Chapter 199 - 87: Catching the "Snake" (Part 1)

He remembered the figure he'd seen from the restricted area last night—hair disheveled, face pale, squatting by the shore in a bizarre posture. No one could have seen that and not felt their nerves fray. Afterward, he and Qingyi had devised a plan:

Since they couldn't defeat Lu Qinglian and couldn't get a word out of her, they might as well bypass her and investigate in secret.

But now, Zhang Shutong had changed his mind.

He had to regain control of the situation.

He changed into his coat, pulled a scarf from the rack, and walked out of his bedroom.

An older and a younger woman were sitting in the living room. His mom called him over to have some apple.

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

His mom was rather reluctant, complaining that he was being too restless.

"I have to go back too. My grandmother will be worried," Lu Qinglian added.

His mom was surprised.

"You two act like you'd already planned to go together."

"Something like that."

They both replied flatly at the same time. The truth was, neither wanted to elaborate, but neither had expected to say the exact same thing.

"Such chemistry! You two must get along really well at school," his mom said, her eyes lighting up.

This time, neither of them spoke. Zhang Shutong wanted to say "no," but he wasn't sure what Lu Qinglian's answer would be. If their answers were similar again, it would just be another piece of evidence against him. To his surprise, this time she said nothing.

Aside from clearing some things up, he wanted nothing to do with her. But he couldn't say that in front of his mom, so he would have to bring it up later.

He urged them to get going again, earning an annoyed glare from his mom. She pointed to the plateful of apples on the coffee table, telling him to eat before saying another word.

Zhang Shutong didn't understand why she had cut so many. He casually picked up a slice and popped it in his mouth. It was so tart his gums tingled.

His mom had another whimsical idea.

"Let me find a bag for you two. You can eat them while you're out having fun."

Before either of them could refuse, she bustled off to the kitchen, sounding as if she were sending two kids off on a picnic.

'If only it were a picnic.'

Zhang Shutong glanced at Lu Qinglian. She was putting down her fruit fork and said:

"Thank you for your hospitality. It was delicious."

Although they had only exchanged a handful of words, Zhang Shutong could tell this was a facade. It might not be intentional, but it definitely wasn't her true self.

For example, when she wasn't talking about serious matters, she usually addressed him as "classmate Zhang Shutong."

But once the mask was off, it was just "Zhang Shutong."

Her expression right now was like a little girl savoring a delicious dessert. While fruit wasn't exactly abundant on the island during winter in 2012, it was, after all, just an apple.

If this was who she really was, it would be a relief. Zhang Shutong wouldn't mind treating a quiet, reserved girl to apples for a whole month. But she wasn't, which left only silence between them.

Just then, his mom called him from the kitchen. Zhang Shutong went over, and she shut the kitchen door.

"Is there anything else you two want to eat? I can pack some for you."

Zhang Shutong could only emphasize that he wasn't going on a picnic.

"Then what will you do for lunch?"

"We'll figure it out," he answered distractedly. 'I'll be lucky to make it back in one piece; food is the last thing I should be worried about.'

"So, how are things between you and Xiaolu usually?"

If anyone else had asked that, Zhang Shutong would have pretended not to hear. But this was his mom, so he had to patiently explain they were just regular classmates.

"Really? I get the feeling you're a little scared of her,"

His mom giggled.

"I hear some boys these days will do anything to chase a girl, listening to her every command. She just has to glare and they're too scared to make a peep. Tongtong, you're not secretly like that, are you?"

His mom's chatter was completely pointless. He was about to leave, but then he paused.

"Mom, when you ran into Lu Qinglian, was she just standing at the school gate the whole time?"

"Yes, she was."

'Then it's definitely not a coincidence.'

'If she'd found out school was canceled, she would have gone straight back up the mountain.'

'There are two roads from the school: one leads up the mountain, the other to the city. If she had gone straight up the mountain, Mom wouldn't have run into her.'

Zhang Shutong left the kitchen. When he looked at Lu Qinglian again, she had already stood up and put on that green robe of hers.

Zhang Shutong noticed her hair wasn't tied up in a high ponytail. He even had a theory: her hairstyle determined her current role. Student or Temple Priestess.

The three of them had been upstairs for less than ten minutes before they were back in the car. Zhang Shutong buckled his seatbelt and glanced at Lu Qinglian in the rearview mirror. As the car started moving, she was once again twisting her head to gaze at the scenery outside. The bleak landscape reflected in her eyes, as if every frame was a fresh, new picture.

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

A normal person would have asked why he was going, or what he was going to do there. But she acted as if she had expected it all along.

No one initiated conversation, and no one offered any answers. The atmosphere was bizarre. Aside from his mom, who was completely in the dark, the other two each harbored their own ulterior motives. And yet, the vibe they gave off was that of a parent taking their kids out to play, simply dropping them off at some destination.

Zhang Shutong was prepared to go there.

He was bundled up for this trip, wearing a pair of hiking boots, a denim jacket, and a black scarf, with gloves stuffed in his pockets. The gear he'd collected over the years was finally about to see some use. He took out his phone and sent a text to Qingyi:

"Lu Qinglian is right next to me right now."

"?"

"Don't tell the other two yet, especially Du Kang."

"Are you really coming?"

He replied with an "Mm," then typed: