Winter Returns

Chapter 208 "I Give Up" (Seeking monthly votes!)

"I give up. That fox is no longer of any use."

"What does that mean?" Du Kang poked the paper in confusion, then carefully jumped away. "It doesn't seem to have any traps, it's just a blank sheet of paper."

“So he’s giving up, can’t you tell?” Ruoping thought for a moment. “I think it means that Shutong has used up the prophetic ability of the Smiling Fox, making it like the Sad Fox, almost like a stone, so he decided to give up.”

“I know he gave up… I mean, haven’t we been waiting here all this time? Shutong and the others went outside to check, and there are people guarding the school gate,” Du Kang stammered. “This guy is like a ghost. When did he put this paper up?”

Qingyi pondered:

"That's hard to say. I can think of two suitable times for now: before we play games or after the school bell rings, when there are fewer people around, so we can come in and put it up."

"Of course, it's also possible that when the last group of students left during the rehearsal, he pretended to be a parent, stuck this piece of paper here, and quietly left."

Du Kang couldn't help but ask:

"But Shutong and the others must have seen them when they left the teaching building, right? There weren't many people there then, were they?"

"That's hard to say. The paper is pasted on the outer wall. Think about it, when you leave the teaching building, you'll be facing away from this paper. Unless you specifically turn around to check, you won't notice it." Qingyi demonstrated once as she spoke. "By the way, Shutong, did you do anything similar when you left the teaching building?"

Zhang Shutong shook his head.

"It seems we still can't confirm the exact time period." Qingyi looked around. "There are no security cameras at the entrance, so we can't even ask someone."

"Thank goodness..." Du Kang breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as we can explain how this piece of paper was pasted on."

But after he finished speaking, he found that everyone was looking at him speechlessly.

"What's so good about it? Doesn't this just mean that man ran away again?" Ruoping said angrily.

“I mean he’s still within the realm of humanity,” Du Kang muttered. “Lately, all sorts of things have been making me nervous. I keep feeling like this man might have some kind of superhuman ability. If he really is capable of anything, how are we supposed to deal with him?”

“It’s difficult to deal with now,” Qingyi added. “Since he posted this notice, telling us he’s stopped, it means the other side noticed our trap a long time ago, but when exactly…”

He frowned:
"Forget it, there's no point in thinking about this anymore. All of us could be exposed, and we can at least confirm three things."

His mind raced, and he simultaneously held up three fingers:

"First, that man has the means to confirm that the fox has failed."

"Secondly, after school, the other party did indeed blend into the crowd and come to the classroom to observe us and the fox statue. That should have been the closest we ever got to him."

"Third, this is the first and last opportunity. If we miss this chance, we may never find another opportunity to catch him."

Just as Qingyi let out a sigh, Du Kang said:
“Then I have a question. What if it was a deliberate trick? Right? Maybe he discovered the statue and also discovered that we were lying in ambush on him, so he couldn’t find an opportunity to strike and deliberately made us lower our guard.”

The more Du Kang talked, the more likely this hypothesis seemed:

"Think about it, ever since we learned of this person's existence, he has always been enigmatic. Every time, he has kept his secrets hidden, as if he hadn't revealed a single trace. But this time, he has openly laid his cards on the table. This is really unusual!"

He rarely used his brain, but Zhang Shutong denied it:
"The possibility of fraud is extremely small."

"why?"

“Have you forgotten? In the Smiling Fox’s prophecy, Ruoping was attacked, but the fox statue was still in her arms in the end,” Zhang Shutong explained. “In terms of the result, it’s actually the same. The man gave up on the fox after confirming that it was useless.”

Du Kang suddenly realized and slammed his fist in his hand, then said dejectedly:
"That's true. Just like Qingyi said, if we don't seize this opportunity, they'll disappear completely..."

"Hey, why are you all so disheartened?" Ruoping advised. "Think about it, at least this man has voluntarily given up on stealing the fox, isn't that a good thing?"

“I understand the logic, but it’s still a bit frustrating!” Du Kang clenched his fist and said fiercely, “Doesn’t this mean we’ve been led by the nose the whole time? We were planning to gather everyone together tonight and wait for him to run into us, but he managed to slip through our fingers again.”

“There’s nothing we can do,” Qingyi said. “They’re not ordinary opponents. To be honest, this result is pretty good as long as we don’t have a direct confrontation. And Shutong’s plan was right; they did come to the school to find us. But who would have thought that this man’s purpose had completely changed?”

Admittedly, everyone started preparing for today's operation last night, discussing many different methods throughout the day, but in the end, we still came up empty-handed. It was like punching cotton, unable to exert any force, and it was inevitable to feel frustrated.

Ruoping knew she had to say something at this point, so she walked up to the boys and deliberately said in a rude tone:

"How childish you guys are! Is it just that you boys like to fight for your pride? What do you think, Qiu Mian?"

Then she softened her tone:

"But the initial goal was to protect me from being attacked, so this result is pretty good, right? These past few days, Du Kang, you and Qing Yi have been bringing me food, Qiu Mian asked her family to take me to and from school, and Shu Tong and Qing Lian have been running around everywhere. Who says you have to have battle achievements to be a great hero? I don't care what that man thinks he wants to die. If he wants to disappear, let him be. It would be best if he stayed underground for the rest of his life and never came out!"

"Alright, alright," Ruoping exhaled, composed herself, patted the shoulders of the boys one by one, and adopted the demeanor of a big sister, "We haven't eaten yet, so how about I treat you all to a victory celebration banquet tonight?"

Du Kang became somewhat awkward after being praised by her:

"It's not as exaggerated as you say. This is just what we should do, and the most important thing right now is to find that man..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ruoping interrupted him:

"I've said so much, why don't you understand? I'm telling you to stop looking. Besides, didn't they say they wouldn't go against us? Know when to quit while you're ahead!"

"You're the one who was attacked and crippled!" Du Kang retorted indignantly. "Hey, why are you speaking up for him?"

"Are you stupid? I'm just worried about you guys getting into trouble!"

Ruoping's voice suddenly rose:
"Isn't this just like when you fail the college entrance exam and your parents comfort you by saying that the college entrance exam doesn't determine everything? Those parents may not know that the college entrance exam is very important, but there's nothing they can do, they just can't find anyone to help. What else can I do if I don't say this!"

She spoke faster and faster:
"It's not like I didn't understand. This whole thing was started by me, and I wanted to resolve it smoothly too. Qingyi analyzed it at length, and Shutong has been busy the whole time, but the truth is, they didn't take us seriously at all. They saw through the trap from the beginning. All our planning and schemes were just child's play to them. Maybe they were just letting us off the hook..."

Ruoping paused, then suddenly her face fell:
"But what can we do? The initiative is in their hands. We only have two choices: accept or not accept. But if we don't accept, who will be able to find him?"

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.

A cold wind howled past, and a corner of the paper was lifted up, sticking coldly to the wall, as if telling a chilling truth.

Everyone knows Ruoping is right. The so-called good result is just an excuse to comfort themselves. The so-called achievement of the goal depends on the man's whim. Whether it was at the mall last night or at school today, their seemingly perfect plans were actually already under the man's control.

So the other party took advantage of their success in achieving their goal, escaped smoothly, and disappeared without a trace once again.

“I know it makes us seem incompetent,” Du Kang broke the silence first, opening his mouth, “That’s why…”

Yes, that's why... In the end, he didn't say anything.

Ruoping realized her slip of the tongue and quickly explained:

“Shutong, I’m not saying you were played by him, I mean…”

“I know,” Zhang Shutong said briefly, then fell silent.

"Qinglian too, I know you've sacrificed a lot..."

Lu Qinglian didn't speak; she had been staring at the paper since earlier.

"And autumn cotton..."

Gu Qiumian sighed:

"Let's go home first. It's already past seven o'clock. Everyone should go back and rest for a while."

It was only then that everyone noticed how late it was. The moon was bright and the stars were few, and only one street lamp was on at the school gate. Zhang Shutong tore off the piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and put it in his pocket.

They slowly walked out of the school gate. Qingyi kept frowning and deep in thought, while Dukang kept looking back and forth at the gate, as if the man was hiding in some shadow. Ruoping went up and tugged at them. They all got on their bikes and finally gave up.

Lu Qinglian embarked on her journey home alone.

The streetlights cast a long shadow of her back. She remained the same, her emotions unreadable, her expression indifferent. Yet, despite this, Zhang Shutong felt that she might be the most disappointed one.

For her close friends, being wary of men was merely a way to defuse Ruoping's crisis. But for her, the existence of men was also related to clues about the clay figure. Her mother was also a temple keeper who wanted to leave the island before she died, but ended up turning into a clay figure.

By the time Zhang Shutong came to her senses, Lu Qinglian's figure had already disappeared into the end of the lamplight, swallowed by the night. It was a road she was already used to walking.

He opened the car door and rubbed his stiff face. Just then, his phone screen lit up with comforting messages from his best friends, subtly telling him not to blame himself.

Gu Qiumian was already making a phone call in the carriage:

"Aunt Wu, we're almost home, about twenty minutes..."

She covered the microphone: "What else would you like to eat? Should Aunt Wu add another dish?"

“I like to eat whatever Aunt Wu makes.”

Zhang Shutong rarely says "whatever" anymore.

Once the two of them were seated in the back of the car, the car started and slowly drove south, heading towards the villa.

Zhang Shutong hadn't been to that villa in a long time.

He treated Gu Qiu Mian to a bowl of noodles at noon, but the young lady insisted on being invited back. Since her father was away from home these days, he chose her house as the venue for the dinner.

This was something that had been discussed and agreed upon long ago.

Zhang Shutong silently watched the scenery rushing past the car window, when he heard Gu Qiumian ask:

"Are you still thinking about that?"

"No."

"It's not your fault. Who knows how that person confirmed it?"

Zhang Shutong could only say that she was not frustrated.

"Aren't you frustrated?"

Zhang Shutong said of course.

“That’s more like it,” she said in a tone that suggested my Pokémon would never admit defeat. “I told you you were stupid, and you still wouldn’t accept it.”

Zhang Shutong felt that her tone and the content of her words didn't quite match.

"I'm convinced now," he said helplessly.

"You're not only stupid, you're also quite wicked," she snorted.

"what?"

"Why did you lie to Lu Qinglian? What did you mean by saying that if you tried something at my store, you had to buy it?" Gu Qiumian waved her hand dismissively. "Stay away from me. You're really malicious. Don't infect me with your bad intentions."

Zhang Shutong thought to himself, "Why are you speaking up for her?"

"I was wrong." He raised his hands in surrender and moved to the side.

Only now did Zhang Shutong realize that the muscles in his arms were trembling, which seemed to be a side effect of the push-ups. He thought to himself that he should exercise more. He used to think that his physical strength was enough, but more and more things made him realize that it was not enough.

Zhang Shutong had already shown weakness, but Gu Qiumian relentlessly pursued her. However, as soon as she twisted her waist, she groaned and sat back down, clutching her stomach.

"You again..."

Zhang Shutong looked at her lower abdomen, but Gu Qiumian's period wasn't at this time.

"My back hurts." The aloof and beautiful version of Gu Qiu Mian is back.

It turns out she strained a muscle while doing sit-ups.

"I also think you have great stamina."

Zhang Shutong once put his arm around her waist and knew that her waist was slender and soft, and that she was indeed not very strong.

Gu Qiumian lay lazily in the back seat, looking at her phone:

"Shall we continue playing Truth or Dare when we get home today?"

"Haven't you had enough fun yet?"

“What was the point of playing that just now?” she muttered. “There were so many people, I couldn’t really relax.”

Zhang Shutong thought, "You made me do eleven push-ups even before you let go. What will happen if you let go?"

Before he could refuse, Gu Qiu Mian had already picked up her phone with great interest and started swiping the screen with her one-finger gesture:

"First question, how will you spend Christmas?"

"That day I went to school," Zhang Shutong answered without hesitation.

Gu Qiumian glared at him:
"Second question, show me the first photo in your recycle bin."

Why are you looking at my photos?

"You said you wouldn't hide the fox from me, but I've never even seen what the altar looks like."

Zhang Shutong thought about it and realized it made a lot of sense. He handed his phone to Gu Qiumian, but Gu Qiumian's gaze lingered on a pink Mickey Mouse hat.

"What is this?" Gu Qiumian asked with a smile. "In the mall?"

"I was picking out a gift while I was shopping at the mall that day, what's wrong?" Zhang Shutong asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, just an ugly hat," she scoffed.

"The third question..."

"Spare my life..."

The enclosed carriage isolated the cold wind and road noise, and the car drove smoothly as if on flat ground. The warm air made people feel cozy and wanted to yawn. They talked in hushed tones in the small space.

As night fell, the car soon drove onto the familiar mountain road. Zhang Shutong looked around with emotion; the snow here had long since melted.

The car stopped in front of the villa gate. After the two got out of the car, the driver parked it in the garage next to the villa. Zhang Shutong stood in front of the brightly lit, palace-like building, stretched, and turned his head to look. He found other cars parked nearby, which belonged to the patrolling bodyguards.

"You have quite a few family members?" Zhang Shutong asked.

"You think it's just me and Aunt Wu?" Gu Qiumian raised her chin and glanced at him sideways.

"It seems safe." He muttered to himself.

"Hurry up and go, you're so annoying. After investigating that man, you want to investigate my family now. I told you not to think about these things," Gu Qiumian pushed him from behind. "Aunt Wu was urging us at school, and the food is getting cold..."

Zhang Shutong had just taken a step when he slapped his forehead:
"Wait, I think I forgot my phone..."

Should I give you a call?

“No need,” he said, touching his pocket. “I must have forgotten to take it when you handed it to me.”

"I told you you're stupid."

"Yes Yes……"

Zhang Shutong obediently accepted the hat and put it on.

Fortunately, the car hadn't gone far. He ran over, opened the car door, sat in the back seat, and saw Gu Qiu Mian turn around and go into the villa first.

By the light spilling from the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking through the rearview mirror, one could see that the driver in the driver's seat was a taciturn man with a lot of white in his eyes and a thick beard. Zhang Shutong had met him before; he was the one who helped Lao Song leave the dormitory building.

At this point, the other party said:
"The light is overhead."

"Oh, there's no need to turn on the lights," Zhang Shutong said casually.

The other party remained silent.

"I have it here."

Zhang Shutong took his phone out of his pocket, turned on the flash, and flashed it in the rearview mirror. In an instant, the dimly lit car was filled with dazzling white light.

Just as the man's pupils contracted, he whispered:
"As expected, it's you."

(End of this chapter)