Winter Returns

Chapter 127 "Wild Dogs" Line (Part 1)

"Hey, wake up, Shutong, wake up..."

I could vaguely hear a familiar voice.

"Wake up..."

Zhang Shutong tried to open his eyes.

But his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

My mind cleared up.

still alive.

not dead.

It seems I was saved from the avalanche after all.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

So you should be in the hospital now?
He had already recognized that it was Du Kang's voice.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "Please, let me sleep for a while, okay? I'm so tired."

Du Kang urged again:

"How long have you been asleep?"

Right.

he thought.

We need to get Gu Qiu Mian back before dawn, otherwise it will be troublesome.

He struggled to open his eyelids a crack, and his senses became clear:
The wind brushed against my face, carrying a faint fishy smell, and my body grew cold.

"Shutong, you've been sleeping the whole way in the car, how come you're sleeping on the boat now? Hurry up and let's go..."

When Du Kang appeared before Zhang Shutong eight years later, Zhang Shutong's eyes widened instantly.

Backtrack!

The world in his eyes suddenly trembled. It turned out that he hadn't been sleeping too soundly at all, but rather that he had lost control of his body during the rewind process.

He hurriedly stood up and realized that he was in a cabin, but the ferry to and from the island did not have a cabin. Zhang Shutong looked out at the lake. The dark blue lake was cut into white waves by the moving hull of the ship. A little bit of water sprayed onto his face. This was indeed the ship going back to the island... but why was it like this?

Zhang Shutong's heart suddenly clenched. He turned to look at Du Kang and blurted out:
"Gu Qiu Mian is dead again?"

"Uh……"

Du Kang was dumbfounded.

"Dude, are you out of your mind from sleeping?"

"Tell me first, is she dead or not?"

"Of course she's not dead. You mean Gu Qiu Mian? Why are you suddenly bringing her up?" Du Kang recalled, as if that name hadn't appeared on his lips for a long time. Then he chuckled mischievously, "Hey, Shu Tong, did you dream about her...?"

Zhang Shutong was equally stunned.

His mind was still stuck on the moment the avalanche happened, but if Gu Qiumian didn't die, why did he come back?
Zhang Shutong recalled that dream again:
"Her father is dead?"

"I guess he's not dead, that's beyond my knowledge." Du Kang's expression grew increasingly strange. "We haven't been in contact for years, who knows if he's dead or not? Besides, your question is really weird, why do you have to ask about his whole family?"

Zhang Shutong then felt a deep fatigue wash over him. The ferry was not very smooth, and he staggered and fell back into his chair.

"Didn't I tell you to close the window? Why did you open it again? You have a fever, what are you doing?" Du Kang grumbled. "What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly acting so jumpy?"

Zhang Shutong subconsciously touched his head and found it was indeed very hot. However, he didn't care why he was also running a fever eight years later. He just wanted to know what was going on now, since Gu Qiumian hadn't died and the dream hadn't come true.
He glanced at Du Kang and then realized that the other guy was also acting strangely. His best friend still had that baby face, but he no longer had a buzz cut. Instead, he had long, flowing hair, like a rock musician.

Zhang Shutong quickly glanced at his phone.

2020 12 Month 12 Day.

It was still that same day.

Shouldn't Du Kang have inherited the family's small restaurant and stayed on the island? Why is he on the ship with him?

He wanted to sort out all the changes and come to a conclusion, but his mind was a beat slower because of the fever. However, he did find the answer to the first question:

Why do ferries that travel to and from the island have cabins?

Because Gu Qiu Mian didn't die, her father continued to develop the island, so eventually the island became prosperous, so prosperous that even ships had roofs added to them.

That being said, my relationship with Du Kang isn't like the one in Leng Xuexian anymore.

It seems I've learned from my previous experience and am getting along well with everyone.

But why did they come back?

Didn't we agree to celebrate my birthday, but we didn't?

Zhang Shutong suddenly felt a churning in his stomach. He covered his mouth, and Du Kang quickly patted his back.
"Relax, don't be anxious. Take a deep breath. Did you take your medicine?"

Zhang Shutong did as instructed, and after taking a deep breath, he felt much better.

"Let's go first," Du Kang said again. "The boat has already docked. Let's go down and find a place. Staying here isn't a solution."

Zhang Shutong wanted to ask more questions, but every time he was about to open his mouth, he felt a deep nausea and his heart pounded. He could only try his best not to think about it. He followed Du Kang out of the cabin in a daze and found that there were more people than before. Men were leaning against the deck smoking, and women were taking pictures with their mobile phones.

"Young man, could you take a picture of me and my wife?"

An elderly woman said.

“My friend isn’t feeling well…” Du Kang said hesitantly.

Zhang Shutong shook his head to indicate that he was fine. He did need some alone time. Du Kang had gone to take pictures. He was about to disembark with the crowd when he suddenly stopped.

Zhang Shutong saw a tire track on the deck.

These are marks left after the tires were burned.

real or fake……

He then looked at the ship itself.

The ship was painted white with the words "Victory" written in large letters. He then realized that adding cabins did not mean it was a different ship, but rather that it was built on the original foundation.

Zhang Shutong stared blankly at the tire mark; in other words, it was very likely a trace he had left eight years ago. Because he needed to get back to the island before six o'clock, he had ridden his bicycle headfirst onto the deck, the tires sparking and emitting a pungent smell. It left behind a black mark spanning eight years.

He wanted to verify his guess, but when he looked up, he saw unfamiliar faces all around him. They came from all over the country, from neighboring provinces and cities. Even the cigarette boxes on the ground were unfamiliar. Where could he find the staff from back then?
In fact, even he himself didn't remember the other person's face.

Looking up, Zhang Shutong was shocked once again. This was still the dock from back then.

Stepping off the boat, one finds a passageway separated by iron railings. The crowd proceeds in an orderly fashion through the passageway, leading to a massive stone gate, or archway, constructed entirely of bluestone. Each of the two pillars on either side is carved with a coiled dragon, and the four resplendent golden characters "Yanlong Island Entrance" are inscribed in the center of the archway.

Zhang Shutong opened his mouth in surprise, because he even found a line of small print at the back: "Written by Gu Jianhong." Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "Qiu Yu Mianmian, your dad is really something else. He used to only leave his name at school, but now he's directly stamped the entrance to the island."

Everything has become unrecognizable.

The bus route changed from one to two, and Zhang Shutong even saw a taxi. Hey, there's a taxi? Are you kidding me?
The thought that all of this might be related to him drew all his attention to these changes. He stood there looking around until someone bumped into him from behind, and he almost lost his balance.

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that he was quite frail now, so he consciously stepped aside. Du Kang ran down and patted him on the shoulder:

"It's nothing special, just for show."

"Oh." Zhang Shutong nodded, then remembered to ask, "Shall we take a taxi?"

"No need," Du Kang said casually. "I've already booked a ride through the group chat, I'll be there soon."

Ride-hailing!
Listen to this, what a fresh and modern term! If this had existed eight years ago, I wouldn't have been riding my motorcycle recklessly in the snow. Just then, an old man on a three-wheeled motorcycle came up to the two of them.

"You made the call?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Okay, get in." Is this a ride-hailing service?
Zhang Shutong was pulled into the vehicle by Du Kang in a daze. Now the two were sitting facing each other on the back of the tricycle, which had a roof, or rather a cargo box, with small glass windows inside. Du Kang smiled awkwardly:

"It's not that I'm stingy, buddy, it's just that there are only a few taxis on the island, and we don't know how long we'll have to wait outside, plus you can't stand in the wind..."

"It's nothing, don't be so dramatic." Zhang Shutong shook his head.

Du Kang was relieved. He had even taken out his cigarette, but then put it back.

"I forgot you can't stand the smell of smoke..."

Zhang Shutong said, "You can smoke if you want, don't worry about me. Anyway, I was poisoned by Lao Song a lot back then."

Du Kang still didn't light any, and Zhang Shutong was too lazy to persuade him anymore. He looked at the small island through the small glass window.

Unfortunately, not much has changed on the streets.

The small, one-story building had shops in the front and residential buildings in the back, and they were all the same as before. Zhang Shutong found a sense of familiarity in them.

The streets were somewhat desolate in winter, the branches of the roadside trees were bare, but there was no snow.

He still wanted to understand why he was here and what had happened over the years. Zhang Shutong opened his WeChat chat history and thankfully, he didn't have the editor's contact information anymore. He thought to himself that he was finally not stuck at home as a translator. He scrolled through the chat history again and found that Du Kang's, Ruoping's, and Qingyi's contact information were all there, but he couldn't find that senior student. It seemed that he hadn't caused any more trouble for her.

Zhang Shutong actually got carsick in a three-wheeled vehicle.

He forced himself to press the pause button on his brain, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes to rest. This seat was really uncomfortable; the backrest and seat were at a right angle, and the vibrations from under the car transmitted to his body, making him feel nauseous again. Zhang Shutong opened the window to let in some fresh air and inadvertently saw a four-story building, which should be the tallest building on the entire island—Beiyi Shopping Mall.

Wait, where are they going now, to the funeral home?

So, how is Lu Qinglian doing? Did she save you? And what about eight years later?

Zhang Shutong glanced at Du Kang and saw that the other man was chatting and laughing with the old man. Lu Qinglian's death could not possibly have caused this reaction.

He then realized that he had been pulled into the carriage by Du Kang without any explanation, and hurriedly asked what they were going to do next. Du Kang was also puzzled:

"Didn't we agree to eat at the mall?"

"Oh, I'm delirious with fever..."

"I see it."

The two men looked out the window, occasionally swaying from side to side due to a bump, and remained silent the whole way.

The two got out of the car at the mall entrance. Du Kang handed over a ten-yuan note and waved it off generously.
"No need to look for me, please take care."

"okay."

The old man rode away with a flourish.

Zhang Shutong followed Du Kang into the mall. He held onto the escalator and saw the zoning sign above his head. It was still the same as before: the first floor was a supermarket, the second floor was clothing stores, the third floor was restaurants, and the fourth floor was a movie theater... When did a movie theater appear?
I vaguely remember Gu Qiumian telling me that her dad wanted to build a movie theater, and this must be it.

But wasn't the original plan to build a commercial plaza? Although this shopping mall has been renovated and is much more fashionable than it was eight years ago, it is still far from being a commercial district.

They quickly went up to the third floor. Du Kang went into a restaurant first, and Zhang Shutong stared at the entrance for a long time.

Nothing more, the restaurant's name is—

Impressions of Jia Nan.

Wait a minute, isn't this the same small fish restaurant that used to be on the commercial street? Eight years later, it has transformed into a high-end restaurant in the mall.

The restaurant features bright, floor-to-ceiling windows, behind which a row of bamboo grows. Peering through the gaps, the ambiance is reminiscent of a typical lakeside retreat, with even the seating area shaped like a small fishing boat. A banner at the entrance promotes the restaurant's long-standing reputation.

"Legend has it that during the Qianlong era..."

What does this have to do with Emperor Qianlong's trip to the south of the Yangtze River? Wasn't it in the north?

There are so many flaws that even Zhang Shutong wants to complain.

But he was too exhausted to walk in, so he stumbled into the restaurant. There weren't many people, only about four or five tables. As soon as he entered, he saw a pretty woman with short hair waving at him.

"Here you are! You've finally arrived!"

Oh, it's Ruoping.

Zhang Shutong immediately felt a sense of familiarity. Unlike Du Kang, Ruoping didn't insist on keeping her hair long and tied in a small braid; he almost didn't recognize her. He sat down in the fishing boat and asked:
"Where is Qingyi?"

"He's working overtime, so he can't fly back. It's just the three of us getting together." Ruoping rolled her eyes.

"Is he working overtime again?"

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "Brother, just how obsessed are you with working overtime? Every time I come back, everything has changed, but you're always working overtime."

He smiled and seemed about to say something, but suddenly broke into a heart-wrenching cough:

"How are you?"

Ruoping held his hand with concern, and Zhang Shutong was taken aback again, thinking, "Aren't we being a little too intimate? Lady Feng, you weren't like this before." But his cough persisted, and Zhang Shutong was almost in tears. Ruoping handed him a few tissues.

"Didn't you take your medicine?"

It seems like we all have a really good relationship on this timeline; you even knew I had a fever.

"It's nothing, I'm just a little sleepy..."

He propped his forehead up, suddenly feeling annoyed. He had been burning up for eight years, and he was still burning up eight years later. Couldn't people just clear their heads?

Ruoping said the food hadn't been served yet, so you should lie down and rest for a while.

Zhang Shutong nodded and leaned on the table.

He was so sleepy. It reminded him of the feeling of receiving an IV drip in the hospital room. He couldn't believe that one moment he was surrounded by snow-covered landscapes, and the next he was sitting in a warm restaurant.

He belatedly wondered if this meant his mission was complete.
Gu Qiu Mian was saved.

The island has changed, though not by much, but it's generally changing for the better.

But how am I supposed to get back?

Zhang Shutong suddenly regained consciousness.

Yes, how am I supposed to get back?

The fact that I survived to eight years later means that I escaped danger that night and that the woman had been dealt with.

But now that the murderer is gone, how is he supposed to go back?

He had been in a daze, thinking that since he was already here, he might as well have a meal and chat with everyone to figure out what had happened in the past eight years. Then he would go to the restricted area at night, wait for someone to stab him, and go back to his student days so he could finally start a new life. But the problem was, the culprit who stabbed him was gone. How could he go back?

Zhang Shutong raised his head.

Does this mean we should stay in the "present" forever?
Although his life seems pretty good now, he has a good relationship with his best friends, and he is not self-isolating at home, he probably won't need to go to the temple to get that damned ability after solving the murderer... So this is his life from now on?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, his stomach churned. Ruoping stood up and patted him on the back. Du Kang returned at that moment.
"I told you to keep a close eye on them, but how could you do that? How did they turn out like this again?"

"I don't know. He was fine before he boarded the ship, he even had the energy to laugh, but he woke up like this..."

"Did you catch a cold again?"

"It seems the window wasn't closed. I went outside to smoke..." Du Kang said weakly.

"You..." Ruoping was furious.

"Don't blame him, don't be angry." Zhang Shutong waved her hand again. She wasn't a child herself, and it seemed to them that she needed to be looked after constantly.

Zhang Shutong finally felt a little better. He knew there must be some problem, so he forced himself to speak:
"I seem to have forgotten something after I woke up. Could you tell me about it in detail?"

The two looked at each other.

"Amnesia?" Du Kang said.

"To the hospital?" Ruoping asked.

“No need, just pretend it’s amnesia.” He covered his forehead. “You should all remember what happened on the night of December 9, 2012. I left Gu Qiumian at the hospital and went somewhere alone. I want to know what happened after that.”

(End of this chapter)