Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 358 Competition and Motives

Wang Lengqiu?
It was actually Wang Lengqiu!

Can anyone tell me why Wang Lengqiu is here?
Even with just a quick glance, Han Zhou immediately recognized the girl by the swimming pool.

This girl is too thin.

She was so thin that it looked as if she would be blown away by the wind if it blew any stronger.

"Why is she here?" Han Zhou asked in a low voice.

Mo Yixia shook her head slightly: "She was already here before I arrived."

The implication was that the other party was brought by Gu Zheng and her group.

Han Zhou understood what she meant, stared at Wang Lengqiu for a while, and asked, "How long has she been standing here?"

“Thirteen minutes later, when I said I needed to go out for some fresh air, she followed me out. It seemed like she had something to say to you.”

"You have something to say to me?"

"Hmm, maybe that's why she came here. She only seems to listen attentively when you're mentioned."

Mo Yixia tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear and continued, "She was talking to the swimming pool the whole time. I guess she was rehearsing how to start a conversation with you."

Having a "cheat code" is great; I figured out the situation as soon as I saw the person... Han Zhou thought to himself with admiration, and asked curiously, "Do you know what she was talking about?"

"I don't know, my hearing isn't as abnormal as yours."

"Don't you know lip reading?"

Mo Yixia glanced at him: "It's very impolite to 'eavesdrop' on other people's conversations. Do I look like that kind of impolite person?"

You never seemed to realize how impolite you were when you were eavesdropping on my thoughts...

Han Zhou thought to himself, but then Mo Yixia said calmly, "I was observing openly and honestly."

She didn't even look at Han Zhou, yet she once again read his thoughts.

"Ha ha……"

Han Zhou chuckled twice, and seeing Mo Yixia's calm expression, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Aren't you curious why Wang Lengqiu cares so much about me?"

"You would have told me even if I hadn't asked, wouldn't you?"

Mo Yixia thoughtfully observed the thin girl not far away.

"makes sense."

Han Zhou nodded and said with a wry smile, "But to be honest, I'm still completely clueless about this matter."

Mo Yixia had enough patience for him and didn't rush to ask any questions. Instead, she said, "Go say hello. She's already seen you."

Han Zhou was taken aback and turned to look at Wang Lengqiu, who was still staring absentmindedly at the empty swimming pool, seemingly not having seen him.

However, he trusted Mo Yixia's judgment, so he walked towards the swimming pool.

Ever since he learned that this girl might be his childhood sweetheart, or even a girl who had been infatuated with him for over a decade, it would be a lie to say that Han Zhou wasn't guilty. He even felt a sense of guilt like a heartless man, and the closer he got to Wang Lengqiu, the stronger this guilt became.

He realized that he might not be able to treat Wang Lengqiu the same way he used to.

"Um... Senior Wang Lengqiu, what a coincidence, you're here too?"

Upon hearing the sound, Wang Lengqiu immediately turned her head and looked over with a blank expression.

A strong wind blew, and the girl's long hair flew wildly, with a few strands occasionally drifting towards her eyes, but she didn't even blink, just staring at the boy with a complicated smile in front of her.

Han Zhou experienced the feeling of being slapped in the face by hair once again.

He had to admit that, just like Mo Yixia's stunning face that would amaze anyone no matter how many times they looked at it, Wang Lengqiu's face always captivated them with its pitiful and charming aura, no matter how many times they saw it.

Especially when making eye contact with the other person.

Have I ever seen such a distinctive face before?

"I'm a stick figure now."

Just as Han Zhou was wondering what was going on, Wang Lengqiu's clear voice suddenly rang in his ears.

He paused for a moment, then heard the other person repeat, as if afraid he hadn't heard clearly, "Now I'm a stick figure too."

Stick figures...

Han Zhou immediately recalled that in order to prevent Wang Lengqiu from harassing him, he had made a promise with him that Wang Lengqiu would come to talk to him after he became a stick figure. Wang Lengqiu had obviously remembered this and had done something to finally complete the transformation from a human to a stick figure.

In the past, he would have definitely asked the other person how they became a stick figure, but now he was no longer in the mood for that, and didn't even know how to answer.

Seeing that he remained silent, Wang Lengqiu tilted her head, seemingly puzzled: "Even if I turned into a stick figure, you still wouldn't talk to me?"

Han Zhou was taken aback, and quickly explained, "Of course not, I just didn't know what to say."

"really?"

"real."

Wang Lengqiu looked at him for a while, then seemed puzzled and said, "You seem a little strange. Is it because you're unhappy to see me? I can leave right away."

"No, I was just thinking about some things from the past."

Han Zhou immediately stopped her, and said with a wry smile, "Besides, the typhoon is coming soon, where can you go now?"

“I can go home,” Wang Lengqiu said.

"No need, just stay here."

Han Zhou smiled and said, "It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk."

Wang Lengqiu stood still, staring straight at him, and asked to confirm, "Are you really not unhappy?"

"No, I'll only be unhappy if you leave."

Without giving her a chance to continue speaking, Han Zhou turned around and said, "Let's go inside."

"Thank you."

Wang Lengqiu stopped talking and silently followed behind him.

Seeing the two approaching, Mo Yixia didn't ask any questions and followed Han Zhou silently. The three of them entered the room together.

Pushing open the door, the first thing that catches the eye is the spacious hall, with patterned marble flooring and empty picture frames hanging on the walls, presumably for the future owner to display oil paintings.

A luxurious marble dining table was placed in the center of the hall, surrounded by two rows of chairs. Han Zhou had only ever seen such a large table on television. Back then, he had been pondering a question—what if you couldn't reach the food you wanted to eat even if you stood up?

"Where are they?"

Han Zhou looked around but did not see Gu Zheng and the others.

“Go to the right, they’re in the living room,” Mo Yixia replied.

The living room is located to the right of the hall. It is quite spacious, large enough to be the size of Han Zhou's entire room. The design continues the style of the hall and looks quite luxurious. The chandelier on the ceiling alone is quite eye-catching, like an exquisite work of art.

Under the chandelier was a sofa covered with a soft velvet carpet, and on the coffee table next to it were exquisite tea sets, with steam rising from the spout of the teapot. The sofa was so high that Han Zhou couldn't see Gu Zheng and the others immediately, but he could clearly hear their conversation.

At the same time, the people on the sofa obviously heard the footsteps and got up to look over. It was Gu Zheng, Ouyang Lianyu, and the Zhong sisters, who had arrived earlier. When they saw Han Zhou, smiles appeared on everyone's faces, but soon they seemed to think of something, and their smiles became complicated. Zhong Yin's eyes even seemed a little cold.

Everyone wasn't stupid. The moment they saw Mo Yixia, they knew it must have been Han Zhou's arrangement. Unlike Gu Zheng, who was kept in the dark, they all knew that Han Zhou was a scumbag who wanted to have his cake and eat it too. They just didn't expect that this guy would be so bold as to let Gu Zheng and Mo Yixia meet directly.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong.

Faced with the various gazes of the crowd, Han Zhou tried his best to appear calm and forced a smile, saying, "It seems everyone has arrived. Have you eaten yet?"

It's almost seven o'clock, time for dinner.

He had already anticipated the situation: he would cook, Ouyang Lianyu and Zhong Yin would come over to help, find an opportunity to scold him, and then they would have no choice but to reluctantly help him maintain the balance.

Even though Han Zhou was thick-skinned enough, he felt quite guilty about using such a despicable trick. Therefore, he planned to cater to their preferences and grant each of Ouyang Lianyu and Zhong Yin and Zhong Ling a wish afterward as compensation.

"We haven't eaten yet. We're planning to have barbecue. All the ingredients are skewered, just waiting for you to come."

The answer he received was a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither).

As Mo Yixia said, Gu Zheng was indeed dressed up carefully today, looking radiant, and didn't even glance at Mo Yixia while speaking.

"Barbecue?" Han Zhou was taken aback.

"Well, it's just a small suggestion," Ouyang Lianyu explained.

Compared to Zhong Yin, her attitude towards Han Zhou was more one of helplessness. Even though she knew she was being used, she could only sigh inwardly, and her tone remained gentle.

Han Zhou then realized he hadn't seen Xiao Xiaoxiao and looked around, asking, "Where's Xiaoxiao?"

“She was sleeping in her room upstairs. She said she was very tired as soon as she arrived at the villa and asked us to wait for you to arrive before waking her up.”

Gu Zheng glanced at Mo Yixia next to Han Zhou, then looked at Han Zhou and said casually, "Han Zhou, I've already tidied up your room. It's right next to mine."

"Thanks……"

Han Zhou smiled and was about to express his gratitude to Gu Zheng when Mo Yixia spoke up unhurriedly beside him.

The girl tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear: "What a coincidence, I also tidied up your room, it's right next to mine."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the room except Wang Lengqiu became subtle.

Especially Ouyang Lianyu and Zhong Yin.

Only then did they realize that the reason the two had been able to get along so well before was simply because Han Zhou hadn't arrived yet.

As soon as Han Zhou arrived, the war between the two began.

Han Zhou also realized this, and the smile on his face gradually stiffened.

He suddenly understood why Mo Yixia had emphasized that she and Gu Zheng were tied—

Because now is the moment to decide the winner.

Gu Zheng was not surprised that Mo Yixia would say such a thing; in fact, she had anticipated it. Upon hearing this, she immediately smiled and her eyes crinkled into a triumphant grin: "But the two rooms next to yours are occupied."

Why did Guzheng arrange a room for Mo Yixia?

Besides being hospitable, she also had a little scheme in mind. She deliberately arranged Mo Yixia's room between Zhong Ling and Wang Lengqiu's rooms, so that there would be no empty room next to her.

Once Guzheng entered a fighting state, she was witty and decisive; she had been scheming against Mo Yixia from the very beginning.

Han Zhou can only live next door to her; that guy won't get his way!
Gu Zheng felt a sense of pride.

Unexpectedly, Mo Yixia remained calm and pretended to be surprised as she looked at Ouyang Lianyu: "Really, Teacher Ouyang, is someone staying in the room next to yours?"

Ouyang Lianyu was stunned for a moment: "I don't think so..."

Seeing Guzheng looking over, she gave a wry smile and explained, "Yixia and I switched rooms."

She had been wondering why Mo Yixia suddenly wanted to switch rooms with her, but she never expected that the other party had anticipated Gu Zheng's prediction.

After a moment of silence, Mo Yixia continued, "Speaking of which, the room next to yours is next to the stairs. It must be very noisy when people go up and down the stairs at night. I don't think it's suitable for people to live in."

She was clearly referring to the guzheng.

Gu Zheng sneered: "The soundproofing in each room is very good, so it won't be noisy at night. And if any accident happens, the closer you are to the stairs, the faster you can evacuate. Living next door to me is the safest option."

"On the contrary, the room next to yours is so far from the stairs. You have to walk a long way to go to the toilet at night. Aren't you afraid that Han Zhou will catch a cold?"

Mo Yixia calmly replied, "Haven't you seen it? That room has its own bathroom, and there's even a bathtub inside."

"That bathtub hasn't been used in ages..."

"Why not just clean it? If you're really worried, I can soak in the bathtub for two hours first, and then let Han Zhou use it."

"no!"

Gu Zheng, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, shouted, "That's Han Zhou's room! What right do you have to use his bathtub!"

The marinating has been going on for two hours, so Han Zhou can't possibly use the bathtub that this woman used!

Mo Yixia smiled slightly, a satisfied expression on her face: "It seems you also think Han Zhou should live next door to me, and you've already decided that it's his room."

"I didn't say that!"

Gu Zheng's expression changed slightly, and she quickly changed her mind, saying, "What I mean is that Han Zhou should stay next to me, so that everyone can use the bathtub in that room, and with so many of us, it will be more convenient to use two bathrooms!"

Ouyang Lianyu and Zhong Yin exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness on each other's faces. Even Han Zhou's choice of which room to stay in was being argued over like this; it seemed that tonight would not be peaceful.

Just then, a voice devoid of emotion suddenly rang out.

"I think Han Zhou should live next door to me."

The one who spoke was Wang Lengqiu, who had been silent until now.

Ouyang Lianyu's expression changed slightly. Why would Wang Lengqiu get involved?
"But there are no rooms available next to yours."

Gu Zheng and Mo Yixia both looked at her at the same time.

"It does not matter."

Wang Lengqiu shook her head slightly and said seriously, "The important thing is that Han Zhou should decide which room he wants to stay in, especially since he is no longer here."

She faced the gazes of both Mo Yixia and Gu Zheng alone, yet she appeared remarkably calm.

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this, only then noticing that Han Zhou had slipped away at some point.

Zhong Ling raised her hand and said weakly, "Um... my junior just went upstairs."

She was the only one who saw Han Zhou sneak away, but the junior kept making a "shh" gesture to her with a pleading look on his face, so she didn't tell anyone.

No one could hear Zhong Ling's words, but Mo Yixia could read lips. After a moment's thought, she knew where Han Zhou had gone and said, "He must have gone upstairs to call Xiao Xiaoxiao."

Xiao Xiao had mentioned that Han Zhou would come upstairs to wake her up as soon as he arrived, which wasn't strange, since it would be almost time for dinner by the time Han Zhou arrived. But now it seemed that this might be a convenient excuse for Han Zhou to slip away...

Is this guy Han Zhou's helper?
Mo Yixia seemed lost in thought, but her thoughts weren't on whether Xiao Xiaoxiao was Han Zhou's accomplice, but rather on her motives for helping Han Zhou—

What happened today made her feel like something was wrong.

(End of this chapter)