Winter Returns

Chapter 118 No need to thank me, buddy.

It's past midnight.

Zhang Shutong stared at the ceiling of the ward, lost in thought.

It's a little past eight o'clock in the evening now. Last time, around this time, he rode his bike home, and a little while later, Gu Qiumian called to invite him to dinner on Sunday.

He was so tired at that time that he ate something quickly and then went to sleep.

Then came the news of her death.

Zhang Shutong has always felt a strange sense of unease about the early hours of Sunday morning.

If you calculate the time, there are still more than four hours until midnight.

He had four hours to rest, but life is sometimes so dramatic. He used to be able to fall asleep peacefully with a relaxed mind, but now he was drowsy but dared not close his eyes, worried that something unexpected might happen and he would miss it.

This is the case on Lao Song's side, and it's the same on Gu Qiumian's side.

The teacher is still in the operating room and hasn't come out yet. It's unknown whether he's out of danger, but he should be. He's half-dead, and Zhang Shutong believes he can pull through the remaining half.

All we could do was believe it; what else could we do? Just then, the nurse finally came over with the medicine tray.
"Hand out."

Oh, it can still reach out.

Zhang Shutong honestly reached out his hand.

"The veins in this hand are swollen; we need to get a replacement."

He watched the needle pierce his skin, and then heard the nurse say:
"Don't run around this time, just finish the fight obediently."

Zhang Shutong nodded and watched the other person walk away.

He watched the medicine drip slowly from the small gourd, his body still feeling cold. Zhang Shutong had the foresight to bring his down jacket up—the one he'd brought from the villa—which he'd loaded into the car that morning.

He said he would return the down jacket to Gu Qiumian when he had time, but he hadn't been able to find the time. Now he was wearing it, and it had a faint fragrance. Zhang Shutong wasn't a person who was sensitive to smells, but he gradually became familiar with the scent. The fragrance crept into his nostrils, as if its owner was right beside him.

Actually not.

He was just getting an IV drip in the hospital. The ward was more lively than his home. He watched the crowds coming and going and sneezed every now and then.

Zhang Shutong wanted to thank Lao Song. He had intended to leave the villa directly yesterday, but his teacher helped him find it, although he didn't know how Lao Song found it.

Time seemed to pass both quickly and slowly. It felt like just a moment ago he was still in that villa, in the peaceful morning, with snow covering the earth like a blanket, and the living room spacious and warm.

Another sneeze.

Sorry sorry.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "I've gotten your clothes dirty, but I'm so cold, I have no choice but to use this as a temporary solution."

He probably didn't even know that he had worn the down jacket out, because she had already gone upstairs when he left.

He could see that Gu Qiu Mian didn't really 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 was lost in thought.

It seems not.

Now that things have come to this, he's too lazy to dwell on whether it's all meaningful. Admittedly, there are people guarding the villa; admittedly, one shouldn't be too arrogant; admittedly, Gu Qiu Mian's safety is none of his concern. But the voice inside him is telling him to persevere, to keep running.

Of course he'll keep going, but he's not a real sheepdog that can run around all day with boundless energy.

I'm really a bit tired.

Zhang Shutong's eyelids began to droop. He still couldn't understand why Gu Qiumian had changed her attitude that day. She probably meant well and didn't want to see him running around. But in reality, no matter what she did, as long as Sunday morning hadn't passed, he would still do it anyway.

What a stubborn person.

Zhang Shutong silently tugged at his 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 even have the brain to think about who the murderer was. He only knew that he could catch the other party tonight. If he couldn't stop them... To be honest, if he still couldn't stop them with so many people, Zhang Shutong didn't know what to do.

It felt like two voices were arguing in my head:
One said, "There's really no other way. It's not your fault. You wanted to take her away, and you tried to persuade her many times, but she wouldn't leave."

Another person said that she was safer in the villa than with you, which was a very rational and calm decision. Unlike you, who was running around like an idiot. Besides, she was a rich girl. Her previous behavior was abnormal. Did she really think the world couldn't function without you?
Gu Qiumian is actually a smart girl.

This time, the two voices stopped arguing and instead reached a consensus.

Zhang Shutong used to think she was stupid.

Actually, I'm the fool.

Or, to paraphrase Lao Song, a silly girl will eventually become shrewd, and this transformation will be silent and unexpected, always catching you off guard.

He felt the cold medicine slowly flowing into his veins, and half of his arm felt numb. His consciousness was fading, and he was about to fall asleep without realizing it, so he quickly shook his head.

It was still very noisy around. It was the hospital's evening rush hour, and Zhang Shutong really couldn't take the child's crying in stride anymore.

He wanted to say, "Little one, don't cry, okay? It's just a shot. You have a long life ahead of you." I'm not trying to lecture you, but I used to be afraid of shots too. I thought the scariest thing was being tricked into going to the hospital by my mom, and then lying on the hospital bed with my bottom feeling cold... But later I realized that there are so many things more bitter than that.

Yes, he recalled his past life trapped in time travel. How similar, or even identical, was that he was always running around in a frenzy, always in a sorry state. Time and again he thought he could break free from this damned thing, but in reality he was always fighting against it.

Just then, a man's phone rang next to me. For some reason, the ringtone was unusually loud, making the already chaotic ward even more chaotic.

"Dedicate your youth to the magnificent city behind you..."

Zhang Shutong felt the name was familiar, and the next moment she realized it was "Runaway." The last time she heard it was on Friday, on her way home from school, it had been a long time.

This is so inappropriate; who elopes in a hospital ward?

Zhang Shutong vaguely recalled that it was like that time when a Ford Focus was playing this kind of music, the man was driving slowly, the girl in the passenger seat had her ears red, it was raining that day, the city was shrouded in a light fog, and she was curled up on her side in the back seat...

But now Fox is totaled, and the man is in the operating room for emergency treatment. He can only pick up fragments of the past from the songs and the smell of down jackets. They are fragments because they pierce your hands and draw blood when you hold them.

This is really out of place.

Zhang Shutong thought silently. He used to think that the easiest thing was to take Gu Qiumian off the island, as a way out or a backup plan. Now, it was the other way around.

He finally decided to close his eyes and rest for a while, really just a short while, but the next moment, a phone call came in.

Du Kang's phone call.

Zhang Shutong's spirits lifted. He had made an appointment with the other party when he returned, and they would contact him as soon as Lao Song came out of the operating room.

Zhang Shutong's heart started pounding uncontrollably. He took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.

"How about it?"

"It's alright, the doctor said the surgery was successful and you're out of danger."

Hearing this, he finally felt relieved.

Zhang Shutong looked up and surveyed his surroundings, feeling as if he had been transported to another world. He clenched his fist tightly, but this was definitely not a good place to talk. He then took off the IV drip with his phone between his fingers and walked step by step into the corridor.

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things. I'll contact you anytime if anything happens here," Du Kang whispered. "I'm in the ward now. It seems Auntie pulled some strings and arranged a four-person room. It's quiet enough, has a private bathroom, and there's even a TV on the wall."

"Where will you sleep tonight?" Zhang Shutong asked belatedly. "Should I ask my dad to book a hotel for you?"

"Hey, no need. I've had a free day today, I can manage. By the way, let me tell you something funny. I was waiting outside the operating room when the aunt saw my back and called out 'Son!' She thought you were here and wanted to give me a hug, but she mistook me for someone else. It was quite embarrassing."

"This is something only my mom would do," Zhang Shutong forced a smile.
"Where are they?"

"My aunt wanted to take me out to eat, but I said it wasn't necessary. We ate at a restaurant, and then she drove off to buy groceries. My uncle seems to be going through the hospital admission procedures. Now I'm the only one in the ward."

When will Old Song wake up?

"It'll probably be past midnight," Du Kang said again. "Don't stay up late. You sound a bit nasal. It's so noisy over there, you didn't go back to the hospital for another injection, did you?"

"I have a bit of a cold," Zhang Shutong added. "Don't tell my mom, or she'll nag me."

"You're making me feel a little guilty. Never mind, just go home quickly after your injection," Du Kang emphasized again. "I'll keep an eye on things here, no problem. I'll send you a QQ message if Lao Song wakes up."

"Well, thanks."

"What kind of talk is that? He's also my teacher. Shutong, you're being too formal."

Du Kang made a joke and then hung up the phone.

This is a four-person deluxe ward, with a curtain between each bed. When drawn, it becomes a small private space. He was sitting on the side near the window. As expected of a city hospital, the budget is quite generous. There was even a pothos plant on the windowsill, and Du Kang was idly playing with the leaves with his fingers.

He could tell his best friend was putting on a brave face, but he himself wasn't as nonchalant as he made it sound.

Du Kang felt that his current situation was somewhat awkward.

In terms of effort, it seems I didn't contribute much; it was all Shutong's parents who helped. If I stayed here, it would only cause them more worry.

In terms of feelings, it would be better to let Shutong stay here and the three of them could be reunited.

The boy scratched his head, slightly regretting that he shouldn't have rushed over on a whim.

Well, since we're already here, and he's always been a carefree person, and we can't go back anyway, let's just try to find a few opportunities that can be of use.

And then that opportunity really came.

Du Kang saw the man's eyelids suddenly twitch.

Wait, it can't be...

"Teacher, you're awake?" Du Kang asked excitedly.

These words seemed to reach the other person's ears a beat too late; Du Kang wasn't even sure if Lao Song had heard them.

Several seconds later, the man weakly opened his eyes, his gaze snapping out of its daze. He struggled to turn his head and silently opened his mouth, but could barely make a sound.

Song Nanshan blinked his heavy eyelids, the surprise in his eyes proving that he was still somewhat conscious.

Du Kang hurriedly said:
"Teacher, it's me, Du Kang. How are you? We're at the city hospital now. You really scared us. My aunt was in a car accident when she saw you, and then Shu Tong..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man seemed to have caught a key word in his words, and his eyes, which had just regained consciousness, immediately dimmed, as if they were dead.

Song Nanshan uttered his first words after regaining consciousness, his voice hoarse as if from another world:
"It is my fault……"

What went wrong?
Could it be that he felt he had caused trouble for everyone by getting into a car accident, and wanted to apologize as soon as he woke up?
You're quite polite.

He then saw Old Song raise his hand towards him and quickly replied:

"It's alright, it's alright, no one's blaming you. Do you want some water, or is something not feeling well? Should I call a nurse?"

"A cell phone," Song Nanshan stammered.

"My phone, oh, here it is." Du Kang picked up his phone from the bedside table; a nurse surnamed Li had handed it to him. "Is it to call someone to let them know? Your teacher, your parents, or the principal? By the way, what's the password?"

“1212,” Song Nanshan said, enunciating each word slowly and deliberately, his eyes fixed on Du Kang, “You send the first picture in my album to Qiu Mian, and then tell Shu Tong to…”

"What?" But the man was too weak. Du Kang instinctively put his ear closer. The man's eyelids drooped, then closed again, and he fainted once more. Du Kang was stunned, then turned and ran outside. "Nurse, my teacher has fainted again—"

A few minutes later.

"He woke up so quickly. The effects of anesthesia usually last for several hours. How did he wake up so soon?"

The nurse was also surprised.

"So is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Du Kang asked.

"Good thing, of course it's good thing," the nurse exclaimed in amazement. "It's just that this kind of situation is quite rare. Normally he would not wake up until the middle of the night. The fact that he regained consciousness so early can only mean that he has something on his mind. A strong will to live is definitely a good thing. By the way, did your teacher give you any instructions?"

"I told you to give me my phone..."

The nurse nodded and interrupted:

"Then you should contact his family members right away. I'm leaving now. Call me at the nurses' station if there's any further news."

"Oh, okay..." Du Kang watched the other person run out of the ward.

He thought to himself, "Nurse, you've guessed wrong this time. My teacher isn't going to contact the family."

Not long ago, he took some time to unlock his phone and open the photo album. The first photo was of a motorcycle, or more precisely, a photo of Shu Tong standing next to a motorcycle. Speaking of which, Lao Song has been acting quite strangely ever since he woke up.

It's strange that I sent this picture to Gu Qiumian. She doesn't look that handsome at all. She's wearing a mask and looks exhausted.

Old Song's attitude, which resembled making a will, was even stranger.

Thinking of this, Du Kang glanced at the man on the hospital bed; the man's breathing was steady.

Hey, teacher, what's so important about this? You're in this state and you still can't resist playing matchmaker. The nurse even said you had a really strong will to live, which initially touched me. I thought you had some kind of unwavering determination, but this...

Du Kang was both amused and exasperated.

But he had one redeeming quality: if he couldn't figure it out himself, he would just do it anyway. So he found Gu Qiumian's QQ account, clicked on the picture, and clicked the send button.

It also included a sentence:

"Well, Shutong has been running around outside these past few days and even has a fever..."

You're welcome, buddy.

Moonlight poured down.

Gu Qiumian stood quietly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

The courtyard was noisy.

The bodyguards are conducting a final search of the area.

In reality, nothing was found at all. A moment later, just as agreed not long ago, this grand search finally came to an end.

The two police officers have returned to the police station, and the rest of the officers will be staying in the living room tonight.

Aunt Wu was carrying a quilt over when Gu Qiu Mian saw her and wanted to go over and help, but the woman just smiled indulgently:
"You don't need to do this kind of work, and it will be over soon."

"It was me who asked Dad to bring so many people back."

"No one blames you. Maybe President Gu is secretly happy," the woman would occasionally say things that were out of character for her age, teasing the girl, "thinking that my precious daughter has finally remembered him as her father."

"If I don't think about him, who do I think about?" Gu Qiumian snorted.

Aunt Wu was relieved to see her like this; at least she wasn't like she was last night.

"Aren't you going upstairs to rest? It'll start making noise soon. Don't you dislike having too many people around?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Qiu Mian glanced out the French windows again:
"I just want to stay a little longer."

"Are you still not reassured?"

"There must be some, right? Who told him to make such a scary statement?"

"Oh, I see. It's because of what your classmate said. Although he means well, it will be worse if it becomes a worry for you. Since you're worried, why don't you call him and ask? Maybe he'll change his mind now."

Gu Qiu Mian shook her head:
"He'll get nervous again if I call him."

"what happened?"

"You've met him too, what was he like at home that day?"

"Oh." The woman laughed. "I remember him. He was like a little adult, looking around with a serious expression. What was his name? Detective? Putting aside that little detective, Mianmian is definitely different from yesterday. You deliberately didn't mention him last night. Did you really think I didn't notice?"

"Oh, Aunt Wu." Gu Qiumian wrinkled her nose.

"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore," the woman laughed. "So now you're not hesitating anymore?"

“There’s no such thing as not hesitating.” Gu Qiumian became calm when she talked about this. “You’re listening to Zhiruo’s nonsense. She’s making me feel like I’ve lost my soul. She’s exaggerating too much.”

"You should listen to your dad and stay home for the next couple of days. There are so many things to do, like playing the piano, building blocks, singing, and watching movies. It's better than running around outside. Your voice must be hoarse from singing today."

"Of course, I won't be willful."

"I'll go get busy now, don't stand there for too long."

Gu Qiumian nodded and stood in front of the French windows.

It was already 9:30 p.m.

There were only two and a half hours left until midnight, a time Zhang Shutong had emphasized many times.

She had no idea what would happen in two and a half hours.

Unexpected changes may occur suddenly;

It's also possible that nothing will happen overnight.

Gu Qiumian only remembered the dream she mentioned that night.

I don't know why I dreamed of an unfamiliar body of water.

She tried her best to recall, but couldn't remember the process clearly; it was as if it were shrouded in a fog, and she couldn't see anything clearly.

That was actually a nightmare.

She should have stayed at home, but for some reason she went to that body of water.

What exactly happened here? Why does the other party always think that the villa is dangerous?

Looking back on the events of this day, I saw some people and said some things.

Teacher Song said she would take them out for a lot of fun.

Dad told me not to worry.

Aunt Wu advised her not to keep things bottled up inside.

Zhiruo said not to be impulsive or act rashly.

Looking out the window again, the noise gradually subsided, with only the Doberman barking occasionally. She smiled gently when she heard it; the house had been filled with "strangers" these past two days, which had really worried the dog.

This matter should end here.

She was a little sleepy now, and stretched slightly. She had sweated a bit while singing today, and planned to take a bath later and then go to sleep.

This is good. Everyone is happy. She took one last look at the courtyard. The moonlight was lonely. On the snow-covered wilderness, many things might happen.

Gu Qiumian returned to the sofa and turned on the TV.

She hadn't carefully chosen the movies; she just played whichever one came up. She kicked off her slippers, curled her legs to one side, and slowly drank water from her cup. She would laugh when she saw something funny, fast-forward through the boring parts, and purse her lips when she saw something poorly made. If her patience ran out, she would simply switch to another movie.

Until the door was pushed open.

As soon as Gu Qiu Mian turned her head, the leading man spoke:
"Why aren't you sleeping yet?"

"We'll wait for you to come back."

Gu Jianhong handed the teacup to the nanny, changed his shoes, and sat down on the sofa.

"Can you relax now?"

"Um--"

She trailed off her words with a long, drawn-out tone.

"They won't be back until later, around ten o'clock," Mr. Gu habitually instructed. "I'm leaving two people in the car to watch over things tonight. They've gone out to buy some food now, and they should be back around ten to hand over their shift..."

"You can arrange it yourself. It's not like you're giving me instructions. I don't even know who those two people are."

Gu's father chuckled:

"I don't quite understand you, Dad. Do you care or not? You were the one who told me to bring people back, and now you're the one who doesn't want to hear it."

"I was very concerned at the time." Gu Qiumian rested her chin on her hand, watching TV. "But everything's fine now, isn't it?"

“It’s good that you don’t care, that’s how it should be. The car will be parked downstairs. If it’s noisy, just let me know, but it shouldn’t be. I’m going to the study for a bit. You can go upstairs without worry.”

He said, half-jokingly:

"With so many people guarding the living room, no one will be able to take you away tonight."

Gu Qiu Mian nodded and said okay, focusing intently on the screen. She was watching a horror movie, and the ghosts were about to appear, but her father's nagging completely ruined the atmosphere.

Gu Qiu Mian simply turned off the TV. The man gave a helpless smile, while the girl snorted, smiled, said goodnight to him, got up to get a carton of milk, and prepared to heat it up and take it upstairs.

She is a princess-like girl, a true heiress, well protected by her extremely wealthy father. The world will not stop turning even if someone is missing, and she will not be heartbroken if someone is missing.

Gu Qiumian put the milk in the microwave to heat it up. While waiting, she was idly scrolling through her phone when a ding sounded, indicating the milk was ready. Just as she was bringing the cup to her lips, a new message appeared on her phone.

It belongs to Teacher Song.

He sent me a photo.

The photo shows a motorcycle.

A very familiar person was standing next to the motorcycle, even though he was wearing a mask.

This is a photo that will definitely unsettle you.

She almost instantly thought of the motorcycle her bodyguard had found on the mountain road the night before.

Then another message came in.

"Well, Shutong has been running around outside these past two days and even had a high fever. He hasn't come home yet, and I don't know what he's been up to."

This was a question that the person on the other end of the phone couldn't understand, but Gu Qiu Mian immediately had the answer in her heart.

She stared blankly at her phone screen. A picture with a caption had disappeared without a trace, seemingly saying nothing, yet also saying everything.

So she exited the interface and opened the chat between the two people.

She always repeats the same few sentences over and over again; in fact, she can almost recite them by heart.

The boy on the other end was simply saying:

"How are you?"

"be careful."

"Lock the doors and windows."

Be careful tonight.

"...We had a big meal at noon, but I was so busy playing that I didn't eat much..."

"I'm fine here."

Is it really that good?

Now the meaning of these statements has been completely reversed, surging forth like a tidal wave. Behind them lies something she didn't know, and Gu Qiu Mian suddenly understood everything.

He's such an idiot, a complete idiot! I told him everything would be alright, nothing would happen, Dad's home, there are bodyguards at home, he should go home and rest, he doesn't need to protect me... but why wouldn't he listen?

She didn't know how long she stood in front of the microwave, until the nanny quietly approached:
"You burned your hand, and 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 message you again?"

"They are still worried about me."

“Oh, I see,” the woman said with a smile. “Then tell them not to worry, you’ll be home tonight and won’t be going anywhere. Go to bed early.”

"Ok, I know."

When she turned around again, the girl's expression had returned to calm.

She picked up her cup, slowly walked to the elevator, and then slowly pressed the elevator button.

As the elevator slowly descended, the metal doors opened and closed gently.

The long corridor, carpeted with wool, was so quiet that she could hear only her own heartbeat. As she walked through it, it felt as if she were passing through a deep tunnel.

The upstairs and downstairs are like two different worlds.

Everyone outside has returned, so it's bound to be a bit noisy.

She was alone on the second floor. She said she would lock her door tonight, so no one would disturb her.

Gu Qiumian locked the door.

The moon hung high in the sky, and a thin layer of mist rose on the glass, like moonlight turning to frost.

She was wearing a burgundy bathrobe, preparing to take a shower and go to bed soon, when an unexpected incident disrupted her plans.

She unbuttoned her robe one button at a time. The bedroom was heated, so it wouldn't be as cold as outside. Barefoot, she walked into the dressing room and stood in front of the vanity mirror.

She used to think the best solution was to have bodyguards come to her home.

But how could a fool understand what she was saying?

Now she opened all the wardrobes and grabbed the thickest clothes from them, her toes bumping into a corner of the wardrobe in the process.

There is a floor-to-ceiling window in the room.

Gu Qiu Mian also knew that at the end of the French windows was a terrace, and below the terrace was a vast, moonlit field where no one was.
So she quickly dialed the number, and although she tried her best not to lose her composure, her breathing became rapid.

The call finally connected, and she said—

(End of this chapter)