Forced into a romantic relationship

Aside from the first time he returned to the past, Han Zhou hadn't felt this weak in a long time.

Fortunately, since it was a state that was modified by spending points, "On the verge of death" did not relieve him of the suppression of the terminal illness, although it had a significant negative effect. At this moment, although he was weak and drowsy, he was no longer suffering from the pain.

However, this feeling of "being alive" is hardly pleasant.

A headlamp hung inside the tent, set to its lowest setting. Its dim, yellowish light swayed slightly on the tent ceiling, illuminating a very limited area, like a moon hanging low in the sky, fragile enough to shatter at the slightest touch.

Han Zhou lay flat on the narrow sleeping mat, his whole body sinking into the heavy down sleeping bag.

The mountain tent was already low and cramped, and now the wind was howling outside, causing the tent fabric to tremble slightly and make a soft, continuous thumping sound. The cold air seeped in through every seam, but fortunately the moisture-proof mat under me was thick enough to prevent the icy cold of the mountain rocks from penetrating my spine.

Before my eyes were blurry, swaying lights; in my ears was the howling night wind; and the unique, crisp air of the mountaintop at night lingered around my nose, mixed with the faint rubbery smell of synthetic fiber fabric.

Sure enough, there's not much difference in the experience between camping on a mountaintop in winter and being trapped on a snow-covered mountain in autumn.

At least at night, they could only huddle in a small space, waiting for dawn.

What are Guzheng and the others doing now? Are they having dinner?

Or have they already discovered I'm faking illness and are discussing how to expose me?
Perhaps because he was exhausted after a long day and his body was in a very bad state, Han Zhou quickly became sleepy, as if half of his consciousness had been taken away and he sank into darkness.

Then, he had a dream.

Or rather, he returned to the winter of his second year of high school, recalling those days when he was terminally ill and barely surviving.

In my dream, there was still the howling cold wind, the still weak and powerless body, and the still desolation as if I had been abandoned in a corner by the whole world.

To avoid burdening others, he hid his illness from everyone. He thought that having been given a second chance at life, his heart was already strong enough. But when night fell, and he heard the wind rattling the glass outside the window, he was all alone on the bed. That empty loneliness would still come back.

He was even afraid to close his eyes, fearing that if he fell asleep, he would never wake up again.

Even so, every time the next day dawns, he is still as energetic as if nothing had happened.

That's why I feel increasingly empty inside.

That's why he became even more restrained in controlling his emotions.

I dare not rely on anyone, dare not stay, and dare not have high expectations for any relationship.

This relationship is destined to end soon.

He sometimes wondered if his life would have ended quietly that winter if there hadn't been a status bar.

Without the cause and effect provided by the status bar, he probably wouldn't have had much interaction with the guzheng. Even if they had become friends, they certainly wouldn't have developed such a deep bond.

Similarly, he would not meet Mo Yixia, Wang Lengqiu, Zhong Ling and Sister Yin, nor Teacher Ouyang, and he would not be able to experience the rest of his university life.

Yes, he won't meet anyone.

Because he was already dead before any of that even began.

The biting cold in my dream seemed to be slowly fading away.

The bed, which had been uncomfortable, became soft, as if something was supporting him steadily. The sharp sound of the wind outside the window gradually faded away, replaced by a soothing warmth.

He instinctively tried to move his body, but he still couldn't move. However, as he breathed, the smell of hospital disinfectant and old cotton wadding had somehow mixed with a faint scent of down feathers that looked like they had been dried in the sun.

His body felt heavy, and his eyelids felt like they were glued shut, but he still managed to pry them open a crack.

The first thing you see is a full, rounded shape created by the tight fit of the down jacket.

His gaze moved upwards, revealing the swaying, dim yellow light from the tent ceiling, and a hand hovering in mid-air, seemingly about to poke his face.

Ah, I can't see her face when I look up, but it's definitely Senior Zhong Ling...

But from this angle... the warmth on the back of my head... when did I end up lying on my senior's lap?
Han Zhou suddenly woke up with a start.

The sudden tremor startled Zhong Ling. She quickly withdrew her hand, picked up the bowl that was placed beside her somewhat helplessly, and asked anxiously, "Junior, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Han Zhou was taken aback.

Because he could hear his senior's voice again.

"No, I feel much better after a nap."

He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse, but he could still manage to utter words, "How long have I been asleep?"

"It shouldn't have been long, I've only been here a little while..."

At this point, Zhong Ling paused, as if suddenly realizing something, and asked somewhat uneasily, "Did I... disturb your sleep?"

"of course not."

While pondering why he could hear Zhong Ling's voice again, Han Zhou replied with a smile, "I haven't eaten yet, how could I possibly fall asleep?"

Despite his obstructed view, he could already smell the aroma of food, and he figured that Zhong Ling had crawled into the tent to bring him food.

Hearing this, Zhong Ling breathed a sigh of relief, but still looked worried: "You didn't look well just now. Are you really recovering? I still think it's better to go to the hospital as soon as possible..."

"Don't worry, I won't joke around with my health."

Maintaining one position for a long time is not comfortable, so Han Zhou tried to move his neck. The back of his head rubbed against Zhong Ling's outer thigh. Even through several layers of fabric, he could still feel the softness and warmth of that support.

Noticing her junior rubbing against her legs, Zhong Ling blushed instantly, her ears turning a rosy hue. She instinctively brought her legs together, clutching the bowl tightly in her hands, looking completely bewildered.

However, Han Zhou couldn't see her face, so he naturally didn't notice anything unusual about her. He continued, "Although I wasn't asleep just now, I was half asleep and half awake. I had a bad dream, so I guess that's why I don't look too good."

"Dream?"

Zhong Ling was stunned.

"Yes."

Han Zhou gave a wry smile, "I don't know what's wrong with me these past few days, I keep having all sorts of strange dreams."

Zhong Ling hesitated for a moment, then unconsciously tugged at the small cloth bag at her waist: "If you don't mind... could you tell me about it...?"

Han Zhou hadn't expected her to be interested in his dreams. After thinking for a moment, he said, "It's not impossible, but some dreams are quite scary, and I'm afraid they might frighten you if I tell you about them."

"I'm not that timid..." Zhong Ling said weakly.

Han Zhou was both amused and exasperated: "That's not what I meant, but let's talk about it after we eat, I'm a little hungry."

He was about to unzip his sleeping bag and crawl out of it when he said that.

But Zhong Ling quickly stopped him: "You're sick right now, you have to keep warm and not catch a cold."

Han Zhou was taken aback, then gave a wry smile and said, "But I still have to put my hands out to eat, right..."

"I feed you."

Zhong Ling was clearly mentally prepared, and her tone was quite natural when she said those words, without much shyness.

In fact, if the space inside the tent hadn't been so cramped and inconvenient for feeding, she wouldn't have put her junior's head on her lap.

Having already been intimate to this extent, there's nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to just feeding someone.

Han Zhou wanted to politely decline, but Zhong Ling had already gently blew on the spoon and brought it to his lips.

After a moment's hesitation, he could only whisper "thank you" and look up to put the spoon in his mouth.

And so, he ate his dinner with Zhong Ling's somewhat clumsy feeding, and in the process, he pieced together what had happened after he fell asleep from Zhong Ling's intermittent narration.

According to the original plan, we were supposed to have a barbecue around the campfire tonight, but he suddenly fell ill, and the three girls naturally lost interest. Considering his current weak condition, they simply cooked a big pot of meat porridge for dinner.

As for why Zhong Ling delivered the food instead of Gu Zheng and Wang Lengqiu... that's a long story.

In short, the two were locked in a strange standoff outside the tent, each feeling that letting the other into the tent alone was bound to be bad news. They were thus locked in a stalemate, neither willing to yield an inch. However, Han Zhou couldn't be left unattended, and after much deliberation, he decided to send Zhong Ling, whose identity was the most "clean," to carry out the task. Hearing this, Han Zhou couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved.

It must be said that Yixia's suggestion was quite effective. She only pretended to be sick, but she actually solved the two major problems of Zhong Ling losing her voice and the outbreak of the Shura Field at the same time.

Could it be that that guy has become dissatisfied with just studying mind reading and has started teaching himself divination?

No... even if Yixia is incredibly resourceful, she probably couldn't have predicted this situation. It must have just been a lucky accident... right?

Han Zhou wasn't too sure either.

In any case, as far as the results are concerned, tonight not only perfectly avoided the fatal choice of "whose tent to go into," but also allowed me to spend time alone with my senior and take the opportunity to clarify some doubts. This plan can be described as perfect.

The only drawback was that it was too physically demanding. The negative effects of being "on the verge of death" were greater than expected, making even eating difficult. Fortunately, Zhong Ling was patient enough and carefully wiped the residue from the corners of his mouth after the meal, which was incredibly gentle.

"Senior, thank you so much for your help this time."

Bringing his thoughts back, Han Zhou sincerely expressed his gratitude.

"No, it's no trouble at all..."

Zhong Ling was currently struggling with the lid of her thermos, her breathing rapid, and her usually soft voice carried a rare hint of gritted teeth.

With Han Zhou's superhuman grip strength, he could usually twist the bottle cap without it moving. But seeing her struggling so much, her hands trembling slightly, he couldn't help but laugh. He subconsciously moved his neck to see her expression.

Unfortunately, he was now wrapped up tightly in his sleeping bag, which severely limited his range of movement, while the obstruction above his head was virtually limitless. He twisted and turned but still couldn't see Zhong Ling's face clearly, only feeling that she seemed to be trembling even more violently.

"How about I do it?" he said with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft "pop" was heard, and the cup lid finally opened. Zhong Ling's ears turned slightly red, and she awkwardly squeezed her legs together, saying in a trembling voice, "No need... I... I've already opened it."

How strange, why is my junior rubbing against my leg? It's so itchy...

However, even though her thighs felt itchy, she didn't say anything. Instead, she adjusted her position again so that the other person would be more comfortable lying down.

"The water is a bit hot, let me cool it down for you for a while."

She spoke softly, carefully tilting the thermos to let the steam escape. Her movements were slow, as if she were afraid of spilling the hot water, or as if she were taking this opportunity to calm her racing heart as quickly as possible.

Han Zhou couldn't see Zhong Ling's face clearly, so he naturally didn't notice the strangeness on her face. However, he had already realized that it wasn't good to let his senior rest her head on his lap like that. Seeing that they had finished their meal, he said:

"Senior, put my head down. Your legs must be getting numb from using it as a pillow all this time."

Zhong Ling's cheeks flushed slightly, and she softly hummed in agreement before putting down her water glass.

However, at that moment, an unusually strong wind suddenly blew up outside the tent, making the tent flap whistle loudly.

She was startled, her hand trembled, and the water in the glass immediately spilled out, most of it splashing onto the hem of her coat.

"Senior, are you alright?" Han Zhou noticed the commotion and quickly asked.

"fine."

Zhong Ling shook her head, first nervously looking down to check Han Zhou's cheeks to make sure he wasn't scalded by the hot water, before she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why don't you change your clothes?" Han Zhou asked worriedly.

"I'll go right away."

Zhong Ling nodded gently. Looking at her wet coat, she hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it off, casually placing it aside, leaving only the thick, off-white sweater.

Then, she gently supported the back of Han Zhou's head with both hands, preparing to put him back on the moisture-proof mat.

But as soon as she lifted his head slightly, she stopped, as if she suddenly remembered something. She leaned down a little closer and carefully examined his cheek in the dim light. After confirming that there were no burn marks, she was completely relieved and slowly put his head back in place.

Meanwhile, outside the tent.

Gu Zheng and Wang Lengqiu did not go into the other tent, but remained sitting around the campfire, silently watching the flickering flames.

The campfire crackled, and sparks occasionally flew up, only to be quickly shattered into the air by the night wind.

Gu Zheng sat with her knees drawn up, occasionally tossing a couple of pieces of firewood into the fire. Glancing at Wang Lengqiu sitting beside her, she finally couldn't help but ask, "Senior, aren't you planning to go to sleep?"

The dry branches crackled softly as they burned, and the wind whistled in the air, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, but Wang Lengqiu's reply was nowhere to be heard.

The air was silent for a long time. Just when she thought Wang Lengqiu wouldn't answer, she heard him speak softly: "It's not time to sleep yet."

"What if we get there?"

Wang Lengqiu tilted her head, seemingly not quite understanding the meaning of those words.

“I mean,”

Gu Zheng tossed a piece of dry firewood into the fire, her profile flickering in the firelight. "When it's time to sleep, will you go into the tent to sleep?"

Wang Lengqiu shook her head: "I'll sleep whenever you sleep."

Gu Zheng paused in her movements: "There might be danger at night. I'm just sitting here keeping watch."

“I know,” Wang Lengqiu said.

"Then you should know that I won't be sleeping tonight."

Gu Zheng's gaze fell on the tent, and with the help of the dim light inside, she could see the shadows of Han Zhou and Zhong Ling cast on the tent fabric.

"I know."

Wang Wanqiu also stared at the two figures and gave the same answer as before.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Guzheng asked, puzzled.

Wang Lengqiu did not answer. After another long silence, she said softly, "I just want to keep you company."

She rarely showed any expression when she spoke, and her tone was always flat, so Gu Zheng couldn't tell whether she really wanted to stay with her or was using this as an excuse to prevent her from entering the tent to find Han Zhou.

However, considering that this senior never jokes and is unlikely to lie, she believed it to be true. But she didn't understand why the senior, who was clearly her love rival, would want to stay outside with her in the cold wind.

"I think we can be friends."

As if guessing what she was thinking, Wang Lengqiu suddenly spoke again. Her voice was very soft and flat, but paired with her pitiful face, it gave people a rather sincere feeling.

Gu Zheng paused for a moment, then shook her head seriously: "Friends are friends, and rivals are rivals. If Han Zhou hadn't suddenly fallen ill, we might have already decided the winner by now."

"Does it have to be a winner and a loser?" Wang Lengqiu tilted his head.

"I think Han Zhou must have told you what kind of personality I have."

Gu Zheng raised her hand to tidy her wind-blown hair. "Even if we can't decide a winner this time, there will be a next time. I will keep winning and I will never give in to anyone."

Even so…

She turned her head and looked directly into Wang Lengqiu's calm eyes. "Do you also think we can continue to be friends?"

Wang Lengqiu did not answer, but simply looked up at the night sky atop the mountain in winter.

Actually, it's not much different from looking down from the mountain. Above the inky sky, there are only a few stars, with a few bright enough points of light stubbornly twinkling.

The night wind swept across the mountain ridge, causing the campfire to tilt slightly, scattering sparks that flew up like a group of lost fireflies, drawing brief and chaotic trails in the dark air.

Do you prefer rotation on its axis or revolution around the sun?

In the growing chill of the night, she suddenly asked this seemingly random question.

"what?"

Gu Zheng paused for a moment, about to say something, when suddenly her eyes widened, she abruptly stood up, and stared incredulously at the tent flap. (End of Chapter)