watch your words," he said coldly. "Do not insult Ruoxi with such an accusation."

Xie Rong’s fingers slowly curled beneath his sleeve.

"Insult?" Xie Rong let out a cold laugh, his eyes narrowing beneath the blindfold. "She brought this upon herself."

His voice carried no trace of hesitation as he continued, "Xie An’an’s origins have always been unknown. A young noblewoman suddenly became pregnant, yet no one knew who the father of her child was..."

He paused, his gaze turning toward Bai Ruoxi.

"And now, after eighteen years, her biological mother suddenly appears and agrees to marry my father precisely when Xie An’an is facing execution."

Xie Rong’s expression hardened.

"You expect this son to believe all of that is merely a coincidence?"