Chapter 101

Nianxi now thought of Pei Jian less and less. There was a long period when she was consumed by resentment. Even when she eventually let go, it was a compromise she made with herself out of helplessness. But after being reborn, she also began to reflect as she encountered more people and events. The failure of a marriage was never solely one person’s fault. Back then, she was passive and neglected to face everything. Even she didn’t love the person she was back then, so why would Pei Jian?

She and Pei Jian had been married for ten years. Those years didn’t simply vanish—they left a deep and lasting impact on both of them. It was a part of Nianxi’s growth and, equally, a part of Pei Jian’s.

Nianxi walked up to Pei Jian, her voice as soft and calm as ever, “Is there something you need from me?”

At that moment, the bustling, noisy street seemed to fall silent.

Pei Jian looked at her youthful face, attempting to compare it with the Nianxi in his memories.

Was she like this back then? Probably.

At that time, she had bright and passionate eyes that, when looking at him, seemed to see the whole world—always radiant, carefree, and unburdened. Now, though still stunningly beautiful, the brilliant and innocent joy in her eyes was nowhere to be found. In its place was a gentleness born of acceptance.

Pei Jian couldn’t say which version of her was better. He only felt a deep sense of melancholy, for on her face, he could see neither love nor hate. It was as if they no longer had any connection.

Nianxi waited patiently for him to speak.

Pei Jian had tossed and turned all night, unable to suppress his emotions. Yet now, standing in front of her, he sadly realized that aside from the past she did not want to remember, he couldn’t think of anything to say that might make her happy.

“I was reminded of the drinks you used to make,” he said softly, lowering his eyes, unable to meet her calm and composed gaze. “I don’t know why, but I found myself coming here.”

“You once wanted to open a shop selling fragrant drinks, but I… stopped you. I’m sorry.”

Nianxi was slightly startled, surprised that he still remembered that. She continued to smile and responded gently, “It’s okay.”

Pei Jian said with a strained voice, “Back then, if you had opened your shop, would life have been a little happier for you?”

“Perhaps,” Nianxi looked at him and replied, “But even if I had opened the shop, I wouldn’t have managed it well.”

Pei Jian raised his gaze to her. They both understood the deeper meaning behind her words—back then, she was living a life filled with unhappiness.

Almost instinctively, Pei Jian wanted to apologize again. He was a proud man, yet with Nianxi, he always felt a sense of guilt.

Nianxi, aware of what he was about to say, spoke first, “It’s all in the past, and I’ve let it go.”

There was even gentleness in her words as she continued, “You should let it go too.”

“In the last few years of our previous life, when I didn’t want to see anyone, you built a theater in residence and especially kept performers at home to put on plays for me. For that, you were even criticized by the censors. I know how, despite handling significant state affairs every day, you still managed to take care of the household. I knew it all.”

“So it really doesn’t matter. I’ve made plenty of mistakes too—it wasn’t just your fault.” Nianxi’s calm and serene gaze rested on him. “We will both become better versions of ourselves. Everything from the past is behind us.”

They did have good times together, and Nianxi hadn’t forgotten Pei Jian’s kindness to her. But when three people were in a relationship, it became too crowded. Regardless of whether Pei Jian was willing to let go, she would no longer give any response.

“Wait a moment. Once the drinks are ready, I’ll have a maid bring them to you.”

Pei Jian stood there in a daze. Nianxi had already left, but he felt like he had been frozen in place, unmoving, like a statue. His heart was adrift, filled with confusion and a sense of loss.

Until, by chance, his eyes met a pair of narrow phoenix-like eyes—Zhou Yanli.

Throughout his conversation with Nianxi, Zhou Yanli had been standing in the shadows, silently watching them.

Pei Jian’s intuition was confirmed—Zhou Yanli undoubtedly harbored ill intentions toward Nianxi. What should have been a disheartening revelation instead gave Pei Jian a newfound sense of confidence.

So what if they’ve known each other for a long time?

Nianxi had never mentioned Zhou Yanli in front of him, indicating that he was merely an insignificant figure—a defeated rival.

Whether in the political or romantic arena.

Just as Zhou Yanli could only secretly watch from the shadows, his scheming thoughts would never elicit a response.

Pei Jian suddenly regained his courage. At the very least, he had once legitimately and openly had her. Compared to those pests lurking in the dark, he was far more fortunate.

There was still a long road ahead. As for Zhou Yanli, whenever Pei Jian thought of how, for the past decade, there had been a wolf—no, a dog—eyeing Nianxi covetously, he became infuriated.

He hated himself for being so blind and oblivious, for not noticing Zhou Yanli’s intentions!

Thus, he returned Zhou Yanli’s gaze coldly.

The two men—or rather, the other, who still resembled a youth—stood at a distance, neither yielding, their brows and eyes locked in a silent clash, back and forth.

It wasn’t until Zhou Yanli withdrew his gaze and left that Pei Jian, carrying the food box handed to him by the maid, turned and departed.

…

Qin Lang hadn’t visited Pei Jian’s residence in a while.

Ever since Pei Jian and Gu Ci had a fight on Qixi Festival night, Qin Lang—who suffered injuries as a bystander—had spent many days recovering and decided he no longer wanted to get involved in their affairs.

He was so innocent!

But Gu Ci had left to the battlefield, with no certainty of his return, or even when he might return.

Feeling melancholic and reflecting on life’s unpredictability, Qin Lang unilaterally decided to forgive Pei Jian and generously came to find him for a drink, reminiscing about old times. Who would have thought that as soon as he arrived, he spotted a food box from Fusheng Banzhan?

This box was unlike any other, adorned with the unique emblem of a Xifu Begonia, one of a kind in the entire capital.

Qin Lang, of course, recognized it.

“You call yourself a human?! Gu Ci just left, and you can’t wait even a little!” Qin Lang raged indignantly, especially as he thought of Gu Ci fighting bravely on the front lines while Pei Jian was here blatantly trying to steal his place, making him stomp his feet in anger.

“Pei Shizhang, you have no heart!”

It couldn’t be denied—Gu Ci was a good man. As a friend, he was loyal, generous, cheerful, and magnanimous. Most importantly, his current misfortune made him deserving of pity.

Pei Jian didn’t even lift his gaze, not taking Qin Lang’s words to heart in the slightest. He responded coldly, “Are you done?”

“No, I’m going to scold you awake—cold-hearted, unfeeling, and completely devoid of brotherly loyalty!”

Pei Jian suddenly looked up, his calm and indifferent eyes falling on Qin Lang, who immediately fell silent.

Indeed, Pei Jian could be very annoying. However, compared to the initial distant and aloof demeanor that made him unapproachable and almost unreachably high, he now carried many traits that invited teasing. Even so, when he raised his gaze slightly, it still carried enough force to suppress Qin Lang.

Not entirely done speaking, Qin Lang quietly muttered, “You’re not being fair.”

Pei Jian toned down his aura and replied in a world-weary voice, “I never said I’d given up.”

“You’re acting strange.” Qin Lang suddenly leaned closer.

Pei Jian turned his face away in disdain.

“Gu Ci has already left. There’s no one competing with you now. You even brought back the food box—why aren’t you happy?”

His expression begged for trouble.

Pei Jian said nothing, his gaze deep and piercing, making Qin Lang uneasy, as though Pei Jian might silently shed tears under the moon in the next moment.

“Did your little sister reject you?” Qin Lang guessed. He casually sat down, called for the butler to bring wine cups, and served himself some dishes before continuing, “It wouldn’t be the first time she rejected you, would it? Was it painful? Come on, spill it out for me to hear.”

Pei Jian, still downcast, didn’t let that stop him from giving Qin Lang a condescending, noble, and lofty gaze.

“Where’s that swagger you had in front of Gu Ci back then? Always proclaiming you’d marry her. Where’s your confidence? Your self-assurance?”

This time, Pei Jian finally deigned to respond. He stiffly said, “She doesn’t like it.”

Qin Lang pursued the matter, “Doesn’t like what?”

Pei Jian poured himself a drink and fell silent once more.

Qin Lang could only make wild guesses, “Doesn’t like your overconfidence? Doesn’t like you visiting her often? Doesn’t like you?”

Pei Jian looked up at him briefly and then fell into complete silence.

Qin Lang coughed lightly. “Well, the reality is just that cruel.”

Feeling a pang of sympathy, he began to offer some advice, “Back when we were in the Imperial Academy, although you often wore a cold expression, you were skilled in academics and steady-minded. We all admired you privately. When you stood there, you made people feel dependable and trustworthy. Even after the imperial examination, I sought your advice about becoming an official.”

“But look at you now, Shizhang. Honestly, I barely recognize you. If she can’t give you the response you want, why make yourself live in such misery? Why not just let go? There are plenty of other fish in the sea~”

Let go of Nianxi? Absolutely impossible.

When it came to Nianxi, Pei Jian had thought of compensating her, felt heartache, and was full of regret—but never once had he considered giving up. He looked at Qin Lang with a serious and resolute gaze and said, “I could never give her up, even if she’s not by my side.”

Qin Lang, hearing this, secretly rolled his eyes. He thought to himself: You’re just blatantly trying to steal someone else’s girl, yet you’re making it sound so romantic.

Qin Lang couldn’t understand Pei Jian’s feelings for Nianxi. They had only met a few times, and to put it bluntly, it seemed more like infatuation based on her looks—how could it be so soul-stirring?

Still—

“Then why are you so downcast?”

Pei Jian pressed his thin lips together tightly, reluctant to expose his innermost thoughts, though his gloomy mood was proving hard to shake.

Upon seeing Zhou Yanli, after the initial confidence, he began to waver, overthink, and let his imagination run wild. Especially when he thought of Nianxi possibly standing alongside Zhou Yanli in the future, his heart throbbed painfully. Before being reborn, he had possessed too much, so fewer things in the world could truly satisfy him.

When it came to his career ambitions, he remained full of aspirations. But as for Nianxi, she was the one he couldn’t forget. She was his only longing and desire.

“If Nianxi were to marry someone else, I would… be very sad.”

Qin Lang, however, remained calm and nonchalant. “Aren’t you the master of stealing love? Just keep trying.”

When Gu Ci was still in the capital, some lowly scoundrels were always trying to court Nianxi, much to Gu Ci’s constant annoyance. But his sister wasn’t foolish—how could she not see through their true nature?

Wait!

If it were just those types of people, it wouldn’t have been enough to make Pei Jian feel so uneasy.

“Are you saying there’s another ‘dog’ around my sister?! Someone similar to you or Gu Ci?”

Pei Jian ignored the offense in Qin Lang’s words and nodded stiffly. Even he couldn’t deny Zhou Yanli’s excellence.

At this, Qin Lang became visibly unsettled. He stood up abruptly, saying, “No, I need to tell Jinghe! He’s the brother here, always so oblivious—it’s ridiculous!”

Nianxi finally understood what Lu Huai meant by the phrase, “Leave it to me.”

That afternoon, a group of young children suddenly flooded into Fusheng Banzhan. The oldest was no more than ten years old, while the youngest was around Lu Huai’s age. Under the leadership of Hero Lu, they boldly marched into the store in a grand procession.

With a wave of his small hand, Lu Huai declared, “Order whatever you like—drinks, snacks, anything at all. It’s all on me!”

The children enthusiastically responded, their clear voices filling the shop, creating a rare and lively atmosphere.

Before Nianxi could ask, Lu Huai had already strode confidently over to her. “Nianxi, isn’t your Seventh Brother loyal enough? I’ve already told them that from now on, all their food will be bought from your shop!”

Nianxi, torn between amusement and exasperation, pointed to the hall full of children and asked, “Are all these your friends?”

“Of course not! I’m very particular about choosing friends,” Lu Huai replied with an air of calm authority. “These are my classmates from my family’s private school. My family’s school is renowned throughout the capital—they have to give me this small courtesy.”

“Did you threaten them?”

“Someone as upright and righteous as I am? How could I do such things? They’re simply being sensible,” Lu Huai said self-assuredly.

Now, Nianxi could see it clearly—despite his young age, Lu Huai had a touch of mischief in his nature. She never imagined that a five-year-old could coerce his classmates into propping up her business and even call it “being sensible.”

But she deeply appreciated his kind intentions.

“Thank you, but it’s really unnecessary,” Nianxi replied.

Nianxi’s gaze was clear and serious as she looked at Lu Xiaoqi, this child who was almost unnaturally clever. She tried to speak in a tone fit for talking to an adult. “If you keep pressuring them like this, what if someone tells their parents? If word spreads, what will happen to Fusheng Banzhan’s reputation? Will it become known as a place that cheats children out of their money?”

“Besides, my cousin and I opened this shop specifically for women. If I ever open a store for children, how about you bring your classmates to support it then?”

In his life, Hero Lu had always responded better to gentleness than to force. Especially when Nianxi spoke softly, reasoning clearly, and treated him as someone not to be brushed off like a clueless child—it only made him more convinced.

“I didn’t pressure them! They came willingly!” he muttered in a small voice to defend himself. “So, should I just tell them to leave now?”

“That’s not necessary.” Nianxi smiled gently. Looking at the hall full of children, she found it rather amusing. “With Seventh Brother being so generous, today’s bill will be on me.”

Naturally, Lu Huai wouldn’t agree to that.

After a back-and-forth of polite refusals and counter-offers, Lu Huai had no choice but to reluctantly compromise in the end.

Nianxi thought the matter was settled. Who could’ve guessed that the next day, one of Lu Huai’s servants would come to the shop, throw down an expensive banknote, and run off: “This is Master Lu’s prepaid deposit!”

Prepaying with banknotes was a common practice, especially in the major restaurants and shops in the capital. However, it was highly unusual for such a deposit to come from a five-year-old child. Even more unusual was the sheer value written on the note.

The shopkeeper and maidservants exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what to do, and had no choice but to report the matter to her.

Nianxi held the banknote, feeling both amused and exasperated. From the sheer amount of money alone, she could deeply feel Hero Lu’s kind intentions. What an incredibly generous gesture!

With such a large amount, it would easily suffice for him to dine from the age of five to seventy-five.

After waiting a few days without seeing Lu Huai visit the shop, Nianxi had no choice but to personally go to Duke Fu’s Residence to return the banknote to him.