Winter Returns

Chapter 12 A Night of Horror

who is it? !
Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat.

The beam of the flashlight swung overhead, gradually swallowing the darkness in my field of vision with light.

A few minutes? Or a minute? Perhaps even faster. If the approaching footsteps get any closer, their private meadow will be completely exposed.

Countless clues suddenly came together:
……restricted area.

……man.

...to the west.

...the other side.

...a recently opened packaging bag.

A variety of keywords flashed through my mind;
They pieced themselves together in an instant, like fragments, but whoever the other was, there was no time to think about that now—

Want to run?
Absolutely not!

Zhang Shutong immediately rejected the idea. If it were just him, he could try, but there were too many of them. They couldn't take the risk, as any accident that happened to anyone would have unbearable consequences.

So Zhang Shutong quickly waved his arm, pointed towards the reeds, and whispered:
"Hide, everyone!"

He was usually a man of few words, but when he got serious, his words always carried weight. In this small group, the only people who could make decisions in crucial moments, besides Ruoping, were Zhang Shutong himself.

The others exchanged glances, but Lu Qinglian took the lead and started walking. Ruoping and Dukang wanted to say something, but they were moved by the two of them and their bodies moved subconsciously. They immediately picked up the things on the ground.

The beam of light is getting closer.

Zhang Shutong scanned the surroundings. As far as he could see, bicycles were the most likely large items to be spotted. Fortunately, none of the bicycles had been moved and were still tucked away in the reeds.
The rest are the fishing rod and the stool. The stool is easy to carry around, but the fishing rod is a completely different story. It's not just a rod in itself; it's connected to the fishing line, float, and hook, and if you're not careful, it can get tangled in the weeds on the ground.
He had already taken his own fishing rod with him. Ruoping and Dukang hadn't fished at all. Only Qingyi and the others were chatting. His belongings were still by the water.

Seeing that the other person was about to turn back, Zhang Shutong rushed forward, grabbed his arm, and gestured upwards with his eyes. The two were indeed in sync, or rather, that's the good thing about chuunibyou teenagers—they can get into character in a minute. Qingyi also nodded solemnly, and decisively stretched out his foot, kicking the fishing rod into the water without hesitation.
The force was just right, like a bamboo shoot sliding into a pot. A barely audible splash rang out. Looking back, the group had already crouched down and quickly disappeared into the reeds.

Zhang Shutong knew that they thought the police had come to patrol, so they were all well-trained. They had done this kind of hiding and dodging trick many times before and were experienced. They didn't need him to tell them how to do it.

Therefore, he wouldn't explain, and in this situation, maintaining this just-right misunderstanding would actually be beneficial to the action.

The footsteps grew closer. He glanced one last time at the grass, parted the reeds behind him, and thankfully the bicycle inside had already parted the reeds a little beforehand; otherwise, there would have been much more than just this little noise.

He then let go, and his vision immediately went dark. The reeds blocked out the outside world, but they also almost completely obscured his view.

The faint breathing of several people behind him was very close. He turned around and saw only a few pairs of bright eyes in the night.

Zhang Shutong was familiar with this look—he had ridden roller coasters before, and the most breathtaking moment of a roller coaster was never the plunging down a cliff; it was when you gripped the handrails on your shoulders tightly, your vocal cords tensed, your body leaning back, slowly moving up the ladder-like ascending track, reaching the highest point a few seconds later!

Their expressions were like they'd just been on a rollercoaster. Zhang Shutong could tell what they meant—a close call, or rather, they'd treated their current hiding as a thrilling adventure. They were a little embarrassed, that's true, but teenagers this age are fearless. So what if they were discovered? It'd just be a chase with that bear-like police officer, like an eagle catching chicks. Maybe it'd even become the talk of the class tomorrow…

Zhang Shutong certainly hoped it was a policeman. Being a policeman was so much better; at worst, he'd get a scolding, nothing serious, and even if the police were reported to the school, it wouldn't be a big deal. If possible, he really didn't want to scare himself unnecessarily. Why not go home, take a shower, and go to sleep this late? Why bother playing mind games with thin air? So don't be so tense and make a fuss…

But Zhang Shutong is the only one who can't think that way.

All he could think of was the murderer who killed Gu Qiumian eight years ago, and the dagger that stabbed him in the back of the neck eight years later. That night was just like tonight's night; his hands and feet were ice-cold, the night wind was biting, and the wind was getting stronger... He took out his phone and started typing on the memo app, turned the screen brightness down to the lowest setting, and handed it behind him.

"Give me the baton! Put it in the bag! No matter what happens, just run!!!"

The screen displayed this message, which he typed five exclamation marks in a row, hoping to get the attention of the group. Theoretically, the other party was only one person, while they had five, so they had a chance to capture the murderer directly.

But Zhang Shutong knew that there were generally two types of murderers: one was manslaughter, like a petty thief who originally only wanted to steal a wallet but might take a desperate gamble; and the other...

It's all about taking lives.

The other party is the latter.

Zhang Shutong dared not gamble.

Moreover, the incident happened so suddenly that they had no chance to plan. For example, he wanted to add the words "and call the police quickly" to his phone, but he knew without thinking that someone would ask, "Aren't the police here to arrest us? Why do we need to call the police?"

At times like these, the more you say, the more mistakes you make; the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make. Fortunately, a stick-shaped object was soon handed to him. Zhang Shutong gripped the baton tightly and held his breath, waiting.

He listened to the footsteps so close, bracing himself for the worst. The footsteps grew closer, almost overhead, like a wolf standing over a mole's burrow, making the moles tremble in fear.

Then the wolf's gaze probed into the cave:
As a beam of flashlight shone down, his nerves tensed to the limit. For a few seconds, or perhaps a dozen seconds, his heart pounded. He couldn't even remember how long it lasted until the flashlight suddenly moved away.

A muttered sound with a thick accent reached my ears:

"That's strange. I thought I heard someone around just now, but those kids aren't here."

……

A long breath escaped from his chest.

Of course, things didn't immediately erupt into chaos around them. The group patiently waited for the other person to leave, until the flashlight beam was almost gone, and then a burst of clear laughter came from behind them.

That belongs to Ruoping:
"Shutong, look how scared you were just now! Your back was bent over, and you were even trying to swing the baton..."

Du Kang also chimed in from the side:

"Damn, the cop didn't scare me, but you did. I thought you were going to assault a police officer."

Ignoring the two of them, Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief, turned on his flashlight and shone it behind him. Their faces were flushed with excitement from the stimulation, seemingly still wanting more. Zhang Shutong didn't know what to say, but something did catch him off guard—

Behind him was Lu Qinglian.

When did she arrive?

Shouldn't it be Qingyi? I remember the two of them were the last to go in.

Then I remembered that the hand that handed me the baton was cold.

The other person still had that indifferent expression. Zhang Shutong thought she would frown and ask what was going on, but in reality, she remained the same, without any emotional fluctuation.

Only when a flashlight accidentally shines on her face will she subconsciously squint and turn her head away, like a cat.

Never mind, it's good that everyone is alright.

Although it turned out to be a false alarm, it was undoubtedly the best outcome.

Thinking of this, he put away the baton and laughed to himself:

"Can't I be a coward?"

"Tch, I'm a girl and I'm not as scared as you. Look at Qing Lian, I was right behind her and she didn't even flinch."

"Yes, yes, you're brave. From now on, everyone will listen to you..."

Just as he was about to urge everyone to leave quickly, Qingyi said thoughtfully:

"Shu Tong is actually right. Nobody knew he was a policeman before he came. He might have been someone else. I think we should be careful."

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that someone had finally spoken up for him, and in a sense, he had guessed right.

"You mean the man Du Kang just mentioned?" Ruoping asked.

"Hmm, isn't that unusual?" Meng Qingyi then asked Du Kang, "Did you notice any distinctive features about him just now?"

"Uh, I didn't notice. He was wearing a baseball cap, had a snakeskin bag slung over one shoulder, and seemed to be carrying something in his other hand? That's all I remember."

That's why it seems strange.

"Stop keeping me in suspense, just say what you have to say. Besides, they're here to fish, can't they?" Ruoping urged. Everyone knew that Qingyi was a mystery enthusiast.

"What do you think, Shutong?" Qingyi unexpectedly threw this question at him, "What does it mean?"

"That means he came from this area," Zhang Shutong thought for a moment, "and he wasn't fishing."

"What?"

"If Du Kang is not mistaken, and that person really is carrying a snakeskin bag, it means two things. First, the contents inside are very heavy, and an ordinary bag would be torn apart, so it is not fishing gear."

"Maybe they only have these kinds of bags at home, so they just use them. My grandma also likes to use burlap sacks that are used for fertilizer when she goes grocery shopping," Ruoping said, pouting.

“Your grandma is used to being frugal, but she can buy all the fishing gear she needs, she won’t skimp on a single bag,” Qingyi chimed in.

"Then what is the second question?" Ruoping turned to look at the other person.

"Secondly, this place is far from the city. Since he was carrying such a heavy thing on his shoulder, it's impossible that he walked directly from the city. But when Du Kang saw him, the man was walking, which means he had a base nearby, which could be a car or something else."

"So what exactly is he here for?"

"I don't know, but think about it, a normal person wouldn't wear a hat in the middle of the night, so I'm right to say that Shutong should be careful."

"Alright, you two have convinced me." Ruoping was quite straightforward, but after saying that, she tapped Du Kang and said disdainfully, "Look at you, you were the first to see it, how come you didn't think of these things?"

Du Kang grinned, "No, big sister, weren't you just on my side a moment ago...?"

"Hmph." "Alright, let's go. If you have any questions, we can discuss them in the group chat later."

Zhang Shutong shone his flashlight on the area while urging the others on.

“Let’s go back then. It’s already 7:40. If I hadn’t been waiting for you, Shutong, I would have gone home to watch my show long ago. Now I’m too late…” Ruoping nodded in agreement.

It's perfectly normal for girls to enjoy watching TV dramas.

"Me too, I still have to study when I get home." Qingyi prepared to retrieve her fishing rod.

He did nothing but read books.

"Yes, yes, I need to go back and check on my frog too."

The group fell silent upon hearing this.

"W-What's wrong?" Du Kang cautiously reached into his pocket.

Even Zhang Shutong has a lot to complain about.

Fortunately, Ruoping had already vented her anger:

"So what happened?" she said, mimicking the tone of her previous reasoning. "First, did you actually dig the frog back? Second, Mr. Du Kang, could you please stop putting your hands in your pockets?"

After saying that, Ruoping smiled with relief:
"Who do you think wants to take this frog from you?!"

As her voice gradually rose, the frog in Du Kang's pocket seemed to awaken from hibernation and croaked.

Du Kang quickly changed the subject:

"Then let's hurry home, your TV is already on..."

"Don't take this lightly," Zhang Shutong reminded them. "Now that you've noticed something's wrong, all of you should be careful lately. You've all been carrying your phones, right? Remember to call the police, and whatever you do, don't try to be a hero."

Du Kang held his head and said, "No problem, no problem. By the way, you've suddenly become much more talkative today."

Zhang Shutong ignored his criticism:

"Also, if you encounter this situation again in the future, follow my instructions. If I can't manage it, run away immediately and call the police. Got it?"

His gaze swept over the faces, and seeing that everyone nodded in confirmation, Zhang Shutong breathed a slight sigh of relief, then looked at Lu Qinglian:
"That includes you too. It's best not to deviate from your usual routine."

Although the other party was theoretically not dangerous, tonight's experience made Zhang Shutong realize one thing: theory is just theory.

Just like in their original lives, Lu Qinglian wouldn't have come fishing with them tonight, Du Kang wouldn't have gone back to get a stool, and he certainly wouldn't have seen the man suspected of being the murderer while carrying the stool—

Now that everything has changed, and although it is still within a controllable range, who can say for sure that an even bigger accident won't happen?
Besides, Lu Qinglian doesn't have a car or a phone. If she encounters danger, she can neither outrun them nor call for help, so she's not as good as the others.

Fortunately, Lu Qinglian nodded upon hearing this. Although she still had no expression and it was only a slight nod, that was enough.

Zhang Shutong added:

"Then you guys pack your things first, I have something to do."

"'You guys'?" Ruoping asked, "What are you going to do now?"

"Call back, my mom just called."

As he spoke, Zhang Shutong turned on his phone, then rode his bicycle up the earthen slope.

But that wasn't actually the case; he was actually preparing to call the police.

This isn't a game where you can save and start over at any time; the opportunity is right in front of you, and if you miss it, you really miss it.
Besides, the "backtracking" ability has disappeared. Unlike before, he no longer has countless opportunities to try and find out information. He finally managed to grasp a clue about the murderer, and the other party is very likely to be nearby. Of course, he should seize the opportunity.

So Zhang Shutong had no intention of going back tonight.

They just needed to come up with an excuse to get the group safely home.

It's true that there's strength in numbers, but he didn't want to involve his close friends in this.

He groped his way to the dirt road in the dark, and when Zhang Shutong looked at the screen, he immediately frowned.

Why is there still no signal?
Unexpectedly, things went wrong at the crucial moment.

After walking a few more steps in a more distant direction, Zhang Shutong still couldn't get through on the phone, so he reluctantly put his phone away.

Then I'll have to go by bike.

Before the patrolling officer went far, he should hurry after him and call him back; it should still be in time.

I had no choice but to shout down:
"You guys go together. My mom's angry. I'm going back first. I'm leaving them to you, Ruoping. Keep an eye on them and call me when you get home."

Anyway, their homes are not in the same direction, so there's no reason to argue with that.

After saying that, he ignored their questions and got on his bike and left.

……

"Hey, Zhang Shutong!" Feng Ruoping called out, only to find that the boy had already ridden away on his bicycle.

The girl grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Really, how can this person be like this?"

Now it's all her responsibility, and I suddenly feel like a worried old mother... Forget it, this one is too old, I'll stick to being a zookeeper.

However, she was used to it, and was about to tell the others to pack their things when Qingyi suddenly asked:
Don't you think Shutong is acting a little strange today?

"It's alright, he's never always been like this, a lone wolf..."

"Do you remember what he said when he came home that night?"

"what?"

"His mother asked him to go and deliver something."

"Oh, I think so."

"Just now, he said his mother messaged him again, urging him to hurry up." Qingyi pulled the fishing rod out of the water and wiped it clean. "Have you noticed something?"

"Oh, I told you not to keep me in suspense."

"These two statements are contradictory," Meng Qingyi thought, stroking his chin. "Look, we all know his parents work at a research institute and don't usually come home, right?"

"so what?"

"Then here's the question: if his mother is on vacation today and happens to be home, why would she ask him to deliver things? And if his mother isn't home today, how would she know he wasn't home?"

Feng Ruoping was taken aback: "Yes, what about Shutong...?"

"I guess she went after the man Du Kang mentioned."

The girl immediately became anxious upon hearing this, "How can that be? Who knows if there's any danger? What if something happens to him if he runs there alone..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Qingyi also looking eager to get started.

"Shutong is such a jerk, let's go too."

"Forget it!" Ruoping rolled her eyes at him. "I'm calling him right now and calling him back. Honestly, none of them can give me a moment's peace..."

However, the voice on the other end of the phone said that the user was not in the service area.

Feng Ruoping stamped her foot:

"Then let's go find him together."

Then he called Du Kang and Lu Qinglian over. Du Kang didn't have much to say, but he did apologize to Lu Qinglian:
"Qinglian, why don't you wait here for a while? Once we find Shutong, we'll go back together."

It's so late, we definitely can't let her go back to the mountain alone, but we're already short-handed, and we don't know what's going on with Shu Tong. If we really had to send someone to take her, Feng Ruoping wouldn't be very willing.

However, it wasn't appropriate to ask the girl to accompany them in the search, so they had to ask her to wait where she was until the others returned.

Lu Qinglian shook her head, "Let's go together."

Just as they were about to leave, they heard footsteps overhead.

Du Kang was the first to complain:

"What's going on? When will this end? Why is it happening again..."

Before he could finish speaking, Meng Qingyi covered his mouth:

"Shut up, didn't you notice..."

The boy's voice suddenly dropped to an extremely low level:
"He didn't use a flashlight."

Thank you so much to readers "焜煜日" and "云步壹" for the generous donations!
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(End of this chapter)