At the sa ti, deep in the mountains, Zhang Ermu, Zhang Yulan, and An Xuyuan were resting and having lunch. Sitting under a large tree, Zhang Yulan gulped down her water in several big swigs before letting out a long, satisfied sigh.
"Ahh~ That's so refreshing!" she said, wiping the water from her lips.
Watching his sister's carefree behavior, Zhang Ermu sighed and reminded her, "Yulan, you are a girl. You should learn to be more refined."
Zhang Yulan wiped her hands with a wet towel, grabbed a piece of scallion pancake, and said, "Brother, I don't want to act all prim and proper. If I have to spend my life with a man who can't accept the real , then I would rather not marry."
Her words caught Zhang Ermu off guard. He looked at his sister and asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to marry that Ding boy?"
When he heard this, An Xuyuan glanced at her but remained silent.
Zhang Yulan swallowed a bite of her pancake before responding, "Brother, I was wrong. I thought I liked him, but after he rejected , I realized I wasn't as sad as I expected to be."
"Rather than heartbreak, it was more like disappointnt and embarrassnt. I think I mistook gratitude for affection. Anyway, I don't want to marry soone who can't accept for who I am."
"If I have to pretend to be soone I'm not for the rest of my life, wouldn't that be exhausting?" she added while shaking her head.
Thinking about how his sister always acted like a delicate flower around Bajie, Zhang Ermu realized she had a point. If Bajie had fallen for her, it wouldn't have been for the real her—but for the act she put on.
Their relationship wouldn't have lasted if it was based on deception. Since she had already made up her mind, he would support her as her brother.
Reaching out, he patted her head and said, "Yulan, don't worry. Brother will find you a good husband."
Zhang Yulan smiled at him and nodded, "I will trust your judgnt, Brother."
She wasn't young anymore, and marriage was inevitable. But she knew her brother loved her dearly—he would surely find soone good for her.
As they discussed the type of man she wanted, An Xuyuan continued eating in silence. For so reason, the scallion pancake in his hand didn't taste as good as before.
After a while, Zhang Yulan suddenly turned to him and asked, "Brother An, what about you? What kind of woman do you like?"
An Xuyuan raised his gaze and replied flatly, "I don't have a particular type."
Chewing her pancake, Zhang Yulan shook her head and said, "No wonder you are still single."
The mont she said this, Zhang Ermu imdiately smacked her arm and said, "Yulan, don't be rude."
Realizing that her words might have been offensive, Zhang Yulan quickly apologized, "Brother An, I didn't an it that way. I'm sorry."
An Xuyuan stared at her for a mont before asking, "What do you an by those words?"
Zhang Yulan t his gaze and hesitated for a mont before she explained, "Well, if you don't have a type, how can a woman make you fall for her?"
"If you liked a certain type, then a girl could at least try to be the type you like. But without any preferences, how is anyone supposed to win your heart?"
"If no one can make you like them, how will you ever get married? On top of that, you are way too serious, and your polite yet distant attitude keeps people from approaching you."
Hearing this, An Xuyuan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Am I that intimidating?"
Zhang Yulan imdiately slapped her thigh, and nodded, "You are scarier than my grandpa!"
An Xuyuan's expression darkened the mont he heard her words. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "So, you think I'm as old as your grandpa now?"
Sensing his displeasure, Zhang Yulan quickly waved her hands and said, "Of course not! Brother An, you are young, tall, handso, smart, wise, strong, and hardworking! Whoever marries you will be laughing in her sleep from happiness."
"You have a bright future and earn good money. You will definitely find a beautiful, delicate, and educated woman as your wife!"
Zhang Ermu rolled his eyes at his sister. Since childhood, she had always been able to spout nonsense with a straight face. If the vice leader was really that amazing, why was he still single?
Noticing her brother's eye roll, Zhang Yulan shot him a glare. Did he think she wanted to flatter An Xuyuan like this? Couldn't he see how bad his mood was just now?
Sitting beside them, An Xuyuan noticed their silent exchange.
He wasn't sure what they were communicating through their glances, but he was certain Zhang Yulan had been insincere in her praises. Even so, he found himself feeling pleased.
Maybe it was the heat, or maybe he was just bored, but an unexpected urge to tease her surfaced in his heart. Looking at her, he suddenly said, "Do you really think so?"
Zhang Yulan nodded quickly and replied, "Of course!"
"Then… how about you beco my wife?" he asked with a teasing smile.
The mont those words left his mouth, all three of them froze.
Zhang Ermu and Zhang Yulan were shocked by the sudden proposal.
An Xuyuan, on the other hand, was stunned that he had said those words without thinking.
Looking at their wide-eyed expressions, he realized there was no way to take it back now. If he said it was a joke, Zhang Ermu would probably beat him on the spot. But if he said nothing… What if they took it seriously?
The silence stretched uncomfortably until Zhang Yulan suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Brother An, you are really funny!" she said while avoiding his gaze.
An Xuyuan frowned when he saw her treating his words as a joke. He should have felt relieved that she took it as a joke—but why did he feel strangely annoyed instead?
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