Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 61 Sympathies

Han Zhou returned to the depths of the alley. The courtyard gate was closed, but not locked. It opened with a push, indicating that Zhong Yin did not intend to shut him out.

He walked into the yard and saw the woman carrying several brooms, shovels, and hoes out of the house, throwing them all on the ground with a loud clatter.

Seeing Han Zhou looking somewhat dazed, Zhong Yin tossed him a broom and said coldly, "What are you standing there for? Close the door and come help."

Han Zhou took the broom, turned around and closed the courtyard gate.

After thinking for a moment, he felt it was necessary to clarify some things, so he said, "You see, what happened at the beginning was a misunderstanding. I didn't pursue the matter of you punching me, and we'll just pretend that we don't owe each other anything. But I did help you out outside just now, so I don't expect you to be very nice to me, but could you at least not be so rude?"

Zhong Yin was taken aback. Holding the broom, she pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly and said, "Was my attitude towards you that bad?"

"You didn't notice all this time, did you?"

Han Zhou's eyes widened, he took a deep breath, and said with a pained expression, "You treat car repair customers ten times better than I do."

Zhong Yin dismissed it, saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "The customer will pay, but you're not paying me. Besides, the customer is king, so we should treat them better."

Han Zhou chuckled dryly twice: "But your attitude towards God isn't much better..."

“You’re right. Since I don’t even give God face, it’s not like I’m treating you badly,” Zhong Yin said coldly. “I’m like this to most people.”

She started sweeping the yard and continued, "You really helped me, which is why I was planning to treat you to a meal. I'll find a chance to help you out sometime in the future, and then we'll be even. I'll sweep this side, and you sweep that side. Remember to sweep it thoroughly."

Han Zhou didn't believe the woman's nonsense. He bet that if Mo Yixia hadn't been there, even if he had helped this guy, he would never have been invited to stay for dinner.

He joined in sweeping the floor, and couldn't help but sigh, "Is this how you treat everyone? You owe them and then pay them back, it's like settling accounts. Isn't that exhausting?"

Zhong Yin said indifferently, "The most tiring thing is having an inextricable relationship."

Han Zhou was taken aback. What she said wasn't entirely unreasonable. He noticed that although the woman's attitude was poor, she was at least able to communicate properly. So he asked, "Um... Sister Yin, can I ask you a question?"

Zhong Yin was clearly uncomfortable with this form of address, and frowned, saying, "You want to ask why Xiao Ling is like this now?"

Han Zhou paused for a moment: "Although I'm also curious about that question, I want to ask something else right now."

"what's up?"

"I heard from my senior that your Fetion usernames were chosen by your father based on your and your sister's features. So why is your senior called Big-Eyed Girl, but you are called Eldest Sister?"

Zhong Yin paused in his movements, then suddenly cast a dangerous glance at him, coldly asking, "What do you think my characteristics are?"

It can't be long, can it...?

Han Zhou was silent for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Big temper?"

"I do have a bad temper, but why are you wearing sunglasses when you talk?"

Han Zhou said calmly, "The sun is too strong, and I can't open my eyes."

Zhong Yin narrowed her eyes, looked at him for a while, and said in a deep voice, "'Elder Sister' is a name I chose myself. I don't like the name my father gave me."

"Oh?"

Han Zhou's eyes lit up, his curiosity piqued, and he quickly craned his neck to ask, "What name did your uncle give you?"

Zhong Yin didn't speak, but silently put down the broom, picked up the shovel leaning against the wall, and sneered, "Are you curious?"

"About a billion."

Han Zhou took a few steps back, revealing a simple and honest smile, "I think Uncle's naming is quite interesting. Look, the name 'Big-Eyed Girl' is very cute, so..."

Zhong Yin looked at him coldly: "Why should I tell you?"

This clearly shows she doesn't want to talk, and if I keep asking, she might get angry.

Han Zhou was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't want to make a fool of himself. However, he thought he might be able to ask Zhong Ling if he had the chance. He coughed twice and changed the subject, asking, "Then why did you become like this, senior?"

Zhong Yin gave him a cold look: "You're here to clean the yard, not to ask questions."

Han Zhou didn't purse his lips, but said irritably, "Don't think I can't see it. You deliberately dragged me down with you. You even suggested the bet. You just want me to be your drudge."

"It's good to know."

Zhong Yin did not deny it, and said matter-of-factly, "We can't possibly have our sister do this kind of thing, can we?"

Han Zhou's lips twitched, and he blurted out, "Are you a siscon?"

"Yes, but compared to this..."

Zhong Yin readily admitted it, then hesitated and said, "What's wrong with your sister? Why is she wearing a mask and hat all the time in this heat? It can't be... it's not because of a cold or anything, right? It feels a bit strange..."

Her tone became more reserved, as if she were afraid of touching on some inappropriate topic.

Han Zhou was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized that this woman probably sensed that Mo Yixia had some psychological issues and felt a sense of sympathy for her. Han Zhou understood, but deliberately kept her in suspense and sighed, "That's a long story."

Zhong Yin knew from his expression that his guess was probably right; this guy's sister did indeed have some problems, and he fell silent.

Although the two kept talking, their hands never stopped moving. They were both quick and efficient, so cleaning was no problem for them. In addition, there wasn't much area in the yard that needed cleaning, except for some weeds that were a bit troublesome to clear. They finished cleaning quickly.

Zhong Yin didn't really intend to make Han Zhou a laborer. The whole process wasn't too strenuous, but the sun was really uncomfortable. The two of them didn't go inside and stood under the eaves, covered in sweat.

Zhong Yin went inside and brought out two glasses of water. He handed one to Han Zhou, large beads of sweat trickling down his collar. "Tell me about your sister's situation," he said.

Han Zhou chuckled, finished his water in one gulp, and said, "You didn't tell me about my senior's situation, so why should I tell you?"

"You speak first."

Why didn't you say so first?

"I'll invite you to stay for dinner."

"I even helped you before!"

Han Zhou said irritably, "Besides, wasn't the reason you invited me to dinner to thank me? How can you use that as a bargaining chip?"

He finally understood that this woman not only cared about her own sister, but also seemed to care about other people's sisters. Of course, her concern for Mo Yixia's situation might also have been partly due to a desire for "fellow patients to communicate".

Just as Han Zhou had suspected, Zhong Yin's feelings were indeed quite complicated. In her eyes, the two families were now in almost identical situations—

Both came from impoverished families, lost their parents, and were left to depend on each other for survival. That alone is already quite similar. But the fact that the younger sister had psychological problems is also so similar. It's just too much of a coincidence.

As the eldest sister (or brother), Zhong Yin knew very well how difficult and painful it was to help her younger sister get out of her shadow. The thought that the other person might be in the same situation made her feel a sense of sympathy for Han Zhou.

It's not easy.

The two were deadlocked, and seeing that neither was willing to give in, Zhong Yin coldly said, "Fine, don't tell me then."

Han Zhou glanced at her.

It wasn't that he didn't want to talk; of course he wanted to get more information about Zhong Ling. But Mo Yixia wasn't his biological sister, and her psychological issues were considered private matters. Mentioning it was fine, but if he wanted to exchange it for information, he would have to get Mo Yixia's consent first.

Moreover, Mo Yixia's current problems are caused by her mother, and she is currently portrayed as "orphaned," so even if she were to say it out loud, she would have to modify it appropriately.

Thinking of this, Han Zhou shrugged and said, "It's not that I don't want to tell you, but it's a private matter. I need to ask my sister's permission before I can tell you."

Damn it, how come I'm getting more and more comfortable calling her "little sister"...?

“That makes sense.” Zhong Yin glanced at him and nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Sister Yin, what's Senior Sister doing right now?"

"She's busy in the kitchen."

Zhong Yin frowned slightly and said coldly, "You call me 'senior sister' so naturally. It's fine to call her that here, but don't even think about harassing Xiao Ling at school."

Han Zhou pretended not to hear and silently opened his status bar.

【Name: Han Zhou】

【Intelligence: 7】

【Charm: 7】

Stamina: 3 (Weak)

[Skills: Efficient learning, culinary expertise, speed reading, practical medical knowledge gained through experience, powerful throwing ability, photographic memory]

[Occupations: Prospective college student, temporary tutor, home cook, elite simp]

Inventory: None

[Current Status: On the verge of death (modified) → On the verge of death: Ten breaths remaining, can survive for one day, will enter a near-death state after twenty-four hours]

[Elite Simp: Professional state, can be activated after selecting any target. Activating it will automatically unlock the skills "corny pickup lines" and "mysterious self-confidence". You will abandon most of your sense of shame and blindly support the designated target. This state can be activated and deactivated at any time. After deactivation, there will be a ten-minute emotional buffer period during which your emotions will be more volatile than in the normal state.]

[Leave it to fate: Random state, at the mercy of heaven and destiny, you will now be more likely to trigger temporary and event quests]

[Status bar level: 3, current points remaining: 33]

Han Zhou currently has three states.

The newly appearing "Leave it to fate" is the new state he chose from the three random states that appeared this time.

(End of this chapter)