Forced into a romantic relationship.

A burning light ignited in Guzheng's eyes. "For me, 20th place is just the beginning. Only first place can satisfy me. Otherwise, I will never stop."

"When I said that, He Ling looked at me encouragingly and even clapped for me. She didn't seem worried about losing the first place. Actually, I've always been grateful to her because she has helped me a lot. I consider her a friend and my only rival."

"Although I kept improving, He Ling was still in first place until the end of the first semester of junior high school. I felt that this was because I didn't work hard enough, so I studied like crazy during the holidays and even studied the content of the next semester on my own. Finally, in the first monthly exam of the second semester of junior high school, I successfully beat everyone and got first place, and He Ling became second."

"From that day until graduation, he remained number one in the entire grade."

"I could tell that He Ling was genuinely happy for me, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes. She had less time to play and worked harder than before, both in and out of class. Naturally, I didn't want to admit defeat, so I worked even harder and was determined not to give up my number one position."

"I will not lose."

After a moment of silence, Gu Zheng continued, "After a while, I gradually heard people in the class talking about me, saying that I was an ungrateful person. Even though He Ling had always taken such good care of me, I insisted on working like a learning machine to try and take first place from her. I pretended to be a diligent and studious person all day long. I didn't want to play and made others suffer as well. But I clearly didn't do anything."

"I ignored those people. After I had mastered the basic knowledge of junior high school, I felt that maintaining first place was no problem, so I started to spend some time on sports."

“I don’t need to put in much effort in sports. It’s my talent, probably inherited from my mom. I’ve always been very healthy since I was little. It’s easy for me to beat everyone, including the boys in my class. This makes some boys lose face, so they start talking badly about me behind my back, saying that I have high levels of male hormones, and there are even rumors that I have chest hair.”

Han Zhou frowned.

Gu Zheng said nonchalantly, "I beat up all those people. Later, their parents came to the school and forced me to admit my mistakes, but I refused. So I received a minor punishment. One of the parents tried to hit me, but I dodged it. She told me to be careful in the future."

"And then?" Han Zhou asked.

"Later..." Gu Zheng blinked and smiled with her eyes crinkling, "Later, my mother found the parent who threatened me and beat her up. Not long after, that family moved away."

Han Zhou knew this would happen. Miao Yan'er was not a rule-abiding person, but a real violent person. Otherwise, she wouldn't have studied self-defense and taught it to her daughter, who was not a good-tempered person either.

Moreover, Guzheng's father was not a very steady person. Both parents had childlike mindsets and raised Guzheng in a laissez-faire manner, not indulging her, but never letting her suffer any injustice easily.

The guzheng was quiet for a moment, then quickly suppressed its smile.

"From then on, everyone knew that I was not easy to bully, but my popularity also got worse and worse. Even the teachers didn't like me very much, but I didn't care. I never thought I had done anything wrong before, until that incident in the third year of junior high school."

"It was because of that incident that I lost He Ling as a friend."

Chapter 82 Why don't you stay at my place tonight?

It had gotten completely dark.

In the distance, dim lights appeared, and a torrential downpour began. Countless raindrops intertwined, forming a continuous curtain of rain. The immense sound of the rain seemed to drown out everything else, becoming the only sound in the world.

Large raindrops pounded the ground, and the splashes landed right at the feet of the two people at the subway station entrance.

"The rain is really heavy."

Han Zhou clicked his tongue in amazement. It was a torrential rain. In the dim light, it was almost impossible to see clearly through the rain. Even the car headlights were blurred, and only the nearby scenery could be seen.

He was a bit worried. There was still some distance between the subway station and Guzheng's home, and since they didn't have umbrellas, it would be difficult for them to cross the heavy rain to get back to their community.

If I had known this would happen, I would have taken a taxi. In the current situation, it will probably be difficult to find a taxi nearby.

Gu Zheng also looked worried and took out her phone, saying, "I'll call my mom and ask her to come pick me up."

She dialed Miao Yan'er's number, but soon frowned and said, "My parents aren't coming back today. They told me to figure it out myself. It seems I can't count on them."

Seeing the heavy rain, she looked at Han Zhou and said irritably, "It's all your fault for insisting on bringing me back. Now that it's raining so hard, you should hurry up and leave, or you won't be able to get back."

"And what about you?" Han Zhou asked.

"I'll wait here for a while and see if the rain will let up. If it doesn't, I'll take a taxi back."

"There's no need to wait any longer. This rain is definitely not going to let up anytime soon; it'll only get heavier. Hurry up and call a taxi now. I'll wait here with you until the taxi arrives before I leave. You haven't finished speaking yet."

Gu Zheng glared at him: "You're even more gossipy than a girl, aren't you afraid you won't be able to go back?"

Han Zhou shrugged: "It's too late for me to leave now. My home is even further from the subway station, and there's nowhere to shelter from the rain around. It's the same whether I go back early or late, so I'm not in a hurry. You can continue. What major event happened in the third year of junior high?"

Gu Zheng knew that this guy wouldn't give up until he finished listening, so she wanted to send him home as soon as possible. Helpless, she had no choice but to continue.

She took a few steps back to avoid the splashing rain, and pulled Han Zhou back with her, saying, "It's nothing serious. There was a competition in my third year of junior high. Each class had to select five people to participate. You know, I've always been very interested in these kinds of competitions, so when the teacher called my name, I immediately agreed."

"But at lunchtime, He Ling suddenly found me."

"She looked a bit haggard back then, completely different from when she was in the first year of junior high. She had no energy. I had heard people say that He Ling's parents cared a lot about her studies and always considered her first-place ranking as a source of pride. It seemed that the reason she could never beat me was that her mentality gradually became problematic. Her grades had already dropped to outside the top ten, and she was not as cheerful as before."

At this point, Gu Zheng's eyes dimmed slightly. She had always felt somewhat guilty about this. He Ling's transformation was partly her fault, even if it wasn't her intention, it still inevitably hurt the other person.

She tried to comfort He Ling, taking her out to play and studying with her, but she didn't have the talent to comfort others. Instead of making He Ling happy, she was accused of being hypocritical by others.

Han Zhou did not speak.

In life, there are always some people who are outstanding and dazzling in the eyes of ordinary people. However, the more they shine, the more they may inadvertently burn others, so they inevitably seem out of place.

Is this their fault?

of course not.

Is it wrong for a guzheng player to strive to be number one?

That's certainly true.

So whose fault is it really?

Han Zhou didn't think too much about the answer behind it, because this question didn't need a definite answer in the first place.

Gu Zheng had no idea what Han Zhou was thinking. She recalled, "The reason He Ling came to me was very simple. She wanted me to give up participating in this competition because it was very important to her. She hoped I could give her a chance to win an award."

"I don't remember how I felt at the time. I just couldn't believe He Ling would say such a thing. I always thought we were friends and rivals. Although she lost for the time being, wasn't this behavior tantamount to admitting defeat?"

"I couldn't accept that mentality, and I didn't want to give up any victory, so I rejected her."

Gu Zheng's expression became more complicated as she continued, "That day was the first time I saw He Ling angry. She loudly questioned me, asking why I was studying so hard, even though I had already surpassed the second-place student by so much, why I wouldn't give others a chance. She said that I had made the atmosphere in the class so tense, that I had caused everyone to bear enormous pressure, and that everyone hated me, so why couldn't I realize it?"

"We're best friends, so why won't I give her a chance? This opportunity is very important to her. Do I think winning first place is more important to me than friendship?"

"That was the first time He Ling opened up to me. She said I was too selfish. Only then did I realize that this was how she saw me. I told her that many schools were participating in this competition, and even if I didn't participate, she might not be able to get a prize. She said it didn't matter, as long as I gave up the competition, there would definitely be an extra spot, and that would increase her chances of getting a spot."

"I found it strange. There was still some time before the competition started. Improving myself was clearly the best way, so why did she insist on putting my hopes on me giving up? But I didn't ask her that question because she cried."

“‘Guzheng, you only need to let me have this one time, Mingming only needs to do this one time,’ I still remember what He Ling said back then.”

The rain was getting heavier, and the bus stop sign was being battered by the wind and rain, causing it to sway slightly.

Guzheng shrank her neck.

"When I saw He Ling crying, I felt confused about what I had done for the first time. I wondered if I really shouldn't have done it, so I went home and asked my parents if I was wrong."

“They told me that I wasn’t wrong, but there’s more to the world than just right and wrong. I could have done better. This competition wasn’t that important to me. I could have stepped back and given up the competition to give my good friend a chance, even if she might not have been able to seize it. That way, she would have felt my goodwill, and I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to prepare for the competition. It would have been better for both of us.”

Gu Zheng took a deep breath. She had told her more than once that her competitiveness was a double-edged sword, which could make her invincible, but it could also hurt herself and others.

"Han Zhou".

She suddenly looked at Han Zhou, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes, and lowered her voice.

Do you think I'm wrong?

In the heavy rain, the girl lowered her head, her expression hidden in the lamplight, as indistinct as the car lights outside the rain curtain.

"Of course you're right."

Han Zhou did not hesitate and immediately gave an affirmative answer.

"really?"

Gu Zheng gritted her teeth and said to herself, "But He Ling didn't come to school for several days afterward. It's said that she went to see a psychologist for a while. Everyone said it was my fault. Although my parents never said that, they all felt that I should make a change."

"This result is indeed regrettable, but it has nothing to do with you. No one can stand on any side to blame you."

Han Zhou shook his head. "But Gu Zheng, I don't want to talk to you about life philosophy. Actually, it's hard to say whether this is right or wrong. It all depends on your position and choice. And if this is your choice, then I support you."

Gu Zheng lowered her head, her expression somber, and said, "So you also think it would be better if I gave way?"

"You should ask yourself that. I told you, I support your choice. By the way, do you remember how our relationship improved?"

Han Zhou suddenly asked an unrelated question.

Gu Zheng paused for a moment, then recalled, "I remember one day you suddenly ran up and slammed your hand on my table, saying you wanted to be my rival, and that one day you would surpass me. Everyone was laughing at you."

At this point, she couldn't help but laugh. "At first, you were so overconfident that you tried to race me. But after only a couple of steps, you were exhausted like a dead dog and even fell down. Then, shamelessly, you asked me to help you back to the classroom."

Han Zhou's face darkened; this was a dark chapter in his high school history. However, he quickly smiled and said smugly, "But I won that race. I crossed the finish line first."

Just mentioning the guzheng makes me angry: "Isn't it all because you used your injury as an excuse to cheat on me! You're not ashamed at all, you're proud of it, you have such a thick skin!"

Han Zhou laughed heartily. As an unlockable character, Gu Zheng naturally had a corresponding side quest. The quest was to defeat her once and make her genuinely acknowledge him as her opponent.

He didn't think much about the significance of the mission at the time, but later he gradually realized that for this lonely girl who was unwilling to conceal her sharpness, perhaps only an opponent could become her friend.

Suddenly, blurry car lights appeared in the distance. Han Zhou laughed and said, "Alright, it must be your taxi. That's enough. No need to go on."

Gu Zheng paused for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "Don't you want to know if I ultimately gave up on the competition?"

She seemed eager to tell Han Zhou about her choice.

"No need. I've said it before, I'll support you no matter what you choose, even if everyone else thinks you're wrong. If you don't want to care about what others think, then there's no need to care. Just remember one thing."

Han Zhou smiled and said seriously, "No matter what happened before, I'm the one standing next to you now. I will always be your rival. I won't give way to you, and you don't need to. After all, I have a thick skin, so you don't have to worry about hurting me at any time."

He knew that this was the answer the guzheng needed.

Guzheng must have thought about right and wrong many times. The reason she is so worried and conflicted is simply because she is afraid that the past will happen again.

Han Zhou pressed down on the girl's head and said, "I know. Being competitive may not be your nature. There must be a reason why you want to win so much, otherwise you wouldn't work so hard. Others may not see this, but I can. If victory is really important, then you don't need to back down."

These are his true feelings. As her rival, he has always been chasing after Guzheng, so he understands Guzheng's efforts and can feel her determination to win.

The strong should not compromise with mediocrity, and why should the sun bow to the torch?

The warmth emanating from above left Guzheng stunned for a long time. For some reason, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

She was still very scared until just now, afraid that Han Zhou would hate her for being like this.

But now she's not afraid of anything.

Seeing that Gu Zheng was silent, Han Zhou thought she was still struggling with her feelings, so he thought for a moment and said, "Do you remember the story of Kuafu chasing the sun that I mentioned at your house a few days ago? It's actually a story. Kuafu was a giant who could chase the sun. At the time, I thought it was too sentimental, so I didn't finish the story."

The guzheng perked up its ears.

Han Zhou took a deep breath and said, "Just think of me as Kuafu. You will always be the sun in my heart. Don't hide your light. Just keep running forward."

The rain was so loud that he felt a little embarrassed and paused for a long time before speaking again.

"...I will keep chasing after them."

Gu Zheng's eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.