Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 225 The Most Romantic Thing
romantic?

Han Zhou was taken aback: "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

He thought Mo Yixia would ask about the guzheng, but she asked about something completely unrelated.

"I suddenly became curious."

He couldn't see Mo Yixia's expression, but he could hear her calm voice.

"The girls in my class like to talk about similar topics whenever they have free time, such as filling the playground with heart-shaped candles when confessing their love, giving precious gifts on birthdays, or going to great lengths to prepare a surprise... Every time they talk about these things, they look expectant and call it romance."

"You mean you don't think this is romantic?" Han Zhou asked curiously.

"I didn't realize it before."

Mo Yixia said slowly, "But I've changed my mind now. From now on, you have to accompany me to do all the romantic things."

All the romantic things… Han Zhou was stunned for two seconds.

"Including carrying you back to school in the pouring rain?" he suddenly realized.

“That’s right.” Mo Yixia admitted frankly, then asked as if seeking an opinion, “Do you think this counts as romantic?”

"From a girl's perspective, I guess so..." Han Zhou said in a somewhat uncertain tone.

From your perspective?

"Not counting."

Mo Yixia became interested: "From a guy's perspective, what do you think is the most romantic thing?"

"I'm not sure about this either..."

Han Zhou shook his head. He wanted to say he didn't know, since he knew nothing about romance. But when he thought about how Mo Yixia rarely showed interest in something, he thought about it again for a while, and suddenly the lyrics of a song came to mind.

He had never heard the full version of this song, but he was deeply impressed by these two lines of lyrics and couldn't help but sing them softly.

"The most romantic thing I can think of is to grow old together with you..."

Unfortunately, he didn't have much talent for singing. Compared to Mo Yixia's heavenly voice, he could only sing at a passable level, which made the melody of the song a bit strange.

"puff."

Han Zhou's hearing is now very good, so he easily heard Mo Yixia's low laughter.

Even without turning around, he could imagine the girl's expression as she suppressed a smile.

Seeing that he had unknowingly exposed his weakness of not being good at singing, Han Zhou blushed and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Laugh if you want to."

“I’m already laughing,” Mo Yixia said quite honestly.

"There's no need to tell me this..."

"Actually, it sounds pretty good."

After a brief silence, Mo Yixia spoke in a comforting tone.

Han Zhou sighed deeply: "Could you at least control your tone before saying such insincere things?"

"I've been trying my best to control it."

"Nonsense," he said irritably, exposing the other person's words. "If you really wanted to hide your thoughts, I wouldn't be able to detect it at all."

"But isn't it exactly what you wanted me to open my heart?" Mo Yixia asked, feigning ignorance.

She seemed to lean her head closer, her long hair falling onto Han Zhou's neck, tickling him slightly, and a faint fragrance lingered around his nose.

Han Zhou paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "If that's really the case, then all the better."

This is indeed what he has been hoping for.

It's a pity we can't see her face right now, otherwise we might be able to try reading her mind...

As if she had heard his thoughts, Mo Yixia suddenly said, "You can still consider my suggestion. A princess carry would not only make it easier for me to hold the umbrella for you, but it would also give us enough space and time to look at each other."

No, does it mean I have a face growing on the back of my head?

Han Zhou always felt that Mo Yixia was the one who had truly mastered the skill of "animal affinity," and it was an advanced skill that allowed her to read minds regardless of species or conditions.

"And a princess carry..." he said helplessly, "Aren't you worried about how your classmates will react when I carry you to school? You know, my status at school is that of your cousin."

"Since he's my cousin, there's even less to worry about," Mo Yixia said casually, seemingly unconcerned.

“It’s fine to just carry you on my back, but it’s a big problem if I do a princess carry. You have to consider the ethical and moral issues.”

"Marriage is permitted beyond three generations."

"What if it's within three generations?"

Mo Yixia pondered for a moment: "Wouldn't that be even better?"

Han Zhou's lips twitched: "It's my fault, I shouldn't have told you this..."

The two arrived at the lobby on the first floor. The damp air rushed in from the direction of the entrance, and they could clearly hear the sound of heavy rain falling outside the hospital.

Han Zhou was worried about whether the umbrella in his hand could protect the two of them when Mo Yixia suddenly asked, "By the way, what's the name of the song you just sang? I'd like to hear the original version."

By the way, compare my pitch and see where it went, right...?

Han Zhou thought to himself, but shamelessly said, "This is my original song, I am the original."

This song comes from a past life; there is no identical song in this world, so he can only say that it is his own original work.

"Really?" Mo Yixia seemed to believe it without even thinking, and said with great interest, "Then sing the full version for me."

Han Zhou had never heard the full version, and didn't even know the song's title, let alone sing it to the other person. So he shamelessly continued, "There's no full version, only this one line is original."

The air fell silent, and Mo Yixia remained silent for a long time, perhaps trying to suppress a laugh.

"Fine, don't believe me then." Han Zhou, unable to save face, tried his best to salvage the situation, saying, "It may sound harsh, but it really is what I..."

"I believe it."

Mo Yixia interrupted him, her tone carrying a hint of amusement.

"I think I suddenly understand why the girls in my class yearn for romance."

As I arrived at the hospital entrance, a strong wind howled, and the smell of disinfectant had completely disappeared, replaced by a faint fragrance mixed with the scent of earth, carrying a hint of dampness.

The streets were shrouded in mist.

For some reason, Mo Yixia suddenly recalled the scene of her and Han Zhou cuddling together and watching the moon in a cave on a snowy cliff.

"The most romantic thing I can think of is growing old with you."

She tried humming a line softly, using Han Zhou's tune, which was completely different from the original, but it sounded surprisingly good.

"A decent original work."

She let the wind rushing in through the door tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and chuckled softly, "I like it very much."

Han Zhou was stunned.

Could this guy have taken those two lines of lyrics as a confession to her?

It is said that songs can convey emotions, and he seemed to have heard a sense of anticipation in Mo Yixia's simple humming.

Want an explanation?

It seems unnecessary.

Because this was what he was supposed to accomplish.

"You sing a little better than me."

He said in a serious tone, "I've authorized you to perform this song."

“Once it’s authorized, it can’t be taken back.” Mo Yixia leaned lazily against him. “I only want exclusive authorization.”

"You're being way too domineering..."

Mo Yixia remained noncommittal, raising her eyes to look at the city outside the hospital gate, which was shrouded in torrential rain, and said softly, "Today's weather is actually quite nice." "Weren't you just saying the weather was terrible?"

"As I've said before, the weather changes depending on a person's mood."

So you're in a good mood right now?

"Not bad, not bad."

Mo Yixia gazed into the distance, never mentioning the guzheng again.

Han Zhou was somewhat puzzled, but he didn't intend to deliberately walk into the line of fire. Seeing how heavy the rain was, he couldn't help but feel worried.

"How about we take a taxi?"

"Are you afraid?"

"I'm afraid one umbrella won't be enough to protect you. I don't want you to catch a cold as soon as you leave the hospital," Han Zhou said irritably.

"I'm actually looking forward to catching another cold, so you can come see me again."

Mo Yixia spoke in a calm tone, but she was clearly not the kind of girl who would disregard everything for the sake of so-called romance. Moreover, running wildly in the rain was not necessarily romantic in her eyes. So she thought about Han Zhou's suggestion for a while and nodded slightly.

"Then let's take a taxi."

Actually, the hospital isn't far from the school, so taking a taxi would be a bit of a waste, but considering the current rain, taking a car is the wisest choice.

Han Zhou hailed a taxi using a ride-hailing app, then waited quietly with Mo Yixia on his back.

The taxi arrived quickly. The driver was a kind and talkative uncle who chatted happily with the two of them even though it was only a short ride. Han Zhou didn't pay much attention at first, but later he felt that the driver looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

The driver chuckled, "You two must be a couple. Did you start dating in high school? You should focus on your studies now. I remember I gave a ride to a couple last time, and it was raining just as hard, but the journey was also very short..."

The more Han Zhou listened, the more uneasy he felt. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine, and he abruptly remembered when he had last seen this man—

One summer evening, he was taking Guzheng home when it started raining heavily as soon as they got off the subway. Neither of them had brought an umbrella, so they had to take a taxi back to Guzheng's neighborhood. The driver who picked them up was this same man, who kindly gave them an umbrella.

Thinking of this, a chill ran down his spine, fearing that the driver would recognize him at any moment and ask in confusion:
"Huh, it's changed again. I don't think it was this one last time?"

Although Mo Yixia had seen the guzheng in person and had some contact with it, this did not mean that her improved mood could continue after learning about this.

Han Zhou secretly prayed that the driver wouldn't recognize him.

The distance between the hospital and the school is very short, less than a minute's drive, and the taxi arrived at the school gate quickly.

Fortunately, what Han Zhou feared did not happen. The driver did not recognize him and drove away as soon as the two got out of the car.

Just then, Mo Yixia suddenly said thoughtfully, "That driver seems to know you, but he doesn't seem quite sure, so he didn't ask you."

"Really?" Han Zhou was surprised, and said half-jokingly, "I also think he looks familiar."

As he spoke, without caring whether Mo Yixia noticed anything amiss, he calmly picked her up and carried her on his back. The latter then held the umbrella over her head to shield herself from the torrential rain.

For a moment, the inside and outside of the umbrella seemed to be divided into two distinct worlds.

The school security guard recognized Mo Yixia and remembered that she was a student who had asked for leave to see a doctor, so he quickly opened the gate and let her in, keeping a close eye on Han Zhou throughout the process.

"I hate going to school."

On the way to the classroom, Mo Yixia seemed to have transformed into a broken record, constantly muttering to herself like a spoiled little girl.

"Don't even think about it. No matter how much I hate you, I'm not going to blow up the school for you." Han Zhou ignored the stares of the passing teachers and students and said irritably.

He knew that Mo Yixia was just expressing her reluctance to part with him in this way.

This guy is really hard to understand, even in the way he expresses his feelings. Sometimes he's so direct that you can't keep up, and other times he's very subtle, like the unpredictable weather in autumn.

The two gradually stopped talking and walked to the classroom door. Soon, two girls came out, seemingly wanting to help Mo Yixia into the classroom.

It seems this guy isn't too bad at all... Han Zhou felt a little relieved.

As they were about to part, Mo Yixia suddenly spoke in a voice inaudible to most people:
"It seems you haven't answered whether you're willing to grant my request."

"To do romantic things with you?" Han Zhou knew what she meant.

"Ah."

Han Zhou smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you? You can have a little too much expectation of me, so of course it's no problem."

"Ah."

Mo Yixia stopped talking and walked into the classroom with the help of two girls.

Han Zhou turned to leave, but just then, he heard Mo Yixia's voice again.

"In exchange, I will accompany you to do the most romantic thing in your heart."

……

"What's the most romantic thing?" Zhang Meng, who was sitting next to Mo Yixia, asked quietly after hearing Mo Yixia's whisper.

She glanced back at the boy who had brought Mo Yixia back, and a sigh rose in her heart again. Mo Yixia's cousin was really handsome; she wondered how this family's genes had come together...

Mo Yixia did not answer, but simply looked out the window.

When will we have a downpour big enough to flood the city?
……

Holding an umbrella, Han Zhou left the school, intending to go straight home, but suddenly received a call from Gu Zheng.

His heart tightened, thinking the other party wanted to ask about Mo Yixia over the phone. However, he was overthinking it. Gu Zheng didn't ask anything; she just wanted him to help her retrieve something she had left at the hospital.

“What is it?” he asked.

"My house key should be on my hospital bed. If you're still here, please help me find it. If you can't find it, that's okay, I'll get a new one made."

"Okay, I'll go take a look right away."

"Thank you."

After a moment of silence, Gu Zheng finally couldn't help but ask, feigning nonchalance, "Did that girl go back?"

She was clearly referring to Mo Yixia.

"She's gone back. I just took her back to school."

"That's good." Gu Zheng's tone relaxed a bit as she hung up the phone.

Han Zhou put away his phone, then suddenly realized something was wrong—

Gu Zheng is quite different from the careless Ouyang Lianyu. As far as I can remember, she has never left anything behind, let alone left her keys on her hospital bed.

Considering that the other party hadn't asked anything today, he suspected that Gu Zheng might have deliberately left the key on the bed so that he would take the initiative to go to her house tomorrow, thus creating a suitable interrogation environment.

However, generally speaking, Gu Zheng wouldn't have so many thoughts, so he suspected that this was Uncle Gu's or Sister Miao's idea.

Of course, it's also possible that he's overthinking it. Perhaps Guzheng was just feeling dizzy from her first illness, which is why she lost the key...

Putting his thoughts aside, Han Zhou felt somewhat conflicted.

Considering that the hospital would send someone to change the sheets after the patient left, and might even take the key, he quickened his pace back to the hospital and hurried to the fourth floor.

He arrived just in time. As soon as he got to the ward, he saw someone tidying up the room. He expressed his gratitude and took the key from the person. Then he sent a message to Guzheng and planned to take the elevator to leave the hospital.

The elevator stopped on the third floor, and a girl got on. It was none other than Wang Lengqiu, who was soaking wet.

Han Zhou was taken aback. This was the third time he had met this girl today. Although the hospital was only so big and it was normal to meet frequently, he still suspected that this was the last remaining force of "attracting bees and butterflies," just like those rogue software programs that could never be uninstalled and would keep bothering him.

To his surprise, Wang Lengqiu was no longer holding the pet dog named Qiuqiu in her arms, and he didn't know who had temporarily taken care of it.

When he noticed Wang Lengqiu, Wang Lengqiu naturally noticed him as well. However, greeting her seemed to be a difficult thing for the girl, so she could only look at Han Zhou longingly, as if she wanted to say something.

Even after the elevator reached the first floor, she still didn't look away.

Han Zhou was at his wit's end and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Excuse me, what can I do for you?"

This chapter is too rough and needs further polishing.

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(End of this chapter)