Two years had passed, and everyone’s clothing and appearance had changed, but their personalities remained the same.

Jin Ziyang had never been to a place like the “Seventh Prison” before—he wanted to touch even the lights on the walls.

There wasn’t a trace of contempt for Pei Chuan in their eyes. Pei Chuan bumped fists with them, and Zheng Hang said, “Don’t look at how happy Jin Ziyang is now, practically ready to tear the roof off—when you got into trouble, he almost sat in the street and cried.”

Jin Ziyang bristled: “Who cried? Zheng Hang, who are you talking about!”

Bei Yao laughed.

She was the only girl in the room, and when she laughed, it seemed even the spring air became exceptionally bright.

She had never seen what male friendship looked like. Her almond-shaped eyes watched curiously. Pei Chuan felt somewhat helpless, yet couldn’t help but smile.

Truthfully, seeing Jin Ziyang and the others, this reunion after a long separation didn’t feel bad at all.

Pei Chuan noticed Ji Wei still carrying his backpack, clutching the “Five-Year College Entrance Exam, Three-Year Simulation” practice book.

“Ji Wei, still preparing for the college entrance exam?”

Ji Wei nodded, scratching his head: “This year is my third time taking the exam. I always feel like I can pass.”

No one laughed at him. In fact, Ji Wei wasn’t clever—he just wasn’t naturally suited for studying. However, when he liked something, it was simple and pure; he could like it for a lifetime without change.

With these men here, Bei Yao felt too shy to talk much with Pei Chuan and stood quietly to the side.

She rarely saw him smile, but today she could tell Pei Chuan was genuinely quite happy.

Zheng Hang was the most perceptive. These men were rough around the edges—they’d come to see Pei Chuan without bringing anything, though they had money in their pockets. But everyone knew how much Pei Chuan liked Bei Yao; they couldn’t possibly give him money in front of the woman their brother loved. If they were going to give anything, it would have to wait until Bei Yao wasn’t around. So Zheng Hang pulled Jin Ziyang and Ji Wei toward the door, saying as they walked: “We’ll go look around, Brother Chuan, you chat with Bei Yao.”

After they’d all left, he looked at the girl standing to the side: “Yao Yao.”

She felt inexplicably shy, but still went over and sat down on the stool opposite him. They didn’t feel comfortable asking him about it, but she wanted to know: “Pei Chuan, the guard said you got into a fight last night. Why did you fight?”

His pitch-black eyes looked at her, and after a long moment he said: “It’s nothing. Prisons are chaotic to begin with—living together, conflicts are inevitable.”

She only cared about one thing: “Did someone bully you?”

This silly girl still thought he was the little boy from childhood who’d been pinned to the ground, powerless to fight back. His gaze softened: “No, don’t overthink it.”

Looking at her watery eyes, he could only explain in a low voice: “I was the one who hit him, which is why I was punished. I wasn’t bullied, understand?”

She breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

Bei Yao knew the prison was chaotic, and moreover, she was so far away from him—she had no idea what kind of life he was living.

She looked up, tilting her small face, biting her lip with a shy smile: “Pei Chuan, a hug.” Just seeing him once was so difficult for her.

He had just been released from confinement and gently touched her hair: “Be good, I’m dirty.”

She remembered the bag she’d brought. Last time she came, she hadn’t brought anything for Pei Chuan, and this man was proud—he wouldn’t accept a penny from her either.

She lowered her head and took out clothes from her bag. After all, this was her first time buying these things for a man, and her cheeks flushed pink: “Do you think they’ll fit?”

His gaze fell on the clothes, and his heart felt a moment of bitterness.

However, Pei Chuan couldn’t change clothes in front of her. Many things in this world could change. What he minded most in this life was the body even his mother found repulsive. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her, so he took the clothes and said: “Mm, they look very nice.”

She smiled with delight.

Bei Yao actually wasn’t insistent on hugs and kisses. She just felt that being inside must be very difficult, and he needed a hug.

A nineteen-year-old girl who preferred the feeling of being with him more.

This man was taciturn, but no matter what she said, his dark eyes held only her image. Pei Chuan never interrupted her speech, never talked about the suffering he’d endured, but she knew—this man was here entirely because of her.

However, they hadn’t talked for long when banging sounds rang out from outside, accompanied by guards’ shouts and reprimands.

Bei Yao turned around. Pei Chuan said: “Let’s go out and see.”

Bei Yao opened the door to complete chaos outside.

Jin Ziyang rushed over to hit a middle-aged man—a prisoner from the “Seventh Prison.” Jin Ziyang was being restrained by guards, still cursing: “So what if I hit you! If you’ve got the guts, hit me back! Hahaha, coward, hit me!”

His voice was utterly obnoxious.

The middle-aged man with his head wrapped in gauze trembled with rage. Zheng Hang seized the opportunity to kick him again.

The middle-aged man: “…”

Zheng Hang was pulled away.

Ji Wei stood to the side looking completely bewildered. As Jin Ziyang was being dragged off, still unwilling to give up, he pulled keys from his pocket to throw at the man. Unexpectedly, his aim was off—the keys flew straight toward Bei Yao. Pei Chuan caught them with a cold expression: “Enough, what’s all this commotion!”

Everyone fell silent.

The guard also felt speechless. These young masters came in and immediately started beating prisoners—and you couldn’t really control them. They weren’t prisoners themselves, so how were you supposed to manage them? The Seventh Prison didn’t hold ordinary criminals. But if you didn’t manage them, Jin Ziyang and the others would go completely wild.

Prisoners couldn’t hit people during their reformation period, so the middle-aged man could only endure it. Jin Ziyang was delighted by this—he’d get his hits in first, worst case they’d arrest him. If that man fought back, he’d definitely be punished too.

Bei Yao had no idea how, in just a short while, fighting had broken out.

Finally, the guard could only say: “Fighting here means losing visitation privileges permanently!”

Everyone finally went quiet as chickens.

Jin Ziyang wasn’t satisfied and wanted to speak, but Pei Chuan’s brow darkened: “Jin Ziyang, come with me.”

Pei Chuan looked at Bei Yao. When speaking to her, his tone lost its severity, carrying a coaxing flavor: “Yao Yao, go outside, okay? I need to talk to him.”

Bei Yao nodded. Once Bei Yao left, Jin Ziyang said: “Brother Chuan, I was helping you teach that bastard a lesson.”

Pei Chuan’s brow turned cold: “You want to go to prison too?”

Jin Ziyang wasn’t convinced: “He deliberately provoked you into fighting last night so you’d get confined.”

When they came out and ran into Cheng Zhenghai, the senior had told them everything. That middle-aged man was called Xiang Lei, and he’d deliberately talked about Bei Yao before visitation day. That day during New Year’s, someone had come to see Xiang Lei too.

Through the window, Xiang Lei had seen Bei Yao when she arrived.

Last night, Xiang Lei had said very ugly things, saying Bei Yao probably had another man outside and was just coming to see Pei Chuan’s pathetic state. How many beautiful women like that could wait for a man to get out?

Xiang Lei’s wife had run off.

At first, Pei Chuan was working, saying nothing.

Later, Xiang Lei spoke more and more excessively, even saying: “You guys don’t know—even in her down jacket, you could tell that woman has a great figure. Hahaha, would she let this crippled kid touch her? Are there really women with a ‘disability fetish’ like that?”

Pei Chuan immediately smashed all the experimental materials in his hands onto Xiang Lei’s head.

The prison erupted in chaos. The doctor came to treat people immediately. Xiang Lei rolled on the ground screaming in pain, and Pei Chuan was directly thrown into solitary confinement.

Cheng Zhenghai said: “You knew he was provoking you, so why did you still strike?”

Pei Chuan pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing.

Today, Cheng Zhenghai had told Jin Ziyang and the others about this, which is why Jin Ziyang couldn’t hold back from attacking. So what! If Brother Chuan couldn’t hit Xiang Lei, they certainly could!

Pei Chuan closed his eyes: “Don’t cause trouble.”

Jin Ziyang wanted to say something, but Pei Chuan said in a low voice: “For these two years, I can’t cause trouble.”

He wanted to get out.

Wanted to be a good man, wanted to stay by her side.

This was the first time Jin Ziyang had seen Pei Chuan like this, and he immediately quieted down.

Pei Chuan knew that a man’s spirit couldn’t be lost, which is why he’d put a hole in Xiang Lei’s head. But today, seeing Yao Yao, he finally understood—nothing in this world, no spirit, no dignity, was more important than her.

If Cheng Zhenghai hadn’t pleaded for him, he’d still be locked in solitary confinement, unable to see her.

He’d waited from New Year’s to spring, just wanting to see her once.

Today in solitary confinement, he’d been very desperate. Afraid she’d be disappointed in him for causing trouble, afraid she’d leave, afraid she’d go away.

Pei Chuan said: “Jin Ziyang, I’m asking you for a favor.”

In Pei Chuan’s twenty years of life, this was the first time he’d used the word “ask.”

Jin Ziyang panicked a bit: “Hey, hey, we’re brothers—just say what you need, why use words like ‘ask.'”

Pei Chuan said calmly: “Before I came in, I finished a complete software program. The USB drive is with the manager at Qingshi. I’ll tell you the password—take it and sell it. If you need it, name a price, your company can have it too.”

Jin Ziyang said: “Brother Chuan, if you need money I have some. Keep those things.”

Pei Chuan insisted: “Go get it, then sell it. Conservative estimate is it can sell for three million—it’s not harmful software. After you sell it, find a way to send money to Auntie Zhao Zhilan every month. Make it a lottery prize or company benefits, whatever—just don’t tell her it’s from me.”

Jin Ziyang mumbled: “Oh.”

Pei Chuan said: “Thank you.”

Visitation time passed quickly, and Pei Chuan watched as they left.

She’d walked far away when she turned back, smiling and waving at him. Pei Chuan understood her lip movements—she said, “I’ll come see you again next time.”

He curved his lips slightly, his eyes very gentle.

~

Jin Ziyang and the others were lectured by the guards, paid fines, and finally slunk away dejectedly.

However, reflection was impossible for this guy. The more Jin Ziyang thought about it, the more he felt he hadn’t gotten to hit enough.

Zheng Hang asked him: “What did Brother Chuan say to you?”

Jin Ziyang said: “I’m pretty confused too. He wants me to sell his old software and send the money to Bei Yao’s mother. And Brother Chuan was so polite, even using the word ‘ask’—what’s he trying to do?”

Zheng Hang watched the young girl’s departing figure. Spring had arrived, and new buds were sprouting on the branches.

Wherever Bei Yao passed, wildflowers bloomed all along the way.

Zheng Hang said: “Have you ever seen Brother Chuan ask anyone for anything?”

“Not really.”

In the three years they’d known him, Pei Chuan’s backbone was harder than anyone’s.

Zheng Hang said softly: “He just feels heartbroken.”

Jin Ziyang didn’t understand, but Zheng Hang saw it clearly. He’d heard Bei Yao was studying medicine—studying medicine was extremely hard work, with heavy coursework. A girl like Bei Yao should be living the best life, but the clothes she wore were far from as expensive and beautiful as other girls’.

A girl who should be properly cherished was waiting for him with absolute devotion.

When Brother Chuan had money, he didn’t dare give her what he wanted to give. Now that he’d fallen on hard times, his heart ached with nowhere to pour it out.

When Pei Chuan did these things, he never thought about getting anything in return, which is why he had Jin Ziyang give through other channels. No matter who Bei Yao married in the future, the entire Bai family wouldn’t have any burdens.

This man just felt so heartbroken for Bei Yao that he had no other choice.

That’s why he bent his proud backbone and asked Jin Ziyang to find a way to make her life a little better.

Jin Ziyang said: “Hehe, although I don’t understand what you’re saying, but Zheng Hang, don’t you think Brother Chuan trusts me the most? Otherwise he wouldn’t ask you or Ji Wei—why would he give such an important task specifically to me?”

The corner of Zheng Hang’s mouth twitched. Honestly, he felt a bit embarrassed and angry.

Why not give it to Ji Wei? That was simple—if you asked Ji Wei to find a way to send money discreetly, Ji Wei would probably be bewildered and at a loss, and it would be good if he didn’t blow the whole cover.

Why… not let Zheng Hang do it.

Zheng Hang coughed, his ears turning red. Of course it was because, in their second year of high school, he had once… had some feelings for Bei Yao.

Though Brother Chuan never showed it, what man wouldn’t mind?

However, he couldn’t possibly tell Jin Ziyang about this. Zheng Hang gritted his teeth: “What’s this about trust or not—it’s obviously because your company headquarters is in C City.”

Jin Ziyang thought about it and accepted this explanation.

~

Ms. Zhao Zhilan felt her luck was particularly good in 2010. Their company was also very good—sending summer camp vouchers before was one thing, but now they were even holding lottery drawings for employees to celebrate completing this quarter’s performance goals.

Ms. Zhao had no grand ambitions. She thought, anyway, lottery prizes were free—even if she won a towel or a pack of tissues, that would be nice.

So she happily went to participate in the drawing.

The colleagues before her all won various things—some household soap, some fifty yuan in prize money.

Zhao Zhilan thought to herself, fifty yuan—not bad luck at all.

Then when she drew the six of clubs and handed it over, someone said: “Oh my, Sister Zhao, you drew the grand prize! Your luck is really something!”

Zhao Zhilan said: “What’s the grand prize?”

“Our boss personally put it together—120,000 yuan in cash!”

Zhao Zhilan: “…” In this lifetime! She would die working for this company!