Chapter 572
Exclusive Possession
It rained all day.
Han Zhou and Wang Lengqiu spent the afternoon playing games at the hotel.
Only when the sky outside the window was completely shrouded in the gray twilight did Han Zhou put down the controller, stand up, stretch, and say, "It's about time. Time to stake out your house."
As he spoke, he went into the bathroom, washed his face with hot water, changed his shoes, picked up his coat hanging by the door, and turned around to see Wang Lengqiu still sitting there without moving. He asked in surprise, "Aren't you coming with me?"
"Should I come along too?"
Wang Lengqiu had just picked up her phone from the side when she heard this and tilted her head to look over, a hint of confusion showing on her pitiful face.
She thought Han Zhou didn't plan to take her along, since he might be about to do something bad that she shouldn't see.
"Of course we should go together."
Han Zhou smiled, bent down to pick up the girl's shoes from the doorway, squatted down, gently lifted her ankles, and helped her put them on one by one.
"Even though they're a bunch of jerks, they're still your family. It's necessary to let them know that you have a boyfriend."
Of course, it was just a matter of "giving a heads-up".
He doesn't need his family's approval; on the contrary, they should be the ones striving to gain his approval.
Wang Lengqiu paused, then hesitated and asked, "Aren't you afraid that Guzheng and the others will find out?"
She wasn't slow-witted; on the contrary, she was quite intelligent and, of course, understood what this meant.
"I'm more afraid that they'll dare to bully you again in the future."
Han Zhou looked up at him, his tone gentle, "Don't worry, I can handle it."
He paused, perhaps feeling that this wasn't something to be proud of, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face. "I'm sorry, senior, we can't openly announce our relationship to everyone yet. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for now."
Before going public with a relationship, his biggest worry was the reactions from the other girls, which made him feel very guilty.
Although he said nice things, that he had two ventricles and two atria in his heart, and could distribute his love evenly to everyone, love might be able to be divided equally, but people cannot. He was destined not to be able to give everyone the same companionship.
A scumbag is a scumbag, no matter how nicely you put it.
He was well aware of his own despicable nature and understood that establishing a romantic relationship with Wang Lengqiu so early was unfair, but apart from repeatedly apologizing, he seemed to have nothing else to say.
However, the next second, Wang Lengqiu, who had been sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, suddenly leaned closer.
She reached out, wrapped her arms around Han Zhou's head, and gently pressed him against her chest.
"I already said, that's the last time I'm sorry."
She spoke softly, resting her chin gently on the top of Han Zhou's head. A rare, gentle ripple spread across her usually vacant eyes.
"Also, you should call me Xiao Lengqiu now."
Even in this atmosphere, her focus still seemed to be different from others.
Han Zhou was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. The heavy guilt in his heart was somewhat dispelled by her gentle words.
So he stood up and reached out his hand to the girl.
"Then let's go."
"Little Lengqiu".
……
The rain has not stopped.
The two bought two umbrellas at the convenience store downstairs, then found a restaurant to have dinner before walking into the residential area and waiting at the family's door.
Han Zhou had no habit of compromising himself, and he didn't want Wang Lengqiu to wait with him in the cold stairwell for too long. So he timed it perfectly, and soon he saw a man and a woman leading a girl in a junior high school uniform upstairs.
There was no need to ask any further questions; the names above their heads already revealed their identities—they were Wang Lengqiu's parents and sister.
The three men, who had been chatting and laughing, vanished instantly upon seeing Wang Lengqiu standing at the door. The man named Wang Shen, in particular, darkened his expression and demanded, "Is it the weekend? Why aren't you at school? What are you doing here? Have you caused trouble again?"
That's right.
Upon seeing his daughter, whom he hadn't seen in a long time and who had likely spent the entire day in the cold stairwell, his first words were not to inquire whether she was cold or hungry, nor did his eyes show any joy or concern. Instead, he loudly questioned her about whether she had caused any trouble.
If it were just strict family discipline, that would be one thing, but Han Zhou had excellent hearing and overheard the conversation between the three from a distance—the family's youngest daughter, the girl named Wang Yuchun, had just been criticized by her teacher at school for breaking a window, but her parents just smiled and comforted her, saying, "Young people always make mistakes."
Such a biased attitude completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Han Zhou's heart.
If possible, he would certainly still hope to receive the blessings of Wang Lengqiu's entire family, but now it seems there is no need for that.
So he gently pulled Wang Lengqiu, who seemed a little lost, behind him, stepped forward, and calmly said, "Hello, I am Han Zhou, Lengqiu's boyfriend."
Upon hearing this, all three were taken aback and began to look him up and down.
Honestly, judging by his appearance and temperament alone, Han Zhou is definitely the ideal son-in-law in the hearts of countless parents. Even if he lacks manners and doesn't bother to call anyone "uncle" or "aunt," it wouldn't be enough to make anyone angry on the spot.
But Wang Shen got angry.
He ignored Han Zhou and instead looked at Wang Lengqiu behind him with a gloomy expression: "What did I tell you before you went to university? I told you to study hard, stay away from those shady people, and absolutely not to date! Did you take my words as a joke?"
The noise grew louder, and several households in the stairwell quietly opened their doors and peeked out to watch.
"Old Wang, what does it matter to you whether she's dating or not? Is she your daughter?" someone teased.
"Really? I've never heard of Old Wang having such a beautiful daughter."
Seeing the crowd gossiping, Lu Yaqin, feeling embarrassed, whispered, "Why are you throwing such a tantrum? The neighbors are watching. Let's go inside and talk about it."
After saying that, she glared at Wang Lengqiu, as if all the trouble was caused by her troublesome eldest daughter.
It was rush hour, and people were coming and going in the hallway. Wang Shen looked around and saw that more and more people were gathering around. He had no choice but to suppress his anger and keep the rest of his words to himself.
"I'll deal with you once we're inside."
He unlocked the door with his key and reached out to pull Wang Lengqiu inside, but before he could even raise his hand halfway, his wrist was tightly gripped by another hand.
"There's no need to come inside," Han Zhou said expressionlessly and in a cold tone. "Just say what you have to say here."
"My senior and I are here today just to inform you that we will be getting married after graduation. At that time, I will be her guardian. Before that, and in the future, I hope you will not do anything to make things difficult for us."
When he spoke of "difficult matters," his voice became lower, making no attempt to hide the threat in his words. Wang Shen was furious and struggled several times to pull his hand away, but he couldn't break free no matter what he did.
"You bastard, do you know who you're talking to?!"
He gritted his teeth, practically forcing the words out, "I'm telling you, I would never marry my daughter to someone like you!"
Han Zhou ignored him and continued, "As for the wedding, you can come if you want, or you don't have to. It's clear that you don't want your senior to interfere in your lives, so please don't interfere in our lives in the future."
After speaking, his gaze slowly swept over the three people present, he released his hand, took Wang Lengqiu's hand, and turned to leave.
"stop!"
But Wang Shen was not about to let them leave like that. In front of so many neighbors, if a mere teenager could take his daughter away with just a few words, where would he put his face?
Ignoring his aching wrist, he grabbed Han Zhou's arm tightly and shouted, "Where did you come from, you brat? Who are your parents? Who are your teachers? Believe me or not, I'll call them over right now!"
It seems that, in the eyes of someone like him, parents and teachers are absolute authorities who are above all else, no matter what stage of life one is in. Perhaps that is why he still feels he has the right to boss his daughter around and play the role of a superior father.
"My mother has passed away."
Han Zhou unceremoniously shook off his hand, took out his phone expressionlessly, and said, "As for my dad, if you have the ability to find him, please tell him for me that compared to you, he's not such a bad father."
As he spoke, he dialed Ouyang Lianyu's number and handed her the phone. "This is my teacher's number. She's already connected. You can talk to her about anything. Of course, you can also choose to call the police."
Wang Lengqiu stared at him blankly, her fingers unconsciously tightening as she gripped his hand tightly.
Han Zhou thought she was afraid of making a big fuss, so he smiled and gave her a reassuring look, indicating that she didn't need to worry.
"Hello? Han Zhou? What's up?"
Ouyang Lianyu's voice came through the phone quickly, proving that what he said was true and that he had indeed dialed the teacher's number.
Perhaps it was because Han Zhou acted too nonchalantly, with a kind of "I'm an orphan, who am I afraid of?" indifference, that Wang Shen didn't dare to take the phone handed to him for a moment.
"Aren't you going to answer? If you don't, I'll hang up."
Seeing that Wang Shen didn't move, Han Zhou expressionlessly withdrew his hand. Just as he put the phone to his ear, he heard Ouyang Lianyu's anxious voice on the other end of the line:
"Han Zhou, say something! What kind of code is this? Did Gu Zheng find out you were two-timing her? Did she hit you? How should your teacher cooperate with you this time?"
Why does everyone think that every time I make a phone call, it's because I've been hit by a guzheng (a traditional Chinese zither)...?
Han Zhou almost lost his composure, only replying calmly, "I'll explain later," before hanging up the phone.
Meanwhile, Wang Shen, who had once again lost face, turned ashen-faced. Seeing that he could not gain any advantage over Han Zhou, he could only vent his anger on his eldest daughter, who never talked back.
"Wang Lengqiu, do you even consider me your father anymore?!"
He pointed at Wang Lengqiu's nose and scolded, "I provided you with food, clothing, and even sent you to university, and this is how you repay me?"
Han Zhou had intended to save them some face, but upon hearing this, his expression darkened, and he sneered, "Stop trying to make yourselves look good. As far as I know, your senior's food, clothing, and other necessities during her university years have absolutely nothing to do with you."
"Do you know in your hearts whether you have fulfilled your responsibilities as parents all these years, or do you need me to remind you in front of so many people?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Shen and Lu Yaqin's expressions immediately turned extremely ugly.
Seeing the increasingly subtle looks from her neighbors, Lu Yaqin gritted her teeth and preemptively said, "Leng Qiu, we don't want you to date in college for your own good! Look at the kind of boyfriend you've found! When will you ever grow up and understand our good intentions?"
"Good intentions?"
Hearing these high-sounding words, Han Zhou felt disgusted. "Your good intentions are probably all focused on your youngest daughter, aren't they?"
Before Lu Yaqin could respond, he continued sarcastically, "As for dating, free dating isn't allowed in university. Are you expecting us to pressure you into blind dates after graduation?"
Lu Yaqin retorted angrily, "What's wrong with a blind date? With her qualifications, can't she find a better man than you?"
"Your senior is indeed very qualified, it's just a pity that she's being held back by parents like you."
Han Zhou was too lazy to argue any further. With a slight thought, he used his points to apply "Never Forget the Past" and "Happiness Above All" to the two of them, and then he was about to leave with Wang Lengqiu in his arms.
However, at that moment, Wang Yuchun, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
"Sister, don't you want your photos back?"
A naked threat.
Neither Wang Shen nor Lu Yaqin were moved, which makes it easy to imagine how spoiled this girl has become.
Han Zhou paused, his face turning truly grim for the first time.
He had been thinking that this kid looked only two years older than Ya Ya, and his mind was probably still immature. He was bound to be a bit willful, and the fact that he stole the photos was probably due to his parents' indulgence. There was no need to argue with a child.
But now it seems that those six points are unavoidable.
The fact that she could say such a thing means that she was very clear about what that photo meant to Wang Lengqiu.
This isn't being willful; it's just plain bad.
"Ignore her."
Han Zhou didn't turn his head and spoke to Wang Lengqiu beside him.
Wang Lengqiu nodded gently, no longer looking at her parents and sister behind her, and obediently followed him side by side as they walked down the stairs.
On a rainy winter day, the cold wind, carrying dampness, feels like countless icy needles constantly piercing the collar. The streetlights in the neighborhood cast dim yellow halos in the rain, illuminating the winding puddles.
The raindrops fell obliquely, their touch icy cold. Rainwater streamed down the edge of the umbrella, falling continuously between the two umbrellas, quickly soaking the back of her hands and sleeves. Even so, Wang Lengqiu held Han Zhou's hand tightly, refusing to let go.
The sharp, malicious sounds from the hallway still seemed to be stuck to her eardrums, buzzing. But strangely, she didn't feel the sadness or emptiness she had expected. Instead, it felt like something heavy, something that had been weighing her down for many years, had been loosened.
My breathing suddenly became very light.
She turned her head to look at Han Zhou, but the rain was too dense, like silver threads intertwined in the dim light, and with the umbrella's edge obscuring the view, she couldn't see his expression clearly for a moment, only that he seemed not very happy.
The lightness in my chest slowly subsided again.
She suddenly realized that although Han Zhou spoke lightly, publicly acknowledging their relationship was ultimately risky. He didn't actually have to do it, but for his own sake...
“Learn… Xiao Lengqiu.” Just then, Han Zhou suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
"Ok?"
She turned her head and looked over, tilting the umbrella slightly so that the cool raindrops could brush against her forehead.
Will you be angry with me?
As the cold air filled his lungs, the burning anger in Han Zhou's chest gradually cooled, turning into a hesitant white mist. "I think I've completely pushed you to the opposite side of your family."
He wasn't regretting it, nor was he unable to bear the consequences. He just suddenly realized that he seemed to be subconsciously treating Senior Wang Lengqiu like a child, and hadn't consulted her opinion at all before saying those words.
Wang Lengqiu was stunned.
Amid the patter of rain, she tilted her head and thought for a moment, her gaze falling on the broken lights reflected in the puddles.
"A little."
"hug……"
The thought of not being able to apologize for doing something wrong made Han Zhou smile bitterly. "I was too impulsive."
Wang Lengqiu gently shook her head: "I'm not angry with Brother Han Zhou, I'm angry with my mother."
"What that woman said was indeed infuriating..." Han Zhou nodded in deep agreement, "But what about her?"
The rain was still falling, dripping onto their tightly clasped hands, feeling exceptionally cold.
But Wang Lengqiu didn't care.
She knew that Han Zhou didn't care either.
This isn't about appeasement; it's something else entirely.
She sometimes feels that she is still like a child, blowing air at butterflies on rainy days, thinking that it will make them fly more easily; or squatting by the pond in the summer, staring blankly at frogs, even if they don't jump once all afternoon.
She likes to sit in the same spot every day to watch the sunset, spends an entire afternoon building a nest for pigeons that is never used, does many things that seem meaningless to others, and says many things that are incomprehensible to others.
Brother Han Zhou probably wouldn't understand those words either.
But he didn't seem to care whether he could understand her or not. Each time, he would just smile gently and then mimic her tone, saying things that she found equally strange and incomprehensible.
Just like that evening many years ago before we parted, she raised her hands high above her head and asked if if she stretched them out to the sky, she could touch the sunset, and if she stood on tiptoe, she could hold the disappearing light tightly in her palm.
In fact, what she said at the time was even more vague and fragmented; even she herself couldn't figure out what she was trying to express.
But Han Zhou didn't ask any further questions, nor did he say "How is this possible?" He just smiled, lifted her up, carried her steadily on his shoulder, and then stood on tiptoe, his laughter blending into the warm light.
"You've even seen omnipotent aliens, is there anything you can't do?"
At that moment, a golden light flowed across his eyelashes and across her fingers that were suspended in mid-air.
“I think I’ve got it,” she suddenly said.
“I caught it too,” he said with a smile.
Did you understand what I said?
"Um, I guess it's something like a lament about the fleeting nature of youth?"
"wrong."
"So that means we've grasped the future?"
"That's not right either."
He guessed wrong several times in a row, but he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he asked smugly, "Then did you understand what I was saying?"
She thought for a moment: "Something like a lament about the fleeting nature of youth?"
"wrong."
He didn't let her guess any further, and quickly gave his answer with a smile, "Whatever you've grasped, that's what I've grasped."
"But you clearly don't understand what I'm saying, so how can you grasp what I want to grasp?"
"Of course, after all, I'm omnipotent."
He put her down from his shoulder, and the two sat side by side on the grass in the autumn sunset. "Besides, I just sometimes don't understand what you're saying, it's not like I don't understand what kind of person you are."
What kind of person am I?
The weather was fine that day; the sunlight wasn't glaring, it was clearly autumn, and the temperature wasn't cold, but white mist still appeared in my breath when I spoke.
She watched as the white mist drifted toward the setting sun, merging into the distant light, while his steady and clear voice rang in her ears.
"Just as I am to you, you are my alien."
This is a sentence that no one can understand.
But she seemed to understand.
She was stunned for a long time, so long that when she raised her hand again, the warm golden sunset in front of her suddenly disappeared, turning into the continuous, cold rain.
She felt a warm, tangible warmth on her fingertips and gripped the hand that had been willing to stand with her in the cold rain even tighter. In a very serious tone, she said, "Mom just said that after graduation, when I go on blind dates, I'm sure I can find someone better than you."
"But you are the best."
The voice was soft, yet each word was clear, carrying a certain childlike certainty, like a kindergarten child receiving their first little red flower, with a gentle happiness and pride.
Han Zhou was stunned.
Looking at that faint smile that rarely appeared on the girl's face, his nose suddenly stung with tears, and he opened his mouth, but could not utter a sound.
"Although I don't deny that..."
Raindrops pattered on the water's surface, rippling out delicate waves. Han Zhou finally managed to suppress the bitterness surging in his heart and, for the first time, asked the question that had troubled him for so long, "But actually, I still don't understand why you chose me so firmly."
Wang Lengqiu did not answer immediately.
She simply reached out and gently smoothed his slightly furrowed brow and tense cheeks. As she withdrew her hand, she caught a drop of water dripping from the edge of the umbrella in her palm. She paused for a moment, then looked down at the droplet as it shattered into smaller, glistening pieces in her hand.
After a long silence, she gently grasped the water droplet, without giving a direct answer, but said softly, "When I was trapped in the flood that year, I didn't understand why anyone would be willing to risk their life to save me."
"But you should understand now, right?"
Han Zhou shook his head with a wry smile and said frankly, "I saved you because I felt guilty. I thought you were already dead at that time, so I desperately tried to save you back then."
"If it weren't for this guilt," the girl tilted her head, "would you not have liked me?"
"……I have no idea."
Han Zhou remained silent for a long time, choosing not to use sweet words, but instead giving the most truthful answer from his heart.
Without this guilt, he didn't know if he would still have fallen for Wang Lengqiu.
Wang Lengqiu did not show any disappointment. Instead, she suddenly took a small step forward, her wet shoes splashing a small circle of water. Then she turned around and looked at him against the light of the street lamp, through the rain and mist blown by the wind.
"If you feel guilty towards me for the rest of your life, does that mean you'll love me for the rest of your life?"
Han Zhou stood there, stunned.
Before he could answer, Wang Lengqiu's voice rang out again, as if blending into the continuous rain, soft yet stubborn.
"Brother Han Zhou, will you love me forever?"
The wind suddenly picked up and easily blew the umbrella out of the girl's hand.
The umbrella tumbled and was quickly blown away, disappearing into the shadows by the roadside. But she didn't pick it up; she just stood quietly in the rain, watching the figure standing under the umbrella.
Looking at that frail figure that seemed as if it could be blown away by the wind at any moment, Han Zhou was lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly sighed and said helplessly, "If I say no, you're not planning to do something that will make me feel guilty for the rest of my life, are you?"
Before he finished speaking, he had already strode forward and sheltered Wang Lengqiu under the umbrella.
The girl's cold arm naturally linked with his, and she gently shook her head, the water droplets from her hair brushing against his sleeve.
"Even if Brother Han Zhou doesn't like me forever, I will still like Brother Han Zhou forever."
The air suddenly quieted down, the sound of rain amplified in my ears, then gradually receded into the distance, until it reappeared clearly in my ears.
"...When you said those words, I was already filled with guilt for the rest of my life."
Han Zhou held the umbrella in one hand and took out a tissue with the other, gently wiping the girl's rain-soaked hair. He sighed with a wry smile.
Wang Lengqiu lowered her head, letting him do as he pleased. About half a minute later, she suddenly raised her head, her wet eyes reflecting the streetlights and his silhouette.
"Can you live with that guilt for the rest of your life, Brother Han Zhou?"
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, briefly lifting the heavy curtain of rain, and the light from the streetlights fell without obstruction, clearly illuminating each other's faces.
Han Zhou was taken aback.
The next second, he chuckled, his laughter filled with tenderness and helplessness: "I'm afraid I'll feel guilty until the day I die."
That's right, even love that begins with guilt is okay. If that guilt lasts a lifetime, then the love will also last a lifetime.
And for the rest of his long life, he would carry this heavy yet sweet guilt as he walked step by step toward his end.
"What if he's an old man who never dies?"
Wang Lengqiu tilted her head and asked a very tricky question.
Han Zhou thought for a moment and said, "Then it will continue until the day you die of old age."
Does the senior student seem to have forgotten that she confessed her feelings just this morning? So does this count as confessing again?
But it doesn't matter, as long as she's willing to listen, I can confess my feelings as many times as I want.
"Then let's not die of old age," Wang Lengqiu said after thinking for a long time.
"Isn't that too greedy?" He chuckled to himself.
"It was Brother Han Zhou who said that I should be like you and try to be a little greedy."
The girl hugged his arm tightly and said very seriously.
Before Han Zhou could speak, she continued, "Brother Han Zhou, do you know why I deliberately threw away the umbrella just now?"
"Ah? You're the one who..."
Han Zhou hadn't realized she'd deliberately dropped the umbrella, but before he could finish speaking, the girl had already tiptoed and tilted her head back to kiss him in the tiny space under the umbrella, barely enough for them to fit together.
The texture was soft and sweet, like the two small pieces of bread that had been placed on a tree stump and never taken away when the two of them first met, under the autumn twilight.
For a long time, the lips are divided.
Their breaths mingled, warmly brushing against each other's faces.
“Sister Zhong Yin can,” Wang Lengqiu said softly before he could ask, her breath slightly ragged but trying to remain calm, “I can too.”
Actually, Sister Yin didn't stick out her tongue at the time... Han Zhou really wanted to say that, but the girl didn't give him the chance at all.
She kissed him again, her movements awkward yet firm, as if trying to confirm something.
Han Zhou didn't have much experience with this either, but naturally he couldn't back down. The two of them stood under the umbrella, pecking at each other like chickens, until they were both a little out of breath, before reluctantly separating.
Wang Lengqiu raised her hand to wipe her moist lips, then looked up and asked softly, "Brother Han Zhou, may I make one more greedy request?"
"You said."
Han Zhou was panting heavily. After all, he was indebted to the man who had fed him, and at this moment, he probably couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Wang Lengqiu hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Can we go back tomorrow?"
"If we go back now, I won't be able to have you all to myself." (End of Chapter)