Chapter 355 - 156: The Indifferent Bystander_3

Chapter 355: Chapter 156: The Indifferent Bystander_3

Zhang Shutong subconsciously perked up his ears, but Song said:

"You guys probably never saw Qinglian during lunch before, right? As far as I know, she always goes up to the rooftop to eat by herself."

’I already knew that,’ Zhang Shutong thought. ’I was expecting something more.’

Song continued,

"One time when it was raining, she didn’t go to the rooftop, and I happened to see her eating in the classroom. How should I put it... It was the kind of food that keeps you from starving, but it had nothing to do with being delicious or nutritious. I originally thought her family must be incredibly poor, but Qinglian told me that wasn’t the case. Instead, she said all Temple Priestesses eat that way. Of course, she wasn’t willing to elaborate, so I could only interpret it in my own way. Maybe it has something to do with her faith? Like how Monks can’t eat meat? Her temple might not be that strict, but I doubt the food is much better.

"I wanted to invite her along many times when I took you all out to eat. For one, I hoped you could all become friends so she wouldn’t be so alone. And for another, I wanted her to have a better meal. But she refused every single time, so I rarely brought it up after a while."

Only then did Zhang Shutong belatedly recall something—

Lu Qinglian had agreed to come out with them so easily this time.

It wouldn’t have been strange for anyone else—eating with classmates and a teacher is perfectly normal. But for Lu Qinglian, it was completely out of character. He knew for a fact that Ruoping had asked her out, both directly and indirectly, on several occasions, only to be flatly rejected each time.

The only exception was that time Song treated them at the mall. But that was more of a coincidence. He had a fever, and Lu Qinglian’s foot needed to rest. It just so happened that Song called them right when they both needed a place to go, not because they were actually interested in a group meal.

Other than that, it seemed Lu Qinglian had never participated in any group activities.

"So I was pretty surprised that Qinglian came out this time, too," Song joked. "Maybe she only agreed to humor me since her teacher is leaving?"

Zhang Shutong, however, had a different take on it. He thought what Song had said was the actual truth.

Lu Qinglian wasn’t close to anyone, but there were degrees to her distance.

It was just like yesterday on the rooftop, when she’d followed him to the dorm building without a second thought. For someone as lacking in curiosity as Lu Qinglian, if the person in question hadn’t been potentially connected to Song, she wouldn’t have just walked away and pretended not to see. Knowing her, she would have, at most, left the rooftop to find another teacher and give them a heads-up:

"Someone’s about to jump. You should probably call for an ambulance."

Lu Qinglian did respect her homeroom teacher, Song Nanshan, a great deal. That wasn’t surprising. Human relationships were a process of give and take.

Song had always looked after her. From what Zhang Shutong could recall, whenever she said she had something to attend to at the temple, Song never questioned it, granting her leave with a decisive wave of his hand. In contrast, now that Teacher Xu was in charge, Lu Qinglian was probably in for a headache.

Every year at the parent-teacher conference, his class would kick off with endless praise for Lu Qinglian. Song would stand at the podium, passionately speaking for a full ten minutes. By the time he was done, other classes would have long since moved on to reading out exam scores, while theirs was still on the topic of "student Lu Qinglian this, student Lu Qinglian that." It certainly wasn’t because of her grades; it was because her designated seat was always empty. It felt more like he was publicly showing his support for her in front of all the parents and students.

When the weather was bad, he’d also give her a ride in his car on her way to or from school. Zhang Shutong remembered Song had even offered to buy Lu Qinglian a bicycle out of his own pocket, but she had refused.

And that was just what he had seen. There was surely much more that went on unseen.

Zhang Shutong felt that Lu Qinglian had a stubborn streak about certain things. For instance, if you were kind to her, she was adamant about repaying the favor. Take the time they found the long-haired woman’s footprints on Ring Mountain Road and all went to that villa for a meal. Lu Qinglian had already confirmed the footprints didn’t belong to that "fake Lu Qinglian," so logically, the basis for their partnership had vanished, and Gu Qiuyan’s safety was no longer her concern. But because she’d had that lunch—and had even curiously taken a few extra helpings of king oyster mushrooms—she felt indebted to Gu Qiuyan. To her, running around all day despite her injuries was a perfectly natural way to repay that debt.

To think that she alone was worth four or five bodyguards, and that her "salary" was just a single plate of stir-fried king oyster mushrooms... He wondered what Boss Gu would make of that.

Zhang Shutong had no idea what Lu Qinglian thought about Song leaving. She had simply eaten in silence at the table. Perhaps, in her mind, that was her way of saying goodbye. When everyone else was promising to keep in touch, she couldn’t even chime in—she didn’t even own a cell phone.

"And her grandmother’s attitude is hard to read. I always got the sense she didn’t approve of Qinglian attending school," Song muttered. "I always felt something was off about the whole situation, but it wasn’t my place to say anything before. By the time I felt I should have, it was too late. But of course, as I said, it’s not like I’m gone for good. I’ll be able to see you all again next semester."

Song said earnestly,

"So, Shutong, let’s put aside any talk of puppy love for a moment. I heard from Ruoping that if it hadn’t been for Qinglian, you would have been in grave danger this time. You can’t handle something that sinister all on your own, right? I’m not trying to guilt-trip you, but what I’m saying is, if you have the chance and you see that Qinglian needs help with something, please do what you can to support her."

Zhang Shutong had no objections, but he felt that was easier said than done. Lu Qinglian wasn’t the type to readily accept help from others.

Besides, he felt Lu Qinglian was rather... how to put it... impervious, her strength born from a lack of desire. But Song said:

"Wrong!"

After who knows how long, Zhang Shutong once again found himself on the receiving end of his teacher’s wisdom.

Song added,

"But don’t get me wrong. This ’wrong’ is different from the times I used Qiumian as an example. What I mean is, Qinglian isn’t necessarily as detached from worldly desires as she seems."

Zhang Shutong asked if he could elaborate.

Just then, Song picked up a book from the table that hadn’t been returned yet.

"Some people are like a book. It’s more interesting to turn the pages yourself, one by one. It would spoil the fun if I just told you... Well, honestly, I don’t really understand her either. It’s just a gut feeling. Don’t judge things by their cover. You, kiddo, get too caught up in the outer shell. Don’t get fixated on appearances."

Zhang Shutong had no idea how one hospital stay had transformed his teacher from a relationship expert into a philosopher, while he himself had just lain in a hospital bed for days and come out with nothing but a bizarre case of anxiety.

"Alright, alright," Song said with a yawn. "Consider this your teacher’s final lesson for you. I’ll wait for the other kids to come say their goodbyes, and then it’s time for me to go. If you need anything, just give me a call."

"So soon?"

Zhang Shutong had processed the news of Song’s departure, but he hadn’t expected him to be unable to stay on the island for even one more day.

"Yep. Why else do you think I called you all for lunch?" Song said, smiling and tapping his own forehead. "You’re a smart kid. How did you not notice something was off? I have to catch the last ferry off the island, which is why I specifically picked noon. Otherwise, evening would’ve been much better. We’d have had more time, and everyone could have chatted a bit longer."

"But why do you have to leave the island today of all days?"

"Something came up at home. My mom’s not doing well and needs an operation. It was very sudden. I just booked my ticket this morning." Song’s expression was unreadable as he spoke. "Shutong, when you get to my age, you can’t afford to be willful. Sickness, old age, and death... none of them can be avoided."

"But you don’t need to worry about me. It’s not a huge emergency, but I definitely have to go home and see her. Otherwise, I’d rather stay in the hospital a few more days—it’s covered by insurance, and it’s pretty comfortable," Song mumbled. "I discovered the nurses at the city hospital are quite young. That’s a lot better than the ones on the island."

He was back to his usual irreverent self.

As the two parted ways at the library entrance, Song waved.

"Shutong—"

Zhang Shutong turned back, preparing himself for some other inappropriate remark.

But for once, Song’s voice was solemn.

"It’s probably not my place to say this to you—it blurs the line between teacher and student—but there’s actually one other person I’m worried about...

"Take care."