Forced into a romantic relationship

Of course, the lawless idea of ​​"kidnapping" Sister Yin could only pass through his mind; if he were actually asked to do it, he wouldn't dare even if he had ten times the courage.

Shaking off those unfounded thoughts, Han Zhou brought his attention back to the main topic and tentatively asked, "Then... is this related to Sister Yin?"

Zhong Ling shook her head.

It has nothing to do with the car accident, and nothing to do with Sister Yin... so what else could it have to do with?
After a moment of contemplation, Han Zhou suddenly remembered the item he had seen in Zhong Ling's suitcase. His expression became somewhat subtle, and he tentatively asked, "Could it be related to me?"

Zhong Ling paused, instinctively clenching the hem of her clothes, a rather complicated expression flashing across her face, before weakly nodding.

Han Zhou was surprised that he had actually guessed correctly, and subconsciously asked, "Why would it be a nightmare if it's related to me?"

Zhong Ling kept her head down and did not respond. It was unclear whether she did not want to respond or because the question could not be answered with a nod or a shake of the head.

Han Zhou pressed his temples, realizing that he had been too naive. To truly understand someone's heart, simple "yes or no" questions were not enough. Without any hints, he was at a loss as to how to continue asking.

Fortunately, there was no limit to the number of questions and answers. He raised his hand to signal Zhong Ling not to rush to speak, and after considering for a long time, he asked again, "Did I bully you?"

Zhong Ling quickly shook her head.

Did you bully me?

Zhong Ling paused for a moment, then shook her head even more vigorously, her eyes revealing a hint of grievance, as if she was saddened that her junior would think that way.

Han Zhou looked embarrassed and hurriedly explained, "Senior, please don't misunderstand. I was just making a bold hypothesis and carefully verifying it. I didn't mean anything else."

“Actually, I can tell you directly…” Zhong Ling lowered her head slightly, her voice barely audible.

Han Zhou smiled slightly: "You can tell me directly this time, but what about next time, and the time after that? You can't possibly tell me everything, can you?"

Zhong Ling fell silent.

Han Zhou thought for a moment, then changed the subject instead of guessing further: "How about this, you want to know what nightmare I had last night? I'll tell you about it first."

Zhong Ling hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, "Can I play games too?"

"what?"

"I also want to try and see if I can guess what my junior dreamed about last night..."

Zhong Ling lowered her head further and further, looking uneasy.

Han Zhou was taken aback at first, then chuckled: "Strange, why do I feel like you're so afraid of me today? Is it because of that nightmare?"

“I’m not afraid of my junior.” Zhong Ling quickly shook her head.

"Then you don't need to be so cautious at all."

Seeing the girl's increasingly nervous expression, Han Zhou sighed inwardly, then his smile softened, and he gave an affirmative answer, "Of course."

He paused, then added, "Actually, I could tell you about this dream directly."

Zhong Ling nodded somewhat shyly and whispered, "But I want to guess..."

Han Zhou laughed: "It seems we're quite in sync when it comes to 'asking for trouble'."

Zhong Ling blushed slightly but did not refute.

How about this?

Han Zhou thought for a moment and suggested, "From now on, let's take turns asking each other a question and see who can guess the other's nightmare first."

Zhong Ling hesitated for a moment, then quickly looked up at him before looking down again. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, and her eyes gradually brightened, as if she was somewhat tempted.

But the next second, as if she suddenly remembered something, she lowered her head again, her voice weakening, "But you've already asked me several questions..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, and her ears turned a faint red, as if she were ashamed of her "petty" behavior.

This scene naturally caught Han Zhou's eye. He couldn't help but chuckle and said with a smile, "Then, to be fair, you can ask me ten questions first, and then we'll officially begin the competition."

Zhong Ling looked up and met his smiling eyes. She felt a little embarrassed, but didn't look away. Instead, she tentatively asked, "If I can guess what you dreamed about within ten questions, wouldn't you be doomed to lose?" "It's not that easy to guess."

Han Zhou smiled and shook his head, tossing two pieces of dry firewood into the fire. After thinking for a moment, he added, "If you can really guess what I dreamed about within ten questions, then I'll—"

"What?" Zhong Ling asked curiously.

"I'm willing to accept the consequences of my bet; whatever you say goes."

As someone who had been through it all, Han Zhou knew how difficult it was to figure out a person's thoughts within ten questions. Therefore, he was not worried at all. Instead, his tone was calm and confident as he confidently made this empty promise.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the moment he said those words, he noticed that Zhong Ling's eyes seemed to light up.

Before he could examine it closely, he heard Zhong Ling ask in a low voice, "Was it a dream about being sick?"

Han Zhou was taken aback. He hadn't expected that the other party's first question would hit the nail on the head. In his dream, he had indeed returned to the days when he was suffering from a terminal illness, so he nodded.

"Is it something that has already happened?" Zhong Ling asked again.

Han Zhou shook his head.

Although he returned to the days when he was terminally ill, that was just the direction of his life after losing his status bar; it was a possibility, not something that had actually happened.

"That's something that hasn't happened yet?"

Han Zhou was somewhat puzzled. The third question and the second question clearly meant the same thing, but Zhong Ling still asked the question.

But he didn't ask any more questions, he just nodded again.

Zhong Ling asked ten questions in a row. For a moment, Han Zhou even felt that she was getting close to the truth, but in the end, she still couldn't come up with an answer.

So, as they had agreed beforehand, the two took turns asking each other a question.

In the flickering firelight, the shadows of the two people were stretched out, sometimes long and sometimes short, swaying gently behind them like curtains being blown by the wind.

The fire crackled and popped, and waves of heat wafted over. Zhong Ling, who had been a little reserved, unconsciously relaxed her movements, her knees moved slightly closer, and the tips of her hair were tinged with a soft orange by the firelight.

Han Zhou gradually became less reserved, casually resting one arm on his bent knee, occasionally picking up a piece of firewood and throwing it into the fire, where sparks would "whoosh" up and illuminate half of his smiling face.

The world seemed to be compressed around this warm campfire. The wind faded, the chill receded, and even the heavy topics about "nightmares" were no longer so biting.

The two chatted back and forth, occasionally laughing at each other's strange questions. The atmosphere was as relaxed as a late-night chat in a dormitory, only the background was a starry sky and wilderness.

As dawn broke, neither of them could determine a winner.

Or perhaps they never intended to determine a winner.

Considering that the sun was about to rise and they still needed to wake up Guzheng and Wang Lengqiu, the two had no choice but to temporarily "take a break from the competition".

As he got up and brushed the grass clippings off his clothes, Han Zhou turned his head and looked at Zhong Ling in the dim morning light: "Want to call it a tie? Let's just exchange answers."

Zhong Ling looked up at the pale night sky, smiled faintly, and gently shook her head.

"No, no need..."

The flickering firelight illuminated the girl's face, making the blush of shyness stand out, like a peach blossom gently caressed by the evening breeze.

She lowered her head slightly, and after a long while, she quietly raised her eyes, but hurriedly looked away the moment her gaze met Han Zhou's.

Even so, she still mustered up the courage to say those words.

"I will beat my junior this time."

Han Zhou was taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"I don't think I'll lose."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the tent, his figure quickly disappearing into the brightening morning light. (End of Chapter)