Winter Returns

Chapter 146 "Enlightenment"

Teacher Xu's angry voice pierced through our ears:

"If you don't give me a straight answer today, you're both calling your parents over!"

Zhang Shutong's temples throbbed, and for a moment he didn't know how to explain this "reason".

Teacher, we just discovered a hidden basement? The super cool kind?

Then he can go to the podium to give his apology in an even more impressive way tomorrow.

Zhang Shutong really wanted to tell the truth, "We found someone jumping off the roof and rushed over without stopping. Even if we don't deserve a banner of appreciation, Xiao Lu and I are definitely model students..."

But the ambulance couldn't find the person, and Ms. Xu is a stickler for details. If she actually went to the hospital to confirm, she might be sued instead, and it would be good if she didn't get punished even more severely.

Or should I ask Lao Song to help explain?
So they said they came to pick up something for Lao Song?

That's not a good idea either.

Because they did not ask for leave.

Based on his understanding of the new teacher, he figured she was probably more concerned about whether the homeroom teacher's authority had been challenged.

Fortunately, teachers this age love to nag, even when they're scolding. While the teacher continued lecturing him, Zhang Shutong moved the phone away from his ear and mouthed something to Lu Qinglian:

"What if we call the parents?"

Lu Qinglian glanced at him, then turned her face away.

It seems to be saying:

"It doesn't matter, my parents won't be coming anyway."

Her grandmother lived in the mountains all year round, and Zhang Shutong didn't believe that the new homeroom teacher could go to the temple for a home visit. It turned out that she was the only one whose parents were called in.

He wasn't afraid of Teacher Xu, but he was terrified of his own mother.

Zhang Shutong had just promised to focus on recovering this week and absolutely not run around anymore. If her mother found out she secretly skipped school on her first day back...

He felt a chill run down his spine, thinking, "What Teacher Xu? Compared to my mom, she's nothing."

The homeroom teacher noticed that there had been a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"Zhang Shutong, did you throw your phone aside? Are you even listening to me?!"

Zhang Shutong quickly replied, first apologizing, and then explaining that when she was getting water at noon, she didn't hold it properly and the hot water spilled on the bandage. Lu Qinglian happened to be nearby at the time, so she accompanied her to the hospital.

Zhang Shutong also said:
“When we went downstairs, some classmates must have seen us. If we really wanted to skip school, we wouldn’t have come back to school for lunch break. Of course, it was wrong of me not to ask for leave for you.”

Reasonable.

But the seasoned teacher wasn't easily fooled; she sneered.
"Go to the hospital? Okay, then give the doctor the phone number as proof."

"We are on our way."

"On the way, how could it be such a coincidence?" Teacher Xu said angrily. "I'm only just realizing it now, Zhang Shutong. Even if you two really went to the hospital, it's not far from the school, just a ten-minute bike ride away. How could you have dragged it out until now without coming back?"

"Teacher, I didn't ride a bike," Zhang Shutong kindly reminded her. "You forgot, my hand is injured, and Lu Qinglian doesn't have a bicycle."

"Stop beating around the bush, just say what you want to say!"

"If you want to ride a bike, there's only one situation—"

Zhang Shutong had only just heard Xu Zhiruo mention that her aunt was very strict about early romantic relationships. He paused, then said something startling:

"Unless Lu brings me along, I'll hold her and sit in the back."

The homeroom teacher remained silent.

Zhang Shutong pressed his advantage:
"I'll bring you the hospital payment slip later."

After a while, the homeroom teacher asked:
How is your hand now?

"No big deal."

Her voice softened a little:
"Give the phone to Lu Qinglian."

Zhang Shutong handed over the phone, exchanging several winks in an instant, praying that Xiao Lu wouldn't expose him.

Lu Qinglian calmly took the phone, unaware of what her homeroom teacher said on the phone. Standing under the eaves, her eyes gazing into the distance, her expression remained unchanged.
"Um……"

"Yes."

"Ok."

Lu Qinglian's answers were always only a few words.

She quickly hung up the phone, and Zhang Shutong breathed a sigh of relief.
"nailed it?"

"It's all settled." Lu Qinglian nodded. "Zhang Shutong, you can call your parents and ask them to come to the school now."

Zhang Shutong felt a lump in his throat, thinking to himself, "So when you said you'd get things sorted out, you meant you'd get me sorted out."

"you……"

"But didn't you get scalded by the hot water?" She blinked her peach-blossom eyes, puzzled. "You should have notified your parents about this kind of thing immediately."

Zhang Shutong looked at her speechlessly.

However, seeing her reaction put him at ease. Although he didn't know the homeroom teacher's attitude, he figured it wouldn't be a big deal.

"Interesting?" Zhang Shutong said helplessly.

"You can understand it that way for now." A slight smile curved her lips.

"I'm leaving." Then Lu Qinglian's smile faded, and she started walking.

"What exactly happened?" Zhang Shutong pressed from behind.

"I went to the hospital with you. Isn't this what you wanted to see?" Lu Qinglian regained her composure. "You've told another lie. How does it feel?"

"I don't have any feelings about it, it just saved me some trouble," Zhang Shutong explained. "Besides, I didn't lie to you, so don't worry."

"Yeah."

Lu Qinglian stopped talking.

They kept walking. Zhang Shutong looked at the sky and thought it might really rain. The weather hadn't been good lately.

He put the dormitory key in his pocket, planning to come back and check on it when he had time. Of course, the most urgent thing was to go to the hospital to get a certificate.

If we're going to put on a show, let's go all the way.

The bicycle rode out of the desolate, overgrown field.

"Don't touch my waist. It was just an emergency." Lu Qinglian's cold voice rang out. "I remember telling you that before."

"Oh..." Zhang Shutong came back to his senses. He had been thinking about the clay figure, and then realized that he hadn't put his arm around her waist, but had just subconsciously grabbed her clothes, and had been warned in advance.

However, it's understandable. He glanced at Lu Qinglian's figure riding her bicycle. No matter what he said, he still had a girlish side.

Her waist was strong yet supple, and it would suddenly stiffen when she was hugged. It was truly unbelievable how such a slender body could unleash such terrifying power.

Zhang Shutong recalled that kick and wondered what would happen if it had hit him.

"Then ride slower," he couldn't help but advise. If he continued to ride through the streets and alleys like before, he probably wouldn't need to go back to school; he might as well have his homeroom teacher come to the hospital to visit him.

Lu Qinglian sighed:
"Do you think it's like when you ride a motorcycle? Why would you ride fast if you're not in a hurry? And I've told you before, I don't like physical contact with people, Zhang Shutong. I hope your memory is better. That way, there will be far fewer unnecessary interactions."

"Yes, yes." Zhang Shutong grabbed the back seat of the bicycle with his other hand and said somewhat perfunctorily, "Let me think, should I also say, 'Our relationship isn't that good yet'?"

"By the way, are you hungry?" Zhang Shutong asked again. "You haven't finished your lunch yet. Do you want to find somewhere to eat something? Anyway, it doesn't matter whether you go back to school early or late."

"...You're going to invite me?" Lu Qinglian seemed not to have heard clearly and asked again to confirm.

"Of course." Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "Don't be so touched."

"Our relationship isn't that good yet," she casually retorted.

"...Why do you keep digging holes in your words?" Zhang Shutong said incredulously.

"At least it wasn't dug up on a mountain." She made a pointed remark.

He had to admit that this woman was quite petty. He looked at Lu Qinglian's profile and, although he wasn't particularly fond of her, he had to acknowledge that she was indeed very beautiful.

Her facial features are three-dimensional yet gentle, her skin is flawless, her face is delicate, and her hair is long and black. From any angle, she is the white moonlight in many people's eyes.

However, compared to moonlight, Zhang Shutong had a more apt metaphor in mind. He turned his head to look, but unfortunately, the surrounding snow had already melted away.

"I misunderstood you a little," Zhang Shutong said sincerely. "What are you trying to say now?" Her tone suggested a frown.

Zhang Shutong wants to say that although you are not a very cute woman, you are a very reliable teammate.

"When we discovered the dark room earlier, you volunteered to scout ahead. Although you didn't say it out loud, I appreciate your kindness. Thank you."

Zhang Shutong knew that he was physically disabled, and if there was real danger inside, he might not even have a chance to escape.

This kind of small detail means that if Lu Qinglian pretends not to see it, he can only bite the bullet and go in, and there's nothing he can say about it afterwards.

"It's good to know," she said casually. "Your life is too fragile."

"Uh……"

Zhang Shutong felt a little uneasy as he recalled those words.

Sometimes she's like a lazy cat, and sometimes she's like a lurking snake.

At this moment, the hospital building came into view. He got out of the car and watched Lu Qinglian kick off the car stand.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Lu Qinglian said calmly. "I only saved you not long ago. If you almost lost your life again because of an accident, it would be very troublesome for me."

Zhang Shutong knew she was referring to the avalanche.

"Thank you for this as well."

"Hmm." She nodded nonchalantly. "Zhang Shutong, I suggest that whenever you want to say something strange to me, you should first silently repeat this sentence three times in your mind before deciding whether to say it or not. That would be the best way to thank me."

After saying that, she led the way into the hospital.

The two walked up the steps side by side. Despite the fact that she had saved his life, she acted so nonchalantly. But Zhang Shutong felt that since she hadn't expressed her gratitude, he couldn't remain silent, so he took the initiative to inquire:
"Would you like some water? I'll go buy some."

"Repeat it three times silently."

"...I noticed you pursed your lips just now, were your lips a little dry?" Zhang Shutong finally noticed something was off about the girl, but his good intentions were misunderstood. "And last time in the ward, you seemed to purse your lips uncomfortably every time you mentioned avalanches. I thought you were thirsty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Shutong felt a chill run down his spine. He always trusted his intuition, and with a start, he turned around to see Lu Qinglian.

She was staring at him with an incredibly cold and dangerous gaze.

"You'd better not talk so much nonsense." She finished speaking, word by word, and took the lead on the steps.

Zhang Shutong was left standing there, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure out which sentence had offended Lu Qinglian.

He could only attribute it to her unpredictable personality, but Zhang Shutong felt that he understood her quite well. He thought for a moment until the figure in the green robe disappeared into the crowd before he took a step.

The result of this conversation was—

Lu Qinglian's face remained frosty. She was already cold, but now she was even more like ice and snow. Zhang Shutong tried to talk to her twice, but she ignored him both times.

Zhang Shutong simply shut up, and only when the two of them stood in front of the surgeon's office did she frown again:
“If I remember correctly, you only need to hand the registration slip to the teacher. Why did you have to queue up? And even if you did register, you should have gone to the dermatology department, not the orthopedics department. Or have you forgotten the excuse you made up? Zhang Shutong, I don't have that much time to waste on you. If…”

"next."

At that moment, a woman's voice rang out.

Zhang Shutong pushed open the ward door, and a female doctor in a white coat looked up, slightly surprised:
"Oh, it's you two. Why did it take you so long?"

It turned out to be the female doctor who examined Lu Qinglian's feet that day.

Zhang Shutong didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that the other party was on duty today.

He turned around, met Lu Qinglian's slightly surprised gaze, and finally found an opportunity to speak:
"I didn't get burned, so why would I go to the dermatology department? Of course, I'll go to you. The homeroom teacher can't tell who's being treated anyway."

He wanted to finish prescribing the medicine and leave quickly, but Lu Qinglian didn't move. Zhang Shutong noticed her unusual moment of hesitation and whispered, "..."
"You can be angry later. Your foot isn't healed yet. I asked you today and you said you were fine. I told you not to push yourself..."

Lu Qinglian glanced at him sideways, then followed.

Zhang Shutong pulled out the only stool for her, thinking that the rest could be left to the doctor and that she wouldn't have to coax the ice anymore. But then the doctor looked at her and frowned.
"It's been almost a week! Why did it take you so long to bring her here? And how come her foot is injured while your hand is injured too?"

Zhang Shutong was speechless.

Well, the doctor probably never imagined that Lu Qinglian could walk freely that very night. He probably thought she had been stuck at home and couldn't move, relying entirely on him to take her to the doctor.

"And why is it you again this time?" the doctor said, displeased. "Where are her parents? Don't tell me you've been keeping this from them all along?"

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, how would I know where her parents are? Besides, he didn't dare to ask that question.

Zhang Shutong recalled for the first time in the original timeline when she attended Lu Qinglian's funeral. A group of old ladies were gossiping about the cause of Lu Qinglian's death, insisting that it must have been her boyfriend who called her to break up with her. Then everyone cursed the heartless man, and Zhang Shutong hid in the crowd, not daring to say a word.

"My parents aren't here, so he took time out of his busy schedule to bring me here," Lu Qinglian explained on his behalf.

Her voice was calm, as if it had a calming power. The female doctor sighed, wondering how many things she had imagined. "Take off your socks first, let me see."

Lu Qinglian took off her shoes and socks, revealing the bruise on her ankle. Zhang Shutong also glanced at it and saw that the bruise was much larger than he had expected, and it looked painful.

The recovery was naturally not good. The doctor had repeatedly told her that this kind of injury required rest, but Zhang Shutong knew that she hadn't been idle these past few days. Even on the night after her doctor's appointment, she had painstakingly dug herself out of the avalanche.

"Does it hurt?"

As the doctor pressed on Lu Qinglian's instep, Zhang Shutong noticed that the girl frowned slightly, her eyelashes trembled, and her peach-blossom eyes closed into slits, giving her a truly pitiful appearance.

"It's supposed to hurt!" the doctor said irritably. "I can tell you've been away from home these past few days by how big this injury is on your foot. Why can't you listen to me, kid!"

“She…” Zhang Shutong thought for a moment, then explained, “She’s been running around these past few days to help me.”

"How can you be so busy at such a young age? You two are really... one hand can't move, and the other foot can't move." The female doctor looked at Lu Qinglian as if she were her own junior, and said with exasperation, "I knew it was useless to tell you kids things. Do you have a phone number? I'll contact her parents myself."

Lu Qinglian simply shook her head.

"What's going on?" The female doctor glanced at Zhang Shutong again.

Zhang Shutong didn't know either, but he gave out a number:
"139..."

"Okay, I'll prescribe some ointment first. Remember to apply it with heat when you get back to help the bruises disperse quickly. You two go back to school first. I'll contact her parents later... Oh, and don't forget to come again this weekend. I'll be seeing patients those two days."

Zhang Shutong nodded and said okay. After nodding, he felt strange. He wasn't a family member, so why was he nodding? But Lu Qinglian always had a detached attitude towards everyone. She thanked the doctor. While she was putting on her shoes, Zhang Shutong glanced at the payment slip. Fortunately, the ointment was very cheap. He had a little left after paying for the ambulance, which was just enough to use up.

The two left the consultation room.

Zhang Shutong gently closed the door. It was Wednesday afternoon, and the hospital was practically deserted. The corridor was quiet, with only the cold wind rattling against the glass. The long, dark space was quite chilly, and the leaves outside the window were trembling slightly. Zhang Shutong broke the silence by counting her change.

"Follow the doctor's orders, don't forget."

“Zhang Shutong,” Lu Qinglian suddenly asked, “when exactly did you start staring at my feet in the dorm today?”

"Could you please stop looking at me like I'm a pervert?"

But Lu Qinglian just stared at him expressionlessly.

Zhang Shutong had no choice but to say:

"When you went up to the top floor, you stood on that retaining wall and happened to see it."

"It happened at your house last time too," Lu Qinglian muttered to herself. "You really are..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but that didn't stop her from adopting a helpless tone.

"No." Zhang Shutong's face darkened. "Go apply the medicine first."

There was some medicine whose name I've forgotten, and it needed to be applied in a ward on the second floor. Zhang Shutong felt that if he stayed any longer, his reputation would be ruined, so he took a step forward after saying that.

The corridor was quiet, with only one window slightly ajar, through which the cold wind howled intermittently. Apart from that, the only sound was his hurried footsteps, but only his own.

Zhang Shutong was about to ask Lu Qinglian why she hadn't left yet when he turned his head. Just then, a gust of wind slipped through the window crack, ruffling her hair. A strand of hair brushed against Lu Qinglian's lips, and she parted her pink lips slightly:

"Thank you."

……

When Zhang Shutong entered the ward, he felt a sense of warmth and familiarity.

The smell of the medicine was still unpleasant. He didn't know how he had managed to get by. Looking back, the two places where he knew the most people were the police station and the hospital.

The young nurse was yawning in the dispensary when she saw him and her eyes lit up:
"What are you doing here? Wait, are we going to have to get another shot?"

The young nurse was wary, clearly traumatized.

"Of course not." Zhang Shutong said, both amused and exasperated. "A female classmate sprained her ankle, and I accompanied her to get her medicine..."

"Oh, I get it, I get it." The nurse winked. "That girl, right? You two are pretty bold, sneaking out of class. Where is she? Shall I say hello to her?"

At this moment, Lu Qinglian walked into the medicine preparation room.

The nurse's warm smile froze on her face; she opened her mouth to speak:
"Wait, what... what's this? It's a different one."

(End of this chapter)