Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 179 It Must Be You!

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the white clouds drifting in the sky red, outlining them with varying shades of lace, and the magnificent sunset was scattered on the streets, adding a touch of warmth to the approaching night.

On this rare holiday, people strolled along the streets in twos and threes. The evening breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees. Gu Lang walked into a semi-abandoned park, casually brushing away the fallen leaves that had landed on his head. Before long, he saw the figure of Guzheng next to a swing that looked quite old.

“I knew you’d be here.”

A perfectly timed smile appeared on Gu Lang's face. He intended to walk quietly to his daughter's side and say those words behind her in a calm and gentle tone. However, before he had taken two steps, his nose itched and he sneezed loudly.

"Ah!"

The loud noise immediately caught Guzheng's attention. She turned her head and saw her father appear behind her at some point, looking rather suspicious, with a huge snot bubble coming out of his nose. She looked puzzled and asked, "Dad, what are you doing?"

Gu Lang was embarrassed. He hadn't expected his attempt to show off would backfire, and his daughter would witness such an embarrassing scene. He quickly searched his pockets but couldn't find any tissues.

He went out to call Guzheng home for dinner and didn't plan to stay out for long. He left without even changing out of his slippers, so he didn't bring any extra things with him.

Gu Zheng handed over a tissue and said irritably, "I've told you before, don't wear that floral shirt around in this temperature. Your constitution is different from mine and my mom's. You've caught a cold now, haven't you?"

"Wouldn't it be more stylish to wear this?"

Gu Lang chuckled and took the tissue, quickly wiping his nose before regaining his nonchalant demeanor.

"What's so stylish about this? It's awful." Gu Zheng rolled her eyes at her father and brushed the fallen leaves off his shoulder. "Everyone else prioritizes style over warmth, but you prioritize neither."

The park is planted with many trees that have not been tended to for a long time. When the wind blows, a large number of dead leaves fall and cover the ground.

"I did that on purpose. If I had both of your dads, I'd be incredibly handsome. Then I'd be bombarded with harassing messages from women who were after your dad's good looks. What would your mom think then? What would you think?"

Gu Zheng ignored his banter. Her father seemed to be a child, always saying things that were too whimsical. She asked in confusion, "Dad, how did you know I was here?"

She had never mentioned this place to her parents before, and when she went out, she only said that she wanted to take a walk, without mentioning that she would come to this old park.

Gu Lang said smugly, "No one knows a daughter better than her father. Isn't it normal for me to guess where you are?"

"Did Han Zhou tell you that?"

Gu Zheng exposed his lie with a blank expression.

Gu Lang's expression froze slightly, and he coughed twice before saying, "Although that kid mentioned it to me once, my ability to guess you were here mainly stems from my understanding of you..."

When did he mention this place to you?

"When I called you last time."

"Oh……"

Gu Zheng was somewhat disappointed. She used to see Han Zhou almost every day, but now she hadn't seen him for two days in a row, and she felt quite uncomfortable. She wanted to call and ask Han Zhou what he was doing, but she was also worried that the situation her father had described last night might really happen—

Han Zhou was exchanging flirtatious glances with another woman somewhere she couldn't see him.

Gu Lang also looked distressed. In his mind, this conversation was supposed to unfold like this—

He descended from the sky with a warm smile, calmly pointing out his daughter's worries, then using classical allusions to comfort her, offering advice based on historical and contemporary examples, fully demonstrating the image of a reliable father.

Unfortunately, his idea seemed to have ended the moment the snot bubble appeared...

Having no other choice, he awkwardly began the conversation: "Guzheng, the reason I came here is actually to talk to you about something."

He put a cigarette in his mouth, exhaled a smoke ring, and said in a deep voice, "Dad, I'm here to show you the way forward."

Gu Zheng looked puzzled: "Show me the way forward? Do you want to talk to me about my future job? Isn't it too early?"

"Of course not, it's too early to talk about work now. I'm talking about what's on your mind right now."

Gu Lang's expression turned serious, and he stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point, "You've probably been thinking about that brat Han Zhou all day, haven't you? No need to deny it. Your dad may not be good at much else, but when it comes to relationships, I'm pretty sharp. You've been absent-minded since yesterday after dinner, and you've been acting a bit strange today too. Your mom and I both noticed."

Gu Zheng's expression changed, and she subconsciously turned her head to the side, denying, "No, I didn't..."

Gu Lang wasn't in a hurry. He planned to find a bench for the father and daughter to sit and chat, but the park was almost abandoned and hardly anyone came. The benches were covered in dust and unusable. Standing and chatting like that would feel a bit awkward, so he gestured for Gu Zheng to follow him to the swing.

To show his carefree attitude, he stepped onto the swing first, and the swing immediately groaned under the weight, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

Gu Lang was nervous, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Gu Zheng, you are a simple-minded child who doesn't lie. You can't hide anything from your mother and me. In the past, we hardly interfered in your affairs because you are decisive and have a sense of propriety. Your mother and I would just silently support you. But now you seem a little lost, so as the lighthouse in your life, I am standing up to guide you today."

Gu Zheng paused, then asked in confusion, "Confused? Me?"

"If it weren't you, who would it be?" Gu Lang sighed. "If it were a normal person, they would probably be staying in their room studying all day... although that's not exactly a good thing either."

Gu Zheng turned her face away and pouted, saying, "I'm just tired of studying..."

"Rest when you're tired. I really hope you can do that, but like I said, you don't lie. Your sudden change of behavior must be because you have something on your mind."

Gu Zheng still shook her head, refusing to admit it: "No, I didn't."

"You don't want to say, huh? Then I'll just guess first."

Gu Lang had already guessed that this girl would be stubborn, and stroked his chin as he said, "You only started behaving strangely after hearing what I said last night. What did I say? It was something like Han Zhou might be flirting with other women, and you should take the initiative to pursue him, instead of still 'not sure' whether you like him or not..."

"First of all, you definitely like that kid Han Zhou. Anyone with eyes can see that. You can't deny it. So you're worried that he won't be able to resist temptation and will be snatched away by another woman?"

"Han Zhou is not that kind of person!" Gu Zheng rolled her eyes at him, subconsciously defending Han Zhou.

"This time you didn't deny that you like that kid..." Gu Lang's face lit up with a smile, which then turned into grief and indignation as he gritted his teeth and said, "That brat!"

Gu Zheng was a little nervous: "I..."

Gu Lang didn't give her a chance to deny it, and said earnestly, "I've said it before, neither your mother nor I object to you dating. If it were another guy, we might have to consider it, but Han Zhou has passed our tests several times. We won't have any objections to you two being together, although I get furious every time I think about that guy running off with my precious daughter..."

He looked very unhappy.

Gu Zheng keenly noticed the key information in those words and asked in a daze, "An investigation? When did you investigate Han Zhou?"

"Haven't I said many times that we're raising that kid like a son-in-law? How could we not investigate a son-in-law?"

Gu Lang shook his head and said, "But that's not the point. The point is that you like him so much, and that kid is interested in you too. It's a simple matter for you two to be together. It's clearly a matter of mutual affection, so what are you worried about?"

He thought about it for a long time. Gu Zheng's concern was probably not whether Han Zhou was flirting with other women. This girl trusted that boy too much. Even if she had doubts, she wouldn't take them seriously. So what she really cared about was something else.

Gu Zheng didn't answer for a long time, just staring blankly at the setting sun. The afterglow of the sunset shone on her face and left shadows on the ground stirred by fallen leaves.

Gu Lang rarely saw his daughter with such a bewildered expression, and he felt a pang of heartache for her. However, he did not urge her, but simply waited silently for her reply.

"dad."

"Yeah, I'm listening."

"I am a little scared……"

After a long while, Guzheng finally mustered up the courage to speak, followed by another long silence.

"Don't be afraid, speak slowly."

Gu Lang still had no intention of urging her, and continued to wait quietly. Getting his usually strong-willed daughter to open up about her innermost thoughts was not an easy task; it required her to adjust herself. He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in his mouth so as not to affect his daughter's mood, and tried his best to maintain a calm expression.

I should have worn a coat; it's fucking cold...

As the sun completely disappeared below the horizon, Guzheng seemed to have made up her mind and finally spoke again, stammering, "You're not allowed to laugh at me after I tell you."

Gu Lang was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "How dare I laugh at you? Just tell me, and I guarantee that no third person will know about what happened today."

"Where's my mother?"

"If you don't want her to know, then she can't either."

The air was quiet for a while.

"Then...then I'll tell you?"

"Say it, I'm listening."

Gu Zheng hesitated for a moment, and after several seconds, she said somewhat shyly, "I...I've actually fantasized many times about what it would be like to be with Han Zhou..."

She glanced at her father, and seeing that his expression was gentle, without a trace of mockery or displeasure, or even surprise, she felt relieved and continued:

"Han Zhou is already very good to me. If we get together, he should... no, he will definitely treat me even better."

“When I say I’m hungry, he’ll immediately cook for me. My appetite keeps increasing, and sometimes I’ll complain that I’m not full. He doesn’t mind the trouble, he’ll go back to the kitchen and cook me a different meal every time, and then watch me eat with a smile. He’ll say that being able to eat is a blessing, and that eating more will make you grow faster. He’ll even buy me a bigger bowl than I have now.”

“I want to go out and play, and he will indulge my whims even if it rains. He will take me to food streets that I have never been to before. If the rain suddenly gets heavy, he will put his coat on me even if he gets soaked to the bone. Then he will squat down next to me and say that my head is big so that he can keep the rain out of him... You don’t know, Han Zhou always likes to make fun of me.”

"He likes to stroke my head and says my hair is so soft, like a cat's. If I'm unhappy, he'll try all sorts of ways to coax me, but he's so clumsy. A hug would make me stop being angry, but he just doesn't think of that, so I get angrier and angrier..."

As Gu Zheng spoke, her beautiful eyes gradually curved into crescents. It was clearly the most ordinary and simple life she could imagine, yet her eyes seemed to sparkle with light as she spoke, her words filled with the taste of happiness, as if she were not talking about imagination, but about real experiences.

Gu Lang felt increasingly resentful as he listened, practically bursting with jealousy. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he said sourly, "It's all very simple. I could do all of this too..."

That brat Han Zhou, why does he have the ability to make my daughter like him so much!
“I know.” Gu Zheng smiled and turned to look at her childlike father. “But you and Han Zhou are different.”

Gu Lang sighed inwardly, "Since that kid is so good to you, what do you have to be afraid of?"

Gu Zheng hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and said, "What I'm afraid of is that he's too good to me..."

"why?"

Gu Lang raised an eyebrow slightly, realizing that this must be the root of Gu Zheng's inner conflict.

Gu Zheng exhaled, seemingly organizing her thoughts: "I... I know my personality isn't good. I'm competitive and always want to be number one in everything I do. This can easily hurt people I know. I'm afraid Han Zhou will always give in to me, even as my competitor, he'll unconditionally give in to me out of favoritism... But this isn't the number one I want, and it will also make him slowly lose himself."

"I'm afraid that if we get even a little closer, this relationship will become fragile."

Gu Zheng's expression wasn't very clear, perhaps because she hadn't figured out how to describe her thoughts, but Gu Lang still understood what she meant.

"Are you worried that after you get together, he'll spoil you rotten, indulge you in everything, and you'll end up sacrificing yourself and restraining yourself, which will eventually make him unable to tolerate you, causing him to distance himself from you and genuinely dislike you?"

Gu Zheng nodded, then shook her head: "It's not just like that."

"I know, I know, I understand what you mean..."

Gu Lang's expression darkened slightly, and he roughly understood the source of his daughter's inner conflict.

Gu Zheng's idea might seem ridiculous to ordinary people. Who would worry about their partner spoiling them too much? Most people would love for their partner to pamper them as much as possible, ideally treating them like a prince or princess, and living happily ever after.

But Guzheng is different. Her competitive spirit is deeply ingrained, and her excessive desire to win can interfere with her life to some extent. This competitiveness is not just about wanting to be number one, but about winning honestly and without shame.

She will not yield to others, nor will she allow anyone to yield to her. Once the competition begins, the outcome should not be swayed by emotions.

She worried that Han Zhou would be too accommodating to her, even though there was no basis for this worry. Perhaps it was out of the self-blame she had accumulated in the past that she subconsciously considered the worst-case scenario.

Gu Zheng has experienced firsthand how her competitive spirit hurts those around her. As one of the closest people to her, she fears that Han Zhou, the only one who can tolerate her, will one day leave her, even though he has said more than once that he doesn't mind.

This is a psychological state formed under the influence of many factors. She is not able to change herself for the time being, nor does she expect others to tolerate her, so she subconsciously wants to maintain a relatively safe distance.

This is only one of the reasons. There are some things that even Guzheng herself can't explain, which is why she seemed preoccupied these past two days.

This girl is probably in a state of mind right now: eager to take things further, yet worried about the negative consequences.

Gu Lang came to a conclusion in his heart, and for a moment he also felt a headache. After a long silence, he suddenly had a plan and said, "If you're scared, go ask that kid."

"What?" Gu Zheng was stunned.

“Instead of putting so much pressure on yourself, why don’t you just ask the kid what he thinks? Take advantage of this opportunity when he comes back to our hometown with us.”

"Just ask Han Zhou..."

"Yes, not only the issues you're worried about now, you can also ask him if he has similar concerns as you."

Gu Lang's expression turned serious. "I said yesterday that if you're going to fight for everything, then you should prioritize love. After all, this isn't a competition where you have plenty of time to prepare and participate on time. It's full of variables, and you can even treat it like a war."

"War?" Gu Zheng blinked, looking bewildered. "Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Exaggeration?" Gu Lang smiled mysteriously. "Why don't you think about what you would do if you saw Han Zhou with someone else one day?"

"Oh!"

In Guzheng's hands, the rope connecting the swing snapped with a loud crash, and one end of the swing board fell heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

This... is probably just because Qiu Qiannian is old and in disrepair, right?
It's okay, we don't have to pay anything anyway...

Gu Lang gasped, then said with a look of satisfaction, "Very good, it seems you've already experienced it firsthand—love is a war."

"Since it's war, you should always be in a state of war. Even if you're unwilling to take action now, you can still take action in advance. Even if you don't establish a romantic relationship for the time being, you can still plan many things. You can consult your mother about this; she's an expert in this area."

At this point, Gu Lang paused, a melancholy expression on his face, as if he were recalling some unbearable past.

Gu Zheng's new inner conflict was something he couldn't think of a way to resolve for the time being. People with simple minds are often more stubborn than ordinary people, and they can't be persuaded with just a few words. However, as the saying goes, the one who tied the knot must untie it, and this time the one who tied the knot is still there, so he threw the problem to Han Zhou, who was still unaware of it at the time, without any psychological pressure.

"If you're so infatuated with that kid, then it means the war has already begun."

Gu Lang's expression was solemn. "So get to know that kid better, and let him get to know you better too. It's okay to be scared. You can postpone your romantic relationship for now. But there's something you must pay attention to—this is the key to victory in war."

"War is bound to break out sooner or later, so you must make sure that kid's spear is always aimed at you. Rather than taking the initiative to attack, it's better to make him crave you. You don't have to rush into war, but you must issue a declaration of war."

Gu Zheng had been listening intently ever since the ropes were broken, and upon hearing this, she asked in confusion, "Is this a challenge?"

"Yes, issue a challenge. You don't have to attack him, but you must make sure he understands that he has a mortal enemy, a mortal enemy who will definitely haunt him for life!"

That's right, let that kid worry about it...

Gu Lang's expression was solemn, as if he were performing a solemn prayer, "You must let him know clearly and explicitly that he belongs to you, let him hear your heart's voice, and ultimately realize that it is also his own heart's voice—"

"I can't live without you!"

(End of this chapter)