The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 27

The Dragon Boat Race for the Dragon Boat Festival quickly arrived.

Gu Ci did not ride a horse today, traveling in the carriage with Nian Xi. “What do you want to do after the Dragon Boat Race? Do you want to go rowing? The scenery at the Condensing Jade Lake below Tuo Mountain is excellent.”

Nian Xi had no objections.

She enjoyed being with Gu Ci because he would thoughtfully arrange everything beforehand, organizing it perfectly. All she had to do was follow along and be happy and relaxed.

Initially, she thought Gu Ci was simply meticulous. However, the more they spent time together, the more she realized that with every arrangement, Gu Ci would ask her, “Do you want to? Should we do this?”

He fully considered her feelings, always putting her first.

Nian Xi once asked him on the way home, “Won’t it be tiring for you to always accommodate me like this?”

After all, sightseeing and wandering the streets were not necessarily favored by men.

Gu Ci chuckled, turning his head to look at her. “Who says I’m accommodating you? I want you to accompany me.”

In the summer twilight, the sun gradually dipped in the west. The magnificent afterglow was blocked by the carriage curtains. His profile was handsome, half in light and half in shadow, blurring the boundaries of youth, and gradually taking on a mature and tender flavor.

“I booked a private box at the Qing Shui Pavilion by the river. Dragon Boat Races are rare in the capital, so there will certainly be many people by the river, and the sun is harsh right now. You can sit in the private box, eat snacks and drink tea. The window opens right onto the Luo River, the view is great, and you can see the entire race clearly…”

Nian Xi hadn’t expected him to be so thoughtful. She held Gu Ci’s hand and said softly, “That’s wonderful, like a dream.”

How had she watched the Dragon Boat Race in her previous life?

At that time, Pei Jian had to return to the Hanlin Academy to handle official business, leaving her behind.

The banks of the Luo River were crowded with people, everyone accompanied by a partner. Feeling deeply frustrated, she was ready to head back to the residence.

But she didn’t walk two steps before she turned back, navigating through the crowd with her two maids, Xing Yue and Lan Zhi, to find a suitable spot to watch the entire race.

The capital’s Dragon Boat Race was indeed inferior to Jinling’s. The water surface was not wide enough, the spectacle was not grand enough, and even the dragon boats were small, only able to seat twenty or thirty people!

At that time, her heart was entirely filled with Pei Jian. She could tolerate all his perfunctory actions and was willing to constantly compromise for his ambitions.

Because love was her sustenance.

It supported her as she continually tried to get closer to him, filling the emotional imbalance between them.

Later, the sustenance was slowly worn away, exhausted, and she became downcast and withered.

Gu Ci turned his hand and held hers, wrapping it in his palm. He chuckled softly, his smile bright and clean, like the clear sunlight in the sky.

“Talking nonsense.”

Nian Xi said nothing more, slowly resting her head on his shoulder.

Upon entering the private box at the Qing Shui Pavilion, Gu Ci, familiar with the place, ordered the signature pastry Guozi. After everything was arranged, he looked a little unnatural as he said to Nian Xi, “I’m going out for a bit.”

Nian Xi didn’t suspect anything and nodded in agreement.

She waited for a long time, having already finished a cup of tea, but Gu Ci was still nowhere to be seen.

Xing Yue quietly asked, “Did Young Master Gu leave because of some business?”

Nian Xi picked up a grape and ate it, not worried. “Perhaps something is keeping him busy.”

If something truly urgent had come up, Gu Ci would send someone to explain the situation, even if he couldn’t come himself. He would never leave her waiting.

After another half cup of tea’s worth of time, Xie Qiu, Gu Ci’s personal guard, came in to request that the two maids, Xing Yue and Lan Zhi, leave for a while. The two maids were confused. Nian Xi was also perplexed but could only instruct the two maids to go downstairs and take a break as per Gu Ci’s instructions.

Nian Xi was the only one left in the private box. The door creaked and was pushed open again.

Gu Ci’s hair was tied up high, and his face was smeared with colorful greasepaint. His clothes were also quite improper—

His upper body was almost bare, only covered by an outer robe that barely concealed him.

Nian Xi froze for a moment, staring intently at the exposed skin beneath his open robe.

Gu Ci was genuinely blushing now, his chest rising and falling unevenly. He covered his loose robe and spoke quickly, “This isn’t to be frivolous with you; all the helmsmen dress this way.”

“Didn’t you ask me a few days ago why I got darker? It’s because I was learning to steer and was sunburnt. You like the Dragon Boat Race, don’t you? So I specially learned to perform it for you. I certainly won’t be as good as the actual helmsmen, but I will try my best…”

Whenever Gu Ci was nervous, he would talk more than usual.

He was, after all, born into a noble family and was usually extremely meticulous about dignity and propriety. To expose himself like this made him feel extremely self-conscious.

“Does this… look very strange?”

Under Nian Xi’s gaze, his hand unconsciously gathered his robe around him, making him look even more awkward and embarrassed.

Nian Xi shook her head, focusing on his bright phoenix eyes, and asked softly, “Is there paint on your body too?”

“Some on my back.”

“Let me see.” Her voice grew even softer, like a gentle breeze scattering around Gu Ci, yet it made even Gu Ci’s neck turn red.

He walked closer, turned his back to her, and slowly removed his outer robe.

A painted fierce tiger covered most of his back. The tiger’s head was held high, roaring toward the sky. The thick greasepaint rested on his bulging, undulating muscles, revealing a terrifying sense of power.

Gu Ci’s skin was wheat-colored, and the lines of his back were smooth. The tiger’s tail ran down his narrow waist and disappeared into his trousers, conveying a wild ferocity and a sense of raw desire.

“It’s very beautiful, truly exquisite.”

With only the two of them in the room, Gu Ci gradually adapted and regained his ease.

Putting his outer robe back on, he turned around, his voice slightly husky. “Beautiful is a word used to describe women. Why do you use it for me?”

Nian Xi chuckled, her clear, liquid eyes gently overflowing. “I find it very beautiful.”

Gu Ci felt as though her gaze was like the spring rain falling on a lake, stirring up ripples that enveloped him.

The distance between them was very close.

So close that her sweet breath gently entered their shared space.

In the quiet room, all their senses were amplified.

Gu Ci reached out and wrapped his arm around Nian Xi’s waist. The distance closed again, their bodies nearly touching.

Nian Xi suddenly lifted her hand, placing it on his chest through the opening of his robe. The corner of her eye lifted slightly, revealing a hint of alluring charm. “Your heart is beating very fast.”

Gu Ci was completely shaken.

Tightening his arm, he lowered his head to look at her, his voice carrying a pleading sort of desire. “Nian-er, Nian-er…”

Nian Xi tilted her head back, slowly closing her eyes.

After a long time, there was a warm touch on her forehead, a brush that quickly retreated.

Nian Xi was momentarily stunned. She opened her eyes to look. At this moment, his body was radiating continuous heat. The vigorous, red-blooded man was like a surging, turbulent wave, with the power to devour everything. Yet, the moment he touched her, he suddenly calmed down, transforming into a deep, heavy tenderness.

This was the first time she had truly, clearly felt Gu Ci’s cherishing and profound love for her.

Rising on the tips of her toes, her kiss lightly landed on his jawline.

Gu Ci’s eyes shone startlingly. The instant her heels relaxed, he boldly tightened his grip around her waist, leaned in slightly, and captured her soft lips before they could fully withdraw.

In the beginning, it was a gentle tasting, a tentative back-and-forth. Slowly, his lips held hers, refusing to let go.

Nian Xi closed her eyes, sinking into the gentle yet fierce kiss.

Just before her consciousness dissolved, she thought, This is a grape-flavored kiss.

It was very sweet.