Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 001

Chapter 1: Rebirth

The spring rain outside the window fell softly, like silken threads.

A young woman, perhaps eighteen or nineteen years old, stood by the windowsill. Her face was delicate and beautiful, her eyes clear and serene, like a tranquil lake.

An Zhi, suppressing her worries, stepped out of the inner room. She saw overturned tables and chairs, and shards of broken porcelain scattered on the floor, and a headache began to throb.

“Miss, someone from the main courtyard has come to call you again,” the maid Binglu approached An Zhi, her brows furrowed. “The servants will clean up in here later. Let’s go quickly, otherwise that person will have another chance to embarrass us.”

“Hmm.”

An Zhi replied faintly and walked ahead, her back straight.

Binglu watched her young lady’s upright figure and felt a pang of sadness. She sighed silently and hurried to catch up.

“Miss, when you see Young Master Pei, please don’t pay any attention to him. It’s not worth it for such a person,” Binglu said. She had grown up with An Zhi since childhood, and their bond was strong. Pei Yu had gone too far this time; for the sake of a concubine’s daughter, he wanted to break off the engagement with the legitimate daughter, making her a laughingstock in the entire capital. Binglu wished she could tear that pair of scoundrels to pieces.

An Zhi snorted, unconcerned. “Don’t worry, your young lady isn’t that easily humiliated.”

Binglu stood there, surprised. She knew how much her young lady loved Pei Yu. Just yesterday, Pei Yu had secretly asked her to break off the engagement, and for that, the young lady had gotten drunk for the first time and caused a scene at Chunfeng Tower. Luckily, she always disguised herself as a servant when going out; otherwise, if the master found out, everyone in the household would be in trouble. At that moment, Binglu had no idea that after her drunken episode the previous night, her young lady had been reborn, as if ten years had passed.

When An Zhi first woke up, she felt a bit bewildered, but then she was filled with joy and excitement. Heaven had finally been kind to her, giving her a second chance.

In her previous life, on this very same day, Pei Yu had come to the An Mansion with An Rong, his father’s illegitimate daughter, to break off their engagement. Although heartbroken, An Zhi believed she could win Pei Yu over with her genuine feelings and insisted on marrying him.

What happened next?

Five years of living like a widow, followed by five years of being imprisoned in the inner courtyard.

She remembered that on the night before her rebirth, it was also a rainy day, with raindrops pattering against her, the piercing cold making her shiver.

“Sister, you really don’t know how to take care of yourself. Look at you, your face is so pale and haggard. If your husband saw you like this, how disgusted he would be!” A faint smile came from nearby, and soon after, a pair of exquisitely embroidered shoes came into view. An Zhi struggled to lift her head; it was An Rong.

Pei Yu had plotted for ten years to give An Rong the status of a legitimate wife. He first framed An Zhi’s brother for rebellion, and then ruined An Zhi’s reputation.

These were the things An Rong had told An Zhi that night.

Actually, in the second year of their marriage, An Zhi had already decided to divorce Pei Yu, but he refused. He wanted her to experience the humiliation of being reviled by others.

Later, An Zhi’s life truly became worse than death.

Now, walking in the corridor of the An Mansion again, An Zhi hadn’t yet married Pei Yu. She still had a chance to control her own destiny. Her brother had just begun to stand out in the military, a perfect opportunity to achieve great things.

Everything was still possible. This time, with her here, An Rong and her mother Mistress Xu can forget about ever being included in the An family genealogy. As for Pei Yu, she hopes he’ll stay as far away as possible.

With these thoughts in mind, when An Zhi stepped into the main hall of the An Mansion, she saw that “perfect couple,” and found them quite irritating.

In the main hall, An Rong was only half-sitting on her chair, and for every word An Chengye said, she softly agreed. Obedient and submissive.

She had come to the An Mansion several times before, but always secretly, when An Zhi wasn’t around.

Back then, An Rong had dreamed of living in this magnificent mansion, so much grander than the small alley where she and her mother lived.

And today, she finally had the opportunity.

Thinking of this, An Rong glanced shyly at Pei Yu, who stood beside her. Dressed in elegant blue robes, his skin as fair as moonlight, every move exuded grace and nobility.

And now, someone as distinguished as Pei Yu was willing to come in person to break off the engagement just for her.

An Rong felt proud and delighted.

An Chengye stroked his beard. Compared to the haughty eldest daughter An Zhi, he preferred the gentle and considerate An Rong. As long as it was one of his daughters marrying into the Pei family, he had no objections. “Rong’er, your father isn’t a stubborn man. Since you two love each other, I have nothing to say. When your sister arrives, just apologize to her.”

An Rong softly replied, “Yes,” and glanced cautiously at Pei Yu. He nodded reassuringly, telling her not to worry, that he would take care of everything.

When An Zhi entered the main hall, she saw this harmonious scene and frowned slightly, then sat down. Hearing An Rong call her “sister,” An Zhi didn’t even spare her a glance. Instead, she directly asked An Chengye, “Did Father call me here urgently just so I could witness my fiancé having an affair with another woman?”

“You!” An Chengye’s expression froze, but he knew that An Rong and Pei Yu were indeed in the wrong, and it was natural that An Zhi would be angry. He composed himself and looked at An Zhi with a gentle expression, “Zhi’er, since you already know about their affair, then just return the engagement gifts and call off the engagement.”

“Of course, the engagement must be called off.” An Zhi huffed, her back still straight. Compared to the timid An Rong on the other side, anyone could see who was the true heiress of the An family.

Just in terms of demeanor, An Zhi was far superior to An Rong, not to mention that An Zhi was the most beautiful woman in the capital, surpassing An Rong in beauty by a considerable margin.

Ever since Pei Yu showed interest in the illegitimate daughter of the An family, many people had criticized him behind his back, saying he was blind, or that he had been bewitched by An Rong’s charms.

“However,” An Zhi’s gaze turned cold as she looked at Pei Yu. Thinking of her ten years of suffering in her previous life, and her brother’s death, old grudges welled up within her, making her want to tear Pei Yu apart. “Young Master Pei had an affair with an illegitimate daughter, making me a laughingstock in the entire capital. Now, for the engagement to be broken, not even a single elder from your family is here. I suppose your grandfather doesn’t even know about this yet. But I won’t accept any such dishonorable arrangement.”

Pei Yu, caught off guard by An Zhi’s words, his lips pursed awkwardly, but he remained composed. “An Zhi, your father has decided to include Rong’er in the family genealogy. Please don’t call her an illegitimate daughter anymore; it’s impolite and makes you seem petty. Besides, if you agree to the engagement break now, I’ll go and ask my mother.”

“Family genealogy?” An Zhi’s gaze turned sharp and cold, sweeping over An Chengye.

When her mother was driven to death by Mistress Xu, An Zhi had vowed that as long as she lived, she would never allow Mistress Xu and An Rong to be included in the An family genealogy. She wanted them to live their lives as nameless, insignificant people, like rats in a sewer. An Chengye indeed had that intention, but he was taken aback by An Zhi’s sudden accusation, his face flushed with embarrassment. “Zhi’er, Rong’er is your own sister; it’s only natural that she be included in the family genealogy. Don’t look at me like that. I am your father; remember your position as the eldest daughter!”

“Yes, I am the eldest daughter, but ‘a father who doesn’t discipline his children is at fault.’ Haven’t you ever learned that, Father?” An Zhi retorted coldly. “I guess you haven’t, otherwise you wouldn’t have kept a mistress outside, driven your wife to death, and raised another daughter who would steal another girl’s fiancé. I suppose that’s what you call good upbringing, isn’t it?”

An Chengye turned red with anger, speechless, pointing at An Zhi.

An Rong on the other side burst into tears.

Pei Yu stood up, glaring angrily at An Zhi. “An Zhi, do you know why I don’t like you? Because you are arrogant and uncultured. You are not as gentle as Rong’er, not as considerate, and certainly not as well-mannered. She would never disobey her father or husband!”

An Zhi chuckled.

Her engagement to Pei Yu was arranged by her mother when she was one month old. From childhood, An Zhi knew she had a fiancé. When Pei Yu grew up to be handsome, she wholeheartedly prepared for their wedding. Back then, she was gentle and considerate, always obeying her father and Pei Yu.

As for her current resentment, it was accumulated over ten years of suffering and hardship.

An Zhi enjoyed watching Pei Yu fume. “I guess I’m not as good at pleasing men as An Rong. You and An Rong have been close for a long time, so why are you suddenly so eager to come here? Do I have to spell it out for you?”

In her previous life, not long after An Zhi married into the Pei family, Pei Yu brought An Rong into the family because she was pregnant. Having an affair before marriage and then becoming pregnant—if this were to become public, a family with a good reputation like the Pei family would definitely not allow An Rong to marry into their family, and they would likely even force her to have an abortion.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” An Zhi saw that both Pei Yu and An Rong looked pale. She stood up, walked to the eaves, and caught a few drops of spring rain in her hand, feeling the cool moisture. “I’ve known about your little affair for a long time. I thought you were just playing around before, but now that you want to officially break off the engagement, then have your parents come here. And you, Pei Yu, must beg for forgiveness, kneeling all the way from your Pei family to the An family. Only then will I agree to the engagement being broken off. Otherwise, I’ll file a lawsuit at Tianbo Mansion, and An Rong’s pregnancy won’t be able to be hidden then.”

After a pause, An Zhi turned to An Rong and smiled slightly. “Of course, if Father dares write your name in the family register, I’ll also report you for having an affair before marriage.”

In this dynasty, it was common for women to remarry after divorce or widowhood; no one would criticize them. But the law stipulated that women who had affairs were to be sent to a “chastity house,” where they would suffer a life worse than death.

An Rong’s face turned instantly pale.

All her initial excitement was gone; she was so anxious she couldn’t sit still. She had thought her plan was foolproof, but she never expected An Zhi to know about it.

Pei Yu hated being threatened, “An Zhi, don’t push your luck. Rong’er and I have behaved properly; nothing like what you’re saying happened.”

“Fine. Then, let’s get a doctor to examine her,” An Zhi said confidently, smiling. “If An Rong isn’t pregnant, I won’t need your apology; I’ll immediately agree to the engagement being broken off. Do you dare?”

Pei Yu didn’t dare.

He had begged his mother for days, but to no avail. If An Rong hadn’t been pregnant, he wouldn’t have come here so impulsively today. But he would never stoop to begging for forgiveness. “An Zhi, if you agree to call off the engagement, I’ll give you whatever you want—gold, silver, precious stones, anything.” This was his final compromise. If An Zhi still refused, he would insist on giving An Rong her rightful status, even if it meant facing his grandfather’s wrath.

An Zhi didn’t need money, especially not from Pei Yu. Just as she was about to refuse, she heard a cold, detached voice from the rain.

“Pei Yu, you’ve become quite audacious, haven’t you?”

Turning to see who it was, An Zhi saw a figure emerge from the rain, dressed in black. His dark eyebrows were slightly raised, and his gaze was aloof and detached, like an immortal untouched by earthly matters.

It was Pei Que, Pei Yu’s fourth uncle, a renowned figure in the capital, the youngest ever to achieve first place in the imperial examinations, and known for his decisive actions and unwavering sense of justice. He was destined to become the most powerful figure in the court.

Last night, when An Zhi was drunk in the tavern, she had playfully teased this future power figure.

However, she had disguised herself as a man last night, so Pei Que probably wouldn’t recognize her. In her previous life, after she married Pei Yu, Pei Que never mentioned the incident, and even defended her several times within the Pei family.

Seeing Pei Que and An Chengye exchange greetings, An Zhi turned to look at Pei Yu, who visibly trembled with fear.

【Author’s words】

New book uploaded, thank you for your support~~