Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 176

Chapter 176: Heaven’s Will

An Zhi took Princess Huiping to a secluded teahouse and instructed Binglu to find Fusheng, who would then go find her brother. The Bai Mansion was large, and all this going around would take quite a while.

“Hey, what kind of person is your brother?” Huiping had already begun to resign herself to her fate, though she still felt angry.

“He’s a good man,” An Zhi replied cautiously.

Huiping was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. “Don’t try to be perfunctory with me. I’m going to be your sister-in-law. If you try to be perfunctory with me now, I’ll bully you later, believe it or not.”

An Zhi believed her, but she wasn’t sure who would end up bullying whom. “My brother is truly a good man. Seeing is believing. You’ll know for yourself later.” She didn’t want Huiping to get the wrong impression of her brother here.

“My mother said he looked similar to you, but weren’t those who went to war all big men with necks as thick as waists? Tell me, does your brother really look like you?” The outcome couldn’t be changed, so Huiping could only hope for a better scenario. If he were a more handsome man, she might still be able to carry on.

Unbeknownst to her, An Xu had already arrived at the door.

“Young Master,” Binglu began, but An Xu stopped her.

An Xu touched his neck and then looked at his waist; the difference was obvious.

After witnessing his parents’ marriage, he had never had much desire for marriage. Therefore, when he received the marriage decree, he felt rather indifferent. He hadn’t envisioned lifelong love and affection, but he would respect Princess Huiping and give her the respect she deserved.

Inside the room, Huiping shook An Zhi’s arm. “Come on, tell me! I’ve seen your father. He’s an average-looking man, isn’t he? Do you look like your mother or your father?”

The longer they waited, the more nervous Huiping noticed An Zhi was getting. She kept pressing An Zhi for answers, but in reality, she was just trying to pass the time.

An Zhi, annoyed by her questions, simply agreed, “Yes, my brother not only has a neck as thick as his waist but also a bulbous nose and a pig-like face. He’s incredibly ugly, just like the character Zhu Ba in the play…Brother!”

Before An Zhi could finish her words, she saw her brother walk in from outside with a sullen face.

When Huiping heard An Zhi call An Xu ugly, her eyes welled up. When she heard An Zhi call him “brother,” she couldn’t hold back any tears. Her blurred vision revealed a tall, thin man.

Seeing her brother’s anger, An Zhi ignored Huiping and ran out of the room.

After a while, she returned and closed the door for Princess Huiping and her brother. An Xu saw his sister’s guilty expression and knew what was going on. Seeing Princess Huiping sobbing like a kitten, he whispered, “Please be fine, Princess. I am An Xu.”

An Xu had led troops in battle for years, and his voice was a little hoarse and deep, sounding powerful.

Huiping felt a little strange at the sound of the voice and rubbed her eyes. When she saw An Xu clearly, she was stunned.

The An Xu before her was no burly man. He had a dark complexion, razor-sharp eyebrows, a high, pine-shaped nose, and thin lips with a beautiful crimson hue. He was a handsome man.

Furthermore, she recognized An Xu’s eyes immediately: they were bright and deep.

She had only once in her life seen eyes as beautiful as these.

“It’s you!”

An Xu frowned slightly at this but remained silent.

Huiping stood up excitedly, her fingers trembling as she raised them. “You’re the one who saved me a year ago! But why didn’t you admit it when I asked An Zhi to find you?” Her voice trailed off, a hint of sadness etched in her.

An Xu had saved Princess Huiping out of sheer sympathy, without expecting anything in return. Later, he knew for sure that Princess Huiping had favored him first, but what good would it do to acknowledge it? Why would he admit it when they had no chance of ever meeting again?

Seeing An Xu remain silent, Huiping silently took a step back, her smile alternating with bitterness.

She was finally able to see the man she’d longed for, and he was her future husband. She was delighted.

But she was also heartbroken that he had once been unwilling to acknowledge her.

An Xu couldn’t understand Princess Huiping’s expression. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally explained, “I saved you simply for the sake of doing the right thing, with no hidden agenda. Later, I received a letter from my sister. You’re a princess, and I’m but a captain. It’s unlikely we’ll ever cross paths, so I thought it best to let you give up on that thought.”

Hearing this, Huiping looked up cautiously. “Then…do you fancy someone else?”

“No. I’m devoted to defending my country. For my sister, I have to work harder. I’ve never considered starting a family, and I wouldn’t dare delay a girl from a good family.” An Xu spoke the truth. He dedicated his wholehearted passion to the Northwest and his sister.

Hearing that An Xu had no one he fancied, Huiping immediately stopped crying.

She didn’t expect the person she loved to like her back. She had assumed that if she found someone she liked, as long as he wasn’t married, she’d gradually make that person fall in love.

The current situation perfectly fulfilled her earlier fantasy. And better yet, she didn’t have to plan a future elopement.

An Xu was genuinely puzzled when he saw Princess Huiping smile again. “Don’t worry, Princess. Since we’re engaged, I will respect and love you.”

“Fake,” Huiping snorted with a smile. Seeing An Xu frown, she stepped forward. “An Xu, husband and wife are birds of a feather, but I don’t want someone who flies away when disaster strikes. I like you. I used to think I’d elope with you after I found you. But now there’s no need to elope; you’re mine.”

She smiled brightly. “You’re indeed a good person, but I don’t want you to respect and love me out of obligation. I want you to truly love me, the same way I love you.”

Northwestern women were passionate, and some had stopped An Xu to confess their feelings, but none of them said it as bluntly as Princess Huiping.

Meeting Princess Huiping’s fiery gaze, An Xu’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he felt his heart pounding.

“Speak,” Huiping urged.

An Xu didn’t know what to say. To him, protecting his wife from being bullied was a sign of respect and love. But after listening to Princess Huiping’s previous words, he realized that their understandings of love were somewhat different.

“Hmm.” An Xu pondered for a long time, finally coming up with only this single word.

At this moment, An Zhi and Bing Lu, who were crouching against the crack in the door, were stunned.

They hadn’t imagined that the person Princess Huiping had been searching for was none other than An Xu.

“Miss, Princess Huiping is so bold! How can she be so unabashedly affectionate?” Bing Lu felt embarrassed listening to this.

An Zhi also thought Princess Huiping was too… uninhibited, but this was a good thing. Since Princess Huiping loved her brother, there would be fewer conflicts between them in the future.

She sincerely hoped that the two of them would be happy.

This could be considered the Emperor’s accidental act of fulfilling Princess Huiping’s wishes.

An Zhi straightened up with a smile. She had heard everything she needed to hear; any more would damage her hearing.

But as she turned around, she saw Lin Shuyao approaching.

“Sister An, what are you doing sneaking around like that?” Lin Shuyao glanced at the room behind An Zhi. “Is there some unspeakable secret in there?”

It was something that couldn’t be shared with anyone else, An Zhi thought.

But before she could respond, the door swung open.

“What’s the unspeakable secret?” Huiping stormed out, angrily barking at Lin Shuyao. “My clothes were dirty. I came to change. I asked An Zhi to guard the door for me. When did this princess become your shameful secret?”