Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 136: They're quite considerate in this respect.
The dusk deepened.

Just as Xiao Xiaoxiao herself said, she is indeed a very vengeful person. Even though she was almost full from dinner, she still couldn't stop thinking about the takeout that cost more than ten yuan. She was willing to post a "reward" to find the thief who stole the takeout and take revenge.

Han Zhou certainly didn't look down on takeout that cost a dozen yuan; he also hated people who stole takeout. He just hadn't expected Xiao Xiaoxiao to be so vengeful. It seemed he absolutely couldn't upset her in the future...

This "bounty" isn't too difficult. He plans to ask Ouyang Lianyu later if she can access the school's surveillance footage. If there's footage, things will be much easier. If not, he'll think of other ways, such as trying a sting operation, adding some extra spicy food to takeout. Anyone who dares to steal it deserves it, which would be doing a service to the people.

He and Guzheng had already arrived at the hospital. Ouyang Lianyu's ward was on the fourth floor. Since they weren't in a hurry, taking the elevator would be more convenient, so they waited in front of the elevator.

The numbers on the elevator doors slowly changed. Just then, Gu Zheng suddenly asked, "Han Zhou, are you concerned about when we met that child?"

She could tell, of course, that Han Zhou was very interested in Xiao Xiaoxiao; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to investigate the delivery thief.

"I do care a lot."

Han Zhou nodded and said, "Don't you find it strange? Both of us have good memories. Logically speaking, if we had met Xiao Xiao, we shouldn't only have a vague impression but be unable to remember her at all..."

At this point, he gave a wry smile, "Also, that girl is the same age as us, so don't call her like a child."

The elevator doors opened, and the two stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor.

"There's nothing I can do, she looks just too much like a middle school student. I was shocked when you first told me she was your classmate."

Gu Zheng looked thoughtful. "Actually, I'm quite bothered by it too. A girl like that... a girl with such unique characteristics should be hard to forget, but we just don't remember her at all. It's really strange..."

She reached into the bag and secretly ate a grape when Han Zhou wasn't looking.

Han Zhou shook his head: "Let's put this matter aside for now and get down to business first. When you see the counselor later, don't say anything. Just act like a harmless, obedient girl. I'll say whatever you need to say."

Gu Zheng raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, and said, "What do you mean by pretending to be a harmless, obedient girl? Does not pretending mean I'm not an obedient girl?"

You're probably only remotely related to the word "girl" at best, don't you have any self-awareness...?

Han Zhou glanced at her and said irritably, "I've never seen a well-behaved girl steal fruit meant for a patient."

Seeing that she had been caught stealing food, Guzheng felt a little guilty and quickly defended herself, saying, "How can this be called stealing food? Didn't you say you would buy me an extra bunch of grapes?"

Han Zhou chuckled and said, "I did say that, and I did buy an extra bunch for you, but you should at least take it home and eat it. Otherwise, what will people think when they see that there's only half a bunch of grapes left?"

"It doesn't matter, I can finish the rest right away, you should have some too."

Gu Zheng didn't mind, plucked a small bunch of grapes and handed it to Han Zhou, then stuffed the rest into her own mouth.

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated. This guy had said he was full earlier, but now he's eating again.

He didn't take the grapes, but said, "I can't eat anymore. You can have these too, just don't get an upset stomach."

The elevator doors opened again, and they had arrived at the fourth floor. The two arrived at a hospital room. After confirming that the room number was correct, Han Zhou knocked on the half-open door and then pushed it open and went inside.

"Teacher Ouyang, I've come to see you..."

There were two hospital beds in the ward. One of them was empty, and the other bed was occupied by Ouyang Lianyu, who was wearing a hospital gown. She was lying on the bed with her long hair disheveled, her right leg in a cast and slinged high in the air, and she looked tired and listless.

Han Zhou had originally intended to come in and greet them, but upon seeing this, he immediately shut his mouth, put on a stern face, and turned to leave.

"Han Zhou?"

However, Ouyang Lianyu clearly heard his voice and immediately turned her head to look at him, squinting her eyes as she asked, "Where are you going?"

Han Zhou paused, his face serious, and said, "I'm going out to take a call. I'll come back in later."

Ouyang Lianyu was silent for a moment, then turned her head to glance at her right leg, which was being hoisted high. She seemed to understand something and said expressionlessly, "Laugh if you want to. Just stand here and laugh. You don't need to go out."

"Teacher, you've misunderstood. I'm feeling very sad right now, how could I possibly laugh at you?"

Han Zhou walked to the bedside with a heavy expression, placed the grapes on the table next to him, and tentatively asked, "But can you tell me how you injured your leg this time? The injury from last time shouldn't have fully healed yet, right?"

He was genuinely curious. To be honest, if he had Ouyang Lianyu's physique, he would probably have been able to treat all external injuries long ago, thanks to his long experience with illness.
Ouyang Lianyu, of course, wouldn't answer, lest he burst into laughter again. Instead, she said irritably, "Didn't you say you wouldn't come to see me? Why did you come anyway?"

"Of course I was joking. Actually, I was worried about it the whole time, so I rushed over as soon as I finished eating."

Han Zhou became ingratiating, asking with a concerned expression, "By the way, teacher, have you eaten?"

"have eaten."

"Are you full?"

"I am full."

Would you like some fruit for dessert? I brought you some grapes.

"No need, thank you. Besides, I think I told you not to bring anything."

Han Zhou pretended not to hear and continued, "I've heard that grapes have many benefits, especially for someone like you..."

Ouyang Lianyu, unable to bear it any longer, forced a smile and interrupted, "You didn't come here to talk nonsense, did you?"

She squinted at the guzheng behind Han Zhou and asked疑惑地, "And I was just about to ask, who is this person behind you? Is he your friend?"

"Yes, her name is Guzheng. She came with me to visit you," Han Zhou introduced with a smile, his sycophantic manner making Guzheng chuckle.

"That's it."

Ouyang Lianyu smiled and turned her gaze to Guzheng, saying gently, "Guzheng, right? Thank you for taking the time to visit me."

Her expression was gentle, and her voice was soft, a completely different attitude from how she treated Han Zhou.

In fact, this is the state Ouyang Lianyu displays when facing most students; her attitude towards Han Zhou is quite rare.

Ouyang Lianyu smiled and, seeing that Guzheng remained silent, squinted to examine her closely. She asked with concern, "Guzheng, what happened to your face? Is it swollen?"

Is the guzheng swollen?

Han Zhou was taken aback, turned his head to look at Gu Zheng, and his expression instantly fell. He saw that the guy's cheeks were bulging, obviously stuffed full of food, like a hamster. It was no exaggeration to say that they were swollen.

Gu Zheng paused in her chewing motion, turned her head away somewhat guiltily, and continued to puff out her cheeks.

She had just stuffed all the grapes into her mouth in one go, but she hadn't finished chewing them by the time she reached the ward door. Then Han Zhou walked straight into the ward, so she had no choice but to follow him in.

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated, thinking that this was for the best; at least this girl couldn't speak, so she could at least pretend to be a well-behaved girl. However, he quickly realized something and asked, "Teacher Ouyang, aren't you wearing your contact lenses today?"

It's obvious without even asking that this guy is definitely not wearing glasses; he can't even tell if Gu Zheng's face is swollen or not.

Ouyang Lianyu hummed in agreement: "Contact lenses are not very suitable for farsighted people. I only wear them occasionally, and most of the time I wear regular glasses."

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment: "Then your ordinary glasses..."

Ouyang Lianyu was a little embarrassed and said, "I put it on the bedside table before, but I couldn't find it just now. It must have fallen under the bed."

"It's alright, I'll help you look for it."

Han Zhou was about to bend down to look for it when Gu Zheng stopped him, frowning and shaking her head. Her expression was perfectly normal, but with her chubby cheeks, she looked exactly like a meat bun. Han Zhou almost burst out laughing. He understood what Gu Zheng meant; she was worried about his hand and wanted him to stay put while she went to find the glasses.

There was nothing to argue about, so he stood still.

"Thank you."

Ouyang Lianyu thanked her softly. She had taken a short nap after finishing her meal, and when she woke up a while ago, she realized that her glasses were missing. She was wondering whether she should ask the nurse to help her find them when Han Zhou arrived.

Thinking about it carefully, although this guy didn't respect her much, at least his concern was genuine. Even though this concern had a certain ulterior motive, from another perspective, he was at least the first person to visit her.

To be honest, when she saw Han Zhou guess that she was in the hospital again in the afternoon, besides feeling embarrassed and annoyed, she felt mostly incredulous. After all, in a sense, this guy knew her quite well...

While he was thinking, Han Zhou's dejected voice suddenly rang out in the ward: "Oh right, teacher, I forgot to answer you just now, Gu Zheng's face is indeed swollen, and it's from crying."

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Lianyu and Guzheng were both stunned, with the latter turning around and glaring at him fiercely.

Han Zhou ignored her and said sadly, "You've heard about what happened on the playground the day before yesterday. Gu Zheng was the girl who kicked someone, but there was a reason for that..."

He tearfully recounted the events of that day, without embellishing or making things up, but focusing on his own thoughts and the aftermath.

"After that, Guzheng couldn't eat anything and cried every night. You don't know, she's been frail and sickly since childhood, and she's shy by nature. She can't stand being tormented by tears. After crying for two nights, her face was swollen..."

This is obviously a blatant lie. Gu Zheng was completely baffled. Frail and sickly? Shy? Do those two words have anything to do with her whatsoever?
Ouyang Lianyu couldn't see Han Zhou's expression clearly. Hearing this, she was skeptical and asked worriedly, "Is it that serious?"

"Of course."

Han Zhou said worriedly, "We are brave enough to take responsibility for our actions and are not afraid of the school's punishment. I don't care what happens to me, but Gu Zheng's family has always been strict and even uses corporal punishment. If they find out that she has caused trouble at school... sigh."

Ouyang Lianyu seemed to be quite moved, and after a long silence, she said, "I understand what you mean, but don't worry too much. If anything happens, I will take responsibility for negotiating with your parents. Besides, this matter is not as serious as you think, so there's no need to make a mountain out of a molehill."

She could tell, of course, that Han Zhou was playing the victim. From the moment he entered, he kept calling her "you, you, you," his purpose being nothing more than to get her to protect the girl named Guzheng.

They just play little tricks...

She said helplessly, "I've already spoken with the school. You won't be given a demerit for this. Both of you have shown a good attitude in admitting your mistakes, so writing a self-criticism is enough."

"Really?" Han Zhou asked, puzzled. "Didn't you say that some parents from the parties involved came to cause trouble?"

"That's true. The parents of that girl surnamed Liu were very aggressive yesterday, demanding an explanation from the school. However, they stopped pursuing the matter this morning and expressed their willingness to accept the school's decision."

A girl surnamed Liu?

Han Zhou thought for a moment, could it be that girl named Liu Qiumin? No, this conflict has little to do with her, what explanation does she want?
He asked in bewilderment, "Why did they suddenly stop bothering me?"

Ouyang Lianyu shook her head: "I don't know about that. Maybe it's too much trouble. I'll ask around for you when I have time."

Her understanding of the matter mainly came from her colleague's account over the phone, and she wasn't clear on the specifics.

Han Zhou didn't seem to care, as long as nothing happened. However, the next second, he suddenly remembered something and said stiffly, "They stopped bothering us this morning, and the school has decided to make us write self-criticisms... So the matter was over this morning, wasn't it? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Doesn't this mean we made a wasted trip?
Ouyang Lianyu blinked, a triumphant smile spreading across her face: "Sorry, I forgot."

She did it on purpose, of course. This guy likes to joke, so she'll joke back and see who gets the short end of the stick first.

This time she won.

Hearing Han Zhou's bitter tone, Ouyang Lianyu felt a sense of triumph.

Just then, a hand reached out from beside the hospital bed and placed a pair of glasses in her hand.

It was obvious that Guzheng had found the glasses under the bed.

"Thank you."

Ouyang Lianyu smiled gently, thinking that this child was indeed quite shy. He hadn't said a word since he entered the room. However, being too gentle was not a good thing. How could he make his face swell up from crying over such a small matter?

She took the glasses and put them on, then turned her head and saw a short-haired girl. She was momentarily stunned; the girl's appearance was unexpected. She was quite pretty, with big eyes, but her face was chubby—it was indeed swollen…

Ok?
She froze for a few seconds, veins throbbing on her forehead, then suddenly looked at Han Zhou, took a deep breath, and said, "Tell me again, is her face swollen?"

Han Zhou took a few steps back without changing his expression and explained, "I was also surprised when I first saw it, but the doctor said it's called internal swelling, and the cause is said to be..."

Gu Zheng couldn't stand this fabrication anymore. She quickly swallowed the grapes in her mouth, punched him lightly, and then said to Ouyang Lianyu, "I'm sorry, Teacher Ouyang, he just likes to talk nonsense. Don't blame him. My face isn't swollen. I was just eating and couldn't speak."

Ouyang Lianyu had a good liking for the guzheng and said with a smile, "It's alright, it's good that nothing happened."

After speaking, she glared at Han Zhou and demanded with a stern face, "Han Zhou, how could you lie to your teacher?"

Han Zhou chuckled awkwardly, "I was just thinking that you must be bored here all alone, so I wanted to crack a joke to lighten the mood... By the way, even in your condition, isn't anyone here to take care of you?"

"Don't change the subject!"

Ouyang Lianyu said coldly, "After you go back, write two self-criticisms for me. One is from the day before yesterday, and the other is from today. You know what you need to write about. Also, write a guarantee that you will never lie to me again. Each one is three thousand words... one thousand words! Hand them to me after military training!"

Considering Han Zhou's injured hand, she ultimately couldn't bear to make him write too many words, and gave him enough time to write slowly and reflect deeply.

"Remember to write it carefully. If you're not serious, you'll have to rewrite it. And you're not allowed to copy from the internet."

Han Zhou's face instantly fell. He had never written a self-criticism before, so he quickly and humbly admitted his mistake. However, Ouyang Lianyu was not buying it at all. If she didn't teach this guy a lesson, he would dare to lie to her again next time.

Gu Zheng watched with glee. The 3,000-word self-criticism wasn't much, so she wasn't worried that Han Zhou wouldn't be able to finish it. Besides, he deserved to suffer for talking nonsense.

Seeing that Ouyang Lianyu had no intention of changing her mind, Han Zhou had no choice but to admit defeat and give up his futile struggle.

Three thousand words it is.

To prevent him from continuing to play the victim and gain sympathy, Ouyang Lianyu immediately gave him the order to leave, saying, "It's getting late, you should go back to school soon, and be careful on the road."

It was indeed getting late, and night was approaching. Han Zhou nodded and said, "Alright, it's time for us to go. Take care, teacher."

However, he had some doubts in his mind: could this guy really be left without anyone to take care of him?

"Don't forget to send me a message when you get to school."

"Okay, goodbye teacher."

Han Zhou and Gu Zheng said goodbye to Ouyang Lianyu and then left the ward together, closing the door behind them.

The ward suddenly became deserted.

Ouyang Lianyu looked out the window. Night had fallen, and in the distance, a crescent moon could be seen, as if it had been bitten by someone. There was no starlight around, only the thin moonlight, which looked somewhat lonely.

After a while, Ouyang Lianyu withdrew her gaze and looked at the grapes on the table. The grapes had been washed, each one plump and glistening, with water droplets hanging on their skin.

She looked at her still relatively intact right hand, picked a grape and put it in her mouth, her expression suddenly softening a little.

"This guy is actually quite considerate in this respect."

(End of this chapter)