Chapter 33 Is the friendship between men so fragile?

Qin Lang saw Gu Ci from a distance, raised his hand and greeted him, "Qingye!"

Then, he was a little slow to notice Nian Xi standing beside Gu Ci.

When I thought of the people around me, I immediately regretted it.

When he heard Gu Ci say with a smile and affection, "Tell it to the bride," he began to sympathize with Pei Jian.

As a good friend of Gu Ci, I wonder what kind of psychological quality he has to have to listen to him showing off his emotions in different ways from time to time.

But now that we have encountered it, there is no reason to avoid it.

Qin Lang smiled and asked Gu Ci, "Where are you going?"

Gu Ci was as clear and open-minded as usual. "There is a new troupe of actors in the theater. I heard they perform good shadow puppetry. We are going to watch the show. Shi Zhang, do you want to come with us?"

Qin Lang turned his head to look around him, and for some reason, he felt inexplicably nervous.

Pei Jian said coldly, "No need."

Qin Lang heaved a sigh of relief. If it weren't for Pei Jian, he would have teased Gu Ci - when did Master Gu develop a new hobby of listening to operas? Wasn't he the one who was most intolerant of these things before?

But the big Buddha beside him was too unstable. He didn't even dare to say hello. He just urged, "I heard that this shadow play is very popular in Beijing recently. Tickets are hard to get. You guys should go quickly. I have something important to ask Shi Zhang for advice."

Since it was business, Gu Ci did not say anything more. He responded and left with Nian Xi.

From beginning to end, Nian Xi never looked in Pei Yan's direction.

Qin Lang really had something important to ask Pei Jian today.

His father was the Minister of Personnel and wanted him to enter the Hanlin Academy as a scholar to gain experience so that he could take the imperial examination in three years and have a better starting point and rank.

Qin Lang felt that he was not good at studying, and that passing the imperial examination was a blessing from heaven, so he really did not want to enter the Hanlin Academy again.

Although it is said that only Jinshi can enter the Hanlin Academy, and only Hanlin can enter the inner cabinet, but he is very self-aware. If there is anyone who has the potential to be a prime minister, it must be Pei Jian, and it cannot be him.

"My father wants me to be a scholar. Shizhang, what do you think?"

Pei Jian has been independent since childhood, and has a clear and long-term plan for the future. Qin Lang saw that Pei Jian was a man who could do great things since he was in the Imperial College. That's why he asked this question today.

Pei Jian's face was stern. He drank a glass of wine and said affirmatively, "Going to the Ministry of Revenue is more suitable for you."

In his previous life, Qin Lang was a scholar-official. He worked hard in the Hanlin Academy for eight years and only showed his talent when he was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue.

"I knew I had to ask you about this!" Qin Lang's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands, "Ministry of Revenue... Ministry of Revenue! Yes, I will go to the Ministry of Revenue! Even if I have to start from the lowest position, Yuanwailang!"

Qin Lang seemed to have suddenly realized something. The problem that had troubled him for a long time was solved. He was overjoyed. Pei Jian, who was standing by, poured himself a few glasses of wine.

When Qin Lang came back to his senses, the pot of Dongtingchun was already empty. Seeing that he was about to get a second pot, Qin Lang quickly stopped him, "Drink slowly, be careful not to get drunk."

Pei Jian glanced at him, snatched the wine jug, and poured another glass, "It has nothing to do with you."

He was cold, and his voice was cold too, like the sound of bronze colliding, filled with a chilling aura.

Qin Lang sighed in his heart. Thinking back to the scene he saw when he went to Pei Yan's house a few days ago -

The weather was bad that day, with heavy rain and strong winds, and the temperature was unusually cold.

Pei Jian was wearing only a thin, moon-white straight-collared robe and was leaning on a bamboo couch under the corridor. There were three or five candlesticks burning in the room, and the light was dim.

He was facing the courtyard, holding a jug of wine in his hand, tilting his head slightly and drinking directly from the jug.

The wind was blowing hard, pouring in from the west window, and the corners of his robe and his wide sleeves were dancing wildly in the wind. Hearing the noise, he turned his head away, his eyes were as black as ink, and he seemed to be drunk. The wine pot fell lightly to the ground, but he paid no attention to it.

It seemed as if being alone was his normal state.

The deep red wine fell on the corner of the lips, like a stream of blood, winding down, desolate and lonely.

Just like the contradictory mixture in him - some deeper needs are locked away under this cold skin, suppressing emotions and disguising as asceticism.

Seeing him like this again today, Qin Lang couldn't help but persuade him, "It's really good to be with... her."

Pei Jian turned a deaf ear to him and continued drinking with a stern expression.

Qin Lang had no choice but to say, "There are many girls who like you and want to marry you."

He wanted to say "There are beautiful women everywhere in the world, so please take pity on the one in front of you", but was interrupted by Pei Jian's glance.

"They are getting married soon." Qin Lang had no choice but to resort to drastic measures, "There is no need to do this. Why not go out and take a look——"

"will not."

Pei Jian's eyes were deep, and he interrupted Qin Lang, "They won't get married."

Qin Lang was stunned. "Just like what Gu Ci said just now, he wanted to marry her right away, treating her like a treasure. Besides -"

Pei Jian interrupted again, "There are also divorces after marriage."

Qin Lang:!

Pei Shizhang, there's something wrong with you!

Qin Lang covered his dirty face, unable to believe it, "Pei Shizhang, what do you mean?"

Pei Jiansi didn't feel that she was committing a crime at all, and asked coldly, "What do you think?"

Qin Lang was immediately stumped. He was indeed a man who could accomplish great things. He could even do something as immoral as digging into the relationship between his good brothers with such self-righteousness and confidence.

Why is the friendship between men so fragile?

"I think you will definitely meet a better girl whom you like more in the future." Qin Lang tried to guide Pei Jian onto the moral path.

“No more.”

Pei Jian finished speaking, took the last sip of his wine, stood up and left, "I'm leaving first."

Qin Lang was worried.

He was afraid that Pei Jian would lose face and follow him to the theater, so he was about to get up and follow him.

Pei Jian had already waved his hands, as if he saw through him, and said coldly, "I want to go back home."

Qin Lang: "...Oh."

Of course Pei Jian would not be stupid enough to follow her to Wa Si, as that would only make Nian Xi more annoyed with him.

In this young body, his anger and anxiety are difficult to control. He is not the strategist in his 30s.

That's why I do those reckless things.

Pei Jian warned himself that he didn't need to do anything but wait quietly.

Wait for them to separate.

This is an inevitable result.

Nian Xi and Gu Ci have only known each other for a few months, how deep can their feelings be?

It is fundamentally fragile and cannot withstand the test of strong winds and waves.

Pei Jian believed that Nianxi would not leave her parents and relatives.

But sometimes reason can't control him, and he can't help but wonder what she is doing at this moment? What were they doing in their previous lives?

The more I recall, the more anxious I become.

There is a ferocious beast in my heart, always wanting to break through the cage and take back the thoughts that belong to me.

So sometimes, he needed the external force of alcohol to calm himself down.

Anyway, no one cares about him and no one will miss him.