Chapter 198 - 87: Catching the "Snake" (Part 1)

「A few minutes later.」

Inside the dormitory building, the electric kettle let out a sharp whistle.

The living room was thirty square meters. Its only furnishings were a small color TV, a fabric sofa, and a coffee table with peeling paint.

A slightly faded family portrait hung on the wall behind the TV.

The dormitory building had a brick-and-concrete structure, its layout different from that of a typical residential building.

Back then, the concept of "generational housing" wasn't popular. The living room was rectangular, with the sofa placed against the longer wall. The upper half of that wall was a window. Sunlight streamed in, dappling the sofa and floor with patches of light where you could see specks of dust floating in the air. It wasn't a large home, but it felt warm and cozy.

But today, an uninvited guest had arrived.

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

"Thank you." The girl held the cup with both hands, sitting on the sofa with perfect posture.

In the light, her eyes showed a detached, amber hue.

She had taken off the cyan robe and folded it beside her, revealing the white sweater underneath. It was a bit old, but it didn't look slovenly on her. Or perhaps her aura was so unique that a single piece of clothing could neither add to nor detract from her presence.

"I heard from your mom that you're heading to the mountain later." Lu Qinglian lowered her gaze and blew gently on the hot water. "Welcome."

He didn't respond to her ambiguous comment.

Instead, he went back to his bedroom to change.

He pulled the door partially shut. His mom was in the kitchen cutting fruit. She had always been a lively person who loved a bustling atmosphere, and he could hear her humming cheerfully as she crisply chopped an apple into small pieces.

He always said his mom was a woman who lived with a certain finesse. Not only did she peel and slice the apple, but she'd probably soak the pieces in salt water next. Zhang Shutong's current mood was just like that apple in the salt water.

A few minutes earlier, downstairs, he had asked his mom where his "heavy coat" was, hoping she'd understand the coded message.

But his mom had just casually replied:

"Didn't I put that coat in the closet for you a few days ago? I even called you after school to tell you..."

Now, standing by his closet, he opened it to find a light blue denim jacket hanging quietly inside. It had a plush fleece lining and was excellent at retaining heat, but in his personal dictionary, this thing couldn't be called a "heavy coat." A thick jacket, at best.

Zhang Shutong had never paid much attention to types of clothing before—he might not even be able to tell the difference between a T-shirt and a short-sleeved shirt—but now he felt a pang of regret.

'I should have just said my great-aunt was visiting.' Of course, he didn't have a great-aunt.

He found a scarf and ran his fingers over its surface, unsure whether he should wear it. He hesitated, then sighed.

The sigh meant more than that—he didn't even know if he should go up the mountain at all.

After his initial paranoia, he had more or less come to a further assessment of his current situation:

Lu Qinglian might not actually *do* anything, because her very presence was a "move" in itself. It was her way of stating her position, putting him in a difficult spot.

His plan to go up the mountain was in shambles.

Originally, he held the initiative. The temple was out in the open, and he was in the shadows; he could adapt to whatever happened.

But now the tables had turned. It no longer felt like he was going to "investigate," but rather to "be a guest."

Being a guest.

Zhang Shutong himself found the description laughable.

"Welcome."

But that's what Lu Qinglian had said.

It was as if she had silently given him two choices. But only "as if." In reality, Zhang Shutong had no other choice at all.

If he didn't escort her back up the mountain, Zhang Shutong had no doubt she would stay here all day.

—Go to the temple, but the initiative would definitely be in her hands.

—Or, no one goes. Since school was canceled, they might as well enjoy the rare day off and discuss the matter later.

But Zhang Shutong had no time to waste. Today was Friday, and the early hours of Sunday were just a blink away.

He felt that Lu Qinglian was a very smart woman. She said little, but her every action exerted a kind of invisible pressure that built up until it crashed down on you like a tidal wave.

He had almost never felt this kind of pressure from a girl his age, but she was an exception.

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Ruoping, a group selfie:

The three of them had actually gone up the mountain. Zhang Shutong glanced at the photo; they couldn't be far from the mountain path.

But they weren't skiing. In the picture, there was a small snowman and a deep pit, large enough to fit a child. Zhang Shutong knew what they were doing. Teenagers never lacked for ways to entertain themselves; in the snow and ice, nature itself was the best material.

They were playing "snow pit jump." You pick a spot with deep snow, dig a pit, take two steps back, and jump with all your might. If you make it across, you keep moving farther back—until someone falls in.

Ruoping and Qingyi's jackets were covered in snow, so it seemed the final winner was Du Kang. They were again urging him to hurry up and join them.

Zhang Shutong's fingers hovered over the keyboard. After a long moment, he replied.

Zhang Shutong was not an indecisive person.

Whether it was hasty or ill-considered, he had to make a decision now—

Lu Qinglian was the center of the vortex.

You could stay away from her, but that meant never getting closer to the truth.

But if you confronted her directly, the outcome still wouldn't be good. In an instant, you'd be swept away by the tide, left powerless to act of your own will.

Zhang Shutong didn't know if this counted as an obvious trap, but he knew he couldn't let things go on like this.

When dealing with things, the worst thing you can do is be indecisive. With someone like Lu Qinglian, you either treat her as an enemy or a stranger. Hesitation would lead to nothing.