Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 207 True Childhood Sweethearts

After returning home in Lin Anyu's car, the most troublesome thing Han Zhou had expected did not happen; the group of people from last night were gone.

However, there were quite a few cigarette butts at the entrance, indicating that these guys must have been waiting for quite a while. He even saw a few disposable lunch boxes on the stair steps.

Luckily I left early...

Han Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If these guys really could stake out the stairwell all night, it might mean that Han Long was in big trouble. He didn't care what happened to that guy, but he was afraid it would affect his current life.

"Are we moving all of these things out of the house?" Guzheng looked around the room.

She had been to Han Zhou's house before, but that was back in high school. The furnishings in the house hadn't changed much since then; they looked simple and tidy.

"No need, just bring what you need."

Han Zhou shook his head and casually said, "Leave the rest to that guy, so he won't come looking for me one day."

As the two people who had been closest to Han Zhou since high school, Gu Zheng and Lin Anyu naturally knew who he was referring to as "that guy." They remained silent for a long time after hearing this, and simply nodded.

Lin Anyu had met Han Zhou's father once before. In his memory, he was a taciturn middle-aged man with heavy dark circles under his eyes, giving people a rather decadent feeling. At that time, he thought that the man was just too busy making a living, but later he found out that he was a useless person.

It's better to move out sooner rather than later, so that Han Zhou won't be left homeless when he needs to sell the house to pay off gambling debts someday... Lin Anyu thought unhappily.

The three of them quickly got to work. Han Zhou only planned to move pots and pans, leaving the refrigerator and TV untouched, since the new apartment already had most of the appliances. Besides that, he only wanted to take his bedding, clothes, shoes, and other personal belongings.

He has little attachment to this home, no precious memories of it, and now he has very little to take with him. It's quite sad to think about.

I brought some clothes to school when I started the semester, so I don't have many clothes left at home. Adhering to the principle of only bringing useful things, I brought far less stuff than I expected this time, so little that no one would guess it was a move.

After most of the things were packed up, Han Zhou thoroughly cleaned the house, as a way of saying goodbye to the house he had lived in for eighteen years.

The sun was shining brightly, and a few yellowed autumn leaves hung on the windowsill, swaying gently in the wind. Some of them were already dry and would crumble at the slightest touch, scattering in all directions.

Sweeping the leaves away, Han Zhou looked out the window, still feeling a pang of sadness. Humans are truly complex creatures. Even though there was nothing he cherished in this old house, he still felt reluctant to leave when the moment came.

Perhaps what we can't bear to part with is simply the time that has passed here.

Han Zhou let out a long sigh and stretched by the window. Suddenly, he heard Lin Anyu chuckle and say, "Han Zhou, is this your elementary school yearbook?"

He turned his head and saw Lin Anyu had pulled out a simple booklet from somewhere and was flipping through it with great interest. "Hahaha, 'I must marry you if we meet again,' interesting. Which little girl wrote this for you?"

The writing in the yearbook was quite childish, similar to the essays written by his foolish younger sister, which is why he concluded that it was Han Zhou's yearbook from elementary school.

Gu Zheng, who was wiping the table, twitched her ears and slowed down her movements, turning her back to the two of them to eavesdrop.

Han Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled and said, "How could I remember? It's been so long."

He didn't have a photographic memory when he was a child, and he couldn't remember things from too far back, but he remembered things from his past life very clearly, and he can still occasionally recall a few interesting things.

"It's amazing you still have this kind of thing." Lin Anyu clicked his tongue, casually flipped through it for a while, and a hint of nostalgia appeared on his face. "I can't find my yearbooks anymore."

If it were still there, you could definitely find something similar to "I must marry you if we meet again" on it... He thought to himself, indulging in wishful thinking.

As if suddenly remembering something, Lin Anyu winked and said, "By the way, Han Zhou, I remember you used to transfer schools a lot in elementary school, right? Tsk tsk tsk, if you hadn't transferred schools, wouldn't this girl have become your childhood sweetheart?"

"You said yourself that you didn't transfer schools." Han Zhou walked over and took the yearbook from his hand, saying irritably, "There are no 'what ifs' in this world."

He ignored Lin Anyu's words and was about to open it to take a look when he turned his head and saw a scene that made his heart jump.

Gu Zheng was checking each drawer in the room one by one, seemingly afraid of missing anything. This was not a bad thing, of course. What made him nervous was that the drawer he was about to check contained the medical record that declared him to have a terminal illness!
not good……

Han Zhou sensed something was wrong. Medical records were something that should never be seen by people he knew well. It was not just that they might worry others; the important thing was that he would have a hard time explaining why he had recovered his health.

The reason he showed his medical records to the group of debt collectors was because he knew he wouldn't have much contact with them in the future, and there was almost no chance of seeing them again, so he didn't need to worry about how to explain that he was still alive and kicking.

And even if an explanation is really needed, it doesn't matter. You can use the excuse that the medical record is fake to get by. However, this kind of talk might fool strangers, but it won't fool people you know.

Han Zhou visited the school when he was seriously ill. He was in very poor condition during that time, and his high school classmates could all tell that he was ill, not to mention his close friends Lin Anyu and Gu Zheng.

These two people only knew that he had been sick for a while and then recovered, but they didn't know the specific illness. They didn't ask about it afterward, but as soon as they saw the medical record, they would definitely be able to quickly connect it to what happened back then, and it would be troublesome to explain it later.

Thinking of this, Han Zhou rushed over and pressed down on the drawer.

Gu Zheng was actually just checking if there was anything she needed to take with her from the drawer when she saw a dark figure rushing towards her. Startled, she exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

Han Zhou pressed down firmly on the drawer, his face serious, and said, "This drawer cannot be opened."

"why?"

"Um, because it's not convenient for you to see what's in this drawer..."

"Why is it inconvenient for me to see it?"

Gu Zheng looked suspicious. It would have been better if Han Zhou hadn't said anything, because once he did, she became even more concerned, determined to get to the bottom of it.

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment: "The things inside are personal privacy, and they're my secrets..."

"A secret?" Gu Zheng puffed out her cheeks slightly. "What secret? Can't I tell you even if I'm not the one?"

She was a little unhappy, even though she clearly had no secrets hiding from this guy.

Although she was dissatisfied, she did not forcefully pull open the drawer. Instead, she stared intently at Han Zhou, as if she had to wait for him to give an explanation.

"Well..."

While pondering what kind of reason to come up with, Han Zhou cast a pleading look at Lin Anyu.

The latter understood immediately, coughed twice, and said, "Ahem, well... the guzheng, you should know, boys always have some things they're embarrassed to talk about..."

Han Zhou's lips twitched. This guy had obviously misunderstood, actually thinking that there were pornographic books or something like that in the drawer.

However, this reason is feasible. Guzheng is a very shy girl, the kind who would blush even if she held hands. As soon as she realized that there were unhealthy books in the drawer, she would definitely mutter "shameless" to him, and then blush and stop asking about it.

"I do not know."

Unexpectedly, Gu Zheng didn't understand Lin Anyu's hint at all, and asked with a blank look, "What do you mean by 'hidden treasures'?"

"Huh?" Lin Anyu was taken aback. "You didn't know?"

"You've been so vague, how am I supposed to know?"

"It's that one, the kind you watch late at night when everyone's asleep..."

"It's late at night?" Gu Zheng tilted her head slightly, a look of confusion flashing in her bright eyes. "Isn't it daytime now?"

"Um, which color do you think is the most obscene?"

"If I had to say... brownish, it looks rather dirty... Why are you asking that?"

"..."

This is troublesome...

Lin Anyu's expression became somewhat unnatural.

Well, as a self-proclaimed expert in romance, he never minds sharing interesting new knowledge with girls, but it depends on the person. Girls who are quick to grasp things or even faster than guys are naturally fine with him; you might not even be able to outpace their dirty jokes.
Girls who know a little bit are actually fine. These girls blush easily. As long as the other party doesn't mind, he can generously give them a free lesson and see their shy appearance.

However, when faced with a pure and innocent child like Guzheng, he found it very difficult to have the thought of corrupting her soul, as it would give him an unspeakable sense of guilt.

The words "pornographic books" were on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't bring himself to say them. Lin Anyu tried to hint at them a few more times, but seeing that the girl, who was always at the forefront of her studies, still looked blank, he had no choice but to give up. He gave Han Zhou a "good luck" look and then shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Seeing the two exchanging glances, Gu Zheng understood somewhat and pouted, saying, "You two both know what's in this drawer, right? But you just won't tell me..."

Han Zhou hesitated, frantically trying to signal Lin Anyu with his eyes, but the latter had already turned his head away, looking like he was saying, "If you have something to say, say it; don't get me in trouble."

"Don't make things difficult for others. Tell me what you want to say yourself." Noticing his little actions, Guzheng's face hardened, and she raised her hand to punch him.

Lin Anyu revealed a gloating expression.

Seeing that Guzheng wouldn't give up, Han Zhou took a deep breath and had no choice but to say, "Listen to me, Guzheng. It's better if you don't know what's inside."

He decided to continue using Lin Anyu's misleading tactics to avoid the guy coming to ask him what was in his drawer later.

"Why?" Gu Zheng asked, looking displeased. "Lin Anyu clearly knows, and I'm not going to let it slip to you..."

She inexplicably thought of the "childhood sweetheart" that Lin Anyu had just mentioned, and felt a little uncomfortable.

"It's not a matter of whether or not you let something slip..."

"What's the problem? You clearly don't want to tell me."

Although Lin Anyu was always eager for a good show, he still offered an explanation for Han Zhou: "Gu Zheng, you've misunderstood. Han Zhou was just worried about causing a huge shock to your young mind."

After saying that, he continued to wear an expression of watching a good show.

"What does that mean?" Gu Zheng was increasingly confused. "Does this secret have anything to do with me?"

She became increasingly curious about what was in the drawer.

Han Zhou felt a headache coming on and sighed, "You have to promise you won't get angry after I tell you before I can tell you."

"I promise I won't get angry, just tell me!" Gu Zheng said impatiently.

If I told him now that I wanted to have my cake and eat it too, he'd probably forget all his promises and throw me off the building...

Looking into Gu Zheng's clear and bright eyes, Han Zhou sighed inwardly. He and Lin Anyu were thinking similar things; neither of them wanted to taint the girl's pure heart, but for now, they could only bite the bullet and continue.

He hesitated for a long time, but still didn't intend to get straight to the point. Instead, he said indirectly, "Guzheng, you should know one thing: some works in this world are only prepared for a specific group of people. Their special nature means that they are difficult to make public."

Lin Anyu almost burst out laughing. This was the first time he had ever heard someone use such euphemisms to describe pornographic books and magazines, and even the titles of some works had been published.

book?

Gu Zheng nodded slightly, looking a little bewildered: "Are you talking about those kinds of books that are very difficult to read?"

You can completely remove the word "晦" (huì)...

Han Zhou wanted to end the conversation simply and directly, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "It's not obscure, but if I had to put it that way, I'd say it's something that appeals to both refined and popular tastes..."

"Pfft!"

Lin Anyu immediately burst out laughing. What a joke! He never expected Han Zhou to be such a smooth storyteller.

The air became quiet.

Seeing that the two of them were looking at him at the same time, Lin Anyu took several deep breaths, pinched his cheek hard, and then barely managed to stop smiling. He said with a straight face, "Sorry, I suddenly thought of something happy."

Gu Zheng looked at him suspiciously for a while, then turned her attention back to Han Zhou: "Since it's something that appeals to both refined and popular tastes, why can't you show it to me?"

"because……"

Han Zhou was carefully choosing his words when Lin Anyu, suppressing a laugh, said, "Because if you see this, Han Zhou will definitely be embarrassed, and might not even be able to face you today."

Are you too ashamed to face me?
A question mark appeared above Guzheng's head. Despite the two men's veiled hints, the innocent girl still had no intention of associating the topic with pornography and stared blankly at them.

What are these two guys talking about? Why do they both act like I should be able to understand them...?

As her confusion deepened, she suddenly noticed the ambiguous smile on Lin Anyu's face and Han Zhou's hesitant expression. Similar scenes she had witnessed more than once flashed through her mind, and she felt a sudden flash of inspiration enter her brain—

In my memory, when a girl in my dorm wanted to confess her feelings, her close friends would give her those knowing, ambiguous smiles, while the girl herself would be shy and hesitant, afraid to reveal her true feelings...

They look a lot like these two people now...

Gu Zheng slowly widened her eyes, a bold conjecture emerging in her mind.

No, no, we can't be sure yet...

Let's organize the information first.

First of all, the things in the drawer are things that Han Zhou finds difficult to talk about. Once she sees them, Han Zhou will feel embarrassed and even dare not face her again. In other words, he will feel shy or embarrassed.

Secondly, the items in the drawer are only prepared for a specific group of people and cannot be made public, but their nature is to be appreciated by both the refined and the common. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the items themselves; the problem lies with the people they are intended for.

Ultimately, this thing could very well have a huge impact on her psyche...

Han Zhou's hesitant expression, Lin Anyu's ambiguous, amused smile...

The guzheng's heartbeat paused for a moment.

If all this information is put together, it becomes obvious what's in the drawer; at least, there's only one thing she can think of—

love letter!

Han Zhou's love letter to her!
A blush crept onto her cheeks, her heart pounded, her earlobes turned slightly red, and her eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water.

She quickly lowered her head to hide her unusual behavior. Perhaps feeling that this wasn't safe enough, she quickly pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt and muttered, as if trying to cover up her unease, "It's so cold today."

Seeing that Gu Zheng's face visibly turned red, Han Zhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. The other party's reaction clearly showed that she understood his meaning. With this guy's thick skin, he would definitely back down and pretend that nothing had happened and stop asking about the things in the drawer.

However, things didn't go as he expected. Perhaps feeling too embarrassed, Gu Zheng even became somewhat incoherent, but still nervously confirmed, "It can't be...it can't be...it can't be..."

She hesitated for a long time, unable to utter the words "love letter," afraid of being embarrassed by guessing wrong. So she resorted to beating around the bush, "Is the content inside...is it...is it written text?"

text?

Lin Anyu, who was watching the commotion, was taken aback. No, who in any respectable person would read text about this? Even if they don't watch videos, they'd at least watch pictures. What's so interesting about text?

He gained a completely new understanding of the purity of the guzheng.

Similarly, he gained a completely new understanding of Han Zhou's shamelessness, because this guy actually nodded seriously, which was truly shameless.

In fact, the moment Han Zhou saw Gu Zheng remove her hand from the drawer pull ring, he was completely relieved. Now, he was actually answering the question about the medical record.

What else can be on a medical record besides text?
From this moment on, the three people in the room were thinking on three completely different channels.

(End of this chapter)