Chapter 612
Teacher Ouyang, you have a really good eye for people.
December 9th, Monday, sunny.
"Teacher Ouyang, are we considered good friends?"
The office was well-heated, and a thin layer of condensation covered the windows. Han Zhou asked the question while stirring his instant coffee.
Ouyang Lianyu had just finished checking the students' comprehensive evaluation forms and was exhausted. She was about to pick up her chopsticks when she heard this and paused. She looked at him with some helplessness: "Do I have to make you write a self-criticism before you understand how to respect your teacher?"
In a sense, her parents' concern that she wouldn't be able to take good care of herself was not unreasonable. She often forgot to eat because she was busy with work. If Han Zhou hadn't brought her food today, she probably would have had to make do with bread again.
"It's precisely because I respect you so much that I wanted to confirm this," Han Zhou said seriously.
"You..."
Ouyang Lianyu took off her glasses, pressed her temples, and leaned back in her chair, her whole body framed by a bright edge from the afternoon sunlight.
She took off her coat and draped it over the back of the chair, brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, and said in a deliberately authoritative tone, "At least when we're sitting in the office, we can only be teacher and student."
"What if he's not in the office?"
Han Zhou walked around to the desk and handed over the coffee he had just brewed.
"It's the same even if you're not in the office..."
Noticing the melancholy on Han Zhou's face, Ouyang Lianyu became wary. She didn't immediately take the coffee cup, but instead sat up slightly and put her glasses back on. "Why are you suddenly asking this? Are you trying to play a trick on your teacher again?"
Han Zhou didn't respond immediately. He casually pulled over an office chair and sat down. After pondering for a long time, he suddenly sighed, "Right, teacher, you actually think so too, right?"
Ouyang Lianyu was slightly taken aback, and didn't quite understand for a moment.
What do you mean by "thinking that way"? Do you mean the thing about "we're not good friends"?
"What do you mean?" she asked tentatively after a moment's hesitation.
Han Zhou didn't explain, but changed the subject instead: "Teacher Ouyang, are you free this weekend?"
Why are you asking about this again?
Ouyang Lianyu was increasingly confused. Finally, she took the coffee from his hand, blew on it gently, thought for a moment, and replied, "We can't be sure about that yet... What's wrong?"
"Come home with me."
"what?"
Ouyang Lianyu's heart skipped a beat, and she almost spilled the coffee in her hand. She managed to compose herself and asked, "What are you going home for?"
Han Zhou was clearly distracted, and it took him a while to answer, "Meeting the parents."
Ouyang Lianyu was struck dumb.
She quickly glanced towards the door, and seeing that the corridor was empty, she lowered her voice and asked, "You...your father is back?"
Oh no, what am I talking about? Shouldn't I have refused him immediately, regardless of whether his father came back or not?
"To be precise, it was meeting Guzheng's parents."
Fortunately, Han Zhou finally snapped out of his reverie and realized that his words could easily be misunderstood, so he quickly added the second half of his sentence, "Gu Zheng's parents asked me to invite you to their house for dinner this weekend."
Ouyang Lianyu breathed a sigh of relief, her panic subsiding slightly, but her doubts remained: "Invited me?"
She and Guzheng had a fairly good relationship, so it would be normal for the child to invite her, but it was a bit strange that the child's parents personally extended the invitation.
It should be noted that she is not the guzheng instructor. Even from a purely pragmatic point of view, if one wanted to build a good relationship with the guzheng instructor, she should not have been invited.
Noticing her confusion, Han Zhou's melancholy seemed to deepen, and he said wistfully, "Teacher Ouyang, you really do think this matter isn't so simple, right?"
Upon hearing the change in address from "you" to "you (formal)," Ouyang Lianyu knew something was amiss and immediately put on a stern face: "Stop beating around the bush, just tell me, what do you want the teacher to do for you this time?"
No wonder this guy rushed to the office as soon as he heard she was at school, bringing her lunch and making her coffee. I thought he really missed her after not seeing her for a few days, but it turns out he needed her help...
No, why would I think he would miss me? Ouyang Lianyu paused for a moment, then quickly rubbed her face to clear her mind of these thoughts.
"As expected, my teacher understands me best."
Han Zhou, oblivious to Ouyang Lianyu's unusual behavior, said calmly, "Actually, it's not a troublesome matter. I believe you've already realized that this is very likely a trap..."
What is the Feast at Hongmen?
The Three Kingdoms period doesn't exist in this world, so the Feast at Hongmen doesn't exist either.
"Well, you can think of it as a banquet where you might never come back."
Ouyang Lianyu was taken aback and put her coffee down on the table: "Is it that scary?"
She had met Guzheng's parents, and they didn't seem like difficult people to get along with.
Han Zhou sighed deeply: "Perhaps it really is that terrible."
In the following time, he first listed the list of invitees, and then gave a general analysis, suspecting that Guzheng's parents wanted to take this opportunity to observe the real relationship between him and a group of girls. No matter what the outcome, the process was bound to be fraught with danger.
Considering that the two had recently pretended to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and their relationship was somewhat ambiguous, which might be one of the factors that brought him crisis, Ouyang Lianyu hesitated for a moment: "So you mean... that I should refuse Guzheng's parents' invitation?"
"Do not."
Han Zhou shook his head, his expression solemn. "I hope you can accept the invitation."
"why?"
Han Zhou sat up straight: "First of all, it's because I haven't seen you for so long and I miss you terribly. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rushed to find you as soon as I heard you were coming to school."
"It hasn't been that long..."
Even though she knew he was just being sweet-talking, Ouyang Lianyu was still a little embarrassed. "I already told you not to joke about the teacher."
"It really has been a long time," Han Zhou said with a wry smile.
If you include the time he spent traveling back in time, he hasn't seen Teacher Ouyang for over a month.
He paused, then continued, "Secondly, just like in the hospital before, I need you to cover for me this time, teacher."
"You're a womanizer and promiscuous yourself, and you even drag the teacher down with you to cover for your lies..."
Ouyang Lianyu first rolled her eyes at him in annoyance, then her expression gradually became subtle as if she suddenly thought of something. "Wait a minute... that girl named Mo Yixia didn't receive an invitation, and even if she did, she definitely wouldn't go. Since she's not even there, why do you need the teacher to cover for you?"
Han Zhou's biggest problem is that he's juggling two relationships. If Gu Zheng and Mo Yixia are both present, he'll naturally be in a lot of trouble. But if only one of them is present, he shouldn't be so worried.
Could it be...?
An absurd yet reasonable conjecture flashed through her mind. Ouyang Lianyu's red lips parted slightly as she stared at Han Zhou in disbelief.
"Han Zhou, you wouldn't..."
"Teacher Ouyang, you have a really good eye for people."
As if guessing what she was thinking, Han Zhou gave an awkward smile.
"Yes."
He stood up, picked up the coffee on the table, bent down at a ninety-degree angle, and respectfully handed it to her.
"I'm juggling three relationships." (End of Chapter)