It's midnight.
Zhang Shutong thought as he looked at the ceiling of the hospital room.
It was a little past 8 p.m. now. Last time, at this same time, he rode his bike home, and a little later, Gu Qiumian called him, asking him out for dinner on Sunday.
At that time, he was exhausted. He just ate something and went to sleep.
Then he received news of her death.
Zhang Shutong has always had a strange trepidation about the time of early Sunday morning.
Counting the time, there were still more than four hours until midnight.
He had four hours to rest, but life is sometimes so dramatic. In the past, he could sleep peacefully with a light heart, but now, even though he was drowsy, he didn't dare to close his eyes. He was worried that something unexpected might happen in between, and he would miss it.
It was the same with Teacher Song, and it was the same with Gu Qiumian.
Now the teacher hasn't come out of the operating room. He doesn't know if he's out of danger. He should be out of danger; half a life has been saved, and Zhang Shutong believes he can get through the other half.
All he can do is believe; what else can he do? At this moment, the young nurse finally walked over with the medicine tray:
"Hold out your arm."
Oh, he can still hold out his arm.
Zhang Shutong obediently held out his arm.
"The veins in this arm are swollen; use the other one."
He watched the needle sink into his skin and then heard the nurse say:
"Don't run around this time. Finish the IV obediently."
Zhang Shutong nodded and watched her walk away.
He watched the medicine drip slowly from the small gourd. His body was still cold. Zhang Shutong had the foresight to bring the down jacket—the one he brought from the villa—which he had put on his bike this morning.
He said he would find time to return the down jacket to Gu Qiumian, but he never did. Now he put it on himself. It gave off a faint fragrance. Zhang Shutong wasn't sensitive to smells, but he gradually became familiar with this scent. The fragrance wafted into his nostrils, as if its owner was right beside him.
She wasn't, actually.
He was just on an IV drip in the hospital. The hospital room was more lively than his home. He watched the people coming and going, sneezing from time to time.
Zhang Shutong had to thank Teacher Song. When he left the villa yesterday, he wanted to leave directly. It was the teacher who helped him find it, although he didn't know how he found it.
Time was so fast yet so slow. It was as if he was still in that villa a moment ago, in the peaceful morning, with the snow covering the ground like a blanket, and the living room was spacious and warm.
Another sneeze.
Sorry, sorry.
Zhang Shutong said in his heart to Gu Qiumian, "I got your clothes dirty, but I'm so cold that I had to use it to get by."
She probably didn't even know he wore this down jacket out, because she had already gone upstairs when he left.
He could see it now. Gu Qiumian didn't want him to worry about her. Since that was the case, he would only report good news, but was there really any good news?
Zhang Shutong thought in a daze.
It seemed there wasn't.
At this point, he was too lazy to fuss over whether doing these things was meaningful. It was true that there were people guarding the villa, it was true that one shouldn't be too arrogant, and it was true that Gu Qiumian's personal safety didn't require him to worry, but the voice inside him kept telling him to persevere, to persevere, and to keep running.
Of course he would persevere, but he wasn't really a sheepdog who could run around with high energy all day.
He was really a little tired.
Zhang Shutong's eyelids began to droop. He still couldn't understand why Gu Qiumian's attitude changed that day. She was probably well-intentioned, not wanting to see him run around, but in reality, no matter what she did, as long as early Sunday morning hadn't passed, he would still do what he had to do.
What a stubborn person.
Zhang Shutong silently tugged on the down jacket. It was really short. If it covered his neck, it wouldn't cover his waist. If it covered his waist, it would only reach his collarbone. He didn't have the brain to think about who the culprit was. He only knew that he could catch the culprit tonight. If he couldn't... to be honest, if so many people still couldn't stop it, then Zhang Shutong didn't know what to do either.
It was as if two voices were arguing in his head:
One said, "There's really nothing you can do. It's not your fault. You wanted to take her away. You tried to persuade her many times, but she wouldn't go."
The other said, "She's actually safer in the villa than with you. What a rational and calm decision. Who's like you, running around foolishly outside? Besides, she's a young lady. Her behavior before was abnormal. Do you really think the world can't function without you?"
Gu Qiumian was actually a smart girl.
This time, the two voices no longer argued and agreed.
Zhang Shutong used to think she was silly.
In fact, he was the silly one.
Or, as Teacher Song would say, a silly girl will also become smart one day, and this change is silent and always catches you off guard.
He felt the cold medicine slowly flowing into his veins. Half of his arm felt a little numb. His consciousness was sinking. Before he knew it, he was about to fall asleep. He quickly shook his head.
It was still very noisy around him. This was the evening rush hour at the hospital. Zhang Shutong really couldn't look at the sound of a child crying with a normal heart anymore.
He wanted to say, "Little one, please don't cry. It's just one shot. Your life is still long. I'm not preaching, but I used to be afraid of shots too. I thought the most terrifying thing was being tricked by my mom to go to the hospital, and then lying on the sickbed with a cold feeling on my butt... But later, I found out that there are many, many things that are more bitter than this."
That's right, he thought of his past life, which was trapped in a Rewind. Why was it so similar, or rather, exactly the same? He was always exhausted from running, always in a sorry state. Time and time again, he thought he could break free from this damned thing, but in reality, he was always fighting it.
At this moment, a big brother next to him's phone rang. For some reason, the phone's ringtone was especially loud, making the already chaotic ward even more chaotic.
"I dedicate my youth to that glorious city behind me..."
Zhang Shutong felt it was familiar. The next moment, he realized it was "Elopement." The last time he heard it was on Friday, on his way home from school. It had been a long time.
This was so out of place. Who would play "Elopement" in a hospital room?
Zhang Shutong thought in a daze, just like how a Ford Focus also played this kind of music. The man drove the car slowly, and the girl's ears turned red in the passenger seat. It was raining that day, and the city was shrouded in a faint mist. He was curled up on the back seat...
But now, the Ford Focus was scrapped, the man was in the operating room for a rescue, and he could only pick up the fragments of the past from the song and the smell of the down jacket. The reason they were fragments was because they pricked his hands and made them bleed when he held them.
It was really out of place.
Zhang Shutong thought silently. In the past, he thought the easiest thing was to take Gu Qiumian off the island, as a retreat and a backup plan. Now, it was the other way around.
In the end, he decided to close his eyes and rest for a while, just for a while. But the next moment, a call came in.
Du Kang's call.
Zhang Shutong's spirits lifted. He had made an appointment with him when he returned, that he would contact him after Teacher Song came out of the operating room.
His heart started to beat uncontrollably. Zhang Shutong took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.
"How is it?"
"He's fine. The doctor said the surgery was successful and he's out of danger."
Upon hearing this, he finally felt a sense of relief.
Zhang Shutong raised his head and looked around. For a moment, he felt as if he was in another world. He clenched his fists tightly, but this was really not a good place to talk. He held the phone under his arm, took off the IV drip, and walked step by step to the corridor.
"Don't worry, he's fine with me watching him. I'll contact you anytime if something happens here." Du Kang said in a low voice. "I'm in the hospital room now. Auntie seems to have pulled some strings and arranged a four-person room. It's quiet enough and has a private bathroom. There's even a TV on the wall."
"Where are you sleeping tonight?" Zhang Shutong asked belatedly. "Should I have my dad book a hotel for you?"
"Hey, no need. I've been free all day today. I can handle it. Oh, by the way, let me tell you something funny. I was waiting outside the operating room. Auntie saw my back and called out 'son.' She thought you were here and wanted to hug you, but she got the wrong person. It was a bit awkward."
That was something his mom would do. Zhang Shutong tried to smile:
"Where are they?"
"Auntie wanted to take me out to eat, but I said no need to be so troublesome and ate something at the restaurant. She drove to buy some daily necessities. Uncle seems to be going through the hospitalization procedures. I'm the only one in the hospital room now."
"When will Teacher Song wake up?"
"Probably until the middle of the night." Du Kang added, "Don't stay up. You sound a little stuffy. It's so noisy over there. Did you go back to the hospital for a shot again?"
"I have a bit of a cold." Zhang Shutong added, "Don't tell my mom, so she doesn't nag."
"You're making me feel a bit guilty. Forget it, then go home quickly after your shot." Du Kang emphasized, "I'm watching him here. No problem. I'll send you a QQ message when Teacher Song wakes up?"
"Mmm, thanks."
"What's that for? He's my teacher too. Shutong, you're being too formal."
Du Kang teased him and then hung up the phone.
This was a four-person deluxe hospital room. There was a curtain between each bed, which, when pulled, created a small private space. He was sitting on the side near the window. As expected of a city hospital, the funding was sufficient. There were even pothos on the windowsill. Du Kang was bored and played with the leaves with his fingers.
He could tell his best friend was trying to hold on, but he didn't say it so lightly.
Du Kang felt that his current situation was a bit awkward.
In terms of effort, it seemed he hadn't done much. It was Shutong's parents who were helping. His staying here would only cause them more trouble.
In terms of feelings, it would be better to let Shutong stay here and have their family of three reunited.
The young man scratched his head, regretting it a little. He should have known better than to come here on a whim.
Forget it, since he was already here, he would try to find a few opportunities to be useful. He had always been a carefree person. Since he couldn't go back, he would just try to find a few opportunities to be useful.
And then this opportunity really came.
Du Kang saw the man's eyelids suddenly move.
Wait, could it be...
"Teacher, are you awake?" Du Kang said excitedly.
These words seemed to be a beat late in the other person's ears. Du Kang wasn't even sure if Teacher Song had heard them.
After a few seconds, the man weakly opened his eyes. His gaze detached from the blur. He turned his head with difficulty and opened his mouth silently, but he couldn't even make a sound.
Song Nanshan blinked his heavy eyelids. The surprise in his eyes proved that he was still sober at the moment.
Du Kang quickly said:
"Teacher, it's me, Du Kang. How are you? We're at the city hospital now. You really scared us this time. My aunt was the one who hit you in the car accident, and then Shutong..."
But before he finished speaking, the man seemed to have caught a certain keyword from the words, and his newly sober eyes immediately became dim, like dead ashes.
Song Nanshan said his first words after waking up, his voice hoarse as if from another world:
"I was wrong..."
What was wrong?
Did he think that his car accident caused trouble for everyone, and he apologized as soon as he woke up?
You're quite polite.
He saw Teacher Song raise his hand towards him again and quickly replied:
"It's okay, it's okay. No one blames you. Do you want water, or are you uncomfortable somewhere? Do you need me to call the nurse?"
"Phone." Song Nanshan mumbled instead.
"Phone, oh, here it is." Du Kang picked up the phone from the bedside table. A nurse with the last name Li had given it to him. "Do you want to call someone to tell them? Your parents, or the principal? Oh, by the way, what's the password?"
"1212," Song Nanshan said word by word. His eyes stared at Du Kang. "You send the first picture in my photo album to Qiumian, and then tell Shutong, go...
"What?" But the man was too weak. Du Kang instinctively leaned his ear closer. The other person's eyelids were drooping, and they finally closed again. He fell into a coma again. Du Kang was stunned and turned to run outside. "Nurse, my teacher fainted again--"
A few minutes later.
"He woke up just like that? The anesthetic usually lasts for several hours. How did he wake up?"
The nurse was also surprised.
"So, is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Du Kang asked.
"It's a good thing, of course, it's a good thing," the nurse said in awe. "It's just that this kind of situation is not very common. Normally, he should sleep until the middle of the night before waking up. Waking up so early only shows that he has something on his mind that he can't let go of. A strong will to live is definitely a good thing. Oh, by the way, did your teacher say anything?"
"He did. He told me to use his phone to..."
The nurse nodded and interrupted:
"Then you should contact his family quickly. I'll be going now. If anything happens, call me at the nurse's station."
"Oh, okay..." Du Kang watched her trot out of the hospital room.
He thought to himself, "Sister Nurse, you guessed wrong this time. My teacher wasn't going to contact his family."
A little while ago, he took the time to unlock the phone and open the photo album. The first picture was a motorcycle. To be precise, it was a picture of Shutong standing next to the motorcycle. By the way, Teacher Song had been very strange since he woke up.
Sending this picture to Gu Qiumian was also strange. It wasn't that handsome a photo either. He was wearing a mask and looked exhausted.
Teacher Song's attitude, which was like he was leaving a will, was even stranger.
Thinking of this, Du Kang glanced at the man on the bed. His breathing was steady.
"Hey, hey, Teacher, what's the big deal? You're already like this and you still haven't forgotten to be a matchmaker? I was quite touched when the nurse said you have a strong will to live and that you had some kind of unresolved obsession, but you..."
Du Kang didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
But he had a good quality: since he couldn't figure it out himself, he would just do as he was told. So he found Gu Qiumian's QQ, clicked on the picture, and clicked the send button.
At the same time, he added a sentence:
"Well, Shutong has been running around outside these two days and even got a high fever..."
You're welcome, my brother.
...
The moonlight poured down.
Gu Qiumian stood quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
It was noisy in the yard.
The bodyguards were conducting their final search in the vicinity.
In fact, there was nothing more to search for. After a moment, as agreed upon a little while ago, this large-scale search was finally about to come to an end.
The two police officers had already returned to the police station. The rest of the people were going to stay in the living room tonight.
Aunt Wu was walking over with a comforter. Gu Qiumian saw her and wanted to help, but the woman smiled dotingly:
"You don't need to do this kind of work. Besides, we'll be done soon."
"I was the one who asked Dad to bring so many people back."
"No one blames you. Maybe Mr. Gu is secretly happy," the woman occasionally said something inappropriate for her age to tease the girl, "thinking that his precious daughter finally remembered her dad."
"Who else would I remember if not him?" Gu Qiumian snorted.
Aunt Wu was relieved to see her like this. She was finally not like last night:
"Aren't you going upstairs to rest? It's going to get noisy soon. Don't you dislike too many people?"
Gu Qiumian looked out the floor-to-ceiling window again at the words:
"I just want to stay a little longer."
"Still not at ease?"
"I guess a little. He made it sound so scary."
"Oh, I see. It's still because of what your classmate said. Although he's doing it for your own good, it would be bad if it became a burden on you. Since you're not at ease, then call him and ask him. Maybe he has overturned his judgment again."
Gu Qiumian shook her head instead:
"If I call him, he'll get nervous again."
"What's wrong?"
"You've seen him before, what he was like at home that day."
"Oh." The woman smiled. "I remember. He was like a little adult, looking here and there with a serious face. What was his name, 'Detective'? Never mind the little detective. But Mianmian is indeed different from yesterday. You deliberately didn't mention him last night. Do you really think I didn't notice?"
"Aunt Wu, ugh." Gu Qiumian wrinkled her nose.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore," the woman said with a smile. "So now you're no longer hesitating?"
"There's nothing to hesitate about." Gu Qiumian calmed down when this was mentioned. "You're listening to Zhiruo talk nonsense, making it sound like I've lost my soul. She's too exaggerated."
"You still have to listen to your dad. Stay at home for these two days. Piano, building blocks, singing, movies... there's so much to do. It's better than running around outside. Your voice is hoarse from singing today, right?"
"Of course. I won't be willful."
"Then I'll go get busy. Don't stand for too long."
Gu Qiumian nodded and stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
It was already 9:30 p.m.
There were only two and a half hours left until the midnight that Zhang Shutong had emphasized so many times.
She didn't know what would happen in two and a half hours.
Maybe a sudden change;
Or maybe nothing would happen all night.
Gu Qiumian only remembered the dream she mentioned that night.
She didn't know why she dreamed of a strange body of water.
She tried her best to recall, but she couldn't remember the process. It was always like being covered in a layer of mist, and she couldn't see anything clearly.
It was actually a nightmare.
She was supposed to be at home, but for some reason, she went to that body of water.
What on earth happened here? Why did that person always think the villa was very dangerous?
Recalling the various things from this day, she saw some people and heard some words.
Teacher Song said he would take them all to have a good time.
Dad said to rest assured.
Aunt Wu said she advised her not to keep things bottled up.
Zhiruo said not to be impulsive or act on a whim.
Looking out the window again, the noise gradually subsided. Only the Doberman barked from time to time. She heard it and smiled softly. The house was full of "strangers" these two days, and it must have been very anxious.
This matter should also come to an end.
She was a little sleepy now and stretched lazily. She had sweated a bit while singing today and planned to take a bath later and then go to bed.
This was good. Everyone was happy. She took one last look at the courtyard. The moonlight was lonely. Many things might happen on the white-covered wilderness.
Gu Qiumian went back to the sofa and turned on the TV.
She didn't choose a movie carefully. She just played whatever she came across. She kicked off her slippers, curled her legs to one side, held a cup, and slowly drank water. She would laugh at the funny parts, fast-forward through the boring parts, and curl her lips at the clumsy parts. If her patience ran out, she would just change to a different one.
Until the door of the room was pushed open.
Gu Qiumian had just turned her head when the man at the front spoke:
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I was waiting for you guys to come back."
Gu Jianhong handed the teacup to the nanny, changed his shoes, and sat down on the sofa:
"Are you at ease now?"
"Mmm--"
She drew out the last sound.
"They won't be back until about 10 o'clock." Gu's father habitually explained, "Tonight, I'll have two people watch in the car. They went out to buy some food now and will probably come back around 10 o'clock to change shifts..."
"You just arrange it. It sounds like you're giving a work report. I don't even know who those two people are."
Gu's father laughed:
"Why can't I understand you a little, whether you care or not? You were the one who said to bring people back, and now you're the one who doesn't want to listen."
"I cared a lot at the time." Gu Qiumian rested her chin on her hand and watched the TV. "Now that everything is fine, I don't."
"Not caring is a good thing. It should be this way. The car will be parked downstairs. If it's noisy, you can tell me, but it probably won't be. I'll stay in the study for a while. You, go upstairs and rest assured."
He said half-jokingly:
"With so many people guarding the living room, no one can take you away tonight."
Gu Qiumian nodded and said "okay," focusing on the screen. She was watching a horror movie. A ghost was about to appear, but the atmosphere was completely gone because of her dad's nagging.
Gu Qiumian simply turned off the TV. The man showed a helpless smile. The girl snorted, said goodnight to him with a smile, got up to get a box of milk, and planned to heat it up and take it upstairs.
This was a girl like a princess, and a real young lady, well-protected by her super-rich dad. The earth wouldn't stop turning without anyone, and she wouldn't be lost without anyone.
Gu Qiumian put the milk in the microwave to heat it up. While waiting, she was scrolling through her phone aimlessly. The microwave dinged, and the milk was ready. She was just about to bring the cup to her lips when a new message appeared on her phone.
It was from Teacher Song.
He sent a picture.
The picture was of a motorcycle.
Standing next to the motorcycle was a person she knew all too well, despite the mask.
This was a picture that would definitely make one's heart race.
Because she instantly associated it with the motorcycle the bodyguards found on the winding road last night.
Then came another message.
"Well, Shutong has been running around outside these two days and even got a high fever. He still hasn't gone home. I don't know what he's busy with."
This was a question the person on the other end of the phone couldn't understand, but Gu Qiumian's heart immediately had the answer.
She stared blankly at the phone screen. A picture with a sentence, from then on, a stone sank into the sea. It seemed to have said nothing, and yet it seemed to have said everything.
So she exited this interface and opened the chat between the two of them.
It was always the same few sentences repeated over and over again. She could almost recite them by heart.
The boy on the other end would say nothing more than:
"How are you?"
"Be careful."
"Lock the doors and windows."
"Be careful tonight."
"...I had a big meal at noon, but I was so busy having fun that I didn't eat much..."
"I'm doing great here."
Was he really doing great?
Now, the meaning of these sentences was completely reversed, rushing at her like a tidal wave. They had always hidden something she didn't know. Gu Qiumian suddenly understood everything.
This person was a fool, truly a fool. I clearly told you, nothing will happen, nothing will happen. Dad is back, and there are bodyguards at home. Go home and rest quickly. You don't need to protect me... But why won't you listen?
She didn't know how long she stood in front of the microwave until the nanny gently walked over:
"Did you burn your hand? Why are your eyes a little red?"
"No." Gu Qiumian's voice was a little hoarse today. She covered her mouth and yawned. "I'm just a little sleepy."
"Did a friend send you a message again?"
"They're still worried about me."
"Is that so," the woman said with a smile. "Then tell them to rest assured. You're at home tonight and won't go anywhere. Go to bed early."
"Mmm, I know."
When she turned around again, the girl's face had already returned to calm.
She picked up the cup, slowly walked to the elevator, and slowly pressed the elevator button.
When the elevator slowly came down, the metal doors slowly opened and closed.
In the long corridor covered with a wool carpet, it was so quiet that she could only hear her own heartbeat. She walked through it as if she was passing through a deep, dark tunnel.
Upstairs and downstairs were like two different worlds.
Everyone outside had returned, and it was inevitably a bit noisy.
But on the second floor, she was the only one. She said she would lock her door tonight when she went to bed, so no one would disturb her this night.
Gu Qiumian locked her door.
The moon hung high in the sky. A thin layer of mist formed on the glass, like the moonlight turning into frost.
She was wearing a burgundy bathrobe and was about to take a bath and go to bed quickly, but an interlude disrupted her plans.
She unbuttoned her bathrobe one by one. The bedroom was heated, so it would never be as cold as outside. She walked barefoot into the walk-in closet and stood in front of the dressing mirror.
She used to think the best solution was to have the bodyguards come to the house.
But how could a fool understand her words?
Now she pulled open all the wardrobes and grabbed the thickest clothes from inside. Her toe hit the corner of a wardrobe because of this.
There was a floor-to-ceiling window in the room.
Gu Qiumian also knew that at the end of the floor-to-ceiling window was a terrace, and below the terrace was the wilderness bathed in moonlight, where there was no one;
Therefore, she quickly dialed that number. Although she tried her best to maintain her composure, her breathing still became rapid.
The call was finally connected, and she said--