Forced into a romantic relationship

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the rain that had been falling all day finally stopped.

In the light mist after the rain, a small town is like a carefully crafted pearl, quietly nestled among the mountains and rivers.

Han Zhou, Gu Zheng, and the others got out of the car one after another and took their suitcases out of the trunk. As soon as the driver left, a biting cold wind blew through the streets of the small town, making the girls shrink their necks involuntarily. Wang Lengqiu, who was still a little sleepy, immediately woke up and walked ahead to lead the way without saying a word.

The group followed Wang Lengqiu onto the stone bridge, curiously observing the scenery of the town.

A winding river, like a transparent ribbon, flows through the town. Perhaps because of the cold weather, the river flows particularly slowly. The hazy mist stirs the ripples, and the gray sky and dark-colored mountains reflected on the river surface intertwine with each other. Instead of the vibrant life of spring, it appears somewhat languid and melancholic.

This is the scent that belongs only to winter.

Several dark dots could be vaguely seen on the river in the distance, seemingly indicating that someone was rowing a boat. This scene immediately caught Guzheng's attention, and she walked to the bridge, her eyes lighting up as she exclaimed, "Look, there are people rowing a boat over there!"

The white mist exhaled from her mouth rose upwards, making the girl's clear eyes appear even brighter. Her shoulder-length short hair revealed her crystal-clear earlobes and a pair of small, delicate earrings.

Today, Guzheng was clearly dressed up carefully. In the past, she never wore any other jewelry except for the dolphin pendant that she never took off.

Han Zhou knew what this guy was up to as soon as he heard this, and said with a wry smile, "You have to find good weather to go boating. It might rain later, and besides, they might not lend you their boat."

"I didn't say I was going to paddle now," Gu Zheng retorted, unconvinced.

"You can borrow it."

Wang Lengqiu, who was ahead, said, "The boats in town can be rented out for a small fee."

The winter wind was exceptionally sharp, turning the girl's delicate face pale. Perhaps because she had returned to her hometown, she spoke more than usual.

"If the weather is nice tomorrow, let's go boating together."

Han Zhou was taken aback. After all, Wang Lengqiu rarely took the initiative to suggest doing anything, and although she said "we," he always felt that she was referring specifically to the two of them.

However, Guzheng and Zhongling obviously didn't understand what this meant. The former quickly responded "Okay," while the latter nodded with a slight smile.

Seeing that no one had any objections, Han Zhou naturally wouldn't spoil the fun by disagreeing. He was also quite eager to experience what it felt like to row a boat, and besides, if the boat capsized, he would have to go down into the river to pull the three people out.

Songshan Town is a small town with a rich historical atmosphere. The roads are almost all paved with bluestone slabs, and the ancient buildings are scattered in a well-organized manner. There are many stone houses that have weathered the vicissitudes of time. The blue tiles on the roof have turned a light bluish-gray after being washed by the years, and the walls are covered with green vines, as if telling stories of the past.

In addition, modern buildings are also everywhere, with supermarkets and pharmacies readily available. The white ceramic tiles and blue stone bricks complement each other without appearing jarring, but rather creating a unique aesthetic that blends the old and the new.

Someone was selling roasted sweet potatoes on the street. The aroma was so strong that you could smell it from afar. Han Zhou went over and bought four. The group ate them as they continued on their way.

Songshan Town is a really interesting town. Besides modern cars and electric cars, you can occasionally see oxcarts passing by, with a blank-faced man sitting on the cart driving the oxen, the whip occasionally hitting himself.

The townspeople said his name was Shen He, and he was born mentally challenged. He spent all his time either riding an ox or a horse, so everyone called him Ox-Horse Shen He.

(This is purely out of resentment and will not affect reading.)

"This place has a really nice view."

After finishing the sweet potato, Guzheng took out a tissue to wipe her hands and said with a sigh, "My hometown isn't as beautiful as this place."

The fact that this guy had to admit defeat is enough to show that the scenery here is indeed quite beautiful. The only downside is that it's a bit cold; the scenery in spring would probably be even more stunning.

Seeing Gu Zheng staring intently at the distant mountains, Han Zhou chuckled and said irritably, "You don't mean that besides boating, you also want to go mountain climbing in this cold weather, do you?"

"Can't I even think about it?"

Gu Zheng turned her head and glared at him, a look of nostalgia on her face, and sighed, "I haven't climbed a mountain since I started junior high school."

She was a little disappointed; the weather was cold now, so it wasn't really suitable for hiking.

Han Zhou paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered that Gu Zheng's childhood was also spent in a village. Climbing mountains and swimming in rivers might mean a beautiful childhood memory for her, and if there was a chance, she could try to relive it.

He weighed the feasibility of climbing the mountain at the current temperature.

Just then, Wang Lengqiu suddenly said, "There is a mountain path in the town that is easy to walk and not dangerous. If you are not afraid of the cold, you can walk up the mountain path."

"really?"

Gu Zheng looked excited. She wasn't actually that interested in climbing the mountain; what she really wanted was to climb it with Han Zhou—climbing together was a very meaningful thing, and she wanted to create such precious memories with Han Zhou. That girl named Mo Yixia definitely hadn't done anything like that with Han Zhou! I'm the winner!
Han Zhou, unaware of Gu Zheng's thoughts, asked curiously, "Senior, have you climbed this mountain before?"

“I went there with my grandfather when I was a child, but we didn’t climb to the top of the mountain,” Wang Lengqiu replied.

Is the mountaintop far?

Guzheng estimated the height of the distant mountains, curious about what kind of view she would see once she reached the top.

"It seemed so far away to me when I was a child."

"And what about when you grow up?"

"I haven't climbed mountains since I grew up."

"Why? The mountaintop shouldn't be too far for you now, right?"

“But it’s too far for Grandpa.”

Gu Zheng was taken aback and immediately fell silent, unsure of what to say.

From childhood to adulthood, Wang Lengqiu was always accompanied by only her grandfather. When she was young, she was weak and had no chance to climb to the top of the mountain. When she grew up, her aging grandfather also had no chance to climb to the top of the mountain.

"Then let's go to the top of the mountain together when we have the chance, since we have plenty of time."

Just as the atmosphere became a little somber, Han Zhou's soft laughter broke the silence, "Although it's a bit cold, the sunrise from the mountaintop is beautiful."

Watching the sunrise from the mountaintop?

Does that mean we'll have to spend the night together on the mountain?

Gu Zheng's heart raced; she felt a strange sense of anticipation.

Since men and women shouldn't touch each other, we definitely can't just buy one tent. Buying four tents would be too wasteful, and three is a bit too many. But if we only buy two tents, it would be too crowded for three girls to sleep together. So I guess I'll just have to make do and share a tent with Han Zhou...

Of course we need to draw a 38th parallel. If Han Zhou dares to cross it, we'll give him a good beating!
Under He Ling's "influence" lately, Gu Zheng often blushed and her heart raced while listening to Gu Zheng, but she also learned a lot of tricks and knew that girls must not be too thin-skinned, otherwise they might lose to other women with thicker skin.

Mo Yixia is an absolute shameless person.

To defeat her, I can no longer be a shy person! I need to take the initiative!

She's already lost once, and she absolutely can't afford to lose again this time.

He Ling once said that all men are lustful creatures. Gu Zheng scoffed at this, because Han Zhou was not lustful at all. Although she wanted to take the initiative, she certainly wouldn't be shameless enough to seduce Han Zhou. The reason she wanted to sleep in the same tent with Han Zhou was just to prove that he wasn't that kind of person!

Gu Zheng glanced at Han Zhou, then secretly looked at the suitcase behind her, which contained black stockings that she had bought and hidden in her dormitory for a long time. She didn't buy the stockings because she wanted to wear them, but because she remembered that Han Zhou once said he liked to see girls wearing stockings. So she simply wanted to figure out what was so attractive about stockings, and that's why she bought them with a critical mindset to observe them.

As for why I brought it out specifically this time, it was simply because the lighting in the dormitory was not good, making it inconvenient to observe.

Absolutely no other meaning intended!
Gu Zheng stubbornly maintained her composure for a long time, but ultimately failed in her self-deception. She desperately wanted to buy a tent and go hiking right now, but felt that actively urging him would make her intentions too obvious. So she pretended to be disdainful and said, "Hmph, you talk as if you've seen the sunrise from the mountaintop..."

She was preoccupied with her own thoughts and didn't notice Han Zhou's slightly changed expression, but Wang Lengqiu happened to catch this moment when she turned around.

She didn't make a sound, glanced back at the suitcase, then turned around and continued to lead the way silently. When they passed a shop, she suddenly stopped.

"We might have to spend the night on the mountaintop to watch the sunrise, so let's go buy two tents."

"Okay."

Gu Zheng immediately chimed in, rushing impatiently into the store, with Wang Lengqiu following silently behind her.

Outside the store, Han Zhou looked bewildered: "Aren't there four of us? Why did we only buy two tents?"

Watching the two girls' backs, Zhong Ling, who was beside him, subconsciously tugged at the small cloth bag at her waist until her knuckles turned white before turning back to look at her suitcase, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"Maybe it's because buying two tents is more cost-effective."

(End of this chapter)