The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 3

By the Qushui riverside.

Wang Muyi  held Nianxi’s  hand, talking constantly.

“The other day when I came to see you at your manor, you always seemed listless and unwell. My mother was worried I might disrupt your recovery, but today you finally look much better.”

Nianxi smiled faintly. “Thank you, Aunt, and Cousin, for your concern.”

The “Aunt” Nianxi referred to was the Marchioness of Guangping. Both her aunt and her mother came from the Li Clan of Longxi. Back then, her aunt married the heir of the Marquis of Guangping, a match of equal status, but her mother fell in love at first sight with the elegant and handsome new Tinhua (third-rank scholar), Wen Yuanqiao, Nianxi’s father.

Her maternal grandfather, Elder Li, admired her father’s talent, and despite the Wen family’s humble background, he still allowed her mother to marry him.

Over the years, her father had been posted outside the capital until recently, when he was finally transferred back to the city, holding a minor, fourth-rank position at the Imperial College.

“Between sisters, don’t use such formal language.”

Wang Muyi had a bold and forthright temperament. Dressed in a bright crimson cloud-patterned brocade, with her hair styled in a high bun, she had the air of a female hero, yet she spoke of girlish things:

“I’ve made inquiries about all the young gentlemen here today; their family backgrounds and status are all quite good. If you see anyone you like, don’t be shy.”

She herself was already betrothed to the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang, a suitable match. Her outing to Qushui today was specifically for her cousin’s future.

Nianxi’s Uncle Wen was somewhat of a stiff-necked scholar. Wang Muyi saw her cousin, Nianxi, as pure as jade and beautifully moving, and worried she might be as proud and rigid as her uncle. That would be a waste of her mother’s painstaking effort.

However, Nianxi asked, “If a woman is too forward, will she be looked down upon?”

Wang Muyi was delighted and quickly replied, “Of course not! Do you see the young woman under that willow tree?

She is Xu Wanxin, the daughter of the Minister of War. She was once engaged to the eldest son of the Pei family (Pei Jian), and although the engagement was broken off later, her devotion to Pei Jian  is well-known throughout the capital. We all think she is very brave.”

This was the first time Nianxi had heard the story of Pei Jian and Cousin Xu from an outsider’s perspective.

In her previous life, she had gone to Chongming Tower, met Pei Jian through her brother, and was utterly delighted, believing their love was mutual.

No one had ever mentioned Xu Wanxin to her face.

It turned out that Cousin Mu, who in the previous life had changed her tune and criticized Xu Wanxin, had initially viewed her with such admiration and approval.

“But Xu Wanxin’s taste is poor.”

Wang Muyi shook her head as she spoke. “Pei Jian, apart from his looks, has a terrible personality. He never gives any of the young ladies a kind glance, acting as if everyone covets his beauty. I don’t know what everyone sees in him.”

Nianxi gave a faint smile, feeling a strange, awkward twist inside.

At the same time, she was curious: without her in this life, could Pei Jian and Cousin Xu eventually marry?

But she quickly adjusted her mindset; she shouldn’t be curious about anything concerning Pei Jian.

That man was no longer relevant to her.

She lifted her chin, pointing to a man on a tall horse on the nearby official road, and asked, “Who is that gentleman?”

How was it that she had never seen him before?

Wang Muyi followed Nianxi’s gaze, then burst into a smile. “You mean Gu Ci? The young general from the Duke of Zhenguo’s  manor. His father and brothers are all stationed at the border, and he alone remains in the capital to study.”

“Quite a few young ladies in the capital yearn for him, both awake and in their dreams.”

Gu Ci was dressed in strong riding attire, with a precious sword belted at his waist. The leather belt highlighted his lean waist, and his long legs pressed against the horse’s flank. His eyes, with a slight upward tilt at the outer corners, carried an innate nobility. He was surrounded by a group of people, chatting and laughing.

Silver saddle, white horse, full of spirit and youthful ambition.

He truly was outstanding.

Seeing the man opposite look back at her, Nianxi retracted her gaze and said calmly, “Is that so?”

Although she truly wanted to find a man and experience romance, she wasn’t genuinely fifteen.

As a twenty-eight-year-old noblewoman, if she had given birth early, her child might be playing among this very group.

Nianxi found it difficult to convince herself to interact with these young gentlemen without any sense of distance or discomfort.

However, where she hesitated, someone else could easily take the initiative for her.

The “Spring Outing at Qushui” was not much different from a regular banquet—it involved composing poetry, painting, catching butterflies, admiring flowers, flying kites, and boating to enjoy the scenery… The only difference was that on this day, the elders were generally more lenient, imposing fewer restrictions on the interaction between young gentlemen and ladies.

Through Cousin Mu’s introductions, Nianxi met many young ladies.

Most of these people would eventually marry into prominent families. Nianxi had interacted with them extensively in her previous life and knew their habits and preferences intimately, making conversation effortless.

This made the noblewomen present feel both a sense of familiarity and curiosity.

Where they had initially thought Nianxi’s family background was humble, they now simply found her amiable and charming.

“Her maternal grandfather is from the Li Clan of Longxi, a truly high-status family. How could a daughter from such a house be anything less than excellent?”

“With her gentle, Wu-style soft voice, we first thought she was overly delicate, but she is surprisingly generous and completely free of affectation.”

At this, someone remarked sourly, “As soon as she arrived, quite a few gentlemen started looking at her secretly.”

Upon hearing this, the other women fell silent.

This was simply because Nianxi was truly outstandingly beautiful.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes like the rippling water of autumn, her skin delicate as jade, and her bright eyes shone with radiance. Her every glance exuded a fresh, peerless grace.

Yet, a wisp of faint sorrow lingered between her brows.

It invited speculation and aroused pity.

When she first arrived, the entire Qushui area went silent for a moment.

One could only blame the goddess Nuwa for showing favoritism when crafting humans, reserving the essence of heaven and earth entirely for Nianxi.

At this point, another person teased, “I originally thought that only Sister Xu in the whole capital was peerlessly beautiful, but now that the Miss Wen  is here, it’s hard to distinguish the better one.”

Xu Wanxin, who was brewing tea, had her smile freeze for a moment. But she quickly covered it up, her hands continuing their work, and her voice soft. “I am of crude quality, I certainly cannot compare to Sister Wen.”

Nianxi was completely unaware of these words.

When chatting with the ladies just now, even though they would all become elegant and dignified noblewomen in the future, at this moment, they were still young and inexperienced. Even their verbal sparring was full of a young girl’s charm and innocence.

Like roses covered in dew, they possessed a vibrant allure.

Nianxi was inexplicably infected by the atmosphere, quickly blending in and transforming into a true fifteen-year-old girl.

The spring sun was bright, and the years were perfect.

She suddenly felt inspired and pulled Cousin Mu to fly a kite with her.

But the kite was too large. Even with the two maidservants, Xingyue  and Chuntao, the four of them struggled for quite a while but couldn’t get the kite to take off.

Nianxi didn’t feel discouraged; her bright face showed a relaxed, unrestrained ease. She took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat, and as she looked up, her eyes met a pair of deep, phoenix-shaped eyes.

It was the young gentleman, Gu Ci, who had been riding the tall horse earlier.

Nianxi did not flinch, giving him a gentle smile.

The youth was stunned for a moment, then took a step towards her.

“Do you need help?”

His voice was clear and bright. Against the light, the warm spring sun gently enveloped him, and his smile was particularly brilliant and dazzling.

A line of poetry inexplicably surfaced in Nianxi’s mind—

The handsome and unrestrained youth, bright as a jade tree standing before the wind.