What’s more, Wang Qiankun didn’t know what madness had possessed her—that C-cup gesture turned into a grabbing motion, and she chuckled to herself.

For a moment, the entire place fell silent.

Pei Chuan lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together. He said: “I’m going to the restroom.”

Once Pei Chuan’s figure had disappeared, Qin Dongni quickly went up to cover Wang Qiankun’s mouth. Wang Qiankun was extremely dissatisfied, but fortunately she still recognized people and didn’t reflexively slap Qin Dongni.

Qin Dongni said: “Big Sister Wang, I’m begging you—please just eat your meal peacefully! Stop talking, okay?”

Bei Yao quickly switched out Wang Qiankun’s cup and poured juice instead.

After a while, Pei Chuan returned. The girls awkwardly and nervously finished the meal.

Shan Xiaomai boldly glanced at Professor Pei’s expression. Professor Pei had lowered his eyes and was opening a bottle of warm soymilk for Bei Yao—it was impossible to tell what his expression was.

During Pei Chuan’s trip to the restroom, he had also instructed the waiter to buy several gifts.

When the meal ended, he gave each person a gift bag.

Qin Dongni and the others felt embarrassed to accept. Pei Chuan glanced at his watch and said calmly: “Keep them. I’m going to class now.”

Qin Dongni and the others saw the bags were small and figured they were just small accessories for girls, so they stopped refusing.

Bei Yao and the others still had a required class in the afternoon. Pei Chuan knew she couldn’t come listen to his class, and constantly skipping wasn’t good. He said to Bei Yao: “I’m going to class. I’ll pick you up and take you home tonight, okay?”

Bei Yao nodded.

He went to drive the car. Bei Yao sat with her roommates, and the girls looked at each other.

The drunk “Big Sister Wang” carelessly tore open the gift bag and pulled out a gold bracelet: “Holy crap! This is gold!” Lucky she could still recognize gold even while drunk.

Qin Dongni also looked and sure enough, her bag also contained a gold bracelet. Even the authentication certificate was still inside. She was also stunned and stammered: “Yao Yao, your man is really rich.”

Who the hell had ever seen someone casually wholesale small gold bracelets as little gifts!

Shan Xiaomai was also scared and quickly pushed the bracelet toward Bei Yao. It was so valuable that no one dared accept it.

Bei Yao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She said: “It’s fine. Since Pei Chuan gave them to you, keep them.” She suddenly remembered that year in middle school when she’d told Pei Chuan she was happy her little brother was about to be born. Pei Chuan had been silent at the time, but then turned around and gave her a small gold bracelet, saying flatly that it was for her little brother.

At that time, he was just an ordinary middle school student. That one bracelet had probably cost him over ten years’ worth of saved money.

Bei Yao said: “You all go to school first and ask for leave for Qiankun. In her condition, it’s not good for her to go to the classroom this afternoon. I’ll come later.”

Bei Yao hurried toward the parking lot to look for him.

The restaurant wasn’t far from school. Pei Chuan had to drive the car to the school’s underground garage. Bei Yao hadn’t dared to look at Pei Chuan’s expression when Wang Qiankun was talking. After all, the two of them still hadn’t actually done it yet. Her roommates didn’t know, but she and Pei Chuan were very clear about it.

It was also a bit embarrassing. She was afraid Pei Chuan would misunderstand their girls’ fooling around.

She was at her most beautiful age, wearing Little Cang’s cousin’s clothes, never caring what others thought of her. However, having someone in her heart, for the first time she understood wanting to be good in his heart too. Wanting to tell him that he was important.

If it were someone else who had heard these words, Bei Yao wouldn’t be this nervous. But her Pei Chuan was very sensitive and would bury everything in his heart. Last night’s menstrual period incident—she felt she’d really let him down.

Pei Chuan had finally built up his psychological preparation. It must have taken great determination and courage, but then her body wouldn’t allow it.

When Bei Yao found the parking lot, Pei Chuan had just been about to drive the car out.

Seeing her, he rolled down the window: “What’s wrong? Didn’t you go back to the classroom with them?”

Bei Yao opened the passenger door and sat beside him. She secretly lifted her eyes to look at him. The man’s expression was calm—no displeasure or other emotions visible. He was also looking at her and even smoothed the hair stuck to her face.

Bei Yao thought of Wang Qiankun’s incident just now and coughed lightly: “I need to explain something to you.”

Pei Chuan lowered his eyes to look at her. His pupils were pitch black. When he wasn’t smiling, they were like a calm, waveless lake.

“Mm, go ahead.”

Bei Yao: “…” Ugh, so embarrassing.

Like a little quail, she lowered her head, planning to say it all in one breath: “Wang Qiankun was joking. She was drunk and had no filter. We usually bathe separately.”

The car was quiet, carrying May’s sultry heat.

Bei Yao felt embarrassed and ashamed: “She, she also never… touched.” Thinking of the sins Wang Qiankun had committed, those two lewd gestures, her face burned with shame.

Someone nearby started their car and drove past.

Bei Yao’s ears turned completely red. Not daring to look at him, she finished the last sentence: “It’s just that girls can basically tell the si-size just by looking. She was drunk—don’t hold it against her.”

Ugh, so humiliating.

Why was she explaining such humiliating things!

Pei Chuan never made a sound.

She gathered courage to lift her eyes to look at him. If she saw amusement in his eyes, she’d probably need to find a hole to crawl into. Fortunately, Professor Pei just quietly looked at her. Bei Yao said: “Are you angry?”

She thought he would say no.

However, he leaned over and gently touched her cheek: “A little bit.”

Bei Yao was stunned. She didn’t know how to respond to that.

After a long while, she said in a small voice: “You’re angry but still gave them gifts?” If she hadn’t come to explain, Pei Chuan probably wouldn’t have said anything.

Pei Chuan kissed her pink, flushed cheek and taught her in a low voice: “When you accept someone’s gifts, your hands are tied.”

Bei Yao didn’t quite understand.

Pei Chuan didn’t explain further.

The principle of being indebted after accepting gifts could be fully demonstrated through Bei Yao’s mother, Ms. Zhao. He’d given each roommate a gift. For at least the next year of living together, they would know she had a man, that jokes couldn’t be made carelessly, and the principle of maintaining boundaries.

Everyone had their own social circles. He couldn’t deprive her of her life—he could only silently infiltrate it.

Bei Yao thought about it and couldn’t help but curve her lips.

She poked his chest: “When you told me to be with someone else before, were you dying inside? What were you thinking?” Clearly not generous at all—his possessiveness was especially strong, petty to death. He even had the nerve to get angry over girl talk!

Professor Pei knew that sometimes her curiosity was intense.

However, the man’s past thoughts—like painfully carving out his own heart—really weren’t good to tell her about. He fastened her seatbelt, preparing to drive and also bring his girl to school.

Bei Yao thought, she’d just embarrassed herself, but Pei Chuan rarely talked about his thoughts—like a stuffy gourd. Having gotten past her embarrassment, she became interested and hugged the man’s arm: “You’re not allowed to drive. Tell me first.”

Pei Chuan said: “Yao Yao, stop fooling around.”

Bei Yao said: “Just answer me, okay?” She really especially wanted to know. In middle school, she’d thought Pei Chuan didn’t really like her. In high school, several times she’d thought he was truly willing to let go, truly capable of being that heartless.

He said: “Let go. You’re going to be late. You’re holding onto me—I can’t drive.”

Bei Yao shook her head: “I’m already going to be late anyway. Just tell me quickly.”

“…” He paused and said helplessly: “Yao Yao, don’t act spoiled every time.”

The more he was like this, the more Bei Yao wanted to know: “Did you really not like me before middle school?” At that time, she’d even once thought he liked that Senior Shang Mengxian. Later she learned he didn’t.

Pei Chuan pressed his lips together: “No.” He’d liked her from very, very early on.

Outside in summer, there was a hint of heat. Inside the car, he’d turned on the air conditioning in advance. The parking lot was quiet. He lowered his eyes to look at the girl’s eyes—clear and pure, reflecting his image.

Pei Chuan told her: “Some things can’t be explained clearly. Let the past be the past, okay?”

That year when he turned himself in, he’d truly prepared to perish together with that group and be executed by firing squad. He’d also made subsequent arrangements for those several hundred million in assets. If she later married someone else and didn’t live very well, those assets would eventually find a way to be transferred to her.

If she lived well, he had no need to use material things to make her remember him.

For the Pei Chuan of the past, love was too bitter.

Bitterness spread from the tip of his tongue to the tip of his heart. He’d only loved this one person in his entire life. Having experienced incomparable suffering, he didn’t want her to have that feeling too. Her being able to be happy without burden was a very good thing for him.

But people can’t help but hope for more. When the lawyer told him he still had a chance to see her, he still chose to work hard to find a way to get to her side. In the end, he gave all the money to the country.

If the world’s reward to him was Yao Yao, he would work hard to be a good person who contributed to the world.

Bei Yao blinked: “Okay then.”

And here she’d thought she could hear Pei Chuan analyze how reluctant he’d been to let her go back then. She drooped as she hugged him, somewhat dejected at not being able to hear Pei Chuan say sweet words or anything.

A soft bundle pressed against his solid arm. Pei Chuan inevitably thought of Wang Qiankun’s words just now.

In high school when he hung out with Jin Ziyang and the others, that was precisely the most restless age. Jin Ziyang’s speech had also been uncensored about adult topics. Pei Chuan naturally knew how good his delicate little wife’s figure was.

His throat felt dry. He kissed her cheek: “Be good, sit properly.”

Bei Yao sat properly. Only then did Pei Chuan start the car to go to school.

Bei Yao arrived at the classroom at the very last second. When she went over, Qin Dongni said in a small voice: “We got leave for Wang Qiankun. She’s sleeping in the dorm.”

Pei Chuan had blown cold air in the underground parking garage for quite a while before finally locking the car and striding toward the Computer Science College.

However, the Computer Science students discovered that their always-punctual Professor Pei was late. Even being late, Pei Chuan showed no expression and began writing on the board, teaching them some techniques for making software.

His shirt was good quality fabric and had gotten a bit wrinkled from Bei Yao’s nuzzling just now.

Little did he know, the students below were extremely excited.

A female student said in a small voice: “Did you hear? Last night someone saw our ‘sexually frigid’ Professor Pei pressing a girl against something and kissing her on the athletic field. According to Zhao Xinxin, it was really explosive. Right there by the railing! Didn’t even hide—you could tell it was uncontrollable passion.”

The girl listening to the gossip said: “That can’t be right. He doesn’t seem like such an uninhibited person.”

A young man, yet so stern and mature. Hadn’t department beauty Duan You even taken the initiative? As a result, Professor Pei didn’t even glance at her.

The gossiper worked hard to convince her classmate: “Really, why would I lie to you? Yesterday in class, didn’t Bei Yao come? We left early. I heard from Zhao Xinxin that after class, the professor proactively walked over, wanting to eat with Bei Yao.”

“Ah? So last night that…”

“Everyone’s guessing it’s our campus beauty.”

The girl finally believed it. If it was Bei Yao, it did seem possible. That girl from the medical school really was excessively beautiful.

However…

“Didn’t Bei Yao say she had a boyfriend?” For the sake of that notorious boyfriend who’d been in prison, she hadn’t even agreed when Chu Xun pursued her. Back then, this matter had become known throughout the school—everyone said Bei Yao had no judgment.

“Right, right. Look at Duan You’s expression. We’re all talking about this too. Although Bei Yao has good relationships in their medical school, who knows what kind of person she is? What if our Professor Pei was just deceived by her pure and innocent appearance and doesn’t know she has a boyfriend?”

Below, there was chatter. This kind of explosive news was simply impossible to control.

Not only were the female students discussing it, the male students also expressed disbelief. Especially that male student who’d asked Bei Yao for her phone number—his heart was about to break! Could it be that yesterday Professor Pei had taken a liking to Bei Yao himself, which is why he was unhappy about him passing notes?

Although each person spoke very quietly, with so many people talking, it eventually became noisy.

Pei Chuan put down the chalk and said coldly: “If there’s something you don’t understand, ask directly. Don’t discuss privately during class time.”

His voice was clear and quite deep.

The classroom immediately quieted down.

In her heart, Duan You had some anger. Although Bei Yao was beautiful, was she herself that bad? Why did these men like someone with a boyfriend and not even talk to her?

She was certain Professor Pei didn’t know Bei Yao had a boyfriend, so she stood up and said: “Professor Pei, do you have someone you’re interested in?”

Pei Chuan glanced at her indifferently: “Yes.”

Not expecting the professor to admit to his personal affairs, the classroom erupted with “Wow~”.

Duan You asked: “Is that person Bei Yao?”

“Correct.”

Duan You said loudly: “Then do you know she has a boyfriend? It was a big deal—the whole school knew.”

Pei Chuan calmly responded: “Her boyfriend has always been me. Her current legal husband is also me. What about it—do you all have any other questions?”

The people below widened their eyes. Duan You froze: “That’s, that’s impossible. Her boyfriend clearly…” Clearly had been in prison. How could he be a promising young scientific research leader from a research institute?

Pei Chuan said: “My past wasn’t great. I’m grateful my wife doesn’t mind and has always accompanied me until now.”

After he spoke candidly, Duan You felt somewhat embarrassed and sat down.

The classroom was quiet for a moment. Actually, everyone probably understood that a man who could come out of prison and become a scientist was simply an explosively brilliant national talent.

The classmates’ eyes held no contempt—all were curious and admiring.

Someone below raised their hand: “Professor Pei, can I ask a question?”

“Ask.”

“When did you two get together?”

Below there was a sound of heckling. Everyone was obviously more interested in these matters than in their major coursework. Pei Chuan paused and glanced at them: “Age five.” From the very beginning until now, she had always belonged to him.

Everyone nearly exploded!

Someone else raised their hand: “So you came to teach at our school also for Bei Yao?”

Summer sunlight shone into the classroom. This year wasn’t like that year when Pei Chuan was in middle school with old fans constantly turning—the university classroom had already installed air conditioning.

However, what remained unchanged was always summer’s warmth.

What he’d never dared admit in front of everyone before, this year he could finally announce to everyone.

“Yes. We’re newly married. I miss her very much.”

The indifferent man’s eyes rippled with shallow amusement. This time, everyone saw it clearly.

The early summer breeze blew into the classroom, especially gentle.