Pei Chuan walked to the old neighborhood, the March spring night chilly and cold.
Jin Ziyang was extremely uneasy: "Brother Chuan, if you go to give them money like this, they'll chase you out."
After all, to Zhao Zhilan, Huo Xu’s improper thoughts about Bei Yao were disgraceful, and Pei Chuan also had improper thoughts about her daughter—there was no difference.
Zhao Zhilan would feel uncomfortable accepting money from either of them. Pei Chuan said, "I know."
"So you still want to go?"
Pei Chuan shook his head: "No."
"Then... you’re not competing with Huo Xu anymore?"
Pei Chuan’s eyes darkened. The night wind blew over them, bitterly cold. Pei Chuan’s heart was filled with conflicting thoughts, light and dark intertwined. Zhao Zhilan didn’t want Huo Xu’s money, and she certainly wouldn’t want his.
Pei Chuan understood perfectly. Just as Jin Ziyang said, if Zhao Zhilan even looked down on Huo Xu, why would she regard him, an ex-convict and cripple, any better?
Getting Zhao Zhilan to accept him would be difficult, extremely difficult.
Pei Chuan said, "You go back. I have a way."
"Brother Chuan, with that expression on your face, you’re making me really nervous. You’re not going to do something stupid, are you? Don’t, I’m really worried."
Pei Chuan said, "Don’t guess wildly. Go back!"
Jin Ziyang pulled out a card: "There’s three hundred thousand here. Want it?" Maybe he should keep the five million for now and give this card to Zhao Zhilan and her family first.
Pei Chuan’s eyes were pitch black: "No need. I won’t be giving any money tonight."
Jin Ziyang didn’t understand what Pei Chuan intended to do. He glanced back repeatedly before finally leaving.
Pei Chuan looked up. The lights were on in Bei Yao’s home. He stood silently in the dark night, watching that direction, his back straight as a pine tree. The cold wind did not chill his body, but his heart churned in molten lava.
After a long while, the lights in Bei Yao’s home went out. Pei Chuan sent her a text message—
【Yao Yao, I’m downstairs at your place】
~
When Bei Yao received this message, she thought she had misread it. Her shock was beyond words—wasn’t Pei Chuan still serving his sentence?
But the number was indeed the one he had used before.
With a sense of urgency, she quietly peered out the window into the distance and saw an indistinct figure in the darkness. She recognized that it was indeed him.
Shocked, Bei Yao quickly put on her coat and tiptoed downstairs.
Zhao Zhilan had been busy raising money to repay debts these past two days and had finally managed to fall asleep. Bei Yao was afraid of waking her mother, so her footsteps were light.
The spring wind was biting. Bei Yao walked up to him, and Pei Chuan lowered his gaze to look at her.
Half a year apart—every time he saw her, it was never easy.
He hid his worries and smiled at her.
Bei Yao said, "You... didn’t you still have a few years left?"
Pei Chuan said softly, "Sentence reduction. It’s over." As he spoke, his palms broke out in a cold sweat. He was afraid she would question why he hadn’t told her earlier, and even more afraid that during this time she might have grown fond of that rich kid Huo Xu, and would be disappointed to hear he was out of prison.
She seemed unable to believe it, tilting her head as she thought.
He remained silent, waiting for her final judgment.
Time passed slowly, second by second. Suddenly, she threw herself into his arms. The man’s body carried the chill of the spring night, slightly cold.
She laughed joyfully: "Are you free from now on?"
The icy parts of his heart slowly melted. He wrapped his arms around her, his voice hoarse and low: "Mm."
Bei Yao said: "That’s really wonderful. If you had told me earlier, I could have come to pick you up. I heard that when you’re released from prison, you should set off firecrackers to ward off bad luck, right? Should we do that tomorrow?"
Holding her tightly, he said, "Okay."Bei Yao didn't mention Huo Xu's matter to him. In her eyes, this was a significant trouble. The notes mentioned Huo Xu with hatred, treating it as something too dreadful to discuss. Pei Chuan had just been released from prison and had nothing to his name. She didn't dare let Pei Chuan get into trouble again because of this.
Bei Yao asked, "What are your plans for the future? Are you going back to live with the Pei family?"
Pei Chuan's dark pupils reflected her image: "I'll find a proper job and work hard to improve myself, alright?"
She nodded, very pleased: "Mm!"
Pei Chuan fell silent for a moment, then added as calmly as possible: "The salary won't be too low."
She thought about it: "These things don't matter. The job should be safe and not too exhausting. We can take it slow." She knew Pei Chuan was someone who would push himself relentlessly.
Bei Yao felt some regret that Pei Chuan hadn't attended university. She didn't know what life in prison was like. It wasn't that she looked down on him - her heart ached for him because he had been the top scorer in the college entrance examination, yet his life had been unjustly interrupted, turning gray ever since.
Having heard similar comments from her roommates over the past two years, Bei Yao also worried he might not find a good job. None of that mattered - she could support him. But her Pei Chuan was already insecure, and she feared he would feel hurt.
Pei Chuan's Adam's apple moved: "Yao Yao, you'll graduate next year. What are your plans?"
She thought for a moment: "I want to become a pediatrician. After graduation, I'll start with an internship and worry about becoming a regular employee later."
He pressed his lips together. Her plans for the coming years didn't include... marrying him.
Twenty-one was too young for a girl to think about marriage. At that age, people preferred striving for their careers and freedom - someone her age definitely wouldn't like being tied down by marriage.
His voice slightly strained: "Yao Yao, I'll treat you very well in the future."
She didn't understand why Pei Chuan would suddenly say such things, but Bei Yao's eyes sparkled, somewhat shy as she nodded gently.
Her innocent gaze made his heart ache. Thinking about what he was about to do, Pei Chuan felt both guilty and afraid. He said quietly: "If one day, I do something you don't particularly like, would you blame me?"
Bei Yao asked curiously: "What kind of things wouldn't I like?"
Pei Chuan said: "For example... interfering with your future."
She thought seriously: "If it's very serious, then I would be angry. I'd be upset about anything I don't like, so please don't do things that would make me angry, okay?"
He remained silent for a moment, then stroked her hair: "Okay."
The night wind was somewhat chilly. Gazing into her eyes, his heart felt both hopeful and sore.
In this lifetime, he would deceive her just one last time.
Huo Xu had given him a severe sense of crisis. Jin Ziyang had asked him - wasn't he going to fight for her? It was impossible not to fight - he would never give up!
Not only would he fight, he would directly strive for the final outcome.
He wanted to marry her.
But Bei Yao hadn't considered marriage for the time being. Her thoughts were simple, like most girls - graduate, intern, find a job, date for a few years, then choose the right person to marry. Pei Chuan thought that if he let her choose after several years, she might not choose him anymore.
After all, as he had said before, people encounter many things in life, have numerous choices, can develop feelings, and can change their hearts. He had originally intended to give her the chance to understand the world, but now someone had made him realize he might lose her.
Back in his second year of high school, he had resolved never to be despicable toward her and to always respect her final choice.
But the matter with Huo Xu had awakened the dormant fear in his heart.He couldn't wait, wouldn't wait, and was even afraid to give Bei Yao time to make a choice.
Yes, Pei Chuan wasn't perfect. He didn't have a high education, didn't know how to sweet-talk people, had little savings, and even had a flawed body and past. But so what?
So what... He was a man, and he had to fight for it.
Under normal circumstances, Zhao Zhilan would never accept him in her lifetime. But this matter with Huo Xu, if handled well, could be Pei Chuan's chance for a comeback.
Pei Chuan admitted he was despicable, but he had to force Zhao Zhilan to make a choice—to entrust her precious daughter to him.
Having stayed outside too long, Bei Yao felt cold. Sensing the chill from the man's embrace, she wondered how long he had been standing in the wind.
She said, "Tomorrow we'll buy firecrackers to celebrate your release. I'll be returning to school soon, so we'll see each other then, okay? My family is busy these days, so I can't stay with you, but in a few days, I'll come find you."
She thought for a moment, worried that Pei Chuan might not have money for accommodation but not daring to bring him home—Zhao Zhilan had been in a foul mood lately.
Bei Yao reached into her coat pocket, pulled out all the money she had, and handed it to him: "Stay at a hotel for now, and tomorrow we'll look for a place to rent, okay?"
He didn't take her money: "I have money with me."
Knowing he was sensitive about such things, Bei Yao didn't insist. "It's cold out, and it's late. Pei Chuan, get some rest. I should head home too."
Pei Chuan suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Her eyes were gentle and understanding, a smile playing on her lips. "What's wrong?"
Pei Chuan pressed his lips together. "Can I... kiss you?"
Her cheeks flushed with warmth, and she felt shy, her fingers intertwining nervously. After a moment, she nodded. Why did he have to ask such a question out loud?
He lifted her chin, leaned in, and his lips met hers.
Pei Chuan cupped her face, his Adam's apple bobbing.
The wind was cold, but his lips were scorching hot.
There was no moon in the sky that night. The man's broad hand slid downward, resting on her soft neck. The girl's skin was warm and supple, tempting him to touch her fiercely. His fingers tightened slightly, the rough pads of his fingertips grazing her skin, making her tremble under his palm.
Bei Yao, feeling dazed, recalled how in her freshman year she had once stumbled upon Qin Dongni and her boyfriend kissing passionately. At the time, she had secretly marveled at how intense it was.
But tonight... tonight...
After a long while, she gasped for breath, and Pei Chuan gently wiped the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
The man's voice was hoarse. "Go home."
Her face flushed crimson, and she floated home as if walking on air. Only when she closed her bedroom door and buried herself under the covers did she feel her heart pounding wildly, its beat echoing loudly in the darkness.
~
The next day, Bei Yao bought firecrackers and set them off quietly with Pei Chuan.
Pei Chuan was staying at a hotel temporarily. He watched Bei Yao set off the firecrackers before she hurried home. He remained calm throughout.
Jin Ziyang, however, was as restless as an ant on a hot pan, unable to grasp Pei Chuan's thoughts. He was frantic with worry.
"Brother Chuan, Aunt Zhao must be anxious. If you don't send the money now, are you really going to let Huo Xu beat you to it?"
Pei Chuan wiped his fingers. "Yes."
"What the hell! What did you say?"
In their youth, everyone knew how much Pei Chuan adored Bei Yao. This time... was there really no way?
Pei Chuan said, "Let him pressure Aunt Zhao." He fell silent for a moment. "Jin Ziyang, have you ever heard the saying, 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind'?"
Jin Ziyang: "...I may not be educated, but I've heard that one."Pei Chuan nodded calmly and said, "Aunt Zhao and Uncle Bei won't let me marry Yao Yao—not this year, not next year, not in this lifetime. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't let her marry a cripple either."
Was it really appropriate to call himself a cripple so bluntly?
Jin Ziyang coughed, feeling somewhat awkward.
Pei Chuan's pupils were pitch-black: "So, I'm going to make them agree." Though he spoke these words, he wasn't entirely calm. Aware of his own despicableness and afraid that forcing Bei Yao into a corner now would make her resent him, he lowered his gaze, fixing it on the vibrant plant in the corner.
Jin Ziyang: "..."
He was starting to feel scared.
What the hell? Is he serious? What method could possibly make someone agree to marry their daughter to you right now? Is he out of his mind?
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