The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 34

The shadow puppet show was very exciting, and bursts of cheers erupted from the audience from time to time.

But Gu Ci just couldn’t concentrate.

When faced with the woman he loved, what man could remain completely undisturbed, his heart as calm as still water?

He would occasionally lift Nian Xi’s hand to hold and play with it, or peel pine nuts to feed directly to her lips. He constantly checked if her teacup needed refilling, and fearing she might be hot, he gently fanned her.

Nian Xi turned her head helplessly. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Gu Ci refused to admit it. “What are you saying? I don’t understand.”

Nian Xi glanced around. Their private box was in the most secluded, westernmost part of the second floor. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the stage below, and the surroundings were dim. No one would notice them.

So, she unceremoniously pinched Gu Ci’s mouth. “You are deliberately distracting me.”

Gu Ci had an elegant and handsome appearance, but with Nian Xi pulling his mouth, he looked both comical and attractive.

He wasn’t annoyed in the least, his eyes full of gentle indulgence, just staring at Nian Xi with a smile that never faded.

It used to be that he would blush when Nian Xi teased him, but now the tables had turned. Nian Xi often felt a surge of unexpected shyness.

Just like now, Nian Xi felt embarrassed by his gaze. Just as she was about to let go of his mouth, he quickly grabbed her hand and lowered his head to kiss it.

“You’re the one who can’t sit still, sitting there making it impossible for me to concentrate.”

Xing Yue and Xie Qiu had already smiled, lowered their heads, and slipped out of the box the moment Nian Xi pinched Gu Ci’s mouth.

Gu Ci loved being close to Nian Xi. He loved the sweet scent of her body, the captivating sparkle in her moving eyes, and physical intimacy with her.

Even the most ordinary task became a wonderful and joyful experience as long as he did it with her.

He had never seriously loved a girl this way, loved her so much that whenever he thought of her, his heart was filled with an overflowing smile.

Gu Ci wanted Nian Xi’s company every moment of every day, but he dared not show it too obviously.

He was afraid of burdening her too much.

When one truly loves someone, one often becomes inexplicably strange, constantly worried about gains and losses.

Nian Xi’s heart fluttered under Gu Ci’s gaze.

She couldn’t describe what kind of look it was, only that it was bright like shattered gold, enveloping all his love and tenderness.

On a sudden impulse, she lightly kissed those eyes.

And then pulled away.

However, the next moment, she was pulled by her waist, sitting in Gu Ci’s lap, enduring his surging, passionate kiss…

In the unnoticed corner, they embraced and passionately kissed.

When it ended, Nian Xi felt her tongue was numb, and it hurt a little when she drank tea.

She was truly going mad.

They were so reckless.

The private boxes in the Wasi were not like those in restaurants; the side facing the stage was completely open. If anyone leaned forward, they could see what bad deeds they had committed.

Nian Xi’s heart was racing.

Having been the proper Madam Pei for so long in her past life, she found that she really loved this feeling of unrestrained indulgence.

It was exciting and joyous.

Being loved wholeheartedly.

As the audience erupted in applause, the shadow puppet show ended. When the lights came on, Gu Ci whispered gently in her ear, “Nian-er, I love you very much.”

The Wasi at Zhong’an Bridge was the liveliest and most prosperous place in the entire capital, with pleasure quarters, theaters, restaurants, and inns—charming yet respectable.

Coming out of the theater, Nian Xi leaned against the carriage window, gazing out at a sea of brilliant lights stretching into the depths of the bustling district.

Xie Qiu drove the carriage, which moved slowly forward.

Passing a pleasure house, Nian Xi saw flamboyantly dressed courtesans (fen tou xiao jies) beckoning at the entrance or walking arm-in-arm with familiar male guests into the hall. If she looked closely, the male guests’ hands were even placed on the ladies’ hips…

Gu Ci had been looking out with Nian Xi. Seeing this, he quietly lowered the bamboo blind. “It’s a foul place. Don’t let it stain your eyes.”

Although Nian Xi was a little embarrassed, she was still quite interested. She had even caught sight of two men embracing one another, but before she could see clearly, Gu Ci interrupted her.

Nian Xi asked, “Do people from your Five City Patrol and Gendarmerie frequent pleasure houses?”

The Five City Patrol and Gendarmerie were responsible for public order in the capital. As the Deputy Commander of the Northern City, Gu Ci should have visited such places quite often.

Gu Ci, however, was earnest and looked incorruptible. “I never enter pleasure houses.”

This was rare indeed.

The pleasure houses were interconnected, one after another. As the carriage rumbled by, they could occasionally hear the sound of suggestive recklessness from beyond the curtain.

Gu Ci didn’t want Nian Xi to hear this, so he started talking about himself. “You know my family situation. My father and two elder brothers are far away in the Northern Frontier, and it’s rare to see them, let alone receive guidance. My mother was just afraid I would be led astray. From a young age, she constantly reminded me not to enter such places.”

Seeing that Nian Xi was indeed curious and no longer looking out the window, he continued:

“Even Shizhang was educated by my mother to adhere to the bottom line and not associate with those women of pleasure. My mother often says that a woman works hard, caring for in-laws and raising children at home. If a man cannot be considerate and instead is fickle, pursuing fleeting relationships, then he is heartless.”

Nian Xi’s heart was moved.

In her previous life, she had never borne a child. Countless people tried to curry favor with Pei Jian by secretly and openly offering him women, yet he acted like a saint, remaining uncorrupted.

Nian Xi had always assumed it was because of Xu Wanxin that Pei Jian was keeping himself reserved for her. She had not expected that Gu Ci’s mother, Madam Wang, was also a factor in his upbringing.

Madam Wang truly was a woman of great integrity.

She understood the difficulties women faced and taught her son to be kind to his wife, unlike Cousin Mu’s mother-in-law, who only thought of wearing down the new daughter-in-law, who was also a woman.

Such a good Madam Wang, yet she did not meet with a good end.

“I heard from my brother that the court is currently conscripting soldiers and gathering provisions in preparation for an attack on Northern Liang in the winter. Is the commander-in-chief the Duke?”

“My father is the commander.”

Nian Xi carefully chose her words. “I heard that Northern Liang has suffered years of disaster, and the people are starving everywhere. Then, this battle is bound to be a great victory for us, right?”

Gu Ci asked, “Why are you suddenly interested in this?”

Nian Xi smiled, pointing to the bustling lights outside the curtain. “I just feel that the peace and prosperity of Great Jing are all bought by the Duke of Town and the two Generals, and tens of thousands of soldiers.”

Gu Ci stroked her head. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. My family has been stationed in the Northern Frontier for generations. No one understands the enemy better than my father. This campaign will surely be thoroughly prepared for a decisive strike against the enemy.”

Hearing this, Nian Xi felt a chill run through her heart.

She finally understood what Pei Jian had meant by “difficulty” that day.

It was like a predetermined destiny, watching helplessly as it moved toward a fatal turning point, a sense of powerlessness where no matter how much one struggled, escape was impossible.

“Are you sleepy?”

Seeing her silent, Gu Ci said gently, “The carriage still has a way to go. If you’re tired, lean on me and sleep for a while. I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

With that, he pulled Nian Xi into his arms, ensuring she was comfortable.

Nian Xi’s heart was in turmoil. Leaning against Gu Ci’s embrace, she felt a sense of confusion and helplessness about her rebirth for the first time.