Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 15 That Rainy Day
Han Zhou wasn't quite sure how the status bar determined a person's attributes, but he had some general guesses.

If we're talking about charm alone, he's seen people with the same seven points of charm as him, but most of them aren't as handsome as him.

This is not narcissism or boasting, but rather an evaluation from others.

As for physical strength, after he was in a "dying" state yesterday, his physical strength reached eight points, but he was still firmly restrained by Guzheng, whose physical strength was only seven points. Although his hand was not broken, he felt that his strength was not much greater than Guzheng's, or even that there was no difference at all.

Gu Zheng enjoys exercising and has even practiced self-defense, so she may have some skills in generating power. However, even if this has an impact, it is still enough to illustrate the point.

Han Zhou believes this may be related to the inaccuracy of the attributes determined by the status bar; each number is not a fixed value, but rather a range that fluctuates.

A simple example is that even with the same amount of physical strength, two people's physical qualities cannot be exactly the same.

For example, with the same seven points of stamina, some people may barely reach this standard, while others may have already reached the limit of this value, and it is even possible that they are approaching eight points.

Not to mention that physical strength is a general concept, which can be further broken down into multiple aspects such as speed, strength, and endurance. Even if the values ​​are the same, they cannot be exactly the same.

In other words, people with the same numerical attributes can actually be different.

As for why the status bar's assessment of attributes is so vague, Han Zhou wasn't sure either, but if he had to find a reason, it shouldn't be too complicated—

This isn't a game world, so there's no need to insist on determining who's stronger and who's weaker, and naturally, there's no need to list attributes so clearly. Besides, everything about a person inevitably changes over time, and charm is no exception.

Temperament is undoubtedly a part of charm, and this is certainly not something that can be easily determined by numerical values. Moreover, charm is a subjective thing, and different people have different aesthetics, so it is normal for attributes to exist in ranges.

Han Zhou thought for a moment. Among the people around him and whom he knew well who could see attributes, Gu Zheng had the highest charm. She was also undoubtedly a rare beauty, whose looks were enough to surpass most people with seven points of charm. From this point of view, the lower limit standard for each attribute range should be quite strict.

However, if we were to see Mo Yixia's attributes one day, I imagine her charm would be no less than eight points.

As for Han Zhou himself, he roughly estimated that his charm was currently at the peak of seven points, just one step away from stepping into the realm of eight points.

Thinking of this, Han Zhou suddenly came to his senses and wondered if he had been led astray by Lin Anyu. He quickly pulled himself out of his chaotic thoughts and looked at himself in the mirror.

Because of his weak constitution, Han Zhou was actually rather thin. Although the status bar helped him avoid looking sickly all the time, his skin was still rather pale, giving him the appearance of a frail scholar.

Standing nearly 1.8 meters tall, with a slender figure and handsome features, he possesses a gentle and peaceful gaze. His smile gives off a very approachable vibe, and the black suit he is wearing adds to his refined and elegant demeanor.

Of course, Han Zhou didn't consider himself gentle and refined. If conditions allowed, he actually wanted to be more physically strong and play basketball for two and a half years in college. Maybe he could become a sunny and cheerful young man.

Stepping out of the changing room and pushing open the door at the end of the corridor, I saw Lin Anyu standing in the room, giving instructions to a group of young men in black suits, explaining the precautions for what was to come.

Clearly, these are the young people who are about to perform as secret agents, and at first glance, they certainly live up to the word "handsome."

Han Zhou was curious why the performance didn't need rehearsal. Lin Anyu explained that this was just an entertainment program to make his cousin happy, so it didn't need to be too formal. It didn't matter if he made a mistake; he just needed to wear a suit, carry a gun, and walk around once.

He even prepared a pair of sunglasses for everyone, ostensibly to enhance their charm.

But Han Zhou didn't think so. It wasn't until he walked into the hotel not long ago that he realized how many people were at this birthday party. The "small gathering" that Lin Anyu mentioned seemed to be different from what he had imagined.

Trying to look cool in front of so many people is fine, but holding a toy gun is a bit awkward. The real reason for wearing sunglasses is probably to cover up the embarrassment when they can't keep up...

While he was thinking, Lin Anyu stopped lecturing and walked over. He looked him up and down and exclaimed in amazement, "No wonder you can beat me in terms of looks. This suit suits you very well."

Everyone present was dressed in black suits, except for this guy who insisted on wearing a white one to show off. He even said something nice, saying that he mainly wanted to attract everyone's attention later so that everyone wouldn't feel so awkward.

He knew it would be awkward...

Han Zhou is indeed eye-catching now. Most of the people in the room agree with Lin Anyu's opinion. It seems that he is the so-called "person who can hold the fort". People with good looks look good in anything, and they look even better when they wear the right clothes.

Unexpectedly, among these people was Han Zhou's high school classmate, Meng Feixiang. Lin Anyu hadn't mentioned him before. He came over to greet him and said with a smile, "Long time no see, Han Zhou."

Han Zhou smiled in response: "Not long, a little over a month."

"I knew Lin Anyu would drag you here." Meng Feixiang was very enthusiastic. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he asked, "But I heard he found you outside Gu Zheng's neighborhood?"

Han Zhou glanced at Lin Anyu, who looked up at the sky, as if to say, "I didn't say anything."

He withdrew his gaze and nodded, saying, "Yes."

Meng Feixiang hesitated for a moment before saying, "Although there are some things I shouldn't say, Guzheng probably doesn't like you getting close to her... Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"Who said I dislike the guzheng?"

Before Han Zhou could speak, Lin Anyu spoke first, teasingly saying, "Does Han Zhou not like you? Does she like you? Did she not tell you where she lives?"

"But in class..."

"You don't know anything. Back then, everyone's primary task was to study. You can't judge things by appearances alone."

Lin Anyu interrupted him impatiently, dismissing him with a few words, and the next second he felt a cold gaze fall on him.

He quickly chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I didn't tell that kid where Guzheng lives."

Han Zhou said helplessly, "I know you won't talk nonsense, but have you been making up stories about me and Guzheng behind my back every day?"

"No, no, that's impossible." Lin Anyu quickly denied it. "I only made it up to your face. Didn't I call you a simp to your face just a couple of days ago? But I only realized today that I was wrong. You guys were hiding it so well, hehehe."

He raised his eyebrows twice, and the ambiguous smile on his face made Han Zhou very uncomfortable.

In fact, Lin Anyu didn't know Gu Zheng's address. He only found out because he received a call from Han Zhou on a rainy holiday during high school, asking him to pick her up at Huadu Community.

When Lin Anyu arrived with his driver, he witnessed a scene that would be unforgettable, like something out of an idol drama:
The heavy rain fell like a curtain, and the surroundings were deserted, with only the sound of the rain pouring down.

Han Zhou stood alone in the torrential rain. The umbrella that had fallen to the ground at his feet was blown far away by the gale. He lowered his head, and it was hard to tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears. He looked like he was in great pain. His hair was wet, and he was soaked to the bone.

Gu Zheng, on the other hand, was standing in the pavilion, speaking fiercely and reaching out as if trying to snatch the unopened umbrella from Han Zhou's hand.

The rain was torrential and the wind was biting. The thin Han Zhou looked like he had been abandoned by the whole world. Lin Anyu immediately imagined several melodramatic plots from youth campus idol dramas. He was furious and got out of the car, rushed into the rain, and dragged Han Zhou into the car.

It was from that day on that Lin Anyu began to deeply resent Han Zhou's sycophantic behavior. He believed that the story was that Han Zhou went to try to please Gu Zheng even in the pouring rain, only to be met with a harsh rejection.

Afterwards, this guy seemed to have a fever; I don't know if it was his own fault.

Of course, Gu Zheng can't be blamed for this, but Lin Anyu was somewhat annoyed by her. She was so beautiful but didn't have many friends, which showed how annoying she was. He didn't know what Han Zhou saw in her. He was clearly not bad himself, but he still had to act like a simp.

However, the actual events of that day were actually like this—

Han Zhou was about to go back after accumulating points when a sudden downpour began. Coincidentally, the subway was also shut down that day. Huadu Community was located in the old city area, in a remote location, and it was almost impossible to hail a taxi nearby.

Upon learning of this situation, Gu Zheng hurriedly ran downstairs. After a moment of hesitation, she gritted her teeth and told Han Zhou to simply stay at her house for the night before leaving.

But Han Zhou refused. Gu Zheng's parents were not home at the time, and a lone man and woman staying together for one night would undoubtedly have an extremely bad impact on the reputation of a high school girl. If word got back to the school, it would be even worse.

Gu Zheng was worried that such heavy rain would cause problems, and when Han Zhou refused, she became even more enthusiastic. Helpless, Han Zhou had no choice but to ask Lin Anyu to pick her up.

The two were actually arguing about this, and the situation wasn't actually that tragic, but Lin Anyu completely imagined it to be a different story.

Han Zhou did try to explain later, but Lin Anyu just laughed it off—what a joke, a girl asking a boy to stay at her house for one night, and the girl getting upset when he refused?

Do you think this is a novel?

He thought Han Zhou was just numbing himself, and felt heartbroken and disappointed.

Although he had only been to Huadu Community once, the way Han Zhou and Gu Zheng interacted had already been completely etched in his mind—one was persistent and eager, while the other coldly rejected him; it was just such a melodramatic urban drama.

Not to mention that Guzheng always ignored Han Zhou in class.

Lin Anyu had assumed that Han Zhou went to see Gu Zheng every day to beg outside the door, and he was even considering whether to wake him up. But today he realized that it wasn't like that at all.

He had just seen the message Gu Zheng sent to Han Zhou in the car. She actually asked him what time he was coming over tomorrow, and that if it was late, her family would cook an extra portion of dinner. His jaw almost dropped.

He realized he had discovered the truth—Han Zhou wasn't a sycophant at all; he had clearly already won over the guzheng without saying a word!
In Han Zhou's mind, those who always called him a lapdog were probably already considered stupid dogs.

Of course, he's definitely not included, since he's the other party's best friend.

Seeing the richness of Lin Anyu's expression, Han Zhou roughly knew what this stupid dog was thinking and reminded him, "Don't think about those things."

"I didn't say anything."

Lin Anyu chuckled, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, "That kid Meng Feixiang likes the guzheng, so he deliberately teased you just now. But he's not as good as you; he's even trying to teach you how to do things."

Han Zhou was taken aback and glanced at Meng Feixiang not far away: "Really? I didn't really notice that."

"Haven't you noticed enough? There are plenty of people who like the guzheng, but that girl is hard to get along with. Plus, everyone saw your 'crushing defeat,' so naturally no one confided in her."

Han Zhou was even more puzzled: "Is the guzheng difficult to get along with?"

Lin Anyu hesitated for a moment, and it took him a while to swallow back the question, "Is he not difficult to get along with?" He then patted Han Zhou on the shoulder with a meaningful expression and said, "Anyway, I support you."

"support me?"

Han Zhou felt like he had heard this sentence somewhere before.

"Yes, I support you and the guzheng."

Lin Anyu thought he had seen through the whole truth, and his face was full of encouragement.

Even the expression seemed familiar, and Han Zhou quickly remembered.

This kid seemed to have said that when I first met Mo Yixia the day before yesterday. Why has he changed his mind now?

and also……

Have you forgotten about the important matter?

(End of this chapter)