WBSGVS Chapter 173 V1

“A marriage alliance?”

“With the Chi family?”

If he remembered correctly, the Chi family only had one unmarried adult male—Chi Yue!

Huo Changrong was baffled, his face full of confusion. He seriously wondered if he had misheard.

But on the other end of the call, his daughter sounded completely serious. Once he realized this wasn’t a joke, he got a little angry.
“You’ve lost your mind! Even if you want the Chi family’s assets, Chi Yue is in that condition—he obviously can’t have kids. Otherwise, why would his parents be doing IVF and not him? If you marry him, you’ll be a widow in a living marriage!”

After this rare outburst, his voice stiffened as he declared,
“I don’t approve!”

Even that scumbag Shen Yanjun was better—at least he was physically normal and somewhat useful!

Qingli completely understood her father’s disapproval. The original Qingli and her were different—she had always been well protected. Even though they had a son, the family had always prioritized her. Naturally, they wouldn’t want their precious daughter marrying a disabled man.

Especially one who couldn’t reproduce. That car accident damaged more than just his legs.

So many years had passed in a flash, and Chi Yue was almost thirty. If his third leg were functional, his parents would never have turned to a relative’s child for IVF. Bloodline continuity was always the top priority.

She smiled faintly and said softly,
“Dad, I’ve already made up my mind.”

Huo Changrong was stunned.
“You made up your mind without even discussing it with your mom and me?”

Qingli calmly replied,
“If I want the Chi family’s assets, then even if they’ve taken a hit from all this, what’s left is still significant. All I need to give in exchange is a marriage. It’s a fair trade. I can’t expect to get all the benefits without paying a price, right? Besides, this is just my idea—I don’t even know if the Chi family would agree.”

“They wouldn’t agree? This is practically a steal!” Huo Changrong huffed.

Qingli smiled again.
“So, Dad, does that mean you agree?”

Caught off guard, Huo Changrong almost nodded. But just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he swallowed them and bit his tongue.
“Ahem! I never said that. Go talk to your mom. I can’t win an argument with you anyway.”

“Okay,” Qingli said sweetly.

Most parents who truly love their kids can’t stand firm for long when their children are determined. Qingli was confident that both Huo Changrong and Feng Ying would come around eventually. After hanging up with her dad, she immediately called her mom.

Just like Huo Changrong, Feng Ying’s first reaction was disapproval. But once Qingli explained her reasoning, Feng Ying responded,
“A-Li, this is different. Marriage is serious business. Last time, we didn’t vet things properly, and you suffered. This time, we need to find you a good family.”

“Mom, I’m not doing this for love or marriage,” Qingli reminded her gently.

But Feng Ying quickly interrupted,
“If it’s about assets, then the family has plenty—we’ll give them all to you!”

Qingli’s gentle smile faded, and her voice turned serious.
“Mom, that’s not fair to Huo Qingyu. You both have always pushed him to work harder, keep his grades perfect, go study abroad alone, give up his hobbies, and come back immediately to take over the company. And now, just like that, you want to give everything to me? If you were in his shoes, would you be okay with that?”

If not for that, Huo Qingyu probably wouldn’t have such a complicated relationship with the original Qingli. His romantic preference was also very different from hers. While it was all a messy accident, the emotional damage was real.

“He wouldn’t…” Feng Ying started to say “mind,” but couldn’t finish the sentence after hearing her daughter’s reasoning. She fell silent, clearly feeling guilty.

Qingli’s voice softened again,
“Mom, life isn’t just about marriage and men. What I want now is a career. I’ve weighed the gains and losses. Whatever comes of it, I won’t regret this.”

Feng Ying didn’t dare listen anymore, afraid she’d give in if she heard one more word. But then it hit her—

If it doesn’t work out, they could just divorce!

The engagement with Shen Yanjun had been much more binding, and Qingli had broken that off. If things didn’t work with Chi Yue, they could always end the marriage. Other women might fear divorce because their families wouldn’t back them, but theirs always prioritized A-Li’s happiness!

Once Feng Ying figured that out, her resistance to the marriage alliance dropped significantly. Still, she didn’t give her approval outright.
“Go talk to your dad. I don’t know anything about business matters anyway.”

That was all Qingli needed to hear.

She called Huo Changrong again, this time skipping negotiation entirely and going straight to instructions.
“Dad, I’ll leave it to you to talk to the Chi family. See if they’re willing to accept my proposal.”

The chances of the Chi family agreeing were practically 99%. Hearing the reluctant tone in his voice, she coaxed him a little more, then hung up and started reviewing her assets.

Although she was fairly confident that between her real estate, stocks (including the ones Shen Yanjun had given her), and potential loans, she’d be able to pull it off, she still couldn’t help but feel nervous.

If it wasn’t enough… she’d have to squeeze some more support out of Huo Qingyu.

Later that night, Chi’s mother called in a hurry.
“A-Li, your dad said this marriage alliance was your idea. Is that true?”

Qingli smiled,
“It’s true, Auntie. So, are you in favor or against it?”

Chi’s mother hesitated.
“This is a big risk. No one can guarantee that even after the investment, there won’t be more problems. We’re talking about two billion, not two hundred thousand. Don’t be reckless. And Chi Yue… that boy is stubborn. I don’t want you to suffer.”

By all logic, she should be in favor. She’d always liked Huo Qingli, especially her bluntness, which had cut through all her last doubts. Qingli’s clarity had prevented her from being confused any longer.

But precisely because of that fondness, she felt that marrying Chi Yue would be unfair to Qingli.

Not to mention Chi Yue’s constant sarcasm, his disability, and—well, seeing his body might just give a girl nightmares…