After locking the door, Pei Yicheng returned to the room he shared with Cheng Hao and sat on the couch waiting.
"Brother Cheng," as soon as Cheng Hao opened the door and saw Pei Yicheng, he hung his head in a guilty manner and said, "Brother Cheng, I’m sorry, I’ve dragged you into this."
"Xiaohao, you haven’t wronged me; you should really think about yourself." Pei Yicheng thought about how Gu Junhe had cursed without regarding Cheng Hao at all, that contemptuous look in his eyes. Luckily it was him, because if it had been Cheng Hao, with his impulsive nature, who knew what he would have done.
"That Gu Junhe likes Yaru, and I definitely won’t give up." Cheng Hao said with determination, "Brother Cheng, you were right before, respect from others has to be earned by oneself. Only when you are strong can you protect what you want."
Cheng Hao somewhat regretted the frivolous years he had squandered, wasting away his prime years.
"It’s not too late now."
Pei Yicheng lowered his eyes, unable to agree with Cheng Hao’s choice, but, he respected it.
Cheng Hao quietly told him about Zou Yaru’s family situation, and after a long while, he said.
"Brother Cheng, I want to go back to Ningbei and ask my dad for money." Cheng Hao had been thinking about this issue on the way back but was afraid his thoughts weren’t thoroughly considered.
Pei Yicheng raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure?"
Cheng Hao was silent for a long time, the room so quiet that even the drop of a pin could be heard.
"Sure." Cheng Hao said, lifting his head with persistence, "Before, I thought all women were the same, that when it was time, I’d just pick one that I found agreeable and marry her."
Cheng Hao grabbed a bottle of beer and took a gulp before continuing, "But after I met Yaru, I realized how wrong my previous thinking was. I want to spend my life with her, want to protect her for a lifetime, I..."
Pei Yicheng patted his shoulder, walked back into the room, took out a passbook, and handed it to him, saying, "I have some savings on hand, take these first."
Cheng Hao looked at the passbook, and his eyes instantly reddened. Making this decision, he had thought long and hard, and considered it for a long while.
"Have you considered that, even after giving all this money, she might still not choose you?" Pei Yicheng asked, sitting in front of him.
Cheng Hao was silent; although he didn’t speak, his expression told Pei Yicheng that he had considered it.
He paused for a moment, then tilted his head back and drank all the beer.
The beer bottle landed on the table with a clang.
What had happened today was too unexpected. Even though he had his suspicions, he had not anticipated things to turn out this way. He took a deep breath and said, "No matter what the outcome is, I want to put in the effort, to give it my all, and not leave any regrets for my future self."
"Yaru, are you okay?" Zou Yashi returned from night school and saw Zou Yaru crying, covered up with a blanket.
Zou Yaru had been crying since she got back, and now she seemed unable to cry anymore; her eyes were swollen as she held onto Zou Yashi’s hand and said, "I feel awful, just awful."
Zou Yashi sighed, gently patting her back and comforted her by saying, "I never had high hopes for you and him from the start, and now..."
She paused for a moment and asked, "What do you plan to do now?"
"I don’t know." Zou Yaru’s mind was a mess, and her heart was in turmoil as well.
"How is the situation with Uncle now?" Zou Yashi changed the subject, since Zou Yaru was distressed, it was always good to shift her attention a bit.