Winter Returns

Chapter 203 Foolish Tongtong

Chapter 203 Foolish Tongtong
You can dream about this?
Zhang Shutong also realized that he had been a bit of a jinx.

But then he realized that Gu Qiu Mian wasn't having a similar dream because of his words, and an unbelievable guess arose in his mind:
"Did you dream about that gold coin chocolate?"

"Of course I remember."

Gu Qiumian replied without hesitation:

"Back in the first year of junior high, Feng Ruoping and I had a little conflict, right? The next day, she didn't accept my chocolate, and we had a bit of a tiff, which led to what you described, right?"

Zhang Shutong was stunned. He thought to himself that this was not a dream, but a memory from that timeline that had been restored without any error. He often used the excuse of having a dream to say that he had foreseen something, but how could he really have such a magical dream?

He subconsciously looked at Gu Qiu Mian; her face was flushed from the wind, and she was staring at his face relentlessly.

Zhang Shutong nodded.

To everyone's surprise, Gu Qiu Mian wasn't astonished by this; instead, she gritted her teeth.
"Then that day after school, I ran into you on duty in the classroom, right? I wanted to give you the chocolate, right? But you didn't take it, right? Still wrong!"

"..."

A clean, white finger was about to touch his forehead.

Zhang Shutong shrugged, regretting for the first time why he had to pick on a piece of chocolate.

And young lady, shouldn't you be more concerned about the things that have been changed in the past? Why is your first thought to hold yourself accountable?

Zhang Shutong had no choice but to change the subject:
“What you dreamed about did actually happen. Do you remember what I told you about at home that day? That fox statue… well, each one has a little bit of special ability. The sad one is the one that can change the past.”

So what exactly did it change?

"It's the chocolate incident you just mentioned."

Gu Qiumian opened her eyes wide:

"only these?"

She seemed quite incredulous that such a powerful ability would be used for such a trivial matter.

"Yes, I also found it incredible at first, it's like the butterfly effect..."

Zhang Shutong recounted the whole story to her, from how Ruoping discovered the fox, how she accidentally made a wish, to how she discovered these anomalies through the smiling fox's prophecy.

“She didn’t do it on purpose,” Zhang Shutong clarified. Although the change was positive, it had a subtle effect on her, and not everyone would be happy about it. He observed Gu Qiumian’s expression. “Besides, even if you wanted to turn back, there’s probably no way. That fox can only be used once, and now it’s just a stone.”

Gu Qiu Mian didn't pay much attention to this:

"When did you find out?"

"After the shift change."

"I knew it," Gu Qiumian said irritably. "No wonder you've been acting a little strange ever since. Have you felt like I've become a different person since then?"

"Not really..." Well, a little. Since then, the young lady has taken on another role, Class Monitor Gu. She's surrounded by lively people and I'm very busy too. It's not that we've become strangers, but there's a subtle distance between us.

"Then why didn't you tell me back then... Never mind, pretend I didn't ask. It would be a miracle if you told me on your own initiative!" Gu Qiumian's chest heaved with anger. "So what you're doing now is looking for the fox? And you're also on guard against that man?"

"Hmm..." Zhang Shutong first confirmed, then couldn't help but ask, "What else did you dream about? Just things after the chocolate incident?"

"Yes, I already said it was a nightmare, I don't even want to talk about it. No, I need to calm down first..."

Gu Qiu Mian stood up as she spoke, her emotions clearly complicated. She leaned against the rock wall of the drainage hole, crossed her arms, and muttered to herself:
"It's actually true..."

"You can totally treat this as a dream?" Zhang Shutong was also worried that she might not be able to accept it.

“I can’t say that,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “Even though it was a dream, it felt like I had experienced it myself. I remember every detail… Let me put it this way, like the day after school when I ran into you on duty, I remember exactly how clearly the plastic bag of chocolates in your hand was black, how I asked you about it, and how you refused. You had a cold face then and wouldn’t say a word, right?”

Zhang Shutong no longer dared to keep a cold face; the muscles in his face were now a bit stiff from the wind.

Zhang Shutong rubbed his face, but Gu Qiumian couldn't help but laugh.

"cut."

Then she tried to smooth her lips and rolled her eyes at me:
"Tell me, who else knows about this?"

Was she trying to silence them?

“Just a few of them,” Zhang Shutong said. “But they weren’t eyewitnesses; they’d only heard me mention it briefly, except for Ruoping, who knew more about it.”

"Keep it a secret." The young lady said coldly, clearly not wanting her embarrassing past to be revealed. "Those who know can leave it at that, but no one is allowed to tell you!"

Zhang Shutong repeatedly assured him.

“But I dreamt so little about it, I have no idea how I’ve spent the last few years,” Gu Qiumian muttered again. “For example, last Christmas and last New Year’s Day, do you even know?”

“I remember it wasn’t a big impact,” Zhang Shutong recalled. “It’s just that I have a lot more friends now, but of course, I have a lot less people. In the past, you must have always gone on vacation with your dad for New Year’s Day.”

Not only last year, but Gu Qiu Mian had been doing the same thing for the past few years. While others spent the winter, she was happily sunbathing on the coast. Whether it was domestic or international, she was always traveling.

"As for the rest..." Zhang Shutong thought for a moment, "We weren't very familiar with each other back then, and I didn't know much about it."

The young lady, however, caught the key words:
"You mean our relationship is almost the same as it is now?"

"Yes, apart from the chocolate incident being gone, nothing else has changed."

"Then don't tell me, it'll only upset you."

She seemed to lose interest instantly.

Zhang Shutong didn't want to say much, because most of those were unpleasant memories. She was a person who liked lively atmospheres, and even if she were to go on vacation, she should choose winter break, not New Year's Day. She quietly left when the festive atmosphere was in full swing, and only returned when it had almost faded away. Then she went back to her window seat. If it was really lively around her, why would she suddenly disappear for a period of time, even if the outside world was wonderful?

Zhang Shutong fell silent, and Gu Qiumian also shut up. She looked up at the bleak light, lost in thought. Silence spread across the desolate wilderness, broken only by the howling wind. Zhang Shutong secretly glanced at her phone, wanting to say that if they didn't go eat soon, there wouldn't be time.

But Gu Qiu Mian refused to mention it.

He was the kind of person who liked to daydream, and at that moment he looked up at the sky, but after a while, he could no longer see the sky.

My vision was replaced by a beautiful oval face.

Gu Qiu Mian walked up to him without him noticing:

"I was just thinking about it, and it's definitely not a pleasant memory, right?"

Zhang Shutong nodded.

"So that's why you didn't tell me back then?"

Zhang Shutong nodded again.

"I'd like to know too."

"Knowing it will only put me in a bad mood," Zhang Shutong could only repeat her famous saying.

"Knowing will make me feel bad, but not knowing will make me regret it and feel like a fool. I'm not the kind of heartless person."

She sat down again, hugged her knees, and murmured:

"Otherwise, we'd be living in two different worlds."

"It's not that serious," Zhang Shutong said. "It's just that a certain point in the past was changed; it shouldn't be considered as serious as two different worlds, right?"

Gu Qiumian asked:
"After we came back from playing in the city that day, you were busy looking for the fox?"

"Ah."

"I can roughly guess that, like before, you solved everything by yourself?" She thought for a moment, "and then everyone around you was shocked, thinking you were so smart and amazing, like you had a plan that never failed you?"

"No, not really." Zhang Shutong felt a little embarrassed by her praise, thinking to herself that she had just lost track of someone once.

Gu Qiu Mian suddenly ruffled his hair:

"But I really think you're a bit stupid."

Zhang Shutong dodged her hand, somewhat speechless. It turned out that it wasn't a compliment, but a way of praising first and then criticizing. But if you're going to insult someone, just insult them. Why use this kind of tone?

"Yes, yes... I'm the dumbest."

Zhang Shutong rolled her eyes where she couldn't see.

"You're the kind of person who likes to keep promises in mind. When others forget, you always remember. When others put in one time the effort, you put in two times the effort. When others know when to quit, you never let go. So they all think you're very capable and smart, but I don't think so."

Gu Qiu Mian turned her face away and said seriously:

"You're really stupid, Tongtong."

Her bright, dark eyes held a depth that Zhang Shutong couldn't decipher, and he instinctively avoided Gu Qiu Mian's gaze.

"Hey, it's okay to swear, but don't call me by my nickname..." "Tongtong is really your nickname?" she suddenly smiled and said in a surprised tone.

“Yes… that’s not hard to guess,” Zhang Shutong muttered, “and you called me when I was in the hospital.”

"But when I asked you if you didn't say anything, I thought I misheard."

"No, actually my nickname is Mianmian."

"I'll call you Mianmian, I'll call you Mianmian," Gu Qiumian's ears turned red. "I've put up with you, you bad person, for so long! Why were you laughing when I made a sheep-like sound in the classroom at noon?"

Her interruption lightened Zhang Shutong's mood considerably.

"Do you love drawing sheep the most?"

"By the way," Gu Qiumian asked, "what about the timeline before it was altered?"

"I also love to paint."

"Looking at it this way, not much has changed."

"Not much has changed to begin with."

"You still need to tell me."

"How can we possibly finish talking about all of this? Class is about to start, do you want to grab something to eat?"

“Then tell me slowly. Tell me whenever you want to hear it later. Just treat it as a secret between you and me. Also, let me tell you something else,” Gu Qiumian stood up, put her hands behind her back, stood on tiptoe, and looked into the distance. “I’ve also gone out for Christmas and New Year’s these past few days. It’s not just that unaltered timeline. You probably haven’t asked about that, have you?”

"But when they were decorating the Christmas tree that day, didn't they say they would send one every year?"

"Preparing the Christmas tree is one thing, but I usually fly away on Christmas Eve."

"Oh……"

Looking at it this way, there really isn't much change.

“But I’m not going anywhere this year,” she said. “From Christmas to New Year’s Day, I won’t be going anywhere. It’s the first time I’ve spent the holidays on the island.”

Before Zhang Shutong could react, she patted her skirt:
"I'm suddenly hungry, I need to eat."

"You just said you weren't hungry... What do you want to eat?"

"I haven't decided yet," she said simply. "Think about it later."

Zhang Shutong was a little troubled. He was a casual person when it came to what to eat, and when two casual people got together, they often struggled for a long time.

"Is there a newly opened noodle shop?"

"can."

Zhang Shutong stepped on the sparse, withered grass with the soles of his shoes, suddenly forgetting why the two of them had come here in the first place. It seemed like they hadn't done anything at all, just exchanged a few words, and then stupidly drank a few mouthfuls of northwest wind.

He simply got on his bike as he had not long ago, with Gu Qiumian sitting on the back, and the two of them slowly drove towards the city.

On the way, Gu Qiumian asked:

"You weren't finished yet. So, how are you going to find that man?"

"They'll probably come to the school."

"By the way, how about I ask Dad to check the mall's security footage for you?"

“Yesterday, in addition to the brown hat, a face mask was also found.”

"I see." Gu Qiumian thought again, "Then I can ask the driver at home to help keep watch outside the school gate? But with so many people, he lost his hat... Do you remember any distinguishing features?"

"It's probably quite difficult. If it's during class time, not only will it be hard for us to find him, but it will also be hard for him to find us. So the only time he'll come is after school."

After finishing speaking, Zhang Shutong explained:

"But don't worry, he's here now. Students are too busy at noon. That man just wants to find the fox; there's no need for him to follow us around for everything."

“However,” Zhang Shutong said thoughtfully, “it would actually be possible to have your driver help out at the school gate after school. Let me think about what to do…”

They quickly rode to the noodle shop, and Zhang Shutong ordered two bowls of noodles. Eating out with Gu Qiumian meant no worries about splitting the bill—

Zhang Shutong, please.

The young lady is very generous to her henchmen, often treating them to meals and gatherings, but she is extremely stingy with him, her henchman.

Two bowls of noodles weren't enough; being a carnivore, Zhang Shutong added a duck leg, watching as the owner scooped out a hairless one.

Of course, Gu Qiu Mian couldn't see this; she probably didn't know that the feathers on the duck legs couldn't be completely removed.

The noodle shop was newly opened, so it was naturally clean and bright. Otherwise, Zhang Shutong wouldn't have brought her here. For Gu Qiumian, the food didn't have to be lavish, and the taste could be just so-so, but it had to be clean.

He recounted stories from the past, and soon the noodles for the two of them were served:
"I can't eat this, here's some for you."

Gu Qiumian naturally picked up a mouthful of noodles.

"Oh……"

Zhang Shutong belatedly realized that they were about to fall into the bowl, but then suddenly they arced through the air.

It turns out that Gu Qiumian changed her mind:
"I couldn't see clearly in my dream, do you want to try again?"

"what?"

"It was when I offered you chocolate and you refused, it was funny, I wanted to see you act aloof," she said, resting her chin on her hand.

"What does it mean to be aloof?" Zhang Shutong never thought he was aloof at all.

"Do not talk."

Zhang Shutong swallowed back the question of "how to do it".

"No need to make faces on purpose... Okay, all done."

She nodded in satisfaction and picked up the noodles again.

"Are you going to eat?"

Zhang Shutong looked at her helplessly, and just as he was about to twitch his lips, Gu Qiumian glared at him defiantly.

Through the steaming bowl of noodles, Zhang Shutong could almost see the scene in the classroom that day. A girl with red eyes ran into the classroom and asked him if he wanted some chocolate. At the time, he felt that he couldn't prioritize a girl over his friend, so he shook his head and coldly refused.

Then the girl threw the chocolate forcefully into the trash can and left the classroom without looking back. Even today, Zhang Shutong doesn't understand why she was so angry;
Now she speaks the exact same words as before, but with a bright smile on her face. Gu Qiu Mian sits with her back to the noodle shop door, and a little light shines in through the thick curtain, with floating dust and swaying shadows, as if yesterday has come true.

The air was thick with the smell of cooking oil, and her faint fragrance lingered within it. He noticed this as he opened the chili sauce lid, and long-buried memories were unleashed. Zhang Shutong's thoughts drifted back to that afternoon. Had he noticed the girl with the fragrant scent back then? All of this was now impossible to trace back. Zhang Shutong didn't know why she did this, whether she was trying to recapture some familiar feeling, but he felt that the subtle barrier between them had suddenly disappeared. No matter what, she was Gu Qiumian, and she would always be Gu Qiumian.

"Don't eat."

So Zhang Shutong smiled inwardly, but coldly uttered two words, playing along with her antics.

Who knows——

"Hey, why aren't you eating?"

The autumn rain is incessant, and I'm truly furious.

……

"I'll definitely eat it next time."

"Do you want a next time?"

"Didn't you ask me to do it again?"

I'm giving you another chance!

"right……"

"You won't even listen to my apologies!"