Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 159 No Reimbursement
Inside the room.

Han Zhou looked at Mo Yixia across the table and asked again, "Is it really okay to wear this coat?"

“No problem.” Mo Yixia shook her head. “You’re spraying water, not sulfuric acid. It doesn’t have that much attack power. Just wear it for now.”

"I feel like what you said was quite offensive..."

Han Zhou chuckled twice. "Alright then, eat as soon as possible, and then head to the hotel. I suspect the zipper on your bag is stuck. I'll take some time to figure it out; I should be able to fix it. There's no need to force it open, otherwise this backpack will be unusable."

It's obvious this backpack must be very expensive, it's a real shame to break it like this.

That's right. The two of them were just trying to find a jacket in their backpacks to change Mo Yixia's school uniform jacket, since the jacket was wet and uncomfortable to wear. But at the crucial moment, the backpack zipper wouldn't open, which led to the conversation that followed.

"Whatever."

Mo Yixia picked up her chopsticks, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "Give me your bowl and chopsticks. Mine are covered in your saliva."

Han Zhou said awkwardly, "My bowl and chopsticks also have some... Wait a moment, I'll go ask the waiter to bring me a new set, and also ask them to prioritize bringing over the dishes other than fish."

"Ah."

As Han Zhou left the private room, he saw two waiters standing in the corridor, whispering and discussing something. One of them was the waiter who had just served them the food.

As he approached, he vaguely heard things like, "Believe me, he really can't do it," "He's all show and no substance," and "It's absolutely true, it won't even last thirty seconds, can you believe it?" His expression turned somewhat strange.

"Cough cough!"

He deliberately coughed twice, then approached and said, "Hello, could you please bring me a new set of bowls and chopsticks?"

Upon hearing the sound, the two waiters who had been chatting and slacking off immediately sprang to attention. They turned around and saw Han Zhou with a smile on his face. One of them looked strange and glanced away unnaturally, while the waiter who had just served them looked nervous and guilty.

"Hello?" Han Zhou called out again.

"Y-you... hello!" The waiter snapped out of his daze, his hands nervously gripping the hem of his shirt as he cautiously asked, "How can I help you?"

Han Zhou patiently said, "I would like to ask you to replace my bowl and chopsticks with a new one, is that alright?"

"Of course, I'll change it for you right now!"

"Thank you, please."

"No trouble, no trouble."

Han Zhou smiled, and seeing the waitress hurriedly preparing to leave, he suddenly called out to her, "Wait a moment."

The waiter paused, turned around stiffly to look at him, and forced a smile as he asked, "Is there anything else?"

Oh no, I hope they heard us...

"I forgot to mention before, could you please inform the kitchen that we'd like to serve dishes other than fish first, since my friend doesn't really like fish?"

"No problem, please wait a moment, I'll take care of it right away!"

The waiter, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, quickly ran away in small, quick steps.

Watching her leave, Han Zhou shook his head inwardly, then looked at another waiter standing to the side and asked curiously, "Is she always like this... um... so reckless?"

"That's not true."

The waiter shook his head and said, "Xiaoyue has always been very capable. She might be going through something... If she did anything wrong, I apologize on her behalf. Please forgive her."

Her expression was incredibly complex, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Han Zhou nodded thoughtfully and said, "I understand."

His expression was somewhat strange. He exchanged a glance with the waiter in front of him, and they both saw the complex emotions in each other's eyes.

Based on what I just overheard, some of the things that happened were actually predictable. How should I put it... every family has its own troubles, and it's normal to have worries.

He returned to the private room, and the waitress named Xiaoyue quickly brought new bowls and chopsticks. Soon after, other dishes were also served.

It was almost ten o'clock when the two finished their meal. As they walked out of the fish restaurant, a wind was blowing outside. A fallen leaf landed on Han Zhou's shoulder. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and a sweatshirt, which was rather thin, and the wind made him feel a little cold.

He looked up at the huge ginkgo tree in front of him and said, "I heard that the temperature difference between day and night in Yecheng is quite large. I wonder how much it can be."

Mo Yixia casually picked a ginkgo leaf from his shoulder, pinched the stem and gently twirled it: "It's a bit colder now than when we first arrived, the temperature has dropped by about two degrees. If we follow the pattern of changing two degrees per hour, the temperature difference between day and night is at least twenty degrees."

Han Zhou said, both amused and exasperated, "How can you calculate it like that? No matter how you look at it, the temperature difference between day and night can't possibly be that exaggerated, right?"

Mo Yixia took out her phone and checked the time: "We arrived at a little after 8:50, and it's almost 10 o'clock now. If nothing unexpected happens, the temperature should drop further later."

"It's alright, I've already booked the hotel. It's about a kilometer from here, a quick taxi ride will get you there." Mo Yixia hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Did you only book one room?"

"Of course not, how could we possibly live together? We have two adjacent rooms."

Are you worried that you won't be able to control yourself at night?

"Stop talking nonsense. Putting everything else aside, you're still a minor. If the police come to check your room in the middle of the night, you won't be able to explain yourself."

Han Zhou said irritably, then suddenly paused, wondering, "When did my perspective become so peculiar?"

Mo Yixia looked at him thoughtfully.

"What's that look in your face?"

"I was just wondering, according to you, once I'm an adult, will we be able to share a room?"

"Can't you think of something else for the rest of the day..." Han Zhou sighed helplessly, "What happened to your innocent high school girl persona?"

"You're right, I am a pure-hearted high school girl, and a poor pure-hearted high school girl."

Mo Yixia turned her head away and said calmly, "So my budget only includes the cost of one room. Any additional room will not be reimbursed."

"Fine, I won't reimburse you then." Han Zhou was amused by this petulant threat. "Alright, let's go hay a taxi on the side of the road. There seem to be plenty of taxis around here."

"No."

"what happened again?"

"We'll walk there."

“Walking is fine too, it’s not far anyway, but didn’t you say you were tired before?”

"I've rested."

Mo Yixia gathered her hair and said softly, "Besides, I rarely have the opportunity to walk at night and see the night view, so I can't waste it."

Han Zhou was taken aback, thinking that given Mo Yixia's situation, it would indeed be difficult for her to have such an opportunity, so he said, "That makes sense, let's walk then, let me check the navigation."

"Dide Maps is continuously navigating for you."

He opened the map app and started leading the way. The girl wearing a mask and a baseball cap followed quietly beside him. Perhaps because of the constant wind, she would occasionally tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, making her look exceptionally serene.

Yecheng is bustling at night. Ten o'clock is not the end of the day for this city, but rather the beginning of the nightlife. The bright lights make the city as bright as day, and the shadows of the crowds are particularly dense. The cries of street vendors rise and fall, and a large group of people are dancing in the square in front.

As a city with a thriving tourism industry, Yecheng sees a large influx of tourists during holidays, and this year is no exception. Tourists carrying suitcases and backpacks are easy to spot, and they are also the focus of attention for vendors and shops. Whenever they see these people, they shout louder, making Han Zhou's eardrums hurt.

"It's even more lively than I imagined," he remarked. "I wonder how many people will be climbing the snow mountain."

Mo Yixia didn't reply, but suddenly stopped and looked at a vendor on her left.

Han Zhou followed her gaze and saw a stall selling candied hawthorns. He asked curiously, "Would you like to eat this?"

Mo Yixia shook her head, then nodded.

Han Zhou didn't ask why he wanted candied hawthorns right after eating, but said, "Then you wait here, I'll go buy some for you."

"it is good."

Upon seeing Han Zhou approach, the vendor became exceptionally enthusiastic, though he kept looking around nervously. He asked in a low voice, "Handsome, what would you like?"

This looks like a criminal transaction...

Han Zhou muttered to himself as he scanned the code and said, "Um, could you please give me one... never mind, just give me two skewers of candied hawthorns."

Things are expensive in tourist areas. This string of candied hawthorns costs eight yuan, but it looks quite unique. I wonder what it tastes like.

"Okay... Oh no, the city management officers are here!"

The vendor smiled and prepared to take the candied hawthorn skewer from him, but suddenly his expression changed drastically, and he ran away.

"You better give me the stuff and run again!"

Han Zhou was dumbfounded. If he hadn't actually seen several people dressed as urban management officers walking in the distance, he probably would have thought it was a new type of scam.

He quickly gave chase.

(End of this chapter)