### Chapter 7: Could My Betrothal Be to Nie Xiaoqian? - Ah? The Wives I Abandoned Turned Out to Be Real

### Chapter 7: Could My Betrothal Be to Nie Xiaoqian? Nie Xiaoqian? Su Mo was momentarily taken aback. Isn't she the heroine from "A Chinese Ghost Story"? Not only does she not become a ghost, but she's now set to be betrothed to him. He wondered how the story would unfold next. If Nie Xiaoqian were to become his wife in this simulation, then what about Bai Suzhen? However, Su Mo considered, based on past experience, that no matter what happened, the bonded romantic role would develop feelings for him through various coincidences within the simulation. Surely, this time would be no different. He continued to watch the scene unfold. Now, the screen presented him with three choices. 【Faced with your parents' proposal, you choose?】 【Option 1: Choose Nie Xiaoqian, fulfilling your parents' wishes and letting them embrace a grandchild soon.】 【Option 2: Refuse your parents' request, claiming that you intend to dedicate your life to studying Buddhism, slaying demons, and vanquishing evil.】 【Option 3: Bring in Xiaoqing to meet your parents, declare her as your wife, marry her, and invite Fahai to officiate the wedding.】 … Seeing the options, Su Mo pondered seriously. The first option was the natural plot progression. He was curious to see what Nie Xiaoqian looked like—after all, she was always played by top beauties in various film adaptations. Having faith in "Romantic Life's" aesthetics, Su Mo anticipated her appearance eagerly. The second option seemed too dull. Immersing oneself in Buddhist studies and dedicating a life to slaying demons was not why he played "Romantic Life." Su Mo immediately dismissed it. The third option was purely courting disaster. Inviting Fahai to officiate a wedding with Xiaoqing was outright asking for trouble. Fahai was known to be intolerant of any impurity. Not only would he likely capture Xiaoqing, but Su Mo would probably lose his powers as well. In the end, Su Mo settled on the first option. … 【You agreed to marry Nie Xiaoqian, and because of this, the Su residence was festively decorated in preparation for your wedding.】 【News of this quickly reached Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing. Learning that you used Xiaoqing as a cultivation tool and took her essence, Bai Suzhen was infuriated.】 【The two plotted to abduct the bride as revenge on your wedding day.】 【Soon, a date was selected for the auspicious occasion, and the wedding preparations began.】 【On the day of the wedding, Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing disguised themselves as guests, lying in wait to abduct Nie Xiaoqian after the ceremony.】 【But a terrible piece of news came.】 【The bearers of the bridal sedan rushed over, reporting that while crossing a bridge, a gust of strange wind swept Nie Xiaoqian's carriage off into the dark river below.】 【They searched for a long time but couldn't find Nie Xiaoqian's body.】 【The river's waters were rapid and turbulent, likely carrying her far downstream in no time.】 【Everyone present was shocked.】 【No one expected such a catastrophe—truly a calamity from the heavens!】 【Your father, Su Donglai, dispatched many constables to search, and you joined the efforts, but ultimately found nothing. Nie Xiaoqian had vanished as if into thin air.】 … Seeing this, Su Mo felt a tinge of regret. What a pity. He hadn't even had the chance to see her before she was gone. Could it be that "Romantic Life" had a fate system like in "A Chinese Ghost Story," where Nie Xiaoqian's untimely demise was unavoidable? It's unfortunate. Su Mo shook his head. He reckoned that he might never see Nie Xiaoqian in future simulations since she wasn't a married woman. In adherence to "Romantic Life's" eccentricities, it probably wouldn't pair him with a non-married character. At this moment, "Romantic Life" continued to evolve, unfolding its narrative. … 【With Nie Xiaoqian gone, there was no groom; your parents had no choice but to seek another match for you.】 【However, a rumor soon began to spread.】 【It claimed that because of your past as a monk, your fate had turned ill against wives, leading to misfortune for any woman who married you.】 【The rumor's source was none other than Bai Suzhen and Xiaoqing.】 【Failing to abduct your bride, they chose to vex you in this way.】 【Due to the rumor, even with your father's prestigious position as an official in Jiang-Zhe, many good families were unwilling to marry their daughters to you.】 【Only some smaller households expressed willingness.】 【Seeing the situation, you told your parents that you currently had no desire to marry, perfectly happy on your own.】 【Your parents had no choice but to acquiesce.】 【Your father, Su Donglai, then suggested that you pursue government exams, three years for a child exam, three for a provincial examination, and three for the national exam.】 【Becoming a successful candidate would open a path to officialdom.】 【With his influence, achieving a magistrate position before fifty wasn't out of reach.】 【Now, you must choose?】 【Option 1: Agree to your father's proposal, dedicate yourself to the exams, and bring honor to your family.】 【Option 2: Refuse your father's proposal, expressing your lack of interest in officialdom and desire only for a carefree life.】 【Option 3: Refuse your father's proposal, while demonstrating your divine capabilities, informing them of your cultivation success.】 … Considering the sudden appearance of these options, Su Mo took a moment to think. This time, he decided to try something different. The latter two options were too formulaic, leading to a similar life path in Hangzhou of fighting injustice and vanquishing demons, with no change to his life's trajectory. The first option, however, offered unpredictability and potential new developments. … 【You accepted your father's proposal and began preparing for the civil exams.】 【Your choice delighted Su Donglai, who uncharacteristically drank heavily, waking up the next day well past dawn.】 【You set aside your study of Buddhism and martial arts, focusing instead on studying the classics in a lakeside residence arranged by Su Donglai.】 【With your sharp intellect and background in Buddhism, you easily absorbed the material, completing in days what took others months. After testing you himself, your father, Su Donglai, acknowledged that given enough time, becoming a scholar was only a matter of time.】 【On the fifth day of your focused studies, Wang Er found you, reporting that with Master Fahai's help, all his duck feathers had fallen off. However, Master Fahai said that the growth of these feathers was the work of demons. So after helping, Fahai also descended the mountain.】 【Aside from expressing his gratitude in person, Fahai sent a message through Wang Er.】 【Fame and wealth are illusions, like flowers in a mirror, ever-changing and fleeting.】 【They appear splendid and grand but vanish in an instant, never enduring.】 【Human life is rare, and hearing the Dharma is even rarer.】 【I urge you to pursue the path of cultivation early, as losing this human life will lead to endless suffering.】 (End of Chapter)