Forced into a romantic relationship

"Concert..."

"Yeah, the tickets expire tonight anyway, so we might as well go see them together."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Zhong Yin's eyes shone brightly. "Aren't there four tickets? Me, you, Xiao Ling, and Xiao Ya, that's just the four of us together."

Isn't there still one person?
Han Zhou was stunned for a moment, then realized that it made sense. Sister Yin didn't know Xiao Yixia's identity at all, and only thought of her as a strange little girl who had been separated from her parents. Naturally, she wouldn't have considered her.

The problem is, I already promised to go to the concert with Xiao Yixia.

"what happened?"

Seeing that Han Zhou did not respond for a long time, Zhong Yin looked over suspiciously, her eyes unfriendly, "You're not going to say that you have something important to do tonight again, are you?"

"That's not it."

Han Zhou racked his brains for a solution, but still didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "What did you mean by saying 'while we're still a couple'?"

It wasn't entirely to change the subject; he was genuinely concerned about that statement.

Does that mean people who aren't a couple can't go to concerts together?
Zhong Yin paused for a moment, then her tone immediately became flustered: "It...it means exactly what it says! Aren't we a couple today?"

"I know, but what you said gives me the feeling that..."

Han Zhou organized his thoughts for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "It's like we can only be a couple for one day..."

"Otherwise, how many more days do you want to be in office!" Zhong Yin jumped up and smacked him on the head.

That jerk! All he does all day is spout nonsense, acting like I don't want to be his girlfriend for even a few more days. Does that mean you're just sitting there like a block of wood? I had to actively fight for even one day of being his girlfriend!

"I did not mean that."

Han Zhou gave a wry smile and said in an uncertain tone, "I just felt that when you said that, it sounded a bit... well, a bit pessimistic."

Zhong Yin's feet froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered and said nonchalantly, "You're overthinking it. What I mean is, in order to prevent Liu Shiyue from losing faith in love, we need to solidify our relationship today, and going to the concert together is a very important part of that."

"You mean, if we go to the concert together tonight, your friend will be convinced that we're a couple?"

"Of course it's not just that, but it is indeed very important."

Perhaps feeling her reasons weren't convincing enough, Zhong Yin suddenly turned and glared at Han Zhou, changing the subject as well, "You have the nerve to call me pessimistic? I think you're the truly pessimistic one, aren't you? I don't know what you're thinking all day, and you won't tell me when I ask..."

After he finished speaking, the two fell silent.

In fact, both of them guessed each other's thoughts correctly.

Han Zhou's pessimism stems from the known future.

Whether today's events are accidental or a warning from fate, they are reminding him of one thing—his excessive involvement in the past may not necessarily bring about the desired results, and may even backfire.

He wanted to change the past, but perhaps he was the one who would create the tragedy of the future.

Zhong Yin's pessimism stems from an uncertain future.

She can glimpse a corner of the future from her dreams, but she cannot know what happened before or after.

The image of a cold, aloof self, followed by Sun Wukong's apology after embracing him, appears repeatedly, yet the cause and effect are always lacking.

Among countless scattered omens, the only thing she was certain of was that they would not be together in the future.

Like the ending of that movie, it left behind an irreparable regret.

Zhong Yin was unwilling to consider this dream as the future, but a sad thought inevitably arose in her heart—today might really be the only day the two of them could spend together as a couple.

Sun Wukong is about to go abroad and will not return for many years. We don't know exactly how long "many years" is, but it could be as long as ten years.

They had only spent less than ten days together.

Ten days that cannot be erased by ten years must be ten precious days.

The ten days they spent together were just ordinary, unremarkable days.

Thinking about it this way, it's normal that they didn't end up together.

Let alone being a couple, it's hard to say whether they'll still be friends if they meet again.

No... I guess I'm not much better than a stranger, am I?

On the other hand, Zhong Yin was also well aware of how absurd it was to fall in love with someone in ten days whom she might never see again in the next ten years.

She still doesn't know where this affection came from.

Perhaps it was influenced by the dream, or perhaps not.

Ultimately, whether it stems from a dream or from her true feelings, from the future or from the present, it all comes down to her own emotions and her own decisions.

So this affection may be cheap, or as insignificant as these ordinary ten days, but it is definitely genuine.

Zhong Yin was certain of this.

But fate seems to enjoy testing this kind of love that isn't profound enough.

She harbored burning feelings for him, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.

The story began long ago, yet it can only reach its conclusion in the distant future.

It wasn't a lack of courage to express one's feelings, but rather a consideration of Sun Wukong's emotions.

Zhong Yin had seen his own future, but Sun Wukong knew nothing about it. The other party had his own future, and it was unfair to tie him to his side now with his own "tragic future".

Zhong Yin didn't know if she would regret her decision today in the future, but even if she did, that was a matter for the future.

After a brief silence, she continued, "If you really don't want to tell me, that's fine, but there's one question you must answer right now."

"What's the problem?" Han Zhou turned his head and looked over.

Zhong Yin hesitated for two seconds, then asked nervously, "You said last night that you would take full responsibility for me... Is that true?"

"To be precise, it's not just about..."

“I don’t want to hear anything else, I just want to know if what you’re saying is true,” Zhong Yin interrupted him.

Han Zhou paused for a moment, then nodded seriously.

"Yes."

"Take off your mask and baseball cap, and look me in the eye when you speak."

Although he didn't understand, Han Zhou still took off his mask and baseball cap, looked directly into Zhong Yin's eyes, and repeated his answer.

"Yes."

He paused, then added earnestly, "Whether you hate me in the future or not, this will not change."

He said this because he suddenly thought of something—

Could it be that the reason why Sister Yin dislikes him so much in the future is because she vaguely retains some memories of the past and knows that he is a complete liar, which is why she can't help but feel resistant?
"Who...who said they would hate you?"

Feeling embarrassed by his gaze, Zhong Yin quickly snatched the duck tongue from his hand and put it back on his head to block his burning gaze.

"I've already told you not to say such nonsensical things..."

"But I'm serious."

Han Zhou pulled his hat brim up and said with a hint of helplessness.

Noticing the faint blush on the girl's face, he was taken aback at first, then chuckled and teased, "Sister Yin, are you shy?"

"You're the one who's shy!"

"But your face is all red."

"How dare you say that? You pinched it until it turned red!"

Zhong Yin's words hadn't been a problem, but once she did, Han Zhou noticed the faint finger marks on the girl's face and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What are you laughing at? You have it on your face too."

Zhong Yin glared at him, but after two seconds she couldn't help but burst out laughing, "It looks just like a lipstick mark."

On the path where light and shadow intertwine, the boy and girl smiled at each other. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the two, and a gentle evening breeze seemed to melt the blush on the girl's face into the warm light, then spread to her eyes, turning into a gentle ripple.

"Can you tell me what it means to be fully responsible?"

"The literal meaning." Han Zhou's smile faded slightly.

Zhong Yin rolled her eyes at him and said in a tone that said, "Stop pretending with me," "I know you're definitely hiding something from me."

Han Zhou did not deny it, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "You can understand it as, if you encounter danger again in the future, I will come to save you again."

"Like the Fox Shadow Warrior?"

Fox Shadow, a popular movie character in this world, is a superhero similar to Spider-Man.

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment, then answered with great self-awareness, "I am not that benevolent."

"So that's my one-man Fox Shadow Warrior?"

"Um... I'm not that narrow-minded."

"Isn't that just like Sun Wukong in your story? He's always flirting with women, but when it matters, he'll ride on a colorful cloud to save people," Zhong Yin said irritably.

Could you please stop staring at me when you say that, even though I really am that kind of person...?

Facing the girl's gaze, Han Zhou felt a little guilty: "You can interpret it that way."

"So that's how the responsibility system works..."

Zhong Yin muttered something to himself, and then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he smiled broadly.

As she laughed, her eyes began to show signs of distress.

Han Zhou sighed inwardly. Sure enough, honest people like Sister Yin only seriously pondered the meaning of the word "responsible." If the future Yi Xia were to understand this sentence, she would most likely start with the word "ultimately"...

Sigh, I don't know if it was right or wrong not to be ruthless and confiscate Xiao Yixia's comic books...

Just then, Zhong Yin seemed to suddenly remember something and said, "Oh right, speaking of which, I haven't given you a gift yet."

"Gift?"

"You've already given me a ring, shouldn't I give you a gift in return?"

Zhong Yin said half-jokingly, "If even I don't give you a gift, I'm worried you won't be able to find anything to put in the time capsule."

Han Zhou opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't refute it.

To be honest, he couldn't find anything of significance in the world nine years ago.

Hmm... let's count the rhinoceros that Xiao Yixia gave us and that handmade doll as one of them.

"So what are you planning to give me?" he asked curiously.

"this."

Zhong Yin raised her hand and slid the hair tie down her ponytail, her long, black hair cascading down like a waterfall. The strands of hair were slightly reddish in the setting sun, swaying with her movements until they finally fell smoothly down her back.

It has to be said that the moment the girl's long hair fell loose was breathtakingly beautiful. Han Zhou was stunned. After two seconds, he hesitated and asked, "Are you going to give me your hair?"

"You think beautifully."

Zhong Yin was both angry and amused. She hooked the hair tie on her right index finger and tapped his head twice. "Hair tie, the hair tie I wanted to give you."

Han Zhou was taken aback.

The reason he thought Zhong Yin wanted to give him her hair wasn't because he was pretending to be stupid, but because he felt that the other party was more likely to give him her hair than a hair tie.

After all, he understood the meaning behind a girl giving a hair tie as a gift to a boy.

Once a boy wears a hair tie given to him by a girl, it means he is "taken" and is no longer a single man.

He was also well aware that Zhong Yin had absolutely no reason to give him the hair tie—

Unless Jong-eun likes him.

But is this possible?
Looking at the hair tie that still carried a faint fragrance, Han Zhou's brain almost went blank, but he quickly realized and said, "I understand. You want your friend to completely believe that we are a couple, and then have me put it in a time capsule to preserve it afterward, right?"

Admittedly, it has a special meaning when a girl gives a boy a hair tie, but as long as the boy doesn't wear the hair tie on his wrist, the meaning is meaningless.

Therefore, once this thing is inside the time capsule, it means that it has no binding force and Zhong Yin has no extra thoughts.

However, Zhong Yin's answer completely stunned Han Zhou.

"No, I will also give you something else to put into the time capsule. This hair tie is for you to wear on your wrist later."

An autumn breeze suddenly rose, blowing the girl's long hair, but she didn't seem to care at all. She simply lowered her head and forcefully put the hair tie on Han Zhou's hand, her expression unreadable. "If I don't see the hair tie on your hand when we meet again, I won't give you a good look."

Zhong Yin had been preparing these words for a long time, and it took almost all of his courage to say them at this moment.

She was indeed not as composed as I had imagined, nor as frank as I had expected.

You'll forget.

This guy will definitely forget about himself.

Ten days together was far too short.

In less than ten years, maybe five, or even three, I will be forgotten by this guy. From his voice to his appearance to his name, everything will gradually become blurred over time until he disappears completely.

She can accept the future in her dreams, but she cannot accept a future that is forgotten.

Therefore, she needed something that would allow Sun Wukong to remember her at any time—

If the other person still dares to forget you in the future, then that's their problem.

It sounds a bit unreasonable, and it is indeed so, but she still didn't take away Sun Wukong's future; she just gave him a choice.

Besides, she would secretly keep the ring herself. Even if she couldn't wear it on her hand at school, she could wear it as a pendant around her neck or hide it in her clothes.

It's just a matter of who forgets whom first; it's perfectly fair.

Zhong Yin looked up at Han Zhou.

While we're still a couple—

This statement does indeed carry a somewhat pessimistic tone.

But its subtext is not "we can only be a couple for this one day".

Instead, it's "Even if it's just for this one day, I will make sure you remember me forever, and you will never forget me until you die."

Zhong Yin hadn't yet figured out how to ensure Sun Wukong would never forget her until his death, but she had already thought of a way to make him remember her perfectly.

So she continued, "I'm serious. Even if you tell me later that you just accidentally lost your hair tie, or that it broke, whatever excuse you make, as long as you're not wearing a hair tie when we meet again, I won't hate you, but I definitely won't give you a friendly look."

"—If I say this, will you hate me?" She looked directly into Han Zhou's eyes.

What the future holds is something for the future to consider.

If the future is destined to be a tragedy, then she should at least be satisfied with herself now.

not to mention……

If you don't even have the determination to seize the present, then you have absolutely no future.

Han Zhou looked dazed and couldn't speak for a long time.

It turns out that the reason I was always treated coldly by Sister Yin in the future was because I wasn't wearing a hair tie?

He was filled with mixed feelings and realized that he needed to re-examine Sister Yin's attitude all along. Just as he was about to answer, he saw Zhong Chengguang rushing towards him from afar.

Meanwhile, seeing his eldest daughter and Han Zhou holding hands, each with a lipstick mark on their face, Zhong Chengguang stood frozen in place, lost in deep confusion.

Xiao Yin put on makeup and lipstick before leaving home this morning, which he knew, of course.

But the problem is...

Does Wukong also have the habit of wearing lipstick? (End of Chapter)