April spring had already taken on some hints of summer’s warmth in advance.

Bei Yao wore a white jacket with a few pale pink cherry blossoms embroidered on the cuffs. Her wrists were white and slender, her fingers long and soft.

He lowered his eyes and gently held her hand.

Bei Yao was somewhat surprised. There were still people around—she had thought that given Pei Chuan’s personality, he wouldn’t get too close to her. She had never held hands with Pei Chuan in public before. She wasn’t quite used to it and felt a girl’s shyness.

Pei Chuan’s body temperature was high year-round, but today his fingers were somewhat cool.

Bei Yao was quite famous at school. At this moment, seeing a man holding her hand and her not shaking it off, students all stole glances.

After all, not long ago, the school had rumors that Bei Yao’s boyfriend was… a cripple just released from prison.

The man holding Bei Yao’s hand had an unfamiliar face. People’s curiosity was always like this—as they walked along, everyone couldn’t help looking at his lower legs beneath his long pants.

Bei Yao didn’t care how others looked. She glanced at Pei Chuan beside her and asked quietly: “Where are we going?”

Pei Chuan’s lips were somewhat pale. What he had thought would be easy to say now proved very difficult to speak.

He was afraid of seeing shock, disappointment, and resistance in her eyes.

No matter which, it would be like slow slicing torture upon his heart.

Actually, he understood—this wasn’t honorable.

Not honorable at all.

Some people’s lives were deathly silent, their futures visible at a glance. He belonged to this type. The year he went to prison, he knew that this lifetime, it was almost impossible to be with her.

But on that cold New Year’s Eve she came, the soft and warm girl, coquettishly nuzzling a lip print on his neck.

A dam in his heart broke. His eyes had felt sore then.

How much he wanted to love her, to be together for a lifetime.

Being able to love her for one day was one day, having one year was one year.

Yet when she asked how long she’d have to wait for him, in the end he said eight years.

He was willing—those long eight years for her to see all splendors, to walk through the world’s myriad experiences. If in the end she still didn’t despise him, then he’d accept it for this lifetime, even unto death he’d entangle himself with her.

But there were too many changes in the world. Now he had cut off her chance to choose and regret.

She didn’t even know how he had coldly watched Huo Xu threaten her parents.

The better she was, the more Pei Chuan feared future backlash.

What she gave was too beautiful—even the slightest crack would chill his heart completely.

Now, how should he tell her where they were going?

Pei Chuan opened his mouth, finally saying: “Take you on a date, okay?”

She reached out to touch a tree branch, her profile slightly flushed, trying to appear nonchalant: “Okay.”

Pei Chuan pressed his lips together.

He hadn’t slept all last night, thinking quite decisively. He’d directly explain the pros and cons to her—even if she was disgusted and resistant, she’d still have to agree to get the certificate. Yet at this moment, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He completely lacked the calm he’d had facing Aunt Zhao and them. Every heartbeat brought dizziness and bewilderment.

But the problem came—where exactly should he take her for this impromptu “date”?

Pei Chuan’s life had no romance whatsoever. Bei Yao knew this.

When she looked at the door before her, she held back her laughter and said nothing.

Pei Chuan silently took out his key to open the door.

He had brought her home.

This was the apartment he’d newly bought in B City. Before opening this door, Pei Chuan pressed his lips together.

Bei Yao had originally wanted to laugh, but when she saw the house, she was stunned.

She remembered visiting Pei Chuan’s former home in C City during Spring Festival in high school. Back then the whole house was black, white, and gray—a cold, minimalist style. Not a hint of warmth, she’d even had to wear Pei Chuan’s shoes. But now…

The house faced the sun, sunlight pouring down. The house was very, very large—in B City, where housing prices this year were still sky-high, the curtains were a gentle warm color.

The balcony had evening primrose, butterfly bush, peonies, and a large patch of roses.

A floor-to-ceiling window had been specially installed in front of the balcony, with a floral vine swing before the window.

The carpet was beige, the sofa covered with many small, cute cushions.

There were women’s slippers at the entrance, adorned with a silly, adorable pink rabbit.

She couldn’t process it. If Pei Chuan’s key hadn’t opened this house, she would have thought they’d broken into some tycoon’s house bought for a little princess.

Pei Chuan didn’t speak. He didn’t even dare look at her expression.

All his thoughts were actually revealed in this “home.” The house wasn’t far from B University—he knew she still had to attend school.

Bei Yao said: “Your house is so beautiful.”

He responded quietly: “Mm.”

Bei Yao was only twenty-one this year. She would never think of marriage. The only thing she dared think was that Pei Chuan, knowing she’d come to play, had made her a little swing.

She was very well-behaved and polite, not wandering around, asking Pei Chuan eagerly: “Can I sit on the swing for a bit?”

The floral vine swing was truly extremely beautiful.

Pei Chuan nodded.

She didn’t need anyone to push her, finding it novel. This was the good thing about a large house—if it were their little broken house in C City, forget a swing, even a rattan chair wouldn’t fit.

Seeing her quite happy, Pei Chuan gritted his teeth and with difficulty said: “Do you want to see the bedroom?”

Bei Yao’s head rested against the flower vines, her small face more delicate than the roses behind her.

She didn’t understand what was good about seeing someone else’s bedroom, but the man’s pupils were pitch black, carrying indescribable hope. She could only ask softly: “May I look?”

Of course.

He opened the bedroom door.

Bei Yao froze.

If earlier she hadn’t noticed anything wrong, now even a fool would understand.

Pei Chuan lowered his eyes, his lips slightly pale.

Red bedsheets in a modern style with mandarin ducks playing in water. Embroidered with hidden double “happiness” characters, the curtains also red.

The master bedroom was especially large, with its own attached bathroom.

The ceiling had hydrogen balloons and paper flowers, colorful ribbons hanging down. Bright red pillows, carpet winding all the way to her feet. A pair of small red fish hung on the wardrobe, beneath the tassels a lovers’ knot.

It was a bridal chamber.

This “date” was somewhat frightening. Bei Yao didn’t quite dare believe it. She tugged his sleeve, the girl’s voice very soft: “Pei Chuan, who decorated your house like this?”

Pei Chuan gritted his teeth, not daring to meet her gaze.

Bei Yao felt her mental speculation was unlikely. Her thoughts were actually simple and straightforward—dating Pei Chuan, if later he could accept being together, then together they’d find a way to make her parents accept him.

After all, there was still proposing, getting engaged and such—taking it slowly would take a long, long time.

She couldn’t process it, afraid that when Pei Chuan’s house was being renovated, people mistakenly thought he was getting married.

So it became this style, or had Pei Chuan bought an existing house? Was this the house the previous owner had originally prepared for marriage?

Her tone was too innocent and natural. Pei Chuan knew that in Bei Yao’s heart, at this time she had never thought about marrying him.

She was somewhat frightened, so she didn’t dare step inside.

It was luxurious, but so festive… it looked so auspicious. You could see the “owner’s” care and importance, even deep expectations. Bei Yao didn’t dare walk forward one step, afraid of destroying this intention.

She didn’t dare walk forward. He gently closed his eyes, knowing there was no avoiding it.

Pei Chuan looked into her eyes—they were clear, with some surprise and doubt about the unknown, reflecting his image inside: “Yaoyao, it’s just as you guessed. I want to marry you.”

She opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something.

But Pei Chuan didn’t dare let her say anything. He was terrified. This situation had only come about through exhausting every scheme—he almost immediately continued: “Huo Xu has someone he likes, called Shao Yue. The Huo family is very chaotic. Family head Huo Ran’s ex-wife Jiang Huaqiong had a child called Huo Nanshan. Huo Nanshan died in C City five years ago. Jiang Huaqiong suspects Huo Ran’s illegitimate son Huo Xu killed her biological son. In fury she divorced and wants revenge on Huo Xu. Huo Ran sent Huo Xu back to the country. These past two years Huo Xu just returned to take over the Huo family. But his influence can’t compare to Jiang Huaqiong’s. He’s afraid Jiang Huaqiong will harm Shao Yue, who helped him leave C City at that time, so he’s pursuing you.”

Bei Yao felt somewhat dazed.

Hearing this passage, she finally connected it with the notebook that had existed since childhood.

The notebook said Huo Xu had someone he liked, but at that time her future-memory self hadn’t had time to write the story’s beginning and end clearly. So this was how it was.

Pei Chuan’s knuckles turned white: “He’ll harm you, even starting to pressure your parents, making you get engaged to him in May. You can only…”

Each word after was incredibly difficult for him to say. Pei Chuan said: “Only by being married, making Jiang Huaqiong believe you’re innocent, can you be safe. So we must get married within these two days.”

Bei Yao listened in a daze. She instinctively said: “But finding Jiang Huaqiong and telling her the whole story would also be safe.” Pei Chuan choosing to marry her—what if he didn’t want to get married? That would be so unfair to him. Moreover, having Pei Chuan marry her would mean he’d have to oppose Huo Xu—what a dangerous thing.

Pei Chuan’s face instantly turned pale as paper.

Yes, he knew he could directly find Jiang Huaqiong.

If Bei Yao could think of it, how could he not? But he… his whole life, this was his only chance to legitimately obtain her. One step forward was the whole world, one step back was an abyss.

His heart kept sinking. After a long while, he looked into her eyes and said softly: “Huo Xu has already been interfering with Jiang Huaqiong for over a year. Jiang Huaqiong now can’t be certain either. Even if we tell her, she’s suspicious—most likely she’d think you’re the one Huo Xu actually likes.”

After all, in setting up this chess game, truth and falsehood, falsehood and truth.

She thought about it and felt it made some sense.

Yet still didn’t relent.

Pei Chuan bit the flesh inside his mouth. The spreading bloody taste made him uncomfortable, yet couldn’t suppress the slight pain in his heart.

He was terrified of her refusal, forcing a smile: “Don’t worry, it’s just… getting married. We won’t tell anyone, won’t tell your classmates. You continue studying well. I also won’t touch you. If in the future…”

If you have someone you like, we’ll divorce peacefully. I’ll tell him we were completely innocent.

These latter words were like carving flesh from his heart with a knife. Pei Chuan’s lips moved, but he absolutely couldn’t speak them.

He pressed his lips together, finally saying: “In the future, whatever you want is what we’ll do.”

She tilted her head, thinking carefully: “After marriage, will you be in danger?”

He shook his head, hurriedly saying: “No.”

“Oh.” Bei Yao said. She had originally wanted to say, since they were getting married… why wouldn’t he touch her?

But as a girl… she couldn’t ask such an embarrassing question no matter what.

She was twenty-one this year and indeed hadn’t felt any physiological needs yet. She looked at the man’s pale lips and pitch-black eyes, suppressing her shyness, slowly saying: “Then… then shall we go get married?”

She thought about it, somewhat anxious: “My parents won’t agree.”

Pei Chuan didn’t speak, taking out her family’s household registration book to show her.

Bei Yao: “…” She seemed unable to say anything now, though she really wanted to know—the household registration book was truly given to Pei Chuan by her mother? That couldn’t be!

She felt a bit shy and also found it particularly sudden. Bei Yao asked quietly: “When are we getting married?” She’d never done it before, didn’t understand.

Pei Chuan couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart. To make concessions, his heart had lowered into the dust, yet even though she didn’t understand anything, having agreed to marry him, his eyes still couldn’t help lighting up with brilliance.

Pei Chuan’s Adam’s apple moved as he said: “Now.”

2013, the turning point of different fates.

April eighteenth, Wednesday afternoon at three o’clock, the Civil Affairs Bureau’s doors were open.