Winter Returns

Chapter 158 The Loneliness of the Watcher (Part 1) (Thanks to the guild leader maiiaw for the donation)
Xu Aiping is circling the questions she will be covering in the next lesson on her workbook.

She had just taught a graduating class last year, so she should be very familiar with the key points of each question type, if not memorized by heart. However, the question-setting team adjusts the test points every year. For example, the year before last, they emphasized the application of language reading and writing, while last year's new curriculum standards focused on testing students' "seeing" ability. As a result, the number of questions with pictures has increased dramatically, and even experienced teachers dare not relax their vigilance in the slightest.

At this time, there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in," Xu Aiping said without looking up. "What is it?"

A boy walked up to her and said directly:

"Teacher, I need to ask for leave this afternoon."

Xu Aiping raised her head, not to see who it was, but because of what the person said, which made her think that the other person was incredibly audacious.

"No way!" Xu Aiping slammed her pen on the table and frowned. "Zhang Shutong, I haven't even talked to you about what happened yesterday. What are you trying to do now?"

"Teacher Song is leaving this afternoon, I'm going to the port to see him off."

"What does Teacher Song's departure have to do with you?"

“He’s not in good health, his car is totaled, and he needs to move things from his dorm, so I went to help him.”

"you……"

Xu Aiping's temples throbbed. She touched her forehead with her fingers, thinking that this child had quite a few excuses. Yesterday his arm was bad, today the teacher is not feeling well, how come there was no good reason? But these excuses were really hard to find fault with.

She had approved more absences than these students had taken any exams. The four words "birth, aging, illness, and death" were often the basis for the most basic lies. For example, some students would frequently claim to be feeling unwell and go to the infirmary, or that their uncle had passed away last month and their grandfather had died this month...

But similarly, the most troublesome reason also revolves around these four words.

Because the student was telling the truth.

She met with Teacher Song Nanshan in the morning. In reality, he was not like the group of children saw him. He did not appear in class until the fourth period. He had arrived at the school long before the morning reading session ended.

The two of them talked in the office the whole time, discussing the students' habits, their weakest points in English, and a few students who were both worrying and easy to manage. The other person was indeed not in good health and had to stop and catch their breath every few words. In fact, she was somewhat dissatisfied because visiting the graduating class could have been done in the afternoon, not at noon.

The smallest thing that happens on campus is like a stone thrown into the water, creating splashes rather than ripples. Children of this age are like a pot of boiling water, and she could already foresee that they would probably keep making a ruckus until school is over in the afternoon before they would calm down.

And here comes one whose heart has wandered far away.

During the morning's conversation, Zhang Shutong was one of the students she focused on. By now, she had a pretty good grasp of the student's personality: taciturn, stubborn, and clearly like a donkey.

“I won’t say anything sarcastic. It’s good that you have this intention,” Xu Aiping took off her glasses and wiped them. “But you’re not a child. Don’t just be willful. You have to think about what would happen if other students asked for leave and insisted on seeing your teacher, Ms. Song, like you. Would the afternoon classes still be able to go on? Would the school still be able to function properly?”

"So you only need to approve leave for me." There was a certain firmness hidden in the other person's calm tone, as if they had expected this. "If anyone else asks you, you can just say that someone has already gone, and you can focus on your classes."

She took a deep breath:
"Are you absolutely determined to go?"

"Teacher Song has had a great influence on me." That was a clever way of putting it, as she didn't directly say whether she would go or not. "There will be very few opportunities to meet in the future."

Xu Aiping stopped talking.

What's wrong with seeing off a former teacher? It's absolutely impeccable. Forget about stopping her; if it were any other student, they should be praised in class. She's a teacher too, and she's too lazy to play the villain, but she also dislikes the feeling of things getting out of control.

But Xu Aiping knew that there was no need to say anything more now that things had come to this point.

Should I say, "What if I just refuse to grant you leave?" or should I simply ignore him and leave him alone?
Most children might stand still, at a loss, but that approach wouldn't work on this student.

Some students just can't be controlled.

Whether you answer yes or no, he is merely following the rules on the surface, maintaining a semblance of harmony, and giving everyone a way out.

So saying such things would not only be foolish, but would also make her, as a teacher, seem incompetent. Most importantly, she has no doubt that she would tear off the last veil of pretense, and the next time this student wants to go out, he probably won't even ask for leave.

Ultimately, she wasn't doing it out of spite against a student.

Xu Aiping picked up the pen from the exercise book:
"Go back quickly."

"Thank you, teacher."

She wrote a few words, then habitually typed:
"Xiao Zhang, now that this matter is over, you should get back to your normal routine. Your teacher has high expectations for you. So, don't misunderstand your teacher or have any rebellious thoughts. Set a good example for your classmates, understand?"

The other party nodded in agreement, which made her slightly more satisfied.
"Okay, go ahead, but close the door behind you when you leave..."

"Teacher, I'd like to ask for leave for someone else."

"……What did you say?"

"Please invite one for Lu Qinglian as well."

Xu Aiping finally slammed her hand on the table and angrily said:

"Zhang Shutong, don't push your luck!"

“She was specifically chosen by Teacher Song,” Zhang Shutong explained. “She said that she was the student Teacher Song was most worried about. I think Teacher Song must have mentioned this to you.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Aiping forcibly suppressed her anger. She knew it was the truth. Song Nanshan had mentioned this girl quite a bit that morning, and she actually liked this well-behaved girl, so she had spent more time and effort on her.

Zhang Shutong said:
"Don't worry, she and I won't have a relationship in our early years, neither in the past nor in the future."

"Who said you two are dating too early?"

Xu Aiping suddenly calmed down.

“Teacher Song warned me,” Zhang Shutong said again. “What happened yesterday was ill-considered and may have caused you to misunderstand us. I just want to say that no matter how you look at it, puppy love wouldn’t be so blatant. There are no evening self-study sessions at school, so there’s no need to specifically choose school time. What do you think?”

"You've had this in mind since you walked in?"

"Yes." The boy did not deny it, "but it wasn't intentional. I was just worried that saying this would make you angry."

Xu Aiping fell silent again.

She scrutinized the boy in front of her. He was quite tall, with slightly messy black hair, sharp features, a straight nose, and a quiet and reserved demeanor.

Despite her young age, her face concealed a weariness that even she couldn't decipher. In short, this was the kind of face that any teacher would have to be extremely wary of.

Perhaps putting the two together was a mistake.

But now is not the time to think about that.

Xu Aiping reviewed what the other party had said since entering the door. She had gradually given in until she nodded in agreement, thinking that she would let him go this time. But she didn't expect the child to make a surprise attack. First, he said that Lu Qinglian was Song Nanshan's most worried student, and then he broke through the layer of suspicion that they were dating.

She was left speechless with various reasons, leaving her with nothing to say both publicly and privately, and the other party very considerately gave her a way out.

Finally, the teacher, whose hair was already gray, sighed.

She then realized that she had never truly understood this student.

This doesn't look like a donkey at all; even if it is a donkey, it's a cunning little donkey!

……

When Lu Qinglian returned to the classroom, she was reading a book at her seat.

Zhang Shutong walked to her side, and the two did not exchange any pleasantries such as "Excuse me" or "Please hurry up."

Lu Qinglian simply raised her gaze and gently folded a corner of the book page:
"Now?"

Zhang Shutong knew this because they had agreed in the morning that he had something important to tell her, and the meeting place was the rooftop.

“I’m not going.” He shook his head. “The plans have changed. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Zhang Shutong, when you say the plan has changed, it would be best to explain what the original plan was first.” Lu Qinglian stood up.

"Go to the hospital now. There's a building behind the hospital; that's the entrance to the basement."

There were only the two of them in the classroom, so they didn't need to be careful about what they said.

"so far?"

"It should be an air-raid shelter. By the way, did you know there are air-raid shelters on the island?"

"heard about it."

The two left the classroom, walking quite quickly. As they passed by the sparse figures on campus, Zhang Shutong quietly told her about his discoveries and speculations.

Lu Qinglian's brows furrowed more and more, until she heard him mention the photo of the "fake Lu Qinglian," at which point she finally asked:
Where are the photos?

“It’s still there. The three of them were there at the time, so I put it away beforehand, but later I decided to leave it as it was and put it back on.”

As he spoke, he opened his phone and handed it to Lu Qinglian:
"But I managed to take a picture, which I could have sent to you last night if you have a phone, or you can contact me directly... Can you see anything?"

"No." Lu Qinglian glanced at it and handed the phone back to him.

“I think so too.” Zhang Shutong looked at the screen, where there was a dark figure. The only distinguishable features were long hair and a blue robe. “It’s too dark there. Either it’s overexposed or nothing is clear. The original photo has much more detail.”

"At least it proves that you really saw that thing."

"It's enough that you're willing to believe."

"Zhang Shutong, if I don't believe you, who do you think would skip class with you the day after you skipped it?"

Lu Qinglian said in a cold tone.

Zhang Shutong didn't know what was wrong with her; it seemed like she was in a bad mood after eating hot pot.

He turned around:

"I asked for leave, and I asked for leave for you too, so it doesn't count as skipping class, don't worry about that."

"You... asked for leave?"

Lu Qinglian's gaze flickered with a rare moment of surprise.

"The homeroom teacher reluctantly agreed under the pretext of sending Lao Song off the island, but it's true that Lao Song was leaving that afternoon."

Zhang Shutong said it casually.

Lu Qinglian was indeed very clever; she made the connection almost instantly:

"Did you go out just now to find a chance to tell Teacher Song?"

But this time she guessed wrong.

"No, or rather, only half of it was told, but it was just a roundabout way of asking him if he had made any other discoveries over the years, such as sounds or figures."

"The results of it?"

"Actually, I already asked you these questions in the dormitory yesterday, and you already know the answers. The dormitory is on the second floor, and there is another floor between it and the basement, so it is difficult to hear any sounds; and the entrance to the tunnel is in the hospital, so there is no possibility of seeing anyone coming out. As a teacher, his daily schedule is very fixed, so even if I told him about the existence of the basement, he wouldn't have any clue."

"What about the speculations about the 'clay figures'?" Lu Qinglian asked.

"Not even mentioned."

Zhang Shutong knew what would happen if he told Lao Song at this point that his ex-girlfriend's body might have already been stolen.

"You mean you spent half an hour and didn't even get to the point, and now you want to go to the basement?" Lu Qinglian frowned, her tone stern. "What exactly are you dawdling about?"

But before he could speak, Lu Qinglian said expressionlessly:
"I'm sorry, my attitude was bad just now, but I hope you understand that hiding this kind of thing won't lead to anything. Or have you not learned your lesson yet?"

“I originally wanted to tell him, but his mother needed to have surgery urgently, otherwise Lao Song wouldn’t have rushed back before noon.” Lu Qinglian moved her lips upon hearing this, but ultimately said nothing.

The two walked side by side through the campus, and Zhang Shutong's voice calmed down:

"The original plan was to go to the basement together after school, but now it's too late. We need to check again before he leaves. I might have missed some details last night. If we can find anything new today, I mean something that has a strong connection to him..."

"Should we decide whether or not to tell him about this?"

"Ah."

Zhang Shutong paused:

“I understand your concerns. I can only say that I won’t keep it a secret forever, not even for the sake of his sacrifices over the years. That’s the least I can do to show respect. But firstly, he really doesn’t know anything, and secondly, this is such a delicate situation.”

"So, if there are still no other clues this time..."

By the end, Zhang Shutong's expression had waned considerably. As he walked, he glanced at the bare branches of the trees near the school gate:

"I'll take this as my own initiative and hope you'll cooperate."

"Let's go," Lu Qinglian simply said.

They went to the bike shed to get their bicycles first, but since there were students passing by the school gate, it wasn't appropriate to get on the bikes immediately. So Zhang Shutong pushed the bikes out of the school gate, and once the crowd had thinned out, the two of them rode their bicycles through the city, just like yesterday.

Our destination this time is the hospital.

Their time is actually very tight.

Because after saying goodbye to his students, Lao Song's next stop was also the dormitory.

The four of them left in a hurry last night, and even though they tried their best to clean up the scene, there was one thing they couldn't do—

At most, they could shove the hidden door back in, but there was nothing they could do about everything outside the hidden door, such as the torn poster.

No matter how many people there are, they can't do anything about things "outside the door".

Unless someone is left outside to provide support, but how could anyone be spared in that situation?

So even if Zhang Shutong didn't say anything, Lao Song would still notice something was wrong once he went back to the dormitory to pack his luggage.

That's why he suddenly asked for leave.

Zhang Shutong led Lu Qinglian to the small house behind the hospital. It was winter, so the ground was still covered with mud and water, though it was a little shallower than yesterday, but still enough to submerge shoes.

"The medicine you applied to your foot?"

"Already here."

As they were talking, Lu Qinglian had already taken off her green robe. Zhang Shutong caught the clothes that were tossed into the air. It felt strangely like he was on a film set, with a popular actress in front of him. After filming one scene, they rushed to change into a new costume for the next one.

"Wait for me, you don't need to come over."

That's how she spoke today, even more indifferent than usual. Then, Lu Qinglian stepped into the house first, the muddy water reaching up to her ankles.

Zhang Shutong gave her the exact location. The four of them had opened the hidden door together last night. Lu Qinglian simply bent down, then used her waist as a fulcrum, and with both hands, she lifted the iron door.

Of course, her strength wasn't that much beyond that of ordinary people. Zhang Shutong discovered that most of the time, Lu Qinglian just used different techniques to exert her strength. For example, at this moment, the iron gate was barely opened a crack, and muddy water poured down towards her feet, but she didn't continue to force it open like the others. Instead, she paused slightly, as if searching for the best point to exert her strength.

Then she focused her mind and took a deep breath, her waist sinking down. The power that suddenly burst forth was countless times more efficient than pure brute force. It was hard to imagine that it was hidden in such a supple and slender body just a moment ago.

It's quite similar to Tai Chi, with a sense of using minimal force to overcome great strength.

She yanked the iron gate open and then, propelled by inertia, slammed it to the ground.

“I told you I don’t need your help,” Lu Qinglian said, adjusting her breathing. Her chest rose and fell slightly, but it did not affect her sharp gaze at all. “This is pointless.”

The end of his gaze was his own legs. Zhang Shutong glanced at his feet, which were also not in the mud.

He should have waited in a dry place outside, but he walked in without realizing it. He can't be a young master if he can't help, right?

But Zhang Shutong wasn't in the mood for useless talk today. He didn't explain, so Lu Qinglian didn't say anything more. After she calmed down, the two of them walked down the stairs one after the other, their bodies swallowed by darkness.

Next, we will pass through a dark and narrow tunnel.

Zhang Shutong turned on the flash, and they quickly walked to the dry area. He first noticed the footprints on the ground, which were still covered with a layer of dust, indicating that the chances of anyone having been there since last night were almost zero.

The wall has been checked, and there is still only one mark with the number "03".

Only two footsteps echoed in the quiet tunnel; their shoes were soaked through, making a squelching sound as they stepped on the ground.

Zhang Shutong pushed open the basement door.

"right here."

He held a flashlight for Lu Qinglian, the faint light shining on the wall, and said beside her:

"Twenty minutes have passed, and Lao Song will be here soon."

"I know."

Lu Qinglian said without turning her head.

She stared at the photos on the wall, just like Zhang Shutong had done yesterday, walking from one end to the other along this spiderweb-like wall of photos, finally stopping at the figure in the blue robe.

Zhang Shutong came to her side. They had come in a hurry, and their only source of light was their cell phones. Yesterday, at least they had four cell phones, which, although dim, allowed them to check the situation separately. Today, however, they could only stay by Lu Qinglian's side.

"Time is not a clue."

"I feel so too."

The dates of these photos were completely random, and both of them were focused on something else. However, Zhang Shutong felt that he cared more about the other person's position, while Lu Qinglian was more concerned about the identity of the person in the photo.

Zhang Shutong was also looking at the photo. Although she had a general impression last night, the "fake Lu Qinglian" in the photo was raising one hand, and her wide sleeves slipped down to reveal one arm.

In Zhang Shutong's view, this was more like the action before launching an attack, like the long-haired woman on the night of the avalanche.

It seems the people in the basement took this photo before the fight or escape.

"There's a question I've wanted to ask for a long time," Zhang Shutong said after a while. "When exactly in the lives of the deceased are the images depicted in these clay figures? If they are corpses, why are they wearing the clothes they wore when they were alive?"

"I am not sure as well."

What was the process of you taking her back in the first place?

"The sculpture sank into the water and floated up."

Perhaps the remains are not the only condition.

After a long while, Lu Qinglian finally looked away from the photo and said softly:
"really."

This subconscious remark is actually quite intriguing, as it indeed represents the meaning of "certainty" and "expected".

She had a suspicion in her heart for a long time, and now this photo has confirmed it.

But if the clay figure is equivalent to the dead coming back to life, then Lu Qinglian shouldn't have said "as expected".

Since she is still alive and standing here perfectly fine, how could she possibly suspect that she is dead?

But after she finished speaking, she looked away and began to examine other traces on the table and the wooden bed.

Sometimes Zhang Shutong felt that cooperating with her required a certain level of intelligence. Or Lao Song was right: if the other party is a book that needs to be read slowly, if you can't keep up with her train of thought, you might not even be able to open the outer wrapping paper.

"You noticed it too?" Zhang Shutong asked an even more absurd question.

"I should know my own body better than you do."

Zhang Shutong looked at Lu Qinglian's arm, then at the woman's arm in the photo, unsure whether to marvel at the coincidence of fate, as the photo happened to capture the woman's left arm.

The woman's left arm only showed skin illuminated by the flash.

Zhang Shutong knew that Lu Qinglian's left arm...

"Could I take another look at your birthmark?"

"No." She refused coldly.

Zhang Shutong wasn't surprised; she seemed to recall that Zhang had mentioned thinking her red birthmark was ugly.

"But we still need to confirm, is this birthmark really just a birthmark?"

Lu Qinglian nodded her chin.

Zhang Shutong withdrew his gaze. Now that the person in question had confirmed it, his guess was correct.

Perhaps it's the person in the photo, or the figure I saw in the restricted area before.

It wasn't Lu Qinglian.

He looked at the woman's face again. It was blurry, but the general features were still similar. However, similarity doesn't mean anything, because Zhang Shutong could also find many similarities between Gu Qiu Mian and Gu's mother.

"When did you come to this guess?" Zhang Shutong asked. "Is this person actually someone else?"

"Last Sunday. At the temple."

"I've overcomplicated things."

Zhang Shutong shook his head. He had always thought that Lu Qinglian's obsession was about finding a fake version of herself. However, this impression was still based on the initial discovery of the clay figure. In reality, her goal had already quietly changed.

No wonder her attitude at the hospital that day was a bit strange.

"So who do you think it could be?" Zhang Shutong asked, puzzled. "Sisters?"

"I don't have any sisters."

"elder?"

This time, Lu Qinglian did not answer yes or no.

She said softly:

"The bond between each temple keeper is maintained by blood ties."

"aunt?"

“Neither.”

Zhang Shutong stopped talking.

Because this is also a not-so-complex deduction.

Lu Qinglian's grandmother is still alive, so the "elder" can't be from a different generation. As for her grandmother's elders, how long has it been since the clay figure appeared, and what kind of genes could be so powerful?

Then it can only be—

"your mother?"

(End of this chapter)