"She left a long time ago, you can't catch up."
Zhang Shutong deliberately lied.
In fact, Lu Qinglian had just turned out of the school gate not long ago.
He felt that the girl was not an "enemy."
But in fact, whether it was the tattoo, the photo from his senior, or the island's development plan, they were all inextricably linked to her.
It wasn't that Zhang Shutong didn't want to ask, but even if he did, she wouldn't talk. If they were to exchange information, it would go back to the original question: was it exchanging information or exposing himself?
Pay attention, but keep your distance.
This was Zhang Shutong's attitude toward Lu Qinglian now.
"A long time ago? Oh, this is my fault. I forgot to tell Qinglian to wait," Old Song sighed, feeling a bit guilty. "Her family doesn't even have a phone, so I can't even ask if she got home safely... How are you going? I'll give you a ride."
Zhang Shutong nodded and said, "I'm not in a hurry. I'll go to Gu Qiumian's house first."
Song Nanshan also had things to pack. Zhang Shutong went to the office with him and asked, "Why did you take so long?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention. Qiumian's dad called back. I told him about what happened today, and he said he's on his way back. Then I gave the phone to Qiumian, and the father and daughter started talking. I thought there was nothing for me to do standing there, so I came down first."
Gu's father's actions were one day earlier than before.
This was good news.
The news recently was always a mix of good and bad. Zhang Shutong relaxed a little, put on his backpack, and watched Old Song pull an umbrella out of a drawer:
"Only one?"
"Only one."
The two of them looked at each other:
"You hold it?"
"You hold it."
"Let's give it to Qiumian later." Old Song put the umbrella in his hand.
It made Zhang Shutong think of the story of the father and son riding a donkey.
—Oops, he then realized that this was a terrible metaphor. He really didn't mean that Gu Qiumian was a donkey.
The teaching building was shaped like a capital letter L. The long side was the classrooms; the short side was the offices, dean's office, toilets, and so on.
The master and apprentice went back to the classroom. Today, Old Song didn't have anyone on duty and told the students to leave quickly.
But not having people on duty didn't mean no one was on duty. Song Nanshan called out to him for a hand. The two of them wiped the blackboard and changed the garbage bags.
Being a homeroom teacher was not easy. In this kind of weather, Old Song had to wait until the very last person left.
Soon, the students in the class left under his urging. Song Nanshan packed Gu Qiumian's backpack and put it on his shoulder. He wondered:
"Why is it so heavy?"
Zhang Shutong said, "She has snacks in her bag. Besides, she doesn't have to carry a backpack to and from school every day. She takes the car every day, so it doesn't matter if it's heavy or light."
On second thought, it would have been better not to help her pack. She probably didn't plan on doing her homework.
Soon, Gu Qiumian returned.
Today, she was finally not like her usual Thursday self, with a cold face going to the school gate to buy a bun.
The girl was in a good mood. She returned the phone to Old Song and said, "Thank you, teacher." She was going home in Song Nanshan's car today.
But when it came to Zhang Shutong, the two of them communicated purely through eye contact.
She looked at Zhang Shutong.
Zhang Shutong blinked.
Gu Qiumian glared.
Zhang Shutong didn't understand.
Wait, he seemed to understand.
Maybe she cried in front of him before, and now that she had come to her senses, she felt embarrassed.
At this moment, there was no one in the hallway. The entire floor was empty. Looking back, the sky had darkened. Only the roaring cold wind could be heard through the glass.
The LED lights on the ceiling, which were usually a dazzling white light, also seemed faint.
The three of them turned off the lights. If you looked from the outside, on the fourth floor of the building, the last light source in one of the countless small squares was extinguished.
Footsteps echoed in the stairwell.
This was the first time Zhang Shutong had voluntarily gone home with someone.
When they left the teaching building, he handed the umbrella to Gu Qiumian and put his backpack on his head. He was about to rush out like Old Song, but as soon as he took a step, someone shouted from behind.
"Wait," Miss Gu finally spoke. She opened the umbrella and said angrily, "Are you stupid?"
She reluctantly shook the umbrella in her hand, tilting it outward, and said, "Hurry up and come over."
Zhang Shutong said, "No need."
He found Gu Qiumian's pace too slow. It would be better to just run.
Gu Qiumian then glared and said:
"My stomach hurts today."
"So?"
What does this have to do with your stomach hurting?
Because your stomach hurts, you should hold the umbrella, Zhang Shutong thought to himself.
"So you're not allowed to make me angry!"
Zhang Shutong slowly retreated.
Girls are troublesome creatures.
Girls on their period are even more troublesome than troublesome creatures.
The two of them walked out of the building side by side. Gu Qiumian then complained, "Oh, you're so tall. My arm is getting tired from holding it up."
Zhang Shutong was helpless. He thought, "Is it my fault that I'm tall?"
The girl's height was about 1.65 meters, and that was with her small boots on. Back then, she was only up to Zhang Shutong's collarbone when she was wearing slippers at home.
Zhang Shutong had never paid attention to her height before. He always thought Gu Qiumian should be 1.7 meters tall. After all, "Qiuyu Mianmian" was a girl with a thin waist and long legs. Her proportions were good, so she looked tall.
But now that she was standing next to his shoulder, he realized she wasn't that tall, especially now that the two of them were covered by the umbrella, making her look even smaller.
He felt more and more awkward as he walked. He simply took the umbrella back and held it for Gu Qiumian. To be honest, this was a tough job. One side of his shoulder was exposed, and he had to match Gu Qiumian's speed, walking one step at a time. It would have been better to just run.
Fortunately, Gu Qiumian had no complaints. He glanced at the girl. Her face was hidden in the red scarf. She didn't say anything and just stared at her toes, walking one step at a time.
Under the grayish-black sky, the swirling snowflakes blurred his vision. Zhang Shutong noticed that her skin was so soft. It was fine in the teaching building, but now her cheeks turned red from the cold wind.
Old Song was already waiting in the car.
The car started in place. The engine vibrated slightly. The exhaust gas turned the snow behind the car black, and the yellow light from the headlights illuminated a hazy circle.
Fine snowflakes danced in the light beam.
The two of them walked to the back seat. Zhang Shutong held the umbrella for her and watched as Miss Gu opened the car door, got in, and then moved to the other side, not saying anything or looking at anyone.
Zhang Shutong sat next to her, shaking the snow off the umbrella, and wondered how he had become a lackey again.
This was a bad habit that seemed to stick.
Old Song then looked back happily and said, "I think you two should walk home. It would save me the trouble."
Gu Qiumian ignored him.
But Zhang Shutong had a new discovery:
He suddenly realized that he and Old Song were indeed the two silly people in the story of the father and son riding a donkey—he didn't mean that Gu Qiumian was a donkey—but that Old Song could have held the umbrella, gone to his car, and then backed the car up to the teaching building to wait for them. This way, no one would have to get wet from the snow.
Wait, was he trying to be a matchmaker again?
He brought up the question, but Old Song slapped his forehead in frustration:
"You're right. Why didn't I think of that?"
...
The car slowly drove out of the school.
Getting into this little car again, with the girl sitting next to him again, his state of mind was different.
Now there was no "fleeing" or "smoke" to listen to. It was cold outside. When a girl was present, Old Song always acted like a gentleman. He didn't smoke, but just hummed a song relaxed.
With a change in mood, their conversation also changed.
Old Song spoke first:
"I'll drop off Qiumian first and then Shutong. Any objections? If not, we'll go."
Zhang Shutong, of course, had no objections.
But Gu Qiumian asked:
"What do you want to eat, teacher?"
"Are you treating me, Qiumian? But it's too cold today. Let's do it on the weekend."
"What are you talking about?" she rolled her eyes. "We're going to my house to eat. I'll tell Auntie to make two extra dishes."
"Is that okay?"
"What's not okay? Do you want to drop me off and then go eat in the snow?" Gu Qiumian wrinkled her nose.
"Then I'll impose on you." Old Song was quite happy. He pretended to decline for a moment and then agreed. "I can eat anything. I can get full on just noodles. Don't trouble your auntie."
"What about you?" Gu Qiumian asked again.
"I'm also fine with anything. Noodles are fine." Zhang Shutong thought that Old Song hadn't eaten lunch and only had a few sausages to fill his stomach. He was fine eating anywhere, but he had to consider other people's feelings.
"Why are you all so casual? Is there anything else besides noodles?"
"Duck noodle soup?"
"Dream on. Where would we get a duck?"
That was true. Today was Thursday. The duck would be stewed on Friday.
Zhang Shutong was disappointed that he couldn't have duck noodle soup.
Old Song then asked, "How many dishes are there now?"
"Four."
Old Song was also stunned. "I think four dishes are enough for the four of us?"
"Never mind. I'll tell Auntie Wu to make what she sees fit." Gu Qiumian gave up.
It was snowing today, so Old Song drove very slowly. Zhang Shutong leaned against the window, afraid of seeing a minivan again.
Of course, that was impossible.
Old Song was a restless person:
"Speaking of which, how about I take you guys out to play on Saturday?"
Zhang Shutong saw him winking at him in the rearview mirror.
He said, "No problem."
The two of them looked at Gu Qiumian, but the girl asked slowly:
"Where to?"
"Anywhere. Movie theater, amusement park, or you can pick a place, and I'll be your driver?"
"Amusement parks aren't fun."
"There are bumper cars and a Ferris wheel!"
"Can a Ferris wheel that takes ten minutes to go around be called a Ferris wheel?" Zhang Shutong laughed and interjected.
"Shutong..." Old Song felt betrayed and said in surprise, "You even studied this?"
Of course, Zhang Shutong hadn't studied this. He just remembered Gu Qiumian saying something similar and used it.
He thought that "Qiuyu Mianmian" would agree with this point, so Zhang Shutong said, "Teacher, if you don't believe me, ask her." But Gu Qiumian pretended not to hear him.
Old Song got excited:
"Confess. Which girl did you ride it with before, boy?"
"I didn't ride it."
"Then how do you know how long it takes?"
"I heard it from someone." Zhang Shutong decided not to repeat what others said anymore.
"Boring." Old Song pouted and then said, "If the amusement park is a no-go, let's go watch a movie."
It was then that "Qiuyu Mianmian" spoke. She used her finger to poke her phone and said after a long while, "There are no good movies."
"Then are we still going?"
Gu Qiumian fell into thought, as if she was seriously considering it. It wasn't until the car had driven several hundred meters that she nodded primly:
"Okay."
Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief. He almost thought she wouldn't say it.
Good. The city still had some appeal to Gu Qiumian.
Zhang Shutong also relaxed. When a person is idle, the first thing they notice is the smell.
This time, Gu Qiumian was sitting closer, and her scent was stronger. It mixed with the smell of smoke in the car, making Zhang Shutong a little dizzy.
He rolled down the window a little, then remembered that Gu Qiumian couldn't catch a cold, so he rolled it back up and sighed.
More trouble was coming:
"My thermos cup is broken."
Gu Qiumian suddenly attacked.
A girl on her period's mood is like today's weather, unpredictable.
"Uh, how much is it?" Zhang Shutong asked.
"It's not about the money," she said with a straight face.
Zhang Shutong could only apologize.
"No," Gu Qiumian turned her head. "It's a limited edition. I can't buy it anymore, and I just love that style."
"Then what should I do?"
"You can get me something similar to compensate."
Zhang Shutong said, "Okay. What brand is it? Let me search for it."
"I forgot." Gu Qiumian folded her arms, her face as cold as frost.
Zhang Shutong was speechless.
Then how was he supposed to compensate her?
After a long while, she said, "Never mind. I'll take a picture of the cup and send it to you. You can search for it yourself... Oh, right, I don't have your QQ, do I? What's your QQ number?"
She always liked to use tone words. Sometimes she was arrogant, and sometimes she was soft.
Zhang Shutong then remembered that his friends list didn't have the profile picture of the sheep and the cloud. He had been calling her "Qiuyu Mianmian" for a long time for nothing.
The two of them added each other. He suddenly remembered that he should get her phone number so they could contact each other easily in the future. And so, "Xintao Jiufu" and "Qiuyu Mianmian" successfully established diplomatic relations.
Zhang Shutong waited for a long time:
"Where's the picture?"
"I didn't take it," Gu Qiumian suddenly giggled. "Silly, I'll take it tomorrow."
Zhang Shutong thought she was very childish. It turned out that she was talking about the cup for a long time just to get his QQ number.
She could have just said so directly.
The journey was spent in this light and cheerful atmosphere. Soon, they were about to get on the mountain road leading to the villa, when the car suddenly shook, as if it had run over something, startling all three of them.
Old Song subconsciously stepped on the brake. The car's tail swayed on the snowy road and was about to go out of control. He cursed, quickly gripped the steering wheel, and saved the car. The car narrowly stopped at the side of the road.
Zhang Shutong got out of the car. The two men looked closer and found that it was a big pothole. It was covered by snow, so they didn't see it. The wheel sank into it and the car jolted.
"You scared me," Song Nanshan said with lingering fear. "We were almost there, and something almost happened..."
Zhang Shutong squatted down and looked, confirming that the pothole was not a trap dug by someone, but a pothole that appeared due to disrepair.
He looked left and right. There was a wasteland nearby. He vaguely remembered that the road here was indeed bad. He had been here three times in the car. At that time, he was only focused on talking to Old Song and didn't look at the road conditions. He felt that it was very bumpy.
"Come on, Shutong. What are you waiting for?"
Old Song had already waved to him. Zhang Shutong quickly got back in the car.
Song Nanshan drove even more carefully for the rest of the way. The journey that should have taken about seven or eight minutes took twice as long.
The brightly lit villa was surrounded by iron fences, like a palace in the deep mountains. By the time the car reached the gate, it was almost dark.
Old Song parked the car. Gu Qiumian made a phone call, and Auntie Wu, the housekeeper, came out with a few umbrellas.
Zhang Shutong held up the umbrella and stopped at the gate. It was an electric gate with cameras. As for the height... he compared it. It was more than two meters high, and a circle of barbed wire was wrapped around the top. It was probably electrified. It would be very difficult to climb over.
Gu Qiumian urged him to hurry up and get in. Zhang Shutong said casually, "You guys go first. I'll walk around in the yard."
Gu Qiumian was not happy. She said, "You're so annoying. You have to walk around in the snow." But with that, she said unhappily, "Come with me. I'll take you on a tour."
The two of them held up their umbrellas and went to the backyard. The backyard was the artificial lawn. He turned on his phone's flashlight and went to the fence in the backyard in the swirling snow.
Zhang Shutong looked at it carefully and found that the entire fence was like this.
Gu Qiumian couldn't help but ask, "Why are you only studying the fence?"
Zhang Shutong couldn't answer. He thought to himself, "I also want to study your house's door."
He looked at it a few times and at least confirmed that the villa's "security system" had no loopholes. He then squatted down. The flowerpots next to the fence were also intact. At this time, Gu Qiumian couldn't wait any longer. She stomped her feet and said, "Hurry up. I'm so cold..."
Zhang Shutong didn't need her to accompany him, but he was also afraid that she would get cold, so he nodded and prepared to go back.
He had just stood up and taken a step forward when a dog's bark suddenly sounded, startling Zhang Shutong. His hand trembled. A big black dog rushed out, its back arched in an attacking posture. Gu Qiumian had already blocked him and told the dog, "Why did you come out? Go back, go back!"
She then turned to comfort him:
"Don't be afraid. It's on a leash. I forgot to tell you..."
Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief, and his muscles gradually relaxed.
He was actually quite afraid of dogs. He was bitten when he was a child, so it was a childhood trauma.
Now he was saved by Miss Gu again. Although this dog was hers, she was quite considerate, wasn't she?
The Doberman was also obedient. It no longer growled, but instead circled around the two of them.
It was very alert to strangers.
However, this stranger was standing next to its owner, and the owner was blocking it. For a moment, it couldn't figure out the situation.
The Doberman tilted its head and looked at Zhang Shutong.
Zhang Shutong also tilted his head and looked at it.
He thought to himself, "I saved you this time."
It was a small, pleasant surprise.
Then the two of them returned to the villa. The villa was indeed big enough, so big that the doorway could accommodate two people side by side.
When the door was opened, warmth and light came over them.
When the door was closed, the cold, snowy night seemed to disappear.
It was as if once she returned to a warm and bright place, it became her home turf. Gu Qiumian kicked off her small boots and shouted:
"Auntie Wu, we're home—"