Forced into a romantic relationship.

Wearing sunglasses indoors is indeed not very comfortable, so Han Zhou obediently took them off and then asked suspiciously, "You didn't laugh enough yesterday, did you?"

"You don't appreciate kindness, you deserve to be beaten by a woman." Gu Zheng lightly punched his arm and said irritably, "I just wanted to see if your injury was serious."

Han Zhou was taken aback. He suddenly remembered that although the class monitor laughed non-stop when he saw his panda eyes yesterday, he immediately applied a cold compress to his wounds with a towel. He couldn't help but feel a little touched.

However, when I thought about how he continued laughing after the cold compress and even took out his phone to take pictures, all that feeling of being touched vanished instantly...

He shook his head and said, "It wasn't serious to begin with, otherwise I would have gone to the hospital yesterday. I should have recovered in a few days."

Zhong Yin's punch yesterday wasn't actually very powerful. He ended up like this mainly because his body was in poor condition. The panda eyes look exaggerated, but he didn't actually suffer any serious injuries.

Otherwise, he might not have had such a good temper back then.

Moreover, this punch earned him Zhong Ling's contact information, so it was a trade-off. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to get close to that girl through normal means. Now that the two sisters feel they owe him something, they're completely at his mercy.

Miss, you wouldn't want people to know that your sister hit someone, would you...?

Gu Zheng clearly didn't believe Han Zhou's words. She stared at him with a tense expression for a while, then silently turned her head away, shrugged her shoulders, and walked into the bathroom. She was obviously trying not to laugh.

He kept muttering to himself, "Cold compress within 24 hours, pfft, hot compress after 48 hours..."

Han Zhou knew he couldn't persuade this guy, so he simply ignored him, plopped down on the sofa, and turned his head to notice a photo album on the coffee table.

He immediately became interested and asked loudly, "Class monitor, may I take a look at this photo album?"

"See? Don't make it dirty for me."

A few seconds later, the sound of a guzheng came from the bathroom, followed by the sound of running water, as if someone was turning on the toilet.

With permission, Han Zhou opened the photo album and found that it was mostly filled with photos of Gu Zheng when she was a child. She looked about twelve or thirteen years old, probably just starting junior high school.

Back then, Guzheng still had long hair, tied in two short ponytails, and her round face was quite cute. In the photos, she was mostly seen with her arms crossed over her chest, and her expression was reluctant, as if she didn't really like taking pictures.

Han Zhou laughed, thinking to himself that Gu Zheng must have been very mischievous at that time. Her skin was already tanned, and she probably ran around in the sun every few days.

Flipping further, you see photos of Guzheng a little older.

She still has long hair, but instead of tying it into a ponytail, she lets it hang loose. Her eyes are also less wild than before, and at first glance, she looks quite demure.

Han Zhou looked at each picture and couldn't help but sigh, "This guy is the kind of person who's been beautiful since he was a child."

The album is mostly filled with Guzheng's solo photos, as well as some photos with her parents. It's worth mentioning that as Guzheng grew older, the reluctance on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by a bright smile.

"This must be a photo from junior high school. Her hair was quite long back then. When did Guzheng cut her hair short...?"

Han Zhou was a little curious and continued flipping through the pages. However, even after flipping to the middle school graduation photo, Gu Zheng still had long hair.

In his memory, Gu Zheng had shoulder-length hair since the beginning of high school, which means she cut her hair during the summer vacation after graduating from junior high school.

The junior high school graduation photo took up an entire page of the album. Gu Zheng in the photo was still smiling happily, her eyes curved into crescents, and she even made a peace sign at the camera.

But Han Zhou suddenly frowned.

Because what is depicted in this photo is clearly not a happy scene.

As a group photo of dozens of people, this photo was taken on a long staircase, which was densely packed with people. Guzheng, however, stood alone on the far left edge of the photo, unable to even stand on the staircase. It is unknown whether she was pushed off by someone.

There were empty spaces on the steps to the right, but for some reason, Guzheng did not choose to stand there.

In addition, there was a full body length between her and the classmate closest to her, with a clear gap between them, as if she did not belong to this class.

It's like a piece of white paper torn off; it's white paper, but it can't be reintegrated into the white paper.

Fortunately, Guzheng wasn't really alone; a teacher was standing next to her in the photo, though his expression looked somewhat helpless.

"What's going on...?"

Han Zhou was somewhat lost in thought when he suddenly heard a smug voice behind him.

"How do I look? Do I look good with long hair?"

Looking back, Guzheng appeared behind the sofa at some point, holding a wet towel in her hand, her arms were wet, and the dolphin pendant around her neck was swaying slightly.

"nice."

Han Zhou nodded in agreement, and then added tactfully, "You look good with short hair too."

Gu Zheng beamed with joy and then displayed amazing jumping ability. She supported herself on the back of the sofa with one hand, spun and jumped easily to Han Zhou's side, and sat down without any effort.

She handed over the towel, her gaze intense as she asked, "Which one looks better?"

"Since it's all yours anyway, there's no need to compete with yourself for first or second place..."

Han Zhou sighed softly, placed the damp towel on his left eye, and felt a significant relief instantly.

The two fell silent.

Looking at the graduation photo, Han Zhou couldn't help but ask, "But why did you suddenly start growing your hair short?"

"If you ask why..."

Gu Zheng picked up the photo album, rested her chin on her hand and thought seriously for a moment, then tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear, her eyes curving into crescents as she revealed a casual smile.

"Maybe it's because I don't look like the female lead."

Chapter 44 A Little Favoritism

7 p.m.

Miao Yan'er opened the door and saw steaming hot food being served on the table, filling the entire room with a rich and enticing aroma.

"Oh dear, is dinner ready yet?"

She twitched her nose, put down her bag, and leaned closer to the dining table to take a look. She said with a smile, "It looks pretty good, but I bet this stuff won't taste as good as what I make."

"He's just spouting nonsense."

Gu Zheng sneered as she placed a stack of bowls on the table, glancing at her mother with disdain. "Hurry up and wash your hands. You'll see the reality after you finish eating."

"Really? Who's talking big here?"

Miao Yan'er's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes held a hint of provocation. Their gazes clashed in the air, and sparks seemed to fly between them.

Just then, Han Zhou carefully walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of soup, and greeted Miao Yan'er with a smile.

"Hello Auntie."

Miao Yan'er was displeased upon hearing this. She immediately turned her head and looked at him sadly, saying, "How many times have I told you not to call me 'Auntie'? Just call me Sister Miao. I'm still very young."

Han Zhou's smile froze as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him who bore a resemblance to Gu Zheng.

Miao Yan'er is in her forties, but she looks very young. Like her daughter, she has shoulder-length short hair, but she has dyed it wine red. She wears two large earrings, has bright features, light makeup, sexy red lips, and a much more curvaceous figure than Gu Zheng. She exudes the charm of a mature woman.

Her smile is very similar to that of Guzheng, with both eyes and eyebrows curving. However, compared to the latter's youthful radiance, her smile is like that of a cunning fox, giving off a mischievous feeling.

Faced with the request from the retired emperor of the Gu family, Han Zhou dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly and honestly changed his address to "Sister Miao!"

Their trembling and fearful demeanor was just like that of a lowly subordinate meeting a superior, practically standing at attention and saluting.

Gu Zheng rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that this guy was a loser.

To be honest, Han Zhou was indeed very afraid of Miao Yan'er, and had long since secretly given her the nickname "Miao Cuihua" in his heart.

Putting everything else aside, this woman's fighting prowess has been personally acknowledged by Gu Zheng. Even though she's as stubborn as she is, she only dares to say in private, "If I had been born ten years earlier, this guy would never have been my match."

To put it simply: Even ten years from now, I might not be able to beat her.

Its formidable strength is evident.

Like her daughter, this mother's physical strength also reached a terrifying seven points. What's even more terrifying is that she has never been reserved as an elder. Although she is usually smiling, she is ruthless when it comes to fighting. Han Zhou had suffered from her before.

Of course, Guzheng's father has more to say about being beaten, but unfortunately he doesn't seem to be there right now.

Seeing that Han Zhou was so sensible, Miao Yan'er nodded in satisfaction and said gently, "You should have heard what Xiao Zheng has to say. Today, I'll have to trouble you to be the referee. You must uphold the principles of fairness and impartiality, and feel free to speak your true feelings. Don't be afraid of Xiao Zheng threatening you; I will back you up."

Han Zhou chuckled dryly, thinking to himself, "I can handle the guzheng, I'll be thankful if you don't threaten me..."

Gu Zheng looked around the living room and asked in confusion, "Mom, didn't Dad come back with you?"

"No, he'll be busy for a while. He can just grab a quick bite at a boxed lunch outside. He won't starve. There's no need to wait for him."

Miao Yan'er looked indifferent, covered her mouth and yawned as she was about to wash her hands. Suddenly, she stopped, glanced at the photo album on the coffee table, and quickly looked away, as if she hadn't seen it, and calmly walked into the bathroom.

At the same time, Han Zhou looked at Gu Zheng, who was bending down to serve rice, and felt somewhat depressed.

After saying "I'm not like the female lead," this guy fell silent and never answered his question directly, giving vague and ambiguous answers. He even sneaked into the kitchen and wouldn't let him in to help.

He said that no third person was allowed to interfere in this competition, but in reality, he just didn't want him to keep asking questions.

There aren't many things Guzheng would hide from him. Her reluctance to talk about it probably means that deep down she's avoiding the matter and even wants to forget it.

Actually, this is all in the past, and there seems to be no need to delve into it. Logically speaking, Han Zhou shouldn't be asking too many questions, but then he thought about it again and felt strange—wait a minute, if Gu Zheng didn't want him to know about this, then why did she show him the photo album?

There's something wrong with this graduation photo!

Could it be that the other person is actually trying to get his attention on this matter, and deep down still hopes that he will take the initiative to inquire about it?

Given Guzheng's strong personality, it's impossible for her to complain on her own initiative, especially since she doesn't have any friends to confide in. So, could this be a topic she intentionally brought up in order to find an opportunity to complain to him?

Han Zhou thought about it more and more and it seemed very possible, but unfortunately no matter how much he pressed her for an answer, Gu Zheng just wouldn't say.

So now even Han Zhou is confused. Girls' thoughts are really hard to guess. He's torn between asking and not asking, and he's really struggling with this.

Unfortunately, Guzheng's father hadn't returned yet; otherwise, she might have been able to get some information from him.

If it weren't absolutely necessary, Han Zhou would never dare to ask Miao Yan'er. Who knows if this woman would grin maliciously and say, "How dare you inquire about our little Guzheng's sad story?" and then drag him to the balcony to give him a good scolding.

Han Zhou's mind was filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts when he saw Miao Yan'er slowly walk out of the bathroom and urge, "Sit down and eat, everyone. You've been busy all day and your stomachs are about to burst."

Gu Zheng pushed a huge, stuffed rice bowl over, looking confident and proud, and said while holding the equally huge bowl, "Give up. Without the support of my dad, your number one lackey, you've already lost half the battle."

"Winning or losing isn't up to you; it depends on Han Zhou's judgment." Miao Yan'er slowly sat down in a chair and smiled. "I believe Han Zhou will give the fairest evaluation, right?"

Han Zhou kept his eyes down, pretending not to hear. The two were currently at odds, and he, who was only fit for a normal-sized rice bowl, really didn't want to be a judge, especially with Uncle Gu not around.

In normal times, Uncle Gu usually bears the brunt of the pressure.

Gu Zheng thought he was scared, so she quickly patted his shoulder, her eyes still fixed on her mother, and earnestly encouraged him, "Don't be afraid of her! You just need to praise me without worry, she won't dare to hit you in front of me."

Han Zhou almost spat out blood. Aren't you worried that she'll hit me behind your back?

Also, why do I have to praise you?

Since we agreed on fairness and impartiality, then everyone should refrain from resorting to underhanded tactics...

He hesitated to pick up his chopsticks, so as not to be asked to make a final vote immediately.