The Powerful Minister I Forcefully Married Won't Warm Up; After Rebirth, I Give Up the Chase - Chapter 59

Pei Jian had not been sick for a long time.

His head was splitting, his body was burning hot, and he was dizzy and completely without strength.

It was said that he was often ill in his childhood, which was why his father taught him martial arts early on, intending for him to build a strong physique.

After his parents passed away, his health had always been excellent. Even Gu Ci occasionally suffered from headaches and colds, but he remained perfectly healthy.

He had seen how Lady Wang cared for Gu Ci, staying by his bedside day and night, wiping his body, feeding him medicine, meticulously attending to him without relying on others.

From then on, Pei Jian knew that he could not afford to get sick.

Perhaps in his young heart, he also longed for gentle maternal care. But once he grew older and more sensible, he became strong and resolute, refusing to allow himself to show vulnerability.

An invisible force within him urged him to grow, urging him to advance.

He dared not stop his steps, always moving forward tirelessly, because behind him, there was no gentle hand to offer him support and reliance.

In all these years, he only remembered being severely ill once.

At that time, he and Nianxi were already married. In his official duties, he was eager for quick success, adopting an aggressive style that offended people unknowingly. Coupled with his inexperience, he was framed in a scheme and nearly suffered eternal ruin.

Fortunately, he was usually cautious and, at the crucial moment, managed to turn the tables, thus averting disaster. That night, when he returned home, he immediately collapsed.

When he woke up, the first thing he saw was Nianxi’s busy figure. She must have just cried; her almond eyes were pink and slightly swollen. He held her hand and comforted her hoarsely: “I’m fine.”

Unexpectedly, as soon as he spoke, Nianxi’s tears fell even harder: “How are you fine? You fainted.”

“Were you trying to scare me to death? The physician said you were suffering from intense anxiety and stress, causing the evil wind to enter your body,” Nianxi sat by the bed, her eyes full of worry, and said earnestly: “Don’t work so hard in the future, okay?”

He didn’t agree. Instead, he forced himself to gather strength and smiled: “Don’t you want to be a titled lady anymore?”

The wives of officials from the first to fifth rank in this dynasty were granted titles.

Nianxi angrily shook his hand away, though she didn’t dare use too much force: “Who cares about some stupid titled lady? I just want you to be well.”

Pei Jian didn’t even have the strength to lift his hand. He closed his eyes: “I am well. I’m truly fine.”

Nianxi couldn’t bear to see him suffer. She stayed by his bedside, never leaving, watching him drink his medicine and eat, bustling back and forth. When she was tired, she would curl up beside him for a nap.

It was the first time Pei Jian had been taken care of so meticulously, and he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. It was as if he, too, had the right to be weak because a small Nianxi was gently supporting him by his side.

When he recovered some strength, he stroked her moist, pale face: “When we move to a bigger house, I’ll prepare a greenhouse for your flowers and plants on the veranda, so Snowball won’t be able to pinch your flowers anymore.”

She bit him in frustration: “Who wants a bigger house? I think this place is perfectly fine. You getting better is what matters most.”

“A cornered rabbit bites,” he pointed at her and laughed, “Our Nianxi is a cornered rabbit herself, yet she specifically likes to eat roasted rabbit.”

Pei Jian was dazed, drifting between sleep and wakefulness.

The sky brightened.

The surroundings were very quiet, as if he was the only one left in the whole world.

That despair—the feeling of being abandoned, standing alone between heaven and earth, a dispensable person with no attachments—surged like a tidal wave, instantly drowning him.

He had once possessed it, but the fact that everything could not go back was the pain he could not let go of deep down.

Pei Jian laboriously lifted his right hand. The wound Nianxi bit on the night of the Double Seventh Festival had long since healed and scabbed over. Previously, one could still see the new, tender flesh, but now nothing was left.

He lay straight on the bed, feeling utterly exhausted.

He was very tired, lacking any strength in his body, yet there was no longer a pair of soft hands to gently comfort him.

He finally understood Nianxi’s loneliness in her previous life.

The painful emotion and the reality of losing her tormented him constantly.

Pei Jian pressed the spot where she had bitten him to his lips, and his eyes suddenly burned with an aching sensation.

How did he and Nianxi end up on separate roads?

They were once so close.

So intimate.

Gu Ci stood on the veranda of the small flower hall.

When Nianxi saw him, her first glance went to his face. It was still that handsome and noble face, just as always. She felt a bit strange.

Did Pei Jian hold back?

He wasn’t that kind of person.

She guessed that Gu Ci was a military officer after all, while Pei Jian was merely a civil official. What advantage could he gain by fighting him?

While her mind was wandering, she heard Gu Ci ask: “What kind of outfit is this today?”

Nianxi looked down at herself: a familiar, slightly faded rose-colored patterned skirt, a simple bun, a bare face, without even lipstick.

Whenever she saw Gu Ci, she always made an effort to dress up.

It wasn’t just about a woman adorning herself for the one who pleases her.

Every day, Nianxi lived earnestly, dressing herself up beautifully and appropriately, and more importantly, to please herself.

“I rushed to see you,” Nianxi smiled brightly, pretending to know nothing about last night, “Why do you look so dissatisfied?”

Gu Ci laughed at her counter-attack and denied it: “How dare I?”

When they first met, Nianxi was always distant, veiled in mist. He couldn’t see through her and felt there was a distance like mountains and seas between them. Now, this was wonderful. She was sometimes quirky and playful, but she was a warmth he could hold.

“I’m just a little overwhelmed by the honor.”

Sometimes, when the two agreed to go out, Nianxi would inevitably take time to dress up, and Gu Ci would have to wait.

In the beginning, Lady Li would accompany him, chatting with Gu Ci in the small flower hall. Later, as Gu Ci visited more frequently and Nianxi’s delays increased linearly, Lady Li also grew tired of accompanying him.

In the entire Wen Residence, even the servants were accustomed to Young Master Gu waiting for the Young Miss in the flower hall. They would serve him tea, snacks, and fruits, and then attend to their own duties.

Recently, the servants had figured out Gu Ci’s preferences and knew he didn’t like pastry snacks, so they even skipped the snacks and only served good tea before leaving.

Gu Ci himself had become increasingly comfortable.

“It should always be like this in the future.”

Nianxi’s unadorned, lotus-like face made her skin look even more flawless, pure, and bright. Compared to when she was dressed up, she now had a more charming, guileless demeanor.

“I suspect you have an ulterior motive,” Nianxi glanced at him, then lowered her head and sighed softly, “How can I always make Young Master Gu wait for me? That is truly thoughtless of me.”

“No,” Gu Ci leaned closer, his phoenix eyes bright and earnest: “I mean you are beautiful. You are beautiful no matter what.”

Nianxi’s cheeks flushed instantly.

Gu Ci was truly incredible now. He used to blush just holding her hand, but now he could effortlessly spout romantic words.

“Be honest, did you secretly take lessons?”

“What?” Gu Ci didn’t understand.

“Smooth-talker, so good at charming girls.”

Gu Ci chuckled: “Then are you charmed?”

Nianxi nodded: “Not only am I charmed, but my heart is beating very fast.”

Gu Ci cherished Nianxi’s straightforwardness the most, falling for her irrevocably. He couldn’t help but soften his tone and said quietly: “When I am near you, my heart always beats anxiously.”

He was always willing to offer his true heart to her: “If you don’t believe me, listen.”

Gu Ci was speaking sincerely, but to Nianxi’s ears, it sounded like teasing.

Seeing that Gu Ci was about to take her hand and place it on his chest, Nianxi playfully punched him and rebuked: “Be respectful!”

She hadn’t used much force, but Gu Ci’s expression changed.

Nianxi was confused: “Are you hurt?”

“No,” Gu Ci refused to admit it.

Nianxi pointed her finger at the spot she had just punched and asked: “Here?”

Gu Ci turned half his body away, evading her: “I’m fine.”

“Are you hurt anywhere else? Let me see.”

Gu Ci could not refuse further and reluctantly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a patch of blue and purple bruising.

Nianxi asked: “How did this happen?”

Gu Ci was silent for a moment, then smiled: “I was sparring with a colleague yesterday. He didn’t know his own strength.”

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt.”

Pei Jian is truly sinister.

He only hits where people can’t see.