Forced into a romantic relationship

Chapter 457 Meaning
It was freezing cold, and it was a weekend morning, so Lincheng University seemed a little deserted today, with not many students coming and going.

Zhong Ling walked into the cafeteria alone, bought breakfast at the window she often went to, said "thank you" in a voice that only she could hear, then found an empty seat and sat down, took off her gloves, pulled the scarf that covered half of her face down to her neck, revealing her small and round chin, and lowered her head to gently blew on the boiling hot porridge in the bowl.

Even with such a simple action, this girl looked extremely cute and instantly attracted a lot of attention in the cafeteria.

Zhong Ling has a very regular schedule. She is usually the first one to wake up in the dormitory. She doesn't have the habit of staying in bed, even in the cold winter. Therefore, she usually comes to the cafeteria to eat alone.

After more than a year in school, she has become accustomed to living alone. She is not likely to meet strange people, nor will she cause trouble to others.

But in recent days, she found that her habit seemed to be broken.

During the period before and after the sports meet, we would have dinner together almost every day, talk about the interesting things that happened that day, discuss who would take care of the younger students tomorrow, chat and laugh, play and have fun, and we were as harmonious as a family.

The room is small, but no one thinks it’s crowded. We go out together to help my sister make cakes. After the busy work, even if we just sit together and say nothing, it is much more enjoyable than standing alone on the street watching a performance.

A crowded and small place is far better than an empty and vast place; the tranquility of companionship is far better than the hustle and bustle of an empty place.

She hadn't felt such a lively atmosphere for a long time since her parents passed away.

Even though my sister had always been with me, due to her own problems, the two of us didn't have much to say to each other during every meal. Although I wasn't lonely, it was somewhat deserted.

But it's different now.

The lonely days are over and life is getting better and better.

They no longer lived in a repair shop far away from the city, but moved to a bustling commercial district. What they faced every day were no longer the dust and grease that did not belong to their sister, but the pastries that her sister loved from the bottom of her heart.

The customers who come to the shop every day are no longer the car drivers who occasionally speak rudely, but young and enthusiastic students. They will not bully my sister just because she is the only one there, but will generously praise the pastries that my sister makes with all her heart.

The business in the store is very good, and I will be able to save enough money in two years at the latest for my sister to have surgery to restore her hearing.

Zhong Ling did not regret supporting her sister's decision to sell the repair station at all. Although it did hold many precious memories that made her reluctant to part with it, her sister's happiness was more important and there was no need for her to bear more.

She could see that her sister was indeed having a very happy time during this period.

And as long as her sister is happy, she is happy.

But her happiness was not all because of her sister.

Although she felt embarrassed to say it, she felt that she was gradually becoming braver and no longer as indecisive as before.

In addition to her sister's constant guidance, the main reason was that every time she took care of her younger brother and asked him what he wanted to eat or drink, he would always smile and say it was up to him, forcing her to learn to choose on her own.

Of course she knew that her junior wasn't trying to play a prank on her, so she kept on with the "training". Today, she is able to go to the supermarket to buy groceries by herself, and she secretly decided to pick out a Christmas gift for everyone.

This is actually a very insignificant change, so insignificant that most people don't need to undergo any training at all, but she still feels very happy because she is gradually becoming mature, and maturity means growing up.

She likes to stay with her junior, not only because he will help her grow up, but also because he is a very interesting person. He always has a lot of interesting things to say, and she will never feel bored when she is with him.

The most important thing is... only the junior student can hear every word she says.

Even though she still couldn't make a sound loud enough for everyone to hear, with the help of her junior, she was able to communicate with everyone normally.

The junior student would respond to her every word attentively and would always help her convey her messages without getting tired of it.

It has been like this since we met until now.

The junior is a careful and gentle person, and never says anything she doesn't want to say. But if there are some words that she hides in her heart and doesn't have the courage to say them out loud, after noticing it, the junior will always help her express them in the process of conveying the message.

For example, this sentence -

"How about we all get together for a meal on the weekends."

The junior student saw what she was worried about.

With the end of the sports meet and Yixia's departure, everyone's lives should have gradually returned to normal. Everyone had their own things to do. In the future, they would no longer go to their sister's house for dinner every day. Except for occasional interactions when taking care of their younger classmates, they would basically not meet at other times.

Once the younger students no longer need care, it means that the bond connecting everyone will be completely broken. Except for festivals, it may be difficult for everyone to have the opportunity to get together for a meal.

The once lively room will become deserted again.

She had always wanted to say something to keep everyone, but she just couldn't muster up the courage. The junior student obviously saw this, so he helped her say it.

The junior's words were very effective. Everyone agreed without much hesitation. Even senior Wang Lengqiu, who seemed difficult to communicate with, listened to him.

She sometimes wondered, if she hadn't met her junior that day, would her life be like this today?
No.

This question is meaningless.

It should be said that it was because of the encounter with her junior that day that her life became what it is now——

She and her junior classmate really have a connection with each other.

Thinking of this, a touching smile emerged on Zhong Ling's face. Her lovely appearance immediately fascinated several boys sitting not far away. They quickly raised their voices and tried to attract Zhong Ling's attention with humorous words.

“Do you think it will snow this year?”

"That should be the case. I think it should snow in winter. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste to endure such a cold day?"

"That makes sense, but what's the point of getting through the summer?"

"Of course I'm looking at the miniskirt and long legs."

"Hahaha……"

It’s a pity that the words that the few people thought were humorous did not reach Zhong Ling’s ears. That was because Zhong Yin was not here, otherwise he would definitely frown and pull his sister away from these guys.

"It's really frivolous."

At the same time, a middle-aged couple each carried a bowl of porridge and passed by the boys. Hearing these words, the man frowned slightly and said, "Let's change seats."

The woman beside him suppressed her laughter and glanced at him jokingly: "Didn't you just say that these kids are full of energy and wanted to ask them about Yu'er?"

"Humph, being too energetic is not a good thing. What about miniskirts and long legs? Who would discuss such things in public? You have no shame."

"You are too stubborn. Young people nowadays like to chat about handsome men and beautiful women. It's not against the law anyway. What's wrong with chatting?"

"Humph, I don't care about others, but if Yu'er's so-called boyfriend dares to be so frivolous, I won't agree to let them be together!" "Don't pretend, didn't you also love those female stars to death back then?"

The woman who was originally smiling immediately became unhappy, "I am warning you, Yu'er finally found someone she likes, no matter if they are a real couple or a fake couple, we have to treat it as real. If you dare to ruin our daughter's marriage, I will come back to settle the score with you in the next life!"

After hearing his wife's last words, a trace of sadness appeared on the man's old-fashioned face, and his tone softened a bit: "Let's find a place to eat first."

The two looked around and saw a sweet-looking girl sitting alone in the corner drinking porridge. The woman's eyes lit up and she immediately walked over and said gently, "Little girl, is there anyone sitting next to you?"

Zhong Ling turned around and inexplicably felt that the two people looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen them. She thought they were teachers from school, so she shook her head slightly to indicate that there was no one here.

"Can we sit down then?"

She nodded.

"Thank you."

The two men sat down beside her.

Zhong Ling wanted to say "you're welcome", but unfortunately the two of them couldn't hear her even if she said it, so she just smiled and nodded, and continued to drink her porridge with her head down.

Strange... The teacher doesn't go to the teachers' cafeteria, why does he come here? She was a little puzzled.

Just then, the woman sitting next to her spoke again.

"Little girl, I know you. Your name is Zhong Ling, right?"

Zhong Ling was not surprised, because she knew that many people in the school knew her, so she smiled and nodded politely again.

"You are so pretty, quiet, and still love to laugh. You really look like my daughter when she was young. Maybe you even know her."

Liang Hongfei smiled gently. The reason why she knew Zhong Ling was because she had heard of this name when she first entered the school. It was said that she was one of the six famous people of Lincheng University, just like Yu'er, and the boys just now also mentioned this name.

She was sure that her pedantic husband didn't know about this. After all, when he heard that his daughter's nickname was "covered in wounds", he had already walked away with a grim face.

Zhong Ling didn't know how to respond to this sentence. Even if she knew, she couldn't say anything, so she just smiled and nodded.

If only my junior was here... she thought.

Liang Hongfei knew about Zhong Ling's situation, but Ouyang Wenhao didn't. Seeing that the girl kept nodding and shaking her head and refused to say a word, he couldn't help but frown, thinking that she didn't know how to respect her elders. So he secretly pushed his wife, signaling her not to try to please someone she didn't like.

She is indeed beautiful, but it's a pity that she has no manners... he thought to himself.

Unexpectedly, his wife didn't seem to notice his hint, and continued to say with a smile: "By the way, little girl, you are so beautiful, do you have a boyfriend?"

Zhong Ling shook her head.

"Then you have to find one as soon as possible. I heard that if you don't have a good relationship in college, you will regret it in the future."

At this point, Liang Hongfei couldn't help but sigh, "My daughter is like this. Because of her strict family education, when she was in college, she couldn't even find a boyfriend, let alone a romantic partner. Now, even though she has such good conditions, she can't even find a marriage partner."

She gave her husband a reproachful look.

Ouyang Wenhao was a little embarrassed, and soon returned to his old-fashioned appearance again, drinking the porridge in the bowl slowly and leisurely.

It was indeed his request not to allow his daughter to fall in love while in college, but Yu'er had never thought about falling in love at that time. What did it have to do with him if she couldn't find a marriage partner?
Zhong Ling didn't expect that the female teacher would talk so much. She subconsciously tugged at the small cloth bag, not knowing whether to nod or shake her head.

Seeing her hesitation, Liang Hongfei couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Do you have someone you like? If so, don't hesitate. Be brave. No one will refuse you with your conditions."

Perhaps because she has a daughter who doesn't want to get married, the mother wishes she could turn into a matchmaker and bring a wonderful love story to all the girls in the world.

The object of your affection...

For some reason, when Zhong Ling heard these words, the smiling face of her junior fellow student emerged in her mind.

She quietly increased the strength of her hand pulling the small cloth bag, and immediately forced herself to forget the idea, then nodded with a smile.

However, such obvious emotional changes naturally did not escape Liang Hongfei's eyes. The smile on her face became more gentle, and she said softly: "What's wrong, is there any difficulty?"

Zhong Ling shook her head.

"Don't always try to suppress your emotions, otherwise it might backfire." Liang Hongfei said earnestly.

She always suspected that the reason why her daughter was unwilling to have a relationship was because she was too restricted by the rules and regulations at home. She was not allowed to have a relationship before graduation, and after graduation she was constantly urged to go on blind dates. Eventually, she developed a strong rebellious mentality and would rather be single all her life than get married.

It was precisely because she was too worried about this happening that, after noticing that her daughter had a close relationship with her student named Han Zhou, Liang Hongfei had the idea of ​​bringing the two together regardless of whether it was true or not.

Her pedantic husband only knew the rules, saying that teachers and students must not be together, and this was obviously an excuse Yu'er used to delay time, so she might as well expose it directly. There was no need to waste time with her -

This is complete nonsense.

She knows Yu'er too well.

If she wasn't really in love, Yu'er would never find a random man to pretend to be her boyfriend, let alone find one of her students.

What's more, she clearly remembered that the last time they video chatted, Yu'er actually just let the child named Han Zhou stay at home, and then ran to the bathroom to take a shower, and even later asked the latter to help get his pajamas. This was enough to show that the relationship between the two was definitely not just an ordinary teacher-student relationship.

Liang Hongfei didn't know what the child named Han Zhou was thinking, but Yu'er was definitely moved, even if it was just a little bit, it was still moved -

Given that girl's slowness, she might just not have noticed it yet.

She had asked around when she first entered the school and found out that Yu'er had not been injured for a long time, and she heard that the students in the school were preparing to give her a better nickname.

Maybe even Yu'er herself didn't know what this meant, but she knew -

Yu'er finally stopped thinking about her research projects.

She didn't know when a part of her mind was separated to think about other things.

And it is something like this...

Let her focus back on reality.

(End of this chapter)