Forced into a romantic relationship

The all-powerful stick figure almost collapsed before even reaching the hospital.

It wasn't because he was physically exhausted, but because when they passed the breakfast shop, Xiao Wang Lengqiu, who was drowsy in his arms, suddenly opened his eyes, took out some money and asked him to buy a basket of steamed buns.

He thought Xiao Wang was hungry, but to his surprise, the girl not only gave him all the steamed buns she had bought, but also bought him a cup of hot soy milk at the shop assistant's enthusiastic recommendation. Then, as if she had fulfilled her wish, she lay down in his arms and fell asleep.

"Want to eat?"

Suddenly, Han Zhou seemed to see the girl holding a steamed bun and following behind him again, and his feelings became much more complicated.

When he arrived at the hospital, his muddy appearance immediately attracted a lot of strange looks. His appearance, as if he had run three hundred miles, frightened the nurses, who thought that a critically ill patient had arrived. They were all on high alert until they learned that the girl in the boy's arms only had a fever. They breathed a sigh of relief and gave up the idea of ​​preparing a stretcher.

Upon arriving at the registration window, Han Zhou faced his first challenge—payment was required before registration.

Even though he reasoned with her, appealed to her emotions, and had that kind of face that could soften anyone's heart—making the young lady at the registration window almost want to pay for him out of her own pocket—in the end, she could only shake her head helplessly, tap the payment instructions posted on the glass with her fingertips, and repeat in a gentle but uncompromising tone, "I'm really sorry, but it's a system setting; without payment, a medical appointment number cannot be generated."

The all-powerful stick figure has fallen once again.

Left with no other choice, he could only take the money out of Xiao Wang Lengqiu's bag to pay the fee first, and then ask which department he should go to next.

The young woman gave him a strange look and politely said, "Please go to the pediatric clinic on the second floor for an examination."

"Thank you."

Han Zhou thanked him and led Xiao Wang and Leng Qiu upstairs.

As a former terminally ill patient, he was quite familiar with the hospital's procedures and quickly followed the nurse to a ward for Xiao Wang Lengqiu—the child was indeed running a high fever, the kind that wouldn't leave without two IV drips.

At this time, Xiao Wang Lengqiu had already woken up. Because she was a little wet from the rain, she changed into a hospital gown with the help of the nurse. Lying on the hospital bed, she looked like a delicate porcelain doll.

"Steamed buns...haven't you eaten yet?"

She immediately noticed the steamed buns on the table and asked softly.

"I waited for you to wake up before we ate, so we can each have half," Han Zhou said with a smile.

"I'm sick, I can't eat." The girl shook her head.

"You know you're sick now?"

Han Zhou looked helpless as he used a towel to wipe the hair from her forehead.

Even if I'm not sick, I can't eat much.

"This is nothing to be proud of."

"I am not arrogant."

"..."

As the two were talking, a nurse with a cold look in her eyes came over with a treatment tray. She first confirmed the relevant information, and then picked up the medicine bottle and hung it on the IV stand. Her movements were skillful, and it was clear that she had given many people injections.

Xiao Wang Leng Qiu began to get nervous—of course, given this girl's personality, even if she were really nervous, she wouldn't show it on her face; this was just Han Zhou imagining based on their previous conversation.

"Are you scared?" he asked softly.

"A little."

"Listen to me, close your eyes first..."

"All right."

Before Han Zhou could finish speaking, the nurse with the cold gaze had already finished administering the injection and was leisurely tidying up the equipment.

"?"

No, are you that quick with your hands and feet?

Han Zhou stared blankly as the nurse carried the treatment tray out of the ward. Turning around, he saw Xiao Wang and Leng Qiu staring straight at him. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; it seemed the stick figure had fallen again.

He hadn't even had a chance to use his "magic" of making injections painless.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"It doesn't hurt."

Xiao Wang Lengqiu's answer was beyond his expectations.

He paused for two seconds, then asked, "Really, it doesn't hurt?"

"It really doesn't hurt."

The girl shook her head, and after a few seconds asked, "Is this the painless method you were talking about?"

No, I haven't had time to do anything yet...

Meeting those eyes that revealed little emotion, Han Zhou felt suspicious and replied in an uncertain tone, "I suppose so..."

If there really is a magic spell that makes injections painless, then someone must be secretly hiding the pain.

He chuckled inwardly and sat on the edge of the bed eating steamed buns, while Xiao Wang Leng Qiu had no appetite at all and just leaned against the headboard, quietly watching him.

The sound of heavy rain outside the window continued, with raindrops pounding against the windowsill, making a soft, pattering sound.

Perhaps it was because the hospital walls were of such high quality, but despite the raging storm, the room felt strangely quiet.

"If you're not feeling well, just go to sleep. I'll go to school to ask for leave for you after I finish eating." Seeing the girl staring at him, Han Zhou assumed she was worried about asking for leave, and said while eating his bun, "By the time you wake up, I should have taken care of most of the things you're worried about."

Xiao Wang Leng Qiu hummed in response, her gaze remaining fixed on him. After a few seconds, she asked, "Will you come back?"

"of course."

Han Zhou smiled and said, "I still have to go back with you tonight to pick the lock."

The girl put her finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet, then lowered her voice and earnestly corrected him, "It means teach me how to pick locks."

"Alright, alright, I'll teach you how to pick locks."

Han Zhou chuckled, picked up the soy milk on the table, and said while inserting a straw, "But lock picking isn't a skill a kid like you should master. I'm really afraid I'll corrupt you."

He was indeed a little worried. After all, he was there to be a life mentor. If he led this child down the wrong path, wouldn't he become a sinner?
Xiao Wang Leng Qiu's expression shifted, as if he wanted to say something, but before he could speak, Han Zhou had already taken a big gulp from the straw.

They looked up and their eyes met, staring at each other in bewilderment.

After a brief silence, Han Zhou hesitantly removed the straw from his mouth and pointed uncertainly at the soy milk in his hand:
"...You want to drink this?"

Xiao Wang Leng Qiu nodded, showing no embarrassment whatsoever, nor any blame whatsoever.

She did want to drink soy milk, but that wasn't what she was actually going to say.

"Then I'll go buy it for you right now."

Han Zhou immediately stood up and turned to leave the ward.

"no need."

Xiao Wang and Leng Qiu called out to him.

Han Zhou stopped and turned around, only to see the girl raise a slender finger and say softly, "I only need one sip."

Han Zhou paused for two seconds, his expression gradually becoming strange: "Does 'only take a sip' mean..."

"I'll take a sip, and you can have the rest," Xiao Wang Leng Qiu explained earnestly.

But this was not the explanation Han Zhou wanted, or rather, it was the explanation he was most worried about—like drinking from the same cup of water, wouldn't it be a little too ambiguous for two people of the opposite sex to drink soy milk together?
Could it be that this child has really fallen for me?
He was startled, but quickly remembered that Xiao Wang Leng Qiu was only a twelve-year-old girl, not even a junior high school student, so it was normal that she didn't have the concept of indirect kissing.

Even so, he still didn't intend to agree to the proposal. After all, he had decided from the beginning that he must be careful about the boundaries when interacting with Xiao Wang Leng Qiu, and couldn't let the other party...

"Don't you want me to drink it?"

Just then, perhaps seeing that he didn't react for a long time, Xiao Wang Lengqiu on the hospital bed suddenly tilted her head, and a look of confusion appeared on her pitiful face.

Upon seeing this, Han Zhou felt his breath catch in his throat, and subconsciously recalled the night Wang Lengqiu left, his lips suddenly becoming dry.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Xiao Wang Leng Qiu quickly noticed his unusual behavior. As if realizing something, she hesitated for a moment and said, "If I don't drink it, will you—"

"Will you stop being unhappy if I leave?"

The words from that night rang in his ears first, and Han Zhou snapped back to reality, quickly interrupting, "No, I just suddenly remembered something."

"really?"

Xiao Wang and Leng Qiu spoke after a few seconds, and it was unclear whether they believed his story.

"real."

Han Zhou let out a slight breath and forced a smile, saying, "But you, don't always say such... discouraging things. You should think more about yourself."

"Always?" Xiao Wang Leng Qiu tilted his head.

"And don't nitpick my choice of words," Han Zhou quickly added.

He had almost forgotten that this girl was very perceptive—she was the only girl who could gain the upper hand when playing cards with Yixia.

"Oh."

Xiao Wang and Leng Qiu nodded and did not ask any further questions.

Han Zhou pressed his temples and suddenly realized that he might be too tense.

Honestly, why am I thinking so much?

She's just a twelve-year-old child. How could she know anything about indirect kissing? Even if she did, she wouldn't fall for me just because we shared a cup of soy milk.

If this child's affection is really that simple, then I carried her all morning and she'll be determined to marry no one but me.

That's impossible, isn't it?

Since a girl doesn't mind, why should I be pretentious?

Ultimately, all this kid wanted was a sip of soy milk, and the other person even paid for it. Why am I overthinking things?

Thinking of this, Han Zhou smiled self-deprecatingly. He walked back to the bedside, held the soy milk in his hand to the girl's lips, and spoke in a bold tone.

"Drink up, drink it all."

(End of this chapter)