Chapter 631
Curse
“This is Guzheng’s home. Even if you’re very bold, you shouldn’t show that hair tie on your hand.”
With a cold face, Zhong Yin pulled down Han Zhou's sleeve.
Clearly, she hadn't remembered anything about the hair tie; she was just worried that if Gu Zheng's family saw it, they wouldn't be able to enjoy their meal.
Han Zhou opened his mouth, but just then, the kitchen door was pushed open, and Miao Yan'er walked in, smiling as she asked, "How is it? Is the pork rib soup ready?"
"All right."
Han Zhou subtly pulled his sleeve down a little more, while Zhong Yin quietly tucked his injured index finger into his sleeve.
"Have you tasted it yet?"
Miao Yan'er washed her hands at the sink, wiped them casually on her apron, then walked to the stove, lifted the lid of the porcelain basin, and examined it closely.
She smiled, looking like a gentle lady, her face revealing no other emotion, as if she hadn't heard a word from the guzheng.
Han Zhou secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was said that Sister Miao had an even more fiery temper than Gu Zheng when she was young, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to forcibly abduct Uncle Gu, who was a playboy at the time. Although she has toned it down now and is always smiling, she is still a person who can explode at the slightest provocation, especially when Gu Zheng is involved.
The fact that the other party didn't throw him into the pot the moment they entered the door shows that Guzheng didn't say anything, at least not about the cat-ear pajamas that had been hanging out to dry on the balcony that morning.
But the thought that Gu Zheng was so angry, yet he could only suppress it in his heart, with no one to confide in or vent to, made him feel even heavier.
He suddenly lost the will to stay in the kitchen and cook, and forced a smile, saying, "I've tasted it. As expected of Sister Miao, your cooking skills are getting better and better. In that case, I won't stay here and cause any more trouble."
"Where do you want to go if you're not staying here?" Miao Yan'er gave him a reproachful look. "Going to the living room to slack off?"
Han Zhou thought for a moment and said, "It's been a long time since I've been back. I'd like to go out for a walk with Gu Zheng."
What's meant to happen will happen eventually. Now that the pajamas incident has been exposed, hiding isn't an option.
"You didn't actually make plans with Xiaozheng a long time ago, did you?"
"what?"
"Xiao Zheng just said the same thing, insisting on going out for a walk with you."
Han Zhou paused, but before he could speak, Miao Yan'er continued, "However, I didn't agree."
She still had a smile on her face and said earnestly, "Don't you all spend enough time together in private? It won't make a difference if we spend a little more time together. It's a rare occasion for so many people to gather here today, so don't spoil everyone's fun."
"Can……"
“Before lunch,” Miao Yan’er interrupted him, her smile gradually fading and her voice suddenly turning cold, “you are not allowed to go anywhere.”
The sudden sternness startled both Han Zhou and Zhong Yin.
But the next second, she giggled again, as if she had just made a slightly naughty joke. "You only listen when I put on a serious face, right, Han Zhou?"
When she said "Han Zhou," she deliberately dragged out the last syllable, carrying a hint of dangerous warning. Han Zhou understood that once she used this tone to call him by his full name, it meant that her authority was not to be challenged, and if he dared to say another word, the consequences would be unpredictable.
So he obediently nodded: "I'll do whatever Sister Miao says."
Miao Yan'er was finally satisfied. She took off her apron and threw it into his hand: "Then let me see your skills."
Seeing Han Zhou return to the stove and start working, she turned to Zhong Yin and blinked apologetically, "I'm sorry, I didn't scare you just now, did I?"
"No."
Caught off guard by the sudden conversation, Zhong Yin seemed somewhat at a loss, managing a stiff smile – in fact, she hadn't spent a long time with a true "elder" in the real sense, and was momentarily at a loss.
Although Ouyang Lianyu was older than her, they were actually the same age. It was only because of her position as a teacher that she maintained sufficient respect for him.
"I remember your name is..."
"Zhong Yin".
Miao Yan'er smiled and said in a very familiar tone, "Xiao Yin, may I call you that?"
Hearing this distant yet familiar address, Zhong Yin paused for a moment, unconsciously clenching her hands, but accidentally aggravating the wound on her fingers, making her smile even more bitter: "Okay."
"Well then, Little Silver, I have to say something to you."
Unexpectedly, Miao Yan'er suddenly put on a stern face and said in a serious tone, "You are a guest. How can you let a guest help in the kitchen? Go sit in the living room."
Han Zhou coughed lightly: "Sister Miao, I'm a guest too..."
"Hmm?" Miao Yan'er glanced at him.
"It's alright now."
Han Zhou lowered his head and continued working.
For some reason, Zhong Yin suddenly felt like laughing at that pathetic look. Her expression relaxed a bit, but her tone was still somewhat restrained: "Auntie, I'm used to being busy all the time, so I don't feel comfortable being idle..."
"It's precisely because we're always so busy that we need to rest even more when it's time to rest."
Miao Yan'er's words left her speechless, and she then corrected her with a smile, "Also, you should call me Sister Miao, Auntie sounds old."
In a sense, Miao Yan'er's obsession with titles is comparable to Gu Zheng's obsession with being number one.
Han Zhou said helplessly, "Sister Miao, I call Sister Yin 'sister,' and I call you 'sister' too. Now Sister Yin has to call you 'sister.' Isn't this messing up the generations?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt the temperature in the kitchen drop a bit. He thought the snow had gotten heavier again and was about to look out the window when he noticed that Zhong Yin had turned his head and looked at him with eyes as cold as ice.
The snow outside seemed to have stopped, yet it also seemed as if it had all fallen into her eyes. Han Zhou shivered, not yet realizing what she had said wrong.
"Wasn't it already in chaos?"
Miao Yan'er rolled her eyes at him, looking helpless as if to say, "If you can't speak properly, then shut up." "She's not that much older than you, so what's with this seniority thing?"
That's strange. This kid doesn't seem like the type to flirt with girls. Maybe they're just imagining things.
But what I heard that day...
After some effort, she finally managed to persuade Zhong Yin to go to the living room. Then she closed the kitchen door, walked behind Han Zhou, and watched with interest as he caramelized sugar.
Han Zhou knew she was right behind him. He was nervous, but he had no time to think about anything else. Caramelizing sugar requires precise control of the heat. The slightest difference can make all the difference, whether it's sweet, bland, or bitter.
The clear syrup in the pot started to bubble with large white bubbles, which then turned into small, golden foam.
He kept stirring the pot with the spatula in his hand, and the yellow color gradually deepened, transitioning from light gold to deep amber, and a sweet, caramelized aroma began to fill the air.
Seeing that the color had turned a deep reddish-brown, he no longer hesitated. With a "sizzle," he poured a bowl of hot water along the edge of the pot. The boiling caramel coloring reacted with the water, creating thick white steam that instantly engulfed the stove.
"Not bad at all," Miao Yan'er commented with a smile.
"It would be better if you weren't here..."
Han Zhou accidentally blurted out what was on his mind.
"So you really did something wrong, didn't you? You're not usually this afraid of me."
As she said this, Miao Yan'er still had a smile on her face, as if she was just joking. She glanced towards the door, but did not rush to interrogate her. Instead, she asked curiously, "But you seem to be more afraid of that child named Zhong Yin. Why is that?"
Han Zhou was taken aback. He had already prepared himself to be questioned, but he didn't expect Sister Miao to gossip about this first. For a moment, he didn't know whether to complain or feel fortunate.
He was still busy with his hands when he replied, "You should remember, for a period of time during summer vacation, I came to your house wearing sunglasses..."
"You're saying she hit you in the eye?" Miao Yan'er asked in surprise.
"Yes, it's a misunderstanding."
Han Zhou recounted the scene of his first meeting with Zhong Yin, "But perhaps due to the influence of the first impression, I have always been quite afraid of her."
"I don't believe you have anyone you're afraid of." Miao Yan'er said with an interested expression.
"Uh..." Han Zhou gave a wry smile, "It's not so much that I'm afraid, but rather that I respect her. Ever since Sister Yin's parents passed away, she has become the pillar of the family..."
"What?" Miao Yan'er's smile faded, and her expression turned solemn. "Her parents have passed away?"
She suddenly seemed to understand why the child had made that expression earlier.
"Didn't Guzheng tell you?" Han Zhou asked in surprise.
"She would never tell me these things. When she gets home, she talks about nothing but studying or... never mind, let's continue."
"say what?"
"Tell me about the other girls."
Miao Yan'er rubbed her temples, seemingly with a headache. "If I had known earlier that one of Gu Zheng's friends was an orphan, I wouldn't have invited everyone over under the guise of a family reunion dinner."
Han Zhou was taken aback at first, then chuckled dryly and whispered, "Sister Miao, actually, I'm pretty much like an orphan..."
His mother died early, and his father is nowhere to be found. He is now practically an orphan.
"You're always just trying to distract me."
Miao Yan'er could no longer laugh. Hearing this, she glared at him irritably, but her tone softened, "Didn't I say that our home is your home?"
“I know, but the problem is…”
Han Zhou hesitated for a moment, then cautiously added, "Actually, Xiaoxiao is also an orphan, she's that short girl."
Miao Yan'er was struck dumb.
Why didn't you say so sooner?
"Why didn't you ask sooner?"
Seeing the usually smiling woman looking annoyed, Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated, and comforted her, "Sister Miao, it's not as serious as you think. They're not that fragile."
It's unclear whether Miao Yan'er listened or not. After a long silence, she suddenly asked, "What about that girl named Wang Lengqiu? Could it be that she also..."
“She’s not an orphan.” Han Zhou shook his head.
Miao Yan'er breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that it made sense; if that girl were also an orphan, Gu Zheng and the others wouldn't have visited her home last week.
The next second, Han Zhou continued, "But it's better than being an orphan."
Miao Yan'er's expression froze.
Is this some kind of... curse?
Are all of Guzheng's friends orphans? (End of Chapter)