Just after the May Day holiday, it happened to be early summer. This year City B’s summer was rainy, and it had been drizzling fine rain since morning.

Bei Yao opened her eyes. The bedside was empty. She reached out her hand—there was still the man’s residual warmth. Pei Chuan must have just gotten up not long ago. Today Bei Yao should return to school for classes.

She got dressed and went out. There were sounds in the kitchen—Pei Chuan was making breakfast.

Her bright black and white eyes fell on the man.

In the morning light, his shoulders and back were broad as he made breakfast.

Hearing the sound, Pei Chuan turned his head. Bei Yao said: “Let me make breakfast.”

Pei Chuan shook his head: “Go wash your hands. After eating, you still need to go to school.”

She smiled, pressing her lips together: “Pei Chuan, you’re like you’re raising a child.”

His expression was indifferent, imperceptibly startled for a moment.

After Bei Yao finished speaking, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands. She saw water still on the washing machine—the clothes had already been washed. Bei Yao thought she could help hang the clothes. She opened the washing machine and saw the man’s sleep pants from last night. She felt somewhat puzzled—Pei Chuan got up early in the morning to wash just one pair of pants?

Bei Yao was stunned. After reacting, her face turned completely red.

She’d heard that men had physiological needs in the morning.

Should she hang them now or not?

Bei Yao thought about it and picked up the pants to walk toward the balcony.

She was still wearing the rabbit slippers Pei Chuan had bought, delicate and small, as she picked up the clothes pole to hang them outside. Pei Chuan came out carrying the milk he’d heated for her and saw her hanging the pants. His expression slowly stiffened.

She turned back, suppressing a laugh, and walked over to eat with a straight face. As if she hadn’t guessed anything.

After the two finished eating, Bei Yao asked him: “Are you going to work?”

Pei Chuan nodded.

Bei Yao bit the straw, saying indistinctly: “Then I’m going to school.”

Pei Chuan said: “I’ll take you.”

She shook her head: “The research institute and our school are in opposite directions, aren’t they? I’ll go by myself.”

He lowered his eyes and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Bei Yao was different from him. Bei Yao lived on campus at school. Even now in university, Bei Yao was quite busy studying medicine. She probably… wouldn’t come home either. After all, living at school was convenient. Living here would require running back and forth.

He might only see her once a week.

His black eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her leave happily.

Bei Yao walked to the door and saw Pei Chuan looking at her from the dining table. Bei Yao slung her bag over her shoulder, waving at him while changing shoes: “Come here for a moment.”

Pei Chuan stood up and walked to her side.

In the morning light of early May, being close to her carried a sweet fragrance. Outside, the lingering drizzle fell. The air was fresh.

She had one foot in a rabbit slipper and one foot in her own sky-blue lace-up sneakers.

Bei Yao wasn’t steady while changing shoes, so she supported herself with one hand on Pei Chuan’s chest.

She had just put on both shoes and hadn’t had time to tie the laces when she suddenly looked up, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his cheek: “Husband, work hard!”

After speaking, she blushed and ran off in a flash, not caring whether her shoes were properly on.

Pei Chuan froze in place, gently touching his face after a long while. What had she… called him?

He looked outside. Through the hallway’s open window, the drizzle fell. Bei Yao had already entered the elevator, her figure disappearing from sight.

He gently touched the place she had kissed. That spot still carried the sweet, soft fragrance of the girl who had drunk milk. The silent discomfort in his heart disappeared. Even if he could only see her once a week, it didn’t seem so disappointing anymore.

*

Pei Chuan left later than Bei Yao. His newly modified car was in the garage. The direction of the research institute was indeed opposite to Bei Yao’s school.

As Jin Ziyang had thought, the price paid for marrying Bei Yao was considerable.

At least without her knowing, starting today, he had to fully begin dealing with Huo Xu.

A man eyeing his beloved wife covetously—his gaze deepened as he turned the car around.

Huo Xu wasn’t stupid. At least now he should know that Bei Yao was already married. Pei Chuan had stayed home with Bei Yao yesterday and had lost the initiative, so now every minute was important.

In a 2013 street café, a middle-aged woman in stockings was drinking coffee.

Rain fell outside. Pei Chuan walked in, some water droplets on his black trench coat.

The middle-aged woman drinking coffee elegantly turned back, her eyes very cold: “Who are you? Sending me those kinds of photos.”

Thinking of the photos she’d seen that morning, the elegance on Jiang Huaqiong’s face finally disappeared, replaced by a somewhat ferocious meaning, as if Pei Chuan didn’t give her a satisfactory answer, she could strangle him to death.

Pei Chuan calmly observed her for a moment. As expected, Huo Nanshan was Jiang Huaqiong’s fatal weakness. Once a mother mentioned her deceased son, she would become a madwoman.

Before leaving home this morning, he had sent Jiang Huaqiong the photos the police had taken when Huo Nanshan died. Only now could he speak with her here.

Pei Chuan nodded and sat down before her: “Ms. Jiang, no offense intended. This was just the fastest way to meet you. I deeply regret Young Master Huo’s death. I know you’ve been investigating the cause of his death for a long time, so I’m here today to help you.”

The veins on the back of Jiang Huaqiong’s hand bulged as she sneered: “Help me? How do you want to help me? Do you know who killed my son? Do you have evidence?”

Jiang Huaqiong’s tone was very impatient. Clearly in her view, using her son’s death photos to stimulate her once was intolerable.

Pei Chuan said indifferently: “I don’t know who either. After all, all the evidence was destroyed. You’ve investigated for several years without results. I can’t conjure up things that no longer exist.”

Jiang Huaqiong became furious and slapped the table as she stood up: “You don’t know yet dare to send me those kinds of photos!”

Pei Chuan said: “You’ve suspected Huo Xu for a long time, but have never had evidence. It’s not that you’re afraid of killing the wrong person—you’re afraid the real culprit who killed your son will escape justice.”

He ordered a cup of tea and took a sip at his lips: “Your family matters—an outsider like me shouldn’t interfere. But this matter threatens my wife’s safety. I must stand up. Ms. Jiang, presumably you received news some time ago that Huo Xu was pursuing a university student.”

Jiang Huaqiong naturally knew. She wasn’t stupid and said with surprise and suspicion: “You’re saying Bei Yao is your wife?”

Pei Chuan took out the marriage certificate from his briefcase: “Sixty percent of the Huo family’s assets are in your hands. Huo Xu is very guilty. He has someone he likes called Shao Yue, but he’s afraid you’ll discover that Shao Yue and he were both in City C six years ago. The two don’t dare appear before you at the same time, so he approached my wife.”

Jiang Huaqiong finished reading the document, her expression unclear: “But why should I believe you?”

Pei Chuan said: “Some things, if you investigate carefully, you’ll know. Abroad there must be evidence of Huo Xu and Shao Yue living together. As for domestically.”

Pei Chuan was extremely calm as he took out the document at the bottom: “This year on February 16th, in the suite at Hengtai Grand Hotel, Huo Xu and Shao Yue checked into a room. Both used fake names. The hallway surveillance captured them. Even though Huo Xu wore a hat and mask, you must find him familiar.”

He spoke of others’ affairs with a very calm expression.

“In the documents, that woman wearing a mask is not my wife.”

Pei Chuan covered the lower half of Bei Yao’s face on the marriage certificate, revealing a pair of clear, gentle almond eyes. His gaze also became gentle: “My wife’s eyes are clean and beautiful.”

Jiang Huaqiong looked at the document image, then at the marriage certificate, believing somewhat in her heart.

“Ms. Jiang, only when someone is guilty do they act furtively, desperately seeking a shield. I don’t care what you ultimately think, but you cannot harm my wife, because I’m the same as you.” Pei Chuan paused and said coldly, “You can kill for someone important. So can I.”

*

Outside the teaching building, the pitter-patter of light rain washed the parasol trees outside the window into tender green. Wang Qiankun said: “Yao Yao, what did you take leave for these past few days? You only came to school today. Do you know how much the coursework has progressed these days?”

“Uh.” The lecturer hadn’t entered the classroom yet. Bei Yao gently lifted her long-sleeved jacket, revealing the ring on her ring finger. “Went to get married.”

“……”

Several people were quiet for a long time. Qin Dongni laughed heartily: “Yao Yao, when did you learn to joke too? Married? For the sake of realism, you even bought a fake ring to tease us? We won’t be fooled. This diamond is made quite realistically and beautifully, but it’s so big it loses authenticity.”

Everyone knew Bei Yao had a boyfriend she’d waited for many years. They’d just heard some time ago that he’d gotten out of prison. How could he afford to buy this kind of ring that looked extremely valuable at first glance?

Bei Yao said: “It’s real. I’m not lying to you.”

“Okay, okay, I believe you, I believe you.”

Bei Yao: “……” Every time she told the truth about Pei Chuan, why didn’t a single person believe her?

Even the most honest Shan Xiaomai was covering her mouth and laughing.

Bei Yao had no choice and didn’t argue with them. She took her roommates’ notes and began catching up on the knowledge from these past few days. There was quite a lot to learn in medicine. She’d delayed for so long that she had to make time to catch up.

In the afternoon after school, Bei Yao began packing some commonly used things from the dorm.

Qin Dongni said: “Yao Yao, what are you doing?”

Bei Yao said: “I’m moving out.”

“Ah? Moving out?”

Bei Yao folded her underwear and nodded: “Yes. After getting married, I can’t still live at school. I have to go home. Otherwise, he’ll be alone.”

“……” The dorm was quiet for quite a while. Qin Dongni swallowed: “Holy shit, you’re serious? You really got married?”

Bei Yao nodded.

Qin Dongni said: “Wait, so your ring is real too? Holy shit, holy shit!” So shocked she didn’t know what to say!

However, Bei Yao simply packed her things and really went home.

After a long while, Qin Dongni said: “If people at school found out Bei Yao got married, who knows what kind of explosion that would cause!”

*

Bei Yao opened the door and came home. The house was empty—Pei Chuan still hadn’t returned.

She remembered the research institute was quite busy, so she didn’t call Pei Chuan.

Pei Chuan was indeed very busy. When he went to work at the research institute, thinking that Bei Yao had already returned to school, that home without her became less nostalgic. He worked with focus and was the last to leave.

The light rain had fallen all day. He had to closely monitor Jiang Huaqiong’s movements. Once she failed to move against Huo Xu, Huo Xu might become desperate.

When he returned home, it was already ten-thirty. Pei Chuan opened the door and found the living room light on.

His heartbeat involuntarily quickened. He looked up and saw Bei Yao sitting at the small coffee table in the living room copying notes.

“You’re back!” Bei Yao put down her pen. “Have you eaten?”

Pei Chuan shook his head.

A shallow, indescribable joy arose in his heart. He suddenly fell in love with this home.

Bei Yao said: “There’s food in the kitchen. I’ve been keeping it warm. Wait, I’ll get it.”

She excitedly brought the food and dishes to the dining table. Pei Chuan washed his hands and walked over. His Adam’s apple moved: “You made this?”

Bei Yao nodded: “Eat.”

“What about you?”

“I already ate.” She was somewhat embarrassed. After all, she had originally wanted to wait to eat with Pei Chuan, but later thought he wasn’t coming back. She usually went to bed early and had almost gone to sleep, but a voice in her heart told her to wait a bit longer, so she waited until he came home.

Pei Chuan didn’t mean that. He paused: “I’m eating. Where are you going?”

Bei Yao said: “I’ll write notes right beside you. I haven’t attended class in a long time. I need to catch up.”

As she spoke, she brought her textbook and notebook over and sat beside him to start copying notes.

She wrote very seriously, her pitch-black lashes like butterfly wings, quietly lowered.

He ate while watching her. The book was full of medical knowledge that he had occasionally studied while in prison.

Rain fell outside. The crystal chandelier overhead was warm-colored. He finished eating in a few minutes.

Bei Yao put down her pen: “I’ll wash the dishes.”

He pressed down on her hand: “I’ll go. You write your notes.”

After he finished washing the dishes and came out: “Yao Yao, in the future… will you live here?”

She blinked: “Yes. This is our home. Of course I’ll live here.”

He pressed his lips together tightly, afraid of showing his joy. The word “home” spoken from her mouth was especially pleasant to hear. He hadn’t had a home for a long time.

He simply sat beside her, watching her write medical knowledge.

Bei Yao thought about it, looked up at him, her eyes bright and shining: “Pei Chuan, shouldn’t you massage your leg every day?”

He was slightly startled.

Bei Yao said: “I’m studying medicine. I’m a professional.”

He was silent for a moment: “Stop fooling around. Finish writing and go to bed early.”

He stood up to leave. Hearing her raise this topic, his heart that had warmed up instinctively cooled by half.

Bei Yao reached out her arms to encircle his neck, not allowing him to leave: “I’ve really studied this seriously! Let me try, okay?”

He touched her face: “Be good. Let go.”

She bit her lip and shook her head. She had to let Pei Chuan gradually get used to life with her. Otherwise, every day he got up very early and went to bed very late, always taking advantage of when she was sleeping to put on and take off the prosthetic leg himself.

Considering that she might be disgusted or afraid, he was always very careful to stagger the timing.

Pei Chuan’s lips paled slightly. She noticed with sharp eyes and sighed softly in her heart.

This stubborn man really still minded very much. She thought of Pei Chuan getting up at dawn to wash his pants, her heart both aching and amused.

She stopped writing notes and leaned into his arms.

Her voice both delicate and soft: “Let me try, okay? Husband.”

He froze.