Chapter 646
The Death of Han Zhou
So close that if they turned their heads at the same time, their lips would touch.
That's impossible, of course.
After all, there was a height difference between the two, and as a result, Han Zhou's nose bumped into Zhong Yin's forehead, causing a sharp pain.
"Oops... Sorry, Sister Yin."
Han Zhou gasped. "What are you trying to say?"
"You go first."
Zhong Yin's forehead throbbed slightly, but she stubbornly refused to rub it, simply staring at him expressionlessly.
Han Zhou rubbed his nose: "I just wanted to ask where the toolbox is."
Although Zhong Yin didn't know how to repair things, she knew that fixing this kind of charger would require more specialized and precise tools. However, she didn't expect this guy to be able to fix it anyway, so she pointed to the cabinet in the corner:
"It's in that cabinet over there."
Han Zhou said "Oh," but didn't rush to get the toolbox. He asked, "What were you trying to say?"
Zhong Yin originally wanted to ask who the woman named Sevensana was, but the words that came out were replaced by another question: "How did you know I like Fox Shadow Warrior?"
She had never mentioned this to anyone, not even Xiaoling, who knew that she had such an "idol".
Han Zhou was taken aback. He wanted to give a casual answer, but then he remembered that he was currently working on correcting his habit of lying. So he said vaguely, "You told me that day."
"Which day?" Zhong Yin frowned slightly. "The day I got drunk?"
"I knew you didn't remember," Han Zhou chuckled.
He knew about this because in the past timeline, the two had watched the movie together. When Chung Yin mentioned the character, his eyes were filled with longing and brightness; his affection for the character was impossible to hide.
Zhong Yin was silent for a moment: "Besides this, what else did you say?"
"You don't remember anything at all?" Han Zhou asked tentatively.
"I don't remember."
"It's good that you don't remember..." Han Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and casually replied, "They're all just trivial matters."
Zhong Yin didn't press further, and after a while, she spoke again: "Xiao Ling told me that you carried me home that day, thank you."
This happened a week ago, isn't it a bit late to thank me now... Han Zhou thought to himself, and said with a smile, "You're welcome, after all, no one else can carry you except me."
Zhong Yin's expression suddenly turned cold: "If you can't speak properly, then shut up."
Han Zhou smiled. Although Sister Yin still had a cold face, he could tell that she seemed to be in a better mood. So he felt relieved, got up, took out the toolbox from the cabinet, sat back on the sofa, and started fiddling with the charger.
Zhong Yin glanced at him, then said nothing more, lowering her head to continue reading her comics. Occasionally, she would turn her head and catch a glimpse of that young, focused profile.
The old charger had been disassembled, and he was carefully examining the internal wiring with a magnifying glass. It looked a bit funny at first glance, but he seemed to be genuinely trying to repair the charger, rather than just putting on a show.
Today, nearly twenty volumes of the Fox Shadow Hero comic have been published. Perhaps because he has grown up, Zhong Yin has lost all interest in the new plot and characters. So he simply reread the first volume of the comic to see how Fox Shadow Hero transforms from a street thug that everyone dislikes into a great hero praised by all.
It's a story so clichéd it's almost unbelievable, I don't know how I could have gotten into it when I was younger.
Perhaps it's because, no matter how bumpy the journey, these kinds of stories always have a happy ending.
She hates tragedies, she hated them when she was young, and she hates them even more now. So when she occasionally rates movies online, even if they are universally considered bad, she will give them a passing grade as long as they have a happy ending.
The reason given was, "I like this ending."
The air conditioner hummed, and warm air flowed slowly through the room. She went to the kitchen, cut a plate of fruit, ate a few bites, and then turned to look at the guy still holding the magnifying glass:
"Want to eat?"
Han Zhou shook his head. He had eaten quite a bit on his way to his "date" with Teacher Ouyang tonight, so he wasn't hungry at all.
"I cut a lot; it would be a waste not to eat them."
"Why didn't you ask me before you cut it?"
Han Zhou said helplessly, "I don't have the time right now..."
Before he could even utter the word "hand," a piece of apple was shoved into his mouth. He chewed it instinctively, his expression instantly contorting.
Why is it so sour?
Zhong Yin sneered: "Would I feed you something sweet?"
"..."
A thin layer of mist formed on the glass window, reflecting the intertwined figures of the two people and blurring the outside world into a hazy sea of light.
The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, falling in large flakes, swept up by the draft from the buildings, and crashing wildly under the orange streetlights.
Inside, the air conditioner hummed softly and metal clanged gently. Outside, the wind howled and snow swirled in the air. All these sounds mingled together, but Zhong Yin couldn't hear anything except the gradually calming beating of his own heart.
She ate fruit while casually flipping through comics, occasionally commenting on the content. Han Zhou would then, as before, lean close to her ear and loudly respond.
Actually, this way of communicating was uncomfortable at all; one ear hurt and the other had a sore throat, but both of them tacitly refrained from saying anything.
Throughout the entire process, she never once confirmed whether the charger could actually be fixed.
However, her not asking didn't mean Han Zhou would be perfunctory; he was genuinely confident he could fix the charger.
[Handcraft Proficiency (Modified) → Surgical Proficiency: The art of manipulation that only true master craftsmen can comprehend. Once activated, for three hours, you possess superhuman control over delicate objects, exhibiting exceptional stability and precision when wielding tools. You are particularly skilled at repairing watches, precision electronic instruments, and various miniature models. Each activation consumes 20 points, with a cooldown period of one natural day.]
He was certainly not good at repairs, but the status bar was something he could excel at. So, as early as when he made the commitment, he was thinking about how to modify the status bar to be usable for repairs, and finally chose "proficient in manual work".
In fact, when he changed "manual" to "surgery", his first thought was to define it as a real medical surgery, which might solve many problems at the root, such as Teacher Ouyang's mother's illness, or Sister Yin's ear. Except for not being able to perform surgery on herself, this state is almost perfect.
Unfortunately, the current status bar doesn't support this definition. Clearly, the "surgical expertise" displayed in the status bar is far more powerful than he imagined, but this also means it temporarily exceeds the current scope of the status bar. Therefore, Han Zhou had to settle for second best, defining "surgery" as "manual art," which granted him three hours of repair time.
It is said that even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice. Without the corresponding tools and parts, it is practically impossible to repair this old charger. But art is about turning the impossible into the possible.
Of course, even with the help of the status bar, Han Zhou still needs to concentrate fully; without the aid of a magnifying glass, he can't even see some structures clearly.
After nearly three hours of repair work, even with his physical strength, he was dizzy and exhausted. Fortunately, his hard work paid off, and when he inserted the charger cable into the socket, the indicator light finally lit up normally.
He breathed a sigh of relief, placed the hearing aid on the table into the charging dock, and only when he saw the current connected and the light steady did a genuine smile appear on his face.
He pressed his temples, feeling an intense soreness in his eyes. He wanted to check the time on his phone, but then remembered that Zhong Yin had taken it. However, he knew without even looking that he couldn't possibly get back to his dorm at this hour.
Zhong Yin was clearly aware of this, and had already vacated the room. Her house only had two bedrooms, one for herself and one for Zhong Ling. As a doting sister, she would not allow a man to sleep in her sister's room. Therefore, Han Zhou would be staying in Zhong Yin's room tonight.
Zhong Yin was actually sleepy a long time ago, but she was very stubborn and kept sitting beside him, enduring her sleepiness. She just couldn't stay awake any longer and realized that she hadn't taken a shower yet. She had only been in the bathroom for a short while.
"Sorry, senior, we're probably going to oversleep again tomorrow morning..."
Han Zhou yawned, sat on the sofa and waited. Listening to the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, fatigue washed over him like a tide, and he closed his eyes without realizing it.
When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a snow-white arc covered in soft fabric, which was very imposing.
Zhong Yin seemed to have just taken a shower, her hair still damp. She had changed into a loose cotton nightgown, which was actually quite conservative, but her figure was so good that the fabric was stretched to its limit. Because of her bending over, the neckline was slightly open, revealing a breathtakingly deep white cleavage.
She never wore pajamas in public and didn't need to be on guard around her sister, so she was unaware of the danger of bending over. At this moment, she obviously didn't realize that she was exposing herself. Seeing Han Zhou's dazed expression, she assumed that he was still half asleep.
"Awake?" she asked.
"woke up."
Han Zhou answered absentmindedly, his eyes still fixed on the other person's chest.
"Go to bed when you wake up..."
Zhong Yin was about to send him to sleep when she suddenly noticed his gaze. She looked down at her chest and frowned slightly. "Where are you looking?"
She straightened up and, with a sullen face, gathered her clothes.
Han Zhou did not flinch; his gaze remained fixed on the silver chain around her neck. His expression was not one of embarrassment, but rather one of indescribable complexity.
"I didn't expect you to still have this."
He said wistfully, "I thought you had lost it a long time ago..."
“Come here and speak, I can’t hear you,” Zhong Yin said coldly.
She noticed the charger had been fixed when she came out of the bathroom, but it wouldn't charge much in such a short time, so she didn't rush to put on her hearing aid.
Han Zhou had only spoken his mind because he was certain she wasn't wearing a hearing aid—his fascination with her wasn't entirely due to gravity, but because he had seen the pair of rings he had given to Zhong Yin in the past.
Since they met, he had never seen Zhong Yin wear a ring. Even when he went back in time and found himself with a hair tie, he had never seen Zhong Yin with anything different.
But thinking about it, it's not surprising. After all, it was less than a month for him, but for Zhong Yin, it was a full nine years. Nine years is enough time to lose many people and things, not to mention the status bar correction. It's not surprising that he would lose that ring.
When he realized this, he was actually relieved, relieved that Zhong Yin was not trapped in that memory like Wang Lengqiu.
Indeed, children are the easiest to fool in this world, aren't they?
He even wondered if he was overthinking it. The reason Zhong Yin always had a cold face towards him wasn't because he didn't see the hair tie on his hand when they first met, but simply because the two of them were incompatible from the start.
Although thinking this way is somewhat hurtful, at least the outcome is good. Sister Yin forgets everything and is good to everyone, even herself.
After all, the person she once liked had become a complete scumbag. To use a somewhat inaccurate analogy, her ideal man had died.
But he was indeed a greedy person. Even though he knew very well that this was the best outcome, he still couldn't help but think occasionally that he wished Sister Yin hadn't lost that ring.
Perhaps she didn't lose it; she just hid the ring.
And just today, he actually saw the hidden ring.
It turns out that Sister Yin had always worn it as a necklace, in the place closest to her heart.
A bittersweet feeling welled up inside Han Zhou. He let out a long breath, leaned close to Zhong Yin's ear, and asked loudly, "Sister Yin, can I take a look at your necklace?"
"necklace?"
Zhong Yin seemed taken aback for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Where did I get this necklace?"
"It's the ring you wear on your chest," Han Zhou reminded him.
"ring……"
A look of confusion flashed across Zhong Yin's eyes. She subconsciously pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her agitation intensify. "I don't understand what you're saying."
The ring was right there on her chest, visible if she looked down, but she seemed to completely ignore it.
The status bar correction effect is truly amazing... Could it be that I'm the only one who can see this ring?
Han Zhou muttered to himself, not intending to press further, and smiled, "I am driving..."
Before he could finish speaking, a struggle flashed in Zhong Yin's eyes. He clutched his head in pain, his body went limp, and he slumped backward.
Seeing this, Han Zhou quickly put his arm around her and helped her to the sofa, asking anxiously, "Sister Yin, what's wrong?"
"The ring... I think I remember now..."
Zhong Yin tried to push him away, but she had no strength at the moment. She could only grit her teeth and say, "The doctor said that when the accident happened four years ago, Xiao Ling and I both suffered brain damage and lost some of our memories. But I think I just remembered something..."
Her body was trembling, her breathing was becoming more and more rapid, and even her eyes were faintly red, as if something was breaking free of its shackles.
After a long while, she suddenly raised her head, a tear silently sliding down her cheek, staring blankly at the young face before her.
"Han Zhou...aren't you dead?" (End of Chapter)