Zhang Shutong felt like Gu Qiumian had changed, but he couldn't put his finger on what was different.
When he told her to think about it, she just nodded. When he asked if she had something on her mind, she just shook her head and smiled softly.
At this moment, she seemed more like a young lady, not the arrogant type, but a very dignified one.
But he never understood Gu Qiumian's thoughts. It was a little strange, but he didn't know why it was strange.
The two sat on the sofa. Zhang Shutong watched her sip water. They had forgotten to bring snacks and drinks when they went down, so she must have been very thirsty and looked for water as soon as she came up.
Zhang Shutong also knew that she had scalded her finger. This time, without being reminded, he took the initiative to fill her cup with water. Gu Qiumian said thank you to him. Zhang Shutong subconsciously nodded and then thought, she seems to be much more polite. He had rarely, if ever, heard Gu Qiumian say thank you before.
No one came near them. Teacher Song and the others went to sit at the dining table, as if they were deliberately creating a space for the two of them to talk.
Zhang Shutong then realized that their conversations had always been initiated by Gu Qiumian. If she didn't take the initiative to say something, it would turn into the current situation—silence between them.
But that wasn't right either. Silence between them meant looking at each other without speaking. In reality, Gu Qiumian had lowered her eyes, leaving him to zone out on the sofa alone.
But what else could he do besides zoning out? The last ferry was at six o'clock. It was now three o'clock. Including travel time, he still had two and a half hours to wait.
To wait for Gu Qiumian to give him an answer.
There was no need for his best friends to wait anymore. Zhang Shutong got up and went to the dining table to tell them they could go back first. Ruoping nodded and called her dad. It was just the right time to leave.
Zhang Shutong saw them off at the fence gate. In ten minutes, the noisy villa became quiet again. Now he knew the password to this place and didn't have to trouble Gu Qiumian. Zhang Shutong walked a few more steps, and the footprints on the white snow were messy.
"Go back, don't see us off," Ruoping waved at him. "And don't be so suspicious all the time. We don't mind, but Gu Qiumian was obviously scared by you."
Zhang Shutong stopped in place. He was actually a little worried that they might have an accident on the way back, although the possibility was almost zero.
Zhang Shutong imitated his mentor's method and agreed to contact each other on QQ every five minutes. He watched the three figures walk away, talking and laughing, and disappear at the end of the path.
At this time, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Qingyi:
"It seems things are not going well."
Ruoping and Du Kang were always optimists. When they said they were going back, they really did. But Qingyi still had concerns.
Yeah, it's really not going well, Zhang Shutong thought to himself.
His mind was a mess now. He originally thought that finding the footprints was a major breakthrough, but the footprints were different from each other, and everything went haywire from there. It was a mess whether they should go or stay.
Things are not going well with Gu Qiumian... He originally wanted to say that. He typed a few words, deleted them, and re-sent:
"What happened to her downstairs?"
"I don't know. When we came up, she said she had to call her dad back," Qingyi said again. "Are you planning to stay here and guard her today?"
"I don't have that idea." Staying here alone was definitely not enough. Lu Qinglian had to go back to the mountain at night. Zhang Shutong was still more inclined to hide than to wait for a rabbit.
"What if she still refuses to leave in the end?"
Zhang Shutong's finger paused.
He used to think this possibility was unlikely. Leaving the island was the last resort and the easiest. It was like, if all else fails, just take her and run away. But now Gu Qiumian seemed to be unwilling. This easy way out had become a dead end. Should he kidnap her?
Qingyi said:
"How should I put it? It's actually understandable. I'm surprised that she's willing to believe you. If it were me, I'd be half-skeptical. But then again, even if she believes you, it's impossible for her to do everything you say. You have to be mentally prepared."
At this point, Qingyi came up with an idea:
"If she still refuses to leave then, I mean, if she really doesn't want to, should we tie her up?"
"Don't go that far," Zhang Shutong's eyelid twitched. He was only thinking about it, but his best friend was already ready to put it into action.
"You've been fond of risky methods lately, like digging a pit."
"Don't mention that pit again..."
Zhang Shutong also thought that it was because of that pit that he needed to control the occasional neurotic thoughts that popped into his head.
"Anyway, I'll wait and see here. Even if she doesn't agree to leave the island, maybe I can persuade the nanny to find a small hotel for the two of them to stay in first."
"Okay then. The road ahead is not easy to walk. Let's talk later."
Zhang Shutong turned off his phone.
He stood outside the empty villa and sighed, habitually thinking about the worst-case scenario. What if Gu Qiumian just refused to leave and insisted on staying in the villa? He couldn't really tie her up like Qingyi said.
Zhang Shutong suddenly had a strange thought that he seemed to have this ability now. He knew the villa's password and could sneak in at night, just like the culprit, and take her away without anyone knowing. Of course, he still lacked a vehicle.
But he decided against it. Based on his understanding of her, he just needed to persuade her a few more times. Gu Qiumian was still easy to coax and trick. There was no need to tie her up.
He turned and went back to the villa, about to find Gu Qiumian to talk to her again, but found that she was no longer on the sofa.
In her place was Teacher Song:
"Shutong, good news," Teacher Song showed a relaxed smile for the first time in a while.
Zhang Shutong thought that it had better not be "good news" like a suspension of classes again. The man continued:
"Qiumian's dad just called. He's back."
"...He's back?" Zhang Shutong was stunned.
"Yeah. He originally called Qiumian, but Qiumian's phone seemed to be forgotten downstairs, so he couldn't get through and called me instead. Now Qiumian has gone to a room to take the call."
Song Nanshan stretched:
"Why are you so stunned, kid? Don't tell me you really wanted to take the girl to stay in a hotel outside. You're both minors. Even if I pretend to be blind, I can't not see that. You can finally relax now, right? Don't put all the burden on yourself. To put it nicely, a teammate has arrived. To put it bluntly, that's her dad, and he'll be more concerned than us."
"Didn't you say the plane was delayed?" Zhang Shutong asked subconsciously.
"It was delayed, but Boss Gu was worried about his daughter and found a private jet to fly back. He's been on the road for a whole day and just arrived in the city. He's heading to the port now," Teacher Song said happily in private. "Just now he called Qiumian to ask what she wanted or what she wanted to eat, and he'd bring it back for her. Don't think that he doesn't love Qiumian just because he hasn't been home for a few days. Even if he's a big boss, everyone has a soft spot in their heart."
"Oh, right, right," Teacher Song said again. "I forgot to tell you. Wasn't he rushing back because of Zhou Ziheng? So this time, he brought a lot of bodyguards, a total of four. I told him about the footprints, and Qiumian's dad's face sank as soon as he heard it. He said he was going to make a call, and he called the city leader directly. The leader also took it seriously. It's not easy to attract a big boss for investment. How can they not even guarantee his daughter's personal safety? He directly sent two police officers from the city. Isn't this lineup luxurious enough?"
After saying so much, Teacher Song finally breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip of water to moisten his throat:
"So, Shutong, I just want to tell you that you don't have to be so nervous anymore. I feel bad for you for running around all day. Now we are no longer fighting alone. What's the word in those online games? Oh, a stronger leg has arrived. We can finally rest.
"Although it's not bad to watch TV in the villa, with three meals a day that are incredibly rich, a spacious living room, and a soft sofa. I've also benefited all day, but it's still someone else's house. There's no reason to stay here forever."
Teacher Song stopped talking but then started again:
"If you still don't understand, I'll be more direct. I don't mean to preach, but do you really want to persuade Qiumian to leave the island? Or do you want to persuade her dad directly? But Shutong, he's a big boss worth over a hundred million. Bringing so many people back already shows how much he cares. It's impossible for him to not live in his own house and run away with his daughter like they're fleeing from a disaster. Not to mention a big boss like him, even an ordinary person wouldn't be willing to. And as far as I know, Qiumian's mom... I forgot you didn't know yet."
Teacher Song bent down and said in a low voice:
"You saw that family portrait just now, right? Isn't it strange that no one has mentioned Qiumian's mom? I know you're a trustworthy kid, so I'll tell you not to spread it. Qiumian's mom passed away a long time ago. Her tomb is on the island. Every time her dad comes back from a business trip, he goes to her tomb to visit. Do you understand what I'm saying now?"
Teacher Song stopped there.
Zhang Shutong nodded.
He really understood now.
Gu Qiumian's father had finally rushed back. Zhang Shutong was prepared for the other party's absence, but he had really come back this time and even brought many bodyguards and police officers. The situation he was most worried about would not happen. Everyone was on high alert. Seven adult men would be in this palace-like building 24 hours a day, protecting and patrolling. It was definitely a million times more reliable than him being by her side.
Indeed, as Teacher Song said, this was great news.
But Zhang Shutong felt a little lost. The situation seemed to have suddenly reversed. It felt like a joke. He was just having a headache a moment ago about what to do if Gu Qiumian didn't agree to leave the island, where to investigate the clues next, and how to avoid the culprit on Saturday morning... But now they all no longer existed.
Just as Teacher Song said, this was her own home, and the protection she would get was a million times stronger than him being by her side. Why should she leave the island?
He turned his head and looked around. The living room was empty. It was still that quiet and leisurely afternoon. There were a few cups on the coffee table that hadn't been put away. Now, with the people gone, the tea had grown cold.
He suddenly found that he had no reason to stay anymore. His previous anxiety and worry had vanished at this moment, leaving him at a loss.