The mountain breeze blowing from the villa was chilly. Shao Yue wiped her tears: "I'm the one who stayed by your side all this time, Huo Xu. Six years—we've been together for six years, and now you tell me it was a slip of the tongue?"
Huo Xu said, "I'm sorry, I've been under too much pressure lately. You know how ruthless that madwoman Jiang Huaqiong is when she suppresses people. She'd rather both sides suffer than let me have it easy."
Shao Yue studied his expression carefully: "You're lying. You were just thinking about her, weren't you? Did it feel good?"
Huo Xu's face darkened: "Shao Yue!" For the first time, he felt such impatience. Huo Xu even thought to himself, work at the company was already exhausting enough, and now he had to deal with this woman at home too. He had completely lost his patience.
Huo Xu's voice turned cold and harsh in an instant, making Shao Yue's heart grow cold as well.
Huo Xu said, "You're right, we've been together for six years, so I won't abandon you. But as for playing games like threatening to jump off a building, don't try that with me. Shao Yue, I'm not a kid anymore, not some teenage boy. If you mention Bei Yao one more time, just try it." Did she think he enjoyed this? That woman would rather marry a cripple than him!
This was the first time Huo Xu had spoken so bluntly. Shao Yue felt a chill run through her entire body. It was true—Huo Xu had grown up. In places she couldn't see, he had taken over the entire Huo family for over a year now, and his heart had grown increasingly ruthless. In the past, he would never have said such things.
Before, whenever she cried, Huo Xu would immediately comfort her and agree to any request. But now, because of an unattainable Bei Yao, he couldn't even bother to keep up appearances.
Shao Yue stepped down from the windowsill and fell silent.
Huo Xu didn't look at her either, heading straight into the bathroom to shower.
Shao Yue sneered coldly. Men—when they cherish you, you're a treasure in their hearts; when they don't love you, you're just grass under their feet. But she wasn't foolish either. She knew that Huo Xu was the only one who could hold his own against Jiang Huaqiong for now.
But what would happen after this temporary reprieve? Where would they hide then? Shao Yue knew all too clearly that it was only a matter of time before Huo Xu lost to Jiang Huaqiong.
Perhaps it was time for her to start planning for herself.
Shao Yue was filled with resentment. The moment she thought of Bei Yao, she clenched the bedsheet tightly. Why? She had stayed with Huo Xu for six whole years—her best youth had been spent during this time.
Yet Bei Yao had done nothing and still managed to captivate Huo Xu's heart and soul.
Even if Huo Xu refused to admit it, Shao Yue had been with him for so many years—how could she not tell what was true and what was false?
And it wasn't just Huo Xu. She had heard that Bei Yao's new husband adored her too. Wasn't that man a cripple? How could he handle marrying such a great beauty? But this was the only comfort Shao Yue could give herself.
Even though Shao Yue had only met Bei Yao once, she felt as if her entire life had been defeated by this woman. The most hateful part was that while she gritted her teeth in hatred behind the scenes, Bei Yao probably didn't even remember who she was.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Shao Yue threw the pillow onto the floor.
Work at the research institute was busy. No matter how early Pei Chuan arrived, once he got busy, he would work straight until the end of the day.
Most of the researchers knew he was newly married. Cheng Zhenghai had also worked at this institute before. Someone teased, "Xiao Pei, didn't take your wife on a honeymoon?"
Pei Chuan was assembling a chip. At these words, his fingers paused briefly.The researcher couldn't help laughing: "You couldn't hear anything I just said, but the moment your wife is mentioned, you hear everything. Young man, don't work too hard. You should spend time with her when needed."
They always thought Pei Chuan was a workaholic. A young researcher at only twenty-three, why did he act so serious?
Although there was also a Ph.D. in the institute who, for the sake of his bacterial strains, reportedly drove to the lab on his wedding night.
But being a science fanatic shouldn't mean neglecting family.
Since Pei Chuan got married in his hometown in C City, no one had met his wife. Basically, Pei Chuan came to the institute right after getting married, without any honeymoon. This led everyone to unanimously believe that Pei Chuan was also a workaholic.
Pei Chuan installed the chip, his gaze lowering slightly: "She has to attend school."
Everyone was surprised—so young?
So it wasn't that Pei Chuan didn't want to go, but that his wife's situation made it inconvenient. A few senior colleagues exchanged glances, understanding dawning on them.
Newly married, yet his young wife was attending school every day—probably Pei Chuan had his own unspoken frustrations.
Another researcher named Liu Mao, who also worked in electronic technology, asked: "Which school?"
Pei Chuan continued working without pause: "B University."
Liu Mao laughed, walking over to pat his shoulder: "Want me to give you an opportunity?"
Pei Chuan looked up.
Those in this field didn't need to wear masks and protective suits like the neighboring department, yet Pei Chuan's stern features appeared utterly unapproachable, like a working machine.
But he was exceptionally capable, able to comprehend many concepts others found confusing. The senior researchers at the institute valued him greatly.
Liu Mao said: "You see, our institute rarely takes breaks. The president of B University is my former student. He invited me to give a lecture at their school last week. My daughter is coming back this weekend, and I need to pick her up from the airport. How about you go instead?"
Pei Chuan nodded, finally showing a slight smile.
The institute staff couldn't help but chuckle.
Liu Mao also found it amusing: "Then why not skip the lecture altogether? Aren't you working on software recently? How about you go teach at B University instead? I'll talk to Xiao Zhao—you can substitute teach for half a month?"
This arrangement...
Clearly, it was a joke teasing Pei Chuan. What researcher would go teach at a university?
Pei Chuan said: "I don't have a university diploma."
He said this calmly, making everyone pause. They usually knew he was brilliant, but precisely because he was so brilliant, they had forgotten this "top scorer in the college entrance examination" never experienced university life.
Liu Mao, who had originally been joking, now felt some sympathy for him.
He said: "What does not having a diploma matter? When you leave our institute, everyone will call you professor! How about this—you go substitute teach at the university for half a month. Consider it experiencing campus life. You won't even need to be a student—you can go straight to being a professor. How impressive is that!"
Everyone was friendly.
"Xiao Pei, go for it. The institute isn't busy lately!"
"What you accomplished recently would take Liu Mao a month to complete. Go with confidence!"
Liu Mao laughed: "What are you talking about! I'm your senior."
Pei Chuan said: "Thank you."
"Hey, no need for thanks. You're newlyweds—going to the university will let you spend time with her."Pei Chuan felt a strange sensation in his heart. He wasn’t without gratitude for the opportunity the country had given him, but his life experiences had led him to view this job as dispensable. Moreover, the salary at the research institute wasn’t particularly high—at least in his eyes, it wasn’t enough to support Yaoyao. That’s why he usually found time to develop and sell his own software for extra income.
Yet, for the first time, he also experienced kindness from others in society.
In early May, Liu Mao helped Pei Chuan secure an arrangement with the president of B University.
The president was overjoyed—absolutely ecstatic!
Having someone from the First Scientific Research Institute give a lecture at their university was an immense honor. After all, events like "Scientists Entering the Campus" could make headlines. No one expected the invited researcher to be willing to come and teach!
For the entire university, this was a tremendous opportunity. It was said that the researcher was exceptionally young.
Given his expertise, Pei Chuan was naturally assigned to lecture students in the Computer Science department.
Two days in advance, the president contacted the academic advisors, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a respectful and serious atmosphere. They had to show the utmost respect to the visiting professor.
After all, the title "professor" for a researcher was an honorary one, different from the advanced titles of university faculty. These were individuals contributing to national and societal progress.
The academic advisors were thrilled as well. Attending a lecture by a professor of this caliber could benefit students for years to come.
The president cleared his throat and added, "I’ve heard that the professor is a bit eccentric—he speaks little, rarely smiles, and isn’t particularly adept at social interactions. So, aside from the atmosphere, discipline must also be reinforced!"
The advisor responded, "Of course! Someone at that level is bound to have some quirks. Don’t worry, I’ll communicate with the faculty right away. Professor Pei’s lectures will be directly tied to their academic performance!"
The president nodded in satisfaction.
Truthfully, he wasn’t overly concerned. Any sensible student would recognize the immense benefits of attending the lecture and wouldn’t dare cause any trouble.
Bei Yao was in the middle of her midterm exams these days. Unlike in high school or middle school, university exams were held in the evenings, so Bei Yao hadn’t returned home. It would be too late to go back after the exams, and she knew it wasn’t safe to travel alone. She also understood that Pei Chuan was working hard at the research institute and didn’t want to trouble him with picking her up. She planned to return home once her exams were over.
The exams lasted for three evenings. On the fourth day, as they wrapped up, the entire campus was buzzing about a major event!
A large red banner was unfurled—"Warmly Welcome Professor Pei Chuan to Our University!"
The announcement board continuously scrolled with the same message.
When Wang Qiankun saw the news, he returned full of envy and said, "The Computer Science students are so lucky! When will we get to attend a lecture by an industry heavyweight?"
While their department was still taking exams, Pei Chuan had already been teaching for two days.
Wang Qiankun, always keen on industry gossip, shared with great interest, "But here’s the funny part—I heard the professor is very young, not much older than the students, yet he’s as cold as ice. There’s a girl in the Computer Science department named Duan You, who once competed with Bei Yao in the campus beauty pageant and came in third. She kept asking the professor questions, but he just said, ‘Class is over. Ask your own teachers.’ How awkward is that!"
Bei Yao, who had been staying in to work on a birthday gift for Pei Chuan, asked curiously, "A computer researcher?"
"Yeah, do you think men in programming are just naturally straightforward like that?"
Qin Dongni laughed and said, "How could that be?"Wang Qiankun shrugged. "Maybe 'Professor Pei' is frigid and doesn't care about beautiful women."
Qin Dongni became very interested in a "frigid" man. She said, "This afternoon, I'll go sit in on the computer science department's open lecture too."
When Bei Yao heard the words "Professor Pei," she instinctively asked, "What's Professor Pei's full name?"
Wang Qiankun thought for a moment. "Pei Chuan, I think."
"..." Was it her Pei Chuan?
Bei Yao thought it was very likely.
So when Qin Dongni decided to skip her specialized course that afternoon, Bei Yao said, "I'm coming too."
Qin Dongni widened her eyes. "Yaoyao, since when are you interested in gossip?"
Bei Yao didn't know how to explain. If it was just someone with the same name, it would be extremely awkward.
Qin Dongni didn't dwell on it. "Hurry, hurry! His class must be packed. Let's grab front row seats."
Wang Qiankun wasn't going; she was only interested in medicine. Shan Xiaomai didn't dare to go; she felt it would be awkward to attend another department's class.
However, when Bei Yao and Qin Dongni arrived, the multimedia classroom was already completely full, with some students even bringing their own stools to listen from the hallway.
Qin Dongni: "..."
Class hadn't started yet. Bei Yao also peered inside.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Bei Yao!"
Everyone's gaze turned toward them. Qin Dongni couldn't help but smile—well, the campus belle was quite famous indeed.
A male student in the front row stood up and asked, "We have seats here. Would you like to join us?"
Bei Yao was about to shake her head—she just wanted to see if it was Pei Chuan.
But Qin Dongni had already grabbed her arm and squeezed through. "Thank you, classmate!"
The male student blushed while looking at Bei Yao. "You're welcome, you're welcome!"
A moment later, the boy's roommates rushed over only to find the seats he had saved were given to Bei Yao. They gritted their teeth—damn, friendship can't compete with beauty, huh!
The boy kept sneaking glances at Bei Yao, completely ignoring his roommates' dagger-like stares.
The large classroom buzzed with chatter. Bei Yao overheard the girls behind her talking.
"Professor Pei is quite handsome. He's probably only in his twenties, right?"
"To be honest, his lectures are so profound—completely different from our textbooks!"
"He's teaching about 'hacker' knowledge! His voice is so nice, like a deep cello. That bass tone slays me!"
The girls laughed and teased, "Stop fantasizing. He's only here to teach a few classes. Did you see Duan You proactively going up to 'ask questions'? He didn't even lift an eyelid. Can you compare to Duan You?"
One second before the class bell rang, someone said, "Professor Pei is here!"
Bei Yao also looked toward the door.
In early May's early summer, he walked into the classroom wearing a white shirt, carrying nothing.
Because he wore a prosthetic leg on his lower leg, he walked very slowly. However, to those who didn't know, this came across as an arrogant, aloof temperament.
The moment he entered, almost everyone fell silent.
Pei Chuan didn't look at the densely packed crowd below. He picked up a piece of chalk. "A supplementary lecture on 'esolang' programming languages."
Just as the girls had said, his voice was very cold.
Bei Yao watched him intently. The man picked up the chalk—his writing was bold and powerful, and he wrote quickly. She watched his back, her eyes sparkling with tiny stars.The "frigid" professor wasn't accustomed to digital pens, clinging to chalk like an old fossil. He delivered purely operational summaries without holding anything back. Though most students couldn't understand the content, they could still recognize Professor Pei's brilliance.
Everyone quietly took notes.
Qin Dongni whispered, "Yao Yao, do you actually understand this?"
Bei Yao shook her head.
Qin Dongni: "..." Then why are you watching so intently, with that gentle smile in your eyes?
The next moment, alerted by Qin Dongni's whispering, the professor turned around.
His eyes immediately found his young wife in the third row.
Pei Chuan froze. He never expected to see Bei Yao in his computer science lecture. He knew she had exams these past two days and hadn't dared disturb her.
Though he missed her terribly, he'd restrained himself.
"Restraint" and "compromise" were probably the emotions he'd practiced most throughout his life.
Bei Yao rested her chin in her hands, almond-shaped eyes sparkling as she gazed at him.
During class, she couldn't speak, but Pei Chuan clearly read the admiration in her eyes.
After all, he was still a man, and a woman's admiration remained something almost impossible to resist. Pei Chuan pressed his lips together restrainedly, though laughter spread through his eyes. Liu Mao was right - they were newlyweds after all, how could he not miss his young wife? Even during her exam period when she returned to campus, he still came home punctually every day, dreaming of her constantly.
The classroom fell into momentary silence.
Girls in the back rows stared dazedly at the man on the podium. Was he smiling? Yes, he was!
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