Forced into a romantic relationship.

Mealtime seemed to be a precious free time for Mo Yixia, so she kept hinting to Han Zhou to eat slowly and for a long time, and to establish his image as a long-lasting glutton from the very first day.

The last sentence wasn't a hint; she said it directly.

However, the two of them couldn't stay at the table forever. After lunch, Mo Yixia put on her mask, put away the dishes and chopsticks, and then slowly came to her desk. Unlike her previous calm and composed demeanor, she was clearly somewhat reluctant at this moment.

Han Zhou chuckled to himself, thinking that even the most skilled "agent" is afraid of taking tests. With that thought, he picked up the test paper on the table, looked at it, and asked, "Is this the test paper you're supposed to finish this afternoon?"

Mo Yixia remained silent for a long time before answering, "I originally thought they were all for you, but I didn't expect you to do so well on the exam. You only needed to do one, so the rest became mine."

Han Zhou sensed the resentment in her tone and quickly explained, "This is not my fault. You told me to answer the questions carefully."

He put his mask back on, roughly estimated the number of exam papers, and frowned, saying, "But there are too many of them. Do they all have to be completed today?"

"You don't have to finish everything, but you should treat it like an exam. In my mom's words, 'Give it your all and do as much as you can.'"

Other people's children might have expectations like "I can go play if I do ten pages of homework today", but this was a luxury that Mo Yixia had never had before. All she ever heard was "Do as much as you can", but there was never a precise amount for how much.

In my memory, her high school life consisted of nothing but doing problems, which was worse than a donkey with a carrot to chase. Even the air was dull, and I didn't know what to look forward to.

Looking down at my feet, I saw a trash can overflowing with empty pen refills, piled high like countless soulless people.

"Even high school seniors shouldn't be this tense..."

Han Zhou muttered something to himself and asked, "Speaking of which, didn't you want me to help you get some free time? So, how can I help you?"

Mo Yixia had already started working on the test paper. Without looking up, she said, "Just like when we were eating, take it as long as possible. Even if you're a complete glutton, my mom won't say anything if you get good grades. Instead, she'll say things like how quick-thinking people use more energy."

Han Zhou's lips twitched: "I'll help you, but I'm not a complete idiot. But is this all there is to it? How much rest can you get in the time it takes to eat..."

As he spoke, he sat down on a chair not far from the study, picked up a book and began to read. Because he was wearing a mask, it was impossible to tell that the two were talking if you didn't listen to their voices.

Mo Yixia said, "You've heard from my mom that classes start tomorrow. There's a 20-minute break in the morning and another 20-minute break in the afternoon. The rest of the time you have to study. There are security cameras in the room, so it's not realistic to slack off under my mom's nose. You'll be lucky if you can sneak a break during meals... But if you're bored, you can chat with me."

What do I have to be bored about...?

Han Zhou sighed inwardly, genuinely feeling sorry for the girl. He then asked, "I'm a little bored right now, so what would you like to talk about?"

Mo Yixia thought for a moment and said, "Can we talk about your mother?"

Han Zhou's lips twitched. Although he knew the other person didn't mean it, he still felt like those words were an insult...

Chapter 6 I Have a Plan

The air conditioner kept blowing out cool air, keeping the sweltering heat out of the room. The blinding sunlight was also blocked by the curtains. The cicadas could not be heard, and only the scratching sound of pen tips touching paper could be heard.

To be honest, if he didn't have to think about anything, Han Zhou would quite like tutoring. Not only does he get to eat a hearty free lunch, but he also gets to enjoy free air conditioning, which is much more comfortable than staying at home.

He told the truth: "I never met my mother; she died shortly after I was born."

The rustling sound paused for a moment, then resumed, followed by Mo Yixia's apologetic voice.

"Feel sorry."

"nothing."

Han Zhou didn't care. In fact, in terms of family situation alone, he was even more miserable than Mo Yixia, but he didn't intend to start a conversation about it and come up with empty truths like "having a mother is already a blessing".

The room suddenly fell silent, perhaps because the air conditioning was a bit too cold. Mo Yixia got up and put on a coat, which was the Linbei Middle School uniform she had worn yesterday.

After a long silence, she finally spoke: "Actually, I've imagined this more than once: what would happen if I died the day I was born?"

Han Zhou pondered for a moment: "Won't I meet someone as handsome as me?"

He had researched the psychology of suicidal people online. These people are often extremely pessimistic, feel that life has no fun, and many of them have suicidal thoughts. So he was not surprised by Mo Yixia's words, but he was a little worried.

Perhaps this is the girl's true inner self.

Seeing that the other party had no reaction, Han Zhou felt that it was a bit difficult to make this guy laugh. Of course, he would never reflect on whether it was because his joke was too lame.

He changed the subject, saying, "We can't talk about my mom, so how about we talk about what you like?"

Mo Yixia paused in her actions: "What do you like?"

【Daily Task 2 (Mo Yixia): Obtain 10 "Like" comments (2/10) to earn 1 point】

"Ah."

She thought for a long time before saying, "I like many things: singing, listening to music, playing claw machines, playing the piano, jumping rope..."

Han Zhou initially thought that the other person hesitated for so long because she couldn't think of what she liked, but to his surprise, she rattled off a whole bunch of things, all sorts of different things, and none of them were repeated.

In summary, this guy seems to like everything except studying.

However, thanks to this, Mo Yixia quickly said "I like you" ten times, and Han Zhou successfully completed one task. However, in contrast, the other task is still stuck in the same place, and he has not seen this guy smile even once.

So he hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Um, don't you like to smile?"

Mo Yixia seemed a little puzzled and turned to look at him, a rare occurrence for her: "It's not that I dislike him, I'll laugh when I feel like it, what's wrong?"

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment: "Then how about... I tell you a joke?"

"Go ahead and tell me."

"Ahem, then listen carefully."

Han Zhou cleared his throat, seemingly exceptionally confident in the joke he was about to tell.

"On the talent show, Zhang San overcame numerous obstacles to successfully advance and finally sat on the champion's throne. At the awards ceremony, the host asked him with a smile, 'This contestant, what made you stand on the champion's podium?'"

Mo Yixia, being quite accommodating, readily took on the role of the straight man, asking without even looking up, "How did the contestant answer?"

“‘It’s my leg.’”

Mo Yixia waited for a while, and seeing that the other party didn't continue, she asked in confusion, "And then? That's it?"

"It's over."

Han Zhou was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to salvage the situation, and added, "Did you hear that clearly? Zhang San answered that it was his leg..."

"Where's the humor?"

"My leg..."

A long silence fell over the room.

"Your joke is too lame." After a long pause, Mo Yixia finally gave her assessment.

"I think you're just too cold."

Han Zhou muttered to himself, but to be honest, Mo Yixia wasn't a cold person. On the contrary, she was quite easy to talk to. It was just that she seemed to have a shell around her, keeping herself inside and not letting anyone get close.

This is a big problem... I can't even make this girl laugh, how am I supposed to make her not hate me?

He felt a bit overwhelmed, so he got up and went to his desk to take a look at Mo Yixia's answers.

After a moment, his expression turned strange. He carefully considered his words and said, "Your math is indeed not very good."

"You don't have to be so insincere; you can describe me as a complete mess."

"It's not that bad, it's just that I kept talking to you..."

Mo Yixia frankly said, "It has nothing to do with you. My math and physics have always been terrible. I actually feel like I did a little better this time than before."

Han Zhou hesitated for a moment, then reached out to snatch the test paper away: "In that case, there's no point in you doing the math and physics questions now; it's just a waste of time."

However, Mo Yixia held the test paper firmly and shook her head, saying, "But my mother doesn't think that way. She firmly believes that the more test papers you do, the better, and the worse the ones are, the more you should do, so I have to finish them."

Han Zhou frowned: "Your mother's thinking is clearly problematic. Are you just being stubborn with her?"

"Believe me, it's fine if you wear a mask like me, my mom won't have any objections. But if you don't listen to her and make me finish all the test papers, her attitude towards you will definitely drop to freezing point, and she might not let you come tomorrow."

Han Zhou paused, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable as he thought of the kind-smiling woman.

Seeing him silently withdraw his hand, the girl's eyes dimmed slightly, and she picked up her pen to continue answering the questions.

Han Zhou naturally couldn't see Mo Yixia's gaze, and even if he could, there was nothing he could do. He needed this job for the time being and couldn't afford to be fired without a clear explanation.

He sighed, "These surveillance cameras are such a nuisance. I wish they were all broken."

"Then you can pray for a power outage. My home security camera doesn't have a backup power source, so it's useless when the power goes out."

Mo Yixia said, "But the surveillance malfunction isn't all good. What do you want to do?"

Han Zhou's eyes lit up upon hearing this, but as if he hadn't heard her, he suddenly lowered his voice and whispered furtively, "Do you want to rest for half a day?"

“I want to,” Mo Yixia nodded. “But if you’re planning to turn off the power, I advise you to give up the idea as soon as possible. My mom can see it.”

Han Zhou was taken aback, but quickly realized what he meant and said with a strange expression, "You wouldn't have already been thinking about this all along, would you...?"

Mo Yixia said to herself, "There is a power switch outside, but unfortunately, whenever the power goes out after I go out, it will attract my mother's attention. Moreover, in order to prevent me from finding someone to help me from the inside, she specially asked someone to move the power switch to a position that normal people cannot reach."

While shocked by the battle of wits between the mother and daughter, Han Zhou couldn't help but wonder: "Your mother can change the position of the power switch at will?"

"Of course, I've told you before that my family is very rich. The entire Yunhuan residential area belongs to my family, so naturally no one will object to her making a fuss."

Han Zhou gasped, his eyes widening as he asked, "Are you serious?"

He could tell, of course, that Mo Yixia's family was wealthy; even their tea sets were high-class and exuded the stench of money. But he never imagined they could be this rich...

Mo Yixia said calmly, "I have no reason to lie to you."

Han Zhou took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his mindset. After all, no matter how much money someone else has, it still belongs to them. He thought for a moment and asked, "So where did your mother hide the circuit breaker?"

Mo Yixia was taken aback, not expecting this guy to still be so persistent. So she first stretched lazily as if she was tired, then pulled back the curtains, and while enjoying the sunlight, she pointed out the window without making a sound, her tone full of resigned helplessness.

“There it is.”

Han Zhou was dumbfounded. Who the hell would install the power switch outside the wall, so far from the room? This is over thirty floors! At this height and distance, you'd probably need to summon Spider-Man to turn off the power...

And frankly, no matter the reason, deliberately installing the power switch in such a place is already quite willful.

Mo Yixia had no hope of turning off the power, as it was ultimately a ridiculous idea. However, as she drew the curtains, a hint of disappointment still flashed uncontrollably in her eyes.

Han Zhou happened to notice that dim look in his eyes.

He still remembered the moment she drew back the curtains; even under the scorching sun, her gaze remained so bright, like a caged bird yearning for the blue sky.

Han Zhou had learned from their previous conversations that even when Mo Yixia went out to attend tutoring classes, she basically didn't have any freedom. On the contrary, she was even more tired from going back and forth. That's why she wanted to find a tutor to cover for her.

Even a brief moment of leisure seemed like a luxury for this girl.

The power switch stood far away on the wall, looking down at something as if silently mocking it.

For some reason, Han Zhou suddenly remembered the day he learned he had a terminal illness, his father had passed away, and he lay at home alone, waiting to die.

The next second, he didn't know if he had lost his mind, but he suddenly took a deep breath and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.