Chapter 57

Wen Qingheng escorted the two back along the original path.

On the way, the three remained silent, but Gu Ci and Pei Jian fought fiercely when the side gate closed. This time, with no venue restrictions or outsiders present, neither of them held back. Fueled by pent-up frustration, their punches were fierce and deadly, aiming to cause real harm.

Aunt Wang watched through a crack in the door, trembling with fear. Seeing that the fight might only end with one of them seriously hurt or worse, she could no longer bear it. She sprinted to the young miss’s courtyard in the rear residence to report the situation.

Earlier, Nianxi had sent Xing Yue to the front courtyard after Aunt Wang informed her that Master Wen had taken Lord Gu and Lord Pei to the study.

She knew Pei Jian’s shrewdness and ability to read people’s minds; the nineteen-year-old Gu Ci was no match for him. He was completely controlling her father. That was why she had sent someone to deliver the message. Yet, unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the two had still ended up fighting. Initially, she had no intention of intervening, but once she learned of their fight, she found it hard to remain indifferent.

The early autumn wind carried a chill.

Nianxi draped herself in a cloak and quietly headed to the side gate with Ying Guo.

The surroundings were silent, and no sounds could be heard anymore.

Nianxi hesitated for a moment before signaling Aunt Wang to open the gate.

Outside, it was pitch black, with no sign of anyone.

“Close the gate,” Nianxi instructed Aunt Wang. Just as she was about to leave, a low, familiar voice came from the corner of the wall: “Nianxi.”

Someone was softly calling her name.

Then, Pei Jian stood up from the corner of the wall and walked closer. He casually wiped the blood from the corner of his lips with his thumb, letting out a lazy laugh. His dark, ink-like eyes seemed to burn with a hidden flame. “You’re finally willing to see me,” he said.

Nianxi turned back to Aunt Wang and her daughter and instructed, “You two go back for now. I’ll call you out later.”

Ying Guo, being more aware of the situation due to Aunt Wang, understood better than the two other maids, Xing Yue and Lan Zhi. She set down the lantern and went into the porter’s lodge with Aunt Wang.

Pei Jian waited on the side, listening as Nianxi softly and gently gave instructions to her servants. This made him feel a bit happy; the last time he had seen her was more than two months ago. He had never noticed before how pleasant her voice was. When she spoke, her tone naturally stretched out at the end of her words, revealing a hint of soft tenderness. A smile unknowingly curved at the corner of his lips, but as it did, he accidentally pulled at his bleeding wound, and he hissed slightly in pain.

Just now, he was severely punched multiple times by Gu Ci. He also fought back with heavy punches. This time, he specifically targeted Gu Ci, though Gu Ci’s face bore few marks. By the end of the fight, both were utterly exhausted, venting the anger in their hearts, with neither gaining the upper hand.

Gu Ci leaned against the wall for a while. Pei Jian thought he might say something or hurl some harsh words. Instead, he said nothing and simply turned and left.

Gu Ci was also his best friend.

In his previous life, Gu Ci guarded the northern border alone and was never allowed to return to the capital. At that time, Pei Jian climbed the ranks smoothly, wielding immense power, surrounded by many people. They were his allies, subordinates, and confidants, but none of them were his friends.

Pei Jian no longer wanted to make friends. His only friend was far away in the north, safeguarding Great Jing’s peace and prosperity.

Nianxi never knew about Gu Ci because, in the years that followed, he never mentioned him to anyone again, instead treasuring this person and their past deep in his heart.

Facing Pei Jian’s bruised and swollen face, Nianxi chose to turn a blind eye and, in a calm tone, asked, “Was it you who secretly orchestrated the exposure of the Northern Liang cavalry by Duke Zhen?”

“Surprised?” Pei Jian chuckled lightly, sarcastically saying, “Did you think I was just waiting eagerly to see when Gu Ci would roll back to the northern border?”

Hearing his sarcastic tone, Nianxi paused for a moment in silence before saying, “Thank you.”

An eerie silence followed.

Pei Jian stared at Nianxi, his face devoid of any smile, the lamp casting shadows on his angular features, making his expression even more profound.

“And what gives you the right to thank me on his behalf?” His gaze was dark, as though he stood in the deepest part of the night. Almost through gritted teeth, he forced the words out, “I never did this for you, nor for your gratitude.”

“I see,” Nianxi replied.

Nianxi finished speaking, and there was another bout of silence. In truth, there had long been no connection between the two of them, and except for Gu Ci, there wouldn’t be any other topics to discuss.

But Pei Jian would not want to hear that name from Nianxi’s mouth.

“It’s getting late; you should go back. Don’t come looking for me again in the future.” Without any hesitation, Nianxi turned to leave.

Pei Jian couldn’t describe the feelings surging in his heart at that moment.

In the past, right here, when he worked late and secretly came to see her, Nianxi was always reluctant to part. They would hold hands, stand under the osmanthus tree, and without saying anything, it was still a warm, lovely time. The fatigue of the day would slowly dissolve in that tranquil solitude.

“Do you really want to marry him?” Pei Jian asked. He had never speculated about the stage of the relationship between Nianxi and Gu Ci.

At first, it was because he was too confident. He even thought that Nianxi being good with Gu Ci was just to spite him. So, he had the audacity to demand that Nianxi leave Gu Ci.

Later, he didn’t dare to think about it. He and Nianxi had once shared passionate affection, and he couldn’t bear to imagine her with another man. Even when he occasionally encountered couples who displayed intimate gestures, he would subconsciously avoid them.

Avoiding looking, avoiding thinking.

Plugging his ears to block out the sound of his own heartbreak.

When facing Nianxi, he was timid, far from the calm composure he had in front of Gu Ci. He was terrified that Nianxi would truly marry Gu Ci; the thought filled him with dread.

Nianxi turned around and calmly said, “Whether I marry him or not, what does that have to do with you? Pei Jian, I once loved you; I even married you, so does that mean I can never like someone else in this lifetime? Am I an object to you? Or do I bear your mark of ownership? Or are you trying to tell me that the noble Lord Pei now regrets everything and is suddenly hopelessly in love with me?”

She paused, her tone steady. “Pei Jian, stop causing trouble. I don’t have another thirteen years to entangle with you. What’s lost is lost, and no amount of regret or remorse will change that.”

“Moreover, your regret is only about the loss itself, and your sadness is the same—it’s not because of me.”

Pei Jian had done too much wrong in the past, and his words were too empty, making it hard for him to prove himself. He persistently asked, “Are you going to marry him?”

Nianxi chuckled lightly, “Is it because it’s Gu Ci that you’re reacting so strongly? If today I liked Wang Wu or Zhao Liu, you’d find it easier to accept.”

No, of course not. Pei Jian initially found it hard to accept the fact that she could like someone else, but now he was learning to make himself accept it. It was his own mistake—he had forgotten to love her. She could spite him, even temporarily get close to other men, and that would be fine. As long as, in the end, it was still him.

“Nianxi, don’t rush into marriage. Please give me some time.” Pei Jian’s breathing grew heavier as he suppressed his emotions, crushing all his pride, and pleaded, “You can like anyone, be with anyone—it doesn’t matter. Just give me a chance to love you.”

“I won’t act impulsively anymore, nor will I let anyone find out, not even Gu Ci. Nianxi, I just want to treat you well,” he said quickly, afraid of being interrupted. “If you still can’t forgive me or don’t like me, I won’t bother you again.”

Nianxi was taken aback, incredulous. “You want to… be my secret lover?”

Pei Jian had always been a man of great pride.

Pei Jian’s second uncle had seized the title of Duke Zheng from the main family, but later, when he rose to prominence, Pei Zhengsong sought to reconcile and tried to offer the title back. Pei Jian, however, refused to show any leniency, leaving the second family with nothing but an empty title, completely overshadowed.

And now, he was willing to lower himself to do such a thing.

Pei Jian looked at Nianxi, whose almond-shaped eyes widened in astonishment. His voice softened, “Yes, please allow me to be your secret lover.”