WBSGVS Chapter 14

Su Tingxue’s suicide was something Zheng Yihan hadn’t expected, but it was within Qingli’s expectations.

Though she had asked Wanyue to inquire whether Su Tingxue was willing to marry the scholar who came to propose, in truth, she hadn’t given it much thought—because the marriage was never going to happen.

In her previous life, Su Tingxue had restored her identity as the daughter of a prince, and her mother was the favored concubine of Prince Yu. Although their reputation was less than ideal, it still wouldn’t have been necessary for her to marry Zheng Yihan as a concubine.

Yet, Su Tingxue insisted on marrying him. This forced Prince Yu to turn on Ji Qingli, which led to her being dismissed as the main wife, making room for Su to take her place.

Such a person would not agree to marry an ordinary scholar at this time.

To resist, a woman had to make a man cherish her.

Zheng Yihan rushed over immediately.

However, Qingli had arrived earlier. After all, she was still the first wife of the Zheng family, and since she spent her days there, her people knew all the happenings within the residence.

When Qingli arrived at Su Tingxue’s small courtyard, she saw a doctor instructing the maids on how to prepare medicine. Listening to the names of the herbs, Qingli deduced that they were all for replenishing blood.

But the herbs weren’t particularly rare, suggesting that the wrist-slitting incident wasn’t as severe as she had imagined.

Qingli avoided the maids and servants and slipped into the bedroom.

Su Tingxue lay on the bed, her face pale, eyes closed, and eyelashes trembling slightly. Her wrist was wrapped in thick bandages, obscuring the wound. The room still carried a heavy scent of blood, and the maids were busy cleaning the remaining bloodstains.

Qingli observed Su Tingxue’s face, noting that her breathing was steady, her lips pale but powdered, and although her complexion lacked color, she didn’t appear as weak as Qingli had been in the past. Satisfied, Qingli confirmed her suspicions.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard Madam Zhang outside, crying as she pulled Zheng Yihan by the arm: “Hanyer, do you not like Tingxue at all? She’s such an innocent child, and she’s so devoted to you that she’s unwilling to marry anyone else. Are you trying to drive her to her death?”

To be fair, Madam Zhang’s acting wasn’t bad. Just listening to her, one could believe they were truly mother and daughter, with a daughter committing suicide over a man, and the mother, heartbroken, pleading with the man to accept her daughter.

But in truth, how deep could the feelings between them be?

The original wife had served Madam Zhang diligently for five years without ever receiving a kind word.

Supporting his mother, Zheng Yihan spoke in a weary yet resolute voice, “Mother, I will marry her.”

Those four words brought silence to both the inner and outer chambers.

Wanyue stood there, dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected things to deviate from the plan so suddenly and gasped, “Madam…”

Fortunately, she restrained herself and kept her voice low.

Madam Zhang had intended to keep pressing, but upon hearing his words, she was stunned, unable to believe that her son had agreed so suddenly. She asked again for confirmation, “What did you just say?”

He agreed, just like that?

Was he no longer afraid of Ji Qingli’s opposition? Or what the Ji family might do?

A series of questions flashed through Madam Zhang’s mind as she stared intently at her son, waiting for his response.

Zheng Yihan nodded firmly, his expression calm and composed: “Mother, I will marry Tingxue. Tell her to live well and not attempt suicide again.”

“Good, good!” Madam Zhang was overjoyed. At this moment, whatever her son said was fine. She no longer cared about the Ji family; all she cared about was being able to bring a concubine into the family, ensuring her son would have heirs: “Tingxue’s situation is different from that of an ordinary concubine. She saved your life, so we cannot treat this matter lightly. I will make arrangements right away…”

She was already excitedly thinking of the banquet and other preparations, eager to share the news with Su Tingxue inside.

However, when she turned around, she was met with the sight of her eldest daughter-in-law standing there. Madam Zhang’s voice faltered, and a forced smile appeared on her face: “Oh, Eldest Daughter-in-Law.”

Uh-oh!

In her excitement, she had completely forgotten that her eldest daughter-in-law had come along with her son and had overheard everything!

But Madam Zhang quickly regained her composure. This time, it was her son who had initiated the idea of taking a concubine. No matter how much Ji Qingli might oppose, she couldn’t go against her own husband’s decision!

Zheng Yihan was slightly panicked. His mind was already in turmoil, and although he had made up his mind, he hadn’t expected his wife to find out so soon.

Now, facing his wife’s clear and unwavering gaze, a cold sweat broke out on his back. He stepped forward in a few strides, trying to maintain his composure: “Ah Li, let me explain.”

Qingli raised her eyes and met his gaze squarely. Her chin lifted slightly, and her voice, cold and distant, rang out: “Alright, go ahead.”

“Ji Qingli! Is that how you talk to Hanyer? Is this how a wife behaves, questioning him as if he were a criminal?” Madam Zhang, seeing her son humbly trying to appease his wife, was immediately enraged. Her earlier guilt vanished, leaving only dissatisfaction with her daughter-in-law.

Qingli didn’t even look at her. She kept her gaze locked on Zheng Yihan, waiting for his response.

This behavior only fueled Madam Zhang’s anger. She was about to step forward to discipline Qingli, but this time, Zheng Yihan stopped her: “Mother, this is a matter between me and my wife. Let us handle it ourselves.”

Madam Zhang’s steps faltered. She looked at her son, frustrated but unable to oppose him, so she could only glare in anger.

Zheng Yihan gave a bitter smile and glanced past Qingli toward the screen, though he couldn’t see anything. Su Tingxue’s actions and the things he had learned from the Third Prince left him with little sympathy for her. He turned back to Qingli and said gently, “Ah Li, let’s go back. We can talk about this slowly, alright?”

Qingli’s expression remained unreadable, leaving him anxious. But she didn’t object. After a few moments of silence, she finally nodded.

Zheng Yihan let out a slight sigh of relief and left first, without suggesting they check on Su Tingxue.

Madam Zhang wanted to remind him, but her son was already walking too fast. Fearing she might truly anger Ji Qingli, she kept her mouth shut. Once they had left, she happily went to the inner chamber and was greeted by Su Tingxue’s expectant gaze. Smiling, she said, “It wasn’t Hanyer. Are you disappointed?”

Su Tingxue shyly lowered her eyes. “Auntie…”

“I know you heard!” Madam Zhang said matter-of-factly. “I’ve been through this before, so there’s no need to be embarrassed. This matter may not have been handled perfectly, but don’t worry, Hanyer is soft-hearted. He’s busy appeasing Ji Qingli now, but once you’re in the household, he will treat you well.”

“Tingxue understands,” Su Tingxue replied with a satisfied nod. “Thank you for making this possible, Auntie.”

“As long as you know.” Madam Zhang was pleased. “In the future, you must ensure my son has many descendants!”

Qingli and Zheng Yihan returned to their courtyard.

As Wanyue led the maids away, she was still fuming, so much so that she even forgot to perform the usual courtesies, which she never skipped before.

Soon, the courtyard was cleared, leaving only the two of them sitting by the stone table.

Qingli remained silent, waiting for Zheng Yihan to speak.

At first, Zheng Yihan thought Qingli would start questioning him, allowing him to explain each point, but as time passed and she remained still, he grew increasingly nervous. Finally, feeling deflated, he spoke first: “A-Li, she tried to kill herself. If she dies, it wouldn’t be good for us. Please don’t be too angry. I swear, I won’t take any other concubines in the future!”

Qingli found it amusing. “How would her death harm us? If someone is determined to die, can you stop them? If she truly wanted to die, do you think she couldn’t succeed? She’s only using the threat of death to manipulate you.”

Zheng Yihan had no response.

Qingli pressed on, “And let me remind you, when you sought my hand in marriage, you promised you wouldn’t take any concubines. Now you’ve gone back on your word and made another promise. Do you think I’d believe you this time?”

Zheng Yihan sighed inwardly, realizing he couldn’t easily placate her anger. With a wry smile, he said, “A-Li, if I told you I had no choice, would you believe me?”

Qingli’s eyes narrowed slightly, observing him closely. At least at this moment, his gaze was serious, and the bitterness on his face seemed genuine, as if he was truly cornered. She remembered Wan Yue mentioning that he had gone out earlier, and it seemed that this sudden change had something to do with that trip.

Her lips curled into a faint smile as she softly said, “I believe you. But I want to know, what could be so compelling that you had no choice but to take a concubine and betray me?”

She didn’t raise her voice or throw a fit, but her calmness only made Zheng Yihan feel more guilty. The weight in his heart grew heavier, like carrying a boulder, yet he couldn’t say more than, “I can’t tell you for now, but you must know, no matter what, I love you the most.”

“Will you touch her?” Qingli asked.

Zheng Yihan fell silent.

Qingli sneered, “So your love and your body are separate things? You love me, but you’ll still be intimate with another woman? What if I kept a lover? Would you be okay with that?”

Feeling humiliated, Zheng Yihan averted his gaze and said angrily, “A-Li, you can’t compare the two! Yes, Su Tingshuo made some mistakes, but she saved my life. She’s a kind girl. I’m marrying her, but she’ll never surpass you!”

“Enough,” Qingli said coolly, “let’s get a divorce.”

Given everything he had just said, divorce was the natural conclusion.

Zheng Yihan panicked, his face visibly distressed as he reached out to grab her hand, urgently pleading, “No! A-Li, we can’t divorce!”

Qingli rose to her feet, stepping away from him, her back turned. “Zheng Yihan, you know very well that a daughter of the Ji family will never share her husband with another woman.”

“A-Li!” His voice trembled as he stood as well, reaching out but stopping short at the cold, disdainful look she shot him. He didn’t dare touch her. Desperation laced his voice as he begged, “I swear I’ll never do this again. Please don’t leave me. I won’t agree to a divorce!”

“A-Li, think about it! We’ve known each other since we were children. No one understands you better than I do, and no one understands me better than you. You can’t divorce me over Su Tingshuo! I have no choice in this, you’re being unreasonable…”

“Think about the time we…”

Zheng Yihan tried to bring up their shared past, playing the emotional card.

Qingli simply watched him, her expression cold, until he ran out of things to say. She suddenly smiled, as though moved, but with a hint of reluctance. “How can I tell if what you’re saying now is the truth or just a way to placate me?”

Zheng Yihan panicked. “I’ll swear an oath!”

Qingli shook her head. “No need for oaths. I have something that can prove your sincerity.” She took out a pill that gave off a bitter scent and held it out to him, her eyes fixed on him. “This is a pill that will make you unable to father children. If you take it, I won’t ask for a divorce, at least for now. Zheng Yihan, do you dare?”

Her lips curled into a playful smirk, her delicate hand extending the pill closer to him. There was a mocking glint in her eyes as if she knew he wouldn’t dare take it.

Zheng Yihan was momentarily startled, thinking it might be real poison. But after hearing her words, he realized she was testing him.

They had known each other for over a decade and had been married for five years, sharing the same bed. In many ways, they were closer than family.

A-Li had always been soft-hearted. How could she poison him?

Besides, A-Li had difficulty conceiving, but it wasn’t impossible.

If he became infertile, wouldn’t she also lose any chance of having children?

This decision to take a concubine had come so suddenly, and this pill was equally unexpected. It was likely just one of her herbal supplements, not a poison she had planned.

After thinking it through, Zheng Yihan looked tenderly at the woman in front of him and softly said, “A-Li, do you want me to take it?”

Qingli’s face remained cold. “Yes. If you take it, I’ll put the divorce on hold for now.”

Zheng Yihan nodded. “Alright, I’ll take it.” He grabbed the pill from Qingli’s hand and swallowed it without even asking for water. The bitter taste filled his mouth, making his tongue curl.

He opened his mouth to show her that he had swallowed it, then asked, “A-Li, can you forgive me now? Can we avoid the divorce?”

Seeing him swallow it, Qingli finally laughed, her smile captivating. “Fine, we won’t divorce for now. Since Su Tingshuo insists on being a concubine, as her mistress, I must first accept her tea before anything else.”

Relieved by her response, Zheng Yihan smiled indulgently. “Alright.”