A few minutes later.
Inside the dorm building, the electric kettle let out a sharp whistle.
This was a thirty-square-meter living room with a small color TV, a fabric sofa, and a tea table with chipped paint, which was the entire furniture.
A family photo hung on the TV wall. The photo was slightly faded.
The dorm building was a brick-and-mortar structure, and the layout was a bit different from ordinary apartment buildings.
At this time, there was no such thing as "the Xth generation of residential buildings." The living room was rectangular, with the sofa leaning against the long side of the rectangle. The upper half of the wall was a window. The sunlight shone through, and fragmented rays of light spread across the sofa and the floor. He could see some dust floating in the air. It wasn't a big home, but it gave a sense of warmth.
But today, an uninvited guest had arrived at his home.
Zhang Shutong lifted the kettle and poured a cup of hot water for Lu Qinglian.
"Thank you." The girl held the teacup with both hands and sat on the sofa, her posture straight.
Her eyes were a dull amber color in the light.
She had taken off her green robe and folded it next to her hand, revealing the sweater underneath. It was white and a little old, but it didn't look sloppy on her. Or rather, her temperament was too unique to be enhanced or diminished by a piece of clothing.
"I heard from Auntie that you're going to the mountains later." Lu Qinglian lowered her eyes and gently blew on the hot water. "Welcome."
He didn't respond to her cryptic words.
Instead, he went back to his bedroom to change clothes.
He closed the door. His mom was cutting fruit in the kitchen. She had always been a lively and cheerful person. He could hear her humming a tune in a good mood. The apples were being sliced into small pieces with a crunching sound.
He had always said that his mom was a woman who lived a very refined life. Not only would she peel and slice the apples, but she would probably also soak them in salt water later. Zhang Shutong's mood at this moment was like that apple in the salt water.
A few minutes ago, downstairs, he had asked his mom where his thick coat was, hoping she would get the secret message.
But his mom casually said:
"Didn't I put that coat of yours in the closet a few days ago? I even called you after school and told you..."
Now he was by the closet, and when he opened it, a light blue denim jacket was hanging there. It had a fleece lining and excellent insulation, but this thing in his dictionary could not be called a "thick coat." At most, it was a thick jacket.
Zhang Shutong had never paid attention to the types of clothing before. He might not even be able to tell the difference between a T-shirt and a short-sleeved shirt, but he regretted it a little now.
If he had known, he would have said that his great-aunt had arrived—of course, he didn't have a great-aunt.
He also found a scarf and ran his fingers over the surface of the scarf, not knowing whether he should wear it. He hesitated in his heart, so he sighed in his mouth.
The meaning of this was that he didn't even know if he should go up the mountain later.
After the initial paranoia, he had made a further judgment about his current situation:
Lu Qinglian would not necessarily make any "moves," because her arrival was a "move" in itself. She was showing her attitude in this way, putting him in a difficult position.
The plan to go up the mountain was disrupted.
Originally, the initiative was with him. The temple was in the open, and he was in the dark, so he could react accordingly no matter what happened.
But now the situation was reversed. It was no longer a "investigation" but a "visit."
A visit.
Zhang Shutong himself found this description ridiculous.
"Welcome."
But that's what Lu Qinglian said.
She seemed to be silently giving him two choices. But it was only "seemed." In reality, Zhang Shutong had no other choice at all.
If he didn't drive her back up the mountain, Zhang Shutong had no doubt that she would stay here all day.
—Either go to the temple, but the initiative would definitely be in her hands.
—Or no one would go. Since school was canceled, why not enjoy the rare holiday? This matter could be discussed later.
But Zhang Shutong didn't have time to waste. Today was Friday, and Sunday's midnight was just a blink away.
He felt that Lu Qinglian was a very smart woman. She spoke very little, but every one of her actions put some kind of invisible pressure on him until it accumulated and came crashing down on him.
Among his peers, there was almost no girl who made him feel this kind of pressure, but she was an exception.
At this moment, his phone rang. It was a message from Ruoping, a selfie of the three of them together:
The three of them had actually gone up the mountain. Zhang Shutong scanned the photo. They should not be far from the mountain road.
But it wasn't skiing. There was a small snowman in the picture and a very deep hole, big enough for a child. Zhang Shutong knew what they were doing. Young people never lacked ways to have fun. In the cold and snowy weather, nature was the best material.
They were doing snow hole jumping. They would choose a place with thick snow, dig a hole, step back two steps, jump with all their might, and if they successfully jumped over it, they would continue to step back, getting farther and farther—until someone fell in.
Ruoping and Qingyi's jackets were covered in snow. It seemed that the final winner was Du kang. They were urging him to come quickly.
Zhang Shutong's finger hovered over the keyboard. After a while, he replied to the message.
Zhang Shutong was not a person who hesitated.
Whether he was rushing or lacking consideration, he had to make a decision now—
Lu Qinglian was at the center of the vortex.
You could stay away from her, but that meant you would never get close to the truth.
But if you faced her directly, the result would still not be good. In an instant, you would be swept away by the tide, and the rest would be out of your control.
Zhang Shutong didn't know if this was a trap laid out in the open. He only knew that he couldn't let this continue.
The biggest mistake in doing things is being indecisive. For a person like Lu Qinglian, you either treat her as an enemy or a stranger. Hesitation will not lead to any results.
He remembered the disheveled, pale figure he had seen in the restricted area last night, squatting on the shore in a strange posture. No one could not be on edge in that situation. He and Qingyi had discussed it this way:
Since he couldn't defeat Lu Qinglian and couldn't get any answers from her, it would be better to bypass her and investigate secretly.
But now, Zhang Shutong had changed his mind.
He had to pull things back into his own rhythm.
He changed his jacket, pulled the scarf from the hanger, and walked out of the bedroom.
Two women, one big and one small, were sitting in the living room. His mom waved him over to eat the apples.
But Zhang Shutong shook his head and said that he had to go up the mountain later and it was best to leave now.
His mom was a little reluctant and complained that he was too much of a troublemaker.
"I have to go back too. Grandma will be worried." Lu Qinglian also said.
His mom was surprised:
"Why do you two seem like you've planned to go together?"
"Something like that."
Both of them said indifferently at the same time. They didn't want to explain too much, but in reality, before they spoke, neither of them expected to say the same thing.
"You two are so in sync. You must get along well at school." His mom's eyes lit up.
This time, neither of them spoke. Because Zhang Shutong wanted to say "no," he wasn't sure if Lu Qinglian's answer would be the same. If it was, it would undoubtedly be another counterexample. But this time, the other party didn't reply.
Besides getting some things cleared up, he didn't want to have any more ties with the other party, but it was not a good idea to speak in front of his mom, so he would have to wait.
He urged her again, and his mom gave him a disgruntled look, pointing at the whole plate of apples on the tea table, telling him to eat them before he left.
Zhang Shutong didn't understand why she had sliced so many. He casually picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. His gums were a little sore.
His mom had another strange idea:
"I'll find a bag for you to pack them in. You can eat them while you play later."
Without waiting for them to refuse, she bustled back to the kitchen, her tone as if she was taking two kids on a picnic.
If only it were a picnic.
Zhang Shutong glanced at Lu Qinglian. She was putting down the fruit fork and signaling:
"Thank you for the hospitality. It was delicious."
Even though the number of times they had genuinely communicated was few and far between, Zhang Shutong could tell that this was her pretense. It might not be intentional, but it was definitely not her true face.
Just like when she wasn't talking about serious matters, she would often address him as "classmate Zhang Shutong."
But once she dropped the pretense, it was just "Zhang Shutong."
Her expression now was like a little girl who had just eaten a delicious dessert and was not yet satisfied. Although in this day and age on the island, in 2012, winter fruits were not that abundant, it was just an apple.
If it were really like this, it would be a relief. For a girl who was indifferent to everything, Zhang Shutong wouldn't mind buying her a month's worth of apples, but she wasn't. All that was left was silence.
At this moment, his mom called him from the kitchen. Zhang Shutong went over, and the woman closed the kitchen door:
"Do you two want me to pack anything else for you?"
Zhang Shutong could only emphasize that he wasn't going on a picnic.
"Then how are you going to eat lunch?"
"We'll see." He answered distractedly. It would be good enough if they could come back safely. He shouldn't think about eating for now.
"How are you and Little Lu's relationship usually?"
If someone else had said this, Zhang Shutong would have ignored it, but this was his mom. He had to patiently explain that they were just ordinary classmates.
"Really? I feel like you're a little afraid of her,"
His mom chuckled:
"I've heard that some boys now listen to whatever girls they're trying to impress say. They get scared and don't dare to make a sound when the girl glares at them. Tongtong, are you like that behind my back?"
His mom's words were truly meaningless. He had wanted to go out, but he stopped and thought for a moment:
"Mom, when you ran into Lu Qinglian, was she always standing at the school gate?"
"Yes."
Then it was even less of a coincidence.
If she had found out that school was canceled, she would have gone straight back up the mountain.
There were two roads out of the school, one leading up the mountain and one to the city. If she had gone straight back up the mountain, his mom would not have run into her.
Zhang Shutong walked out of the kitchen and looked at Lu Qinglian again. She had already gotten up and put on her green robe.
Zhang Shutong noticed that her hair was not tied in a high ponytail. He even had a guess that the style of her hair determined her current stance. Student or temple keeper.
The three of them stayed upstairs for less than ten minutes and then got in the car. Zhang Shutong fastened his seatbelt and glanced at Lu Qinglian in the rearview mirror. The car started, and she was turning her head to look at the scenery outside the window. The bleak scenery was reflected in her eyes, as if every scene was a fresh picture.
Lu Qinglian didn't have any reaction to him going up the mountain, as if she had lost even the normal curiosity of a person.
Because a normal person would always ask why he was going or what he was going there for, but she seemed to have anticipated it.
No one spoke first, and no one answered. This atmosphere was very strange. Besides his mom, who was kept in the dark, the other two had their own ulterior motives. But the atmosphere they created was like a parent taking their children somewhere to play, dropping them off at a certain location.
Zhang Shutong was ready to go there.
This time, he was dressed warmly. He was wearing a pair of hiking boots, a denim jacket, and a black scarf. His pockets were also filled with gloves. The gear he had accumulated over the years finally had a use. He took out his phone and sent a text message to Qingyi:
"Lu Qinglian is next to me right now."
"?"
"Don't tell the other two yet, especially Du kang."
"Are you really coming?"
He replied with a "yes" and then typed:
"But don't meet up."
"Do you have a plan?"
"It might not get to that point."
"Be careful."
Zhang Shutong turned off his phone.
Humans are such strange creatures. Once they make a decision, their doubts fly away.
So he also rested his face on his hand and looked at the scenery outside the window, not knowing what this scenery meant to Lu Qinglian.
Green snake.
Offspring.
Immortality.
Temple keeper.
Restricted area.
Photos.
Tattoo.
His mom was saying again that he should bring his classmates home to play more, which seemed to be what every mom would say.
She also said that after she dropped them off, she was going to the mall to get her nails done. Only then did Zhang Shutong remember, the last time he saw his mom at the mall, was she going to get her nails done?
It seemed that every time his mom appeared, she would always run into a girl, and things would always reach a turning point. Zhang Shutong listened patiently to her words, and her tone was relaxed. He was afraid that his mom really thought this way, that after she dropped off the kids, she could finally enjoy her hard-earned holiday.
Zhang Shutong also cherished this hard-earned peace. Because when the car arrived at its destination, it would be a different scene.
Since he could still listen to his mom's cheerful chatter, he should listen carefully.
After that, there were no more words.
Building after building flew by the car window. The buildings, the street trees, and the empty streets slowly faded away, leaving only the endless white snow.
His home was on the east side, so it was very close to the mountain. In just ten minutes, he could see the majestic mountain in front of him.
Zhang Shutong was familiar with this place. He had driven Lu Qinglian home here before.
This time, his mom dropped them off at the foot of the mountain.
The snow at the entrance had not yet melted. The mountain road was winding. Every few steps, he could see withered trees. In a few places, black mountain rocks were exposed, creating a sharp contrast of black and white, and the cold light was dazzling.
He waved goodbye through the car window. His mom said to have fun, and he smiled and said of course he would. He also told her to have a good time at the beauty salon and promised not to call her or disturb her nap at noon.
"Then Auntie is leaving now. You two be careful." His mom waved at Lu Qinglian again.
Lu Qinglian also offered a farewell.
The two of them stood in the empty snow, silently looking forward, watching the car slowly drive away.
The wind at the foot of the mountain was very strong. They stood together. One was dressed as if he was going hiking, and the other was dressed as if she was going to hold a ceremony at a temple. They were so out of place, even a little comical.
But Zhang Shutong knew that everything would be different once they got out of the car. It wasn't a picnic or a fun trip. The person standing next to him was not an ordinary girl. No matter what awaited him, it might be his overthinking, or it might be full of danger, but there was no turning back.
"What exactly do you want to do?" After a while, Zhang Shutong changed his tone.
"Classmate Zhang Shutong, don't ask such vague questions." Lu Qinglian lowered her eyes. It turned out she was tying the sash of her green robe. "Why don't you tell me what you want to know."
"You just said at my house, 'I have to go back quickly, or Grandma will be worried,' right? But how would your grandma know that school was canceled today, or that you would come back during the day?"
"As for that, she doesn't know." Lu Qinglian said indifferently. Zhang Shutong turned his head and saw the cold wind messing up her hair. "It was just a temporary excuse I came up with. It does have some loopholes, but you don't have to care about it."
"I don't have to care?"
"It's just a good excuse. When you get used to using it, you'll ignore the logic. You can substitute anyone into it. Don't pay too much attention to every word I say. Sometimes I'm serious, and sometimes I'm just saying it casually."
"And what about this sentence now?"
"It should be considered casual." She raised her eyes. Zhang Shutong saw those eyes without any emotional fluctuations again.
He frowned because of this:
"Can you just say it clearly once?"
But Lu Qinglian looked at him nonchalantly:
"Are you very impatient right now, and also anxious? Do you feel like this person is always lying and uses excuses to gloss over everything? I can probably understand that."
Then, Zhang Shutong saw her lips curl up in a half-smile, a subtle arc:
"But Zhang Shutong, have you noticed that you and I are pretty much the same in this regard.
"You're also full of lies.
"How many people have you lied to?"