Chapter 656
, Problem 1
Han Zhou was actually quite relieved that Linda University's New Year's Eve party was scheduled for December 29th this year, which meant he would still have time to watch Mo Yixia's school's New Year's Eve performance on the afternoon of the 30th.
This was something he had promised long ago.
However, he never expected that Mo Yixia would not wait for him at the New Year's Day performance on the afternoon of the 30th, but would arrive at Linda University a day earlier.
The wind was strong today, and fine snowflakes clung to the string lights on both sides of the school. The Christmas decorations, which had not yet been completely taken down, swayed precariously in the gray sky.
First of all, I'm very happy to meet you.
At the school gate, he looked at the girl in front of him wearing a mask and a baseball cap, his tone tinged with helplessness, "But could you tell me what day of the week it is today?"
Today is not the weekend, and Mo Yixia, as a high school student, should not be here.
"I skipped class."
Mo Yixia asked confidently, her gaze lingering on the Christmas decorations still up outside the school gate, "How was your Christmas this year?"
"Are you deliberately trying to mock me?"
Han Zhou twitched the corners of his mouth and led her into the school gate. The snow crunched softly under their feet. "Gu Zheng hasn't spoken to me for several days."
"If I don't make fun of you, do you expect me to praise you?"
Mo Yixia raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been wanting to see this day come for a long time, but has that flat-chested girl really given up so easily?"
"Anyway, I won't give up," Han Zhou replied, seemingly unrelated to the question.
"Aren't you afraid of hurting me by saying such things in front of the other boat beneath your feet?"
"I'm scared, but even if I don't say it, you can tell what I'm thinking, can't you?"
Han Zhou smiled, exhaled a breath of white air, which quickly dissipated into the cold wind. "Besides, didn't you say that you are my final challenge?"
"So, before you solve this final problem, are you planning to keep hurting me without restraint?"
"My choice is destined to break everyone's heart." Han Zhou reached out and brushed the snow off his shoulder, his voice lowered. "The only thing I can do is to minimize the harm to you as much as possible."
"strangeness……"
Mo Yixia looked at his profile, which was filled with a hint of apology yet unusual seriousness, and then thoughtfully looked away. "So, does 'heartbreak' really make a person grow?"
Han Zhou gave a wry smile, raised his hand to brush the snow off the brim of her hat, and took the opportunity to pat her head: "You're not planning to make me 'grow up' like this again, are you?"
"I have that plan."
Mo Yixia didn't dodge; instead, she rubbed her hand against his palm and said with a half-smile, "Anyway, you will definitely be mine."
"So you've started to believe in results-oriented thinking too."
"On the contrary, I believe in the process itself."
Mo Yixia reached out and caught a falling snowflake, watching it melt in her palm. "It is because we believe in the process that we believe in the result, just like believing that hard work will definitely be rewarded."
Han Zhou chuckled: "I remember you didn't say that before."
As a genius girl, she has always held a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards so-called "effort".
This is probably one of the reasons why she and Guzheng, who have hard work ingrained in their bones, always dislike each other.
People change, not just you, but me too.
"Have I changed?" Han Zhou was stunned.
"That's a question you'll have to ask yourself."
Mo Yixia stopped looking at him, put her hands behind her back, her fingertips gently intertwined behind her back, and walked forward on the snow with light steps, as if she had melted into the dappled sunlight of a winter afternoon.
She took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned halfway to the side.
In the snow's glow, she tilted her head, as if smiling:
"I'm free all day today, where do you plan to take me?"
Normally, Han Zhou would rack his brains to find a good place for Mo Yixia to go, so that she could have a good time.
But at this moment, thinking of Wang Lengqiu waiting for him in the dressing room, he could only turn his face slightly and force himself to speak:
"I want to take you to solve my first problem."
……
"There are too many people in the rest area. This is the broadcast control room, and no one usually comes here. You can talk here if you have anything to say."
Even through the wall, Xia Qing could feel the invisible pressure permeating the room. Although her curiosity was strong, she dared not linger in such a place. Holding her breath slightly, she listened carefully to the sounds, and only after confirming that the two people in the room were not fighting did she lower her voice and continue to instruct:
"Remember, whatever you do, don't turn on the radio, or you'll become famous... even though you're already famous enough."
"Thank you for your help, Senior Xia Qing."
Han Zhou felt a little guilty. He had been hesitant to ask Xia Qing for help before, but when he asked if they could find a secluded place, she readily agreed and brought them here.
"I'm also doing this for tonight's performance."
Xia Qing smiled and said, "It's easy to find a secluded spot, but if Wang Lengqiu leaves, tonight's stage play will lose a major highlight."
"You're way too obsessed with her..."
"She agreed to this herself, you wouldn't object, would you?"
"How could that be?"
Han Zhou shook his head, puzzled, and asked, "But you just said that two more new characters will be added to tonight's stage play, is that true?"
"Didn't you say that?"
Xia Qing said helplessly, "Gu Zheng has already accepted your invitation, and you don't dare to go back on your word, but you also don't want to refuse Wang Lengqiu's kindness. What can I do? I can only try to add new characters."
Should we let these two perform on the same stage...?
Seeing Han Zhou's complicated expression, Xia Qing smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, it's just a minor role that doesn't require rehearsals."
“…Senior Xia Qing.”
"what happened?"
"You wouldn't actually be interested in me, would you?"
"If I were interested in you, I would kill all my rivals."
Xia Qing rolled her eyes. "Alright, I have something to do, so I won't chat with you anymore. I'll send you the script in a bit. Remember to familiarize yourself with it beforehand. After all, it's a performance, and even if there's no need for rehearsal, there are some things you still need to know."
"Send it to me?" Han Zhou was taken aback. "I'm going to play too?"
Why do you think two new characters need to be added?
Xia Qing said with a smile, "I'm helping you for my own selfish reasons. One of the conditions is that you get to perform on stage too."
"I have no objection, but no matter what, isn't it a bit too frivolous to change a script that's already been finalized?"
"As the student council president, you should have this kind of courage. Don't worry, we'll let you come over to test the effect before the performance. If the effect is too bad, we won't let you go on stage."
Xia Qing winked at him, "You probably also want to find opportunities to meet with Guzheng more often, right?"
These words undoubtedly struck at Han Zhou's weakness. He did indeed want to see Gu Zheng more often, since only by meeting her could they have more opportunities to communicate. But for some reason, Xia Qing's smile gave him a premonition that he was being pushed step by step into a trap.
Xia Qing said with a smile, "It's okay if you don't want to act. You can give the role to the girl wearing a mask and baseball cap. I think she seems quite interested."
Upon hearing this, Han Zhou felt a chill run down his spine. Given Mo Yixia's personality, she might actually take the role. And if Gu Zheng and Mo Yixia were to meet on stage tonight, it was easy to imagine what would happen.
"Could you tell me the contents of the script first?" he asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, they're all minor characters with no lines," Xia Qing said sincerely. "I just want to make good use of your good looks."
“…Alright then.” Han Zhou had no choice but to agree.
"Then it's settled. You can use the broadcasting room as you like today, just don't tamper with the equipment. I'll be going now."
Watching Xia Qing's retreating figure, Han Zhou sighed inwardly. It seemed this senior was no ordinary person; she clearly wanted to watch the show at the rehearsal...
But then again... if the senior student likes watching the excitement so much, why doesn't she just stay?
He was puzzled until he pushed open the door to the broadcasting room and finally understood the reason—
"Oh, our 'test-taker' is back."
The girl, wearing a mask and a baseball cap, leaned back in her chair, lazily watching the monitor screen. Her tone was languid and casual, yet somehow it gave off a sarcastic vibe. "So, isn't the student council president cute?"
Han Zhou immediately sensed something was wrong and subconsciously explained, "Yi Xia, how come even you misunderstood?"
"'Even me'? Before this, would anyone else care about this kind of thing?"
Mo Yixia turned her chair around, seemingly lost in thought, "Let me guess, it shouldn't be flat-chested, right?"
She turned her head slightly and saw Wang Lengqiu not far away tilting her head, also with an inquiring expression. She then realized it wasn't her either, and the smile in her eyes deepened.
"Senior Zhong Ling is shy, so even if she cares, she won't say it. Teacher Ouyang, because of her position as a teacher, won't easily assume that you're having an affair with another female student. As for Xiao Xiao, she probably doesn't care at all who you're having an affair with..."
She pressed down three fingers in sequence, her tone more certain than speculative:
"So, it's Sister Zhong Yin?"
"She remembered?"
Faced with this series of analyses, Han Zhou felt as if his underwear was about to be stripped off, yet he couldn't deny it, so he could only nod hesitantly:
"I doubt it."
"That would be troublesome."
Mo Yixia sighed, "I really respect Sister Zhong Yin. What if she tries to take you away from me too?"
She paused, then glanced at Wang Lengqiu, who seemed detached from the situation, with a half-smile. "Why don't we take the student council president's suggestion and kill them all?"
Han Zhou's eyelids twitched: "You eavesdropped on our conversation?"
"I do not have."
“She eavesdropped,” Wang Lengqiu exposed.
"Senior Wang Lengqiu."
Mo Yixia casually hooked the edge of her mask with her fingertips and slowly took it off. She then casually removed her baseball cap, and her dark hair fell down with the movement, exposing her delicate face to the light without any concealment.
"Let's go back to the same question: Do you think love built on guilt is true love?"
"I still have the same question as before."
Wang Lengqiu looked at her quietly, "Do you think there's a first-come, first-served rule in love?"
The atmosphere in the room instantly became subtle.
“I’ve already heard Han Zhou say that, chronologically speaking, you did know him the earliest.”
Mo Yixia said calmly, "But so what? Time never turns back, and whether we like it or not, we can only move towards the future."
"We are already standing in the future."
Wang Lengqiu said softly, "Besides, even if time doesn't turn back, you're still a latecomer."
"I didn't expect you to speak up for flat-chested girls." Mo Yixia laughed. "You and I are rivals in love, but aren't you rivals with her too?"
Wang Lengqiu paused for a moment: "In front of us, you will always be a latecomer."
Mo Yixia wasn't annoyed, she just smiled and said, "Do you want to tie yourself to flat-chested girls? You may have that idea, but she might not agree."
"I do not care."
"Don't care? You said you didn't care last time too, but true love is always selfish. Your indifference only shows that your love is not pure."
Faced with this statement that could shatter one's resolve, Wang Lengqiu remained calm and composed, softly saying, "Love doesn't necessarily have to be pure."
"in addition……"
She suddenly stood up, walked to Han Zhou's side, and gently took his arm. "I am Han Zhou's girlfriend."
The air froze instantly.
Han Zhou broke out in a cold sweat. This was the first time he had seen Wang Lengqiu so assertive, completely different from her usual self. He swallowed hard, somewhat afraid to look Mo Yixia in the eye.
"girlfriend?"
Mo Yixia merely smiled faintly, her gaze lingering for a moment on their intertwined arms, her tone still nonchalant, "Oh, you mean that kind of clandestine relationship, right?"
"If we're talking about a clandestine relationship, Han Zhou and I have been together for a long time."
Wang Lengqiu tilted his head.
"Cough cough."
Han Zhou coughed lightly, "Um... how about I say a few words?"
Mo Yixia glanced at him and said indifferently, "If you want to treat everyone equally, I advise you to keep quiet."
Han Zhou fell silent.
Facing this true battleground for the first time, he was at a loss. Now that even his ability to balance things out had been taken away, he was even more helpless. Fortunately, both of them were still quite restrained and only exchanged words, which was much better than he had expected.
After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively suggested, "How about we go for a walk together? Or maybe have a cup of tea or something..."
"Do you want me to have you with two women on either side of you?"
Mo Yixia clicked her tongue. Although her tone was unfriendly, she didn't object. Instead, she stood up and said in a helpless tone, "Then let's go for a walk."
Strangely, even though she was about to go out, she didn't seem inclined to put her mask and baseball cap back on.
Han Zhou was overjoyed, then turned to look at Wang Lengqiu, who nodded slightly, indicating that she had no objection.
Without further hesitation, he immediately opened the door to the broadcasting room and went out first.
But the next second, he scrambled back as if he were crawling, and slammed the door shut.
"Why are you back again?" Mo Yixia asked knowingly, looking at the footage on the monitor.
Han Zhou felt a chill run down his spine and pressed himself tightly against the door, fearing that someone passing by might simply turn the doorknob.
"...The guzheng is outside." (End of Chapter)