Unfortunately, my dad didn't leave me a helmet.
Zhang Shutong was now riding on the snowy path. The headlights illuminated the contours of a few meters ahead. All was silent, with only the roar of the motorcycle's engine. He glanced at the fuel gauge. It was half full.
There was no gas station on the island, so he had to use this little bit of gas sparingly.
He didn't ride fast. The environment also didn't allow for fast riding, but the cold wind still felt like a knife slicing his face, making it sting.
This was probably the definition of "cool."
The motorcycle was indeed very cool. It was all black and looked like a ferocious bulldog from a distance. My dad had added crash bars and spotlights and even installed a seat on the fender—for my mom.
He thought that the two of them were probably having a candlelit dinner in some restaurant, while he was riding in the cold wind. His originally "cool" mood vanished. At a time like this, eating at a two-person table with your beloved girl was indeed cooler. Although his mom was no longer a young girl, they were still very much in love.
—The wine swayed in the goblet. A warm song floated in the air. You picked up your knife and fork to help her cut the steak on the plate. At a time like this, you must not stare at the steak, but look into her eyes through the candlelight, because the greatest victory is not cutting the half-cooked meat on the plate but seeing her smile radiantly because of your words.
Zhang Shutong had no chance of such a life before, and he still had no chance of it now. He felt that sometimes he was like a block of wood. All kinds of romance were like subtle currents, but no matter how they tingled, they were insulated from him.
He was now heading in the direction of the villa.
It was already very cold during the day, and it was even colder at night. Fortunately, Zhang Shutong had been fighting with the cold a lot recently, so he could tolerate this much coldness. He suddenly remembered what Lu Qinglian meant by "habit." It wasn't that he didn't feel it, but that there was no other way.
Zhang Shutong wasn't stupid enough to go after the culprit alone. Lu Qinglian couldn't even beat the opponent. Going would just be throwing himself away. Zhang Shutong just remembered the photo that his senior had sent him. Boss Gu's house didn't have surveillance, so that was the only photo taken by the only surveillance camera in the vicinity.
He still didn't know where that surveillance camera was.
Zhang Shutong was not planning to go to the villa again. Gu Qiumian had bodyguards, a nanny, and a father who loved her, a big boss. She might be having a family dinner at that long dining table now. He would just be asking for trouble if he went. He could only stand outside the window... No, now he couldn't even enter the fence. He might be caught as a suspicious person. He could only watch from a distance.
In the past, he and his best friends had also passed by that villa. The four-story palace-like building was brilliantly lit and was called "the castle" by them.
Zhang Shutong had no intention of entering the castle. He just wanted to find that surveillance camera.
Although he wasn't sure if the long-haired woman in the photo was the real Lu Qinglian or the fake Lu Qinglian, and he wasn't sure why Lu Qinglian would pass by there, by investigating the location, he might be able to find more clues. He didn't want to miss any single clue.
Although it was just a small effort, it would most likely be a waste of time.
But he could only do some small jobs now. Zhang Shutong was a person who could be a bit stubborn sometimes. Gu Qiumian was finally safe. Logically, he should be free and could go home, watch some "Case Closed," and go to bed. He had been running around for so long today that he would definitely have a good night's sleep. If he were a little more sinister, he would take the last ferry to the city. His mom and dad probably wouldn't mind having another third wheel.
But he had always been destined to not have such a beautiful life.
It only remained in his imagination. Although it was something to long for, he would always choose another path when it came to taking action.
Speaking of which, since the reset, although he always said he wanted to start a new life and enjoy his student days, he had only said it. In reality, he had been working hard to find the culprit and hadn't done anything else.
He had two moments of complete relaxation. Once was on the day of the reset when he went fishing with his best friends but ran into poachers. The second time was when he caught Zhou Ziheng's father and rode home. Not long after he fell asleep, the reset was triggered again at midnight.
Both times, the string in his mind had just relaxed and then quickly tightened again.
He was a little tired of running around.
So if he were to let go now, he wouldn't be too happy about it. He always felt empty inside, as if something was missing.
Zhang Shutong couldn't describe what that "something" was. Maybe he was just at a loss. When something you have been working hard for a long time suddenly disappears, it can make you lose your direction.
Fortunately, he could still find his direction now.
From the port to the villa was equivalent to running from the northernmost point to the southernmost point. This time, he took a shortcut through the city instead of going around half of the island. My dad didn't leave a helmet or gloves, so his hands and face were almost frozen on the way. When he finally entered the city, he passed by the school gate and smelled the aroma of the rice bowl restaurant from a distance.
It was a little touching.
It was so cold, and the students were on vacation. Since the owner was still open, he shouldn't be idling. He flared his nostrils, sniffing the oily smoke, and remembered that he needed to find a place to have dinner.
Zhang Shutong was not picky about food. He rode to the restaurant's entrance, pulled out the key, propped up the bike, lifted the plastic curtain, and asked for a stir-fried pork with green peppers rice bowl.
He found a table and rubbed his hands, feeling his fingers finally regaining some feeling. But he found that the owner didn't respond for a long time.
Zhang Shutong had to stand up and go to the kitchen to call out. The owner was cooking, but there was no other customer around. Maybe he was preparing dinner for himself.
"One stir-fried pork with green peppers,"
Zhang Shutong raised his voice and shouted over the sound of the range hood.
"All gone!" the owner shouted even louder than him.
"What?"
"I said all the ingredients are gone!"
Zhang Shutong was stunned. He thought, why are you still open if you have no ingredients? Is it just to cook something to lure me in?
He nodded and turned to leave, but the owner also paused and then shouted again:
"Do you want to eat sweet and sour pork?"
"Didn't you say you have no ingredients?"
"The pork was fried yesterday!" the owner shouted again. "If you want to eat it, I can reheat it and coat it with sweet and sour sauce. It just won't be crispy. Does that work for you?"
No, that probably won't work.
Overnight fried food, not only would it not be crispy, but it should be completely un-crispy.
And Zhang Shutong really hated food that was half-cooked. Although he knew that some people loved this taste, and he was a person who wasn't picky about food, he really didn't want to settle tonight. He wasn't busy saving people later, so why should he eat something he didn't like?
So he waved and left the restaurant. His body, which had just started to warm up, felt cold again. He wasn't going to move the motorcycle. He just put his hands in his pockets and wandered around to see if he could find a restaurant with a matching taste.
But he didn't even get a chance to warm his hands. The phone rang. He sighed and pressed the answer button.
It was Ruoping.
"Are you still at the villa?"
"I came back a long time ago."
"Oh, you left Gu Qiumian there alone? Are you not worried?" the girl teased.
"I forgot to tell you guys. Her dad came back with a bunch of people, so I came back..."
But before he could finish, he heard Qingyi's voice come closer:
"A man has to risk his life to protect what he cherishes! So don't be hard on Shutong..."
Zhang Shutong was startled. He thought, where did you come from, and what do you have to do with what I'm saying? I came back a long time ago and I'm just wandering around outside. You should be saying that to Boss Gu. He's the one who risked flying back to be with his daughter.
It turned out that Qingyi just didn't hear clearly. Ruoping grabbed his ear and said frantically:
"We're talking about serious matters. What are you, a chuunibyou, doing here? And where did you even get such an extremely childish line from?"
"I thought of it myself," Qingyi said cluelessly. "Isn't Shutong still at the villa with Gu Qiumian?"
"He came back a long time ago. Her dad is here..."
Zhang Shutong listened carefully for a few more moments. It turned out that the three of them were having dinner together tonight.
The dishes had just been served, and they were asking if he wanted to come over. Although he didn't have much hope, they probably thought he was still freeloading at the villa.
"Then you were busy for nothing," the noise disappeared. Qingyi was sent away, and only Ruoping was left, speaking in a low voice.
Zhang Shutong heard that she was feeling a little indignant for him:
"It's not for nothing. At least I found the footprints and gave her dad a heads-up. This time, he won't be careless."
"So are you coming to eat?"
"I'll... pass."
Zhang Shutong subconsciously looked around.
He had walked an entire street. Today seemed very unlucky. No restaurants were open, which meant he might have to go back and eat that damn sweet and sour pork.
"I still have something to do tonight," Zhang Shutong said again. "You guys go ahead and eat."
The hand he was holding the phone with was a little cold, so he took the other hand out of his pocket and switched the phone.
"You're not giving up? Is it still about Gu Qiumian?" Ruoping asked in surprise.
Zhang Shutong nodded.
After nodding, he realized he was on the phone, and the other person couldn't see him.
So he said:
"It's a little bit, but this time I'm not hiding it from you. It's really nothing important. I'm just looking for the nearby cameras..."
"Do you really want to kidnap her?" Qingyi came over again. "Do you need help?"
"Of course not." Zhang Shutong laughed. Why would he want to make her leave the villa now?
"Then you're in a bad mood and want to take a walk?" Ruoping asked again.
"No, I'm going home to sleep after I'm done with this," Zhang Shutong yawned. "I'm so sleepy."
"See you tomorrow then."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
The call ended. Now he had to go back to the rice bowl restaurant.
The road was quiet. The streetlights cast long shadows. Zhang Shutong boredly kicked a stone. Although it wasn't a big deal, he didn't want to waste too much time on it.
He returned to the restaurant. The sound of the range hood had stopped. Zhang Shutong braced himself and lifted the curtain. He should have known better than to leave so coolly just now. Now he was coming back in a pitiful state.
He told the owner that he would like a sweet and sour pork. The owner was sitting at a table in the hall, with a phone in front of him, eating rice from a fast-food cup. He waved his chopsticks:
"All gone."
"All gone?" Zhang Shutong blinked innocently.
"I only steamed this much rice for the night," the owner said, looking more innocent than him, and showed him the fast-food cup. "You said you weren't going to eat it, so I put it all in here."
Zhang Shutong was a little speechless. It had been a while since he did that little action of biting the soft flesh in his mouth. In the end, he controlled himself and decided to spare his cheeks this time. He couldn't even eat meat, so it would be even more miserable to bite his cheeks.
"Come again next time, handsome boy," the owner said, still in the mood to shout while watching his show.
But Zhang Shutong heard it as "unlucky boy." He got on his motorcycle gloomily. Some things were just like this. If you missed this one, you wouldn't find it anywhere else. To put it elegantly, it's a sense of melancholy that comes from not cherishing something you once thought was within reach.
He turned the key and started the engine, ready to go home and eat steamed buns after he was done. He rode through a small alley and suddenly saw a black shadow, which startled him.
To be precise, it was not just a black shadow but a person and a... cart's shadow?
A plump woman pushing a food cart was also stunned. She covered her face under the stark white headlights:
"Young man, can you please turn off your lights?"
Zhang Shutong turned off the lights but recognized that she was the woman who sold steamed buns at the school gate. This was a bit surprising. He asked the auntie why she was out here in this weather. There was no one around, and he couldn't find a place to eat.
The auntie's eyes lit up when she heard this:
"Haven't eaten? Good. I still have a cage of steamed buns. They are in the steamer and are still hot. Young man, why don't you take them all?"
Zhang Shutong hesitated for a moment, nodded, and agreed, watching the woman pack them up skillfully.
This thing was actually not very tasty. The fatty pork and duck egg yolk made a very strange combination of sweet and salty. It could be on his list of "must not eat ever again," but it was a good source of calories at the moment.
And he needed to solve his dinner problem. Zhang Shutong felt that he had a certain connection with this steamed bun. He had to eat it every time there was a reset.
The auntie also said, "Why don't you just eat it here? Anything hot will get cold in this weather if you take it away. I'm not in a hurry to close my stall anyway."
Zhang Shutong got off the motorcycle. The other person handed him a steamed bun. He blew on it in small puffs and didn't bite into it immediately.
"Actually, there were people in the afternoon," the auntie finally answered his previous question. "Although not many, I sold five cages. I still have one left. I was originally going to save it for breakfast tomorrow."
"Aren't you taking a day off at home?"
"Oh, what for? My husband and son are not on the island usually. What would I do staying at home alone? I just came out to get some fresh air. And people are like that. Once you get used to being busy, it really becomes a habit. Taking a day off makes you feel uncomfortable, as if something is missing."
Zhang Shutong thought for a moment and strongly agreed.
He was also getting used to it recently.
This habit might not just be about finding the culprit, but before he could think about it further, the steamed bun was no longer hot. He carefully bit into the outer skin and tasted the contradictory filling. He couldn't help but frown.
He quickly swallowed one and took a new one. It was still hot. The steamed bun was in a plastic bag. He remembered a trick he had seen somewhere. It was to hold the two ears of the plastic bag and squeeze the steamed bun to your mouth. Zhang Shutong did it without being taught. This time, it was no longer hot. He had a moment to look at the night sky but suddenly found that the girl who used to eat steamed buns with him was not by his side anymore.
In the end, Zhang Shutong only ate three steamed buns and packed the remaining three to take away for breakfast tomorrow.
The auntie was satisfied. She probably felt that she hadn't wasted her breath on this young man. She slowly pushed her cart home, and Zhang Shutong also rode his motorcycle and soon left the city.
After riding for another twenty minutes, this shortcut led to the forbidden area first. He started looking there and could still see the traces left by the fight in the afternoon. The culprit's identity was still unknown. Maybe the answer would be revealed tomorrow night.
The moonlight was pale and eerie, and the reeds swayed gently.
He ran to the shore again. As expected, that figure couldn't have stayed here forever. Zhang Shutong finally had time to think. The fake Lu Qinglian had been here, and the suspected culprit had also been here, but what was here?
What was here?
Actually, it was just the nearly frozen water.
He looked from a distance and followed the path, looking for the surveillance camera.
Finally, he rode to the vicinity of the ring road.
The surveillance camera was actually not far from here.
He sighed in relief, looked around, and deeply remembered this location in his mind.
It was almost seven o'clock. He had finally completed his last task.
—Now it was time to go home and sleep.
But his mind seemed to get stuck again. Since he was already near the ring road, it was only a few minutes' ride to the entrance. Since he was at the entrance, it was only a little further to the villa gate.
Zhang Shutong finally twisted the handlebar and rode toward the ring road with a rumble.
But the snow on the road was still very thick. Just because a car could climb it didn't mean a motorcycle could. Zhang Shutong sighed, got off the bike, and thought he was bringing this on himself.
He breathed into his hands. He walked shivering on the mountain path. It was said that when a person was very cold, snot would subconsciously run out. He wiped his nose and found that it was indeed a little wet.
Zhang Shutong walked on the mountain path with deep and shallow steps. The road was even harder to walk at night. He saw a flashlight beam from a distance. It must be the patrolling bodyguards. It would be bad if he were caught as a suspicious person.
So this time, he didn't use a flashlight. He followed his footprints from the afternoon so he wouldn't be discovered. He finally reached the halfway point, panting and holding his knees. From here, he could see the lights of the villa from a distance.
Zhang Shutong hesitated for a moment and then turned around with deep and shallow steps to walk back.
He should have left when he saw the flashlight.
He suddenly exhaled. Something in his heart had been released.
On the way home, riding his motorcycle in silence, Zhang Shutong thought that Teacher Song's metaphor, although vulgar, might be right. He might really be a stray dog, running wildly with his tongue out in the cold. Although "tongue out" was just a metaphor and he wasn't really that miserable, a person who didn't go home this late was indeed "wild."
Zhang Shutong also remembered a sentence he had seen before. It was from some anime, he had forgotten which one. The general idea was that stray dogs don't need tombstones. They run until they rot.
That sentence was also very chuunibyou.
Actually, you can't keep running forever.
...
"Mianmian, it's time to go," the man patted the girl's shoulder and said softly. "We'll come to see Mom next time."
Gu Qiumian didn't speak. Escorted by two bodyguards, she and her father left the cemetery.
Someone pulled open the car door for her, with a hand protecting her head. The girl got into the back seat of the Audi. The seat was heated, and the coldness on her body was driven away in an instant.
Gu Qiumian subconsciously glanced at her phone and then turned it off.
The Audi drove smoothly on the snowy road.
The man's gentle voice sounded in the car:
"Dad specially brought a private chef from the city. The ingredients for the next few days were also bought at the same time. Now we're going home to eat dinner. I know you don't like a lot of people, so I asked Old Wu to cook for them first. Just the three of us will eat later."
Gu Qiumian nodded gently.
"There were no incidents at the villa. You said you didn't want to see your friend so tired and on edge, so you insisted that I bring back more bodyguards. That way, he could be free. Dad didn't hesitate at all. I brought four bodyguards, but you still disagreed and made a fuss about adding more people, saying we should take it seriously. Now we even have police officers. Are you relieved now?"
As he spoke, the man smiled reassuringly. He wiped his glasses and looked at the rapidly retreating night outside the window, but he frowned in a place where the girl couldn't see.
The man's finger lightly tapped on the center armrest. He said flatly:
"However, I don't think it's that serious. A group of people needs to be taught a lesson. They just need to remember..."
As he said this, the man called the driver's name and was about to give an order, but he saw his daughter staring at her phone in a daze. In the end, he pressed his hand down, signaling to talk later.
This was not the shabby Ford car. The car was always filled with the faint scent of sandalwood instead of the smell of smoke. It was warm, comfortable, and safe. The heavy car body drove over the snow, and it was silent. Everything flew by in silence and coldness.
The warm air from the air conditioner made one a little sleepy until the vibration of the phone broke the silence.
Gu Qiumian saw her dad pick up the phone. His brows wrinkled a little and then relaxed. Finally, he hung up the phone as if nothing had happened.
"What's wrong?" she seemed to hear that something was going on at the villa.
"Don't worry, I told them to report any little thing."
The man added:
"It's just that the patrolling people saw a motorcycle passing by."