The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 13

As Pei Jian spoke, he happened to walk right in front of Nian Xi.

Gu Ci was standing behind Nian Xi.

The three formed a line, with Nian Xi positioned exactly between the two men.

Nian Xi felt so awkward her toes were practically curling in embarrassment.

She knew this was psychological; Pei Jian didn’t recognize her, and this was his first time meeting her. His offer to escort her was simply a way to defuse the rigid atmosphere that had just settled.

Yet, standing there together felt incredibly strained to her.

Fortunately, Nian Xi had an excellent disposition; the bigger the scene, the calmer she became. She turned her head as naturally as possible, her gaze quickly passing over Pei Jian without lingering, and then looked at Gu Ci.

The moment Gu Ci’s eyes met Nian Xi’s, he couldn’t help but smile. He stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her, their proximity close, and introduced, “This is the brother I mentioned to you, Pei Jian.”

“Shizhang, this is my… distant cousin.”

Wen Qingheng, sitting on the stone stool, let out a cold snort.

Gu Ci quickly added, “She is also Jinghe’s sister, his biological sister.”

Nian Xi looked over at Pei Jian a third time.

With the experience of the previous two times, she perfectly executed the role of a stranger, greeting him with a nod and a smile.

“I have attendants with me; there’s no need for an escort,” she said, turning her head to Gu Ci. “I can hardly get lost in your own home, can I?”

This was a subtle refusal of Pei Jian’s earlier suggestion.

“Alright, then I will come find you later.” Facing Nian Xi, Gu Ci’s voice softened considerably. “I still have a gift for you.”

Gu Ci then asked Pei Jian, “Where is the item?”

Pei Jian subconsciously looked at Nian Xi.

He didn’t know what he was trying to figure out or find in her.

In the past, Nian Xi’s eyes were filled with only him.

Now, she was looking at another man, smiling with her full attention.

“It’s right here!”

Qin Lang, who was a few steps behind, pointed at the dressing box and loudly announced.

Seeing that Pei Jian was showing that look again, Qin Lang felt a sudden wave of panic, afraid Gu Ci would notice something. He took two steps forward, clapped a hand on Pei Jian’s shoulder, and pulled him toward Wen Qingheng.

“What is wrong with you?” he whispered to Pei Jian behind his back.

Clearly, Qin Lang had worried for nothing; even if he had shouted, no one would have paid attention.

Because Wen Qingheng had gone off again.

“My sister’s jewelry is not yours to gift!”

When a man loses his temper, even the gentlest personality can become harsh.

Gu Ci was now also visibly annoyed, but his excellent upbringing kept him restrained, especially since Nian Xi was present.

“I have no other intention; I simply want to give Ni’er a gift.”

“I told you, is ‘Ni’er’ what you call her?!”

Qin Lang observed the situation for a while, seeing that Gu Ci and Wen Qingheng would be entangled for some time, and felt relieved. He turned back to Pei Jian, his eyes full of suspicion:

“Are you possessed?”

Pei Jian said nothing.

He stood on the outer edge of the flower hall, the sunlight hitting his deep brow bone, leaving his face half-lit and half-shadowed, making his features look even more pronounced and profound.

In the previous life, Nian Xi didn’t even know who Gu Ci was—they were complete strangers with no shared history. How did they suddenly become acquainted?

Pei Jian felt a burst of confusion, and couldn’t help but look up at Nian Xi.

Qin Lang was going crazy.

The two over there hadn’t sorted out their mess, and now Pei Jian was also seriously ill.

Just how much magic did Wen Qingheng’s sister possess?

Gu Ci was already head-over-heels; if Pei Jian were added to the mix…

Qin Lang couldn’t bear to think further. He flashed a move to block Pei Jian’s view. “No matter how much you look, it’s too late. When you were showing off your skill at Chongming Tower, Gu Ci met the sister at Qushui.”

“Fate is just like that; a miss is a miss.” Qin Lang spoke with earnest sincerity. “As the saying goes, a friend’s wife cannot be seduced, even if she’s just a sister now.”

“Reign in your gaze!”

Since seeing Nian Xi, Pei Jian had struggled to think calmly. After listening to Qin Lang’s words, he gradually cooled down—

On the Shangsi Festival that day, Nian Xi had not gone to Chongming Tower, but had instead gone to Qushui, which is how she came to know Gu Ci.

That was supposed to be their meeting.

He still remembered that evening when Gu Ci returned, excitedly telling him that he had met a very special young woman.

Yet, he hadn’t asked one more question: “Who is that girl?”

Pei Jian shut his eyes in frustration.

The farce on the other side had ended. For whatever Nian Xi said, Wen Qingheng finally quieted down.

Nian Xi was like that; if she cared for someone, it was with her whole heart.

In the past, when Wen Qingheng learned that he and Nian Xi were in love, he also tried every means to stop them. Nian Xi would side with him, but she would also take care of Wen Qingheng’s feelings.

She never caused him distress.

Pei Jian, who was normally indifferent to social niceties, had been thoughtfully cared for by Nian Xi in every way.

Now, Nian Xi was doing the same for another man.

Watching Gu Ci’s look of overwhelming delight, Pei Jian felt nothing but torment.

He was not a young man who had yet to be crowned; he was already past his prime. Yet this scene still filled him with a sense of defeat and raging jealousy.

Pei Jian had thought he was the one who had let Nian Xi go.

Only now did he realize that as early as their first missed encounter, destiny had already veered off course.

Nian Xi had met another possibility, departing from him first.

Pei Jian could not stay another moment. He said to the still muttering Qin Lang, “I have matters to attend to; I’ll take my leave first.”

With that, he walked away from the other side of the flower hall, without looking at Nian Xi again.

…

Nian Xi saw Pei Jian leave out of the corner of her eye.

She felt frighteningly calm, yet another wave of weariness swept over her.

She could, of course, feel the gaze Pei Jian cast upon her. Each time, she forced herself to act perfectly normal—not avoiding, not flinching—just concentrating on playing her role without revealing any flaw.

But she had ignored other signs of abnormality.

For example, Pei Jian’s prolonged staring outside the flower hall; even someone as crude as Qin Lang could tell something was off. Only Nian Xi, because of her secret inner turmoil, had failed to notice his loss of composure.

Of the five people present, everyone was caught in the web, except for Qin Lang, who only got a glimpse of the truth.

However, the truth was too absurd for Qin Lang to ever guess the reason for Pei Jian’s strange behavior.

He simply thought that Miss Wen’s looks were so striking that even Pei Jian, this iron tree that never blossomed, had finally started to flower.

Tsk.

The friendship between men—could it really stand the test?

Qin Lang certainly didn’t agree with the saying, “Brothers are like hands and feet; women are like clothes.”

Just looking at the way Pei Jian had looked at Miss Wen—

It was the look of a man who desperately wanted to steal her away on the spot.

Hands and feet are, at best, a centipede’s appendages, but clothes are close to the heart and soul.

Qin Lang shook his head inwardly. If it really came to that day, it would be—

Too thrilling.

Gu Ci finally got rid of Wen Qingheng, but when he looked back, he didn’t see Pei Jian.

He asked Qin Lang, “Where is he?”

Qin Lang replied, “He said he had something to do and left first.”

Gu Ci didn’t suspect anything.

Pei Jian had been unusually busy lately. It would be fine if he were preparing for the Imperial Examination, but he wasn’t seen burying himself in books. When asked, he just said he had an important, pressing matter.

Gu Ci didn’t inquire further. He turned to Nian Xi and said, “I’ll see you off to the Moon Gate, then I have to go to the front courtyard.”

In the end, Nian Xi did not accept Gu Ci’s dressing box.

It wasn’t just Wen Qingheng’s opposition; the gift was simply too valuable.

The dressing box alone had six layers.

It was filled with all sorts of dazzling jewelry.

Just because she liked it, Gu Ci seemed intent on gathering all the ornaments in the world for her. This sincere and extravagant gesture made Nian Xi both amused and touched.

She had never experienced such wholehearted, unreserved love from Pei Jian.

It made her want to treat Gu Ci better, even better.

So, right in front of her own brother, she asked Gu Ci, “The Palace Exam is fast approaching. I need to go to Taiqing Palace to offer incense for my brother’s success. Are you free to join me?”

Wen Qingheng: …