Winter Returns

Chapter 104 Sheepdog (Part 1) (Thanks to hebby for the patronage)
Zhang Shutong felt that Gu Qiumian seemed to have changed, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what had changed.

He told her to think it over, and she nodded; he asked if she seemed preoccupied, and she shook her head and smiled gently.

At this moment, she seemed more like a young lady, not the arrogant type, but a very dignified one.

But he never understood Gu Qiu Mian's thoughts, which was a bit strange, but he didn't know why.

The two sat on the sofa. Zhang Shutong watched her sip water. They had forgotten to bring snacks and drinks when they went downstairs, so she must have been very thirsty and was looking for water as soon as she came back up.

Zhang Shutong knew that her finger had been burned. This time, without being reminded, he took the initiative to get up and refill the cup with water. Gu Qiumian thanked him, and Zhang Shutong nodded subconsciously. Then he thought that she seemed to have become much more polite. He had rarely, or rather, almost never heard Gu Qiumian say thank you before.

No one approached them; Lao Song and the others went to sit at the dining table, seemingly creating a space specifically for the two of them to talk.

Zhang Shutong realized that Gu Qiumian had always initiated their conversations. If she didn't say something, things would end up like this, with them looking at each other in silence.

But that's not quite right either. "Looking at each other in silence" means they are staring at each other without speaking, but in reality, Gu Qiu Mian lowered her eyes, leaving him alone on the sofa in a daze.

What else can he do but stand there in a daze? The last ferry is at six o'clock, and it's three o'clock now. Including the travel time, he still has two and a half hours to wait.

Wait for Gu Qiumian to give him an answer.

There was no need to keep her best friends waiting any longer, so Zhang Shutong got up and went to the dining table to tell them they could go home first. Ruoping nodded and called her father. It was just the right time to go down now.

Zhang Shutong escorted them to the gate of the fence. Within ten minutes, the noisy villa quieted down again. Now that he knew the password, he no longer needed to bother Gu Qiumian. Zhang Shutong walked them a few more steps, his footprints scattered on the snow.

"Go back, don't see me off." Ruoping waved her hand at him. "Don't be so suspicious all the time. We don't care, but Gu Qiumian is obviously scared by you."

Zhang Shutong stopped where he was, actually a little worried that something might happen to them on their way back, although the possibility was almost zero.

Following his mentor's example, Zhang Shutong arranged to contact the three of them on QQ every five minutes, watching them walk away, chatting and laughing as they disappeared at the end of the path.

Just then, my phone rang. It was a message from Qingyi:

"It seems like things aren't going smoothly."

Ruoping and Dukang have always been optimists, and when they said they would go back, they really did. But Qingyi still had concerns.

"Yes, things are indeed not going smoothly," Zhang Shutong thought upon seeing this.

His mind was in complete disarray. He had thought finding the footprints would be a major breakthrough, but the footprints weren't all the same, and things had gotten completely chaotic. He was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to stay or leave.

Things weren't going well with Gu Qiu Mian... He had intended to say this, but after typing a few words, he deleted them and resent them:
What happened to her down there?

"I don't know. When we came up, we said we were going to call her dad back," Qingyi added. "Are you planning to stay here and keep watch tonight?"

"I don't have that idea." It's definitely not enough for him to stay here alone. Lu Qinglian has to go back to the mountain at night, so Zhang Shutong prefers to hide rather than wait for her to come to him.

What if she still refuses to leave in the end?

Zhang Shutong paused for a moment.

He used to think that this was unlikely. Leaving the island was the last resort and the easiest way out. It was like if there was no other way, then he might as well take her with him and run away. But now Gu Qiu Mian seemed unwilling. This easy way out had become a dead end. Was he going to kidnap her?
Qingyi said:

"Well, it's understandable, I suppose. I find it surprising that she's willing to believe you. If it were me, I'd probably be skeptical. But then again, even if she believes you, she can't do everything you say. You have to be prepared."

At this point, Qingyi came up with an idea:

"If she still refuses to leave by then, I mean, if she really doesn't want to, should we tie her up?"
"It can't be that bad." Zhang Shutong's eyelids twitched. He was just thinking about it, but his best friend was already preparing to put it into action.

"You've been taking risky approaches lately, like digging holes."

"Don't mention that pit again..."

Zhang Shutong thought again that it was because of that pit that he needed to control the neurotic thoughts that occasionally popped into his mind.

"Anyway, I'll wait and see here. Even if they don't agree to leave the island, maybe I can persuade the nanny to let the two of them find a small hotel to stay in first."

"Okay, the road ahead is a bit rough. I'll contact you again later." Zhang Shutong turned off his phone.

He stood outside the empty villa, sighed, and habitually considered the worst-case scenario: what if Gu Qiu Mian refused to leave and insisted on staying in the villa? He couldn't very well tie her up like Qing Yi had suggested.

Zhang Shutong suddenly had a strange thought: he seemed to really have the ability now. He knew the villa's password and could sneak in tonight, just like that murderer, and take her away without anyone noticing. Of course, he still lacked a vehicle.

But in the end, he decided against it. Knowing her as he did, Zhang Shutong figured that all he needed to do was persuade her a few more times. Gu Qiu Mian was easy to coax and fool, and there was no need to kidnap her.

He turned and went back to the villa, intending to say a few more words to Gu Qiu Mian, but found that she was no longer on the sofa.

The figure that took its place was Old Song:

"Shutong, good news." Old Song finally showed a relaxed smile after a long time.

Zhang Shutong thought to herself that it was best if it wasn't another "good news" like school closures, when the man continued:
"Qiu Mian's father just called; he's already back."

"...You're back?" Zhang Shutong was taken aback.

"Yes, I was originally calling Qiu Mian, but it seems she left her phone on the ground. She couldn't get through, so she called me instead. That's why Qiu Mian went to a room to answer the phone."

Song Nanshan stretched:

"What are you standing there for? Don't tell me you actually want to take that girl to a hotel. You two are minors. Even if I pretend to be blind, I can't pretend I don't see it. Now you can rest assured, right? Stop putting the burden on yourself. To put it nicely, you called your teammates. To put it bluntly, that's her dad. He's more concerned than us."

"Didn't they say the flight was delayed?" Zhang Shutong asked instinctively.

"It's late, but Boss Gu was worried about his daughter, so he hired a private jet to fly back. He traveled all day and is just entering the city now, heading towards the port." Old Song didn't mince words and said cheerfully, "That's why I just called Qiu Mian to ask her what she wanted or what she wanted to eat, so I could bring it back for her. Don't think that just because he's not home these past few days he doesn't care about Qiu Mian. Even though he's a big boss, everyone has a soft spot in their heart."

"Oh, right," Old Song added, "I forgot to tell you, he rushed back because of Zhou Ziheng's matter, so he brought a lot of bodyguards with him this time, a full four. When I told him about the footprints, Qiu Mian's father's face darkened as soon as he heard it. He said he had to make a phone call first, directly to the city leaders. The leaders also took it very seriously. They finally managed to attract a big boss to invest, how could they not even guarantee the personal safety of his daughter? They directly transferred two policemen from the city. Isn't that a luxurious lineup?"

Before Zhang Shutong could fully process this "good news," Old Song waved his hand and preemptively said:

“I understand, I understand. Weren’t you worried that person might come over at night? I’ve already told Qiu Mian’s father about that. So this time it’s a comprehensive, no-dead-angle operation. Not only do we have to guard the villa 24 hours a day, but we also have to patrol outside. It’s just a series of footprints, but they’ve made such a big fuss about it, making us worry for a long time. But now that the professionals have arrived, I’d like to see what they can do.”

After saying all that, Old Song finally breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of water to moisten his throat:

"So, Shutong, what I want to tell you is that you don't need to be so nervous. I feel sorry for you after running around all day. Now we're not fighting alone anymore. To use a phrase from online games, oh, a stronger thigh has arrived. We can finally take a break."

"Although watching TV in the villa is nice, with three lavish meals a day, a spacious living room, and soft sofas, and the teacher even got to enjoy it for a day, it's still someone else's house, so there's no reason to stay there forever."

Old Song hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

"If you still don't understand, let me put it more directly. I don't mean to lecture you, but do you really want to persuade Qiu Mian to leave the island? Or do you want to go directly to persuade her father? But, Shu Tong, he's a big boss with a net worth of over 100 million. The fact that he brought so many people back is already enough. He can't possibly leave his own house and run away with his daughter like a refugee. Let alone a big boss like that, most people wouldn't be willing to do that either. And as far as I know, Qiu Mian's mother... I forgot you don't know."

Old Song bent down and lowered his voice, saying:
"You saw that family photo just now, right? Isn't it strange that no one mentioned Qiu Mian's mother? I know you're a sensible child, so I'm telling you not to spread rumors. Qiu Mian's mother passed away a long time ago, and her grave is on the island. Her father goes to visit her grave every time he comes back from a business trip. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Old Song stopped there.

Zhang Shutong nodded.

He does understand now.

Gu Qiu Mian's father finally returned. Zhang Shutong had prepared for his absence, but he really came back this time, bringing with him a lot of bodyguards and police. Even the situation that Zhang was most worried about would not happen. Everyone was on high alert, with seven adult men staying in the palace-like building 24 hours a day, providing close protection and patrolling. He seemed more reliable than Zhang Shutong.

Just as Lao Song said, this is indeed fantastic news.

Zhang Shutong was a little bewildered. The situation seemed to have suddenly reversed, as if it were a joke. Just a moment ago, he was worried about what to do if Gu Qiumian disagreed to leave the island, where to investigate clues, and how to avoid the murderer in the early hours of Saturday... but now all of that was gone.

Just like Lao Song said, this is her own home, and the protection she receives is a million times better than if I were by her side. Why would she want to leave the island?

He turned his head and looked around. The living room was empty, still the same quiet and leisurely afternoon. There were a few cups on the coffee table that hadn't been put away yet. Now that everyone was gone, the tea had gone cold.

He suddenly realized that he had no reason to stay any longer. All his previous anxieties and worries vanished in an instant, leaving him feeling somewhat lost.

(End of this chapter)