Winter Returns

Chapter 86 "Hostages"

"snake?"

It really was a snake.

Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat.

"How are things on your end?" he asked anxiously.

"Don't panic, I've seen this kind of snake quite often, there are a lot of them on the island. Don't forget what your mother does," Mom resumed her nonchalant tone. "It's bluish-black with some patterns on its body. Let me think, I went to an ecology lecture before and someone mentioned it. I think it's a type of colubridae. There's a subspecies on the island, what's it called again... silver carp?"

This description is basically the same as what I saw last night.

"Chain snake?"

As Zhang Shutong spoke, he opened his browser and searched. It was a very common type of snake. Although he hadn't found the one he'd discovered outside the villa yet, at least he knew what it was.

"Not poisonous?"

"It's not poisonous... right?" Mom wasn't sure either. "Isn't it said that most snakes in the Colubridae family aren't poisonous, or if they are, the venom is very weak and won't harm humans? Tongtong, how did you learn biology?"

Zhang Shutong simply reminded her to be careful. Only after his mother said she was about to drive did he frown and hang up the phone.

Unconsciously, Zhang Shutong walked to the side door and looked out through the French windows. The aunt was feeding the dog in the backyard. Zhang Shutong didn't know if the dog, which was easily poisoned, was reliable, but hoped it would come in handy.

He went outside and reminded the other person that they could tie the dog to the gate of the fence so that it could bark if anything happened.

The auntie quickly stood up and waved her hand, telling him not to come closer. Zhang Shutong stopped, and the woman explained that the dog was very fierce and only recognized President Gu and Mianmian. At first, I had to stand far away when feeding it.

Sure enough, the big dog stopped eating, instead lowered its body, staring at him with eyes that had almost no whites, and growling softly.

“This is an old dog.” The nanny stroked the Doberman’s head, and the big dog squinted its eyes as if enjoying it, letting its guard down. “It was here when Mianmian was very young, so Mr. Gu brought it here not expecting it to do much work, but because he’s a bit sentimental.”

Well, it is indeed a bit cruel to make such a loyal old dog stand guard in the snow.

Zhang Shutong said nothing more. He went into the living room and found that Gu Qiumian was no longer there, but the TV was still on, playing on the empty sofa.

Looking at the elevator again, he saw the number "2" on the display screen. He thought to himself that he had messed up again, but this time he was not as good as before, where he could solve the case while also taking care of the young lady's feelings.

Just then, cheerful laughter came from the TV. Handsome men and beautiful women were gathered together. He then noticed that it was still showing "The Prankster Expert". He hadn't been able to finish watching it yesterday, so it was being broadcast from the beginning today.

But even if it's broadcast again, there will definitely be no viewers.

Zhang Shutong simply sighed, slipped on his shoes, and pondered the meaning of the snake.

It's a snake again.

Is this also a change on the "timeline"?
Or were they always there, but we didn't notice them before, and they just happened to be exposed in this heavy snow?

Zhang Shutong knew there were no snakes near his home, yet snakes had been found in two locations: his own and Gu Qiumian's. Both women were at the center of this eight-year-long murder case, which could no longer be called a coincidence. To confirm this, he even messaged each of his best friends, asking if they had seen any snakes recently.

The answer is no.

The three of them started discussing it, and Du Kang even wanted him to take a picture of the snake stick so he could admire it.

But he doesn't have that time right now.

The discovery he had just made undoubtedly strengthened his resolve to go up the mountain.

He couldn't wait any longer; it would take half an hour to walk down the mountain path. So he hurriedly grabbed his coat and went to find Old Song.

"You're leaving already? I'll go down with you?" The adults' concerns were indeed the same.

“I’ll go by myself. It would be best if the teacher stayed behind,” he explained. “The road is blocked now. If we leave only the two of them, it will be difficult for them to get back in time in case of an emergency.”

“Okay,” Old Song hesitated a bit, “then how about this, you send me a QQ message every ten minutes... no, five minutes, until you get on the bus.”

Zhang Shutong nodded and agreed. He asked Lao Song to tell Gu Qiumian as well, and was about to run out the door when the man called him back:

"Shutong, don't forget to wear this. Don't worry about whether it looks good or not, keeping warm is the most important thing."

He turned around and saw that it was Old Song picking up the black down jacket from the sofa, but he had clearly put the jacket in the closet. How did he find it?

Old Song insisted on seeing himself wearing it before he would stop.

A teacher is someone who nags when you're frustrated, acts irrationally when you're depressed, and is always there when you're acting crazy.

Zhang Shutong hastily put on the slightly short jacket, waved to the man, and pushed open the front door.

But lately he has been going through a lot of farewells. When he left home, things didn't go smoothly. He happened to run into the nanny who was coming back from feeding the dog at the door. The nanny was very surprised and asked him why he was leaving so suddenly, and whether there was something he was not used to.
He didn't know how to explain, and subconsciously turned around. Old Song had also gone back into the house. The TV was noisy, and the living room was empty. There was a cup of tea on the coffee table, which was hot not long ago, but now that everyone was gone, the tea had gone cold.

It was a quiet yet leisurely morning. The room was heated, so there was no need to wear too many layers; a light undershirt was enough. The best activity was to lazily sink into the sofa, take a nap with a teacup in hand, and enjoy reading the newspaper or watching a movie.

On days like this, children don't go to school, adults don't go to work, all social activities come to a standstill, no one wants to go out and wander around, not even the most hardworking office workers, and even Dobermans will stay in their little beds to eat.

Zhang Shutong wasn't truly an ignorant fool. He turned his face away, somewhat speechless, and after thinking for a moment, he could only say, "Please don't blame yourself. Actually, I'm quite used to everything here. The food is delicious, the housekeeper is very welcoming, the bed is comfortable, and the villa is very large..."

This kind of life just doesn't suit me.

He said goodbye to his aunt again, and she opened the door for him, saying that he could come back to visit again when he had time. Zhang Shutong nodded, but hoped that he would never return to this place.

It was very cold outside, so he tightened his down jacket. But the down jacket was a thin women's style and not very useful. He was wearing sneakers, and after only a few steps, he felt his socks getting wet. The icy snow water began to seep in. But he didn't change into rain boots. Although the boots were waterproof, they were a size too big and would slow him down in the snow.

He thought he could go home and change his clothes soon, so he decided to make do for a while.

He's long been used to making do.

The food was so-so, the clothes were so-so, and the living conditions were so-so. So Zhang Shutong tucked in his trouser legs and stomped his feet hard on the spot. It is said that this can promote blood circulation. He read it on a public account that he didn't know where, but if the public account is trustworthy, it won't stay on the public account.

Running would make things a little better, so he quickened his pace and told his mother that he was off. Soon, he left a long trail of footprints in the snow.

Zhang Shutong was so focused on moving forward that he didn't look back, so he didn't notice whether the curtains on the second floor were open.

He quickly walked out of the path in front of the villa. The vast expanse of white snow made it difficult to judge distances, and all living things seemed small in the vastness of the world. He finally reached the mountain road and carefully took a step, holding onto the rocks. He looked up and saw that the mountain was also covered with a layer of white. He wondered if shouting would trigger an avalanche.

It's better to be careful.

Zhang Shutong still remembers the general information about the road surface and chose the safest route. In fact, walking on it is not a big deal except for the cold, unlike cars, which can easily lose control and run off the road.

He kept track of the time, and after five minutes, he took out his phone and sent a QQ message to Lao Song.

The road was exceptionally long and quiet. Snow was the best soundproofing material. He remembered the pit from last night; falling into it would be a big problem, so he deliberately took a longer route.

The second five minutes were up quickly.

He had overestimated the sneakers. The muscles in his feet began to spasm. Zhang Shutong knew what it felt like to have cold hands; it only made you want to hide them as soon as possible, whether in your pocket or by breathing on them. There was always a warm place to hide them. But what about his feet? There was nowhere to hide them.

It reminded him of a little man jumping on a hot iron plate, but he couldn't stop now, because the longer he stopped, the colder it would get.

However, as he walked, he stepped on something hard.

Zhang Shutong's heart skipped a beat. He squatted down and dug it out. It was another frozen snake. Its body was arched up, looking comical. It seemed that it had been moving forward just a moment ago.

This time it was daytime, and he was able to see it more clearly. The snake's eyes were open, and its red vertical pupils had lost their luster. Zhang Shutong felt a chill in his heart. He raised his head blankly, and all he could see was an endless expanse of white.

How many snakes did this heavy snow bury?
He was now on a deserted mountain road, with towering mountains on his left and steep cliffs on his right, and the road was completely silent.

But if the snow melts, won't it reveal the dense snakes swarming along the road?
They are crawling in groups towards the villa.
Zhang Shutong felt a chill run down his spine.

Just then, his phone vibrated. It was Lao Song calling. Only then did Zhang Shutong realize that the third five-minute period had already passed.

"What's the situation on your end?" Old Song asked anxiously.

“It’s nothing…” Zhang Shutong replied softly, continuing to walk. “I just saw another frozen snake.”

"There are so many of these weird things?"

"Hmm, something's fishy. Be careful and make sure the doors and windows are closed."

Zhang Shutong hung up the phone.

He even began to doubt how the dog had died and whether it had anything to do with snakes. Poisonous snakes? But on Friday evening, he clearly saw bits of ham outside the fence. Zhang Shutong couldn't be mistaken; he trusted his memory. Even so, he still subconsciously wanted to find someone to confirm.

But no one could corroborate his testimony.

Old Song "saw" it, but no longer "remembered" it.

At the fourth five-minute mark, Zhang Shutong stopped. He carefully walked to the edge of the road, estimated the distance, and looking up from here, he could no longer see the outline of the villa. There was about a third of the way left, which was about what he had expected.

My feet have gradually lost sensation.

It was only a twenty-minute walk, which wouldn't even count as a warm-up normally, but this time it was incredibly difficult. Yes, walking in the snow is not romantic at all. The warmth he had brought from the villa had been completely exhausted, but Zhang Shutong knew that this was just the beginning and he was not far from the starting line.

He had to go up the mountain again later, and the road would be even more difficult and unpredictable. He only regretted not wearing sunglasses. He had to keep his eyes focused on the road ahead, but if he stared for too long, his eyes would lose focus and his vision would be filled with a white blur, making him dizzy.

He rested for a moment, catching his breath, and after reporting back via QQ, Zhang Shutong embarked on the final leg of his journey.

He's always been quick-witted, learning to drive very fast, and even walking gradually reveals his experience. For some reason, the snow thinned out a bit in the second half of the journey, and what was originally estimated to be a ten-minute drive took only six minutes before he could see the entrance to the mountain road in the distance.

They were almost there. This should have been a moment of relief, but Zhang Shutong froze in place again, a chill running down his spine.

A string of footprints...

Of course it's not mine...

Instead, on this pristine snowfield, ahead of our eyes, there was a series of footprints.

footprint!

A nerve in his head tightened instantly. He looked around, but there was no one there. Zhang Shutong wasn't surprised to find any trace of people in this place, but rather...

Who is that person?
What is he doing here?
Who would come to the mountain road during a heavy snowfall, walk uphill, and find a villa at the end of the road?
He didn't even have time to catch his breath before he rushed to the footprints and squatted down.

The footprints were unclear and messy, but he followed them to investigate. The starting point was at the entrance, and the ending point... He checked several times to make sure he wasn't mistaken, and it wasn't an illusion caused by eye strain.
Because the footprints simply disappeared at the edge of the road!
Could it be that they came here and then turned back?
It can only be like this.

In any case, he didn't find any footprints on the first half of the journey, which meant that the other party had at least not gone up. This was the only good news among countless bad news. So why did they go back?
Should we scout out the location beforehand?
Zhang Shutong squatted beside the footprints, his brows furrowed.

He closed his eyes and simulated the route:
A person stepped into the entrance of the mountain road and walked in the snow for about two or three minutes. The footsteps were frequent, indicating that the person was walking at a considerable pace. Then, the person looked at the edge of the road and finally decided to give up...

Wait, it can't be...

Zhang Shutong suddenly had a flash of inspiration and dialed Lao Song's number again.

"So, are you on board?"

"Not yet," Zhang Shutong replied quickly. "I just want to confirm something else: when the repairman came to deliver the tires this morning, did he get out of the car and walk a bit?"

"I didn't ask that, what's wrong?"

“I just found a set of footprints at the entrance, indicating that we were heading up the mountain.”

Old Song seemed to realize something was amiss:

"Okay, wait a minute, I'll ask him."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Shutong began studying the series of footprints again.

He stretched out his shoe and compared it to his own, and found that the footprint was a little smaller than his own. He forgot what shoe size he wore in junior high school, probably 39 to 40.

Just then the phone rang back, and Lao Song said:
"I asked him, and he did walk a few steps up the snow. Otherwise, how could he be sure the car couldn't go up? Don't overthink it, we're fine here..."

"That's good."

Zhang Shutong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

My phone rang again. It was a message from my mom saying she was a little delayed on the way but would be there soon.

He replied with a "okay".

Zhang Shutong was just wondering why he hadn't arrived yet, even though he had run all the way down the mountain and the snow made driving slow.

It'll be here soon.

He returned to the mountain road and found a sheltered place.

I wanted to lean against the stone wall to rest for a while, but then I remembered that this jacket wasn't mine and I couldn't just ruin it. It would be a problem if it rubbed against a protruding stone and got scratched, so I decided to stay standing.

While waiting for the car, he didn't hang up the phone, but instead asked Lao Song how things were going on his end.
"It feels much quieter now that you're gone," Song Nanshan muttered. "I just sit in the living room and watch TV. Nobody's fighting me for the remote. It's actually quite comfortable. The housekeeper went upstairs to tidy your room. Qiu Mian seems to be in her room... Oh, I just called her to tell her you left. She just grunted and hung up. Why didn't you go tell her yourself?"

Actually, Zhang Shutong didn't know how to tell her. He looked up at the sky; there were no clouds, and the light was bleak.
Let's save the goodbyes for next time.

This line that suddenly came to mind was quite dashing, and he planned to share it with Qingyi when he had time.

Old Song laughed and scolded:

"What are you trying to show off for? No, this isn't showing off at all..."

Whether he tries to look cool or not is not important; he really wants to save his farewell for next time.

It's best to leave it for the next time, or even the time after that... until the matter is resolved.

Just then, a horn sounded in the distance. Zhang Shutong turned around and saw a black RAV4 slowly pulling up to the side of the road.

Mom finally arrived.

Old Song also heard the horn blaring over the phone and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shall I say a few words to your mother?"

"Don't."

"Alright, I'll continue watching TV. Contact me if you need anything."

After the two hung up the phone, before Zhang Shutong could even run to the car, a woman wearing sunglasses got out of the car first.

My mother is indeed very wise; she knows that you should wear sunglasses when driving in the snow, but I ran down quickly and only realized it when my eyes were sore.

Zhang Shutong was quite happy to see her. He had regressed to his past not long after their last chat, but no matter how many times he regressed, the woman's significance to him was always unique and would not diminish with time. Perhaps this was the power of blood ties.

He was very happy and gave her a big smile, but his mother wasn't.
Why did you run down here without saying a word?

The woman lifted her sunglasses and glared at him.

"I didn't mean to... just want to get some exercise."

Mom was too lazy to talk nonsense:

"Get in the car quickly, look, your pants are all wet. Come home with me to change your clothes first, otherwise you're not allowed to go anywhere. And whose down jacket are you wearing, Gu Qiu Mian's? Hmm, ugly-cute..."

She bombarded him with a barrage of words, and Zhang Shutong raised his hands in surrender.

He obediently walked down the mountain path; even the most dashing man can't show off in front of his mother.

Only after saying that did I realize how disheveled I looked: my down jacket was a size too small, my pants and shoes were wet, and I was covered in snow from head to toe. I could have acted in an escape from a mental hospital... I didn't mean to imply that the villa was a mental hospital.

However, we finally got out of there.

The plan went smoothly, but the price was that he was freezing cold. Even without his mother reminding him, he would quickly get in the car. Zhang Shutong climbed into the car, and the warm air blowing in his face made him sigh comfortably.

It feels so good to be reborn.

The heavy car doors kept out the cold wind, and the car was quiet. Zhang Shutong thought her mother was unusually quiet as well. She thought her mother would ask about the origin of the down jacket, and even if she didn't make a joke, she would take a picture to use against her.

But his mother didn't seem interested and just urged him to take off his coat quickly.

It's good that she doesn't care.

Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief, just then her mother suddenly said:
"Look behind you, do you recognize them?"

As she spoke, the woman put on her sunglasses, shifted gears, and turned around.

"what?"

He was examining the zipper; the zipper on this down jacket was quite small and seemed to be stuck, unable to open it for a while. Hearing this, Zhang Shutong looked up and subconsciously glanced at the rearview mirror—

The warm air was blowing, and there was a faint scent of perfume inside the car. The tires made a squeaking sound as the car turned around, and a pendant with red tassels hung on the rearview mirror.

At this moment, the tassels fluttered in the wind.

The air, however, was almost frozen.

In this warm yet cramped space, he suddenly felt an unparalleled chill.

Zhang Shutong stared blankly at the rearview mirror, feeling a little dizzy for a moment.

Behind the glasses were a pair of indifferent eyes.

A girl named Lu Qinglian sat upright in the back seat of the driver's seat.

But why...?

Will it be on this car?

He immediately thought of the frozen snakes, found in the villa's yard, on the mountain road, on the car's windshield, and finally...

Finally, he opened his mouth, his fingers gripping the zipper so tightly they had lost their color.

"you……"

Zhang Shutong quickly turned around, his eyes wide open. The girl also slightly turned her neck, her calm eyes moving towards him. But he wondered if it was just his imagination, but he seemed to be able to see that face of hers, which never showed much emotion.

He was giving a faint, amused smile.

(End of this chapter)