The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 31

When Pei Jian returned to his residence, the sun was setting; it was already the hour of You (5 to 7 PM).

Gu Ci, an uninvited guest, was sitting in his study, casually flipping through books on the desk.

“Why are you back so late?” Seeing him approach, Gu Ci spoke first. “Nian-er and I went boating on the Condensing Jade Lake, and we returned much earlier than you.”

Hearing Nian Xi’s name, Pei Jian glanced at him. “What’s the matter?”

His voice carried a hint of fatigue.

The candle holder sputtered, and a large bloom of wick-flower burst forth.

Gu Ci picked up the bronze scissors next to him to trim the wick, his eyes lowered. “A wick-flower bloom. It seems something good is about to happen. I’ve been busy with the Dragon Boat Race recently, so I haven’t come to see you in a while.”

Since the passing of the old Duke and Duchess of Zheng, Pei Jian had moved out of the Duke of Zheng’s Residence to live alone.

He was still young at the time. Gu Ci’s mother, Madam Wang, was worried and often sent Gu Ci to bring him things, covering all his necessities for food, clothing, and expenditure. After a long time, Gu Ci occasionally complained mournfully, “Actually, I’m adopted. Shizhang must be your biological son, right?”

This would provoke Madam Wang to chase after him and hit him.

Sometimes, when Gu Ci angered Madam Wang, he would also hide there to avoid the storm.

It could be said that Gu Ci was just as familiar with the place as he was.

Pei Jian suppressed his chaotic feelings. “I bought a residence.”

“Bought a residence?” Gu Ci was surprised. “Why are you buying a residence? For marriage?”

As if he had said something amusing, Gu Ci laughed first.

Pei Jian ignored his teasing, his expression still cold. “I happened to come across one. It’s not bad.”

In his previous life, when he married Nian Xi, they initially lived in a two-courtyard residence.

It was actually quite small.

He wasn’t short on money. His mother’s dowry was generous, plus his grandfather’s “compensation,” a large four- or five-courtyard mansion would not have been a problem.

However, land in the capital was extremely precious, and finding a mansion that suited his desires in every aspect required both timing and luck.

His second aunt, Lady Liao, had strongly urged him to move back to the Duke of Zheng’s Residence. “Your courtyard has been empty all this time. Repair and expand it early; it will be just right for your new wife.”

He naturally refused.

He later chose a four-courtyard mansion, the residence of an old minister who had retired and returned to his hometown. Except for its slightly secluded location, it was excellent in all other aspects.

But Nian Xi said she liked the smaller two-courtyard one because it was exquisite.

“This house is only for the two of us. Why does it need to be so big? It’ll be lonely.”

At that time, he had just entered officialdom, his career was smooth, and with a beauty in his arms, the sense of urgency lessened, and he was able to joke easily for once. “If you think it’s lonely, it’s simple enough, just have a few more sons, wouldn’t that do it?”

Nian Xi blushed and spat on him in mock anger.

Only later did he realize that the reason Nian Xi chose the smaller one was that it was closer to his government office, separated only by two alleys.

At the Yamen, Old Zhang in the kitchen made a kind of cloud-slice cake (Yun Pian Gao) that was exquisite. It was moist, delicate, sweet but not cloying, and Nian Xi loved it very much. Whenever the kitchen made some, he would bring it back to her while it was still warm to satisfy her craving.

In that small home, they had also shared sweetness and happiness.

Because it was small, the front yard and the inner court were only separated by a moon gate, very close. Often, when Nian Xi broke a vase inside the house, he could hear the sound from the study.

He would be buried in documents at his desk and sometimes hear Nian Xi dispatching household chores. They didn’t have many servants in total, yet she managed to arrange everything clearly, with everyone having well-defined tasks.

If he heard a gentle tune, his wife was certainly in a good mood, tending to flowers in the corridor. Those few pots of flowers were her treasures.

If he heard her raise her voice one day, it must be because she was scolding Snowball. Snowball was her pure black cat, who always liked to sneak around and ruin her plants when no one was looking.

Whenever he heard her threaten Snowball, “If there is a next time, I will sell you by your four paws. Did you hear me…”

He couldn’t help but be amused.

How could there be such a lovely girl, so gentle and patient even with an animal? Her angry words were the same every time, lacking any deterrent force.

No wonder Snowball wasn’t afraid of her…

But soon, they moved out of there and into a larger, better-located residence.

Because the residence was too large, more servants were needed. Even the flowers and plants were segregated into two dedicated flower rooms, tended by specialized servants.

There were more people, but the mansion felt emptier.

However, by that time, he had no leisure to attend to other matters. In the front courtyard, his study was filled day and night with people waiting to be summoned for discussion. Further out were his guards and servants dedicated to his service…

And Nian Xi was in the inner court, far, far away from him.

They lived in the same place but were separated as if by the Chu River and Han Canal, clearly demarcated.

After leaving the Qing Shui Pavilion, Pei Jian wandered aimlessly. The mistakes of his previous life had been avoided, leaving him with much more free time. It wasn’t until he unintentionally walked to Chunxiao Street, their former home, and saw the house was for sale, that he bought the residence without a second thought.

The past he thought he had discarded was all hidden deep in his memory. When he stepped into that house, the details, scattered in every corner, had never been forgotten.

In front of Gu Ci, Pei Jian placed the deed into the secret compartment in his study.

Gu Ci watched his movements. “Today’s Dragon Boat Race was very lively. Did you go?”

Pei Jian calmly closed the secret compartment, his gaze deep. “I did.”

Gu Ci’s smile stiffened, but he quickly masked it. “Worthy of being my good brother. Were you impressed by my gallant appearance on the dragon boat?”

Pei Jian lowered his head, tidying the books on the desk, his eyes not lifting. He answered obliquely, “You are on duty tomorrow. Go back and rest early.”

Gu Ci was silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

As he turned, his sleeve brushed the edge of the desk, knocking a few books onto the floor.

Both men bent down to pick them up simultaneously.

“Pa-da—”

A small wooden box slipped out of Pei Jian’s sleeve, landing squarely in front of the two men.

It was a delicate box, completely familiar to Gu Ci; it was a jewelry box from the Zhenbao Pavilion.

The smile on Gu Ci’s lips froze. The entire study fell into a deathly silence.

Staring at the small box, neither man moved.

“Ha—”

Gu Ci broke the deadlock first. He picked up the wooden box from the floor and opened it. Inside was a pair of tortoiseshell earrings.

“More earrings?” He held them in his hand, playing with them, his smile forced. “Why not try something else? Are you so fond of buying ear ornaments for young ladies?”

Pei Jian picked up the books from the floor and put them back in place. Only then did he turn and take the pair of earrings. The light in the study was dim, so Gu Ci couldn’t see the expression on his face.

He only heard Pei Jian say, “Yes, I am.”

The veins on Gu Ci’s hand, clasped behind his back, instantly bulged. His tone, however, remained calm. “Were the white jade earrings given away?”

Pei Jian’s thick, long eyelashes shielded his eyes; he did not look up. Unlike his usual cold demeanor, he now radiated a chilling aura, like the inaccessible ice and snow on a mountain peak.

“What do you think?”

Gu Ci lacked Pei Jian’s self-control and couldn’t easily pierce his pain point like Nian Xi could. He was a true young man who had not yet reached adulthood, possessing the natural passion and impulsiveness of his age.

At the same time, he also had a gentle, accepting heart.

“How would I know?”

Pei Jian finally looked up. His pitch-black eyes were filled with heavy emotions that Gu Ci could not understand. He stood for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “No, she didn’t want them.”