Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 433

Chapter 433: The World

An Zhi summoned Li Ji to the side room and thanked him. “Tao Weiran is just like that. He’s the youngest son of the Prince of Dingnan, so he’s especially favored.”

Li Ji was two years younger than An Zhi, but he had grown taller recently. He was shorter when they met, and now he was half a hand taller than An Zhi. His dark eyes glanced down, and he spoke with disdain. “You’re usually quite sharp with others, but around Tao Weiran, you’re like a castrated chicken. Even if you have to consider the relationship between your two families, you don’t have to put up with Tao Weiran like this. Or do you think Tao Weiran looks like a pretty boy and doesn’t mind him? Were you moved?”

“What are you talking about?” An Zhi simply didn’t want to cause any trouble these past few days. When Pei Que returned, Tao Weiran would have to bear the brunt of it. But if she took action, how could the old master at home not be so hostile to her? “You little brat, how could you have such thoughts? And who do you think I am? Do you fall in love with every woman you see?”

Li Ji saw An Zhi’s anger and knew he had said the wrong thing. He muttered to himself but refused to apologize. “Then be careful not to meet with Tao Weiran. He’s not a good person.”

With that, Li Ji hurriedly turned and left.

Binglu wanted to see Li Ji off, but just as she reached the door, he disappeared from view. She turned back and said, “Madam, the young master has left.”

“Let him go,” An Zhi sighed.

As she left the side room, she heard Binglu sighing, “Li Ji is a good man. He has a good heart, but he’s still too young, full of youthful ambition. After all, the young master is still young.” Binglu had a good impression of Li Ji. Despite his youth, he was very loyal.

Li Ji, whom An Zhi and her servant had called young, had already found Tao Weiran.

Li Ji disliked Tao Weiran, and Tao Weiran also held a grudge against him. The two met at the manor and engaged in a bare-knuckle fight.

Neither would give in.

Although Tao Weiran had been pampered growing up, he never neglected his studies or martial arts. After all, with a fierce father at home, he couldn’t afford to slack off.

With Li Ji being the only son, his grandfather feared he’d suffer the same health problems as his father, so he began training him in martial arts at a young age.

The two men, despite a few years’ age difference, sparred with each other, but there was no clear winner.

An hour later, Tao Weiran slumped against the wooden staff, exhausted. Li Ji, standing across from him, wasn’t much more relaxed either. He sneered, “You little brat, but you’re quite good at judging women.”

Li Ji’s arms were already weakened, or he would have punched Tao Weiran hard. “I may be younger, but you’re so much older, and you only managed a tie with me. You’re just talking big; you have no real skills!”

“You little concubine-born, you’re looking for a fight again!” Tao Weiran tried to stand up, holding onto the staff, but his legs wouldn’t let him. He stumbled and fell, his strength exhausted. His followers tried to help him, but he glared at them. “Why are you trying to help me? I’m not a loser!”

Li Ji snorted coldly, “Tao Weiran, I don’t care if you act like a tyrant in Dingnan, but remember this: this is the capital, not your Dingnan. Keep your tail between your legs, or I’ll beat you every time I see you!”

With that, Li Ji struggled to hold onto the wooden staff, refusing his followers’ help. Even though every bone in his body was on the verge of breaking, he wouldn’t fall before Tao Weiran.

Even if it meant showing off, he had to be the coolest.

Only after leaving the manor did Li Ji plop down on the ground, his attendants hurriedly carrying him to the carriage.

“Don’t tell anyone about what happened today. I need to rest up for a few days. That concubine-born Tao Weiran looks skinny, but he’s incredibly strong!” Li Ji’s voice faded as he leaned against the carriage’s cushions. He was truly exhausted.

~

An Zhi had gone to the main house for another five days. Calculating the days, she estimated that Pei Que would be back in another three or five days.

But something unexpected happened that surprised An Zhi. Pei Yu, who was supposed to return later than Pei Que, had arrived in the capital first.

An Zhi had Lin Feng calculate the time. Pei Yu would have to go without food and sleep for days and nights, using the fastest horse, to reach the capital in that time. But a person who went without food and sleep for so many days wouldn’t be able to endure the torment and would have died along the way.

So, there’s only one conclusion: Before Pei Zheng died, he wrote Pei Yu a letter announcing his intention to die, confident that the old master would approve. But fearing Pei Yu would return later than Pei Que and be stopped outside, he resorted to a tactic, writing a letter in advance and sending it northwest.

Looking at Pei Yu in the mourning hall, his stubbled chin and dark complexion, An Zhi clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves.

Pei Yu knelt before the mourning hall. Though silent, tears streamed down his face, his body shaking uncontrollably.

“Brother, you’re finally back!” Pei Xue rushed towards him, hugging him and sobbing.

Pei Yu finally began to cry. After releasing his sister, he kowtowed three times and fell to the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

An Zhi, watching the First House’s family weeping heartbrokenly, stared blankly at the memorial tablet in the mourning hall. She’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t moved.

But if he’d known this would happen, why did he do it in the first place? Were empty fame and gain really that important?

An Zhi understood Pei Zheng’s reluctance, but she couldn’t agree with his actions.

Watching Pei Yu, who knelt for a long time, An Zhi quietly retreated behind the crowd, pretending not to notice the scrutinizing gazes. With a blank expression, she went to the backyard to have tea and snacks prepared.

“Madam, why don’t we go back first?” Binglu hesitated.

“If I go back now, others will only laugh at me more brazenly.” An Zhi smiled faintly. “Only when I’m here will they think I don’t care. If I leave, I’ll be running away.”

An Zhi no longer cared about the past with Pei Yu, but she still didn’t want to see him.

Some people just bore a deep pain in their hearts, and they couldn’t let go, nor did they need to.

She wasn’t a bodhisattva; she bore all the resentment and hatred that the world held.

“Alright, don’t look so worried. Even if Pei Yu were here, it wouldn’t matter to us. He’d call me Fourth Aunt when he sees me now, and he’d be polite.” An Zhi smiled. “Besides, I still have the deed that sold him into slavery. If the First House displeases me, we can take the deed and spread the word. Pei Yu will never achieve anything.”

Binglu nodded and hummed, “Yes, we have leverage on Pei Yu.”

While An Zhi was speaking, Pei Yu had already bruised his forehead and was being taken to wash by the servant.

After spending quite a while in the northwest, Pei Yu had become much stronger, but his scars had also increased.

But the Pei family had good foundations. After washing, Pei Yu changed into white mourning clothes. Even though his skin was darker, it only highlighted his handsome features.

After changing into mourning clothes, as a son, Pei Yu should go to the front courtyard to help out.

But soon after he left the house, he saw An Zhi walking ahead.

After not seeing her for a long time, An Zhi’s back was still as graceful and elegant as he remembered.