"I was never there last night."
Zhang Shutong was startled.
But he had already been shocked too many times today. He just subconsciously asked:
"Is this sentence... also fake?"
"It's real."
"Are you saying there are two of you?"
"The person you saw should not be me."
"Then who was it..."
"I don't know either." Lu Qinglian's eyebrows were still furrowed.
"A sister?"
"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" Lu Qinglian asked again.
"No, and she was also wearing a green robe," Zhang Shutong recalled more details. "From your temple?"
But he immediately thought that there were only the girl and her grandma in the temple.
"He's not from the temple. Do you remember what happened this Wednesday, December 5th? I went fishing with you guys that night and left for a while?" Her speech was fast, not giving him a chance to breathe. "You kept asking me what I went to do. Now I can tell you—"
"It was to find him."
"You've also met yourself?" Zhang Shutong's mind was completely scrambled.
"No, I don't even know who he is."
"What do you mean? Then how could you go look for him?"
"Let's put it another way, Zhang Shutong." She sighed. "Your questions about me can be temporarily divided into four situations. One is what I know, one is what I don't know, one is what I know but can't tell you, and the last one is what's better for you not to know."
"Then which one is this?"
"Why I looked for him is the third one. As for who he is, it's the second."
Zhang Shutong had so many questions to ask that he didn't even know where to start. He grabbed a handful of snow from the ground and randomly rubbed it on his face. As expected, he shivered from the cold. When his mind calmed down, he asked the first question:
"You have no involvement with Gu Qiumian's family?"
"No."
"The truth?"
"Being overly suspicious is not a good thing. If you're still doubting me, you can think back carefully. The things I'm not willing to tell you are always said in another way."
"'You can understand it that way for now'?"
"Exactly. It's actually very easy to distinguish, unlike you, who would make up all kinds of lies, right?" She said indifferently, "I can probably understand that your mind is in a mess. If so, why don't you listen to me first? Why did you suspect me just now? You seem very certain that Gu Qiumian will die."
Of course, it was...
Zhang Shutong stopped himself from speaking.
The tattoo, the photo.
And Gu Qiumian's bizarre cause of death.
But now, all these clues had been reversed. He was even thinking, could it be that the clues were right, but he had found the wrong "person"? Was the murderer of Gu Qiumian in the cold-blooded timeline really Lu Qinglian, but not the Lu Qinglian in front of him?
But how could he confirm who this Lu Qinglian in front of him was?
Did he have to distinguish between the real and fake Lu Qinglian?
Zhang Shutong felt his scalp tingle.
Calm down. Calm down.
First, since this Lu Qinglian remembered catching the poachers on Wednesday, it meant that the Lu Qinglian he met after the regression was this woman in front of him.
Then what about the Lu Qinglian from their student days?
He could only communicate after he had confirmed this:
"Gloves?"
Zhang Shutong asked again.
Lu Qinglian was, as expected, able to quickly understand what he meant:
"I borrowed them because my hands had cracks from the cold. You lent them to me to shovel snow. Is there anything else you want to confirm?"
"I... think that's it."
Mainly because Zhang Shutong couldn't remember the details from his student days either.
"Then you should answer my question now." Lu Qinglian said again. Her amber eyes were indifferent and very intimidating. "Listen carefully. I want to hear the truth."
"It was probably a dream."
"Your dream is very realistic." Saying this, Lu Qinglian's tone became colder.
Zhang Shutong knew this excuse was absurd, but he still didn't know what the Green Snake Temple really represented. He had summarized a pattern: whenever it came to the temple, Lu Qinglian was very tight-lipped.
Besides, the other party was able to communicate calmly now based on the assumption that he was an ordinary person.
If he were to tell her directly that he could regress and that this ability was obtained from her temple, he didn't know what her attitude would be.
Being overly suspicious was a bad thing, but Zhang Shutong was not prepared to lay all his cards on the table either.
So he would just stick with the dream excuse.
He had gained his ability during the summer festival of his ninth-grade year.
So, even if Lu Qinglian didn't believe the "dream" excuse, she would not know that he could regress no matter what.
"It really was a dream." He controlled his subtle facial expressions and looked at her seriously.
"Mmm, it was a dream." The girl just nodded nonchalantly. "So?"
"In the dream, Gu Qiumian died in that barren land."
"Cause of death?"
"I don't know." He described the information about the Gu family's villa. "The dog, the fence, and the bodyguard and housekeeper, but she still died in that barren land. I still can't figure it out."
"So you suspected I killed her?"
"You're very special, after all." Zhang Shutong added, "But now I suspect that the murderer is not you, but the figure I saw last night."
He could now very well describe his mood. He had finally made further progress on the murderer's clues, and the answer seemed to be right in front of him. On one hand, it was naturally exciting, but on the other hand, it was an existence that even Lu Qinglian didn't know about... What on earth was it?
Zhang Shutong's back felt cold.
"Since you don't know who he is, why did you look for him?" Zhang Shutong asked patiently.
"The duty of a temple keeper."
"Be more specific."
"How big do you think the temple's jurisdiction is?"
"The entire mountain?"
"The entire island. So when something happens on the island, I will know."
"Through those snakes?"
"If you know too much, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to go back today."
This was another admission in a roundabout way.
Zhang Shutong found that he had to think carefully about what she said sometimes.
"Am I to understand that in your eyes, something is happening in that barren land to the west?"
"Yes."
"What's happening?" Zhang Shutong asked with little hope.
"Grandma told me." Who knew that Lu Qinglian would be so straightforward this time?
"Then should I just go and ask her?"
"I don't recommend it."
"What do you mean, 'don't recommend it'?"
"Not seeing her is for your protection, that's all."
"Wait a minute." Zhang Shutong suddenly thought of something. "You came out to find me today. Your grandma doesn't know?"
"No."
"Then you still want to take me to the temple?"
"Just like you dug a trap. I also have other preparations."
He suddenly remembered what the other person had said at the foot of the mountain:
"...So I won't give you another chance to hesitate. It's not a choice for you to make now. It's a must. It's not up to you..."
"What preparations?" Zhang Shutong asked again.
"The preparation to make you tell the truth."
What did that mean?
Zhang Shutong was stunned again.
Did the other party also dig a pit?
Or would she imprison him when he got to the temple?
Torture him?
Or give him some kind of drug?
But he heard Lu Qinglian say indifferently:
"I said, being overly suspicious is a bad thing. I understand you better than you think. I don't need any special methods to make you tell the truth. Also, I don't have the intention of harming anyone. If I did, you would not be in this situation right now."
If it weren't for her tone, which had no ups and downs, these words would have sounded a little intimate.
"By the way, try not to appear in front of my grandma. I'm not sure how long I can keep it a secret." Lu Qinglian added meaningfully.
"Keep what a secret?"
"My relationship with you." Saying this, Lu Qinglian's lips slightly curled up.
Zhang Shutong knew that this sentence could not be taken seriously. It was another thing she said casually.
He proactively pressed the pause button on this fast-paced conversation. There was too much information to digest.
First. The Green Snake Temple was indeed not an ordinary small temple.
Besides regression, it held more secrets.
Second, the girl was not an ordinary girl.
Third, the girl's grandma was probably not the ordinary old person he imagined.
Zhang Shutong felt a little lucky. Fortunately, he didn't follow Qingyi's advice and go to the temple without Lu Qinglian.
Finally, the murderer had finally surfaced. Although he was more difficult than expected, he seemed to have found the opportunity for him and Lu Qinglian to fight side-by-side in the cold-blooded timeline—
"Let's cooperate." Zhang Shutong proactively extended his hand and said seriously. "I want to catch that murderer. As a temple keeper, you also need to find that figure. At least in this regard, you and I are on the same side."
"Okay." Saying this, Lu Qinglian's gaze stopped on his hand. Her body didn't move. "I'm not used to physical contact with others. A verbal agreement is fine. Please forgive me."
Zhang Shutong withdrew his hand indifferently:
"What other information can we exchange? The whereabouts of the other party?"
"I've been looking for him these past few days as well. Other than that, I don't have anything else."
"Can those snakes be of any use?"
"Why are you still bringing up the snakes?" Lu Qinglian frowned.
Zhang Shutong knew he was a little bit suicidal.
"You already gave it away yourself anyway. I'll keep it a secret for you. Can you tell me something else?"
"No." She refused. "But I can tell you that those frozen snakes were a surprise to me."
"You mean, because of this heavy snow?" Only now did Zhang Shutong realize that he had forgotten about the snow. It was clearly the most unexpected thing that had happened before. "Is it related to the temple?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
It seemed she also didn't know the origin of this heavy snow. If the other party wanted to lie to him, she didn't have to say that.
Zhang Shutong recalled the content of the conversation again, confirming that he had asked all the questions he needed to. The rest were either things she didn't know or things related to the Green Snake Temple that she wasn't willing to talk about.
But Zhang Shutong didn't have time to probe into what was hidden in that temple now. As he had just said, Gu Qiumian's death was imminent. The top priority was to reach an agreement and find the murderer together.
He clenched his fist hard. Although what he had encountered today was completely beyond his imagination, when he thought about it, it was all positive gains.
Except for the kick he got.
But this matter... Zhang Shutong glanced at her lightly tipped foot. An eye for an eye, it was actually very normal.
So Zhang Shutong asked again:
"Then I need to go down the mountain to make some arrangements. What about you? Going back to the temple? How will we contact each other in the future?"
He had wanted to say they should stay in touch at all times, but then he remembered that Lu Qinglian didn't even have a phone, so she couldn't send messages whenever she wanted. It wasn't possible for him to climb the mountain every time he needed to find her.
"No," Lu Qinglian shook her head. "I'm going down the mountain too. Time is very tight. Don't think that thing is easy to find. I also advise you to give up the idea of a direct confrontation with him. Have you ever thought that since he can enter the villa, he might have some unexpected tricks up his sleeve?"
"Just like those snakes?"
Lu Qinglian didn't say anything, but her eyes were very dangerous.
Zhang Shutong apologized. He didn't want to bring up the snakes either, but they were the only suitable example he could think of for a method beyond common sense.
"What about your grandma? Do you need to tell her?"
"She doesn't know that school was canceled today, so I can stay outside during the day."
"You seem to have an average relationship with her?" Zhang Shutong read a different meaning from this sentence.
"Classmate Zhang Shutong," Lu Qinglian said indifferently, "I've already warned you for the third time. I hope there won't be a next time. Our relationship is not good enough for you to pry into my private matters."
Zhang Shutong decisively shut up.
...
However, the woman who had said, "Our relationship is not good enough for that," a few minutes ago was now on his back.
Zhang Shutong was carrying Lu Qinglian on his back, walking carefully down the mountain road.
Her sprained ankle was more severe than he had imagined. She could at most walk slowly on a flat surface, but the surroundings were mountains covered in snow and rocks. There was no flat ground for her to walk on.
As for resting in place, it was also impossible. It was hard to find a place to sit down. Even if they did, it was too cold outside. Once they stopped moving, their body temperature would drop rapidly. This also confirmed one thing for him: Lu Qinglian should really be human.
Seeing her skin get whiter and whiter from the cold—a normal person's skin would turn red from the cold, but Lu Qinglian was the opposite. Her skin was porcelain white with a cold light, and the color of blood was getting less and less. Zhang Shutong then suggested that he carry her down the mountain.
Now, this porcelain-like woman was on his back. Of course, he had no romantic thoughts. He was so tired. Every time he took a big breath, it would pull on the wound on his chest. And after the adrenaline wore off, he found that not only his chest but his arms were also in pain.
"Move your hands down a bit." A cold warning came from behind him. "Don't touch my thighs."
"I'm sorry." He used force to lift the girl up, hooking his hands under her knees. "It's my first time carrying a girl. I have no experience."
"It's also my first time being carried by a male." Lu Qinglian, of course, did not hook her arms around his neck but instead gently held his shoulders with both hands. "So you'd better be careful, Zhang Shutong."
Both of them felt that it was better not to talk about this topic.
He had just called his mom a moment ago. Zhang Shutong felt a little embarrassed because he had promised not to disturb her beauty sleep.
But his mom was still rushing over. As for where they were going next, to be honest, Zhang Shutong hadn't thought about it yet, but they had to get to the bottom of the mountain first.
"How much strength do you have left right now?" Zhang Shutong asked.
"Enough to handle you."
"I mean if the murderer is a strong fighter, are you confident you can handle it?"
"I'm not sure."
He felt a ticklish sensation on the back of his neck. He knew that Lu Qinglian was shaking her head, and her hair was also moving.
This should have made his heart flutter, but Zhang Shutong only felt regret.
It seemed... he had just... weakened her precious strength.
"I'm sorry."
"You should be sorry." Although he couldn't see her expression, she was probably expressionless.
"But those things you said in the car made it hard for me not to think too much."
He could only explain:
"For example, things like, 'a snake will regain its ability to move when the temperature rises, so be careful not to get bitten'..."
"That was to warn you not to have any unnecessary curiosity about those snakes. What did you think of that?"
Zhang Shutong was silent for a moment and then asked again:
"What about that very playful cold smile? It was pretty scary too."
"Did you see that bird?" Lu Qinglian suddenly asked. "Standing on the second tree."
As a result, as soon as Zhang Shutong turned his head, the bird fluttered and flew away.
"A frightened bird?"
"Something like that. Do you remember the experiment in our first-year biology textbook?" She was indeed number one in her grade. She immediately gave an example. "Exploring the effect of light on the life of woodlice."
"What does that mean?"
"The first time I heard the name 'woodlice,' I thought observing them was quite interesting, so I probably smiled. So do you know what I think now?"
"What?"
"Fortunately, woodlice can't dig pits."
"Are you saying that it wasn't a cold smile, but a smile from observing a certain creature?" Zhang Shutong understood. This woman was insulting him in a roundabout way.
"You can understand it that way for now." Lu Qinglian said indifferently again. "On one hand, you're too suspicious. On the other hand, there are indeed some things about you that interest me and are worth studying. But don't misunderstand. The 'interest' I'm talking about is probably very different from what you're thinking."
Zhang Shutong couldn't think of what it was. It sounded like he was a guinea pig. He could only understand it that way for now.
"When I was a kid, I raised a cat in the temple. Your reaction to me is very similar to how that cat reacted to a snake." Lu Qinglian added.
"Okay, stop." His face darkened. "Then why did you change your mind? Shouldn't you be taking me to the temple?"
"That was the plan, but you got so carried away at the edge of the pit and revealed so much information. It was enough for me, so there's no need for me to tell you too many things."
"Can we stop and rest?"
"Are you stalling for time again?" She seemed to be frowning.
"No. You're heavier than I thought..."
"Zhang Shutong, I haven't told your friends about you digging a pit to bury me. Are you sure you want them to know why you dug such a deep pit?"
Zhang Shutong remembered Ruoping and Du kang's reactions and shut up again.
What a troublesome woman.
They soon reached the bottom of the mountain. Zhang Shutong was finally freed. He went into the convenience store, found a chair, and put Lu Qinglian down.
The auntie at the convenience store looked at the two of them with a strange look.
Zhang Shutong bought two bottles of water and handed one to Lu Qinglian.
"Thank you." Lu Qinglian took it politely.
He went outside again to call his mom. His mom asked them how they were having fun.
Zhang Shutong didn't know how to answer.
He figured when she got here, she would be stunned:
The two kids were fine when they left, so why did one have a sprained ankle and the other get kicked when they came back?
What on earth did you two do on the mountain?
Imagining these questions, Zhang Shutong had a headache. Fortunately, Lu Qinglian was not the type of girl who would proactively tattle.
Soon, his family's black SUV arrived. He called out to Lu Qinglian, and the two of them got into the car. Because Lu Qinglian deliberately walked slowly, his mom didn't notice her injured ankle.
The first thing she noticed was the empty plastic bag in the girl's hand:
"You two really ate all the apples. Was I not very foresighted?"
His mom then looked at him with a smile:
"Oh my, who was it this morning that was so stubborn and said it wasn't a picnic and not to disturb my sleep?"
Zhang Shutong's eye twitched at her words.
That was indeed true.
It was more than just a picnic. It was a battle...
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Lu Qinglian in the rearview mirror. The girl's expression was calm.
It was as if this snowy trial, chase, ambush, counter-ambush, the vast whiteness, the flying snow... were all an illusion.
But the pain in his chest told him that everything had not happened that long ago.
So, it was more than just a picnic. It was a battle in the wild.
Zhang Shutong thought of a fitting description.
Mmm, that's it.