Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 44 A Little Favoritism

Seven o'clock in the afternoon.

Miao Yan'er opened the door and saw steaming hot food being served on the table, filling the entire room with a rich and enticing aroma.

"Oh dear, is dinner ready yet?"

She twitched her nose, put down her bag, and leaned closer to the dining table to take a look. She said with a smile, "It looks pretty good, but I bet this stuff won't taste as good as what I make."

"He's just spouting nonsense."

Gu Zheng sneered as she placed a stack of bowls on the table, glancing at her mother with disdain. "Hurry up and wash your hands. You'll see the reality after you finish eating."

"Really? Who's talking big here?"

Miao Yan'er's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes held a hint of provocation. Their gazes clashed in the air, and sparks seemed to fly between them.

Just then, Han Zhou carefully walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup, and greeted Miao Yan'er with a smile.

"Hello Auntie."

Miao Yan'er was displeased upon hearing this. She immediately turned her head and looked at him sadly, saying, "How many times have I told you not to call me 'Auntie'? Just call me Sister Miao. I'm still very young."

Han Zhou's smile froze as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him who bore a resemblance to Gu Zheng.

Miao Yan'er is in her forties, but she looks very young. Like her daughter, she has shoulder-length short hair, but she has dyed it wine red. She wears two large earrings, has bright features, light makeup, sexy red lips, and a much more curvaceous figure than Gu Zheng. She exudes the charm of a mature woman.

Her smile is very similar to that of Guzheng, with both eyes and eyebrows curving. However, compared to the latter's youthful radiance, her smile is like that of a cunning fox, giving off a mischievous feeling.

Faced with the request from the retired emperor of the Gu family, Han Zhou dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly and honestly changed his address to "Sister Miao!"

Their trembling and fearful demeanor was just like that of a lowly subordinate meeting a superior, practically standing at attention and saluting.

Gu Zheng rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that this guy was a loser.

To be honest, Han Zhou was indeed very afraid of Miao Yan'er, and had long since secretly given her the nickname "Miao Cuihua" in his heart.

Putting everything else aside, this woman's fighting prowess has been personally acknowledged by Gu Zheng. Even though she's as stubborn as she is, she only dares to say in private, "If I had been born ten years earlier, this guy would never have been my match."

To put it simply: Even ten years from now, I might not be able to beat her.

Its formidable strength is evident.

Like her daughter, this mother's physical strength also reached a terrifying seven points. What's even more terrifying is that she has never been reserved as an elder. Although she is usually smiling, she is ruthless when it comes to fighting. Han Zhou had suffered from her before.

Of course, Guzheng's father has more to say about being beaten, but unfortunately he doesn't seem to be there right now.

Seeing that Han Zhou was so sensible, Miao Yan'er nodded in satisfaction and said gently, "You should have heard what Xiao Zheng has to say. Today, I'll have to trouble you to be the referee. You must uphold the principles of fairness and impartiality. Feel free to speak your true feelings. Don't be afraid of Xiao Zheng threatening you. I will back you up."

Han Zhou chuckled dryly, thinking to himself, "I can handle the guzheng, I'll be thankful if you don't threaten me..."

Gu Zheng looked around the living room and asked in confusion, "Mom, didn't Dad come back with you?"

"No, he'll be busy for a while. He can just grab a quick bite at a boxed lunch outside. He won't starve. There's no need to wait for him."

Miao Yan'er looked indifferent, covered her mouth and yawned as she was about to wash her hands. Suddenly, she stopped, glanced at the photo album on the coffee table, and quickly looked away, as if she hadn't seen it, and calmly walked into the bathroom.

At the same time, Han Zhou looked at Gu Zheng, who was bending down to serve rice, and felt somewhat depressed.

After saying "I'm not like the female lead," this guy fell silent, never directly answering his question, giving vague and ambiguous answers. He even slipped into the kitchen, forbidding him from helping. He said that no third person was allowed to interfere in the competition, but really he just didn't want him to keep asking.

There aren't many things Guzheng would hide from him. Her reluctance to talk about it probably means that deep down she's avoiding the matter and even wants to forget it.

Actually, this is all in the past, and there seems to be no need to delve into it. Logically speaking, Han Zhou shouldn't be asking too many questions, but then he thought about it again and felt strange—wait a minute, if Gu Zheng didn't want him to know about this, then why did she show him the photo album?

There's something wrong with this graduation photo!

Could it be that the other person is actually trying to get his attention on this matter, and deep down still hopes that he will take the initiative to inquire about it?

Given Guzheng's strong personality, it's impossible for her to complain on her own initiative, especially since she doesn't have any friends to confide in. So, could this be a topic she intentionally brought up in order to find an opportunity to complain to him?

Han Zhou thought about it more and more and it seemed very possible, but unfortunately no matter how much he pressed her for an answer, Gu Zheng just wouldn't say.

So now even Han Zhou is confused. Girls' thoughts are really hard to guess. He's torn between asking and not asking, and he's really struggling with this.

Unfortunately, Guzheng's father hadn't returned yet; otherwise, she might have been able to get some information from him.

If it weren't absolutely necessary, Han Zhou would never dare to ask Miao Yan'er. Who knows if this woman would grin maliciously and say, "How dare you inquire about our little Guzheng's sad story?" and then drag him to the balcony to give him a good scolding.

Han Zhou's mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts when he saw Miao Yan'er slowly walk out of the bathroom and urge, "Sit down and eat, everyone. You've been busy all day and your stomachs are about to burst."

Gu Zheng pushed a huge, stuffed rice bowl over, looking confident and proud, and said while holding the equally huge bowl, "Give up. Without the support of my dad, your number one lackey, you've already lost half the battle."

"Winning or losing isn't up to you; it depends on Han Zhou's judgment." Miao Yan'er slowly sat down in a chair and smiled. "I believe Han Zhou will give the fairest evaluation, right?"

Han Zhou kept his eyes down, pretending not to hear. The two were currently at odds, and he, who was only fit for a normal-sized rice bowl, really didn't want to be a judge, especially with Uncle Gu not around.

Normally, Uncle Gu would bear the main pressure in times like these.

Gu Zheng thought he was scared, so she quickly patted his shoulder, her eyes still fixed on her mother, and earnestly encouraged him, "Don't be afraid of her! You just need to praise me without worry, she won't dare to hit you in front of me."

Han Zhou almost spat out blood. Aren't you worried that she'll hit me behind your back?
Also, why do I have to praise you?
Since we agreed on fairness and impartiality, then everyone should refrain from resorting to underhanded tactics...

He hesitated to pick up his chopsticks, so as not to be asked to make a final vote immediately.

Neither Miao Yan'er nor Gu Zheng were in a hurry to pick up their chopsticks.

The two men held large rice bowls in their left hands and chopsticks in their right, their gazes clashing in the air, like two warriors wielding swords and shields about to engage in a duel, desperately searching for each other's weaknesses.

A moment later, Miao Yan'er took the initiative, picked up a piece of chicken, tasted it, and without giving any evaluation, smiled and said, "There's always a stake in a bet, right?"

Gu Zheng slowly extended her chopsticks, picked up a piece of chicken, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed, and said with narrowed eyes, "There's no need to bluff. This is obviously delicious. You're doomed to lose."

"Really? Oh right, there's something I forgot to mention. Your dad has already voted for me. He said my cooking skills are unparalleled, and there's no one better than me, so I'm currently one to zero."

Gu Zheng was stunned for a moment, then looked annoyed and said through gritted teeth, "He didn't even eat, how dare he vote? Isn't this a rigged affair!"

“I don’t need any underhanded tactics to win against you, and these are the rules that were set in advance. It doesn’t say that you can’t vote if you don’t eat,” Miao Yan’er said leisurely.

Gu Zheng grew angrier the more she thought about it. She glared at Han Zhou sullenly, then viciously shoveled most of her rice into her mouth.

Han Zhou shrank back, trying to minimize his presence, thinking to himself that the atmosphere was rather tense today. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but then he suddenly saw a mission notification—

[Temporary task triggered: Please show a little favoritism to the target character, Guzheng. Limited to 30 minutes. You can earn 10 points.]

(End of this chapter)