WBSGVS Chapter 163 v1

Good grief!

Thank goodness this world doesn’t have ghosts or spirits—if it did, Xie Rongyun would’ve come back to life just from sheer rage. It hasn’t even been that long, and someone’s already here to propose?

Qingli: “…”

Seeing her reaction, Madam Mu chuckled. “The seventh day of mourning hasn’t even passed, and someone’s already knocking at our door asking for your hand. Your father was furious—he almost beat the guy out of the house! He’s old-fashioned and doesn’t know what went on between you and Xie Rongyun. I had to calm him down. If it were anyone else, I would’ve turned them down on the spot. But this is the second young master from the Nie family. He’s unmarried, quite handsome, and holds a post as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. I think he’s a good match. What do you think?”

Qingli handed her the proposal slip and shook her head. “I think being a widow suits me just fine. It wasn’t easy getting rid of Xie Rongyun. Now I’m free, I’ve got the Xie estate, and the concubines all have children. Why would I marry again?”

She did like Nie Xiao—but she didn’t want to remarry. Last time, when he suggested they divorce and each go their separate ways, she had already gently turned him down.

Since then, Nie Xiao hadn’t come to see her again—not even in secret. She never expected he’d give her a surprise like this.

But still, she had to say no.

Madam Mu shook her head disapprovingly. “You love children. Wouldn’t it be better to have your own, even if you just visit now and then? Why spend your whole life stuck in the Xie family?”

Qingli chuckled. “I’m not stuck. I chose this. And not for any other reason. Mom, let me ask you something: If I get married again, in what way would that make my life better?”

Madam Mu was momentarily speechless. She thought about it seriously and offered, hesitantly, “You’d have your child? I mean… concubines’ kids aren’t your own. They’ve got their birth mothers. Who knows if they’ll even respect you in the future?”

“Mom, childbirth is brutal on the body. I wasn’t that healthy to begin with—I’d rather live a few more years. I’ve decided not to have kids.” Qingli smiled sweetly. Seeing her mother’s expression of ‘you’re still young, you don’t understand’, she added cheekily, “And if those kids ever dare disrespect me, I’ll just sell the whole Xie estate! Leave them nothing!”

Right now, she owns the Xie estate. She had her dowry, and all the shops Xie Rongyun had built up weren’t doing badly either. Plus, the fancy calligraphy supplies he had gifted her were worth a fortune on their own.

She was, in every sense, a wealthy single woman. Who needed kids to care for her?

Besides, the concubines never really loved Xie Rongyun anyway. They knew exactly who their livelihood depended on now. With the man gone, they were practically falling over themselves to please her. If Qingli hadn’t told them to stay put during their pregnancies out of concern for their health, they’d be in her face 24/7.

Once their babies were born, they’d raise them to treat Qingli with respect.

As for why, Qingli didn’t care. She only looked at the results.

So when this topic came up, she spoke with full confidence.

“…Who’s been filling your head with all this nonsense?” Madam Mu asked, exasperated, eyes wide.

Qingli just smiled without answering.

Madam Mu wanted to scold her some more, but seeing the relaxed smile on her daughter’s face, her anger melted into helpless affection.

And, truth be told, it wasn’t a bad setup. The children might not be Qingli’s by blood, but with no man in the house and no scheming from the concubines, it wasn’t any different from having her own. No one would dare cross her.

A man could ignore the chaos of his household because none of it affected him directly, because the women all depended on him.

Now that Qingli was the one others depended on, even the most prideful concubine wouldn’t dare step out of line.

Madam Mu pursed her lips. “Alright, alright. I’ll reject the proposal.”

“Thank you, Mom!” Qingli hooked her arm through her mother’s and spoke softly.

“You little rascal.” Madam Mu raised her hand, wanting to flick her daughter’s forehead. But when she touched her, her hand softened, and she just gently stroked Qingli’s hair instead.

Maybe the world believed that a woman needed a husband, sons, grandsons—a big family to be happy.

But if your heart is content, isn’t that happiness too?

As a mother, she just wanted her daughter to be happy. Just like when she silently supported Qingli’s choice to remain a widow.

That night, Madam Mu left with the betrothal list.

Later that evening, a soft knock came at Qingli’s tightly shut window. She woke up, lazily went over, and opened it to find a boy in black standing outside, his eyes full of grievance.

“Why did you turn me down?!”

Seriously? Single, rich, with children and a great reputation—only a fool would throw that away for marriage.

Not to mention, the Nie family was huge—full of meddling aunts and uncles, and a never-ending stream of drama.

Qingli complained inwardly, but looking at the boy in front of her, she couldn’t bear to say it too harshly. She stepped back and said, “Come in first.”

Nie Xiao scowled. “We’re not exactly… close. A man and woman alone in a room? That’s improper.”

Qingli couldn’t help but laugh. She leaned on the windowsill with both hands, slowly moving closer to him.

Nie Xiao was still sulking, his body stiff. But as she moved closer, their faces nearly touched, and he could feel her breath on his skin. His face turned bright red, and he abruptly stepped back.

He had been drafted into the Imperial Guard at thirteen—his life had been all training and missions. Besides his sister and mother, he hadn’t interacted with any other women.

Except for her.

Embarrassed by his flustered reaction, Nie Xiao got angry again and barked, “If you’ve got something to say, say it! I’ll leave right after—I won’t be in your way!”

Qingli smiled and gently asked, “I just want to know… do you want a child of your own?”

Nie Xiao frowned slightly, thinking quickly. He had looked into Mu Qingli’s background after learning from the Sixth Prince that she’d been married and found out she had lost a child before.

Hearing her question, he paused, then answered seriously, “Having a child is great, but it’s not a must. If it happens, it happens. If not, that’s fine too.”