Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 184 Everyone's Here

"Um... Han Zhou, why are you suddenly wearing sunglasses?"

Sensing that something was off, Xiao Yuyan had a sudden idea and tried to change the subject.

"I……"

Han Zhou was about to explain when Mo Yixia spoke first, saying calmly, "He has night blindness."

Night blindness?
Xiao Yuyan paused for a moment, then asked uncertainly, "I remember night blindness is a condition where vision decreases at night, right? Wouldn't wearing sunglasses make it even harder to see?"

She certainly didn't believe it, but Mo Yixia's tone was so calm and her expression so serious that it gave the impression that it was true.

"To be precise, it wasn't at night, but in a dimly lit or dark environment."

Mo Yixia glanced at Han Zhou and said in a flat tone, "This guy probably thinks he's not blind enough."

Seeing Han Zhou's stiff expression, she took out a mask from her pocket and handed it to him very considerately, "If I'm not mistaken, you might need this, right?"

Zhang Tao and Xiao Yuyan exchanged glances, not quite understanding what this meant, but they could sense the sarcasm in each other's words.

The reason is self-evident.

Han Zhou silently took off his sunglasses and glanced at Zhang Tao expressionlessly.

As a video blogger who does extreme sports, where do you get so much gossip every day?
Zhang Tao realized he had said the wrong thing and gave an awkward smile.

Mo Yixia took in their expressions and said, "It's okay if you don't want to answer now, but according to the rules of the game, if I win against you next, then you have to answer my questions truthfully."

She glanced at the three people present, and this "you" obviously included Xiao Yuyan, whose expression had been rather strange just now.

"Of course."

The three nodded with varying expressions, and Xiao Yuyan added a reminder, "It's the same if you lose."

Mo Yixia hummed in agreement and said no more.

The game continues.

Han Zhou initially thought Mo Yixia was going to get serious, but in the following rounds, no matter what cards she got, she continued to play the same strategy as before, which naturally resulted in more losses than wins, but she didn't seem to care.

What does that mean? Is this guy planning to feign weakness first, then turn the tables at the most crucial moment?
But this guy's score has already turned negative, and there are only two rounds left until the end of the first round. Even if she gets a better hand next, as long as there is no more card-fighting battle like in the first round, it is impossible for her to turn the tide.

Han Zhou subconsciously began to ponder Mo Yixia's thoughts, but after thinking it over, he still didn't believe that this girl could turn the tide.

and so……

Gazing at the delicate profile of the girl on his left, he suddenly had a bold guess.

Is this guy deliberately trying to lose?

Han Zhou had no doubt about Mo Yixia's abilities. With her "mind-reading" ability, as long as she was determined to win, she wouldn't necessarily win 100%, but she certainly wouldn't lose so badly.

...unless she did it on purpose.

But why?
"While I don't mind you staring at me, please be mindful of the occasion. This is for your own good."

Mo Yixia's soft voice rang in his ears, and Han Zhou came back to his senses, only then noticing that Zhang Tao and Xiao Yuyan were looking at him hesitantly.

"Han Zhou, Zhang Tao and I have both folded, it's your turn now," Xiao Yuyan reminded him.

"Oh, sorry." Han Zhou sat up straight and said without hesitation, "Then I'll continue."

Since Zhang Tao and Xiao Yuyan have both folded, it means that only he and Mo Yixia are left now.

"Yes." Mo Yixia said expressionlessly.

Han Zhou observed her expression but couldn't discern anything useful, so he simply gave up: "I'll go too."

Mo Yixia made no attempt to read his expression: "Yes."

"and."

"..."

The two played for several rounds, and in the end, Mo Yixia won with three flushes. She still couldn't escape the fate of becoming a loser, but Han Zhou was also getting further and further away from victory.

With the last two rounds finished, the first round of Texas Hold'em has come to an end. There are two winners, Zhang Tao and Xiao Yuyan, while Han Zhou and Mo Yixia are the losers and need to answer questions.

Here it comes...

Xiao Yuyan was thrilled. She had already planned what to ask and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a knock on the door and a call muffled by the wind: "Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu? Are you in there?"

It was Liao Xinyu's voice.

Xiao Yuyan frowned slightly. They had just been in the same room and planned to separate when it was time to sleep, so everyone else knew that she was here, including Liao Xinyu.

She called out loudly, "I'm inside, so what?"

Hearing the voice, Liao Xinyu seemed relieved, and then asked loudly, "Are you alright?"

"No, I was playing cards with Han Zhou and the others. I forgot to tell you. Could you please tell Xiao You and the others for me?"

"Play, play cards?"

Liao Xinyu was stunned for a moment, and after a couple of seconds he realized that this was probably not the game he had thought of. He asked loudly, "Then when are you coming back?"

"Wait a little longer, what's wrong?"

"Um... I... I remember you left without eating, so I brought you some food."

"Thank you. I've already eaten at Han Zhou's place. I'll head back in a bit, so don't worry. If you're not busy, you can go back now; it's windy outside."

Xiao Yuyan knew it was cold outside, and it wasn't that she didn't want to open the door and let Liao Xinyu in, but she was worried that once he came in, he wouldn't leave and might suggest playing together.

She wouldn't mind just playing together, but the problem was that she didn't have the power in the room. Moreover, she suddenly remembered the real reason she came here: to ask Chen Xiang why he wasn't a good person. Obviously, this was something that Liao Xinyu shouldn't hear.

Besides her burning passion for shipping couples, another reason Xiao Yuyan was willing to stay here and play Texas Hold'em was to avoid Liao Xinyu. According to her, Liang Qian and the others also planned to play some games before going to sleep to pass the time, and they would be paired up.

There are two couples among the six people, so everyone's purpose is obvious. She will undoubtedly be forced to pair up with Liao Xinyu. She doesn't like this kind of matchmaking in various ways, which is why she doesn't really want to go back.

The others must have realized her reluctance, which is why they didn't come to find her immediately.

The reason Liao Xinyu came to find her, besides being worried about her safety, was probably also because he wanted her to go back to playing games.

Liao Xinyu, standing outside the door, remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and asked, "Are you full? Why don't you take these things inside and eat them too? I brought your favorite canned fruit..."

"Thank you, I'm full, you should go back now!"

"You can keep eating even if you're full. We need to reach the peak in the early morning, so we must make sure we replenish our energy..."

"I said I don't need it!" Xiao Yuyan said, somewhat angrily. "Go back right now!"

"Is it really not necessary?"

"do not want!"

"Then...then open the door and let me see you, I'm a little worried..."

"..." Liao Xinyu stood outside the door, unwilling to leave. He seemed unwilling to leave just like that, or rather, unwilling to give up the opportunity to be with the person he liked.

Rare opportunity.

Xiao Yuyan frowned and remained silent.

Seeing that there was no more movement outside, Zhang Tao sighed and said, "Your friend is really... really persistent."

This is already a very subtle way of expressing it.

Even someone as unrelated as him could see that the boy outside really liked Xiao Yuyan. However, not all passionate feelings in this world will or should be reciprocated, and one-sided persistence will not necessarily lead to love.

Love is a two-way street.

Reality isn't an idol drama. In an idol drama, Xiao Yuyan might have felt a fondness for such a devoted character. However, when it happens in real life, and to her own life, after repeated rejections to no avail, she feels more aversion towards it.

Han Zhou thought for a moment, then stood up and said, "I'll go open the door."

"No need." Xiao Yuyan shook her head, as if she had made up her mind, and stood up as well. "I'll go get it."

She walked to the door, and as soon as she opened it, the wind made her squint. The strong wind blew across her face, messing up her clothes and hair.

Liao Xinyu was not seen outside the door. Looking down, there was a bag of canned food on the ground by the door, indicating that he had already gone back.

Seeing this, Xiao Yuyan first breathed a sigh of relief, then became a little worried. Han Zhou behind her noticed this and said with a smile, "Why don't we go back with you to take a look?"

Although the probability is very low, it cannot be ruled out that Liao Xinyu might have had a moment of despair and was wandering around the snowy mountains at night. Just to be on the safe side, it would be better to check on his situation.

There's no need to do any mental preparation; just make sure the other person is inside.

"I'll go with her."

Zhang Tao's tall figure appeared behind the two of them, and he said in a serious tone, "It's just to check the situation. There's no need for everyone to go out. I was thinking of going out to stretch my muscles. You stay here with your girlfriend. We'll be right back."

After saying that, without giving Han Zhou a chance to speak, he quickly led Xiao Yuyan out the door against the snow and wind, making sure to close the door behind them when they left.

Why does it look like you're running away...?

Han Zhou looked suspicious. He turned around and met Mo Yixia's deep gaze. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood why Zhang Tao had volunteered and left him here.

I never expected this guy with his thick eyebrows and big eyes to be so deep in thought...

Mo Yixia remained seated on the electric blanket, patting the empty seat next to her to signal him to come and sit down.

Thinking that he had already been almost sold off, Han Zhou didn't know whether to be nervous or relaxed, and cautiously sat down next to the girl.

Mo Yixia first handed him half a piece of chocolate, and then spoke calmly, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "It seems that what I said before was not wrong."

"What did you say?" Han Zhou stared intently at the chocolate in his hand.

Seemingly sensing his worry, Mo Yixia reassured him, "Don't worry, I didn't bite it off with my teeth."

So you're admitting that you bit off that piece with your teeth...?

Han Zhou felt relieved and popped the chocolate into his mouth. Before he could even chew it, Mo Yixia added unhurriedly, "But I licked it once."

Han Zhou was struck dumb, his face instantly blank, and the chocolate slipped out of his mouth.

“Impossible.” He quickly realized what he meant, a relaxed smile appearing on his face as he shook his head and said, “If you really licked it just now, there’s no way it wouldn’t be without your saliva.”

With that, he confidently popped the chocolate back into his mouth.

Seeing that he had finished the chocolate, Mo Yixia nodded in satisfaction, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and a smile appeared on her face as well.

"Who said I just licked it?"

Han Zhou's smile froze.

Seeing this, Mo Yixia's smile widened. Without explaining whether she had licked the chocolate or not, she got to the point: "What I said before was that you get along well with everyone, especially the opposite sex—and judging from what just happened, you are indeed very good at managing your relationships with the opposite sex. You were helping people open doors and taking them home. You were quite considerate."

Han Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and said irritably, "This is perfectly normal behavior, okay?"

He paused, his expression turning serious. "So, did you lick the chocolate or not?"

Mo Yixia clicked her tongue, as if she hadn't heard: "You don't seem to deny my first sentence, no wonder you've left so many rumors at school."

Han Zhou raised an eyebrow and immediately put on a righteous expression: "You said it yourself, it's just a rumor. Can you believe any rumors these days?"

He spoke with some confidence, because apart from the guzheng, he had a clear conscience regarding his relationships with other women.

"And...did you even lick the chocolate?"

He seemed particularly concerned about this issue.

Mo Yixia ignored the second half of the sentence and nodded, saying, "Of course I can believe it. After all, you're unwilling to tell me on your own initiative, so I can only learn about you from rumors."

"Let me count them: a childhood sweetheart who makes you furious, a mute bride with whom you have a close relationship, a teacher you've dated, a campus celebrity with whom there are no rumors yet but you might have some interaction... It's only been a month since the start of the semester, and you've already given me so many rivals in love."

She deliberately emphasized the words "love rival," brought her face closer, and said with a half-smile, "This scumbag, should I praise your charm?"

Han Zhou's heart tightened, not because of the sarcastic remark, but because although Zhang Tao did not answer, based on his and Zhang Tao's previous reactions, Mo Yixia had obviously guessed who the person who caused the conflict between him and others was.

To his surprise, Mo Yixia didn't continue the conversation on the topic. Instead, she just stared at him silently, seemingly lost in thought.

This made him even more uneasy, fearing that the other party would pull out a shovel and bury him on the spot at any moment.

This girl's thoughts seem to be forever hidden in the fog; no matter how you look at them, you can't see through them.

After a long silence, Mo Yixia suddenly sighed and said with a melancholy tone, "A year is indeed too long."

"What do you mean?" Han Zhou asked cautiously.

“That means it will be another year before I get to your school, which is too long.” Mo Yixia pondered for a moment. “If this pace continues, by the time I get into Lin University, I might have more than three digits of rivals.”

As she spoke, she bit her lip, lowered her head, and showed a worried expression, even pretending to wipe the corner of her eye.

What the hell is this, three digits or more...?

Han Zhou's lips twitched, and he explained, "What you're saying is way too exaggerated, and those..."

"But then again, your ambitions are truly lofty."

Mo Yixia interrupted him, her worry turning into admiration, and exclaimed, "Teacher, senior, classmate... when I enroll, you'll have another junior sister. Tsk, it seems like all the characters who could make an appearance have arrived."

She gave a mocking thumbs-up.

No, not everyone is here yet; some senior and junior students will be making an appearance...

Han Zhou thought to himself, "This guy is really something else when he gets sarcastic..." Just as this thought crossed his mind, he saw Mo Yixia look over as if she sensed something, and her tone became somewhat sinister.

"Are you looking for a senior or junior student?"

Han Zhou remained silent for a moment.

So, did you lick the chocolate or not?

(End of this chapter)