Zhang Shutong looked at the tattoo on his arm again.
Tattooed there were a snake, a figure, and a...
A strange circular pattern.
He still hadn't recovered from the news of Gu Qiumian's death. After looking at it for a long time, he still couldn't tell what it was.
Then he saw Du Kang look away and turn to Ruoping:
"You remember, don't you? That circular pattern."
Ruoping also looked at his arm with a complicated expression. She lightly pressed his skin with her fingernail, and after a moment, she sighed:
"I can't believe you actually got it tattooed."
Zhang Shutong was about to ask what the circle represented when Ruoping said again:
"But what's the point of this? It's just a pattern. You didn't understand it back then, and now you understand it after all these years? I remember the police blocked all the information related to the case. You pleaded with Officer Xiong, and you finally saw a photo and then drew this thing down... We asked you what it meant, and you said it was a feature of the culprit."
"So, after all these years, do you have a more concrete clue?" Ruoping then slapped her forehead. "Never mind. I forgot you're basically mentally confused right now."
All the questions Zhang Shutong wanted to ask were left on the tip of his tongue. Even they didn't know what he had discovered back then?
What did the three tattoos mean?
Who was the culprit who suddenly appeared?
He suddenly had a thought that made him break out in a cold sweat:
He solved the case of the Zhou family father and son on Saturday and thought they were the culprits. But were they really the culprits who killed Gu Qiumian back then?
Wait, he might have been completely wrong.
If Zhou Ziheng instructed Li Yipeng to smash the castle to make his mom let slip about the "revenge," which in turn triggered the arsonists to act early and create an opportunity for his father to escape...
Then, in the original timeline, where the "building block incident" didn't happen, how did his father escape?
Zhang Shutong knew the man's personality very well. He wouldn't act without being absolutely certain. If that was the case, did his father even act back then?
No, let me rephrase the question. Was he even the so-called "real culprit"?
In the original timeline, it was very possible that Gu Qiumian was killed before Zhou's father even had a chance to act.
He was completely wrong!
The air conditioner was on in the restaurant, but at this moment, Zhang Shutong felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cave. This meant that he had been far from the right answer from the very beginning and had been going further and further down the path of the commercial street conflict.
From beginning to end! He hadn't even found a single trace of the real culprit!
Zhang Shutong suddenly asked:
"Was her body found in the Forbidden Zone?"
Ruoping nodded, which made him pause again.
How was that possible?
With two bodyguards and a nanny at home, Gu Qiumian was found dead in the Forbidden Zone?
"Then how did she get out? Were the bodyguards and nanny harmed?"
"No," Ruoping said again. "Everything related to the case was sealed back then."
He then remembered Ruoping's tone. The two of them were unaware of this tattoo before, but the graduation photo was taken in the summer. At that time, everyone was wearing short sleeves and had their arms exposed, but he had no tattoo in the photo, which meant that the tattoo was done after he graduated from junior high.
When exactly?
He pressed the edge of the tattoo with his hand. It didn't hurt or itch, and there was no swelling. The tattoo itself had faded, as if it had become one with his skin over the years, which meant that it wasn't done recently.
Zhang Shutong was wondering if that could represent a turning point where he changed his attitude and started to pursue the "culprit." So, what happened after graduation that made him reconsider this idea?
He was at a loss, but the table suddenly shook violently.
"Zhang Shutong, I just realized you're quite the romantic..." It turned out that Du Kang had suddenly stood up. He grabbed Zhang Shutong's collar. He had been drinking a little, and his eyes were now a little red.
Zhang Shutong could see the bloodshot in the other person's eyes. Du Kang also stared at his eyes with anger, gritting his teeth:
"If that's the case, why did you go and mess with Lu Qinglian?"
"I..."
Zhang Shutong didn't know what to say. He just realized that in their eyes, his sins were not just deceiving them and harming Lu Qinglian. It also included him "finding a new love" as if nothing had happened two months after Gu Qiumian died.
Du Kang continued to growl:
"Fine, you're a good person. You couldn't forget Gu Qiumian, and you've been looking for the culprit for all these years. Then tell me, what did you take Lu Qinglian for? A tool to get over your sadness? Someone you can call whenever you want and send away whenever you want? Tell me!"
"Du Kang, sit down! What the hell are you going crazy about?"
Ruoping also cursed. She stood up and slammed the table:
"What are you two doing? You had a little to drink and now you're going crazy, is that it? Tell me, what can you do to him? He can barely remember his own name. Is beating him up now going to get revenge for Qinglian or something?"
"I just want to beat him up! He did all this messed-up stuff back then, and now he's just going to pretend he doesn't remember and think it's all fine?" This time, Du Kang didn't listen to her. He said viciously, "Besides, are you sure he's not faking it? It's not like this is the first time he's faked it. Right? Always with a cold face, never laughing or crying. He has no humanity at all. Yes, we're all stupid, not as smart as you. It's true that we can't figure out what you're thinking. Then what do you take us for?"
Du Kang then turned back and questioned Ruoping:
"Did you see him look even a little sad at the funeral home just now?"
Ruoping was also stunned when she heard this. Zhang Shutong noticed that she seemed to have subconsciously glanced at him, checking his expression.
Zhang Shutong didn't know what she was trying to see. He only knew that his face had probably been stiff for a long time, and he wasn't even used to smiling... So it could only have been disappointment.
But Ruoping's voice didn't sound disappointed. She just raised her voice and said excitedly:
"Yes, there was none. I also think he's a bastard and an asshole. I won't stop you if you want to beat him up. But can you two stop being crazy in front of me? Just finish this meal and we'll go our separate ways! We'll never see each other again!"
"I just want an explanation! Why did he become like this!" Du Kang also shouted.
"Qinglian is gone. What kind of explanation do you want?"
"What do you take me for? It's not because I used to like Lu Qinglian. It's because of him! Do you know how I feel? I tried to believe him again and again, and I was disappointed again and again, but I still can't help it..."
"You think I'm not the same?" Ruoping pointed at herself. "Let me tell you, I want to know more than you! You think you're the only one who can't let go of the past? He suddenly called me three days ago and said he had something to tell me. Do you know that? And now? Do you even remember if he remembers?"
"I already told you he was a liar!"
"Then why did you still come today!"
"I wish I hadn't come today either! What did I get out of this?" Ruoping's eyes were now red. "Did any of you think about me? You all forgot, but I remember! Didn't we promise at the graduation ceremony that we would all go to high school in the city together and be best friends forever? And what happened? One of you never even came back, one of you wants to fight after drinking a little, and another one disappeared for so many years and now looks like he has no humanity... You two grown men, fight! I don't care if you're covered in blood. It's the last time anyway. After this fight, don't ever contact each other again!"
After saying that, Ruoping buried her head in her arms. He could hear her suppressed sobs. Du Kang was also silent when he heard this. He sat down and lit a cigarette without saying a word.
At this time, the owner came over slowly. She was holding a porcelain basin with hot steam coming out of it.
This dish should have been served first because it was a stew that had been in a big pot for a long time. The owner then apologized:
"We ran out of pork ribs. Is braised pork belly okay instead?"
But the two men and one woman at the table were all silent. The owner's hand froze there.
She seemed to be wondering why old classmates would meet and be so tense. "You guys weren't like this before. You used to come here for dinner all the time..." But today, one person was missing, and so was one dish. Zhang Shutong actually didn't like pork ribs at all. He only ordered it because he thought they all loved it. But now, he really wanted to taste what this eight-years-later pork rib tasted like, and if it had become even more unappetizing than before. No one here was more qualified to judge than him because he had just eaten it a few days ago.
But the braised pork ribs were gone.
At this time, his phone rang. Zhang Shutong looked at the name on the screen and fell silent.
He nodded at the owner and said, "Just leave it here." He then got up and went to the counter to pay the bill. This time, he didn't need to ask where the QR code was, and he had plenty of money. After all, he hadn't spent any of the money he had earned in all these years.
The checkout was smooth this time. Naturally, he didn't need the young miss to help him in his moment of need. He quickly returned to the table, picked up his trench coat, and said softly:
"...I'm sorry."
But the two of them ignored him. Ruoping just had her head buried in her arms, and Du Kang was smoking without saying a word. He looked at them one last time, then turned and walked out of the restaurant. The sky was already dark. He walked down the existing pedestrian street and called back the person who had called him.
The contact's name was "Su Yunzhi."
The call was answered. Before Zhang Shutong could speak, a gentle female voice came from the other side:
"Have you eaten, Shutong?"
Zhang Shutong just grunted. He wasn't in the mood to explore their relationship now. If it was just a regular conversation between a couple, he would just say a few words and hang up.
But the other person said, "I've looked into the things you asked me to look into, but the photo you mentioned is a bit difficult. It will take a little longer, but I can get it done before 9 o'clock."
Zhang Shutong was stunned. He then heard the woman say:
"The reason your female classmate was killed was probably that someone wanted to stop her father from developing the island. This is what I saw from the police report. But I can't send it to you. I'll just tell you."
It was about Gu Qiumian.
But why would he ask this senior for help?
He seemed to have a faint impression now. The senior's parents worked in the police system. Thinking of this, Zhang Shutong opened his moments and found that her current profession was a reporter for the city TV station.
"But you're probably going to be disappointed. Although this case was not allowed to be leaked back then, it wasn't because it was a deep conspiracy. It was more about her father's influence and the impact it would have. It's pretty much what you deduced. It was a murder case. The only point of doubt is how she got out in the middle of the night. I don't know why her dad was so stubborn about not installing surveillance..."
The woman sighed:
"Let bygones be bygones. After all, it's been eight years. You should also change your job, just like you promised me, no matter what the outcome of this is. I just realized that when I asked you what major you were going to study in university, you said media and that you wanted to be a reporter. I waited for you there, but you went and became a home-based translator. It was all for this, wasn't it?
"If you think about it, three years of high school, four years of university, and a year and a half of work. I just changed jobs last month and could get access to this information. Did you even calculate all of this?
"But you're probably not that scary. That would mean that all these foreshadowing were laid out from the moment we first met..."
The woman said jokingly:
"My best friend told me to be careful of this cold-blooded man a while ago. I told her that you weren't like this when you were in school. We went shopping and watched movies together. You looked exhausted every time... I still laugh when I think about it now.
"But Shutong." When she said this, she subconsciously lowered her voice. "No matter what, I don't blame you, but you really can't continue like this. Are you on the island now? How about you don't rush back? I'll come find you tomorrow..."
Zhang Shutong just said, "No need. I'll be back in the city tomorrow."
"Smoke less," the woman said, giving him a final instruction before she hung up.
Zhang Shutong put away his phone. He looked at the streetlights that were still as dim as they were before. The light dyed the road yellow. He lit a cigarette.
The senior's appearance was consistent with his memory. Being with her made him feel like he was in a spring breeze. She was intellectual and gentle and never asked him too many questions.
He looked at his phone. It was a little after seven o'clock. It seemed that he had been looking at his phone constantly these past few days. The number seven also felt familiar. Technology was advancing quickly now. It was no longer the small device that was always running out of battery and losing signal.
He knew he couldn't go back to the Huyu restaurant. It would only increase the sadness. Maybe it was better for them if he wasn't there.
But he didn't seem to have anywhere to go. The temperature was even lower at night. He was only wearing a trench coat, and one of his sleeves was now wet. So he hugged his left arm and walked aimlessly down the street.
Unconsciously, he walked to the school gate. He could still squeeze through the gate with a strong push, just like before. But he didn't know if he should go in. The classroom of Class 4-1 had already seen eight batches of graduates. It couldn't be the same as it was before. And that library... He didn't know what the library would be like now.
Zhang Shutong wasn't going to go in.
He continued walking along the school. He suddenly realized that there was nothing he wanted to see. That cold little home was no longer there. The base? Or some other place? These places were too far. There were no taxis on the island. He couldn't walk there.
So he decided to find a store to warm up in first.
The scene on the street was similar to what it was eight years ago. Only a few supermarkets and restaurants had their lights on. As he walked, he stopped in front of a nail salon.