Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 653

Chapter 653: A Knot in the Heart

With Zhu Hao involved, taking down Chi Jiayun was justified, and it also relieved Pei Que of his worries.

Yongning was worry-free.

Pei Que hurried towards the steamed bun shop under the moonlight.

The shop was already closed. He knocked but received no answer, so he climbed over the wall.

“Woof woof!”

He had just jumped down when his two dogs started barking.

“You little rascals, what are you barking for!” Pei Que snapped. Hearing his voice, the two dogs immediately wagged their tails and came running.

Just then, a window opened from inside the house.

An Zhi, holding a fan, looked coldly at him. “How are you? Are you alright?”

Pei Que glanced into the room, seeing no one else, and could only smile as he walked over. The two dogs kept rubbing against his legs. “Thank you for your concern, Madam. I’m fine, just a little tired from running. You should rest; I will be upstairs right away.”

An Zhi didn’t move, carefully examining Pei Que from head to toe. Smelling the blood on his clothes, she took a step back. “There’s hot water in the kitchen. Go take a bath yourself. Hurry up; I have something to tell you.”

Pei Que felt very guilty; he didn’t dare delay a moment from doing what An Zhi asked.

After bathing, seeing the steaming food on the table, his heart warmed. He looked at An Zhi with gratitude. “Madam’s still the best to me.”

The food was specially left by An Zhi. She herself hadn’t eaten much, worried about Pei Que. “Don’t be so self-satisfied; I’m hungry too.”

An Zhi picked up her chopsticks and began to eat first.

She shoveled rice into her mouth, choking in her haste.

After stopping, she saw Pei Que pick up chopsticks with his right hand, and An Zhi’s tears fell like a broken string of pearls.

Pei Que noticed An Zhi had stopped and looked up at her, only to find her crying. He panicked.

“Madam, what’s wrong?” Pei Que went around to An Zhi’s side, took her hand, and noticed her body trembling slightly. “Don’t scare me. I’m back safe and sound. Let’s not cry.”

An Zhi couldn’t hold back her tears. For countless days and nights, she had thought about Pei Que’s right hand. The thought that his hand wasn’t healed felt like a thorn in her heart.

For the two days Pei Que wasn’t by her side, she couldn’t sit still, couldn’t stand still. She spent most of her time standing on the second floor, looking into the distance, hoping to see Pei Que return safely.

She hugged Pei Que, hesitant to pull too tight, her hands resting loosely on his shoulders, her nose twitching. “Do you know how afraid I was that you wouldn’t come back, or that you’d come back missing an arm or a leg!”

Pei Que was alarmed by An Zhi’s crying. His hands hovered in mid-air, unsure how to hold her. “I’m fine, and Lin Feng already told you not to cry, or your eyes will swell up.”

“What’s the use of Lin Feng’s detailed explanation!” An Zhi was afraid. She often dreamed of the Pei Mansion gates, with Pei Que standing outside, missing an arm.

She didn’t talk about the past, not because she didn’t have unresolved issues, but because she didn’t want those around her to worry.

Pei Que gently hugged An Zhi, softly comforting her.

An Zhi remained in Pei Que’s arms for an unknown amount of time until Pei Que’s stomach growled. Only then did An Zhi pinch Pei Que’s shoulder hard, saying, “Eat!”

Pei Que didn’t return to his original seat but instead took his bowl and sat next to An Zhi.

At the doorway to the living room, Chunlan, Fusheng, and Tao Wengong, who had been hiding outside, turned away, averting their gaze.

Chunlan said sullenly, “During the day, judging from Madam’s expression, I thought he was going to get a beating when the master returned safely. How come they are sitting together so quickly? I really don’t understand.”

Tao Wengong’s wine bottle was empty. He shook it, revealing a bored expression. “You’re just a little girl. Once you’re married and know what it means to want a man, you will understand that the fiercer you seem on the surface, the more tender you are underneath.”

Chunlan blushed, glared at Tao Wengong, puffed out her cheeks, and looked away. She noticed Fusheng watching her and patted him on the head. “You’d better be a good man in the future. No more three wives and four concubines, understand?”

Fusheng nodded, and seeing Chunlan get up to leave, he quickly followed.

Tao Wengong sighed helplessly, staggered towards the kitchen, and went to find some wine.

After An Zhi and Pei Que finished eating, when they went upstairs, Binglu had already put Yue’er to sleep.

After Binglu left and closed the door, Pei Que hugged An Zhi. “Madam, actually, I was a little scared too. If Chi Jiayun went too far and had me killed, there would be nothing I could do. I was thinking then that if there’s an afterlife, I definitely want to be your husband again.”

An Zhi pushed Pei Que away but could not. She said disdainfully, “Then I don’t want to be your wife again. If there’s an afterlife, I want to be a man, traveling the world freely.”

“I will let you be my husband,” Pei Que said, his nose brushing against the back of An Zhi’s neck, the faint scent of soapberry relaxing her. “If you become a bird, we will be like birds flying wing to wing. If you wish to be a monkey, Madam, I will seize the mountain and become king, fighting for your territory. No matter how high the sky or how vast the earth, I will be your husband for all eternity.”

An Zhi smiled. “What if we hadn’t met?”

“No, I know your preferences, Madam, and I can recognize your scent. As long as I can walk, I will definitely find you.” Pei Que took a long breath. He knew An Zhi’s temperament best and knew how to appease her. “My heart has been given to you for a long, long time; it will guide me to you.”

An Zhi felt a chill run down her spine from the sweet talk.

The weather was getting warmer, and the two of them broke out in a light sweat while embracing.

With Chi Jiayun’s situation resolved, they had no immediate worries. This night was destined to be filled with a burning passion.

For the next two days, the steamed bun shop continued its ordinary business. Zhu Hao, having finished reorganizing the governor’s mansion, took Chi Jiayun to the capital.

After this commotion, the people of Yongning City realized that their respected governor was a corrupt official, and many were filled with lingering fear.

A new governor wouldn’t arrive so quickly. It wasn’t until April, when the weather grew increasingly hot, that Pei Que settled on a manor in the suburbs, intending to take An Zhi and the others there.

The steamed bun shop had just closed when Binglu brought over some cool tea.

Several people sat around in the living room.

Pei Que finished his tea in one gulp and said cheerfully, “The steamed bun shop’s too crowded and noisy. It’s inconvenient for us to stay here all the time. If we run into someone who has seen us before, it will be troublesome. So I bought a manor outside the city. It’s secluded, backed by mountains, and there are no other houses around. Whatever we do, no one will bother us.”

They had many things to do, and with so many people coming and going, it was better to find a quiet place.