Chapter 593
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
[Task completed 1/3]
His gaze passed through the open crotch of the stockings and landed right on the status bar notification, causing Han Zhou's lips to twitch.
So this thing really was a suspicious item in the guzheng's suitcase...
Although absurd, it must be said that this thing is indeed quite suspicious. He racked his brains but couldn't understand why Guzheng would buy such a thing.
I need to find a chance to ask this clearly...
With great difficulty, Han Zhou suppressed the turmoil in his mind and didn't delay any longer. Relying on his photographic memory, he quickly restored the items in the suitcase to their original order, then closed the lid and gently switched the combination lock back to its original position.
Of course, no matter how perfectly he restores it, he cannot erase the traces that have already been left.
The stockings had already been opened; if Guzheng were observant enough, she would surely have noticed something amiss.
But that's fine too. It's better to wait for her to speak first than to force myself to ask about such an awkward topic.
It took nearly five minutes to check just one suitcase. Knowing that delay could lead to complications, Han Zhou dared not delay any longer and immediately opened the second suitcase, quickly rummaging through it.
He had a photographic memory, so he naturally remembered that it was Wang Lengqiu's suitcase. As a couple, he obviously didn't need to be too discreet, so he didn't act as cautiously as before and quickly turned the suitcase upside down.
Whether by coincidence or not, Wang Lengqiu also seemed not to have put the suspicious item in her suitcase, but instead put it in a zippered bag along with other odds and ends.
Having learned from his first experience, Han Zhou quickly identified his target this time—a small, square cardboard box that gave off a rather ominous feeling just by looking at the packaging.
When he picked up the box and saw the foreign-language trademark printed on it, he felt a wave of dizziness.
As expected, it was indeed a box of condoms.
Are there more experts?
Han Zhou stared blankly, unsure of what expression to make for a moment.
Although they only established their relationship yesterday and even had some intimate interactions, it's important to know that Wang Lengqiu doesn't possess the ability to foresee the future. She might know some aspects of the future, but she doesn't know when the two of them will become a couple. Otherwise, she would have carried this with her yesterday. Therefore, this box was clearly not prepared in advance for their relationship to be established.
[Task completed 2/3]
This is indeed the suspicious item identified by the status bar...
Han Zhou rubbed his face vigorously and searched the zippered bag carefully twice more until he confirmed that he had not found any drugs, handcuffs, or any other outrageous props. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
It seems that Yixia's judgment was correct. She did not object to Guzheng coming to Wang Lengqiu's house with her from the beginning, not because she was willing to let this love rival go, but to guard against another opponent who might be "alone in a room with her."
As it turns out, the senior student probably really did have the idea of taking advantage of the situation to "steal the base".
Whether her night raid the night before last succeeded or failed, the final outcome was already predetermined—
The two of them will definitely become a couple.
If the night raid succeeds, I can steal his body.
Even if the night raid fails, it can still steal his heart.
In any case, she is invincible.
From this perspective, the senior student is indeed a master at "stealing bases".
So... could this be a meticulously planned scheme?
Han Zhou didn't know, and didn't want to know.
A senior is a senior; whether she's straightforward or scheming, he'll probably fall for her.
Thinking of this, Han Zhou gave a wry smile, put the small box back in its original place, tidied up the suitcase slightly, closed the lid, and then looked at the last suitcase.
To be honest, his feelings at this moment were no longer just curiosity, but also a strange sense of unease.
They found sexy stockings in Guzheng's suitcase, and condoms in Wang Lengqiu's suitcase. Following this absurd logic...
What shocking things will appear in Senior Zhong Ling's suitcase?
He even began to worry that opening the third box might completely redefine his understanding of "suspicious items."
However, he quickly relaxed, thinking there was no need to scare himself. His senior was so innocent; how could she possibly be involved in such shady things…
With that thought in mind, he squatted down again and opened Zhong Ling's suitcase.
[Task completed 3/3]
[Temporary task completed, 150 points earned]
"boom!"
The suitcase was slammed shut. Han Zhou immediately turned the combination back to its original position, then collapsed onto the edge of the bed as if all his strength had left him, looking up at the sky with a look of utter despair.
He never imagined that there were so many hidden talents around him...
If the contents of Guzheng and Wang Lengqiu's suitcase could still be explained, then the contents of Zhong Ling's suitcase were completely incomprehensible to him.
That's more than just suspicious...
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and the sound of a guzheng came from outside: "Han Zhou, I asked you to get some snacks, and you dawdled, but why did you lock the door?"
His voice sounded slightly hurried, and he deliberately lowered his voice for the last sentence, clearly not to urge him, but to remind him that someone would be coming soon.
Han Zhou's heart tightened, and he suddenly stood up, grabbed the bag of snacks on the table, walked quickly to the door, and opened it.
"I searched for a long time but couldn't find the beef cubes, so it took me a while."
He walked out of the room without changing his expression, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Wang Lengqiu and Zhong Ling who were walking towards him.
The former remained expressionless, only shaking his head slightly, while the latter appeared somewhat flustered and apologetic, seemingly regretting that he hadn't been able to continue buying him time.
Clearly, the "balance" among the three had gone awry. They all wanted to stall for time, but somehow they all ended up inside.
Han Zhou couldn't find the beef jerky, because Gu Zheng hadn't brought any such snacks. This was just an excuse she made to get Han Zhou to come inside and rummage through her suitcase, so she said dismissively, "If you can't find it, so be it. I probably already ate it all. It's okay, I can eat something else."
Han Zhou nodded, casually grabbed a handful of snacks and stuffed them into her hand, then took out a few chocolates from the bag and handed them to Zhong Ling: "Senior, these are the chocolates you wanted."
"Thanks……"
Zhong Ling lowered her head weakly and cautiously raised her hand, as if she was hesitant to accept it. Her face still showed that uneasy expression, clearly still feeling guilty for not being able to stop Gu Zheng and Senior Wang Lengqiu.
Just then, she suddenly realized that only her junior could hear her, so she quickly said, "I'm sorry, junior, I couldn't hold Guzheng and the others back..."
"It's okay, senior."
Han Zhou shoved the chocolate into her hand and said with a smile, "It's just a little chocolate, it won't make you fat."
In front of Wang Lengqiu and Guzheng, he naturally couldn't directly answer that it was okay, so he could only respond in this way, indicating that the other party didn't need to take it to heart.
He had always thought that his senior was simply afraid of causing trouble for others, but now it seemed that she habitually took all the blame upon herself. This was certainly a kind gesture, but it was also a heavy burden.
Zhong Ling finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Han Zhou also slipped a handful of snacks into Wang Lengqiu's hand. Although the four of them had many questions they wanted to ask, they all tacitly kept quiet and went into the courtyard together to continue chatting with Grandpa Wang.
The winter sun had lost its sharpness, leaving only a pale afterglow that lazily spread across the courtyard. The air was dry and cold, and although it wasn't snowing, the biting chill still crept in through the collar of a coat, making one's nose involuntarily turn red.
Even so, no one intended to go inside, as such moments were truly rare.
A few people sat around a small table in the courtyard. On the table were sunflower seeds, peanuts, and snacks that had just been brought over. Their breath condensed into a cloud of white mist in the cold air, which was blown away by the wind before it could dissipate. Occasionally, a few barks could be heard from afar. The big yellow dog lying on the ground would only lazily raise its head, give a perfunctory "woof," and then shrink back to its original spot.
Time slipped quietly into the afternoon amidst the languid tranquility of winter.
Seeing smoke rising in the distance, Han Zhou once again took the initiative to cook and entered the kitchen to get busy.
Before long, Guzheng slipped into the kitchen under the pretext of helping out. Standing by the cutting board, she asked in a low voice while picking vegetables, "So, is there anything you want in my senior's suitcase?"
Han Zhou hesitated for a moment.
"I guess so..." (End of Chapter)