Chapter 570
Can you really keep your composure like this?
Wang Lengqiu ultimately failed to take a bath with Han Zhou as she had hoped.
Han Zhou's reason was simple and unpretentious, but it was indeed very effective—he was afraid that he would lose control.
Wang Lengqiu knew what it meant to lose control, and she was also aware of the consequences if the other party lost control. But since Han Zhou was unwilling, she didn't say anything more, and went into the bathroom alone, and then came out of the bathroom alone.
She was wrapped in a large white hotel towel, but perhaps because she rarely used towels, or perhaps because she was in a hurry, the towel was not wrapped tightly. The top edge was just barely gathered at her chest, revealing a delicate collarbone and a patch of skin that was slightly red from the steam.
The towel hem just covered the middle of her thighs, revealing a pair of straight and smooth legs, still damp with water droplets that shimmered softly under the warm yellow light of the room.
Her long, wet hair cascaded down her shoulders, the ends still dripping water, falling onto her rounded shoulders and then sliding along the curves of her skin into the depths hidden by the bath towel.
A few strands of damp black hair clung to her fair neck and cheeks, giving her usually aloof face a rare, unguarded gentleness.
"Looking at it this way, the guzheng really is a baby..."
Just as Han Zhou had this thought in his mind, he saw Wang Lengqiu slowly walk to the bedside and sit down, supporting herself with her hands on her sides. She raised her moist eyelashes and looked over, her voice seemingly moistened by the moisture. Although it was a curious tone, it carried a different meaning.
"Can you control yourself like this?" she asked.
Looking at the girl so close to him, Han Zhou stared for a moment, then quickly looked away, keeping his eyes straight ahead, looking every bit the gentleman.
"I'm not so energetic that I can't control myself when I see a young girl emerging from the bath."
Wang Lengqiu thought for a moment, then pulled the hem of the bath towel covering her thighs up a little: "How about this?"
Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated: "What's the difference between this and not pooping at all?"
"Is there no difference?"
Wang Lengqiu tilted his head, seemingly pondering the truth of these words, or perhaps thinking of another tactic.
"How about this?"
The next second, she made an extremely simple movement that almost made Han Zhou's blood stop—she raised her hand and pinched the top edge of the towel that overlapped in front of her chest, as if she wanted to adjust it, or as if she was just pulling it lightly without thinking.
However, she seemed to have forgotten that she was not good at tying a bath towel. She had spent a lot of effort in the bathroom just now and only managed to barely wrap the towel around her body.
With such a gentle pull, the already loose bath towel instantly lost its support and slid down along its beautiful curves.
Han Zhou's brain buzzed, and his body reacted before his consciousness could react. Almost instantly, he reached out and tried to hold down the falling white fabric to prevent more of the scenery from being revealed.
However, the towel slipped off faster than he could manage to salvage it.
The moment his hand landed, he immediately realized the problem—the feel was off.
Unlike the soft dryness of a cotton bath towel, what lies beneath your palm is an amazingly delicate, soft, warm, and uniquely moisturizing sensation after a bath.
Its texture was as smooth as satin, yet it was full of lively elasticity due to the owner's slight tremor. The curvature was not large, but it was definitely not small either; it was just the right size to be held in one hand.
The air suddenly froze, and even the sound of rain outside the window seemed to drift away instantly.
"Complete concentration" is triggered naturally, and time seems to be stretched infinitely.
Han Zhou could clearly feel the temperature of the skin under his palm rising rapidly, and he could also see Wang Lengqiu's shoulders stiffen and tense instantly.
The girl lowered her eyes blankly, looked at his hand pressed against her chest, and then slowly raised her eyes again.
A blush crept silently onto that usually expressionless face, spreading from her cheeks to her ears, then to her neck, and then throughout her entire body. Her eyelashes trembled incessantly, but she never looked away.
She didn't scream, didn't immediately pull back the towel to cover herself, and didn't even back away.
The hum of the air conditioner vibrated incessantly, completely drowning out the sound of the continuous rain outside the window.
In the increasingly hot and sticky air and the scorching touch of skin against skin, she actually moved her face closer, her wet hair almost brushing against Han Zhou's chin, as if she wanted to see what expression he had at that moment.
"Can you still control yourself like this?" she asked.
Her voice trembled slightly as she asked the question, and she felt a sudden, unconscious pinch on her chest.
Han Zhou was unable to answer.
But his rapid breathing and some visible physiological response clearly provided the answer.
And so, a faint, light smile, like the melting of the first snow, gradually spread across the girl's eyes and brows, which were tinged with crimson.
—He couldn't control himself after all.
If you can't control yourself, it means that in his eyes, you're no longer a child.
Seeing that this had been verified, Wang Lengqiu reached out to pull up the towel that had slipped between her legs.
But the next second, Han Zhou, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly started breathing heavily and leaned over to press her down onto the soft bed.
Her wet, long hair instantly spread out, staining the white sheets with a dark hue.
She froze for a moment, instinctively trying to struggle, but quickly found her hands firmly held down. Her gaze swept frantically over the towel still between her legs and the large expanse of skin exposed to the air, and the blush on her face deepened again.
Looking up, the figure was backlit, its Adam's apple bobbing in the shadows, its hot breath almost hitting its face.
She stared intently, unconsciously letting out a soft murmur, as if in a dream: "Brother Han Zhou..."
"Senior, you're provoking me, you know that?"
Han Zhou was breathing heavily, his aggressive gaze lingering on the girl's slightly bewildered face.
It wasn't that he lacked self-control, but rather that this guy had indeed provoked him time and time again.
He could tolerate being ripped off his bath towel; he'd seen similar things before.
But the question is—what exactly is this "complete concentration"?
[Full concentration: When you are focused on something, you will gain more or less time.]
Those few seconds felt like more than ten minutes to him. And tell me, what man, after climbing to the top of Wuzhi Mountain for more than ten minutes, could resist boldly carving "Grandpa was here" on the pillar?
The only ones who could endure it were the monks who were far away in the Western Paradise, striking the wooden fish.
Furthermore, although Han Zhou could understand why Wang Lengqiu called him "brother," the question was, in this kind of atmosphere, did he consider how the younger brother felt to be called "brother" by a girl who was several years older than him?
Han Zhou considered himself to be a very restrained person, but faced with such blatant provocation, what kind of man would he be if he didn't draw his weapon to defend himself?
"I do not have……"
Seeing Han Zhou's breathing becoming heavier and his eyes growing redder, Wang Lengqiu first offered a serious explanation, then asked with some curiosity, "Are you losing control?"
They're adding fuel to the fire!
Han Zhou suppressed his agitation. Seeing her curiosity, he decided to stop hiding it and frankly admitted, "I couldn't control myself anymore, so how do you plan to take responsibility?"
"Responsible?"
"Of course, you're the one who made me lose control, shouldn't you take responsibility?"
Han Zhou stared intently into Wang Lengqiu's eyes, not because he wanted to force the other party to do anything, but because he was afraid that if he lowered his head, he would be even more unable to control himself.
With a gun pressed against her thigh, Wang Lengqiu finally realized the seriousness of the situation. Her face flushed, and after staring at him for a long time, she thought for a moment and said, "Could I borrow Sister Zhong Yin's hair tie for a moment?"
As one of only two people who retained their past memories, he naturally knew where the hair tie in Han Zhou's hand came from.
What are you going to post about?
Han Zhou paused for a moment, then deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Don't blame me for not reminding you, it's no use bringing up Sister Yin now. Even if you want to threaten me by telling Gu Zheng and Yi Xia about it later, you'll have to wait until you've taken responsibility."
He was actually teasing Wang Lengqiu. Although he was indeed very angry right now, he would never force her if she was unwilling. He was just saying this to make the girl understand the consequences of actively provoking a conflict.
"I will take full responsibility..."
Wang Lengqiu unconsciously squeezed her legs together and whispered, "I heard from my roommate that if your boyfriend is unhappy or can't stand it anymore, you have to tie your hair up..."
Han Zhou stared blankly for a moment, then quietly swallowed, his expression strange, and said, "Do you know what this means?"
"I can roughly guess a bit..."
Han Zhou remained silent for a few seconds, but couldn't help but ask, "Then tell me, what does this mean... By the way, are you really planning to take responsibility in this way?"
"Hmm, I've noticed that girls who tie their hair up tend to have bigger breasts, like Sister Zhongyin and Xiaoling. So tying your hair up probably makes your breasts look bigger, right?"
After a pause, Wang Lengqiu continued, "And by wearing Sister Zhong Yin's hair tie, you can imagine me as her..."
"Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!"
Han Zhou almost coughed up blood. How did stand-in literature even get in here? If Sister Yin heard this, he was afraid he wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow. He quickly interrupted her.
Strictly speaking, Wang Lengqiu didn't know that tying his hair up was actually a good thing, but perhaps his desires clouded his judgment, and he felt inexplicably disappointed at this moment.
After taking several deep breaths, he felt it necessary to clarify the matter first before drawing his weapon to protect his manly dignity. So he said seriously, "Senior, you've misunderstood. Yin Jie and I are definitely not in the kind of relationship you're thinking of. Didn't I already say that we're not even 'ordinary friends'?"
"But don't you like Sister Zhong Yin?"
Wang Lengqiu tilted her head, her long, dark, and damp hair cascading down onto the plain white sheets.
The soft light cast a gentle glow, highlighting her slender and shapely figure, making every curve appear exceptionally soft and captivating.
Han Zhou, who had just regained his rationality, was almost overwhelmed by desire again. He hurriedly pulled the blanket over the girl, temporarily covering her to prevent her from catching a cold. After doing this, he continued to hold her hands and patiently explained, "That's not true. Didn't you see it that night? Although Sister Yin tried to confess, I still rejected her feelings. Although I may be fickle, I'm not so fickle as to fall in love with every girl I meet."
"I know."
Wang Lengqiu nodded, then shook her head, "But I'm not talking about that time."
"What do you mean? If it wasn't that time, then when?" Han Zhou asked, looking puzzled.
"Four years ago, didn't you call me and tell me you wanted to be with Sister Zhongyin?"
four years ago?
Han Zhou was truly stunned this time. All his desires vanished, and he quickly sat up, asking, "I didn't know about this, senior. Do you remember the details of that day?"
"remember."
Just as Wang Lengqiu had said not long ago, she remembered everything related to Han Zhou, so she replied without hesitation, "That day was a holiday afternoon when you called me and said you sent me a gift, a pet dog named Qiuqiu."
"You said you can't see me for the time being, and that Qiuqiu can stay with me in your place. If Qiuqiu disappears one day, it means you're coming back."
“You sounded very anxious. After saying all that, you asked me if I knew where Sister Zhongyin’s family was, saying that you couldn’t find them no matter what I said. But before I could answer you, you hung up the phone.”
After hearing this, Han Zhou's expression became even more solemn, and he shook his head and said, "I have absolutely no recollection of this."
"That……"
Wang Lengqiu opened his mouth, clearly having guessed something.
"Hmm, it seems that's most likely the case." Han Zhou nodded.
Clearly, he traveled back in time again from the future, attempting to rewrite the fate of Zhong Yin's family, but the result was obvious: he failed once more.
After all, no matter how far into the future, once the past changes, he, standing in the middle, at the point of "now," will inevitably be able to perceive it.
However, the parents of the Zhong sisters did not come back to life, and the accident still exists. This remains a given fact, meaning that the past has not changed in the slightest.
To confirm his guess, he continued, "Senior, do you remember what day it was?"
“May 3rd, May 3rd four years ago,” Wang Lengqiu replied without hesitation.
Four years ago... Sister Yin should still be in school then, right?
Han Zhou hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone and called Zhong Yin.
"Hey?"
The call was quickly answered, and Zhong Yin's icy voice came through the receiver, "What, you miss me again so soon?"
Wang Lengqiu naturally heard this. She glanced at Han Zhou with a puzzled look but said nothing.
"A little."
Han Zhou said without changing his expression, "But what I mainly want to tell you is that Senior Wang Lengqiu has been found, and I am with her now."
In the hospital, Zhong Yin frowned slightly, thinking to herself that this kid was getting bolder and bolder, daring to openly flirt with her. Fortunately, Han Zhou's next words successfully caught her attention, and she immediately asked, "How is she? Is she alright?"
"fine."
Han Zhou had excellent hearing and could hear the calls coming from the other end of the phone. He asked in confusion, "Sister Yin, are you in the hospital right now?"
"Ah."
Zhong Yin did not deny it, saying, "I wasn't feeling well, so I came to get checked out."
"It's cold now, and it's easy to catch a cold, so you need to take good care of yourself," Han Zhou said with concern.
"I'm not that old, I can't just catch a cold like that."
For some reason, Zhong Yin felt very uncomfortable when she said those words.
"But you, running around outside in such heavy rain, you should hurry up and find a place to take a hot shower."
She was upset and about to hang up when she heard Han Zhou's slightly hesitant voice on the other end of the line: "Sister Yin, can I ask you a question?"
"Just ask what's on your mind, why are you so nervous?"
Zhong Yin felt a little helpless. Although she had a bad temper, she didn't have to be so careful even when asking a question, did she? This kid had teased her twice today, and she hadn't gotten angry, had she?
Wait a minute... This kid knows what I hate the most. Could it be that he's secretly eyeing Xiaoling?
Just as Zhong Yin was about to furrow her brow, Han Zhou took a deep breath and said, "I want to know what the date was when your parents passed away."
"Boom!"
The sky was suddenly torn apart by a pale bolt of lightning, and the thunder that followed not only rang in his ears but also struck Zhong Yin's heart like a heavy blow.
"...May 3rd, four years ago."
After a long silence, she lowered her voice and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
As expected... Han Zhou sighed inwardly, realizing that he might have tried to go back in time again to rewrite the tragedy, but he still failed in the end.
However, he didn't understand why he had told Wang Lengqiu that he wanted to be with Sister Yin. Did he really fall in love with Sister Yin?
Am I really that bad...?
"nothing."
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he decided to share his idea: "I'm planning to find an opportunity to talk to my senior and see if I can help her resolve her inner conflict, so I'm letting you know beforehand."
"Report?"
"Yeah, what if my senior suddenly cries while we're chatting? You can't come after me."
"You've got guts to make Xiaoling cry."
Zhong Yin snorted coldly, and after a few seconds, added softly.
"Thank you."
Her voice was no longer as cold as before. It was hard to tell whether it was because she was feeling down after remembering the accident four years ago, or because she was grateful to Han Zhou for helping to comfort her sister.
"You're welcome."
Han Zhou smiled, hesitated slightly, and then said after much deliberation, "If you, Sister Yin, also have any worries, you can talk to me. Maybe I can help..."
"Beep beep..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhong Yin hung up the phone.
What a joke! I'm almost thirty, why would I need some kid who's just turned 18 to give me advice?
Zhong Yin shook his head, put away his phone, and got up to walk towards the examination room.
At the same time, Han Zhou put away his phone with mixed feelings, turned around and saw Wang Lengqiu getting dressed, and raised an eyebrow: "What are you doing?"
"Get dressed, what's wrong?"
Wang Lengqiu was, after all, a girl. She had been lying there naked for so long, and even though she was covered with a blanket, she couldn't help but blush and feel her heart race. Seeing that Han Zhou seemed to be gradually regaining his composure, she put on her clothes.
"Didn't I tell you to take responsibility? You don't think you can just let it go like this, do you?" Han Zhou said with a stern face.
"Then... should I take it off again?" Wang Lengqiu asked, puzzled.
She was about to take off her clothes again when Han Zhou stopped her, saying, "That's enough. You're already dressed, there's no need to take them off. Besides, it's still daytime, and there's no need to rush things..."
After a brief pause, he changed the subject.
"You may escape the death penalty, but you can't escape punishment. If I don't teach you a lesson today, you'll never remember the consequences of provoking me."
Wang Lengqiu knelt on the bed, tilting her head back and listening quietly.
Han Zhou was about to continue when he suddenly thought of something, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked, "Senior, you should know what lovers can do, right?"
"I know." Wang Lengqiu nodded gently.
"You really know?"
“I really know that I’m not a child anymore.”
"Have you thought this through? Once you do some things, you won't even have a chance to regret them later."
Without hesitation, Wang Lengqiu replied, "As long as Brother Han Zhou doesn't regret it, then I won't regret it either."
Han Zhou smiled and said, "Of course I won't regret it."
"Then I won't regret it." Wang Lengqiu raised her head so that he could see her eyes clearly.
As if she had thought of something, she added seriously, "Even if Brother Han Zhou regrets it, I won't regret it. This is my own choice."
"That's good……"
Seeing that Wang Lengqiu didn't intend to force him, Han Zhou nodded slightly, then secretly swallowed, revealing his true intentions, "Remember, what I'm about to do is just to teach you a lesson."
As he spoke, he took off the hair tie from his hand and placed it solemnly in Wang Lengqiu's palm.
"Take this and tie your hair up. I'll teach you how to use it after I shower." (End of Chapter)