Chapter 110

Pei Jian, tall in stature, stood firmly in front of Father Wen, effectively shielding him. The rogue’s rod wouldn’t have hit him anyway.

Nevertheless, he took the hit, then reversed to seize the rod and kicked the man to the ground.

Surrounded by onlookers, the man lost face, sobered up significantly, and, supported by his servant, got up from the ground and arrogantly said, “How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am?”

Wen Qingheng and his sister pushed through the crowd and hurried to Wen Yuanqiao’s side.

“Father, are you all right?”

Wen Yuanqiao was still somewhat dazed. Moments ago, he had attended a gathering and left satisfied, walking alongside Pei Jian.

Although Pei Jian was young, he had considerable knowledge and experience. When discussing poetry and painting with other scholars, he spoke eloquently, bringing great pride to Wen Yuanqiao.

It was Winter Solstice, and preparations had been made at home early that morning. Wen Yuanqiao originally intended to invite Pei Jian to visit their residence. However, he did not notice as they exited that they collided head-on with an aristocratic wastrel. This should not have been a significant issue, as both parties were at fault. However, this young man refused to relent, insisting that Wen Yuanqiao apologize, and his attitude was harsh, his words crass and unbearable.

Wen Yuanqiao, who had always valued his reputation, could not engage in a scuffle with a scoundrel; it would be an affront to his dignity. Yet, in this world, avoiding trouble does not guarantee one can evade it.

Especially when dealing with scoundrels— the more one retreats, the more they push their limits. Thus, the scene observed by Nianxi and her companions unfolded.

Nianxi actually had a backup plan. She had hired some local ruffians in the eastern market in case a conflict arose, ready to send them to gang up on the troublemaker. Seeing how arrogant the man was, she was about to give a signal to her people in the crowd.

Today, the intention was to leave this scoundrel incapacitated, unable to crawl away.

Pei Jian seemed to have anticipated it. He turned around and glanced at her, gave her a barely noticeable shake of the head, and then threw the long rod in his hand aside, his voice cold and sharp: “Who you are doesn’t matter. The Minister of Revenue, Zhang Hongzhe, has failed in teaching his son, indulging him in committing acts of violence in public and assaulting a court official. Your identity will naturally be reported to the authorities.” As he spoke, he even carried a smile, though it was faint. His dark, pitch-like eyes seemed to harbor a deep, ancient beast, and when he stared at someone, it sent a cold chill down their spine.

Even seasoned senior officials couldn’t help but feel their knees go weak and their hearts tremble under such a gaze, let alone a mere pampered young noble.

As expected, this rogue was so frightened that his arrogance completely dissipated. He mumbled a few words, broke through the crowd, and stumbled away.

And just like that, a disaster was resolved invisibly.

In a previous life, it was for the same reason that Wen Yuanqiao clashed with this pampered rogue. However, while avoiding the long rod, Wen Yuanqiao had fallen heavily, resulting in a dislocated bone that took over half a year to recover.

But even that wasn’t the worst.

Father Wen, who held the integrity of scholars above all else, was deeply distressed by being bullied by a rogue, which caused him visible depression and worry.

The entire family was caught up in concern.

And the one who started it all? He was merely escorted to their house to apologize and continued his carefree lifestyle afterward.

Nianxi originally wanted to file a complaint, but since Father Wen’s fall was his own doing, they merely had a verbal altercation, making it difficult to impose severe punishment. In the end, it could only be left unresolved.

Later, justice finally prevailed. The rogue, competing with someone over a romantic rival, was pushed off the second floor of a brothel and was bedridden for the rest of his life.

Today, Nianxi came with thoughts of revenge, putting in great effort to gather a group of idlers, all to avenge her father.

“Shizhang, are you alright? Do you want to go to the clinic?” Wen Qingheng asked.

Pei Jian glanced in Nianxi’s direction, then lowered his head to move his right arm. His tone was calm, “The winter clothing is thick; it’s no big deal.”

After hearing this, Father Wen, who was talking to Nianxi, also said, “Yes, Shizhang, we really must thank you for what you did earlier.”

Seeing Pei Jian moving his right arm, Father Wen became concerned, “It’s the right arm that’s hurt? That’s not good. It’s better to go to the clinic to have it checked for peace of mind.”

Pei Jian insisted that it was fine and still did not agree. As they spoke, he couldn’t help but glance again at Nianxi. During this time, he had deeply experienced what it meant to live in constant worry, tossing and turning restlessly.

With Zhou Yanli, a cunning and watchful wolf-like figure, lurking nearby, eyeing everything closely, Pei Jian was deeply afraid that Nianxi might be swayed. Even the slightest bit of affection—he didn’t dare imagine it and could hardly accept the thought.

Yet, he also didn’t dare to appear before her too frequently, fearing that she would grow annoyed. He could only wander in and out of the Wen family’s front courtyard during idle moments, hoping to run into her. He simply couldn’t bear the thought that his future life would have no intersections with hers, leaving them as strangers.

However, this time, Pei Jian didn’t want her to misunderstand his intentions as insincere.

Even though many times his motives were indeed not entirely pure—including approaching and pleasing Father Wen—his appearance today wasn’t solely for Nianxi.

In their past life, they had been married for ten years. For ten years, he had called Father Wen his father-in-law. With his own parents having passed away early, he deeply felt the saying, “A child who wishes to care for their parents finds they are no longer there.” In his heart, he regarded Father and Mother Wen as his own parents, treating them with filial piety.

Now, having been reborn, even though they were no longer in-laws, he would still do his best to help and prevent calamities. This was his genuine sincerity.

“If you’re not feeling well, it’s better to visit the clinic,” he said.

Nianxi accepted this kindness in her heart. No matter what Pei Jian’s intentions were, at the very least, her father was spared from suffering.

That was the most important truth.

“My right arm does feel a bit sore,” Pei Jian finally waited for Nianxi to speak and immediately responded, “It might indeed be better to have it checked.”

Nianxi nodded and turned to Wen Qingheng, “Elder Brother, please accompany Lord.. Pei to the clinic. I’ll head home with Father first.”

Pei Jian and Wen Qingheng were both stunned for a moment. “I’m going?”

“There’s no need.” Both spoke at the same time, exchanged glances, and then looked away in mutual disdain.

Nianxi, who had been feeling somewhat gloomy about her father’s situation, couldn’t help but laugh at their awkward expressions. Her eyes curved into crescents, and a faint, rippling smile appeared at the corners of her lips, like the gentle waves stirred by falling petals in March.

Pei Jian found himself momentarily entranced. It had been such a long, long time since he had seen her smile at him like this.

Girls from the inner chambers were pure and straightforward in their affections and aversions. Nianxi was precisely such an adorable soul!

His heart suddenly pounded like a drum. It was as though some stirring emotion had reawakened his soul, which had long matured and, along with his youthful body, reignited his blood with fervor.

In those days, she often smiled at him like this, sweetly calling him “husband.”

“Husband, the magnolias under the veranda are blooming. I want to use them to make flower tea.”

“Husband, the weather is so nice today. Shall we move the dining table to the courtyard?”

“Husband, you’re not allowed to drink too much wine. Otherwise, you can’t come into the inner chamber tonight. Go sleep in the study!”

Pei Jian gazed almost greedily at Nianxi’s smiling face, so nostalgic that his heart ached. He already knew he had been wrong. Could he still have a chance to make amends and start anew?

He would never again forget the importance of loving her.

Such openly displayed joy was truly rare for Pei Jian. By nature, he should have been steady and reserved, cold and detached, or quietly dignified and commanding. He possessed a maturity far beyond his years.

Such rare moments of absent-mindedness amazed Wen Qingheng. Then, glancing at his carefree and smiling younger sister, he suddenly…

He glanced again at his carefree, laughing younger sister and immediately changed his mind, saying considerately, “Let’s go, Shizhang. I’ll take you to the clinic.”

Of course, Pei Jian wanted Nianxi to accompany him instead, but he knew that was unrealistic—she would never agree. So, he subtly changed his tone, saying, “It’s actually not that serious. There’s no need to trouble ourselves with a special trip to the clinic.”

He would rather not go at all than go with Wen Qingheng. Every word he said revealed his strong disdain for Wen Qingheng.

Wen Qingheng immediately frowned and glared. The treatment he received from Gu Ci was nothing like this!

“Fine, then we won’t go!” Before he could say more, Father Wen, who had just parted ways with his friends, came over and said to his two children, “It’s still early. Let’s accompany Shizhang to the clinic and head back home afterward.”

Wen Qingheng: …