Winter Returns

Chapter 108 Slowly, Slowly (Part 2) (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)
Unfortunately, his dad didn't leave him a helmet.

Zhang Shutong was driving on a snow-covered road. His headlights illuminated the outline of the road a few meters ahead. All around was quiet except for the roar of the motorcycle engine. He glanced at the fuel gauge; there was still half a tank left.

There are no gas stations on the island, so we need to use this little bit of gas sparingly.

He didn't ride fast, and he couldn't ride fast in this kind of environment, but the cold wind still felt like a knife scraping his face, cutting painfully.

This is probably what you call cool.

The motorcycle is definitely cool. It's all black and looks like a muscular bull from a distance. Dad added crash bars and spotlights, and even installed a seat on the mudguard of the wheel—for Mom to ride in.

He imagined the two of them probably having a candlelight dinner at some restaurant while he was riding his bike in the cold wind. His initial cool mood vanished. At times like this, it was definitely cooler to eat at a two-person table with his beloved girl. Although his mother was no longer a little girl, they were still very much in love.

—The wine ripples in the stemmed glass, a warm melody floats in the air, and you pick up your knife and fork to help her cut the steak on her plate. At this moment, you must not stare at the steak, but look into her eyes through the candlelight, because the greatest victory is not cutting the half-cooked piece of meat on the plate, but the smile that graces your beloved because of your words.

Zhang Shutong had never had such a life before, and even if he had to do it again, he still wouldn't get it. He felt like a block of wood sometimes, and all sorts of romance were like subtle electric currents, but no matter how sweet or numbing they were, they were completely insulated from him.

He is currently heading towards the villa.

It was already cold during the day, and even colder at night. Fortunately, Zhang Shutong had been battling the chill quite a bit lately, so he could bear it. He suddenly remembered what Lu Qinglian meant by "habit"—it wasn't that he didn't feel it, but rather that he had no way to get around it.

Zhang Shutong wasn't foolish enough to go and investigate the murderer alone. Lu Qinglian couldn't even beat the other party, so going there would just be a waste of time. Zhang Shutong just remembered the photo her senior had sent her. Boss Gu's house didn't have any surveillance cameras, so that was the only photo taken by the only surveillance camera in the vicinity.

He still doesn't know where the surveillance camera is.

Zhang Shutong had no intention of going to the villa again. Gu Qiumian had bodyguards, a nanny, and her loving boss father. She was probably having a family dinner at that long dining table right now. If he went there, he would only be making a fool of himself. He could only stand outside the window... No, now he couldn't even go through the fence anymore. He might be arrested as a suspicious person. He could only watch from a distance through the fence.

He and his best friends had passed by that villa before; the four-story palace-like building was brightly lit and they called it a "castle."

Zhang Shutong had no intention of entering the castle; he only wanted to find the surveillance camera.

Although he didn't know whether the long-haired woman he photographed was the real Lu Qinglian or an imposter, nor did he know why Lu Qinglian had passed through that area, investigating the location might yield more clues. He didn't want to miss any clues.

Although it's just a small-scale effort, it may very well end up being a waste of time.

But now he can only do small jobs. Zhang Shutong is a stubborn person who occasionally makes mistakes. Gu Qiumian is finally safe, so he should be free. He can go home, watch Conan for a while, and go to bed. He has been running around for so long today, so he is sure to sleep soundly. If he is a little wicked, he can take the last ferry to the city. I suppose his parents won't mind having another third wheel.

But he has never been able to enjoy this wonderful life.

It remains only in his imagination, and although it is desirable, he always inexplicably chooses the other way when he takes action.

That being said, since the time travel, although he always says he wants to embrace a new life and enjoy his student days, it's all just talk. In reality, he's been working hard to catch the real culprit and hasn't done anything else.

There were only two times when I was completely relaxed. The first was when I went fishing with my best friend on the day I retraced my steps, only to run into poachers. The second was when I caught Zhou Ziheng's father riding his bike home. I had just fallen asleep when the retracing was triggered again in the early morning.

Both times, the tension in my mind would ease for a moment, only to quickly tighten again.

It's a bit exhausting.

So he wasn't really willing to let go now; he always felt empty inside, as if something was missing.

Zhang Shutong couldn't quite put his finger on what this "certain piece" was. Perhaps he was genuinely feeling lost. The sudden disappearance of something you've worked so hard for can leave you disoriented.

Fortunately, he can still find his direction.

Getting from the port to the villa was like running from the northernmost point to the southernmost point. This time, he took a shortcut, passing through the city instead of circling half the island. His father hadn't left him a helmet or gloves, and his hands and face were almost frozen. When he finally entered the city, he passed by the school gate and could smell the aroma wafting from the rice bowl restaurant in the distance.

It's quite touching.

It's so cold, and the students are all on holiday. Since the restaurant owner hasn't closed yet, he shouldn't be idle. He opened his nostrils and smelled the cooking fumes, remembering that he still needed to find a place to have dinner.

Zhang Shutong is very casual when it comes to food. He rode his bike to the restaurant, took out the key, propped up the bike, lifted the plastic curtain, and ordered a plate of green pepper and shredded pork over rice.

He found a table, sat down, and rubbed his hands together, feeling that his fingers had finally regained some feeling, only to find that the boss did not respond for a long time.

Zhang Shutong had no choice but to stand up and run to the kitchen to call out. It turned out that the boss was cooking, but looking around, there were no customers, so he was probably preparing dinner for himself.

"A serving of shredded pork with green peppers."

Zhang Shutong raised his voice and shouted over the whirring of the range hood.

"That's all!" The boss shouted even louder.

"what?"

"I said all the ingredients are gone!"

Zhang Shutong was taken aback, thinking to himself, "What's the point of opening a shop if there's nothing there? Is it just to cook a dish for me and let the aroma waft in to lure me in?"

He nodded, turned, and left, but the boss, still breathing heavily, roared again:

"Would you like some sweet and sour pork?"

"Didn't they say there were no more ingredients?"

"The pork tenderloin was fried yesterday!" the boss yelled again. "If you want it, I can refry it and coat it with some sweet and sour sauce, but it won't be very crispy. Is that alright?"

It really doesn’t work.

The fried food from the previous day was not just not very burnt, it was not burnt at all.

Moreover, Zhang Shutong really disliked half-eaten food. Although he knew that some people loved this kind of taste, and although he was really not a picky eater, he really didn't want to make do with it tonight. It wasn't like he was going to save someone later, so why should he eat something he didn't like?

He waved and left the restaurant, but his body, which hadn't warmed up yet, felt cold again. He wasn't going to move the motorcycle; he just put his hands in his pockets and wandered around the neighborhood, looking for a restaurant that suited his taste.

But before he could even warm his hands, his phone rang. He sighed and pressed the answer button.

It was Ruoping calling.

"Are you still at the villa?"

"I've been back for a while now."

"Oh, are you sure you're okay leaving Gu Qiu Mian there all by yourself?" the girl teased.

"I forgot to tell you, her dad came back with a whole bunch of people, so I came back..."

But before he could finish speaking, he heard Qingyi's voice coming closer:
"Men are supposed to risk their lives to protect what they cherish! So don't make things difficult for Shutong..."

Zhang Shutong was startled, thinking, "Brother, where did you come from? And what does this have to do with me? I've been back for a while now, strolling around outside. You should be saying this to Boss Gu, who risked taking a plane back to be with his daughter."

It turned out that Qingyi hadn't heard clearly, and Ruoping grabbed her ear and yelled in frustration:
"We're discussing serious matters, why are you, with your chuunibyou tendencies, getting involved? And where on earth did you read such childish nonsense?"
"It was my own idea," Qingyi said, still confused. "Isn't Shutong still at the villa with Gu Qiumian?"

"I've been back for a while now, my dad's here..."

Zhang Shutong listened carefully for a few more minutes and realized that the three of them had dinner together that evening.

The food had just been served when he asked if I wanted to come over. I didn't have high hopes; I guessed he was still mooching off me at the villa.

"Then you've wasted your time." The noise subsided, Qingyi was chased away, and only Ruoping remained, speaking softly.

Zhang Shutong sensed that she was defending him:
"It wasn't a complete waste of time. At least we found those footprints, which gave her dad a heads-up. He won't let his guard down this time."

"Are you coming to eat?"

"Never mind..."

Zhang Shutong subconsciously glanced around.

He had walked the entire street, and today seemed to be going badly; not a single restaurant was open, which meant he might have to go back for that damn sweet and sour pork.

"I have some things to do tonight," Zhang Shutong said again. "You guys eat first."

His hand, which was on the phone, was getting cold, so he took his other hand out of his pocket and switched phones.

"You still haven't given up, is it because of Gu Qiu Mian again?" Ruoping asked in surprise.

Zhang Shutong nodded.

I only realized after nodding that I was on the phone and the other person couldn't see me.

Then he said:

"Yes, maybe a little, but this time it's not that I deliberately hid it from you. It's really nothing important, just looking for nearby security cameras..."

"You really want to kidnap him?" Qingyi leaned closer again. "Do you need any help?"

"Of course not." Zhang Shutong chuckled. Why insist on making them leave the villa now that things have come to this?

"So you're feeling down and want to clear your head?" Ruoping asked again.

"No, I'm going home to sleep as soon as I finish this." Zhang Shutong yawned. "So sleepy." "See you tomorrow."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

The call ended, and he's now going back to find a restaurant that serves braised dishes.

The road was quiet, and the streetlights cast long shadows. Zhang Shutong kicked a pebble away out of boredom. Although it wasn't a big deal, he didn't want to waste too much time on it.

Back at the restaurant, the range hood had stopped running. Zhang Shutong reluctantly lifted the curtain again. He regretted leaving so casually; now he was back in such a sorry state.

He asked the owner for a sweet and sour pork, but the owner, who was sitting at a table in the dining area with a phone in front of him, was frantically shoveling rice into his takeout cup. Upon hearing this, the owner waved his chopsticks.

"Gone."

"That's all?" Zhang Shutong blinked innocently.

"I only steamed this little bit of rice last night," the owner said, looking even more innocent, showing off his takeout cup. "You just said you weren't going to eat it, so I filled it all up."

Zhang Shutong was a little speechless. He hadn't done that little trick for a while, which was biting the soft flesh in his mouth. In the end, he controlled himself and decided to spare his cheeks this time. He couldn't eat any meat anymore, so biting his cheeks would only make things worse.

"Come again next time, handsome," the boss said casually while watching a TV show.

But Zhang Shutong sounded like a "loser" to him. He got on his motorcycle in a bad mood. Some things are like that. Once you miss the opportunity, you don't get another chance. To put it politely, you don't cherish some things before, thinking they are within your grasp. But when you miss them, you feel regret.

He turned the key to start the engine, intending to go home and eat steamed buns after finishing his work. He rode his bike through a maze of turns into a small alley, when he suddenly spotted a dark figure inside, which startled Zhang Shutong.

To be precise, it wasn't just a dark shadow, but a human figure plus... the shadow of a cart?
A plump woman pushing a food cart also froze, covering her face in the stark white light of the car headlights:

"Young man, could you please turn off the light?"

Zhang Shutong turned off his car lights, but recognized her as the woman who sold steamed buns at the school gate. This was quite surprising. He asked the aunt, "Why are you out setting up a stall in this weather? There's no one around. I couldn't find a place to eat."

Aunt's eyes lit up upon hearing this:
"Haven't eaten yet? Perfect timing! I have a basket of steamed buns here, still warm in the steamer. Why don't you take them all with you, young man?"

Zhang Shutong hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, watching as the woman efficiently packed the bags.

This stuff is actually really not tasty. It's a strange combination of pork fat, duck egg yolk, sweet and salty, and could be on his list of things he would never eat. But right now, it's a good way to replenish his energy.

Moreover, he happened to be having dinner, and Zhang Shutong felt that he had a special connection with this steamed bun, so he had to eat it every time he retraced his steps.

My aunt said, "Why don't you not pack it up? It's so hot these days, even the food will cool down in the wind. Just eat it here. I'm not in a hurry to close up shop anyway."

Zhang Shutong got off the motorcycle, and the other person handed him a steamed bun. He blew on it and didn't take a bite right away.

"Actually, there were still some people in the afternoon," the auntie finally answered the question from earlier. "Although there weren't many, we only sold five baskets. There's still one basket left, which I was planning to have for breakfast tomorrow."

"Aren't you going to stay home and rest for a day?"

"Hey, what's the point of taking a break? My partner and kids aren't usually on the island. What am I supposed to do staying home all by myself? I'll just come out for some fresh air. Besides, it's human nature to be busy. Once you get used to being busy, it really becomes a habit. Taking a day off makes you feel uneasy, like something's missing."

Zhang Shutong thought about it and wholeheartedly agreed.

He's almost gotten used to it now.

This habit might not just be about finding the murderer, but before he could think about it, the bun was no longer too hot to eat. He carefully bit open the outer skin and tasted the contradictory flavor of the filling, which made him frown.

He quickly swallowed one, then took a new one, still scalding hot. The bun was covered by a plastic bag. He remembered seeing a trick somewhere, something about holding the plastic bag by the two sides and squeezing the bun to his mouth. Zhang Shutong figured it out on his own, and this time it wasn't scalding hot anymore. He had a moment to look at the night sky, but suddenly realized that the girl who used to eat buns with him was no longer there.

Zhang Shutong ate only three steamed buns in the end, and packed the remaining three to take away as breakfast the next day.

The aunt was satisfied, probably feeling that she hadn't wasted her breath talking to the young man. She slowly pushed the cart home, while Zhang Shutong got on his motorcycle and soon left the city.

After riding for nearly twenty more minutes, this shortcut led him to a restricted area. He started searching from there and could still see traces left from the afternoon's fight. The identity of the murderer remained unknown, but perhaps the answer would be revealed by tomorrow night.

The moonlight was pale and eerily white, and the reeds swayed gently.

He ran to the shore again, and sure enough, the figure couldn't have stayed there forever. Only then did Zhang Shutong have time to think: the fake Lu Qinglian had been here, and the murderer he had guessed had also been here. But what exactly was here?
What's there?

In reality, it was just a nearly frozen surface of water.

He glanced at it from afar and followed the path in search of the security camera.

Finally, they drove all the way to the vicinity of Huanshan Road.

That camera was actually not far from here.

He breathed a sigh of relief, looked around, and memorized the location.

It was almost seven o'clock, and I finally finished the last task.

—Next, I'll go home and sleep.

But then he seemed to have a moment of stubbornness. Since he was already near the Ring Road, he figured he could just ride a few more minutes to the entrance, and once he was at the entrance, he could ride a little further to the villa.

Zhang Shutong finally twisted the handlebars and roared off toward the mountain road.

The snow on the road was still very thick. Just because a car could climb it didn't mean a motorcycle could. Zhang Shutong sighed, got off the vehicle, and thought to himself that he had only himself to blame.

He breathed on his hands and walked shakily down the mountain path. It is said that when people are very cold, their noses will unconsciously run. He wiped his nose and found that it was indeed a little wet.

Zhang Shutong trudged up the mountain path, the path even more difficult to traverse at night. He spotted a beam of flashlights in the distance, which he assumed belonged to patrolling bodyguards; it wouldn't be good to be mistaken for a suspicious individual.

So this time he didn't use a flashlight, and followed his own footprints from the afternoon so he wouldn't be discovered. He finally reached the halfway point, panting and supporting his knees. From here, he could see the lights on in the villa in the distance.

Zhang Shutong hesitated for a moment, then turned around and started his return journey, stumbling along the way.

He should have left when he saw the flashlight.

He suddenly exhaled, as if something had been put down in his heart.

On his quiet bike ride home, Zhang Shutong thought about Lao Song's analogy. Although it was crude, it might be true. He might really be a stray dog, running wildly in the cold weather with his tongue hanging out. Although "sticking out his tongue" was just a metaphor and he didn't actually look that pathetic, someone who wasn't home this late was indeed very wild.

Zhang Shutong remembered a sentence he had seen before, I think it was from some anime? Anyway, he had forgotten it, the gist of it was that stray dogs don't need tombstones, they run wildly until they rot.

That's a pretty cringeworthy line.

You can't keep running forever.

……

"Mianmian, it's time to go." The man patted the girl's shoulder and said softly, "Come see your mother again next time."

Gu Qiu Mian didn't say anything. Escorted by two bodyguards, she left the cemetery with her father.

Someone opened the car door for her, and a hand gently protected her head. The girl got into the back seat of the Audi, where the heated seats were on, instantly dispelling the chill.

Gu Qiumian glanced at her phone subconsciously, then turned it off again.

The Audi drove smoothly on the snow-covered road.

A gentle male voice rang out in the carriage:
“Dad brought a private chef from the city, and he also bought the ingredients for the next few days. Now that we’re home, it’s time to eat. I know you don’t like a lot of people, so I asked Lao Wu to cook for them first, and then it will just be the three of us eating.”

Gu Qiumian nodded gently.

"Nothing unexpected happened at the villa either. You said you didn't want to see your friend so tired and constantly on edge, so you told me you had to bring back more bodyguards so she could be free. Dad didn't hesitate at all. I brought four bodyguards, but you still disagreed and insisted on adding more, saying you needed to take it seriously. Now you've even brought the police. Are you relieved now?"

The man smiled reassuringly, wiped his glasses, and looked out the window at the rapidly receding night, but frowned where the girl couldn't see.

The man tapped his fingers lightly on the center armrest and said calmly:
"However, I don't think it's that serious. A group of people need to be taught a lesson; just let them learn their lesson..."

The man called out the driver's name and was about to give instructions when he noticed his daughter staring intently at her phone. He then hesitated, indicating that he would give instructions later.

This is no longer that shabby Ford Focus, where the interior always reeks of cigarette smoke. Instead, there is a faint scent of sandalwood. It is warm, comfortable, and safe here. The heavy body of the car drives across the snow in complete silence, and everything passes by in the silence and cold.

The warm air from the air conditioner made me a little sleepy, until the vibration of my phone broke the silence.

Gu Qiu Mian saw her father pick up his phone, his brows furrowed little by little, then relaxed, and finally he hung up the phone as if nothing had happened.

"What's wrong?" She seemed to have heard that something had happened at the villa.

"Don't worry, I told them to report any unusual activity."

The man added:

"It was just that the patrolmen down below saw a motorcycle passing by."

(End of this chapter)