Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 153 Time Management Master
"Every corner, not a single corner can be overlooked!"

"Check under the lights, inspect each and every one of them, make sure you don't miss any!"

"And the TV, check the set-top box, what's that glowing thing? Is there something on the ceiling? Quick, quick, go check it out! Pay close attention to everything facing the bed!"

"..."

When Gu Zheng came out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she saw Han Zhou looking utterly hopeless, frantically searching the room with her phone, looking here and there, even under the bed, as if looking for something.

She walked up behind Han Zhou, looking puzzled, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Seeing that Gu Zheng had finally finished showering and come out, Han Zhou felt like he had been granted a pardon. He immediately handed her his phone and said with a wry smile, "You'll have to ask your dad about that."

"My Father?"

Gu Zheng was somewhat bewildered. She took the phone and looked at it. To her horror, a huge eye appeared on the screen. She was so startled that she almost dropped the phone.

Fortunately, at that moment, the eye that had occupied the entire screen quickly zoomed out and shrank, and was replaced by a gloomy face, which was Gu Lang, Gu Zheng's father.

This is a video call.

"What is this...?" Gu Zheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, "Dad? What are you doing?"

"What else can you do?"

Gu Lang sighed and said, "Of course I'm helping you check if there are any hidden cameras in the room. I've been telling you all along that you have to be careful when staying in a hotel these days. Did you check the bathroom before you took a shower?"

"It's been checked, there's no problem."

Gu Zheng grew up listening to Gu Lang's various safety education programs, so she has a strong sense of vigilance. She said, "I'm asking why you called at this time?"

Gu Lang got angry just thinking about it, and sighed again: "If I hadn't called you at this time, how would I have known that you would be out in a hotel with that kid Han Zhou in the middle of the night?"

Gu Zheng was stunned for a moment before realizing how awkward the situation was. Her expression became somewhat unnatural, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "This...this is a special case! Han Zhou should have told you the reason, right?"

"I did say it, but how should I put it... you should be glad that I was the one who called you today. If your mother knew that you and Han Zhou were having an affair, that kid probably wouldn't see the sun tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Han Zhou, who was standing next to Gu Zheng, twitched his eyelids and cautiously interjected, "Um... Uncle Gu, I'm right next to Gu Zheng, I can hear you..."

"Of course I'm telling you this!"

Gu Lang said in an unfriendly tone, "You brat, you dare to kidnap my precious daughter to a hotel in the middle of the night! If I didn't know you pretty well, I would have driven over here and killed you right now!"

Gu Zheng couldn't help but defend Han Zhou: "Dad, don't scare Han Zhou. He didn't kidnap me. I... I voluntarily shared a room with him!"

She was too embarrassed to say that the main reason was that she was a little scared living alone, and her expression was vague, so Gu Lang heard her words and interpreted them completely differently.

voluntary?
Gu Lang's breath hitched, and he clutched his chest in pain: "You shouldn't have said that, now that you've said it, I want to kill this kid even more..."

Like his wife Miao Yan'er, he also dotes on the guzheng. Calling him a "daughter slave" might be an exaggeration, but it's not far off. How could he tolerate his lively and lovely daughter sleeping in the same room with a rascal in the middle of the night?

What's more, this kid is even more handsome than him!

He almost jumped up when he heard Han Zhou's voice on Gu Zheng's phone, and when he heard the other party say in a frivolous tone that Gu Zheng was taking a shower, his mind went completely blank. When he came to his senses, he wanted nothing more than to devour the kid.

Even though he already knew the specifics and that neither of them had any romantic intentions, who knows what might happen when things get heated? His precious daughter was so beautiful, what if Han Zhou had some ulterior motives?

That's not the worst part. The worst part is what if Guzheng gets up to something? At that point, that brat Han Zhou probably won't even have a chance to fight back!

Just like he was back then...

He had just warned Han Zhou that if Gu Zheng lost even a single hair tonight, he would make the kid pay.

Seeing her father looking dejected, Gu Zheng, who was already feeling a little guilty, quickly changed the subject: "It used to be my mom calling me, why is it you today?"

Gu Lang replied with a dark face, "We were quite busy with work today and didn't get home until after 11 o'clock. She was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she got home. It's a good thing that happened, otherwise that kid Han Zhou would definitely not see the sun tomorrow."

He became increasingly annoyed and repeated what he had just said through gritted teeth. Although they had previously agreed to let Han Zhou and Gu Zheng stay at home alone, that was completely different from the two of them booking a hotel room together. His wife would definitely not accept it with a smile if she found out.

Looking at her father's sullen face on the phone screen, Gu Zheng said helplessly, "Alright, alright, it's not as exaggerated as you say..."

Gu Lang sneered: "Think carefully about your mother's personality. Am I really exaggerating?"

Gu Zheng pondered for a moment, stole a glance at Han Zhou, and remained silent.

Han Zhou, who was standing to the side, froze for a moment, then felt a chill run down his spine.

What the heck? Does this mean I almost didn't see the sun rise tomorrow?
No, your family isn't actually involved in organized crime, is it?

"Uncle Gu, I'm still listening..."

He spoke with difficulty, suggesting that it was best not to let him hear such cruel topics.

Gu Lang said irritably, "I told you this specifically so you wouldn't have any inappropriate thoughts. For Gu Zheng's sake, I'll keep tonight's events a secret for now. You better watch yourself."

"dad!"

Gu Zheng was unhappy. If anything, she was the one who forced Han Zhou to live in the same room with her, so why was it being said that it was Han Zhou's fault...

"Alright, alright, you can protect this kid then."

Gu Lang was heartbroken. He was extremely worried about his daughter's attitude of siding with outsiders. If he didn't know that Gu Zheng and Han Zhou were both sensible people, he would have insisted on separating them.

No, maybe we should just let them live separately...

If Guzheng really gets into trouble, this brat definitely won't be able to handle it!
Gu Lang sighed inwardly, hesitated for a long time but ultimately didn't say much. Instead, he got down to business: "I'm calling for two reasons. First, I'm a little worried because you haven't replied to my messages. Second, I wanted to ask if you want to come back to our hometown with us for the National Day holiday."

"go."

Gu Zheng agreed without even thinking.

Gu Lang observed his daughter's expression through the screen and winked, reminding her, "This trip might last three or four days. If you're worried about getting bored, you'd better bring that kid with you."

He now dislikes Han Zhou intensely and no longer wants to call him by his name.

Gu Zheng was slightly taken aback, her eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and confusion, and asked, "Can I bring Han Zhou along?"

"Of course you can, but you have to ask his opinion... Never mind, no need to ask. Just bring him along if you want, and don't worry about the rest. I'll force him to agree."

Han Zhou spoke up again: "Uncle Gu, I've been listening the whole time. Isn't it incredibly disrespectful of you to tell me to your face that you're forcing me..."

"I know, I'm just saying this for you."

Gu Lang said impatiently, "Gu Zheng, give the phone to that kid."

Gu Zheng certainly wanted Han Zhou to accompany her back to her hometown, otherwise it might be a bit boring. However, she didn't want to force Han Zhou and was unsure whether to give him her phone. Before she could hesitate, Han Zhou had already taken the phone.

"Uncle Gu".

Han Zhou looked at the man on his phone screen, forced a smile, and greeted him.

Although no longer young, the man's appearance still deserves the title of "handsome," and it's not hard to imagine how dashing and charming he must have been in his youth. In fact, Gu Lang was indeed a notorious playboy in his youth, reportedly seducing many women, until he was beaten up and taken to marry by Miao Yan'er, thus ending his "sinful" first half of life.

The above content is from Miao Yan'er's narration, and Han Zhou doesn't know if it's true or not.

"Boy."

Gu Lang had a toothpick dangling from his mouth, looking every bit the thug. "You heard what I just said, right? Come with us to our hometown for a couple of days. We'll provide food and lodging, at least three dishes and a soup per meal. Consider it a free trip. What do you say?"

Han Zhou glanced at him, then at Gu Zheng beside him, who was pretending not to care but had been eavesdropping the whole time, and said carefully, "I'm not free for the first three days of the National Day holiday, but I can consider it if it's the later days..."

"Then it's the last three days," Gu Lang said decisively. "It's settled then. You and Gu Zheng can go back to school together then."

Seeing that Han Zhou seemed hesitant, his face darkened, and he said with a cold smile, "Kid, you don't actually think I'm discussing this with you, do you?"

He brought his face close to the camera, spat out the toothpick in his mouth, and threatened in a low voice, "You don't want your sister Miao to find out about you and Guzheng having sex in a hotel room, do you?"

Han Zhou gasped. Good heavens, Uncle Gu, you didn't go to Japan for further studies, did you?

To make sure he could see the sun tomorrow, he quickly replied, "I understand. I should be free for the next few days after National Day. But could you tell me where your hometown is?"

Seeing that he agreed, Guzheng's eyes lit up, and she answered with suppressed excitement, "It's in the countryside near Lincheng, not far away. I grew up with my grandmother when I was little, so that's my hometown."

"That's it."

Gu Lang picked up where his daughter left off, saying, "The scenery there is nice, but the internet isn't very good and there aren't many entertainment options. It might get a bit boring if you stay there too long. Her mother and I have things to do those few days, so I hope you can keep Gu Zheng company."

At this point, Gu Lang's expression became more serious.

It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea for Han Zhou to accompany Gu Zheng to her hometown; it was something he had discussed with his wife long ago.

In the couple's view, the reason why Guzheng became so competitive was inseparable from her childhood experiences in her hometown. This was the knot in Guzheng's heart, and also the reason why they had always felt deeply guilty.

They owe the guzheng a deep debt.

That's why there are some things they might not be able to say much about, but Han Zhou is different. He may not be able to make Gu Zheng change, but even if he can only help her resolve her inner conflict a little, that would be good.

[The event quest has begun. Please fulfill the wish of the target character, Guzheng, by accompanying her back to her hometown for at least three days during the National Day holiday and reliving childhood memories together. Upon completion of the quest, you can randomly draw one enhanced skill from the target character.]

Han Zhou was taken aback when he saw the sudden appearance of the event task.

This year's National Day holiday is only eight days long, and Mo Yixia's tasks have already taken up three days. Now another task that will last for three days has appeared. Fortunately, the two tasks do not conflict in terms of time, otherwise he might have to become a time management master...

Speaking of which, he currently has a ton of quests on his plate: Zhong Ling's side quests, Xiao Xiaoxiao's event quests, plus Gu Zheng and Mo Yixia's event quests. If he needs to interact with that 'Smiling Princess' in the future, it means there will be another side quest...

Fortunately, none of the tasks in the status bar require mandatory completion, and there are no time limits except for temporary tasks; otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to keep up.

"I understand. Just have Guzheng let me know when the time comes."

Seeing how cooperative the boy was, Gu Lang was satisfied. He had said almost everything he needed to say. However, the thought of his daughter spending the night in the same room as this boy instantly vanished from his good mood...

Han Zhou yawned and asked, "Uncle Gu, is there anything else? If not, I'm going to take a shower. I'm tired after a long day, and I want to rest early tonight."

"Go ahead and wash it. Nobody's stopping you. Go on, I have something to say to Guzheng."

"Row."

Han Zhou returned the phone to Gu Zheng, changed into slippers, and went into the bathroom.

When he finished showering and came out of the bathroom, Gu Zheng had already ended his call with Gu Lang.

Perhaps because she had just taken a shower, the girl's cheeks were slightly flushed, and her delicate white feet were dangling off the edge of the bed as she sat on the bed, holding her phone and lost in thought.

"Are you done with the call?"

Han Zhou sat down on another bed. He felt refreshed after taking a shower and wasn't so sleepy anymore. He reminded him, "Go blow-dry your hair after you're done. It's still wet. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"Oh."

Gu Zheng responded, her mind still replaying her father's words from not long ago: "Although we have always regarded that boy as our future son-in-law, you must not do anything out of line now." At this moment, she felt both ashamed and annoyed, and was quite absent-minded.

Han Zhou thought for a moment and asked curiously, "By the way, why did Uncle Gu call you Zhenbao? Does it mean he's describing you as a precious gem?"

Gu Zheng's expression changed slightly. She suddenly raised her head, looked at him with some displeasure, and asked with a flushed face, "Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"Is there even a need to eavesdrop?"

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated. "He was shouting so loudly that I could hear him even in the bathroom."

Gu Zheng looked suspicious and asked warily, "Is your hearing that good? How come I didn't hear you talking to my dad on the phone when I was taking a shower earlier?"

However, considering that Han Zhou could even hear Senior Zhong Ling's voice, his hearing was indeed much better than hers, she wasn't surprised.

Under Han Zhou's curious gaze, she reluctantly explained, "It's not the 'treasure' you're thinking of, but 'Zhengbao.' That's my nickname, or rather, a nickname. My grandma used to call me that, and later my dad followed suit and started calling me that too."

It took Han Zhou about five seconds to figure out which "Zhengbao" the other person was referring to. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "That's a pretty cute nickname. But why didn't Uncle Gu call you that when I was at your house?"

He had visited Guzheng's home many times and met Uncle Gu many times, but he had never heard Uncle Gu call Guzheng that before.

"Of course it's because I don't allow him to call me that."

Gu Zheng pouted and said, "When I was little, I liked to imitate my mom. Every time I finished eating, I would say 'So full, so full.' Later, my dad used this to make fun of me, and also to make fun of my mom. He would say 'Zhengbao is so full' every time he ate. I couldn't beat him back then, but my mom could. He was beaten by my mom and then he behaved himself."

Han Zhou chuckled. He remembered that Sister Miao would always rub her stomach and say "I'm so full" after eating. He hadn't expected that Gu Zheng had learned this before. He thought of the task in the event that mentioned accompanying the other person to relive their childhood memories, and he couldn't help but find it interesting. Gu Zheng's childhood must have been quite interesting.

As if suddenly remembering something, he said with a strange expression, "Speaking of which, your name wouldn't have been chosen because of this 'Zhen Bao' (meaning 'truly full'), would it?"

"Of course not, who would name a child with such a stupid meaning?"

Guzheng rolled her eyes at him and recalled, "My name was given to me by my maternal grandmother. I was born in late autumn, and there were still many children flying kites outside the hospital. My grandmother thought it was very interesting and thought that kites meant freedom, so she named me Guzheng."

"That's it..."

Han Zhou seemed to be deep in thought. For a time, he thought that the "zheng" in guzheng was more about competition, since this guy always wanted to be number one in everything, even a kite, he probably wanted to be the one that flew the highest. Now he realized that it meant freedom and unrestrainedness.

but……

He looked at the girl on the opposite bed, and a thought inexplicably arose in his mind.

Kites in this world yearn for the clouds, but they are all tethered by a thin string.

If you want to be the freest kite...

The wires should have to be disconnected, right?

Speaking of which, I updated three chapters totaling 12,000 words the day before yesterday. The new content is less than what I get from one update a day, which is quite perplexing...

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(End of this chapter)