Chapter 650
The Setting Sun
When Zhong Yin woke up this morning, Han Zhou originally wanted to find her to confirm his guess from last night.
However, she seemed to have forgotten what she said before going to sleep, and she didn't even remember that she was wearing a ring pendant around her neck.
If no one reminds her, she may never remember anything about it.
Han Zhou hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not try to awaken her memory.
Regardless of whether his guess was correct or not, he had already made his decision.
Perhaps the reason why fate is fate is that even if it is seen through, it will still ruthlessly push all living beings forward along the predetermined trajectory.
Han Zhou didn't believe in fate, and besides, with the status bar as a backup, he thought he might not die in the next time he traveled through time.
Maybe all those guesses from last night were wrong?
Even if it were true, with prior knowledge of the outcome and thorough preparation, there should be at least a one in ten chance of survival.
It's worth taking the gamble.
If he could go back in time, he might not necessarily die, but if he didn't go back in time, the Zhong and Yin sisters would definitely die. So the choice is obvious.
Christmas isn't as lively as you might imagine. Most people who care about this holiday are young people, and even young people don't get a holiday now. The streets are rather deserted. If you ignore the Christmas decorations, it's not even as lively as a regular weekend.
Gu Zheng, however, was quite excited. After lunch, she dragged Han Zhou around the streets, as if she wanted to trample on the remaining festive atmosphere of the city.
English songs were playing on the street corner radio, and several cafes along the street had set up stalls selling mulled wine. Guzheng squeezed into the crowd, carrying back two cups of piping hot red wine. The aroma of cinnamon and orange mingled with the white steam and wafted over.
She wasn't afraid of the spiciness; she took a sip and squinted her eyes, then pulled Han Zhou to look at the giant Christmas tree covered in colorful lights in the center of Qingyuan Square.
A few young people were gathered around the jukebox under the tree, singing Christmas carols off-key. Their singing was terrible, but no one cared. The air was filled with a unique, leisurely warmth that belonged to the holiday.
Gu Zheng pulled Han Zhou into singing a song with everyone. Whether it was because everyone praised her singing or because she heard Han Zhou sing off-key, her eyes gradually curved into crescent moons.
The guzheng never stopped for the entire afternoon. Only Han Zhou's stamina could keep up. If it were anyone else, they would probably have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.
Han Zhou didn't complain. He just smiled and followed the girl, his hands in his pockets, quietly watching her.
He watched Gu Zheng tiptoe to reach the balloon, watched her point at the dolls in the shop window, watched her smile radiantly on this ordinary afternoon that was destined not to be recorded in history, because of a cup of hot drink or a string of lights.
As dusk settled and the streetlights came on, Han Zhou looked at Gu Zheng's profile, her breath steaming in the cold wind, and felt a growing sense of melancholy.
Such a day, such liveliness, and even such a guzheng performance should have belonged to him.
But in order to pull the Zhong sisters back from that inevitable end, he was destined to take a risk, and such a choice might be another betrayal for Guzheng.
"What's wrong?"
Seemingly noticing his gaze, Guzheng, who was buying roasted sweet potatoes, turned around and looked at him, asking curiously, "Have you been looking at me too many times today?"
Han Zhou smiled and said, "Back in high school, we were always together. Now we see each other less often, and sometimes I can't help but feel like I can't get enough of seeing you."
Gu Zheng was startled, her cheeks instantly flushed red by the setting sun, and she quickly turned her head away: "What nonsense are you talking about? You can't get enough of looking at me, so why don't you come find me..."
Haven't you been busy lately?
Wasn't I busy in high school?
Gu Zheng took the roasted sweet potato from the old lady, her face still flushed, and glared at him, "You still come to see me every day, don't you?"
Han Zhou pretended to think for a moment, then said, "How come I remember you contacting me more often?" "Nonsense!" Gu Zheng immediately retorted, "It's clearly you who contacted me more frequently!"
Han Zhou didn't argue, but just smiled and said, "After all, I can't live without you."
It doesn't really matter who visits whom more often. What matters is that, regardless of winter or summer vacation, or even important days like Chinese New Year, even though Guzheng's parents travel far away several times, someone always opens the door whenever he knocks.
That says it all.
In a sense, the reason why Guzheng had no friends was because of him. She had repeatedly refused invitations from her classmates, always citing prior commitments, which led to her being seen as arrogant, complacent, and unsociable.
He learned about this from Lin Anyu last week, and Lin Anyu heard it from Bai Tongtong.
He had always thought that Guzheng's lack of friends was simply due to her personality.
The guzheng was his personal sun, but he couldn't give her all the light.
Upon hearing these words, which she hadn't heard in a long time, Guzheng seemed lost in thought for a moment, then lowered her head and asked casually, "Then why didn't you come looking for me later?"
The wind suddenly picked up, whipping up snow from the ground.
The string of cheap plastic lights overhead rattled loudly in the wind, and a plume of burnt white smoke rose from the sweet potato roasting oven next to her, instantly swallowing the rest of her sentence.
The Christmas carols and laughter around seemed to have been blown away by the wind, leaving only the girl with her head down, rubbing the frozen mud on the ground with the tips of her shoes.
Is it because they can survive without me?
The sound was very soft, almost disappearing into the wind.
Han Zhou did not answer, or rather, he did not know how to answer.
The reason he kept the existence of the status bar a secret from everyone was because he knew very well that his motives for contacting these girls were not pure, and were even too utilitarian. He didn't know what would happen if he confessed.
They'll probably be very disappointed.
As long as the status bar indicates an unlockable object, regardless of whether it's Guzheng, Chen Zheng, or Li Zheng, whether it's Mo Yixia or just a couple of touches, he will try his best to get in touch with them.
That's how pragmatic they are.
How can a purely impure encounter have a purely pure ending?
Han Zhou knew that he was probably really scared this time, otherwise he wouldn't suddenly be so anxious and preoccupied with all sorts of random questions.
He even wondered, since he was willing to do anything to save the Zhong sisters, why not use that opportunity on his own biological mother?
This is precisely why he went to offer incense to his mother this morning.
He hoped to gain the other party's forgiveness.
The last rays of the setting sun were mercilessly swallowed by the horizon, and night fell gently like a thin veil.
In the instant the light and shadow shifted, the giant Christmas tree in the square suddenly lit up, tens of thousands of lights twinkling, and streams of light flowed slowly down the dark green branches, falling into Han Zhou's eyes.
The chaotic thoughts were suppressed by the bright light. He took a deep breath, and the cold wind filled his lungs, suddenly clearing his muddled mind.
"Guzheng, I have something to tell you." (End of Chapter)