Winter Returns

Chapter 7 The Threesome of the Boy and Girl

Okay, I was just kidding about going back in time.

It's better to be dead than trapped in the past.

But the current situation is giving Zhang Shutong a real headache. At their age, they are the most gossipy and curious about relationships between men and women. If they talk to a female classmate a few more times, people will spread rumors that so-and-so is interested in so-and-so. Not to mention the contents of the scrap paper. The problem is that it also has the names of two girls written on it, which will only make it more sensational.

He was certain that in a few days there would be rumors that Zhang Shutong had a crush on two girls at the same time.

The surrounding classmates were dumbfounded. They probably thought that this guy was usually quiet, but they didn't expect him to have such big ambitions. If he were like Du Kang, who couldn't hide his thoughts at all, everyone would have given him the warmest smiles and sent him to the ground to stay in a hole. But looking at the boy named Zhang Shutong, he was unmoved and sat in his seat with a cold face. At this time, some people had already secretly given him a thumbs up.

The homeroom teacher on the podium paused for a moment, cleared his throat, and said in a deep voice:

"Zhang Shutong".

"……exist."

What happened to your homework yesterday?

He brandished the "53" exercise book, then slammed it down on the podium with such force that it startled the students. With his other hand, he secretly crumpled up a piece of scrap paper and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Just because you get good grades, you're getting special treatment in class and don't even do your homework? You're getting too cocky!"

"forget."

"Forgot? Get to the back and reflect on the lesson for a whole period of time."

When Song Nanshan was expressionless, he was very intimidating. He glanced around with a stern face, and the students looked like frightened birds. Then he turned and shouted:
"Alright, what are you all standing there for? Have I been giving you too many smiles lately? Why are you looking at me? Look at the screen!"

Zhang Shutong stood for the entire class period.

Immediately after class, Song Nanshan called him to his office.

Old Song sat back in his office chair, his face still stern and menacing.

"Do you know where you went wrong?"

"I understand." Zhang Shutong lowered his head, still needing to maintain appearances. He had wanted to act innocent, but couldn't quite pull it off, so he simply got straight to the point: "Thank you for earlier, teacher."

"Hmm, what are you thanking me for?" Old Song unexpectedly got excited and asked with a grin, "I scolded you and made you stand for a whole class, weren't you cursing me in your heart?"

Zhang Shutong wanted to scoff at these words.
"Thank you for shifting all the firepower away and letting me go to the back, so that no one will be watching me for a whole class."

Actually, he wasn't that thin-skinned; on the contrary, he found standing quite tiring. But in the homeroom teacher's eyes, he was probably still that quiet, stubborn kid from back then, which explained his reaction.

Song Nanshan was overjoyed and said, "You really understand me, kid. Now I can die in peace even if I'm scolded to death." Zhang Shutong replied, "How dare I? I'll tell you a secret: I'll actually die before you."

—Of course, the above scenario did not happen.

Zhang Shutong never speaks nonsense; if he's really speechless, he'll just roll his eyes at most.
Song Nanshan merely raised an eyebrow, leaned back comfortably in his office chair, and handed him the empty teacup:
"Wow, you've really improved your emotional intelligence all of a sudden."

"Take time to reflect and mature in your daily life."

"If you were so calculating, why did you and Gu Qiu Mian have such a bad falling out before?"

"What do you mean?"

“You still don’t understand. Although I know you didn’t do it, how should I put it?” Old Song had the expression of someone who had been through it all, and suddenly sighed, as if recalling some past heartbreak. “Never mind, you’ll understand when you grow up.”

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "I'm so sorry, I still don't understand."

"You knew about this?"

"Of course I know. I was wondering how she would handle it if her dad came looking for her, but he didn't."

Zhang Shutong stopped adding boiling water and mixed some cold water for him.

He returned the teacup to the homeroom teacher and asked:
"Do you have anything else to do?"

"You're trying to slip away already? Aren't you going to stay here until school's over?"

Zhang Shutong shook his head.

Song Nanshan, however, was unwilling and put his arm around his shoulder:

"Come on, tell me first, what's the deal with the name on that piece of paper?"

That's why I need to hurry back; I don't want to talk about this.

He said helplessly:

"Just write your name."

"Nothing else?"

"Really not."

"Which one do you like better?"

Zhang Shutong nearly vomited blood, knowing that rumors must be nipped in the bud. Just as he was about to explain, Old Song nodded, stroked his stubble, and began to speak to himself:
"Looks like it's Gu Qiu Mian, otherwise why would I be sitting next to her? Hmm, go ahead, you young boys are quite fun."

Zhang Shutong's eyes twitched. Just as he stepped out of the office, he heard Song Nanshan call out from behind him again:
"Shutong—"

The other person's tone became more serious, causing Zhang Shutong to turn around.

He then took a sip of water and crossed his legs.
"You haven't done your homework, so don't forget to do your cleaning duty next week."

"..."

In the end, we didn't go back to the classroom until the bell rang.

Although he had almost come up with a solution, he underestimated the curiosity of the people around him. As soon as he walked in, they stared at him like he was looking at a giant panda, almost making him bald.

The only exception was Gu Qiumian.

She stared straight at the podium, not saying a word from beginning to end.

Zhang Shutong inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief; it would have been more troublesome if he had been asked all sorts of questions.

And so, my relationship with my new deskmate, which had just turned from gloomy to light rain, turned into cloudy skies again.

Although he doesn't dislike cloudy days.

A class passed quickly, and what was bound to happen eventually came. Du Kang ran over looking guilty. Zhang Shutong didn't care about the stares of those around her, but she couldn't handle the questions from acquaintances, especially those who came to inquire about her "relationship status."

"I was wrong, brother!" Du Kang was quite direct, almost bowing deeply.

"Where did you go wrong?" He almost asked Song Nanshan, thinking to himself, "Is this what you call helping me hand in my homework? Is this what you call doing something easy? Is this what you call 'brother, you don't need to thank me'?"

There are so many flaws that even he wants to complain.

Besides, this kid isn't here to admit his mistakes at all; he's just a trailblazer at best.

The real culprit was behind them—Ruoping and Qingyi were standing not far away, peeking and laughing so hard they were practically spitting out their own faces. They probably knew that as soon as they saw Zhang Shutong in a good mood and in a state where they could establish friendly communication, they would immediately come over to gossip.

Zhang Shutong has always been a straightforward person; he casually held up three fingers:
Which of the three versions would you like to hear?

"Can we listen to everything?" Du Kang asked, while winking at the two people in the distance.

The surrounding noise seemed to have subsided a bit, and a few people looked over, pretending not to care. Even Gu Qiumian perked up her ears, even though she was still examining her schoolbag—it was right after school.

Zhang Shutong saw it but didn't care, and continued:
"Okay, but only tell one person. I don't like too many people, and I want some peace and quiet right now."

He regretted it as soon as he said it, staring at Du Kang's mouth, thinking to himself that he had better not say that.

However:
"And who is Jingjing?"

"You trade Qingyi for this." Zhang Shutong sighed, rubbing his forehead. This was the kind of banter everyone had in 2012: things like "I'm dizzy," "Quiet," "Floating clouds"... It made him feel awkward.

"No, no, no, I promise I'll shut up! So what's the first one?"

"Old Song asked me to write a seating chart in preparation for forming a study group, but I handed it in before I finished writing it."

"Dude, your timing doesn't match up either. Hurry up and tell me the second one?"

"I had a dream before changing seats, and I dreamt that my next seat would look like this,"

Zhang Shutong spreads his arms in a gesture:

"Look, she's next to me, she's to my side and in front of me, and together with me, we form a stable triangle."

As he thought to himself, it seems that's really the case? Gu Qiu Mian is that right angle.

"And then you drew what you dreamed about on paper, and even sat down as instructed by the dream?"

Du Kang, acting as if to say, "You think I'm stupid?", finished the sentence for him.

"What's the third one?"

I like both of them.

"I just don't believe it!"

Du Kang was dumbfounded.

“Then there’s nothing I can do.” Zhang Shutong shrugged. “You can pick a letter you like.”

What's the best way to dispel rumors? Zhang Shutong thinks it's to make up a few even more absurd ones.

If everyone thinks it's all nonsense and eventually stops believing it, then his goal will have been achieved.

So far, the effect seems pretty good. Several onlookers looked at each other with expressions of "Is that all?" and turned away, looking rather bored. The more you take something seriously, the more endless it becomes. But if you just say it out loud, it will immediately quiet down.

I believe that by tomorrow, the three ridiculous rumors that he, the person involved, personally said will spread throughout the class, be discussed by everyone for a while, and then nothing will happen.

"Are you sure you don't like Lu Qinglian?" Du Kang had his own reasons for volunteering, and now he finally asked the question he cared about most.

Zhang Shutong didn't care about such a trivial question at all, but it was this reaction that made Du Kang breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhang Shutong thought that this matter was almost over. The way it was handled wasn't perfect, but for a problem of this magnitude, the brain cells spent on it were only worth this little bit.
Moreover, he had another important matter to attend to, or rather, that was the reason for the time travel triggered eight years later. Just as he was about to say he was going downstairs, Gu Qiu Mian suddenly slung her backpack over her shoulder and stood up.

Her face was buried in the red scarf, covering her chin and revealing only her small nose.

The girl remained expressionless, a strand of hair falling across her beautiful eyes. She tapped the back of Zhang Shutong's chair, and that was the end of it.

Zhang Shutong said he really couldn't understand the girl's thoughts. Did Miss Gu want to hear a fourth version from him? No way, even if I were executed, I couldn't do that. Those three were already very taxing on my brain cells.

They remained locked in a tense standoff for two seconds before the other person glared at them again, their voice crisp and clear:
"Just let me out!"

"..."

After shifting her chair, Gu Qiumian stepped out the door in her little leather boots, the hair ornaments dangling from her hair.

The two men watched her retreating figure:

Can you guess what she means?

"It seems... really possible?" Du Kang said uncertainly. "I think it's very simple. She just wants to go out, but we've been blocking her way the whole time."

"That's hindsight."

It's better to question others than to reflect on yourself.

Zhang Shutong stretched and relaxed completely.
"Then I'll be leaving too."

"Okay, see you at the usual place."

"old place?"

"Didn't you say yesterday that we'd fight again today? The bait was already prepared, and now you've changed your mind?"

Hearing this, Zhang Shutong's hands really started itching to try it—his parents were usually working overtime and rarely home, so he had nothing to do when he went back.

"That's perfect, but I have some things to take care of at home. I'll go after I'm done. You guys eat first."

Looking around, Ruoping and Qingyi went down first—probably mistaking him for someone in a bad mood and preparing to interrogate Du Kang later.

The two waved goodbye, and Zhang Shutong smiled from his seat, feeling that this was the right way to spend his student days.

Just as I was packing up to leave, the girl at the table in front of me slowly turned her head:
"Zhang Shutong, please wait a moment."

Zhang Shutong then remembered that there was such a penguin... no, such a person. The other party's presence was simply too faint.

The girl named Lu Qinglian tore off the straw from the student milk drink while casting a blank glance at him:

"Are you free after school? I have a few words I'd like to say to you."

Sure enough, I knew it...

Zhang Shutong pinched the bridge of his nose.

He had considered the chain reaction that piece of scrap paper would trigger, he had considered Song Nanshan, his classmates, his best friends, and even Gu Qiumian, but he had forgotten to consider her.

The girl lowered her head, calmly found the right spot, inserted the straw, and added:
"You'd better come; this is very important."

This guy is really terrifying; he managed to hold out until now before drinking.

However, this girl is easy to deal with. Just like how Stand users are attracted to each other, people who don't talk much also like other people who don't talk much:

Zhang Shutong gave him a perfectly timed look of confusion:

"No time."

"What is it?" The girl frowned, and her expression was surprisingly imposing.

"fishing."

"Finished fishing?"

"..."

Zhang Shutong sighed, "If it's about that '53' textbook that's causing you trouble, I..."

"Oh, I'm the one who put it up there." Lu Qinglian took a sip of milk, her delicate eyebrows relaxing. "So you're not free today?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

"I see."

After saying that, she turned away indifferently, abruptly ending the conversation, as if the "very important thing" she had just mentioned was not as important as drinking milk.

Is this over?

Zhang Shutong blinked.

He suddenly understood Song Nanshan's feelings not long ago.

A riddle-maker isn't made overnight—girl, your personality might be very dangerous eight years from now.

This nonsensical conversation lingered in my mind for a while.

He was now walking on the snow-covered campus, the ground slippery, making him slow down.
The surroundings were still the same as before. The red sunset warmed the whole world. The ping-pong table was a pure white, and through the fence, he could see the lake in the distance. The lake was also a warm color, with silver ripples. He looked at it for a while before he felt it was too dazzling.

So I closed my eyes and tried to decipher the sounds. There were students running or walking around me, a few snowballs flew by, and a boy fell to the ground...

Back then, I was probably just like them, a kid who only cared about running wild everywhere.

I want to eat, sleep, and play. Sometimes I also want to stop and watch the clouds drifting aimlessly overhead.

What caused him to become the way he was later?

In fact, it's impossible to trace back to that point.

But now that we're back, let's make up for the regrets of that year.

Zhang Shutong got stuck at the first step in making up for his regret—he forgot where he parked his bicycle.

After wandering around the bike shed for ages, I finally found one that looked familiar:

Dark blue, Flying Pigeon brand, the handlebars are a bit crooked, and the body is covered with stickers of marine animals; it still looks cool now.
There's a double-sided storage compartment on the upper beam; one side holds water, and the other holds a flashlight.

He had modified the back seat, screwing in a square box. When he opened it, he found a telescopic fishing rod inside, and even a baton lying there.

Zhang Shutong suddenly laughed.

No wonder I never had a girlfriend before—how could I bring a girl around when there's no back seat left?

The snow was in a state of semi-melting, leaving dark gray tire tracks and footprints on the ground. The people on the island were used to it, at most sprinkling some salt, and had nothing to do with de-icing agents.

When the weather is bad, the neighbors will take the initiative to shovel snow, working enthusiastically, and sometimes even the students are mobilized.

He carefully left the school gate and headed towards the only police station on the island.

This was the plan he came up with immediately after the retrospective—Zhang Shutong called it Plan A. As for Plan B, like Ultraman's ultimate move, he'd deal with it when it didn't work.

They got out of school at five o'clock, and it took them more than twenty minutes to get home. Along the way, they had almost prepared their story, such as how to make people believe what a student like him said; how to focus on the case four days later... He thought it was very well done.

However, Zhang Shutong was taken out of the police station in less than a minute.

It was really something—the officer on duty was a burly man, as strong as a bear, with dark skin and a scar on his face. Coincidentally, his surname was also Xiong (meaning bear).

Officer Xiong glared with his large, round eyes and angrily spoke in a local dialect:

"How many times have I told you students? It's the fishing ban season. The higher-ups just issued a notice to strictly enforce fishing regulations. Do you know what strict enforcement means?"

Actually, what the other person meant was "investigate".

"And yet you little brats still dare to come. The one with the baby face who came last time lied to me and said there were people electrofishing on the east side. I had just gone on patrol when you bunch of brats turned around and went fishing on the west side. Now you're making things up even more outrageous, bringing up all sorts of suspects!"

"If I find out again, I'll report it to your school immediately. Go home and reflect on your actions, understand?"

“I understand, I understand…” Zhang Shutong replied weakly, speaking in his dialect for the first time in a long time.

He rubbed his temples. The poor Plan A had officially failed, as short-lived as the timer on Ultraman's chest, flashing a red light after only a few minutes.

He glanced at his hands again and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Just how much did you love fishing before...?"

Oh, forget it...

He had no choice but to get back on his bike, put on his tactical gloves, and check the baton in the bike compartment again. Facing the setting sun, he squinted and stepped on the pedal.

The bicycle slowly left a long rut.

It seems I have to take a look at the "forbidden zone".

The main storyline has officially begun.

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(End of this chapter)