Chapter 579
I Know
"I ask you, what is love built upon accumulated guilt?"
Gu Zheng gradually came to her senses and thought that Mo Yixia had discovered the truth behind Wang Lengqiu's years of waiting for Han Zhou—that her persistence was not purely out of attraction, but stemmed from a deep sense of guilt. So she was eager to ask questions and find out the source of this guilt.
But Mo Yixia ignored her, her gaze still fixed on Wang Lengqiu, and asked another question: "So, senior, if you were faced with such love built on guilt, have you thought about how you would respond?"
Although Gu Zheng was annoyed by being ignored, she did not lash out. She took it as Mo Yixia's way of asking Wang Lengqiu to put herself in Han Zhou's shoes and stop using her heavy guilt to make things difficult for him, as it would be torture for the latter.
Little did they know that Han Zhou was the one truly burdened with guilt.
"lifetime."
Wang Lengqiu gave a baffling answer.
"Should we respond with 'a lifetime'?"
But Mo Yixia seemed to understand her meaning, her expression unusually scrutinizing, and her tone no longer as casual as before:
"But have you ever thought that loving someone for a lifetime means feeling guilty for a lifetime?"
“But if you feel guilty for a lifetime, you will love for a lifetime,” Wang Lengqiu replied just as earnestly.
"This will be very painful."
"I know."
"you know?"
"I know."
"...It seems you're not as naive as I thought."
After a brief silence, Mo Yixia gave this assessment.
"Thank you."
Wang Lengqiu spoke softly as she continued to dry her hair, it was unclear whether she didn't want to continue or was genuinely thanking him.
"It should be the former, right?" Guzheng thought to herself.
But Mo Yixia preferred the latter.
The "pain" she just mentioned actually refers to Han Zhou, since Han Zhou is the one who truly bears the guilt. If he were to love Wang Lengqiu for the rest of his life based on that guilt, he would naturally suffer for the rest of his life.
Wang Lengqiu was clearly aware of this, but she didn't care.
Perhaps for her, no matter how this love arose, as long as the result was that she could stay by Han Zhou's side, no matter how twisted the process was, it was all worthwhile.
Or perhaps in her view, as long as she could spend a lifetime eradicating this guilt, love would naturally become love.
Mo Yixia admitted that she couldn't quite understand the girl's thoughts, but she knew very well that, in terms of "accumulated time," no one could match this girl.
Whether it's twisted or obsessive, even if it's annoying, no one can deny the weight of this feeling.
She wanted to say something more, but there was a sudden knock on the door, so she had to lower her voice and give the guzheng a meaningful look.
"You're so naive. Don't cry when you lose in the future."
She did not say who she would lose to.
"I won't lose."
Upon hearing the word "lose," Guzheng immediately reacted, snorting coldly, "As for you, I heard you don't even have any friends. If you really can't find anyone to confide in, I might as well try to comfort you with a few words."
"Your current friend is nothing more than someone you lost and then found again."
Mo Yixia said calmly and meaningfully, "But in this world, the only things that can be lost and regained are often just friends."
The two girls casually discussed the outcome of the battle right in front of Han Zhou, the person involved. Although the tension was palpable, they tacitly avoided a life-or-death confrontation at that moment.
After hearing Mo Yixia's words, Gu Zheng was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she realized that she was able to reconcile with He Ling thanks to this guy. So she pouted and said reluctantly, "I'm serious. If you ever cry and can't find anyone to comfort you, you can come to me."
"You too."
Mo Yixia raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear and smiled slightly.
"Flat-chested".
As soon as she finished speaking, the phone was abruptly disconnected, leaving only Gu Zheng's gritted teeth.
She was so angry she wanted to hit him back immediately, but Han Zhou stopped her in time, saying with a wry smile, "Didn't you hear the knocking just now? Yi Xia's mother is coming. If she sees Yi Xia secretly playing on her phone, it will be troublesome."
As he spoke, he subtly took his phone back from Guzheng's hand and casually put it away.
Fortunately, Gu Zheng didn't take the opportunity to check his chat history with Mo Yixia. Although the two rarely chatted on their phones, they still left some "evidence," such as the arrangements for the snow mountain trip. If Gu Zheng had seen it, it would have been a real problem.
However, this does not mean that the current troubles are not insignificant.
Yixia didn't say another word to him until the call ended, which would have been absolutely impossible under normal circumstances.
It's hard to say whether this was a form of temper tantrum.
When he returns this time, he must immediately find time to apologize and offer his condolences.
"He's not even allowed to use his phone, this guy's really having a tough time..."
After hearing Han Zhou's explanation, Gu Zheng finally gave up. She first snorted coldly, then suddenly thought of something and stared at him intently.
"You keep calling him 'Yixia, Yixia' all the time, so intimately... Tell me! Did you even explain things clearly to that guy?"
"Explain what?" Han Zhou asked in surprise.
Could it be that Guzheng has finally "woke up" and is forcing herself to sever ties with Yixia?
To be honest, if Guzheng had used this move from the beginning, he really wouldn't know how to deal with it.
Gu Zheng stared intently at him, her eyes slightly narrowed, giving him an expression that said, "If you dare to lie to me, you're dead."
"...Explain clearly who exactly is coming to Senior Wang Lengqiu's house this time."
Han Zhou's back was almost soaked with cold sweat, and he breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this: "Of course I explained it clearly."
He paused, then added casually, "But during our conversation, I did mention Xiaoxiao a few times, and she probably mistakenly thought Xiaoxiao would be coming too..."
"Stop speaking up for her."
Gu Zheng rolled her eyes at him, looking indignant, and said, "That guy is clearly doing it on purpose, calling her small, flat-chested... as if her breasts are that big. Even if they are, can they be bigger than Senior Zhong Ling's?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Ling, who had been secretly observing Wang Lengqiu, froze for a moment, her cheeks instantly turning bright red, the blush spreading from her ears all the way to her neck. She quickly lowered her head, looking at her toes, which she couldn't see at all. "Actually... actually, my sister's breasts are bigger than mine..."
She blushed and stammered an explanation, but unfortunately only Han Zhou could hear her, and he couldn't respond.
That's right, Han Zhou couldn't respond.
He dared not reply to Zhong Ling's words, nor did he dare to reply to Gu Zheng's, for fear of offending her and making her decide to get breast implants in a fit of anger.
Fortunately, Guzheng was just sulking for a while. She took out her phone, looked down and tapped a few times, and then, as if she had suddenly gotten her revenge, she smiled, turned around and sat on the bed.
Han Zhou asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly so happy?"
Gu Zheng's eyes curved into crescents, and she was about to answer when she seemed to suddenly remember something, her little face hardening: "Tell me first, what does 'non-pure, yellow-material agent' mean?"
Han Zhou was startled, but not too worried, and answered frankly, "It means exactly what it says."
"I knew it. She's definitely not innocent. Her mind is full of dirty jokes, and she especially likes to attack others."
Gu Zheng's eyebrows relaxed. "You're quite good at giving people nicknames."
This is clearly a compliment to Han Zhou.
Han Zhou hadn't expected the "agent" to interpret things this way, so he didn't explain and asked again, "So why are you suddenly unhappy?"
"I also gave that guy a nickname," Gu Zheng said proudly.
"What remarks?"
Han Zhou was curious about what kind of note could make Gu Zheng so happy, with a face full of the expression of revenge.
I'll tell you when I have the chance.
Gu Zheng didn't answer. Instead, her smile faded, and she said seriously, "Now you should tell me why you and Senior Wang Lengqiu took an extra shower, right?"
Clearly, although Mo Yixia's phone call had thrown her off balance, she had never forgotten this important question.
Han Zhou secretly observed Gu Zheng's expression. Although Mo Yixia's phone call had set many traps for him, it had also left room for maneuver, even causing Gu Zheng to have a certain misunderstanding—she still wanted to figure out the issue at this moment, more out of curiosity than out of suspicion about his relationship with Wang Lengqiu.
Most importantly, the question that should have been answered by Wang Lengqiu has now fallen on his shoulders.
So he pretended to be helpless and said, "Didn't Yixia already tell you? I have something very important to do tonight."
"I only asked you because I didn't know what it was about," Gu Zheng said, glaring at him irritably.
This guy has the nerve to say that. He didn't even bother to tell her immediately if something happened, but instead only told that other guy. She wants to see what kind of thing it is that only that guy can help, while she's being kept in the dark.
Zhong Ling also looked over with a curious expression.
Han Zhou hesitated for a long time, as if weighing something, and finally sighed, shook his head with a wry smile: "What I am about to say may be beyond your understanding, so please don't be afraid after you hear it."
"What do you mean?" Gu Zheng was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean by 'beyond our comprehension'? What does this have to do with you taking an extra bath?"
"That's a long story."
Han Zhou shook his head again, "Remember? I said I would help Senior Wang Lengqiu get revenge, but those guys are her family after all. As an outsider, I am constrained by my position and can't do anything."
"outsider……"
Gu Zheng gave a soft hum, "So that's why you claimed to be Wang Lengqiu's boyfriend in front of her family?"
"of course."
Han Zhou had already heard about this from Zhong Ling, and his feelings at the time were naturally indescribable, but now he seemed indifferent. "If I hadn't said that I was Wang Lengqiu's boyfriend, I'm afraid that family wouldn't have even given me a chance to speak."
He selectively described the situation at the time, and sure enough, it was completely different from what he had heard from Wang Lengqiu's younger sister.
"I knew that girl was lying to us. She's so young and already lies so much; it's obvious she has a problem with her upbringing..."
Gu Zheng muttered something, then looked suspicious, "But you still haven't said what this has to do with you taking an extra bath."
"Didn't I say that this is a long story?"
Han Zhou gestured for her to calm down, then suddenly changed the subject, lowering his voice and speaking in a mysterious tone, "Do you know about black magic?"
"Soy sauce?"
Gu Zheng paused, then asked in confusion, "Is it something to eat?"
There is no such thing as black magic in this world, and it has never appeared in any film or television works. That is why Han Zhou could just spout it off.
"No, you can think of it as a kind of magic."
Han Zhou shook his head seriously, "Simply put, it's a method of influencing other people's mental state through special media."
"Mental...state?"
Zhong Ling repeated softly, glancing timidly in Wang Lengqiu's direction.
Guzheng retorted, "Stop talking nonsense. What kind of magic do you know?"
“I told you, you can think of it as a spell, but it’s not actually a spell.”
Han Zhou lowered his voice even further, creating an atmosphere as if he were recounting forbidden knowledge: "There are certain mysterious forces in this world, and black magic is one of them. All it takes is a little bit of a 'trigger' with strong emotions, along with a specific ritual and environment, to make people uneasy."
When he said this, he appeared exceptionally confident, showing no sign of lying, because he knew very well that mysterious forces did exist in this world, such as his time travel and the appearance of the status bar.
In fact, he wasn't just talking nonsense in a serious manner to deal with today's events. It was actually to lay the groundwork in advance, because in order for Guzheng and Yixia to accept Wang Lengqiu in the future, he would have to tell them about time travel.
Seeing that his words were becoming increasingly esoteric, even Gu Zheng, who trusted him completely, couldn't help but ask a question from the bottom of her heart:
Do I look like an idiot to you?
Han Zhou sighed: "That's why I didn't want to tell you. I know you would never believe such an ethereal thing. Even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Instead, you would think I'm mentally ill."
Upon hearing this, Gu Zheng, who was about to take out her phone to dial 120, stopped and asked with suspicion, "You mean, you took an extra bath just to cast this kind of curse?"
"If you don't believe me, come with me tonight and you'll see."
Han Zhou calmly said, "The reason I didn't bring Senior Wang Lengqiu back with me is because tonight's timing is special, just the right time to cast my spell. If nothing unexpected happens, I can make that family have nightmares all night long."
Even though Han Zhou appeared so confident, Gu Zheng remained skeptical, thinking that Han Zhou had been led astray by Mo Yixia, which was why he had started researching these random things. However, she didn't rush to discourage him, but instead asked again:
"So what does this have to do with you and Senior Wang Lengqiu taking one more shower?"
Han Zhou didn't explain much, because he didn't know how to explain the relationship. He just smiled slightly and cast a profound and unfathomable gaze.
"Burning incense and bathing, connecting with heaven and earth." (End of Chapter)