When they were still a few dozen meters away from the Forbidden Zone, Zhang Shutong told Mr. Song to stop the car.
"Is the place you're talking about up ahead?" Mr. Song rolled down the window in confusion. "What are we doing in this godforsaken place in the middle of the night? We could be filming a ghost movie."
The young miss also seemed a bit disappointed:
"Where is this?"
Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "I'm sorry. I also wanted to die in a place with a nice view."
But it had to be the Forbidden Zone.
"What's there to see here?" Mr. Song poked his head out. "You guys don't even fish here, do you?"
Zhang Shutong thought for a moment and felt that Qingyi's words were useful at a time like this:
He said that sometimes men are just like that. You suddenly get up from your bed in the middle of the night, shiver, and use a flashlight. You really want to go to a certain place. It could be a 24-hour convenience store, a bridge arch under a large bridge, or even a dilapidated bench in a quiet park. To be honest, it's a lot of trouble and suffering, but there's no reason. You just want to go. As long as you're there, you can get a moment of peace.
Zhang Shutong was originally just spouting nonsense, but as he said it, he felt that it perfectly represented his current state of mind. He asked himself, he had asked Mr. Song to bring him here just to check out the route. He should have gone back after that. He had been to the Forbidden Zone several times before and found nothing. There wasn't much value in exploring it. But now that he was here, if he didn't go and take a look, he would feel uneasy.
This nonsense unexpectedly earned Song Nanshan's trust. He nodded and said, "If you want to go, just go. We'll wait for you in the car."
Zhang Shutong had even prepared an excuse about "needing to relieve himself" but swallowed the words.
Gu Qiumian had also wanted to go down and take a look, but Mr. Song stopped her. He said, "Every man has his own little secrets. To put it simply, boys this age will occasionally act a little crazy. I'm used to it. So just let him be."
Perhaps in their eyes, he was really just having a sudden fit of madness.
Zhang Shutong apologized, grabbed his umbrella and phone, and got out of the car.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, he found that the feeling was a bit off. There was surprisingly not much snow here, which was strange.
He then poked his finger into the ground. The soil was a bit wet. Zhang Shutong remembered that the last time he came to the Forbidden Zone was also like this. It had just snowed, but he had hoped to find the culprit's footprints in the snow, but the snow had mostly melted.
Was the geographical location of this area special?
Zhang Shutong really didn't know about this. He thought to himself, "I'll ask my mom when I get back. She's an expert."
Now was not the time to study geography. He zipped up his jacket. To be safe, he didn't open his umbrella. He tucked it between his neck and the back of his collar instead.
Although he was killed eight years later, being stabbed twice in a row had to leave some psychological trauma.
He looked back. A faint light was on in the car. He could see Gu Qiumian through the back window. Gu Qiumian also looked over. Their eyes met. She wrinkled her nose but then parted her lips and breathed on the window.
A faint layer of fog covered her face, as if she didn't want him to see it. Zhang Shutong thought to himself that she was probably ruining the glass again. He looked at Mr. Song. The man was leaning against the car, smoking, and looking up at who knows what.
Zhang Shutong turned his head, tightened his coat, and walked toward the Forbidden Zone alone, facing the snow.
If he could, he hoped this would be the last time he came here.
He turned on his flashlight and first shined it around. There were no people, only the almost frozen night. Snowflakes floated in it, making him feel like a small figure walking in a painting.
He paid attention to his feet. There were no footprints in the snow. It was impossible to relax, but he wasn't particularly nervous either.
It was Thursday. He had also come to the Forbidden Zone on Thursday in the last timeline and stayed until 8 PM. Then he went to the commercial street to buy that scarf and swap it. The only difference today was the extra snow.
Zhang Shutong looked at the time. It was around 8:30 PM. In the last timeline, he was already on his way back.
Just as he said, since he was here, he should go and take a look.
He sighed, not knowing whether to expect something to happen or nothing to happen. The latter was, of course, better, but on the other hand, if he couldn't find any clues in the Forbidden Zone, he would have no leads at all.
The commercial street conflict was resolved.
He had investigated the Gu family's villa.
He had gone to the fence, the side door, the elevator, and the room.
He had also driven on the road from the villa to the Forbidden Zone.
Several possibilities were dead ends, and the places that were most likely to have a variable had no flaws at all.
She didn't run there herself, and the culprit didn't sneak in. What other possibilities were there?
Based on common sense... but if he only relied on common sense, Zhang Shutong would never be able to find the answer.
The cold air made his mind clear. He tapped his forehead with the edge of his phone.
An unsolved case, an unsolved case...
This meant that there had been no progress on this case for eight whole years.
What did it mean that the police sealed it?
Gu's father didn't want it to be leaked?
Or was there another hidden reason?
He wasn't sure how advanced criminal forensics were in 2012, but fingerprint and DNA testing should exist. Even if the island didn't have it, the city should.
He slowed down, hoping for a flash of inspiration.
In reality, he was just startled by the snow that landed on the bridge of his nose.
He was getting closer to the lake, but he couldn't see the shore because of the dense reeds that were almost as tall as him.
He pushed aside the reeds in front of him. The surroundings were silent. There was only the rustling sound of his body moving through the reeds.
This time, it was difficult to find anything on the ground. The reed roots were intertwined, and they were all covered in snow.
This scene reminded Zhang Shutong of another problem. Where did the culprit who killed him come from?
Why was it that he only noticed the other person when they were right next to him?
The phone's flashlight was not enough in this environment. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He wanted to shine the light ahead, but it was all blocked by the reeds, and only a tiny bit of light emanated from in front of him.
The darkness was devouring the last bit of light in his hand.
As he walked, Zhang Shutong almost tripped. He then remembered that he had tied a fishing line here before.
He shone his light down. The fishing line was also almost covered in snow. He couldn't remember the exact location because he had buried several of them. He only had a vague idea of the area, so he raised his feet a little higher.
The endless reeds squeezed in front of him, making him feel a bit frustrated. His pace was forced to slow down. When he finally pushed aside the last clump of reeds, it felt like he had pushed away the clouds to see the sun.
He could finally see the shore.
But... why...
Zhang Shutong moved his phone, and his mouth fell open soundlessly.
...is there someone here?
There was a person on the shore.
There was a person squatting on the shore.
That person had been squatting on the shore this whole time!
They had been squatting on the shore the entire time!
They seemed completely unaware of his arrival!
A chill ran through him instantly. Zhang Shutong shivered. He didn't know whether to turn and run or to stay where he was. Should he make a sound or keep his mouth shut?
Because the person was completely different from what he had imagined the culprit to be! The person had long hair. It was a woman! The long-haired woman was squatting on the ground in a strange position...
Zhang Shutong was extremely shocked. His thoughts stopped for a moment because the other person had already turned their head to look at him. The light from his flashlight shone on her face. Half of her face was completely covered by her long hair, and her face was deathly pale—
Lu! Qing! Lian!
It was Lu Qinglian!
But why was she in the Forbidden Zone? Zhang Shutong subconsciously took a step back, but Lu Qinglian quickly got up. Before Zhang Shutong could speak, she quickly darted into the reeds next to her. The tops of the reeds shook slightly, accompanied by the sound of footsteps in the snow, and then everything became completely silent.
It all happened in an instant. By the time Zhang Shutong took another step, trying to chase her, the girl named Lu Qinglian had already disappeared.
—Mr. Song and them are still up there!
He was stunned for a moment. He didn't have time to think any more. He quickly turned and ran back. Zhang Shutong plunged into the reeds. At this time, he didn't even care about the fishing line or pushing the reeds aside. He just broke through them with brute force. His vision was completely dark. He rushed to the road, leaving footprints with every step, and saw the Focus car in the distance. He immediately waved his hand.
But the inside of the windshield was dark. He couldn't see anything. The Focus's lights weren't on, not the headlights or the interior lights. Zhang Shutong's heart sank, and he yelled:
"Hey!"
He rushed towards the small car, about to pull the door open, but before he could get there, he was greeted by two honks.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Mr. Song opened the car door with lingering fear. "I'm telling you, Shutong, why did you yell like that in the middle of the night? You're going to scare us to death..."
"You guys... are okay?"
"What could possibly happen to us in the car with the air conditioner on? Are you okay, though?"
"Did you see anyone just now?" Zhang Shutong asked urgently.
"What do you mean, 'anyone'? You were the only one who went down. Don't scare your teacher," Mr. Song said.
Zhang Shutong turned around blankly. Above him, snowflakes were still slowly falling. The night was peaceful, as if everything he had just seen on the shore was just a hallucination.
"What did you see?"
"Nothing..." Zhang Shutong let out a sigh of relief. "I just thought something happened to you... Why aren't the lights on?"
"Who knows how long you were going to be? The battery on this car isn't very good. It would die if we left it on for too long. Didn't Qiumian just ask me why her dad's car doesn't have this problem? Of course, an Audi doesn't have this problem... Are you okay?"
Song Nanshan noticed that Zhang Shutong's hair was soaked and asked worriedly:
"You were fine on the way here. What happened all of a sudden?"
He frantically looked for a rag in the car, not caring if it was dirty or not. "Wipe yourself off first. We can talk about it when you're in the car. Otherwise, you'll definitely catch a cold..."
Zhang Shutong didn't know how he got into the car. He only knew that when he came back to his senses, the Focus's headlights were on again, and the air conditioner was on the highest setting, blowing directly at his face.
Mr. Song and Gu Qiumian both asked him worriedly what was wrong. Zhang Shutong just said that he saw a shadow down there and was startled, so he ran back quickly. He then saw that the car lights weren't on and thought something bad had happened.
"I thought you were having delusions," Mr. Song said, relieved. "It's good that you're okay. It's good that you're okay. I'm telling you, Shutong, you're so fast at catching bad guys, but your guts need some work. What could happen to me here? I'm over six feet tall. Hurry up and take off your coat..."
With that, he started the car, turned it around, and started on the way back.
Zhang Shutong was not in the mood to talk. It had nothing to do with being brave or not. He just felt strange. Or rather, the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became. Why was Lu Qinglian in the Forbidden Zone? Where was she on Thursday before? Did it have anything to do with the snow?
And what was she doing squatting by the lake?
Zhang Shutong then remembered that he should have gone to the water's edge to find out. He was just focused on running back.
But he looked at Song Nanshan and knew that it wasn't a good time to say anything. He could only sigh inwardly. He touched his pants and suddenly said, "My phone just fell out. I have to go back and find it."
Mr. Song helplessly put the car in reverse. This time, he didn't dare to let him go alone. Zhang Shutong didn't object. He looked around again. The two of them, one after the other, went into the reeds. Zhang Shutong pretended to look for his phone but actually went to the water's edge.
He quickly scanned the area. The visibility in this body of water was very low. At this time, Mr. Song called his phone. He then pretended to pick up his phone from the water's edge and shined it on the lake.
There was nothing.
Nothing at all...
He furrowed his brows the entire way back.
Back in the car, a drop of water from his forehead fell on his face. Zhang Shutong didn't even notice. Lu Qinglian's involvement in this matter was deeper than he had thought. But why would she go to the Forbidden Zone... What was in the Forbidden Zone?
He then remembered what Du kang had said. Outside the funeral home, according to the official investigation, Lu Qinglian had died from slipping and falling into the water.
But he had just looked. There was nothing in the water. That body of water had always been like this. The lake was calm, with no ripples. It looked viscous in the darkness. He couldn't even find a single fish.
Also, did she not go home after school? Did she come down from the mountain again? Or was she out all this time?
Zhang Shutong only knew that tonight was destined to have no results. Not to mention that he had already troubled Mr. Song enough. Even if he wanted to find Lu Qinglian, he didn't know her whereabouts. Even if she had returned to the mountain, with the heavy snow now, the mountain road would be blocked, and he couldn't go up there.
He could only wait until tomorrow.
Lu Qinglian...
The temple keeper...
The Green Snake Temple...
Did the final clue point to one place—
That mysterious little temple?
The car drove on, swaying. Mr. Song even asked him if he wanted to practice driving, but Zhang Shutong was not in the mood.
They had left in high spirits, but on the way back, they didn't say much.
He still didn't have a definitive answer until they drove onto the small road in front of the villa.
It was still snowing. The Focus stopped in front of the villa. He turned his head and saw that the lights in the windows were still on, looking warm.
"Then, as we discussed, I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning," Song Nanshan said with a yawn. "See you tomorrow, Qiumian. Get a good night's sleep tonight. Don't be scared..."
"What do I have to be scared of, Teacher? You should be more concerned about him. He got scared again," Gu Qiumian said, pouting. She then asked Zhang Shutong if he wanted to come inside to get a towel to wipe his hair.
He was about to shake his head and hadn't even spoken when the small car suddenly lurched to one side.
All three of them were startled. The previous encounter had his nerves on edge. Zhang Shutong immediately pushed open the car door. Mr. Song also frowned and followed him out. The two of them went around to the right side of the car. The other person looked at the bottom of the car for a moment and then scratched his head:
"Crap, the tire's flat."
"How did the tire go flat?" Zhang Shutong asked.
"Do you remember when we hit a pothole on the way to pick up Qiumian? It was bumpy. I think that's when it started leaking air," Mr. Song said. He kicked the right rear tire and looked closely at it. "We also forgot to check. We were in a hurry to get inside and eat. We just drove around for a while. Oh, and you even practiced driving for a bit. It was snowing, so we were driving slowly. The road felt different from normal, so I didn't notice. It must have been slowly leaking air the whole time. Then it suddenly reached a critical point. You know, 'the last straw that broke the camel's back.' It just burst."
"Can it be fixed?"
"No," Mr. Song straightened up and let out a breath. "It's completely flat. It's not easy to fix. And we don't have any tools. I don't know if we're unlucky or lucky. At least it didn't leave the three of us stranded on the road. That would have been a real disaster. At least we made it back."
"Ah, it's a coincidence. So if I have to make a guess..."
At this point, Mr. Song suddenly smiled awkwardly and looked at Gu Qiumian, who had also gotten out of the car:
"Well, Qiumian, I guess I won't be able to pick you up tomorrow morning..."