Chapter 89: Capturing the "Snake" (3) |
This decision might have been somewhat rash, appearing thoughtless, but sometimes when things happen suddenly, you simply aren't given the opportunity for careful deliberation.
Once Lu Qinglian stepped into the trap and fell into the snow pit unable to break free, Zhang Shutong didn't believe he still wouldn't be able to get answers out of her.
Of course, it was just to extract some information—he had no intention of harming her.
As for what to do if Lu Qinglian truly was innocent, that wasn't something he needed to consider right now. It wasn't about evading responsibility—whether he'd have to compensate her with money or let her kick him, those were matters for later. But he couldn't let these concerns stop him from taking action. Coming to the mountain alone, if some unexpected situation truly occurred, it would be no different from surrendering without a fight.
However, Zhang Shutong wasn't heartless enough to feel he must lure her into the pit. It was just a backup plan. If possible, he actually hoped it wouldn't need to be used.
This reminded Zhang Shutong of himself on the Cold-Blooded Route. He didn't know how he'd managed to build a good relationship with Lu Qinglian—at least, the current him couldn't figure it out. Since that was the case, he could only think of other methods.
Thinking this far, Zhang Shutong sighed inwardly.
Deep in his bones, he truly was a cold-blooded person.
Back then, he should have had some connection with Lu Qinglian, much deeper than now. He didn't know what kind of feelings he'd harbored when leaving her on the island.
Had he regretted it?
Had he felt sympathy?
All of it was unknowable now.
He only knew that he seemed about to repeat the same mistake.
But contrary to Zhang Shutong's expectations, after getting out of the car, Lu Qinglian's attitude was more direct than he'd imagined. She no longer concealed everything. Though he still hadn't obtained much crucial information, at least the two of them could now converse smoothly.
Just as Lu Qinglian had said earlier:
"If you want honesty, show the corresponding attitude."
These words had truly made him reflect deeply.
So now the trap was dug, but his thinking had also changed somewhat.
Perhaps he didn't need to take things to extremes.
Even if doing so obtained information and cleared suspicion, it would be tantamount to losing a potential collaborator.
Zhang Shutong didn't have persecution complex.
If Lu Qinglian had maintained that initial posture from the car, constantly giving cold laughs and saying things that made people uneasy, then he wouldn't mind putting her in a position where she could cold-laugh from inside a pit.
But now...
Zhang Shutong wasn't someone who loved to hesitate, but he had to admit, he was beginning to hesitate again.
It was hard to say why. Was it because Lu Qinglian's words made him realize his attitude was problematic? Or had he subconsciously lowered his guard? Or perhaps seeing her now stroking the fox made him think that deep in her bones, she was still just a sixteen-year-old girl?
"You really like small animals?" he couldn't help but ask.
"It's alright." Lu Qinglian said indifferently, "There aren't many animals to see here."
"It's just like you raised it from when it was small." Zhang Shutong saw the fox simply expose its belly—he truly couldn't believe a wild fox would do such a thing.
Just as Zhang Shutong was about to approach for a closer look, Lu Qinglian spoke again:
"Don't move."
"Uh, I won't scare it."
Really, making it seem like he was some kind of dangerous element.
"Don't let its current appearance fool you—it's actually very fierce."
He seemed to have heard similar words somewhere before...
"Why isn't it fierce with you?"
"I'm the temple keeper."
There it was again.
Zhang Shutong felt somewhat speechless.
He'd thought her attitude would improve a bit more, but here she was again with these ambiguous statements—saying something that was tantamount to saying nothing at all.
"That's meaningless to say."
"I'm not making it up." She just looked at the fox, explaining calmly, "I have some kind of inexplicable affinity with animals. If you ask why, then I can only say it's probably because I'm the temple keeper. Because my grandmother was the same way."
Zhang Shutong shrugged. He'd take it as the truth for now.
"Snakes too?"
"Snakes too." Lu Qinglian added, "I went back on my word. You can go rest over there for a bit. I'll leave in a moment."
As she said this, she was poking the fox's nose with one finger.
But who was it just now who'd used a serious tone to say, "We're almost there, you'd better not stop again"?
This kind of flip-flopping attitude really didn't seem like that of a dangerous person, but rather like a young girl who couldn't walk when she saw a cute pet.
Zhang Shutong was too lazy to criticize her. Rather, he didn't have much inclination to criticize right now—he was just subconsciously analyzing the meaning in every sentence Lu Qinglian spoke.
Her statement just now could only be interpreted as: perhaps she wasn't certain whether she'd encounter this fox here either.
So what had her mood been like coming up the mountain before?
Something that could make a girl with almost no emotional fluctuations show a faint smile.
Was she harboring some kind of anticipation?
The word "anticipation" should be used for looking forward to something good—like a child anticipating birthday presents, or a boy hoping to sit next to a girl he likes when seats are reassigned. Zhang Shutong didn't understand what there was to anticipate about seeing a wild fox. This fox was far from as cute as those seen online. Especially in winter, it looked malnourished, its fur lacking luster, and it was missing an ear.
Calling it cute was being very generous, but for Lu Qinglian, seeing it was worth anticipating.
Zhang Shutong had nothing to say.
He found a relatively clean stone step, brushed the snow off it with his gloves, sat down supporting his chin with his hands, and watched the interaction between the beautiful girl and the not-so-beautiful fox.
The girl named Lu Qinglian squatted in the snow. On this winter mountain path, the snow beneath her feet was like solidified clouds, her scattered green robe like a blooming green lotus, the fox a dark red color like a ball of flame. This scene was simple and pure.
If only everything could really be this simple.
He also hoped to spend such a simple student life, coming up the mountain with his buddies to have a snowball fight. The local legends would speak of a mysterious girl and fox that randomly appeared on the mountain. If you encountered them, it would be like going to play on a hillside and finding a lucky four-leaf clover on an endless prairie—you'd be very satisfied, and probably sleep sweetly that night.
But unfortunately, reality could never be so pure.
Zhang Shutong then shook his head.
He thought again of what he'd seen in the Forbidden Zone yesterday.
Since she'd immediately run away, that meant what she was doing absolutely couldn't be discovered by him. He'd never asked about this because the two of them were full of mutual suspicion. A single misunderstanding could generate more serious doubts, and these were almost uncontrollable—they could even depend on the uncertainty of a particular tone or expression.
So he wanted to wait a bit longer.
Perhaps this result would determine today's direction.
Now some of his wariness had been shed, and Lu Qinglian's attitude was beginning to soften.
For Zhang Shutong, perhaps this opportunity had arrived.
He just watched the girl stroking the fox. His body, which had already straightened, slowly sat back down in disbelief.
Because to be precise, it wasn't that the opportunity had arrived.
Rather, something even more overwhelming was rapidly happening before his eyes.
Making Zhang Shutong's heartbeat skip a beat.
...
That fox had lost an ear. The wound had scabbed over, and dried blood traces were still visible.
But that was normal. Calculating carefully, not much time had actually passed since it was injured. Today was Friday, the poacher capture was Wednesday—it very likely happened that very day.
So the fox's wound hadn't healed yet.
Don't expect a wild fox to be particularly smart. It would only affectionately nuzzle Lu Qinglian's sleeve with its head. Perhaps the scabbed wound was itchy, or perhaps for some other reason—that wound soon split open again, faint bloodstains marking Lu Qinglian's green robe, very conspicuous.
So the girl gently pushed its head.
The fox wouldn't give up though, nuzzling against her persistently.
This was the first time Zhang Shutong had seen an expression of helplessness flow across her face. The girl then rolled up one sleeve, rolling up both the robe and the sweater together so she wouldn't have to worry about dirtying her clothes.
The small arm she exposed was truly like a work of art—every line flowing smoothly and gently, every inch of skin an unblemished porcelain white.
Zhang Shutong stared at that arm in a daze, understanding for the first time the meaning of the idiom "well-proportioned flesh and bone."
However, the only flaw.
On this exquisite work of art.
Was a glaring yet impossible-to-ignore presence—
It was marred by a birthmark.
Zhang Shutong saw on Lu Qinglian's arm a coin-sized, crimson mark.
Perhaps it was a birthmark.
Oval-shaped.
An oval-shaped birthmark.
Actually, what kind of mark it was didn't matter.
What mattered was.
It represented an oval shape.
An oval shape that had always left him without a clue.
That he'd guessed and guessed at.
And had even carved into his arm—
An oval.
Green snake.
Small person.
Circle...
Green snake.
Temple keeper.
Birthmark...
Green snake, temple keeper, birthmark.
—Lu Qinglian.
Lu Qinglian played with the fox using that bare arm. Her movements were nimble—she could always tease the little thing up and down, yet it could never quite touch her. The corners of the girl's lips curved into a faint smile—different from her previous playful or subtle smiles, this was a gentle smile, albeit very faint.
And her other hand reached into her bosom, into a pocket on the inside of her green robe, and pulled out some object.
Zhang Shutong sat on the stone steps below, not far from them, so he could easily see what it was.
It was a red, rod-shaped item.
He knew—it had been bought not long ago.
From the small shop at the foot of the mountain.
Ham sausage.
Ham sausage...
The dog that was easily poisoned.
Vigilance.
Very fierce.
Affinity.
Villa.
Photograph.
Were the person who threw the flowerpot and the one who poisoned the dog actually the same?
Making noise and eliminating noise were contradictory.
Someone wanted to prevent the island's development.
The disheveled figure that suddenly appeared in the Forbidden Zone.
She'd been crouching by the shore.
Suddenly disappeared.
Previous deductions.
Perhaps all wrong.
Zhang Shutong just stood up wordlessly.
...
After the fox ate the ham sausage, it ran off. The girl in the green robe stood in place, watching it scamper away happily.
So when she lowered her sleeve, the young man wearing a scarf walked to her side and asked:
"That red thing is a birthmark?"
"Mm, it's ugly."
"It's alright." Zhang Shutong only uttered a few words. "We should go."
This time he took the initiative to walk ahead of the girl, leading the way.
He slowly moved toward the right front.
Zhang Shutong knew that in a small grove to the right front, beside the third tree counting from left to right, there was something.
"I have one more question," he suddenly said. "Why were you still cold and indifferent to me on the rooftop yesterday, but today it's like you're a different person?"
"I heard you and your friends chatting about what happened on Commercial Street. I happened to be somewhat interested."
As expected.
Wrong.
Perhaps all wrong.
He'd been misled by information from Ruoping and Du Kang.
Perhaps on the Cold-Blooded Route, he and Lu Qinglian had never been in any kind of side-by-side fighting relationship.
And nothing like "betrayal" or "turning one's back" had ever happened.
Graduation season was summer.
Summer was the season for short sleeves.
Arms would be exposed.
Why leave these three tattoos?
The circle was the killer's characteristic.
Then what about the other two?
Green snake and small person.
Wasn't it too obvious?
Why carve information that could be understood at a glance into one's arm?
If that was the case, if green snake really meant green snake, and small person really meant temple keeper, weren't they redundant in a certain sense?
Did the three tattoos point to three separate things?
Or did they refer to just one person from beginning to end?
Had he really not discovered Gu Qiumian's killer in eight years?
Or had he known all along who it was?
That person had actually been by his side all along.
Zhang Shutong closed his eyes. He was slowing his pace now—no need to worry about what was underfoot.
He began to recall the final information obtained.
Three tattoos.
One photograph, from his phone gallery, of the interior of the Divine Temple.
One photograph, sent by his senior, of a long-haired woman captured on surveillance.
"Is your daily life... very tiring?" Zhang Shutong opened his eyes and asked again.
He didn't really want to talk about murder cases anymore.
"I'm used to it."
"So it is a bit tiring?"
"It's alright."
"Always ranking first in the grade can't be easy."
"Also alright."
"Teacher Song said you quite enjoy school."
"It's very interesting."
"Can I interpret your warning as a form of protection?"
"You can." Lu Qinglian added, "I said before, it's best not to doubt me."
"Sorry." Zhang Shutong sighed.
He saw the third tree.
"One last question—are many things beyond your control?"
"I'm the temple keeper." She said this again.
Zhang Shutong was silent for a moment, then smiled:
"My mom said we're quite in sync. Don't let her bouncy, enthusiastic-with-everyone demeanor fool you—she's actually never said this about anyone before."
As he spoke, he turned around and pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket. Inside were apple slices soaked in salt water.
Mom always thought of everything, so those apples hadn't oxidized yet—the flesh was fresh as ever:
"Want to eat some more? I saw you quite liked them."
But Lu Qinglian frowned:
"You've been stalling for time this whole time?"
As expected, Mom's words were always right—the two of them did have a bit of synchronicity. Lu Qinglian could always guess his intentions.
So Zhang Shutong didn't deny it. Denial was meaningless.
He just nodded.
Then;
Turned and ran—
"You..."
The last glimpse in his field of vision was Lu Qinglian frowning slightly, lifting her leg.
He knew how fast Lu Qinglian was—her speed when disappearing in the Forbidden Zone last night was evidence enough. If he was caught, he'd completely lose the initiative. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to go back.
So he just ran forward recklessly. The hiking boots played their role at this moment. Snow sprayed everywhere. The rubber soles had incredibly strong grip—each stud firmly anchored in the snow surface. He'd even removed his scarf in advance, afraid it would become a hindrance.
In comparison, Lu Qinglian's reaction was already a beat slow. She was still wearing cloth shoes—no matter how fast, they couldn't escape the constraints of objective conditions. That green robe practically billowed as she ran, which wasn't exactly convenient either. Yet despite all this, hearing the wind at his back growing closer and closer, Zhang Shutong's heart sank.
The distance between them was closing.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. He'd already run forward a dozen steps. Just as he took a large stride across a certain spot, Zhang Shutong stopped and turned around.
In his peripheral vision was a patch of snow camouflaged seamlessly.
On the snow surface were two crossed branches.
He simply stared at those two branches, holding his breath, his heartbeat involuntarily accelerating.
Zhang Shutong counted silently in his heart.
One.
Lu Qinglian took another step, the hem of her robe dancing behind her.
She had long legs, usually concealed by the robe, but actually ran very fast.
Two.
That figure in the green robe closed in again almost instantaneously.
Zhang Shutong had still underestimated Lu Qinglian. She wasn't as simple as she claimed—just having great strength. That body's physical condition had completely surpassed girls her age.
However, no matter what, she was just inches away from those crossed branches.
Three.
What he cared about now was whether she'd imitate his stride and step across. For this reason, he'd even stopped early—this way, when Lu Qinglian touched him, she'd instinctively stop in her tracks.
Odds of success?
Hard to say.
Probability?
Could only guess.
But sometimes it was like this—to capture a beast fiercer and calmer than any human, you had to gamble.
Even if using yourself as the stake—
One step away.