He Will Come Back Before Dawn

72

It was a cold spring-night in March when Pei Chuan walked to the old community.

Jin Jinyang was extremely nervous. "Chuan Ge, if you send money to people like this, you will be beaten by them."

After all, for Zhao Zhilan, it was unrealistic for Bei Yao to get together with Huo Xu. It was also the same case for Pei Chuan having an unrealistic dream to be with their daughter.

Zhao Zhilan hated accepting money from anyone. Pei Chuan said, “I know.”

“So, you still want to go?”

Pei Chuan shook his head. “No.”

“Then… you won’t compete with Huo Xu?”

Pei Chuan’s eyes dimmed. The night wind blew on his body, and it was terribly cold. Pei Chuan’s mind was full of worry; the light and darkness intertwined. Zhao Zhilan didn’t want Huo Xu’s money, let alone his.

Pei Chuan knew this very well. It’s just as Jin Ziyang said. If Zhao Zhilan even despised Huo Xu, how could she not despise him, a disabled who had been in prison?

It's hard to get Zhao Zhilan to accept him—very hard.

Pei Chuan said, "You go back, I have a way."

"Chuan Ge, your expression makes me nervous, you won't do anything stupid, right? Please don't, I'm panicking."

Pei Chuan said, "Don't speak nonsense, go back!"

Jin Ziyang held a card. “Here is three hundred thousand, do you want it?” Or you could take a bit from that 5 million first, and give this card to Zhao Zhilan and them.

Pei Chuan’s eyes were dark. “No need, I won’t send the money tonight.”

Jin Yang didn't understand what Pei Chuan was going to do. Though he was reluctant to leave, he still left.

Pei Chuan raised his head, the lights in Bei Yao’s home were still on. He stood in the still darkness and looked toward that direction; the man’s back was straight as a pine. The cold wind did not affect his body and his heart boiled like magma.

After a long time, the lights in Bei Yao’s house went out. Pei Chuan sent her a text.

[Yaoyao, I’m downstairs]

~

When Bei Yao received this text message, she thought she had misread it and was shocked beyond words.

However, the number was indeed the number he used before.

She quietly looked into the distance from the window with a sense of crisis, and saw a vague figure in the dark night. She recognized that it was indeed him.

Bei Yao was shocked. She quickly put on her coat and went downstairs with light steps.

For the past two days, Zhao Zhilan had been gathering funds to repay the borrowed money, and now she was finally able to sleep. Bei Yao was afraid of waking up her mother so her steps were very light.

The spring breeze was crisp. Bei Yao approached him, and Pei Chuan lowered his eyes to look at her.

Having not seen her for six months, it was not easy for him to see her every time.

He hid his worry and gave her a smile.

Bei Yao said, "Don't you... still have a few years left?"

Pei Chuan said with a low voice, “Sentence reduction. It’s over.” When he said this, cold sweat broke out of his palm. He was afraid that she would question him why he didn’t tell her in advance; that she had fallen in love with that rich man—Huo Xu—during this period of time, thus was disappointed to hear that he was released from prison.