Winter Returns

Chapter 194 Lu Qinglian with Short Hair

Ruoping is considered to be relatively tall among girls.

Lu Qinglian is also quite tall, a little bit taller than her.

As for whether the two have similar body shapes, to be honest, Zhang Shutong couldn't tell—Xiao Lu always wore a green robe and was a penguin who had returned from the world of cultivation.

Oh, so she has such a nickname.

Of course, the most dissimilar thing was her appearance. Lu Qinglian had an oval face and peach blossom eyes, but also a very aloof temperament. This was the hardest thing to fake. However, the man couldn't see Ruoping's face clearly either. The clothes and hairstyle were similar, which was the limit of what they could do. It was enough to fool the other party.

Not only do you have to dress up as Ruoping, but you also have to go into the tunnel and, ideally, stop the man when he's about to make a move.

When Lu Qinglian found out, she didn't explicitly refuse, but her gaze was cold. Zhang Shutong could read her meaning from it, and it made sense. Who likes to be dressed up in a different way? But she endured it for the sake of the clay figure clue, and besides, she had a good relationship with Ruoping.

When the school bell rang, Zhang Shutong packed her schoolbag:

"wait for me."

He inquired during the break between classes and found that there was indeed a wig rental shop in the commercial street, which suited him perfectly. After all, a proper wig was very expensive and not something they could afford, so renting one for a few days would be fine.

He needed to see Ruoping get into the car first.

See you at the school gate later.

As Zhang Shutong left the classroom, she encountered Ruoping running out of the door of Class 3:
"Go, go, go!"

Ruoping grabbed his schoolbag and was about to leave.

"what happened?"

"While they're not out yet," Ruoping said urgently, "Ever since I told them that prophecy last night, they've been inseparable from me. They even want to sit next to me while I take a nap at noon. I can't stand it anymore!"

"Just bear with it," Zhang Shutong advised. "They're just concerned about you."

"Heh." Ruoping sneered, "Qingyi even proposed a plan."

"what?"

"What do you think about kidnapping me before that man finds me?"

"Uh……"

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that the last time he protected Gu Qiumian, it was the same thing. Why does this kid always want to kidnap people?

“Du Kang also has a plan,” Ruoping said, on the verge of tears. “He said he’d bring the dog he just picked up to my house to help guard it, but do you think that dog is even bigger than your shoe?”

"...It's a bit early."

Although that dog will grow very big in the future, it's not big enough now.

"What kind of unreliable methods are these..."

"In that case, I actually have a suggestion."

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Shutong brought up the fact that Lu Qinglian had impersonated her. She expected Ruoping to be furious, but to her surprise, Ruoping's eyes lit up.
"Okay, okay, you ask... never mind, I'll ask Qinglian what she wants to wear. I have dresses, coats, and jeans. I'll bring them all over for her tomorrow. I've been wanting to see them for a long time!"

I forgot she was a fangirl.

The two walked along, discussing the matter, when someone waved and asked:
"Ruoping, want to get your nails done?"

"I have something to do today, let's do it in a few days."

Ruoping responded with a polite smile, but Zhang Shutong could see the sorrow in her eyes as she waved goodbye to normal life.

"There's a new bubble tea shop opening tomorrow, you know?"

Zhang Shutong knew it referred to Zhou Ziheng's family. They had moved away after the commercial street incident, and new businesses had moved in.

"I don't have time either."

Ruoping's smile began to falter.

"I heard the mall is having a Christmas promotion this weekend! Have you decided who to have dinner with?"

The girl's large eyes lost their luster.

The Christmas spirit was indeed strong, and the girls' conversations turned to who to have dinner with, how to spend Christmas Eve, whether to give apples or chocolates, and so on. There were Japanese customs and European customs, and it didn't matter whether they were authentic or not, as long as they were happy. Zhang Shutong could also feel the restlessness of the young hearts.

Therefore, their homeroom teacher, Ms. Xu, singled out several typical cases in the class today.

"Shutong, Shutong," Ruoping asked pitifully, "when will you be able to find that man?"

"I did my best," Zhang Shutong shrugged.

"I want to regain my freedom!"

"I want, too."

"How about I give you a fishing rod for Christmas? Will you spare me this weekend?"

"Bribery is useless."

Ruoping was not one to back down easily. She gritted her teeth and said angrily, "I'll make that man pay!" Zhang Shutong smiled at her, but Ruoping suddenly asked seriously:

Do you think that thing might recover?

Zhang Shutong was stunned for a moment.

He did know when the Sad Fox would recover; judging from the information from the Weaver Girl's questline, it should be four or five months from now.

"Maybe."

"If things really do recover, wouldn't we have a chance to change the past?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

“Then…” Ruoping hesitated.

Zhang Shutong knew what she wanted to say. What would they do with the fox once it recovered? And who would they give it to? Everyone has their own regrets.

"Let's worry about this when we've really recovered."

"That's right. Did you tell Gu Qiumian about the chocolate?"

"Ah."

"What did she say?"

Zhang Shutong thought for a moment:

"She...doesn't believe it."

Despite the continuous autumn rain, she stubbornly believed that she was very popular.

So, convincing her that the fox's abilities truly exist is a difficult task. Zhang Shutong subconsciously glanced at the door of Class Two; she was the class monitor and had to stay in class for a short meeting today. Her clear, crisp voice could be faintly heard. And of the two foxes, one could foresee the future, and the other… could change the past.

Zhang Shutong seemed to realize something, so he silently turned around and urged Ruoping.

They parted ways at the school gate.

Gu Qiumian's driver brought another car, and Qingyi and Dukang got in. Their bicycles were still at Ruoping's house, and they could ride them away while he escorted them.

Zhang Shutong pushed his bike out of the school gate, feeling somewhat melancholy. His motorcycle had been locked in the storage room by his mother again, so he still had to ride his bicycle to school. His most treasured possession used to be this Flying Pigeon brand bicycle, but now he felt it was too slow.

Lu Qinglian walked slowly beside him.

It's dismissal time now, the busiest time of the year, with crowds thronging the school gate. Naturally, the two of them can't just hop on their bikes and leave as usual.

"Wait a moment, let me check the exact location." Zhang Shutong looked down at his phone.

Lu Qinglian was also looking down.

"What are you looking at?" Zhang Shutong asked curiously.

"Christmas."

Zhang Shutong was shocked:
"You're actually interested in it too?"

Zhang Shutong wouldn't be surprised if any girl had such expectations, except for Lu Qinglian.

He leaned closer to take a look, but Lu Qinglian snapped her phone shut.

"What are you thinking about?"

She sighed softly:
"I was just looking at Baidu Baike (Baidu Encyclopedia)."

I haven't seen her for a few days and she already knows about "Baidu Baike"!

"Oh," Zhang Shutong responded instinctively, then asked, "Looking up information?"

"Yes, Ms. Xu said today that we need to prepare a blackboard bulletin board about Christmas," she replied casually.

"so."

Zhang Shutong thought to himself that even the homeroom teacher knew the principle that it's better to guide than to block.

Or rather, her bottom line is that the students in her class draw a blackboard newspaper; they cannot cross that line.

Their class doesn't have an arts and culture representative, which is very un-artistic and reveals their attitude towards various activities.

So this matter was eventually handed over to the class monitor.

But of all people, Teacher Xu picked someone... who knows the least about Christmas.

"For example?" Zhang Shutong prepared to give a detailed explanation.

"Santa Claus, reindeer, stockings, and presents."

A few short words escaped Lu Qinglian's pink lips, then she asked, puzzled:

“Why socks?”

“Because according to legend, Santa Claus throws gifts down the chimney into the house,” Zhang Shutong recalled. “I remember the origin was that European houses would build a fireplace under the chimney. Since Christmas is in winter, clothes that need to be dried would be placed next to the fireplace. Gifts would fall into the stockings, and it gradually became a custom.”

“That’s interesting.” She nodded slightly.

"You're welcome."

"Zhang Shutong, are my shoes and socks still at your house?" Lu Qinglian was reminded of something else because of this custom. "I will go and get them as soon as possible."

Zhang Shutong thought for a moment, but didn't bring up the matter of the boots.

As they were talking, they arrived at the commercial street. The wig shop was hidden around a corner, with shops selling small accessories on both sides. When they went inside, they saw all kinds of wigs hanging on the walls. As a boy, he really didn't know there was such a place.

The shop owner was a young woman with dyed purple hair, wearing earrings and smoky makeup.

"First time here?"

She was sitting behind the counter, not even looking up.
What size is it?

Zhang Shutong wondered if this thing even had a size?

"Three for a set." The woman then pointed to the machine next to her. "Renting a wig is five yuan."

Zhang Shutong turned his head and realized that this was not a wig shop at all, but a place for taking photos. No wonder the wigs on the wall were all colorful and there were very few black ones.

"Just renting wigs?"

"You two students," the woman said, leaving it at that, implying that they were unreliable and that wigs were too expensive.

"Someone introduced me to it."

As he spoke, Zhang Shutong mentioned a name that even he himself hadn't expected—he had asked the nurse about the wig shop.

How can a junior nurse be skilled in martial arts and have such a wide network of connections?

“Okay,” the woman readily agreed, “but be careful not to get it wet.”

Zhang Shutong started picking out wigs. Actually, there wasn't much to choose from. Ruoping's hairstyle was a very common short bob, and Zhang Shutong didn't know what it was called. He had just looked at it on his phone. French, Japanese, bob cuts... it was dazzling.

The final goal was only two: one was a slightly shorter, more neat slanted cut with a side-parted fringe, and the other was a longer cut with the ends naturally falling to the neck and having an airy fringe.

These are already the two closest to each other in the store.

Zhang Shutong took it off and first had Lu Qinglian try it on her head.

She didn't feel anything about this kind of girly atmosphere, didn't even look at the photos in the photo booths, and paid no attention to the colorful wigs on the wall.

She held her hair up to her forehead, but kept a certain distance, never letting it touch her forehead.
Which one is more similar?

Lu Qinglian looked in the mirror.

"It doesn't seem like...any of them?"

Zhang Shutong said uncertainly.

He couldn't say whether it was the wrong style of the wig, or whether Lu Qinglian hadn't put it on properly, or whether he was oversimplifying things and that changing a hairstyle wouldn't transform him into a completely different person.

Of course, there's also the reason why Lu Qinglian's green robe looked so out of place.

“The first one is better,” Zhang Shutong thought. “The second one is too sweet and doesn’t really suit your style.”

"Zhang Shutong, are you looking forward to it?" Her gaze turned slightly cold.

"At most, it's just curiosity."

Zhang Shutong had only ever seen Gu Qiumian with long hair; he had never seen Lu Qinglian with short hair.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qinglian promptly put the wig back on, gathered her long, flowing hair up, and said calmly:
"how about this?"

"A little better?"

"Then let's cut it."

"It can't be that bad," Zhang Shutong said, unsure how long it would take for her hair to grow back, estimating it would be several years. "Just getting through these few days would be too much of a sacrifice..."

The woman beside him finally raised her head:

"Want a haircut? I buy hair here. Your hair is in great condition, it's long enough to sell for several hundred yuan. One price, eight hundred. I'll go get the scissors now?"

"Wait a minute, let me ask her again..." Zhang Shutong and Lu Qinglian came out of the store. He lowered his voice, "Won't your grandma find out if you do this?"

"It can be explained."

Zhang Shutong had always thought that temple keepers had requirements regarding hair length, but she didn't expect that it was simply that Lu Qinglian hadn't cut her hair.

"Why are you so eager to get a haircut?" he asked. "Did you bring your deposit with you because you were worried about not having enough money?"

"It's just choosing an easier way."

It seems she really dislikes wearing wigs and would rather cut off her long hair.

"You think it's dirty?" Zhang Shutong suddenly realized something.

When the two first met, Lu Qinglian didn't even like physical contact, and she still doesn't now. Zhang Shutong had guessed many reasons before, but later found out that she seemed to simply have a cleanliness obsession.

The reason why Lu Qinglian felt inexplicably resistant was that the problem wasn't with her hair.

“I will wear a hairnet,” he gestured, “a net to cover your hair first, then you put on the wig, is that okay?”

Lu Qinglian frowned slightly, it seemed she wasn't very willing to give up her long hair either, and finally nodded her chin.

"You're not getting it cut? Which one did you choose then?" the proprietress asked. "Oh, the one with the slanted cut, it really suits this girl's style, very cool."

Zhang Shutong had long known that Lu Qinglian was a striking woman.

“However,” the proprietress changed the subject, “her hair is too long, it might not be so easy to put on. Wait, let me find you a hairnet to try…”

The other party took out a black net, and while tearing off the packaging paper, said:

"Come on, little sister, sit down first. I'll show you how to put it on. After you put it on, you don't need to wash your hair for the next few days..."

"Is it absolutely necessary not to wash?"

Before Lu Qinglian could frown again, Zhang Shutong asked first.

“Then you have to wear it once a day,” the shopkeeper said. “Her hair is too long, it’s a hassle.”

Zhang Shutong glanced at Lu Qinglian, his meaning clear:

Even if it's inconvenient, it's better than not washing your hair at all.

"Then..."

Zhang Shutong was about to say, "Then you should teach her," when Lu Qinglian interrupted him, saying:
"Thank you, I can do it myself."

So hair contact is considered physical contact.

“Okay.” The purple-haired woman was also a unique person, and she must have met many more unique people. She said indifferently, “Then I’ll talk to you from the side, and you can do it in front of the mirror. It’s easy to put it on, but the main thing is how to put your long hair up.”

Zhang Shutong waited silently to the side, watching Lu Qinglian skillfully tie up her long hair, and then, under the guidance of the proprietress, tuck her sideburns and loose strands into the hairnet. He was struck by how Lu Qinglian was indeed used to being alone, as if she did everything that way.

The wig shop has a large full-length mirror, which makes many procedures much easier. She can focus on the mirror and complete the task by herself.

Unfortunately, Zhang Shutong only realized this the next day.

(End of this chapter)