Chapter 590
It Has to Be You
Silent all night.
There was no night raid, no twists and turns; it was so uneventful that it didn't resemble a novel plot at all, so the experience of that night was glossed over as a matter of course.
Han Zhou didn't wake up until almost 11 o'clock.
Yesterday was just a day for everyone else, but for him it felt like a whole month, so much so that when he opened his eyes, he still thought he was in the past.
It wasn't until someone knocked on the door and the sound of a guzheng came from outside that he realized he had truly returned to the present.
"Why did you get up so late?"
As soon as the door opened, Gu Zheng glanced warily into the room and asked suspiciously, "No one slipped any cards into your room last night, right?"
It was almost noon, and she was already dressed and ready to go, with Wang Lengqiu and Zhong Ling standing behind her, equally dressed and ready to go.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated. He stepped aside to let the three of them in, then went into the bathroom to quickly wash up.
Gu Zheng looked here and there, smelling everything, and only felt relieved after confirming that there was nothing wrong. She muttered, "I bought you breakfast, but I couldn't wake you up by phone, so I had to eat it myself."
"Perfect timing, let's have lunch now."
Han Zhou smiled, bent down to put on his shoes and coat, made sure he had everything he needed, then took the room key and led the three girls downstairs to check out.
Outside the hotel, many passersby cast surprised and even slightly envious glances at Han Zhou as he walked out alone with three beautiful women of different styles.
Some people even quietly approached him and whispered to ask where he found the "little card," but before they could finish speaking, Guzheng punched them hard against the tree trunk.
Behind them, Zhong Ling and Wang Lengqiu had heard about Gu Zheng's exploits from Han Zhou before, but this was the first time they had seen her fight someone in person. They finally realized that Han Zhou's claim that Gu Zheng could kill him was not a joke.
Thinking of this, Zhong Ling looked worried and began to feel deeply concerned about the safety of her junior and Yi Xia.
Wang Lengqiu remained expressionless, seemingly lost in thought.
Since Gu Zheng was in charge of taking action, Han Zhou naturally had to assume the responsibility of "legitimate self-defense." He stood up slowly, tilted his head back, and exhaled a breath of white air.
It rained almost all day yesterday, but it has finally stopped now.
The sky was a nearly transparent pale blue, like glass that had been repeatedly washed with cold water, high and clear.
Although the sunlight was not scorching, it carried the sharpness unique to winter, filtering through the sparse branches and reflecting a shimmering, cold light in the puddles of varying depths on the ground.
Seeing that Han Zhou and she were still working together seamlessly, Gu Zheng was in a great mood. She put her hands behind her back, smiled, and said, "I checked the weather forecast. It shouldn't rain anytime soon."
Is this guy really that obsessed with mountain climbing...?
Han Zhou was puzzled, but wisely didn't ask any more questions. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Then let's go back after lunch. You guys keep Grandpa Wang company this afternoon. I'll go check the road up the mountain. If the road conditions are good, we can set off tonight."
"Then let's buy everything at the supermarket nearby later. The city has a wider selection," Zhong Ling suggested softly.
Han Zhou nodded in agreement, then translated her words, and Gu Zheng and Wang Lengqiu naturally had no objections.
The group walked toward the nearest restaurant, chatting idly along the way. Han Zhou kept secretly observing Zhong Ling's expression, trying to see if she would be different after last night's conversation. Unexpectedly, he met the girl's gaze, which was also being secretly cast at him, and he felt a little awkward.
Zhong Ling's face also flushed slightly, and she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly.
Fortunately, Gu Zheng did not notice what was happening, and Wang Lengqiu only glanced at the two of them thoughtfully before choosing to ignore them.
During lunch, Han Zhou seemed somewhat absent-minded.
He could roughly guess why his future self would fail again.
The accident had such a wide-ranging impact, with more than twenty casualties and countless parties implicated. It even made it onto CCTV news four years ago. If he hadn't been a habitual news enthusiast, he might have already uncovered the truth about that disaster.
Since this event made it onto CCTV news, it must be a significant historical event, especially since the list of victims has been released. To reverse the fate of the Zhong sisters' parents would mean rewriting this major historical event, which is probably beyond the capabilities of the current system. Even if the future forces something to change in the past, the system will definitely forcefully correct it.
Ugh, my head hurts.
Han Zhou thought he no longer had to live the life of constantly grinding for points, but now it seems that if he wants the status bar to have the ability to rewrite the past, he still needs to upgrade it. Even if he is not in a hurry, from a long-term perspective, the more points he accumulates, the better.
Thinking of this, his gaze once again fell on the temporary task he had shelved for "a month"—
[A temporary mission has been triggered. Please check the suitcases of the targets Gu Zheng, Zhong Ling, and Wang Lengqiu without being discovered by the individuals involved, and find any suspicious items inside. The time limit is 48 hours, and you can earn 150 points.]
The task itself is not difficult; the trouble lies in the prerequisite—"not being discovered by the person involved."
Unless he forcibly broke into the suitcase while the three of them were away, it would be difficult for him to complete the inspection without arousing suspicion. But doing so would be tantamount to being a perverted thug, which was obviously not feasible. He had to think of another way.
"Han Zhou, what are you thinking about? Why are you so distracted?"
The sound of the guzheng brought Han Zhou back to his senses, and he asked, "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean, 'what happened'? I'm asking you what's wrong."
In the supermarket, Gu Zheng looked him over suspiciously. "You didn't sleep until eleven o'clock, did you?"
"A little."
"You still dare to brush me off!"
Seeing that he was still in a daze, Gu Zheng was immediately furious. She had gone to great lengths to come up with a pretext to buy supplies separately in order to quietly secure this time alone with him. It was one thing for him not to care, but he was also being so perfunctory. How could she not be angry?
Honestly, we just held hands last night, and he's so cold today. Is what Dad said true? Are men really all the kind of creatures who forget their partners after they've done their thing?
But this guy hasn't taken his pants off yet!
Gu Zheng grew angrier and angrier, until finally she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed Han Zhou's face with both hands, forcefully turned his neck, and forced him to look at her. Seeing Gu Zheng's "forceful" action, Han Zhou finally calmed down and exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing? You're not trying to kiss me, are you?"
"You think beautiful!"
Gu Zheng, who had just been angry, blushed instantly and grabbed his face in embarrassment and annoyance, "You kissed me, what's the big deal—"
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly noticed the gazes directed at her from all around, and felt even more ashamed and indignant. She quickly let go, snorted, and turned her head away. It took her a while to regain her composure and turn her head back.
"Tell me, what are you thinking? You were ignoring me just now!"
"without……"
Han Zhou was about to deny it when a sudden thought struck him, and he vaguely caught a possibility. So he sighed calmly, "Fine, I won't hide it from you anymore. I am indeed thinking about something that is very troubling."
"That's more like it..."
Seeing his melancholy expression, as if he had really encountered some difficulties, Guzheng's tone softened, "What is it?"
Han Zhou hesitated for a moment: "Do you remember when I talked to my senior sister alone last night? About the accident that killed her parents."
"Of course I remember. I was just asking you about it, but you ignored me."
Remembering how long she had been neglected, Guzheng felt a little unhappy and let out a soft hum.
Han Zhou sighed deeply: "That's what's troubling me."
"What do you mean?" Guzheng asked, puzzled. "Does that mean you're not allowed to tell anyone else?"
At this point, she immediately became wary. If this was a secret to her senior, and she only told Han Zhou, wouldn't that mean Han Zhou was very special to her?
With the influence of He Ling, the "palace intrigue master," Gu Zheng is now so sensitive that she sees everyone as a rival and gets jealous at the drop of a hat.
"That's not it."
Han Zhou shook his head and decided to first recount the cause and effect of the accident.
Gu Zheng was stunned after hearing this, and it took her a long time to recover before she asked in a low voice, "You mean, senior sister thinks that this accident was caused by her, which is why things turned out the way they are now?"
"That should be the case." Han Zhou nodded.
"So you've been thinking about how to help your senior resolve her inner conflict?"
"Correct."
"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Even if I tell you, what can you do? Sister Yin spent so much time and still couldn't help Senior Sister resolve her inner conflict, let alone us."
Seeing Gu Zheng's unconvinced expression, Han Zhou smiled wryly and quickly added, "Besides, I only just found out about this myself, and I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."
"Humph."
Gu Zheng pouted and said sullenly, "Then why didn't you tell me? Did you think you could come up with a solution by yourself?"
Although she was competitive, she knew that helping people resolve their inner conflicts was not her forte, so she did not object.
"No."
Han Zhou shook his head honestly, then said seriously, "That's why I need your help."
"Didn't you just say that even if you told me, I wouldn't be able to think of a solution? Now you need my help again?" Gu Zheng rolled her eyes at him.
"This matter cannot be left to you," Han Zhou said solemnly.
"is it?"
Gu Zheng was secretly delighted. She straightened her back slightly and glanced at him sideways. "Tell me, what do you want me to do for you?"
"You don't need to do too much. You just need to subtly find out the combination to the senior's suitcase."
"Luggage combination?"
Gu Zheng's expression fell, and she gave him an annoyed look. "What do you need my suitcase combination for?"
Han Zhou said seriously, "I heard from Sister Yin that there is a diary in Senior's suitcase. It may record the changes in Senior's state of mind over the years. If we can get it, we may be able to untangle Senior's knot in her heart."
Of course, this was made up, but based on his understanding of the status bar, since the status bar had issued such a task, it obviously meant that the senior's suitcase contained a major secret, which might really be a diary.
Gu Zheng hesitated, "Then why should I go and ask?"
"After all, you're a girl. It's not appropriate for a grown man like me to ask your senior for the combination to her suitcase. Once you find out the combination, you can find an excuse to stall your senior while I sneak into your room and check the diary."
"Don't look at me like I'm a pervert. I'm doing all this to help my senior."
"Remember, you can only hint at it indirectly; you must never let the senior realize that someone is trying to rummage through her suitcase."
Having finally managed to trick Guzheng into crippling her, Han Zhou breathed a sigh of relief. Then, while Guzheng was choosing meat skewers by herself, he found Zhong Ling, who was buying vegetables, and his expression turned solemn.
"Senior, there's something I need your help with."
"This matter cannot be done without you." (End of Chapter)