WBSGVS Chapter 197 V2

Cheng Ningyu immediately curtsied.
“Greetings, Princess Leyi.”

“No need for formality.” Qingli waved her hand and said earnestly,
“Miss Cheng, I just discovered something and need to speak with you privately. Would that be alright?”

Cheng Ningyu was a bit surprised and wary, but this was her family’s estate. The other girl was only a minor princess, practically unknown. This was their first encounter—no real risk. She nodded in agreement.

After all, the other party was still a princess—it would be impolite to refuse her outright.

“It’s summer, and there are too many bugs outside. Come with me,” Cheng Ningyu said.

Qingli followed her through the winding corridors to a young woman’s private courtyard. They instructed the maids to wait outside and entered the room together. Only then did Qingli speak.

“I know it’s not ideal to bring this up on such a joyous day, but what I’m about to say is true. Miss Cheng, would it matter to you if your husband already had a child before marriage?”

“What did you say?” Cheng Ningyu cried out in shock, her hand trembling as she poured tea. Water splashed onto the table. She stood up abruptly, no longer caring about the spilled tea.

Qingli remained calm. “To be honest, I study metaphysics and divination. It might sound strange, but my predictions are often quite accurate.”

Cheng Ningyu’s face darkened. Anyone would be upset to be asked something like this on the night before their wedding, especially the cherished daughter of the Prime Minister. Hearing Qingli speak like some back-alley fortune-teller, she couldn’t help but snap,
“Then did you predict your own arranged marriage?”

“I did,” Qingli answered sincerely, unbothered by her doubt. “I sensed misfortune approaching but couldn’t see the details clearly, nor find a way to avoid it. Later, I realized the misfortune wasn’t for me—it was for Sima Qinghe.”

Cheng Ningyu choked on her words, falling silent. Her expression grew even more uneasy.

Not because she’d successfully rebuked Qingli, but because what Qingli said sounded… oddly plausible.

If it were true, then…

She didn’t want to believe it.

But her mind kept racing. She couldn’t bring herself to ask Qingli to leave. The more she thought about it, the more convincing Qingli’s logic became. After all, if Qingli were lying, what would she gain? Yes, she was a princess, but just one of many. The Prime Minister’s power far outweighed hers. If Cheng Ningyu broke off the engagement because of her, Qingli’s father could easily make her pay for it.

So maybe she was telling the truth?

The more she thought about it, the more distressed she became. The blush from earlier was long gone.

Qingli sighed.
“I understand how difficult this is to accept. I’ve studied some medicine as well. You have a healthy complexion, clear brows, clean nails, strong limbs—clearly, you’re in excellent health. Yet my reading tells me that you will have no biological children, though you’ll have many descendants. And one of them is coming very soon.”

“I don’t even know your birth chart,” Qingli continued, “but this is what I could see. My theory is—once you marry, your husband’s child will become yours. Which means… he already has a child.”

Cheng Ningyu bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, her eyes brimming with tears, though she said nothing.

Qingli thought she had a good temper. Anyone else, even out of respect for her title, might have kicked her out by now.

But she could only speak the truth.

As far as she knew, this engagement had been arranged between her grandmother’s branch of the family and Cheng Ningyu’s. They were technically related. The two had known each other since childhood, though they didn’t see each other often—childhood sweethearts of sorts. The groom had taken the imperial exam a year ago but failed due to illness. The next exam would be in two years, and he was expected to pass easily—a promising match.

What a pity that things had taken such a turn.

Qingli said nothing more and simply waited—would Cheng Ningyu believe her, or not?

After a long silence, Cheng Ningyu finally spoke in a tight voice,
“Are you certain? He already has a child?”

Qingli nodded. “If you give me his birth date and time, I can calculate the child’s location. If I see him in person, I can be even more precise.”

Cheng Ningyu murmured the information.

Qingli took note of it and stepped outside. It was a clear night—a good omen, since today was an auspicious day chosen for the Prime Minister’s daughter’s wedding. Under the starry sky, Qingli consulted her astrological charts and located the “children’s palace” in his chart, confirming the direction. Once she was done, she returned to Cheng Ningyu and relayed what she found.

“I see,” Cheng Ningyu said, her lashes trembling, her fingers clenched so tightly they turned pale.
That direction… pointed to Kangzhou. That was her fiancé’s home base.

It wasn’t too far, and communication there wasn’t exactly fast. If he wanted to hide something… it wouldn’t be impossible.

She took a deep breath.
“Can you narrow it down further?”

Qingli shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Thank you, then. I’ll think carefully about this.” Cheng Ningyu gave her a courteous smile. “May I ask what you want in return for this information?”

Qingli smiled.
“If what I said turns out to be true, help spread the word for me. If you—or anyone—needs their fortune read—marriage, family, career—send them my way. And if it doesn’t come true, let me know that too.”

Cheng Ningyu: “???”

After sending Qingli off, Cheng Ningyu remained dazed. That whole conversation had shaken her so badly that she still hadn’t recovered.

She’d originally thought Princess Leyi was just trying to curry favor, fresh out of the Cold Palace; she must be looking to use the Prime Minister’s power to escape her political marriage. But that final request… made Cheng Ningyu doubt everything.

If she were a fraud, would she dare tell people to come find her en masse? Wouldn’t she be afraid of getting exposed?

That made it even more likely that she was telling the truth!

The banquet had ended by now, and Madam Prime Minister had come to check on her daughter. Tomorrow was the wedding day, and she wanted to spend a little more time with her.

She pushed open the door and found Cheng Ningyu sitting there in a daze, all traces of the joy from earlier gone.

Her heart sank. She asked gently,
“Ningyu, what’s wrong?”

Cheng Ningyu’s tears fell in a sudden rush. At the sight of her mother, all the tension she’d been holding in broke loose. She flung herself into her mother’s arms and cried,
“Mother, just now… someone told me Yu Qi already has a child!”

“What?!” Madam Prime Minister gasped. “Who said that? Do you know if it’s true?”

Cheng Ningyu shook her head and recounted her entire conversation with Qingli.
“Mother, Kangzhou isn’t that far. There’s still time. If we send a message by carrier pigeon, we can still find out. Please—have someone investigate whether he has a child!”

After hearing everything, Madam Prime Minister chuckled.
“Oh, I thought it was something serious. A little princess just out of the Cold Palace? She’s only fifteen! And you believe her? Come now—your wedding’s tomorrow. Don’t cry, or your eyes will swell, and you won’t look pretty.”

But Cheng Ningyu was still anxious. Logically, she knew a fifteen-year-old princess couldn’t possibly be some mystical prophet. But she didn’t have deep feelings for Yu Qi either—this marriage was more for her future. What if… what if Qingli was the real deal?

“Please, Mother, I beg you. Have someone look into it. Just for my peace of mind?”

Madam Prime Minister sighed and nodded.
“All right. I’ll speak to your father.”

Cheng Ningyu finally relaxed. She didn’t try to keep her mother any longer, instead urging her to go.

That night, Cheng Ningyu didn’t sleep until very late. When she did, she dreamt of her fiancé holding a child, saying, “This is our child.”
But she hadn’t even married him yet.

She woke up in a cold sweat, her anxiety only worse.

Dawn crept over the sky. The bridal attendants entered her room and began to prepare her for the wedding.

She remained distracted until Madam Prime Minister returned.

Her eyes lit up. “Mother, did you find out anything?!”

Madam Prime Minister paused, then smiled and walked to her side.
“No, there’s no child. Yu Qi even sold off all his housemaids to prove his sincerity.”

Cheng Ningyu’s shoulders slumped with relief. But soon, she grew indignant.

He didn’t have a child, so why did Princess Leyi say such a thing and scare her half to death?

She knew it. A princess raised in the Cold Palace—how could she be some all-knowing seer, predicting people’s lives with a glance?

She summoned her maid and handed her a letter.
“Take this to Princess Leqin. Tell her I need her help with something.”

“Yes, miss.” The maid took the letter and left.