Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 165: Being Manipulated Again

Despite being prepared to "surpass her teacher," Mo Yixia got stuck on the first lesson she had planned in her mind—

She couldn't cross the Bridge of Hearing Hearts.

It wasn't just that she couldn't get across; she couldn't even take more than three steps across the bridge.

However, this was obviously no challenge for her. One should never be ashamed to ask questions; if there are any problems, one should just ask the teacher for help.

"Han Zhou, look at it..."

She skillfully feigned a wronged expression, pointing to the potholed Wenxin Bridge and complaining.

However, Han Zhou was clearly not buying it and said helplessly, "Do you really have to cross this bridge?"

It has to be said that this guy's act of playing the victim is really hard to resist. Luckily, he has a strong will. If it were someone else, they might have already started smashing the bridge with a stick to vent their anger on him.

"want."

"What's the reason?"

"Those who walk across this bridge together will eventually be together."

"I already told you this is just a gimmick," Han Zhou said earnestly. "Whether we can be together or not isn't something that can be decided by a single bridge. Otherwise, wouldn't I be able to have multiple girls on either side of me if I brought a few more across the bridge?"

It wasn't that he was unwilling to grant Mo Yixia's small wish, but she was ultimately a delicate girl, and crossing this bridge would be very difficult for her. He could keep an eye on her when she was crossing alone to prevent her from falling, but once the two of them were crossing together, it would be difficult for him to keep an eye on her at all times, and they might both fall off the bridge.

Although falling off the bridge wasn't dangerous, their clothes would definitely get dirty, and he didn't want the two of them to walk back to the street looking like destitute beggars.

Mo Yixia clearly didn't listen, or perhaps her focus was elsewhere, and said coldly, "It seems you've spoken your mind."

Han Zhou replied matter-of-factly, "I was just using an analogy."

"Scumbag."

Mo Yixia looked at him with disdain. "He's not just a scumbag, he's also a straight man. He doesn't understand romance at all. When I said I wanted to cross the bridge, all you had to do was loudly say, 'Yes, Your Highness.'"

"Is this the ritual for crossing the Bridge of Hearing Hearts?"

"No, that's not it, but that's how it's portrayed in TV dramas."

"Don't you not watch TV dramas?"

“I only look at it occasionally. Is it really worth getting hung up on this?” Mo Yixia glanced at him.

"It's not that I want to make a fuss, but Your Highness, I really can't take you across the bridge."

Han Zhou had just tried a few times. He could cross the bridge by himself, but he had to cross quickly. If he walked slowly, it would be difficult to maintain his balance. This meant that if he took Mo Yixia with him, even if he was holding her hand, it would be difficult for them to cross the bridge.

"Then let me try a few more times."

Mo Yixia didn't intend to make things difficult for him. She pondered for a moment and said, "Give me some time, and I will soon be able to figure out a way to control my balance on this bridge."

Han Zhou chuckled twice: "You've been studying this for almost an hour."

"So I'm close to success."

Mo Yixia stepped onto the bridge, took her fourth unsteady step, and finally managed to stand still. She turned around and asked, "How is it?"

Han Zhou stood by the bridge, ready to grab her at any moment, then hesitated before saying, "That's impressive, but your four steps are still slower than my one. If each extra step takes an hour, we might not even make it back by nightfall..."

"That's perfect. Camping outdoors is a great experience. With the moon, you won't have to worry about not being able to see it. The area under the bridge is well-hidden, and the sound of flowing water can mask the view..."

Are you starting to cheat?

Seeing that Mo Yixia was seriously considering the possibility of spending the night here, Han Zhou interrupted helplessly, "Can you tell me why you insist on crossing the bridge? I want to hear the deeper reasons."

Mo Yixia dislikes most things, which means she has no interest in many things. Because she has no expectations, most people and things are dispensable to her, so she will not deliberately waste time pursuing anything.

This should be the first time Han Zhou has seen Mo Yixia so persistent about something, and the reason is definitely not as simple as "people who cross the bridge will be together".

After a moment of silence, Mo Yixia sighed softly, "Can't you occasionally guess my thoughts correctly at the right time?"

She carefully backed away from the bridge, but suddenly her foot slipped, and she nearly fell off the bridge. Fortunately, Han Zhou caught her in time and helped her back to the shore.

"Are you OK?"

"fine."

Looking at her calm demeanor, Han Zhou shook his head and sighed, "Most people would have gasped in that situation, but you were far too composed. Your expression didn't even change. How am I supposed to guess what you're thinking?"

Mo Yixia straightened her skirt and sighed softly, "It can only be said that those who are willing don't need to be taught, while those who are not willing can't be taught. It's normal that a mindless paramecium like you doesn't understand."

"Then why are you making me guess?"

Han Zhou's face darkened. He should have let this guy fall off the bridge just now.

Mo Yixia seemed to sense something and stared into his eyes as she asked, "Are you thinking, 'We should have let this guy fall off the bridge just now'?"

Han Zhou's lips twitched, and he quickly denied it, "No, that's not true. Besides, you haven't answered my question yet. Is crossing this bridge important to you?" "What if I said it's not that important, and I just simply wanted to go to the other side of the bridge and take a look? What would you do then?"

"If you want to get there, you can go that way..."

Mo Yixia interrupted him, adding, "What would you do if I said I simply wanted to cross this bridge to see the other side?"

Han Zhou was taken aback. Seeing the other person staring at him with a complicated look in their eyes, he let out a long sigh, then shook his head and smiled.

"Isn't this great?"

He realized that he might be overthinking things. Many things don't actually need a reason, or the reasons might be absurd and difficult for ordinary people to understand, but they have important significance for him.

Even the person himself couldn't explain its meaning.

The most crucial point is...

It is meaningful in itself for a girl who dislikes anticipation to place such strong expectations on something.

After straightening her skirt, Mo Yixia walked towards Wenxin Bridge again and said in a suppressed and dejected tone, "I'll try again. If it really doesn't work, let's leave."

"Forget it, if you keep trying like this, it'll probably take forever."

Han Zhou called out to her helplessly, "I do have a way to get you across the Wenxin Bridge."

"Really?" Mo Yixia had her back to him, her tone devoid of joy. "But what I want is for the two of us to cross the bridge together."

"Isn't that obvious? If you want to cross the bridge, you can only rely on me. If I take you across the bridge, then we're crossing the bridge together, aren't we?"

Han Zhou sensed a hint of feigned helplessness, but he was too lazy to expose it. "However, this method is not guaranteed to succeed."

Mo Yixia turned to look at him, pondering, "You wouldn't be thinking of carrying me across the bridge, would you?"

"You wish." Han Zhou recalled this guy's "scheme" from last night and said irritably, "I'm afraid I can't even stand up if I carry you, it's more like I can carry you on my back. As long as you don't move around, my center of gravity shouldn't be off, and I can run over there in no time."

"Oh."

Mo Yixia's tone was indifferent, and it was unclear whether she was unhappy.

Han Zhou ran back and forth on the bridge several times to make sure he had mastered the key to crossing it. Only then did he feel more confident. Before he even had to say anything, Mo Yixia beside him had already spread her arms and was ready to carry him.

"Are you the Empress Dowager?" Han Zhou was amused and squatted down in front of her.

“It’s Your Highness the Princess,” Mo Yixia corrected earnestly, then lazily leaned against his back.

Han Zhou supported her legs and slowly stood up.

The autumn wind blew down large swaths of leaves, churning the already dwindling river water beneath the bridge. The girl's long hair danced in the wind, tickling Han Zhou's neck, and a faint fragrance wafted into his nose.

Suddenly, a warm breath brushed against my ear, accompanied by an exaggerated exclamation of surprise: "Oh dear, is your face red?"

This guy……

Han Zhou remained silent, his face expressionless. Feeling the warmth from her hand, his expression gradually became strange, as if he understood why Mo Yixia insisted on crossing the bridge.

Could this guy have anticipated this moment and wanted to get revenge for being seen blushing last night?
Wouldn't he be being manipulated again?

Mo Yixia was still breathing into his ear, her expression obscured, but her tone was slightly light: "It is said that when crossing the Heart-Listening Bridge, men and women can hear each other's thoughts. I guess this is probably done by sensing each other's heartbeats. Although I am on your back right now, I am not one of those ordinary people. It would be difficult for you to feel my heartbeat. So, do you need me to give you my arm? You should be able to feel my pulse with your lips."

"If you find it troublesome, I can just keep breathing into your ear, and you can feel my heartbeat through my breath... Why aren't you saying anything?"

"Don't blow into my ear," Han Zhou said irritably.

"Oh."

Mo Yixia was quite obedient and raised her head to blow air into his neck.

"Are you still a child...?" Han Zhou took a deep breath: "Can I take it back?"

"Regret it?"

"I'm starting to regret offering to carry you across the bridge."

Although he said that, he still walked to the bridge. The river under the bridge had almost dried up, and the remaining water could not form a 'mirror', so it was difficult to see the reflection in the water from a high place.

He wanted to see if the guy on his back blushed, and was wondering whether he should put him down to take a look, but the latter seemed to sense his thoughts and grabbed his ears with both hands, as if it were a threat.

Although she didn't say anything, it was clear that she didn't want to get off.

"Of course you can't back out now. Didn't you ask me why I insisted on crossing the bridge?"

My neck is itchy, and I hear Mo Yixia's slow, leisurely voice behind me.

"You guessed right, it's all for this moment."

Some parts were deleted by the reviewers, such as the description of physical contact with Mo Yixia being carried on his back. Even such a normal description was deleted... It's really exhausting. It might look a bit dry and strange, so I'll leave it at that for now and add more later when I have time.

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(End of this chapter)