Forced into a romantic relationship

Night had fallen, and only the sound of the wind continued to flow through the city. The dim yellow light of the streetlights swayed in the wind, casting blurry shadows on the ground.

"That's enough to leave it here."

Outside the gate of the residential area, Xiao Yixia suddenly stopped. Her breath condensed into a small cloud of mist in the cold night before quickly dissipating.

Han Zhou was taken aback, and asked in surprise, "Don't I need to take you home?"

"I'm not a three-year-old child who can't even find his own doorstep." Xiao Yixia turned her head to the side, as if giving him a disdainful look.

"What I mean is, how do you plan to explain this to your parents if you go back alone?"

Xiao Yixia didn't look at him, her gaze fixed on the shadows scattered by the wind under the streetlights in the distance: "I have my own way."

“Your parents must be very worried about you tonight,” Han Zhou said with concern.

"Worry?"

Xiao Yixia repeated the word softly, as if weighing its weight, then shook her head slightly, "It's just going out for two days, it's no big deal."

Han Zhou opened his mouth.

He knew, of course, that for a nine-year-old child, not going home for two days and two nights was by no means a "big deal." Xiao Yixia was very smart, but it was not an easy task to come up with a reason that would convince her parents.

Upon returning home, they will inevitably face questioning, or even punishment.

She said that simply to put her mind at ease. This child probably wanted to prove with his actions that the phrase "Let's share the burden together" was not just empty talk.

Thinking of this, Han Zhou chuckled to himself, thinking that it was just as he thought. Whether in the past or in the future, Yi Xia would always be the same Yi Xia, and she would always be adorable.

"Are you really okay?" he asked.

Perhaps it was the soft smile in his expression that betrayed his thoughts. Xiao Yixia looked at him and sighed almost imperceptibly: "I told you, you don't need to think of yourself as a savior."

"I'm not as great as you think."

Han Zhou smiled and said, "I just wanted to see you get home safely."

As he spoke, he picked up his schoolbag and strode into the residential area.

Xiao Yixia stood still, silently watching him for a while, before slowly following him, and the two walked side by side.

"At most, we'll deliver it downstairs," she said.

"why?"

Han Zhou pretended to think for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Because it's not the right time to meet the parents yet?"

Xiao Yixia didn't say anything, seemingly not wanting to talk to him.

But Han Zhou seemed to have endless things to say, his mouth never stopping the whole way. What was clearly only a two-minute walk felt like an eternity to Xiao Yixia.

A night breeze swept by, and the streetlights faded into the distance behind us.

The lights in the neighborhood were actually brighter, but when Xiao Yixia glanced at him, Han Zhou's silhouette blended into the warm light, becoming hazy and soft, like a dream about to end.

“I thought you were going to tell us about our future,” she said softly, white mist drifting towards the brim of her hat. “But it was all just boring, lame jokes.”

Han Zhou smiled and said, "Instead of listening to it as a story, it's better for you to see it for yourself in the future."

Aren't you afraid that the future has already changed?

As Xiao Yixia asked the question, she passed a tree that stood silently in the winter night. Its bare branches stretched towards the inky sky, without leaves or any lingering fragrance, only the dry, rustling sound of the wind passing through.

Han Zhou stopped in his tracks.

The two were already standing downstairs.

He glanced up at the floor, then crouched down, looking directly into the girl's eyes, and chuckled softly, saying, "No matter how the future changes, there's one thing that will never change—"

He slowly exhaled, then mimicked the girl's voice from his memory, saying, "Yixia, you are mine, and you will always be mine."

It wasn't until he said the same thing that Han Zhou truly understood the kind of determination Yi Xia had always held.

It is not a declaration, but a conviction—

This is the future I want, so it must become the future.

The night breeze suddenly calmed down.

Xiao Yixia stared at him for a few seconds, then turned her face away.

"You really only dare to say things like that to children."

She stretched out her hand, palm up.

Han Zhou smiled and took her hand.

"What are you doing?"

Xiao Yixia turned her head back and gave him a strange look. "I asked you to give me your schoolbag."

Although she said that, she didn't pull her hand away.

Han Zhou remained expressionless and asked again to confirm, "Are you sure you don't need me to take you up?"

Xiao Yixia took the small backpack, and while putting it on, she said, "If my parents see you now, you'll never have to meet them again."

Han Zhou was taken aback. Indeed, if the status bar hadn't been corrected for this past event, then going to see Yi Xia's parents now would definitely have some impact on the future.

Xiao Yixia glanced at him one last time, said nothing more, and turned to walk into the stairwell. But soon she heard footsteps behind her. When she turned around, she saw that Han Zhou had put on his mask and baseball cap again and was following behind her.

What are you doing?

"That way your parents won't see what I look like," Han Zhou said smugly.

Xiao Yixia was silent for a moment, then gestured for him to look at the mirror in the hallway: "...You're dressed like this, you might as well let them see you."

Han Zhou turned his head and saw that the person in the mirror was completely covered up, with his hands in his pockets and only his eyes showing. He looked like a criminal who was about to commit a crime.

Seeing that he immediately deflated, Xiao Yixia lowered the brim of her hat and gently pursed her lips.

She knew that although this guy was a bit silly, in the end, he was just worried about her.

After thinking for a moment, she suddenly asked, "I said, you've 'kidnapped' me for two days, didn't you ever think about asking for a 'ransom'?"

"Ransom?" Han Zhou was taken aback.

"It's a reward."

Xiao Yixia pressed the elevator button, then raised a finger, "Since you care about me so much, I can grant you one request."

Han Zhou then realized what was happening and his eyes lit up as he asked, "Any request is acceptable?"

"It can only be a reasonable request, and it can only be a request that I can fulfill in my current state."

Xiao Yixia gave him a wary look, as if to say, "You'd better think this through before you speak."

I thought this guy would think for a long time, but to my surprise, he spoke up as soon as the elevator started to descend, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

"I don't know if this request is excessive..."

As the elevator slowly descended, he said softly, "I just hope that if one day you start to hate this world, at least don't hate me along with you."

Xiao Yixia was stunned.

This is indeed a request that only she can fulfill now, but only if she can remember it until the day the two meet again in the future.

A cunning request...

She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then asked, "What if I can't do it?"

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t do it, anyway you couldn’t live without me later,” Han Zhou said with a light laugh.

"It has to be you...and what about you?"

"I can't live without you either," Han Zhou said earnestly.

Xiao Yixia remained noncommittal, and after two seconds asked again, "What about them?"

Han Zhou's breath hitched.

He knew that the "them" Xiao Yixia was referring to were Xiao Lengqiu and Zhong Yin. If it were just these two, he could naturally laugh it off, but he hadn't forgotten that there was a guzheng waiting for him in the future.

Not only Yixia, but he also absolutely needs the guzheng.

Han Zhou didn't try to hide his thoughts, so Xiao Yixia quickly discerned something from his expression.

As the elevator arrived, she gently shook her head and turned to enter.

"I actually fell for a jerk... I guess my future self is no longer perfect."

Han Zhou didn't argue; he was indeed a complete scumbag, and there was no point in arguing about it.

The next second, the girl turned around and looked at him, saying calmly, "However, if it's just out of a sense of responsibility, I can forgive you."

As she spoke, she pressed the floor button.

"Ok?"

Han Zhou was taken aback. What did those words mean?
Does being responsible give one the right to have one foot in two boats?

Under his shocked gaze, Xiao Yixia said earnestly, "Sister Zhong Yin likes you very much, you should give her an explanation."

At this time, the nine-year-old girl did not understand what liking someone meant, nor did she know what kind of relationship would exist between the people in the future. She had no idea what kind of changes this sentence would bring to the future.

Explain?

What explanation?
Han Zhou looked somewhat bewildered, and after a moment's hesitation, asked, "Do you know what you're saying?"

"I know."

Xiao Yixia didn't say much, or rather, she didn't think much about it. She simply believed that if you like someone, there must be a result.

"Aren't you afraid of regretting it?"

"I have no regrets."

As the elevator doors were about to close, Xiao Yixia left behind one last sentence.

"I agree to your request." (End of Chapter)