Mrs. Zhao Zhilan was famously devoted to her daughter.
Back in those days, she was the only parent in their entire residential complex who picked up Bei Yao from school every single day - starting from kindergarten all the way through junior high. The Fang family sometimes had Teacher Fang pick up Fang Minjun, while Chen Hu's parents took turns fetching their child. Only Zhao Zhilan never missed a single moment of Bei Yao's growth.
She knew exactly when Bei Yao had lost her baby teeth, remembered what age her daughter had gotten her first period, understood which colors Bei Yao loved and which she detested. Coming from a generation where her own mother had favored Zhao Zhilan's younger brother due to deeply ingrained patriarchal values, Zhao Zhilan had vowed that if she ever had a daughter, she would raise her with utmost care, letting her grow up happily and cherished like precious pearls.
And true to her word, Mrs. Zhao treated Bei Yao exactly this way.
After receiving the 120,000 yuan bonus, Zhao Zhilan felt like she was walking on air.
Their family savings over several years hadn't even reached 120,000 yuan, mainly because they had previously been drained by that spendthrift Zhao Xing. Later, as Bei Jun grew older year by year, every household expense from food to utilities required money - the Bei family simply couldn't accumulate much savings.
That night in bed, Zhao Zhilan told Bei Licai about it: "Honey, my heart's pounding like crazy. How can such wonderful things happen in this world? Our boss has never been this generous before."
"Was your last quarter's performance particularly outstanding?"
"Not exactly. We've had better quarters before, but that skinflint never gave us even a single yuan raise."
Bei Licai thought for a moment, seeing his wife's mixed expression of delight and worry over her windfall, and could only comfort her: "Don't worry too much. Since this is company money, it can't possibly be from questionable sources. If we're talking about good luck, those lottery winners who get millions are the truly lucky ones."
Zhao Zhilan considered this and agreed. Bei Licai had an open mind and didn't overthink things, so after her initial concerns, Zhao Zhilan became quite optimistic.
This was before the term "lucky draw winner" became popular. Mrs. Zhao said: "Honey, don't you think I bring great fortune to my husband? Look at my luck - I always win big prizes in draws. Why don't we start buying lottery tickets tomorrow? If we win millions, our Yaoyao will have both a house and a car."
Bei Licai: "..."
Bei Licai took a deep breath: "Zhilan, why don't you save your good fortune for our daughter? Let her have a smooth life ahead. How about we skip the prize draws and lottery tickets?"
Mentioning Bei Yao immediately made Zhao Zhilan back down: "You're right, save it for Yaoyao. Well, since our company benefits are so good, why don't you come work for us too?"
The benefit-less Bei Licai... pulled the covers over his head and went to sleep.
Although Zhao Zhilan was usually frugal, she wasn't stingy with her children. She immediately transferred some money to Bei Yao's account and, worried her daughter might be reluctant to spend it, personally bought several pieces of clothing and mailed them all.
This year, Mrs. Zhao still didn't know how to shop online, so she had to pack the clothes properly, including a letter little Bei Jun had written to Bei Yao using pinyin and Chinese characters.
A few days later, when Bei Yao received the beautiful new clothes and heard about her mother's prize draw story...
She felt strange inside. First the summer camp vouchers, then Olympic tickets, and now straight up 120,000 yuan in cash?
This pattern seemed all too familiar. Bei Yao instinctively thought of her boyfriend currently serving time in prison.Yet it couldn't possibly be him. After all, Pei Chuan's house had been seized back then, leaving nothing behind. That summer, she had gone to his apartment several times but never managed to catch his return.
He should have been broke—the diamond in her possession and the card from Chen Hu were likely his last remaining assets. Besides, Pei Chuan was still imprisoned.
So then... was her mother, Mrs. Zhao, just exceptionally lucky?
She unfolded the letter from her younger brother again. Bei Jun's handwriting was large and sprawling, expressing how much he missed his sister and urging her to come home soon.
Her heart warmed at the words.
Shan Xiaomai watched Bei Yao with envy. She, too, had a younger brother, but at home, he always came first. When they were young, if her brother cried, their mother would scold or hit her. As they grew older, no matter how unreasonable her brother's demands were, their mother would fulfill them.
Shan Xiaomai often felt like an extra—like a servant to her brother. Ever since he was born, her entire life had been upended. Even after working hard to get into university, she had to study medicine because her brother was in poor health.
She was squeamish, timid, and had no interest in medicine whatsoever.
Wang Qiankun patted Shan Xiaomai on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Xiaomai, don't be envious. We'll always be your sisters!"
Touched, Shan Xiaomai nodded firmly.
~
By the summer of 2010, Bei Yao and her classmates were in the first semester of their third year.
One of the mandatory courses for every university major was Marxism-Leninism. The professor teaching their class had a particular fondness for discussing life philosophies.
He wrote two words on the blackboard: "Career" and "Future."
Though employment topics weren't technically part of his curriculum, professors teaching such courses tended to be more emotionally driven. He shared the success story of a world-renowned billionaire, reading from the materials: "This remarkable gentleman dropped out after his sophomore year, founded Microsoft, and became the world's richest man. His path to success seems legendary to us. He possessed a brilliant mind and the highest level of programming skills of his era, particularly excelling in writing powerful BASIC compilers. Often, he acted as a human IDE, delivering highly polished code with remarkable speed." [Note: Reference]
The professor sighed in admiration. "Some industries are truly extraordinary. A sharp mind and advanced technology not only drive progress and shape our lives today—they also made him the world's wealthiest man."
A student in the audience chuckled and said, "Professor, we're medical students! Not computer science majors."
The professor paused for a moment. "Oh, right, you're medical students."
Awkwardness ensued. Since Marxism-Leninism was required for all majors, he must have misread the schedule.
Trying to recover, the professor quickly added, "Medicine is even more noble—saving lives and healing the wounded. It's a profession that never goes out of style, no matter the era."
A student muttered under their breath, "But it's exhausting and doesn't pay well."
The minor mishap sparked discussions among the students. Qin Dongni clicked her tongue and remarked, "Those who can write code are truly impressive. I read in the news a few years ago that a powerful program could sell for millions. It's really something—awesome. Look at our major—it's tough. We could work ourselves to the bone our whole lives and still not earn as much as they make from selling one program."Qin Dongni said this, but Wang Qiankun didn't mind: "Anyway, I just love studying. Seeing patients saved under my scalpel gives me immense satisfaction."
Shan Xiaomai was sulking—she didn't like this major at all! She thought being a file clerk would be just fine.
Qin Dongni asked, "Yao Yao, what do you think?"
Everyone looked at Bei Yao, as the whole dorm knew about her situation.
A boyfriend... still in prison, who would likely become unemployed upon release. Studying medicine was so arduous and hardly a path to quick wealth. Would Yao Yao end up supporting that "unemployed youth" in the future?
Bei Yao was a bit confused: "What should I think?"
"Medicine pays slowly, and it's exhausting."
Bei Yao said, "I know, but it's also stable."
Doctors and teachers never face unemployment, after all.
Bei Yao smiled: "I agree with Qiankun—saving lives is wonderful, and it makes life fulfilling. Besides, as you mentioned before, Dr. Yu is exceptional. Every profession has its top talents. I think this major is quite good."
Qin Dongni deflated.
~
Their program was five years long, and reaching the third year meant they were halfway through.
The summer was particularly hot. Among the new clothes Zhao Zhilan had sent earlier was a pair of denim shorts that reached mid-thigh. Bei Yao didn't think much of them when she wore them, but her appearance caused a stir in the entire classroom.
Campus Belle Bei Yao's legs were exceptionally beautiful.
How to describe them? Long and straight, perfectly proportioned, and incredibly fair.
Even Wang Qiankun gasped in awe, itching to touch them.
The summer heat felt especially intense. When Bei Yao sat down, countless eyes lingered on her in a daze.
Wang Qiankun said, "Yao, how about a deal? Let me touch them."
She then boldly reached out and stroked them—oh, so soft and tender, the sensation was exhilarating. Wang Qiankun slapped her own sturdy, thick thigh in disbelief.
Bei Yao was caught between laughter and tears, feeling rather shy.
Bei Yao's usual clothes were more conservative, reflecting the era she grew up in—she'd worn corduroy pants as a child. Suddenly switching to shorts stirred not just the boys in class but even the girls around her.
After Wang Qiankun's bold move, Qin Dongni insisted on touching them too, while Shan Xiaomai glanced enviously but didn't dare to join.
Amid the girls' playful banter, Qin Dongni whispered, "Hey, Yao Yao, that boyfriend of yours we've never seen must adore you to death." Qin Dongni thought to herself—she wasn't as stunning as Yao Yao, yet her own boyfriend loved kissing and hugging her constantly. How "fortunate" Bei Yao's boyfriend must be.
Bei Yao flushed crimson, hiding her face behind a book in despair. "We're in class, behave yourselves."
Qin Dongni burst out laughing: "If you're this shy, he probably hasn't even touched or seen them. Why not wear these to see him next time?"
Bei Yao stayed silent, the tips of her ears turning red.
Over time, the dormmates had gradually accepted that Bei Yao had a boyfriend still "serving time." Truth be told, they were a bit curious—was he devastatingly handsome, or did he excel in other ways?
Bei Yao could only see him once per season. After their teasing, the roommates actually felt for her and stopped urging her to break up with him.
After all, finding love wasn't easy, and holding onto it was even harder.
This "visitation" was scheduled for early September, while summer clothes could still be worn.
Bei Yao hesitated intensely—she put on long pants, switched to ultra-short shorts, then changed back to long pants... In the end, she settled on the ultra-short shorts.It was so difficult for her to see Pei Chuan. Just as Qin Dongni had said, boys all liked girls like her, so Pei Chuan must... must like her too, right?
When she went out, the weather was exceptionally clear. Since Pei Chuan never accepted anything she brought, Bei Yao decided not to force it and simply went to see him.
Chu Xun had stopped pestering her. Most men still adhered to gentlemanly manners, unlike Chu Xun's unreasonable and forceful pursuit.
As she walked through the university's maple grove, she saw two people approaching, chatting and laughing.
One of them, a young man, stood ramrod straight, drawing covert glances from many girls around.
Bei Yao frowned, feeling this person was annoyingly persistent. Not wanting any conflict, she decided to take a side path to avoid them.
When Huo Xu saw her, he was momentarily captivated. His gaze fixed dazedly on her face. Driven by masculine instinct, he inadvertently glanced at her straight, beautiful jade-like legs before looking away, his heart somewhat unsettled.
The first time he saw her, she was sixteen. When she lifted her eyes under an umbrella, she was already exceptionally beautiful.
Bei Yao directly left via the side path, as if she didn't remember this person had helped her block Chu Xun last time.
Her obvious aversion and unwillingness to interact was so apparent that not only Huo Xu himself, but even the school director conversing with him noticed this beautiful girl deliberately avoiding them.
Huo Xu stared blankly at her retreating figure, feeling inexplicably melancholy, unable to understand why this girl disliked him so.
~
This time, Bei Yao came to "Seventh Prison" alone.
Usually at this time, it was Seventh Prison's "recreation time." Bei Yao came every time, and the prison guards all recognized her.
A guard went to notify: "Pei Chuan, someone's here to see you."
Everyone exchanged knowing looks, then watched as this aloof young man calmly washed his hands and wheeled himself out in his wheelchair.
Cheng Zhenghai said: "Pei Chuan, your collar isn't flipped."
Pei Chuan couldn't help but look down at his collar, only to find it perfectly neat.
Everyone nearly died laughing.
Why did someone so young act so serious? More proper than their group of "old men." Only at times like this did this young man show some human warmth. Remembering the previous lipstick mark incident, they patted Pei Chuan's shoulder: "Hurry up, we know you're anxious. Your image is plenty handsome."
Every time before her visits, Pei Chuan would request to reschedule his haircut time.
He knew how wretched he looked now, but... being able to appear slightly better in front of her was still worthwhile.
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