Du Kang ran down, waving his hand and dragging a bench. Lu Qinglian followed him, walking at a leisurely pace.
Zhang Shutong glanced at the two of them, about to ask where they'd been, but Du Kang was panting heavily, desperate for water. Ruoping pulled a bottle of mineral water from the bike basket and tossed it to him, then dragged Du Kang aside for a conversation, like a big bad wolf pressuring a little rabbit. It was no surprise—definitely more gossip.
Zhang Shutong wasn't interested in joining the commotion. He called over to Qing Yi, handed him his fishing rod, then pulled out his telescopic rod, asking Qing Yi to hold the flashlight while he tied the hook.
Qing Yi watched for a moment and asked curiously, "Why are you tying it like that?"
Zhang Shutong paused, realizing he had made a mistake. He used to know a technique called the "double-finger winding method," which was quick and efficient—just wrap the fishing line around your fingers, pull the line, and the hook would stay firmly attached. But it had been many years since he last fished, and even his once-adept technique had slipped away. After a while, he almost ended up tying his two fingers together, so he resorted to the most basic method, threading the line through the eye of the hook like a beginner.
Suddenly, a cool voice interrupted from behind: "Wasn't that how he used to tie it?"
Zhang Shutong turned around and saw Lu Qinglian standing behind him, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, her face expressionless.
"Of course not. This method is for beginners. Only amateurs tie it like that," Qing Yi answered casually.
Thanks for the compliment.
"Then you should teach me this method instead," Lu Qinglian said. Without waiting for a reply, she casually sat down beside Zhang Shutong, taking the spot where Ruoping had been. It was as if she had already assumed that Zhang Shutong would teach her. She didn't seem particularly interested, her gaze and expression far from "awe-struck," but then again, she didn't look uninterested either. She blinked and observed the hook in his hand.
Zhang Shutong could only politely refuse, "I'm busy. Wait for Du Kang to come over." It was obvious this wasn't his script to follow.
"But he's still talking to Ruoping," she replied.
"...You can wait until they're done."
"You don't like me?" she asked, puzzled.
"No, I'm just used to being alone," he responded.
She might be a bit naïve, Zhang Shutong thought.
"Then do you like me?" she suddenly asked.
"..."
Zhang Shutong bit his lip, staring at her for a moment. Her face remained calm, sitting upright on the bench, her skin pale under the moonlight, eyes locked on his.
"I thought boys liked girls in two ways: either they constantly look for chances to talk to them, or they purposely ignore them to get attention. You seem to have a complicated personality?" she continued, frowning as if she were studying the subject seriously.
"Neither," Zhang Shutong replied, lowering his head to continue tying the line. "I don't like her, nor do I dislike her. I'm just... hmm, a bit distant. Understand?"
It was the first time anyone had made him claim the term "distant," and Zhang Shutong suddenly felt it wasn't such a bad thing. He thought the conversation would end there, but then Lu Qinglian said: "But you borrowed my gloves before."
"What are you trying to say?" Zhang Shutong sighed. He couldn't help but wonder—was she the Temple Maiden? She should be in the mountains, not down here arguing with him by the lake.
"I don't mean anything by it. Why can't you teach me fishing?" Lu Qinglian asked, still confused. She had a pair of charming eyes, cold when silent, but when puzzled, the corners of her eyes would curl downward slightly, like ice melting. Zhang Shutong looked at her for a moment and thought she truly lived up to her name. She had an intriguing, almost endearing vibe.
But the way she spoke made Zhang Shutong seem strange. Fine, he was a bit strange, but Zhang Shutong had his own reasons. Teaching her to fish wasn't a big deal, but his friend, who secretly liked her, was standing just behind. He could still clearly recall Du Kang's broken-hearted expression eight years later. It wasn't that he had to play matchmaker; Du Kang was more than happy to, but it didn't mean the girl would be. Zhang Shutong's attitude toward this kind of thing was, "Let it happen naturally."
Still, Zhang Shutong always thought, for a guy who liked fishing, night fishing with the girl he liked was romantic—moonlight overhead, a gentle breeze, the reeds swaying, the two of them holding a warm fishing rod together... Although others might not see it that way, and he had never encountered a girl who was good at fishing, that was his idea of romance. Even if he wasn't the matchmaker, he didn't want to ruin the mood.
But thinking about it, Du Kang would come by soon. Instead of wasting time lingering with Lu Qinglian, it would be better to teach her quickly and enjoy some peace. He sighed and agreed: "Alright, I'll show you first. Watch carefully..."
Lu Qinglian kept her eyes fixed on him.
He tied the line once, not too tightly, then shook out the line, handing the whole rod to her: "Use your phone... oh wait, you don't have one," Zhang Shutong said, taking out his phone. "I'll show you how. Try it yourself."
The flashlight illuminated her hand as she gently squeezed the fishing line. Zhang Shutong noticed a small cut on her finger and said, "You can't tie it like this with your hand."
"It's fine," she replied calmly.
She gently pinched the line, and Zhang Shutong realized the difference between how boys and girls did things. He didn't use his nails, but naturally pinched the line with his fingertips. He never thought of doing it this way. Lu Qinglian was quick to learn. After watching him once, she expertly tied the line. Zhang Shutong couldn't help but think she must have repaired clothes herself before; otherwise, she wouldn't be so skilled.
The hook and line responded obediently in her hands, like vines in the hands of a magician, moving as if they had a life of their own, curling around the metal wire with a single try. Lu Qinglian politely thanked him, and Zhang Shutong nodded before teaching her to attach the bait: "That was good for your first try. Now pick a spot to throw. It's best to stand up, then..."
Before he could finish, she twisted her waist and cast the line while sitting down. The movement was swift and graceful, full of power, almost beautiful. Lu Qinglian then added: "I've learned to throw before."
"That's good," Zhang Shutong sighed in relief, thinking that now he could finally enjoy some peace and quiet. Just as he was about to reminisce about his childhood joy, he looked down and realized his rod was missing.
Lu Qinglian was holding it. She was sitting up straight, in a near-perfect posture, her back aligned, and focused on the water.
"That's my rod..." he started to remind her, but then saw her eyes still fixed on the water, her finger raised to her lips, signaling him to be quiet. The float moved, and Lu Qinglian swiftly lifted the rod. A small fish leapt into the air.
Zhang Shutong was stunned. Had it been even half a minute since she cast the line? No way. He never could do that, not even in his prime. No, it wasn't just skill—it was pure luck. Lu Qinglian took the hook, tossed the fish into the bucket, quickly baited it again, and with a quick twist of her small waist, another ripple appeared on the water's surface. The whole process was fluid, like flowing water.
"Have you fished before?" Zhang Shutong asked, still in disbelief.
"First time."
"Oh, a beginner's luck."
"What's that?"
"It's when beginners get to enjoy the fun of learning something for the first time..." he replied.
"Wait."
Before he could finish, she shushed him again. The float moved again, and another fish was caught. This one was smaller, but the frequency was completely abnormal. Even if a penguin jumped into the water to catch fish, it wouldn't be as fast as she was.
"What did you just say?" Lu Qinglian asked again, casting the line with a swift motion, her ponytail flying with it. Zhang Shutong had to admit, when she was serious, she looked pretty cool—like a queen of the waters.
"...Nothing. Just keep fishing," he mumbled.
Zhang Shutong suddenly lost interest. He had come to fish, but now it felt like Du Kang was swimming in the water instead. Luckily, the third fish wasn't as quick as the first two.
The two of them stared at the water, one focused, the other yawning in boredom.
"So, why are you here today?" Zhang Shutong asked, resting his chin in his hand, casually.
"Fishing," Lu Qinglian said without changing her expression.
"Mm... how vague."
But Zhang Shutong didn't care much. She was different from Gu Qiumian; at least he could safely get through these eight years without needing any occasional attention. Besides, sitting next to her was affecting his mood, and it might leave an indelible shadow on his beloved fishing hobby.
Just as he was about to call Du Kang and Ruoping over to swap places, he heard Lu Qinglian's soft voice: "Aren't you just ignoring me too, Zhang Shutong?"
Zhang Shutong instinctively stopped what he was doing. For some reason, when she said this, he could feel a strange sense of firmness. Despite her tone still being calm and unchanged, the natural cluelessness that usually surrounded her suddenly disappeared, as if she had dropped the facade—like she was no longer the young girl but had transformed into a queen. Zhang Shutong knew it was inappropriate to think this way, but he had seen her memorial photo—a young woman with furrowed brows, her eyes calm as an ancient well, sealed in black-and-white paper, looking as handsome as eight years ago, yet the feeling was completely different from the one in their school days. It was the same feeling he had now.
"If you have nothing else to say, then sit down and listen to me," Lu Qinglian said in a steady voice. "First of all, there's something you need to apologize for."
Zhang Shutong was taken aback by her words, but it was indeed his own oversight, and there was nothing more to say. "It's my fault. I'll try to minimize the impact in the next few days."
"Not that."
She shook her head, still looking at the dark water, her face as unreadable as before. "I mean, you shouldn't keep ignoring me for your friend. That's so rude."
"You mean..."
"Don't pretend to be clueless." She suddenly took control of the conversation; the tone was undeniable. "And also, please don't try to matchmake us. This may seem trivial, but I think it's better to say it now."
Zhang Shutong froze in place, unsure of how to respond. He began thinking back to when Du Kang had officially been rejected by Lu Qinglian. He had confessed once, but that was after middle school, and it seemed like it was a long time coming. Du Kang had spent four years admiring a girl without ever confessing. His friends had tried to motivate him, and Du Kang had gone to the temple in the morning, only to come back defeated, looking like a wilted eggplant.
But why was it happening now? Zhang Shutong wondered about the possible influences—perhaps it was the student milk, or maybe something to do with this fishing trip...
Coincidentally, Du Kang finally broke free from Ruoping and immediately ran over to ask: "Lu... um, just now..." He hesitated for a while, before finally asking, "Do you want me to teach you how to fish?"
"Thanks, but he already taught me," Lu Qinglian politely declined.
"Then is there anything you don't understand...?"
But Lu Qinglian interrupted, "I can ask Zhang Shutong."
Du Kang struggled for a moment but was pulled away by Ruoping, who grabbed him by the collar.
Zhang Shutong wondered, could it be that Du Kang acted too impulsively and irritated Lu Qinglian on their walk here? But knowing Du Kang's personality, if he had truly done something like that, it didn't fit with his years of unrequited love. So what happened during that walk that made Lu Qinglian suddenly bring it up?
He glanced at Du Kang, then at Lu Qinglian, only to find that she was staring directly at him. The atmosphere grew tense. Just then, Ruoping ran over, holding a large plastic bag: "Here, here... cookies, cookies. Don't fish for now..."
With that, she took the opportunity to pull Zhang Shutong aside and whispered in his ear: "I just found out they didn't come back together."
"What?"
"Du Kang didn't go with her. I just asked him about it, and he said he caught up with Lu Qinglian but she didn't let him follow her..."
"So, what about them?"
"You guys are something. He was supposed to come back the same way, but halfway through, he realized there wasn't enough space for another person. So he went back to the 'base' to get a chair. I swear... sigh."
Ruoping hesitated for a moment: "And when he came back, they happened to run into each other. It made us think they came back together. Alright, enough talking. Let's eat some cookies and stop chatting..."
Ruoping hadn't heard their conversation, but being a girl, she was more intuitive. She thought that Du Kang must have annoyed Lu Qinglian and made her upset, so she came out to smooth things over. Zhang Shutong could understand that, but he couldn't figure out what Lu Qinglian was really thinking. Was the "important thing" she mentioned after school about this? Well, in a way, they were indeed causing trouble, which was pretty important.
So, they decided to eat cookies, which didn't require any thinking. Sweet, crispy, and once they finished, it would be like nothing had happened. Just as he was about to take some, Qing Yi reached out to stop him, removing his earmuffs: "Wait a minute."
Zhang Shutong thought, Not you again, where did you come from?
But both Zhang Shutong and Ruoping assumed Qing Yi had something important to say, so they waited to listen. To their surprise, Qing Yi pulled out a bag of compressed cookies from his pocket and smiled: "Fishing, of course, you need to eat this."
"Meng Qingyi, has your brain also been compressed?" Ruoping was speechless.
"What's wrong?" Qing Yi asked, confused. "You have to eat compressed cookies when fishing, right? Who eats Oreos? Right, Shutong?"
Zhang Shutong thought to himself, With both of you on either side of me, I might as well be an Oreo now. He decided to ask Lu Qinglian, "Which one would you like?"
"What's an Oreo?" she asked after thinking for a moment, her voice still calm.
Zhang Shutong was even more confused. Why are you acting all clueless now? Where did that queen-like aura go? But to his surprise, she genuinely didn't know what an Oreo was. She turned to Ruoping, thanked her, opened the packaging, and pulled out a chocolate-filled biscuit, looking at Zhang Shutong and asking: "How do I eat this?"
How else would you eat it? But more than that, Zhang Shutong was curious about the "important matter" she mentioned: "You mean, when you said you needed to talk to me after school, you were referring to this?"
"You can think of it that way, for now," she said, pausing with each word.
Zhang Shutong didn't quite understand what "for now" meant. Was it "yes" or "no"? But it wasn't the time to dwell on that. His tone grew more serious as he finally said: "...Sorry, I was too presumptuous. This won't happen again."
He suddenly realized that Lu Qinglian was much more layered than he thought. His past impression of her had been that of a cold, mysterious girl, like an ice sculpture, a temple maiden on the mountain. But now, it wasn't about mystery anymore. It was clear that she didn't want to expose herself. She could see through everything he did, while he was completely unaware. But oddly, that made her feel less distant. She was still wearing her blue robe, but now she didn't seem like a celestial being floating above the crowd.
"I'm not angry," she said, still with that calm voice. "I'm just a little troubled." She paused before looking at the Oreo-like cookie in her hand again. "So, how do you eat this?"
Zhang Shutong looked at her and smiled: "How else? Twist it, lick it, then dip it."