Chapter 72: Sympathy Points

Chapter 72

Sympathy Points

The Hou had the carriage from Kang Wang’s palace take him back to the Nie family mansion once again. This time, the butler quickly sent a maid to inform Nie Shuang that the Hou had returned, but alone. Tie Tou, seeing that Kang Wang wasn’t accompanying him, grew fearful for the Young Furen. Earlier, the Hou had shown no sign of friendliness, and he heard that the Hou had already seen Young Master Bao Bao’s face, so he was afraid that the Hou had returned to reclaim his grandson.

Nie Shuang, however, wasn’t afraid. This was her mansion, and the protection agency was within the same compound. If anything were to happen, she held the upper hand. Confidently, she walked out to meet the elder, instructing the wet nurses firmly that the children were not to be brought out under any circumstances.

As she entered the hall and saw the Hou, she knew immediately this was Kang Wang’s doing. How could she not know what his intentions were?

He wanted to help her, to make the Hou accept her as his daughter-in-law. But that wasn’t what she wanted. If the Hou were to accept her, it should be because he recognized her value, not just because he wanted his grandchildren born from her and Song Qilin.

When she walked into the hall, she saw the elder sitting upright, his back straight, exuding an aura of authority befitting a former great General. Seeing her enter alone, the Hou’s face showed a hint of disappointment.

“The Hou, what urgent matter brings you back?”

Nie Shuang asked bluntly, without the slightest bit of formal courtesy. To the old man, her demeanor felt a little rude, but since he had come for the sake of his grandchildren and son, he swallowed his irritation.

“I’ve come to see my grandchildren,”

He also admitted to her frankly.

“The Hou, I have nothing to do with your family anymore. Since I left the Hou Manor, I’ve never intended to return. The title of Young Furen means nothing to me. Now your wish has come true. You’re free to have your son marry whomever you want,”

Nie Shuang cut him off coldly.

“How can that be? Bao Bao is my eldest grandson. In the future, he will be the heir to the Hou Manor. You cannot take away his rightful position,”

The Hou retorted. Nie Shuang smiled and replied,

“Then wait until he’s grown. I won’t hide from him who he is. If he desires the title of Hou Shizi, I won’t stop him. Isn’t that fair?”

The Hou couldn’t come up with a counterargument. Yet he still felt something was wrong with her reasoning. Bao Bao was a direct heir—how could he be allowed to grow up outside the Hou Manor?

“Nie Shuang, I won’t lie to you. It’s true that I once disdained a daughter-in-law from a merchant family and sought to drive you away. But now that you’ve given birth to the heir of the Hou Manor, the situation has changed. I want you to return and be the Young Furen once again. Let’s put the past behind us. It’s the best course for both sides.”

Nie Shuang laughed lightly and asked the Hou in a clear voice, showing no sign of anger at all.

“If I return to the Hou Manor, I will hold the status of a merchant, with a large business under my control. In the future, if people use my status to attack the reputation of the Hou Manor, would you be able to accept that? Would you not reconsider and arrange for the General to marry a new wife? That Young Miss Chen, I’m sure, is still waiting for him. I don’t want to bring my children back just to have them end up with a stepmother. By then, who can guarantee that my child will have the opportunity to grow up and claim the title of Shizi? I hope you understand.”

The Hou hadn’t expected that convincing his daughter-in-law would be this difficult. When she left before, a few words were all it took because she had wanted to leave. Now that she didn’t want to cooperate, persuading her seemed impossible.

“So, you intend to find them a new father?”

The Hou asked, his tone steady.

“And why not?”

Nie Shuang smiled, making the Hou uneasy. If his daughter-in-law and Kang Wang truly had mutual feelings, what could he do to stop it? In a flustered voice, he responded,

“No, no! You don’t understand how dangerous Xian Fei, Kang Wang’s mother, is. Even though you’re far away in Huangjing, she has countless ways to get rid of you. Oh, Nie Shuang, the path to becoming a Wang Fei isn’t as easy as you think. You’re already the Young Furen of the Hou Manor, why struggle further? In the future, all the wealth of the Hou Manor will be yours to manage. You wouldn’t need to exhaust yourself with business. Isn’t that a better deal?”

Nie Shuang smiled broadly.

“Who can guarantee the future? Here, I have everything I need. No one is above me, and beneath me, I have many servants. Whatever I want, I can get with ease. My wealth has grown so much that I couldn’t spend it all in a lifetime. As for Kang Wang, he’s a dear friend. Even if we see each other frequently, what’s the harm? I’m not aiming for the position of Wang Fei, and honestly, the title of Young Furen of the Hou Manor doesn’t tempt me in the slightest.”

“Right now, the Elder Furen is getting old. If you return, I would make you the mistress of the entire household. You could manage everything in the manor. If there’s anything else you desire, just name it,”

The Hou offered, now making his final concession, hoping at least to see his grandchildren. Nie Shuang, seeing the elder relent, couldn’t help but feel some sympathy.

“The Hou, it’s not that I’m trying to be difficult, but I’m not ready to return just yet. The General still has to go off to war, and no one knows what the future holds. Please, return for now. I promise I will never hide the truth of their father’s family from my children.”

Seeing that Nie Shuang was resolute, the Hou knew it was pointless to push further. He thought of his wife, Xu Shi—once she made up her mind, she was just as unyielding. Realizing there was no benefit in angering Nie Shuang now, he decided to step back. At the very least, he still hoped to see his grandchildren.

“Well, since you’ve put it that way, I won’t force you. But...since I’ve traveled all the way here, could I at least see my grandson? I’m not young anymore, and who knows if there will be a next time?”

Nie Shuang hesitated. But when she saw the proud and haughty Hou looking so sorrowful, she couldn’t help but feel some sympathy. Even if the Hou intended to take her children away from her, as long as Kang Wang still held control over Huangjing City, he wouldn’t be able to do so. So, she turned to Xiao San and said,

“Go tell Xiao Tong to bring the children out.”When the Hou heard the word children, he grew incredibly excited. This meant she had given birth to twins. He was dying to know if the other child was a boy or a girl. It was a pity that he hadn’t come prepared—otherwise, he would have brought proper gifts to welcome his grandchildren. The Hou started to realize that dealing with his daughter-in-law required a gentler touch. She was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, just like his own wife. With this in mind, he began planning how to gain sympathy points from her.