Chapter 13

As Pei Jian spoke, he happened to step forward, stopping just in front of Nianxi.

Gu Ci stood behind Nianxi.

The three formed a straight line, with Nianxi positioned in the middle.

Nianxi felt so awkward she wanted to curl her toes into the ground. She knew this discomfort stemmed from her own mind. Pei Jian didn’t recognize her—today was the first time he had ever met her. His offer to escort her was merely an attempt to diffuse the earlier tension. But with the three of them standing together, she couldn’t shake her unease.

Fortunately, Nianxi had a strong mindset; the more pressing the situation, the calmer she became. Keeping her expression neutral, she casually turned her head, letting her gaze briefly sweep past Pei Jian without lingering, then turned to look at Gu Ci instead.

The moment Gu Ci met her gaze, he couldn’t help but smile. He stepped forward to stand beside Nianxi, so close that they were shoulder to shoulder. With warmth in his voice, he said, “This is the brother I mentioned to you before—Pei Jian.”

“Shizhang, this is my… distant cousin.”

From a stone bench nearby, Wen Qingheng let out a cold snort.

Gu Ci added, “She’s also Jinghe’s sister—his biological sister.”

For the third time, Nianxi looked at Pei Jian. This time, she perfected her act of being a stranger, offering him a polite smile and nod.

“There are attendants with me; there’s no need to escort me,” she turned to Gu Ci and said, “Do you think I could get lost in your residence?” With those words, she gently declined Pei Jian’s earlier offer.

“Alright, I’ll come find you later,” Gu Ci replied, his voice soft and tender toward Nianxi. “I also have a gift for you.”

Turning to Pei Jian, Gu Ci asked, “Where’s the item?”

Pei Jian instinctively looked at Nianxi. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to see or find in her. In the past, Nianxi’s eyes had been filled with only him. Now, she was smiling at another man, completely devoted.

“It’s right here!” Qin Lang loudly pointed at the jewelry box from a few steps behind.

Seeing Pei Jian display that look again, Qin Lang couldn’t help but feel uneasy, worried that Gu Ci might notice something. He quickly stepped forward, placed a hand on Pei Jian’s shoulder, and guided him toward Wen Qingheng.

“What’s going on with you?” he whispered, lowering his voice to ask Pei Jian. However, Qin Lang’s concern seemed excessive—he could have shouted, and no one would have paid attention.

Wen Qingheng was already losing his temper again. “My sister’s jewelry is not something you have any right to deliver!”

Even the gentlest of men can become sharp-tongued when they’re deeply provoked.

Gu Ci, while slightly angry himself, maintained composure thanks to his upbringing. Besides, Nianxi was still present.

“I didn’t mean anything else; I just wanted to give Nian’er a gift.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? Nian’er is not a name you can call her!”

Qin Lang observed for a moment and concluded that Gu Ci and Wen Qingheng’s argument would continue for a while longer. Feeling reassured, he turned to Pei Jian, his expression suspicious. “Are you possessed?” he asked, utterly baffled.

Pei Jian remained silent. He stood at the edge of the flower hall, the sunlight casting shadows and light over his sharp brows, making the contours of his face appear even more rugged and profound.

In his past life, Nianxi hadn’t even known who Gu Ci was—a complete stranger with no connection to her. How had they suddenly come to know each other now?

Feeling a growing sense of confusion, Pei Jian couldn’t help but lift his gaze toward Nianxi.

Qin Lang was practically losing his mind. The others hadn’t even resolved their argument, and now Pei Jian seemed unwell, too. What kind of magic did Wen Qingheng’s sister possess?

One Gu Ci was already head over heels, and now, if Pei Jian—

Qin Lang couldn’t let his thoughts spiral further. He quickly stepped before Pei Jian, blocking his line of sight. “It’s too late, no matter how much you look. When you stole the show at Chongming Tower, Gu Ci met her at Qu Shui.”

“That’s just how fate works. Once you’ve missed it, it’s missed,” Qin Lang sighed, almost pleading. “You know the saying—a friend’s wife is off-limits.”

“So, collect yourself!”

Since seeing Nianxi, Pei Jian had found it impossible to focus. But after hearing Qin Lang’s words, he regained his composure.

That Shangsi Festival day, Nianxi hadn’t gone to Chongming Tower. Instead, she went to Qu Shui, where she met Gu Ci.

That was supposed to be their fateful meeting. He still remembered that night when Gu Ci returned; he was excited as he told Pei Jian about meeting an extraordinary young lady.

He never asked further, “Who is that girl?”

Pei Jian closed his eyes in irritation.

The commotion on the other side had come to an end. Whatever Nianxi said had managed to calm Wen Qingheng down.

That was just how Nianxi was—when she cared for someone, she gave it her all.

When Wen Qingheng learned about Pei Jian and Nianxi’s feelings for each other, he did everything he could to obstruct them. Yet, while Nianxi stood by Pei Jian, she also worked to soothe Wen Qingheng’s emotions. She never let him feel troubled.

Pei Jian, who had always kept his distance from emotional bonds, found himself cared for in every way by Nianxi. But now, Nianxi was doing all of this for another man.

Watching Gu Ci’s stunned yet delighted expression, Pei Jian felt nothing but torment. He was no longer a young and inexperienced man—he had long passed his youthful years—but the scene before him still left him dejected and consumed with jealousy.

Pei Jian had believed it was he who had let go of Nianxi. Only now did he realize that from the moment they first met, fate had already deviated from its course.

Nianxi had found another possibility: one that had led her away from him.

Pei Jian couldn’t remain there a moment longer. Turning to Qin Lang, who was still muttering, he said, “I have something to take care of. I’ll leave first.” With those words, he walked away through the other side of the flower hall without sparing another glance at Nianxi.

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Out of the corner of her eye, Nianxi saw Pei Jian leave. She felt eerily calm, a strange sense of melancholy washing over her once again.

She could, of course, sense Pei Jian’s gaze on her. Each time, she made herself act as normal as possible—neither avoiding nor flinching—focused on playing the role of a stranger flawlessly without revealing any cracks.

Yet, in doing so, she overlooked other peculiarities.

For instance, Pei Jian’s prolonged staring from outside the flower hall was obvious even to someone as blunt as Qin Lang. The only one who didn’t notice Pei Jian’s lack of composure was Nianxi herself, preoccupied with her own secrets.

Of the five people present, all were caught in the thick of it—except Qin Lang, who managed to glimpse part of the bigger picture. But the truth was so absurd that Qin Lang could never have guessed the real reason for Pei Jian’s strange behavior. He thought it was simply Wen Qingheng’s sister’s dazzling beauty that had finally broken through Pei Jian’s usually impenetrable aloofness.

Tsk~

Would the bond of male friendship survive such a test?

Qin Lang disagreed with sayings like “Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes.” Just judging by how Pei Jian had looked at Wen Qingheng’s sister earlier, that gaze practically screamed that he was ready to dig up someone else’s treasure. If brotherhood were limbs, it’d be a centipede’s limbs at best, while the “clothes” in question were something close to one’s heart and soul.

Qin Lang shook his head internally. If it ever came to that, it would be too exhilarating.

Meanwhile, Gu Ci had finally managed to shake off Wen Qingheng. Turning around, he realized Pei Jian was nowhere to be seen.

Gu Ci asked Qin Lang, “Where is he?”

Qin Lang replied, “He said he had something to take care of and left first.”

Gu Ci didn’t suspect anything.

Pei Jian had been unusually busy recently. If it were just preparing for the imperial examination, that would be one thing, but he wasn’t buried in books. When asked, he would only say it was something important that couldn’t be delayed.

Gu Ci didn’t inquire further and instead turned to Nianxi, saying, “I’ll escort you to the Chuihua Gate later. I also need to head to the front yard.”

In the end, Nianxi didn’t accept Gu Ci’s jewelry box.

It wasn’t just because of Wen Qingheng’s objections—it was truly too extravagant. The jewelry box alone had six layers, and it was filled with an array of dazzling jewels.

Because she liked it, Gu Ci seemed determined to collect every piece of jewelry in the world for her. This simple yet grand gesture amused and moved Nianxi. She had never experienced such unreserved affection from Pei Jian.

It made her want to treat Gu Ci better, even better. So, in front of her brother, she asked Gu Ci, “With the imperial examination approaching, I plan to visit the Taiqing Temple to offer incense for my brother. Do you happen to have time?”

Wen Qingheng: …