Winter Returns

Chapter 88 Catching "Snake" (Part 1)
A few minutes later.

Inside the dormitory building, the electric kettle emitted a sharp whistling sound.

This is a 30-square-meter living room. A small color TV, a fabric sofa, and a coffee table with peeling paint are all the furnishings.

A family photo hangs on the TV wall; the photo is slightly faded.

The dormitory building is a brick-concrete structure, and its layout is quite different from that of ordinary residential buildings.

At that time, the concept of "generation" housing was not yet popular. The living room was rectangular, with the sofa against the long side of the rectangle. The upper half of the wall was a window, and sunlight shone through, casting dappled light on the sofa and the floor. You could see some dust particles floating in the air. It was a small home, but it gave people a sense of warmth.

An unexpected guest arrived at our home today.

Zhang Shutong picked up the kettle and poured a cup of hot water for Lu Qinglian.

"Thank you." The girl held the teacup in both hands, sitting upright on the sofa.

Her eyes appeared as a pale amber color in the light.

She took off her blue robe and folded it beside her, revealing a white, somewhat worn sweater underneath. However, it didn't look sloppy on her; or rather, it was her unique temperament that made her neither enhanced nor diminished by a piece of clothing.

"Auntie said you're going up the mountain later." Lu Qinglian lowered her eyes and gently blew on the hot water. "Welcome."

He did not respond to this ambiguous remark.

Instead, she went back to her bedroom to change her clothes.

I closed the door. My mom was cutting fruit in the kitchen. She's always been a lively and sociable person. I could hear her humming a song in a good mood as she chopped apples into small pieces.

He always said that his mother was a woman who lived a very refined life. Not only would she peel and cut the apple into pieces, but she would also probably soak it in salt water later. Zhang Shutong's mood at this moment was just like that apple in salt water.

A few minutes earlier, downstairs, he asked his mother where his thick coat was, hoping to get the code.

But Mom casually said:

"I put your coat in the closet a few days ago, didn't I? I even called you after school to tell you about it..."

Now he went to the wardrobe, opened it, and saw a light blue denim jacket hanging quietly. It had a plush lining and excellent insulation, but in his dictionary, this thing could not be called a "thick coat"; at most, it could be called a thick jacket.

Zhang Shutong used to not pay attention to the types of clothes, and might not even be able to distinguish between T-shirts and short sleeves, but now she regrets it a little.

I should have just said his aunt came—of course, there was no aunt.

He found another scarf, ran his fingers over its surface, unsure whether to wear it. He hesitated, then sighed.

This means that he didn't even know whether he should go up the mountain later.

After his initial suspicions subsided, he made a further assessment of his current situation:

Lu Qinglian may not actually take any "measures," because her arrival itself is a kind of "measure," demonstrating her attitude in this way and putting people in a dilemma.

The plan to go up the mountain was disrupted.

Originally, he held the initiative; the temple was in the open while he remained in the shadows, allowing him to adapt to any situation that might arise.

But now the situation has reversed; he doesn't seem to be going to "investigate," but rather to "visit."

Be a guest.

Zhang Shutong himself found the description laughable.

"welcome."

That's exactly what Lu Qinglian said.

She seemed to have silently given herself two choices. But it was only "seeming"; in reality, Zhang Shutong had no other choice at all.

If she wasn't sent back up the mountain, Zhang Shutong had no doubt that she could stay there all day.

—She can go to the temple, but the initiative is definitely in her hands.

—Or maybe none of us should go. Since classes are suspended, let's just enjoy this rare holiday and discuss this matter later.

But Zhang Shutong had no time to waste; it was Friday, and Sunday morning was just around the corner.

He thought Lu Qinglian was a very intelligent woman. She spoke very little, but every move she made exerted some kind of invisible pressure until it accumulated and came crashing down on you like a tidal wave.

There were almost no girls his age who made him feel this kind of pressure, but she was an exception.

Just then, my phone rang. It was a message from Ruoping, a selfie of them together:

The three of them actually went up the mountain. Zhang Shutong scanned the photos and realized they should be not far from the mountain path.

But it wasn't skiing. There was a small snowman and a deep pit in the picture, big enough to hold a child. Zhang Shutong knew what this was about. Young people never lacked ways to have fun, and in the snow and ice, nature was the best material.

They would choose a spot with thick snow, dig a hole, take two steps back, and jump with all their might. If they successfully jumped over, they would continue to back away, getting further and further away—until someone fell in.

Ruoping and Qingyi's coats were covered in snow, indicating that Dukang was the final winner, and they were urging her to hurry up.

Zhang Shutong's fingers hovered over the keyboard for a while before replying to the message.

Zhang Shutong is not a person who likes to hesitate.

Whether hasty or ill-considered, he now has to make a decision—

Lu Qinglian is at the center of the vortex.

You can stay away from her, but that means you'll never get close to the truth.

But if you confront her directly, the outcome will still not be good. In an instant, you will be swept away by the tide, and you will have no control over your own destiny.

Zhang Shutong didn't know if this was an obvious trap, but he knew he couldn't continue like this.

The worst thing you can do is to hesitate and look back. Someone like Lu Qinglian should either be an enemy or a stranger. Hesitation will never lead to anything.

He remembered the disheveled, pale-faced figure he saw from the restricted area last night, crouching on the shore in an eerie posture. No one could remain calm in that situation. He then discussed the following with Qingyi:
Since they couldn't beat Lu Qinglian and couldn't get anything out of her, they might as well bypass her and investigate secretly.

But now Zhang Shutong has changed his mind.

We must get things back on track.

He changed his coat, took a scarf from the hanger, and went out of the bedroom.

Two women, one older and one younger, were sitting in the living room. The mother was inviting him to eat an apple.

Zhang Shutong shook his head, saying that he still had to go up the mountain later and it would be best to leave now.

My mother was rather reluctant, complaining that he was too much of a troublemaker.

“I want to go back too, Grandma will be worried,” Lu Qinglian said.

Mom was surprised:

"Why do you two seem to have planned to keep each other company?"

"almost."

They both spoke casually at the same time, actually unwilling to explain further, but neither of them expected to say the same thing before they opened their mouths.

"You two are such a good match! You must get along really well at school." Mom's eyes lit up.

This time, neither of them spoke. Zhang Shutong wanted to say "no," but he wasn't sure if Lu Qinglian's answer was the same. If it was similar, it would undoubtedly be another counterexample. However, this time she didn't reply.

He didn't want to have anything to do with the other party except to find out some things, but he couldn't bring himself to say it in front of his mother, so he could only talk about it later.

He urged her again, but his mother rolled her eyes at him and pointed to the whole plate of apples on the coffee table, telling him to finish them first.

Zhang Shutong didn't understand why she cut so much, so she casually picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, her gums starting to ache.

Mom had another wild idea:

"I'll find you a bag to put it in, you can eat it while you play."

Without giving the two children a chance to refuse, she rushed off to the kitchen, her tone suggesting she was taking the two children on a picnic.

It would be great if we had a picnic.

Zhang Shutong glanced at Lu Qinglian, who was putting down her fruit fork and gesturing:
"Thank you for the meal, it was delicious."

Although the two had only interacted a handful of times, Zhang Shutong could tell that this was a disguise on her part. It might not have been intentional, but it was definitely not her true self.

Just like when she's not talking about serious matters, she often refers to herself as "Zhang Shutong".

But once the disguise is removed, she is "Zhang Shutong". Her current expression is like that of a little girl who has just eaten a delicious dessert, still wanting more. Although on the island in 2012, winter fruits are not yet abundant, it is just an apple.

If that were the case, it would be quite reassuring. Zhang Shutong wouldn't mind treating a girl who is taciturn and reserved to apples for a month. But she isn't like that, so all that's left is silence.

Just then, his mother called him from the kitchen. Zhang Shutong went over, and the woman closed the kitchen door.

"Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll pack some for you."

Zhang Shutong could only emphasize that he was not going on a picnic.

"So, what are you going to eat for lunch?"

"We'll see," he replied absentmindedly. It was good enough that he was back safely; he shouldn't think about food for now.

"What's your relationship like with Xiaolu?"

If anyone else had said such a thing, Zhang Shutong would have ignored it long ago, but this was his mother, so he had to patiently explain that she was just an ordinary classmate.

"Really? I get the feeling you're pretty afraid of her,"

Mom chuckled:

"I've heard that some young boys these days will do anything to win a girl's heart, and they'll be too scared to say a word if she glares at them. Tongtong, you don't do that behind her back, do you?"

His mother's words were really pointless. He had intended to go out, but then he thought about it and stopped.
"Mom, when you ran into Lu Qinglian, she was standing at the school gate?"

"Yes."

That would be even less of a coincidence.

If she finds out that the school is closed, she will go straight back to the mountain.

There are two roads outside the school, one leading up the mountain and the other to the city. If she goes straight back up the mountain, her mother won't run into her.

When Zhang Shutong came out of the kitchen, he looked at Lu Qinglian again, who had already gotten up and put on the green robe.

Zhang Shutong noticed that her hair wasn't tied in a high ponytail, and he even had a guess that her hairstyle determined her current status: student or temple keeper.

The three of them stayed upstairs for less than ten minutes before getting back into the car. Zhang Shutong fastened her seatbelt, glanced at Lu Qinglian in the rearview mirror, and as the car started moving, she turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window. The desolate scenery reflected in her eyes seemed like a fresh scene at every turn.

Lu Qinglian showed no reaction to his plan to go up the mountain, as if she had lost even the curiosity of a normal person.

Because a normal person would ask why you're going there, or what you're going there for, but she acted as if she had expected it.

No one spoke up or answered, creating a strange atmosphere. Apart from the mother being kept in the dark, the other two had their own ulterior motives, yet they acted like parents taking their children somewhere to play and dropping them off at a certain location.

Zhang Shutong was ready to go there.

He was dressed very warmly this time, wearing hiking boots, a denim jacket, and a black scarf. He even had gloves in his pocket. His accumulated gear finally came in handy. He took out his phone and sent Qingyi a text message:

“Lu Qinglian is right next to me right now.”

"?"

"Don't tell them yet, especially Du Kang."

"Are you really coming?"

He replied with an "Mm," and then typed:

"But don't meet."

"confident?"

"It might not come to that."

"Be careful."

Zhang Shutong turned off his phone.

Humans are such strange creatures; once a decision is made, doubts simply vanish from our minds.

So he propped his chin up and looked out the window, unsure of what the view meant to Lu Qinglian.

Green snake.

Offspring.

longevity.

Temple keeper.

restricted area.

photo.

Tattoo.

My mom is telling him again to bring more of his classmates over to play. It seems like every mom would say that.

She then mentioned that she was going to the mall to get her nails done after dropping them off. Only then did Zhang Shutong realize that the last time she saw her mother at the mall, she had gone to get her nails done.

It seems that every time she appears, she always encounters a girl, and things always take a turn for the better. Zhang Shutong listened patiently to her and spoke in a relaxed tone. Perhaps her mother really thought so, believing that after sending the child away, she could finally enjoy her hard-won vacation.

Zhang Shutong cherished this hard-won tranquility. Because once the car reached its destination, it would be a completely different scene.

While he can still enjoy listening to his mother's pleasant chatter, he should listen attentively.

They remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Buildings flashed past the car window, buildings, roadside trees, and deserted streets gradually receding into the distance, leaving only the white snow.

His home was on the east side, so it was very close to the mountain. In just ten minutes, he could see the majestic mountain in front of him.

Zhang Shutong was familiar with this place; he had once escorted Lu Qinglian home.

This time, Mom left them at the foot of the mountain.

The snow at the entrance had not yet melted. The mountain path was winding, and every few steps you could see withered trees. There were also a few patches of black rock exposed, the black and white contrasting sharply, the cold light dazzling.

He waved goodbye through the car window. His mother said he had fun, and he smiled and said, "Of course I had fun. I hope you have a good time while you're getting your beauty treatment. I promise I won't call you or disturb your sleep at noon."

"Then Auntie will be going now, please be careful." Mom waved to Lu Qinglian again.

Lu Qinglian also offered her farewell.

The two stood silently in the deserted snow, looking ahead as the car slowly drove away.

The wind was strong at the foot of the mountain. They stood together, one dressed as if he was going hiking, and the other as if he was going to a temple to hold a ceremony. They looked out of place, even a little comical.

But Zhang Shutong knew that everything would be different once he got off the car. It wasn't a picnic or a day trip, and the girl standing next to him wasn't an ordinary girl. Whatever awaited him ahead—whether it was his overthinking or fraught with danger—there was no way to retreat.

"What exactly do you want to do?" After a long pause, Zhang Shutong changed his tone.

“Zhang Shutong, stop asking such vague questions.” Lu Qinglian lowered her eyes, realizing she was tightening the belt of her green robe. “Why don’t you tell me what you want to know?”

“You just said at my house, ‘I need to hurry back, otherwise Grandma will be worried,’ right? But how did your grandma know that school was canceled today, or that she knew you would be back during the day?”

"She doesn't know about this," Lu Qinglian said calmly. Zhang Shutong turned his head and saw the cold wind ruffling her hair. "It's just a temporary excuse. It has some flaws, but you don't need to worry about it."

"Don't worry?"

"It's just a convenient excuse. Once you get used to it, you'll ignore its validity. You can replace it with anyone else. Don't take every word I say too seriously. Sometimes I'm serious, and sometimes I'm just saying it casually."

"And what about this sentence now?"

"It was just a casual remark." She raised her eyes. Zhang Shutong saw those emotionless eyes again.

He frowned as a result:
"Could you please explain yourself clearly in one go?"

Lu Qinglian met his gaze indifferently:
"Are you feeling impatient and anxious right now, wondering why this person never tells the truth and always glosses over things with an excuse, leaving things unclear? I can probably understand."

Immediately afterwards, Zhang Shutong saw her lips curl into a smile, a subtle, ambiguous curve:

"But Zhang Shutong, have you noticed that we're actually quite similar in this respect?"

"You yourself are a complete liar."

How many people have you fooled this time?

(End of this chapter)