Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 208 won't be long.

It's text...

Gu Zheng pressed her flat chest, suppressing her excitement, and asked again, "When...when did this happen?"

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment: "The second year of high school, I guess..."

He was diagnosed with a terminal illness in his second year of high school. Although Gu Zheng wasn't asking about the terminal illness, his answer was fine. If the guy pursued the matter in the future, he could say that he hadn't lied to him.

Grade 11?

Gu Zheng's heart skipped a beat. She and Han Zhou weren't even that close in their second year of high school. Could it be that Han Zhou had already fallen for her back then? Or was this love letter not written for her at all?
She became a little nervous.

Lin Anyu was also taken aback. He hadn't expected Han Zhou to be so honest and to answer such a question so frankly. He seemed to have started learning about these things in high school, but he couldn't remember which grade. It seemed to be when he was studying biology and learning about physiological structures.
Gu Zheng was anxious and still tried to find the answer indirectly, but she didn't know which angle to approach it from. She tentatively asked, "Did Lin Anyu already know about this?"

She heard that boys, just like girls, would occasionally get together to talk about the girls they liked.

"I didn't tell him," Han Zhou answered truthfully.

This answer is flawless no matter the question.

Lin Anyu chuckled twice and winked, saying, "You don't need to tell me, I already know. This kind of thing is an unspoken understanding among boys, and most girls know a little about it too. Only you, Guzheng, don't know anything."

He sighed, saying that girls as pure as Guzheng are rare these days.

Lin Anyu was obviously referring to unhealthy books and magazines, but Gu Zheng misunderstood him, thinking he was referring to Han Zhou liking her. Her heart fluttered, and she unconsciously tugged at the hem of her clothes with both hands.

Everyone in the class, boys and girls, knows, but I don't...

Back then, Han Zhou was probably called a "simp" by everyone. Everyone seemed to think he liked me, even my dad said so...

"Is it...is it that obvious?"

Gu Zheng tried her best to appear nonchalant, muttered something under her breath, and stole a glance at Han Zhou as she spoke.

The latter remained calm, seemingly acquiescing to Lin Anyu's words.

"It's not exactly obvious. It's actually better if you don't know, it's just that you might be caught off guard at certain times in the future," Lin Anyu said cheerfully.

Han Zhou gave him an annoyed look. If it were before, this guy would never have dared to joke about the guzheng.

Gu Zheng turned her face away, and her already flushed cheeks turned even redder.

Does "sometimes" refer to the times when Han Zhou confessed his feelings to me?

If I were caught completely off guard and Han Zhou suddenly presented me with a love letter and confessed his feelings, what kind of expression would I have?

Will you blush?

Will it run away?
Will you remain calm and simply say "Oh," or will you burst into tears of joy, hug your partner, and shout "I do"?

It's definitely the former, I wouldn't be that pathetic...

The girl suppressed the corners of her mouth that were turning up, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards the drawer, eager to see what was inside.

Han Zhou sensed something was wrong and quickly put his hand back on, looking like he was on high alert.

Gu Zheng wanted to laugh a little, but suddenly didn't want to keep probing. However, she still didn't dare to ask directly if there were love letters in the drawer, so she changed to a slightly more direct but less obvious way of asking.

"Is...is...is something that reveals one's true feelings?"

By the end, she had completely turned her head away, refusing to look Han Zhou in the eye.

Does this indicate palpitations?

Han Zhou was pondering how to reveal Mo Yixia's situation to Gu Zheng when he heard this and was momentarily stunned.

His illness was indeed related to his heart, but I didn't know the specifics. Even if I did, I couldn't cure it anyway, so I wasn't sure if it was related to palpitations. After thinking for a moment, I hesitated and nodded, "Uh-maybe..."

Does this tone indicate embarrassment?

Gu Zheng didn't dare to look Han Zhou in the eye, so she couldn't see his expression just now. She could only judge his reaction when answering the question based on his tone of voice.

Lin Anyu's eyes widened suddenly.

Fishy smell? What fishy smell?
Wow—no wonder she's number one in the whole grade, Gu Zheng's ability to apply what she's learned to new situations is amazing, her thinking has expanded to this extent...

He shook his head and sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. The world had lost another pure and innocent girl. Although it was all thanks to the shameless Han Zhou, he had been an accomplice.

Well, I'll just take one percent of the responsibility for now...

It wasn't until he finished answering the question that Han Zhou realized something was wrong. Just as he was wondering if Gu Zheng had misunderstood, he saw the girl suddenly look at him, her eyes so bright that they reminded him of the searchlights used to interrogate criminals on TV.

"Is it for me?"

Gu Zheng's heart was pounding at an unbelievable speed. She mustered up the courage to ask the last question, and the words almost slipped out of her mouth, leaving her no chance to regret them.

"What?" Han Zhou was stunned.

"Did I say the things in the drawer were for me?"

Why would I give you my medical record? You can't give it to me even if it's some kind of pornographic book...

Han Zhou looked bewildered, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "I'm afraid it's not possible right now..."

No denial!

Gu Zheng's mind went blank, as if she had crashed. Just because it doesn't work now doesn't mean it won't work in the future. Han Zhou was clearly admitting that the love letter was for her!
She swallowed hard, asking expectantly, "Then...when will that be?"

Looking at the girl's nervous and uneasy eyes, Han Zhou felt a pang of heartache for no reason, especially when he thought about how he would have to keep deceiving her in the future. He even had an urge to avoid her gaze.

But he knew very well that running away was useless.

So he gazed into Guzheng's eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "When the time is right... when that time comes, I will tell you everything."

Han Zhou knew that from the moment he uttered those words, he had to be prepared to bear all the backlash.

Even if they were hacked to death, it was their own fault.

"This...is like this."

Feeling a little embarrassed by Han Zhou's intense gaze, Gu Zheng looked away, her agitated emotions calming down somewhat.

She could tell that Han Zhou was hesitant. Although she didn't know where this hesitation came from, she still felt a sense of crisis.

The view from the window is perfect; the autumn sunlight is excessively soft, and the white clouds are torn into pieces, drifting lazily in the sky.

A flock of black birds flew across the sky, their scissor-like tails cutting the sunlight into tiny fragments of light and shadow.

The swallows are migrating... The girl was slightly lost in thought.

"If we don't hurry, we might not be able to see them again next year."

A smiling voice echoed in my ears, as if it came from a very far place.

Turning his gaze away, due to the angle, the migrating swallows seemed to be hanging right above Han Zhou's head, flying towards an unknown place.

"Will it be very late that day?" she couldn't help but ask.

"It won't be too late."

Han Zhou answered very firmly this time.

"Then I can wait a little longer."

Taking a deep breath, Guzheng added earnestly, "But I won't wait too long."

If the "right time" comes too late... then she'll have to take the initiative to confess her feelings.

Lin Anyu, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. No, were you two openly discussing in front of me when to meet up to read pornographic books?
Could you please consider my feelings?
Also, what does Han Zhou mean? What do you mean he can't give it to me now? Does he want to pick an auspicious day instead?

Hmm... Is this guy planning to use this thing as his educational material somenight...?

Thinking of this, Lin Anyu felt a deep respect and secretly gave his good brother a thumbs up. He then changed the subject, saying, "Alright, alright, now that we've packed our things, let's hurry up and go. I'd like to invite you to Ya Ya's house this afternoon. That girl pestered me for ages last night. Could you two do me the honor?"

"it is good."

Han Zhou and Gu Zheng had no objections, since they had nothing else to do that afternoon anyway. Taking advantage of the moment when the two weren't paying attention, Han Zhou quickly opened the drawer and stuffed the medical records inside into his pocket as fast as he could.

However, this scene did not escape the eyes of Guzheng, who had been watching his movements closely. The moment she saw the white paper flash by, the last big stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.

It really is a love letter… she thought.

Lin Anyu also kept a close eye on things, but his reaction was a bit slower than Gu Zheng's. He only saw Han Zhou sneakily hiding something in his clothes.

It really is pornography… he thought.

……

After moving all my belongings to the new house and cleaning it thoroughly, the move was basically over.

Han Zhou could handle the rest by himself, so there was no need to trouble Gu Zheng and Lin Anyu. He originally planned to cook a meal to thank the two of them, but of course there were no ingredients in the refrigerator in the new house, and it was a bit late to go grocery shopping now, so he simply invited the two of them out to eat and planned to show off his cooking skills at Lin Youya's house in the afternoon.

He took the new skill of "culinary proficiency" very seriously and decided to cook more often in the next few days to see how high the probability of making exquisite food when he was focused.

Although the skill description states that the probability of creating exquisite dishes is 30%, it also mentions that this probability will fluctuate depending on the attributes of the ingredients. He does not know the standard for judging the attributes of the ingredients, so he can only determine the range of fluctuation through practice.

The group found a restaurant to eat at. During this time, Han Zhou gave Gu Zheng a souvenir from Ye Cheng, which was a bracelet for praying for blessings and peace. Afterwards, they went to Lin Youya's house and met the mighty general whom they hadn't seen for a long time.

This brown curly-haired teddy bear seemed a little fatter than the last time I saw it, and still looked lazy, lying motionless on the floor.

Lin Youya, the host, also lay motionless on the table, her two chubby arms wrapped around her head, her face full of despair.

"General, why can't you talk like the animals in cartoons? I saw a cat the other day that helps its owner with housework, why can't you help me with my homework?"

The mighty general didn't even raise its head; its black button-like eyes revealed a dullness and stupidity. Clearly, even if it ever learned to speak, it wouldn't be good at doing homework.

Lin Youya looked distressed. She struggled to get up and looked at the exercise book in front of her for a while. Then, with a melancholy expression, she picked up her pen, like a wounded soldier who had to take up his sword and fight again.

After opening the door and entering the house, Lin Anyu tiptoed behind his younger sister and chuckled, saying with a smile, "You're quite self-disciplined today, starting your homework so early."

"You big jerk! I told you not to talk behind my back..."

The sudden sound startled Lin Youya. She frowned and looked behind her, ready to teach this foolish cousin a lesson. The next second, she saw Han Zhou and Gu Zheng behind him.

Overjoyed, she immediately stood up excitedly, a happy smile spreading across her face: "Brother Han Zhou, Sister Guzheng!"

"Hello, Ya Ya."

Gu Zheng smiled and stepped forward, gently rubbing the girl's head. "You've grown taller in just one month."

"Really?" Lin Youya asked, her face full of surprise.

"Really?" Gu Zheng smiled broadly. "You'll definitely grow up to be a tall and beautiful woman."

Lin Youya felt a warm glow inside and tilted her head to ask, "Sister Guzheng, are you very happy today?"

"Really?" Gu Zheng was taken aback.

"Yes, yes!" Lin Youya nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and said with certainty, "You seem especially happy today!"

"Maybe it's because I saw you, Ya Ya," Gu Zheng said in a light tone.

As she spoke, she turned her gaze to the mighty general lying on the ground, her eyes immediately curving into crescents. She squatted down and angrily rubbed the dog's head: "Long time no see, mighty general. Have you gained weight?"

"She seems really happy..."

Lin Anyu looked suspicious and whispered to Han Zhou.

"I'm very happy," Han Zhou smiled. "Isn't this great?"

"I didn't say it was bad, but there should be a reason... Never mind."

Lin Anyu shrugged, then suddenly felt someone tugging at his clothes. Looking down, he saw Lin Youya staring at him expectantly. He asked, puzzled, "Why are you staring at me?"

"Where are the things you bought for me?" Lin Youya held out her hand.

Lin Anyu was taken aback: "What is that?"

"You promised me yesterday!"

"I promised to bring Brother Han Zhou and Sister Guzheng back to play with you, and now I've brought them back to you, haven't I?"

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

Seeing Lin Anyu's blank expression, Lin Youya said angrily, "Where's my Iyena doll?!"

“Iyena…” Lin Anyu pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, “I remember now, are you talking about that squirrel that can only use its tail as a parachute?”

"Otherwise what!" Lin Youya looked at him suspiciously. "Did you forget to buy it?"

"Well, this..." Lin Anyu looked guilty.

Lin Youya immediately knew what was going on and turned her head away, sulking.

Lin Anyu remained silent until he saw his foolish cousin's face turn red with anger. Then he laughed and pinched her cheeks. Before she could retaliate, he jumped back and magically produced a squirrel doll from behind his back.

"Haha, you don't mean this, do you?"

Lin Youya remained sulking, glancing at him furtively before ignoring him.

"Don't you want it?" Lin Anyu shook the plush toy and sighed, "That's such a pity. I heard it's a special limited edition plush toy. If it weren't for your sister Guzheng's incredible luck in the lottery, you wouldn't be able to buy it even if you wanted to."

Lin Youya quietly swallowed.

"It's better if I don't want it. I spent a lot of money on the lottery anyway. I heard that these things can be bought back at a high price. If I sell them, I can not only recoup my investment, but I might even make a small profit..."

Lin Anyu took out his phone, pretending to call someone. Lin Youya couldn't hold back any longer and quickly snatched the plush toy away, hugging it to her chest. She tilted her head and continued to sulk.

Lin Anyu knew she would react this way, and said with amusement, "I thought you really didn't want it anymore."

Lin Youya snorted coldly, and after two seconds, she reluctantly said, "Thank you."

Lin Anyu thought to himself, "I can't control you." Suddenly, he said mysteriously, "Not only this limited edition figurine, but I've also prepared an extra gift for you. Can you guess what it is?"

Lin Youya's eyes lit up: "Is it a white crescent moon?"

This is an animated character from the same anime as Iyena, a beautiful and intelligent rabbit.

"What is that?" Lin Anyu shook his head. "No, no, guess again."

"Wanrihua?"

"No and no."

"food?"

"wrong."

"Toy?"

"It's getting closer, it's getting closer, now guess again."

"I'm not guessing anymore, I can't figure it out!"

"Alright, then watch closely, I'm about to reveal the secret... Ta-da! Do you like it?"

Under Lin Youya's expectant gaze, Lin Anyu pulled out a brand-new workbook from behind his back as if unveiling a surprise.

The air was silent for two seconds.

Lin Youya trembled all over, took the exercise book expressionlessly, and rolled it into a stick shape with a vicious look.

"If you have the guts, don't run away!"

Lin Anyu didn't listen; he had already run away the moment he handed her the workbook.

Lin Youya roared angrily and chased after him with her short legs.

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated, thinking to himself that Lin Anyu was truly a perfect example of being shameless. If things continued like this, he wondered when Ya Ya would ever be able to call him "brother."

(End of this chapter)