Both City B and City C had rain all night. The next day the rain stopped, and the air was still mixed with the freshness of earth and rainwater.

At eight in the morning, Huo Xu opened the hotel door and walked out. It was May Day Labor Day. This small city was quiet and peaceful. The flowers in the flowerbeds were wilted and dispirited, but Huo Xu was in a good mood.

May was the final deadline he had given the Bei family. Presumably Zhao Zhilan had thought it through by now.

This time he wasn’t visiting alone—his assistant and bodyguards followed along. The assistant stepped forward to knock on the door. Zhao Zhilan was very vigilant and raised her voice: “Who is it?”

The assistant glanced at Huo Xu and replied: “Ms. Zhao, Young Master Huo has come to visit. Please open the door.”

Zhao Zhilan felt somewhat nervous and somewhat angry: “No need for a visit. Someone like Young Master Huo is beyond our family’s reach.”

The smile in Huo Xu’s eyes faded.

What? After all this time, still hadn’t thought it through?

He spoke: “You’re determined not to let Bei Yao be with me?”

Zhao Zhilan originally wanted to scold him for having designs on her daughter, but thinking that he had brought people with him, a conflict wouldn’t be good. Little Bei Jun was still at home. For the child’s safety, she couldn’t act impulsively.

Zhao Zhilan said: “My daughter is already married. Young Master Huo, please don’t come anymore. Please leave.”

Huo Xu thought she was lying and sneered: “Married? Married to whom? I’m very displeased to hear you tell such lies. Since you won’t invite us in to sit, we’ll have to let ourselves in.”

He gestured to those behind him: “Break it down.”

Several bodyguards stepped forward without a word and began ramming the door. The residential complex was very old, and the door had been there for many years. The sound of ramming was very loud, as if right in their ears. The next moment they could break through.

Bei Licai frowned, his heart sinking: “You take Bei Jun to the room and see if you can call the police. I’ll…”

The door-ramming sounds outside stopped abruptly, followed by the muffled grunts of fists hitting flesh.

More than ten burly men came over and without a word beat up Huo Xu and his people.

Huo Xu was knocked to the ground by one of them. He covered his face and glared angrily: “Who are you people?”

The lead man, holding a toothpick in his mouth, sporting bedhead hair and still wearing slippers, said: “Who are you people? Making such a racket early in the morning, blocking me and my brothers from sleeping!”

Huo Xu said: “Try laying hands on me again—believe it or not, I’ll make sure you don’t see tomorrow’s sun!”

The man scoffed, grabbed him, and punched Huo Xu several more times on his body, then kicked him several times.

Huo Xu’s face paled as he clutched his chest.

His assistant was also beaten until he screamed.

Huo Xu wasn’t stupid either. These people came with ill intent, started beating without a word, and wouldn’t give any information—they definitely weren’t here because they were disturbed by the door-ramming. Huo Xu said: “Who sent you?”

The man said: “So many damn questions—mind your own business who sent your grandfather here! Anyway, get lost quickly. If you harass this family again, I’ll make you leave horizontally.”

Huo Xu’s expression was extremely ugly.

But reality taught him a lesson. He had money and power, so he could forcibly break down Zhao Zhilan’s door. He was confident that even if local police came, it would be of no use.

But who the hell could have predicted that what came was a group of thugs and hoodlums who just started fighting without a word!

And more than ten of them came, each one big and mighty—they couldn’t even fit in the hallway!

Huo Xu had only brought four bodyguards in total. After all, he thought he was coming to get the household registration booklet today! He couldn’t very well bring a huge group of people, could he? Yet he ended up getting beaten.

Huo Xu was helped up. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to leave.

Which bastard had called people to block him! Taking such a wild approach too.

After Huo Xu left, the man knocked on the door and said, following what his employer had taught him: “Auntie, don’t panic. Those turtle… those people have already been driven away. If there’s any movement, we’ll come over immediately. Rest assured.”

The man walked away cheerfully. This job was worth taking! It wasn’t illegal, and he could fight violence with violence!

The employer said that this morning there would definitely be a few people in suits coming over. If they harassed this family, he and his brothers should beat these people up.

The employer was a cold, aloof man, his tone also cold when speaking: “Beat the leader especially hard. Don’t kill him. Other than that, one thousand yuan extra for each additional hit.”

Holy shit!

The man counted on his fingers how many times he’d hit Huo Xu, going crazy with joy inside. This money came too easily! They were a group of idling thugs and hoodlums anyway. They weren’t good at other things, but with strength in numbers, they excelled at fighting! Taking people’s money to eliminate their disasters. If that leader pursued the matter, he’d just run away with his brothers! They had no fixed residence anyway!

Inside the door, Zhao Zhilan and Bei Licai looked at each other in dismay. Zhao Zhilan said: “This…” She had originally been frightened too, fearing what Huo Xu and his people might do, but they hadn’t even been able to enter the door.

Bei Licai also breathed a sigh of relief and said: “He’s a capable person. He should be able to protect Yao Yao.”

The couple rarely felt such emotion.

*

In City B, the morning light was hazy. Pei Chuan opened his eyes. He had only fallen asleep in the latter half of the night. On his open chest still rested a loosely curled small hand. Day had broken. He lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms, his heart tender and loving.

He gently held that small hand and moved it aside.

Her long lashes were lowered. She hadn’t woken yet.

Had she been exhausted by the wedding these past few days?

Pei Chuan’s movements were very light, like a breeze brushing across the surface. However, Bei Yao immediately woke up too. Early in the morning, the man’s chest was burning hot—always different from sleeping alone.

She quietly opened her eyes a crack and watched Pei Chuan prop himself up with both arms and move to the foot of the bed.

In the morning light, his movements were very slow, as if coated with a soft layer of white mist.

The man’s movements weren’t labored, as if he had already gone through this skillfully thousands upon thousands of times. His back was to her as he began putting on the prosthetic leg.

The lower half of his pant leg was empty and loose. His back was tall and silent.

Bei Yao remembered his words from last night. She closed her eyes, not looking at his privacy. As long as he minded, even if he didn’t know, it wasn’t allowed.

Pei Chuan’s phone rang. Afraid of waking Bei Yao, he quickly pressed to hang up.

He instinctively looked at her. She had already opened her eyes, her bright dark eyes looking at him: “Who called?”

Pei Chuan thought he knew who it was. Bei Yao still didn’t know that Huo Xu had threatened her family. Pei Chuan said: “Work matters.”

She nodded and yawned softly, her eyes misting over with a layer of moisture.

Pei Chuan tapped the screen with his finger and transferred the payment. Only then did he say to Bei Yao: “Everything’s fine now. Want to sleep a bit more?”

She shook her head and sat up from the blanket: “No more sleeping. I usually get up early anyway.”

She wanted to get out of bed to wash up. Lifting the blanket, she looked at her bare long legs and her fair, tender feet exposed in the spring morning air. She belatedly realized what she was wearing.

Bei Yao lowered her eyes to look. The man’s shirt was loose and wrinkled on her body. She suddenly looked up at Pei Chuan.

He was also silently looking at her. This time his gaze didn’t turn away.

From her wrinkled shirt down to her toes.

The shirt opened to her thighs. She blushed, put on her slippers, and said on impulse: “We’re husband and wife.” So what if she looked like this!

He said nothing.

The air was quiet. She tried her best to appear not so shy and walked toward the bathroom to wash up.

As soon as Bei Yao reached the bathroom, the calm was broken. She looked at herself in the mirror—her neck covered with many small strawberry marks. She was shocked. How could there be… so many…

The marks the man had sucked out snaked down from her fair, tender chin.

She unbuttoned two buttons of her shirt. Looking at the marks on her chest in the mirror, Bei Yao’s face flushed completely red.

Although they hadn’t done anything last night, it seemed they also hadn’t done nothing.

Only now did she belatedly feel embarrassment rising in her heart. The bathroom door was pushed open.

She turned her head. Pei Chuan stood in the doorway. The scene was somewhat awkward.

Her collar was still open. Bei Yao nearly jumped: “Why didn’t you knock?”

He lowered his eyes: “You said we’re husband and wife.”

Bei Yao was stunned for several seconds, then blushed and buttoned up her shirt. Looking at herself in the mirror only to be discovered by someone—it was really so embarrassing.

He paused, then walked over.

He wanted to be with her for a lifetime. He had to adapt to living with her.

Without hurting her, he hoped Bei Yao could also get used to this special other half of hers.

“Are you going to class today?”

She shook her head: “May Day holiday.”

Pei Chuan looked at her and after a long while said: “Can I… give you a good morning kiss?”

Bei Yao’s ears turned completely red: “Mm.” Can you not ask out loud, Pei Chuan?

He moved closer. Only then did she remember, turning her face away: “Haven’t brushed my teeth. Not now.”

He paused and lowered his eyes: “Mm.”

She started washing up. The sound of water couldn’t cover her heartbeat.

Pei Chuan walked out. There was also a washroom outside the bedroom. In the morning light, he washed up very carefully and thoroughly.

When he returned, Bei Yao had already changed clothes.

She sat at the vanity. She wore a spring half-sleeved red blouse that Zhao Zhilan had specially chosen for her—for good luck, for her to wear on the second day after the wedding.

The frog buttons were elegant. She revealed half her arm, making that section of her forearm look even more like tender lotus root.

She was combing her hair.

Bei Yao’s long hair hung down. He suddenly remembered himself rummaging through garbage heaps that year.

Pei Chuan asked her: “Why don’t you use that kind of ribbon anymore?”

Bei Yao said: “What ribbon?”

“The one with the ribbon tied on the flower bud.”

When she was little, with her tender green flower buds, so pretty and lively, both cute and adorable. Later when she started elementary school, she changed to a ponytail. For a very long time, Pei Chuan looked at the old ribbon he’d picked up, sullenly wondering why she didn’t wear it anymore.

Bei Yao tilted her head, suppressing a laugh: “That’s for little children. Pei Chuan, do you think that looks good?”

He rarely admitted to liking anything. Yet he had never told anyone. In this lifetime, his first understanding of beauty was the appearance of a silly, adorable little girl when she tied on soft and beautiful ribbons.

He was silent for a moment, admitting somewhat awkwardly: “Mm.” He really did like it.

Seeing the man taciturn and quiet, probably admitting for the first time that he liked some little thing, her heart softened.

Bei Yao stood up and rummaged through the backpack she’d brought from home. Inside was a piece of clothing tied with a bright red ribbon in a knot. She untied the ribbon and placed it in Pei Chuan’s palm.

The man looked at her. Bei Yao asked: “Do you want to try tying it for me?”

He said quietly: “Okay.”

Bei Yao sat back down at the vanity, smiling: “When you’re grown up you can’t tie two—only one. Gather a bit of hair up, then use this to tie a knot.”

He tried several times. The man’s hands were clumsy, and ribbons were inherently difficult to tie. Once, one of her hairs accidentally got tangled and broke.

Bei Yao held back from saying anything, but his own expression changed immediately: “Does it hurt? We won’t tie it anymore.”

She smiled and shook her head, saying gently: “It doesn’t hurt. Take your time.”

He lowered his eyes. His movements were obviously much more hesitant.

Girls weren’t that delicate. It was just that in his heart, she was more precious than anything.

After quite a while, he finally tied a loose, sloppy knot. His black eyes fell on her hair, restrained yet fond.

Bei Yao found it both funny and somewhat heartbreaking. This was probably the first time in Pei Chuan’s life that he liked something else, yet he restrained himself excessively.

Bei Yao said: “Pei Chuan, whatever you like, you can tell me. You don’t need to hold it in.”

He lowered his gaze: “I don’t… especially like it.”

Bei Yao said: “Everyone has things they like, special preferences. This isn’t anything shameful.”

His fingers moved, finally landing gently on her hair.

Brushing through her long hair, his fingers wound around the ribbon in her hair, finally sliding toward her slightly curled ends.

She blinked, obediently giving him encouragement, her gaze tolerant and gentle.

He paused, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

Finally he leaned down, kissing from the top of her head toward the ends of her hair.

Inch by inch, his lips brushed past the ribbon, devout and infatuated.

Those things he dared not speak of—as a child he never had preferences. After he became disabled, the most outrageous thing he did as a child was to retrieve from Zhao Zhilan’s discarded garbage that old ribbon she had used. He simply thought she looked very, very beautiful with it tied in her hair. Why didn’t she wear it anymore? Why did she throw it away? He had been dejected for a very long time.

Bei Yao also found it quite wonderful.

The year of her senior year when she went to his home in City C, Pei Chuan’s house was simply decorated, and his life was also simple and uninteresting. At that time, he seemed to have nothing he liked or was interested in.

Yet after he worked hard to get close to her, he also revealed to her his restraint and difficult-to-voice preferences.

He extremely loved her soft, cool hair, and the sight of her looking up at him. Pei Chuan untied the ribbon again and again, then tied it on for her.

The lingering spring, the first day of their new marriage—she indulged the man. Telling him that he deserved to have things he liked, didn’t need to suppress them, and could express them.