The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 20

Nian Xi walked back in a daze.

Xingyue said, “Miss has been gone too long. Madam has rushed us several times. Master and Young Master are both back, and dinner has been called in the main courtyard.”

It was customary for the Wen family to eat together. Only if someone felt unwell would they eat in their own room.

Nian Xi nodded blankly.

Just now under the tree, she had thought for a long time, finally clarifying all the inconsistencies—

Gu Ci and Pei Jian were clearly good friends, and Gu Ci’s character and appearance were peerless in the capital, yet in her past life, until her death, she had never seen or heard Gu Ci’s name.

And the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence.

Such a high and noble family, yet in all her years as the Prime Minister’s wife, she had never interacted with them.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t been suspicious. But concerning the matter of rebirth itself, she felt it was like a dream—Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly; who could distinguish the real from the false?

Or perhaps it was a memory lapse; in her past life, she had been entirely focused on Pei Jian alone, paying little attention to outside matters.

But what if she hadn’t remembered incorrectly?

Pei Jian was not a person who spoke recklessly.

Even she had to admit that he was remarkably steady and reliable in serious matters. Furthermore, regarding future events, there was no need for him to lie to someone as inconsequential as her.

That left only one possibility—Pei Jian had already experienced these events once.

He was also reborn.

That was why his tone was so certain.

Nian Xi’s breathing suddenly became rapid.

Gu Ci, still filled with youthful spirit, the bright and dazzling Gu Ci, was about to face a major life change, forced to bear the heavy family responsibility alone, travel far to the northern frontier, and never return in this lifetime?

Only a quarter of an hour ago, she had planned to distance herself from Gu Ci because of the engagement. Now, she knew the fate awaiting a man—one so heavy and difficult.

Her heart was filled with a bulging emotion. Nian Xi couldn’t distinguish if it was pity or guilt, sorrow or helplessness.

Pei Jian was right about one thing: if that day truly came, she could not abandon her parents and family. She could not travel far to the northern frontier for Gu Ci.

She was a selfish person. She weighed the pros and cons in love, used Gu Ci as an antidote to her emotional wounds, and indulged or even encouraged his affection for her.

She was also more clear-headed than anyone. She was using Gu Ci, yet was stingy with her true affection.

Nian Xi walked back to the main courtyard in silence, feeling confused.

The voices of her parents and brother intermittently reached her—

“Why isn’t she here yet? The food will get cold. That naughty girl, she runs off whenever serious talk comes up, making the whole family wait for her.”

“The weather is hot. The food is better warm. Don’t scold Ni’er when she arrives.”

“Yes, Mother, we’re not hungry anyway…”

Madam Li laughed exasperatedly at the protective father and son. “You spoil her every day. When she marries and enters her husband’s family, she will have a lot to suffer if she is still so ignorant of propriety.”

Wen Yuanqiao and Wen Qingheng couldn’t bear to hear of Nian Xi suffering and frowned, falling silent.

Wen Qingheng, sharp-eyed, spotted Nian Xi at the door and quickly waved. “Sister, hurry over. The kitchen made your favorite Eight-Treasure Duck today.”

Nian Xi walked in, and the family sat down to eat together.

The Wen family did not have the rule of silence during meals or sleep. Father Wen and Wen Qingheng discussed potential policy questions for tomorrow’s examination and current political affairs. Madam Li noticed Nian Xi’s distraction. “No appetite?”

She was eating as if counting grains of rice.

Hearing this, the father and son also stopped talking. “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Your complexion doesn’t look very good either.”

Being stared at by her family, Nian Xi collected herself and forced a smile. “I’m just a little tired. The stone steps in front of Sanqing Palace are very steep.”

As she was surrounded by her family’s warm concern, she involuntarily thought of Gu Ci’s family. Nian Xi had never met Gu Ci’s two elder brothers, but she often heard him speak of his childhood.

Gu Ci’s two brothers both went to the northern frontier for training after the age of fifteen. Gu Ci always spoke of them with immense respect.

Gu Ci said, “Outsiders only see the nobility of the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence, but this honor was bought with the blood and sacrifice of the Gu sons for generations, guarding the northern frontier. This heavy responsibility now rests on the shoulders of my two elder brothers.”

Madam Li found the father and son’s fussing tedious and told Nian Xi, “If you’re tired, don’t force yourself. Go back to your room and rest. I’ll have the kitchen send a bowl of bird’s nest congee to you later.”

“If you want to eat anything else, just tell your brother anytime,” Wen Qingheng added before Nian Xi left.

…

Nian Xi sat alone in front of her dressing table, lost in thought.

Since being reborn, she had developed a new habit of looking in the mirror.

It must be said that age was the most honest thing. Increased experience left its marks on the face.

The twenty-eight-year-old Wen Nian Xi, despite living a life of comfort, was often melancholy. Her figure was as thin as bamboo, her complexion as pale as white silk, and faint lines had already formed between her brows.

Unlike her fifteen-year-old self: energetic, her entire face flawless and beautiful like a peeled egg.

Youth was truly wonderful.

Nian Xi had always held a playful attitude toward being reborn—living one day was a gain, and perhaps the dream would shatter any day now.

Now her mindset had changed. Especially after seeing Pei Jian, she began to seriously plan her life.

Because her current life was real and grounded, a reality with parents, a brother, friends, and a lover.

Nian Xi had thought she was the only one with this chance of rebirth. Unexpectedly, Pei Jian was also reborn.

Had he also died unjustly?

Since being reborn, Nian Xi had been avoiding one question—

Who was the person who ultimately killed her in her past life?

She didn’t make enemies. In those last few years, she was even too lazy to go out socially.

Because at any occasion she attended, she was sure to run into Xu Wanxin.

It wasn’t the fault of the other woman that her husband had someone else in his heart. But Nian Xi always inadvertently saw or heard things about her husband from Cousin Xu.

For instance, Xu Wanxin loved lake-green best and would wear dresses of that color for many important occasions. Once, when the Marchioness of Yongyi asked her about it, Cousin Xu replied, “An old friend loved this color best. He said I look my most vibrant, like spring, when I wear it.”

The remark was already convoluted, but coupled with the look of tender emotion on Xu Wanxin’s face, it made the Marchioness of Yongyi extremely awkward. She forced a smile at Nian Xi behind her and dared not ask more questions.

Even the jade ornament on Pei Jian’s fan tassel, Nian Xi had once seen attached to Xu Wanxin’s skirt, set with pearls and agate, and worn at her waist as a decorative jade pendant.

After numerous instances, she realized Cousin Xu did it deliberately for her to see.

But every time, she still felt humiliated and distressed.

Her love, and her marriage to Pei Jian, felt like a complete joke.

Nian Xi stared at the beautiful, delicate girl in the mirror, and in a moment of distraction, wondered:

Would Pei Jian kill her for Cousin Xu?